Posts Tagged ‘school lunches’

Morning – Challenge Day 6 – Will We Make It?

Friday, September 16th, 2011

tea for me

I’m sure as you can tell, I usually write at night.  So much during the day with kids school and activities and just now getting back to meetings, writing and excercise for me after a summer of mostly fun.  I think being busy (yoga, paddleboarding, etc) also kept my mind off eating.  Rather than sitting at a desk, like I am now.  However I am having a nice cup of tea.  I bought the tea and didn’t like it as cold, but I do like hot, so it’s a comfort and a treat on this cold and foggy morning after taking the kids to school.  I also didn’t eat all my oatmeal from earlier.  I saved it and will reheat it when I get hungry.

Here was the usual morning…  My husband went to work very early, so I didn’t see his breakfast.  I’m assuming he missed or had a bowl of cereal, by the amount of milk left.  My son had toast, yogurt, and granola.  He wanted the whole banana but he settled for half, since it was the last one.  My daughter and I shared the other half on our oatmeal.  Yes, again.  My daughter also had her yogurt grapes and granola.

Jonas' breakfast

Ellery's breakfast

Ellery's snack

Jonas' lunch and snack

I packed my son’s usual lunch.  He is a creature of habit, so this hasn’t been tough for lunch – but he usually has more choices.  My daughter is going to a friend’s house after school and will have lunch there, while I go to the radio interview at the Food Bank.  She’ll probably be happy to see some new lunch options.  We’re out of the banana bread for snack so I packed crackers and cheese for my son.  My daughter got the last few crackers with sunflower butter and 1/2 an apple (the rest we’ll save for snack later).  By the way if you slice an apple and don’t want it to turn bown let is soak a few minutes in water with a squeeze of lemon juice or a pinch of salt.

soaking apples

 

empty fruit bowl

We’re noticing the lack of ingredients.  We finished the crackers today.  The’re only about 1/4 cup of the cow’s milk left.  The fruit bowl is empty (we still have grapes in the fridge).   The cheese is about 1/2 thick by 4 inches.  Hopefully some for tacos tonight.  Let’s see how it’s adding up.  Here’s what I bought.  Each item is gone, unless I say otherwise…

First Shop – Trader Joe’s

almond milk 1.99 – for my daughter, she doesn’t drink cow’s milk.  I use in my oatmeal.  About 1 cup left

cow’s milk 3.29- for my son (and husband for cereal). We usually buy a full gallon, but get a half. about 1/4 cup left

organic yogurt 2.99- large.  Mix with fruit spread, fruit or brown sugar to sweeten.  Also for egg salad and tuna. About 1 1/2 cups left.

organic eggs 3.99  – 2 boiled left and 5 raw

wheat pizza dough 1.29 – pizza

organic hummus 2.29 – wraps. About 3 tablespoons left.

organic ground beef 6.49 – for tacos

2 red peppers 2.99 – roasted veggies and pasta dish.

organic baby carrots 1.49 – Trader Joe’s regular carrots aren’t organic.  Ate one bag and bought another for lunches and snacks.

organic grapes – 3.99 duet of green and red. For lunches and snacks.  About 20 grapes left.

broccoli 1.69 – stir fry.  About 1/2 head left.

orange juice 2.99 , half gallon – I usually buy organic, but too $. About 1/4 left

bananas 3 – .19 each

organic black beans 1.19 – for taco night

organic frozen edaname 2.29

wheat pretzels 1.69, About 1/4 bag left.

sharp cheddar cheese 2.87 – for pizza, and lunches. Small piece left.

Shop in My Pantry and Freezer (things I already had and didn’t want to rebuy)

orechette pasta .99 – first night’s pasta, lentil and veggie dinner and some left-overs

rice 2.99 – I should’ve checked I didn’t even have a whole bag. Have left-over cooked from stir fry.

canned organic tomatoes 1.99 – I usually buy Pomi

tea – 2.29 – this is just one of many we have.  I chose because least expensive, but I only like it hot, not cold.  Half box left.

tuna 1.49 – for sandwiches

hemp granola – 2.99 – for yogurt and granola

sandwich bread – 2.99 – for lunches

canned minestrone soup 2.99 – my kids love this.  Good when I don;t have time to make my own.

fruit spread – 1.79 – for sandwiches with sunflower butter and toast. Lots left

sunflower butter – 3.79 – Chose this instead of peanut butter since our school is nut free. Half left.

sliced turkey 4.79 – my son’s wrap choice this week

half loaf of banana bread – my kids and I made banana bread a few days before the challenge (to use some overipe bananas) and I froze it.  I used half the loaf for my kids’ snack at school the first few days of the week (sorry forgot to show).  It probably cost me about $2 in ingredients.

banana bread snack

Shopping at Farmer’s Market – all organic

apples (5) – 3.45 – lunches and snacks

kale – 2  - chips and stir fry

heirloom tomatoes (4)- 2.80 – wraps and salad

sweet potatoes (2) – 2.10 – chips – 1 left

zucchini (2) – 1 roasted veggies and pasta dish

spinach – 1.45 in wraps and salad

olive baguette – 2. First night’s pasta, lentil veggie dinner

Subsequent shopping yesterday and day before …

bananas – (3) 1.16

Tejava tea – 1.29 – couldn’t handle life without an iced tea and bought a bummer one.

flatbread/Lavosh bread – 2.29 for wraps. 5 left

whole wheat sandwich bread 2.49 – almost whole loaf left

corn tortillas – 1.99 – for tacos

organic chicken breast 3.94 – for stir fry

organic tofu – twin pack – 1.99 – for stir fry and tacos.

avocados – 1.79 for tacos

So we have almost no fruit and veggies left.  What food we have is mostly allocated for tonight’s dinner.  Tomorrow we’ll have stuff for sandwiches for lunch.  Dinner may be rough.  We have lots of bread – so we can always have toast and sunflower butter.

 

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Jamie Oliver – Look Out America

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

I’ve been a fan since the days of The Naked Chef and Pukka Tukka (way back).  Who doesn’t love Jamie Oliver?  He’s cute, has a funny accent, makes yummy and easy (peasy) looking food and seems like a great dad and friend.  I’ll tell you who…the lunch ladies in the town of Huntington, West Virginia.  If you haven’t seen the show Jamie’s Food Revolution, you should.  It’s a great look at the American school system’s archiac nutritional rules and guidelines, staunch opposition to change and how overall poor eating habits are hurting our kids, families and comunities.

There are certainly some wonderful voices and movements of change in the area of food and food production.  Some that come immediately to mind are Michel Pollan, Alice Waters, Eric SchlosserSlow Food USA, Morgan Spurlock, as well as others.  It’s great that food is getting so much attention – whether you see it as a political issue, safety issue, health issue, economics issue, human rights issue, animal issue…there’s no doubt it is an ISSUE that affects everyone.

I’m excited to help anyone that raises awareness about the lack of fresh, safe, healthy food for everyone, especially children.  Lately I’ve been doing more parent education at local preschools and elementary schools in the Bay Area to assist with healthier food guidelines, tips and ideas for packing a healthy lunch, and how to create waste free lunches.  I’d love to be doing more in the area, and helping the cause.

Read more about Jamie Oliver’s campaign to keep cooking skills alive, and change and improve school lunches in America,  then sign the petition to join the revolution.

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