Happy Monday. I hope you are enjoying the last days of summer.
Just a reminder that I’ll be teaming up with Stephanie from Foodie-isms for a lunch box series in early September. I’ll be talking about nutrition and she’ll be coming up with lunch ideas. I know that some of you are gearing up for back to school and that means making lunches.
I’ll be posting some awesome recipes in the next few weeks. We tried Mexican Lasagna and it was beyond easy and really good. I made a couple of tasty chicken dishes too. And I’m still working on those roasted chickpeas. I’ve gotten some great ideas from people.
This week I’m going to try pork cutlets for a change. I’m always squeamish about making meat outside of the slow cooker. But this recipe looked easy and I feel up for the challenge.
For more meal plans see Org Junkie.
What’s Cooking this Week
Monday: Black Bean Burritos with toppings and guacamole
Tuesday: Pork Cutlets with a mushroom sauce (6 O’Clock Scramble book) with bread and zucchini fries
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Italian Chicken with White Beans (old slow cooker cookbook), bread and spinach salad
Thursday: Potluck/leftovers
Friday: Marinated Wild Salmon, mac and cheese and broccoli parmesan
Challenges — What a difference the Farmers’ Market makes
I’ve been experiencing some mommy guilt lately. Each week I say that I’m going to get produce at the Farmers’ Market and it just doesn’t happen. So there I am at the store having to decide between the not-so-good looking organic apples from Chile and the conventional ones from here. Neither choice makes me feel good.
I’ve also been very disappointed with my fruit selections. My daughter has been shunning oranges — her favorite — because they just don’t taste that good. Of course, I still eat them but kids are little foodies at heart.
So I decided that I can fit a Farmers’ Market run on Saturday morning. We went and picked some ripe and tasty produce, mostly fruit. My daughter couldn’t get enough of the oranges and nectarines. We had them with our Sunday morning pancakes.
I wonder…when did food shopping get so complicated? We buy our food at Costco, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Vons, and the Farmers’ Market. And I really feel like each store/place has something we need.
News
There has been some good news in the school nutrition world. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Act passed the Senate. It just needs to get through the House to be written into law which will happen (or not) by September. When it passes for good, I’ll give you all the details of what it means for School Lunch.
I’ll leave you with a guest post I wrote for Zen Family Habits about common health mistakes families make. I compiled a list of the mistakes I see most often — and they usually start with a good intention.
Today we have more choices, things to be scared of and less time to do it all. Like food shopping, it all seems so complex. But does it have to be?
Let me know what you think in the comments. Have a great week!
The zucchini fries look awesome!
Thanks for the zucchini fry shout out 🙂
Both kids AND adults loved them 🙂
I think food choices and shopping is very complex!! I spend hours grocery shopping…reading labels on everything ! Between trying to feed my kids healthier food and keeping in mind my 2 yr old’s food allergies (eggs and nuts) and monitoring carb content for my diabetic hubby – it can get overwhelming. Not to mention trying to stay within a budget. Sometimes I just want to buy Oreos and doughnuts and call it a day.
Mo Betta, I hope my “best of” lists can help decrease confusion. Hang in there!
I made the zucchini fries tonight and they were great! I used italian-style panko. Maybe a quick spray of Pam on the aluminum foil would help a little. Some of them stuck (but not that many).
I’m glad they turned out. I’m making them tomorrow! Anna loves fries so we’ll see…
Your food shopping comment really resonated with me. I shop at the exact same stores, along with also getting a CSA box every two weeks, and yes, I prefer certain items that I can only get at one or two of those places. It really does make shopping, and menu planning, much more complicated. I feel like I’m always going to the store to get two or three items. Add two small children in tow, and each trip becomes an event.
I’ve been really feeling lately that my generation did not have adequate training for organizing shopping lists, running households, etc. All that home ec. stuff went out of style. And now, with a bigger push for greener and more sustainable living, it’s greatly needed again, with a green bent to it. Anyway, kind of off topic, but just my thoughts.
Mandi,
I totally agree with you. I think eating organic and sustainably adds another complex layer to parents’ already long to-do list. I have two little ones and going to the store — or anywhere — is a major event. I plan to write more on this subject in the future as I search for realistic solutions.
Zucchini fries! I wonder if I could REALLY get my kids to eat those? They look so good! I was given a huge zucchini the other day, and wondered what in the world I could do with it, because I am the only one that likes it. Maybe the fries version would do the trick!
Ali, I made these tonight and they were great — very crunchy. They taste even better with ketchup. My 3-year old didn’t try them but my son ate them up.