October Week 4 Day 2

Once upon a time. 

A magical phrase that always excited me.  To this day, I still love fairy tales.  There is something so innocent about them.  Which is a funny way to describe them since most of Grimm's fairy tales are just that.  Grim.

I couldn't figure out what to give Keith for lunch today.  I thought a long time about it, and finally settled on giving him a Fairy Tale Lunch.

In nearly all the tales told, when someone set out on a journey, they carried with them some staples.  Good hearty bread, cheese, and some sort of protein.  Usually salted meat.  But we are vegetarian, so we just go with the protein.

I got out some bread, and Keith got excited for his lunch, though he insisted he didn't want any bread.  I gave him some cheddar cheese, almonds, carrots, broccoli, sliced peaches, and a little bit of his birthday cake.  He was so excited for it!  In place of a lunch box, I wanted to wrap it all in a napsack, but my bandanna (the only one I have) was left in the car, and it was snowing.  I didn't want to go out in the snow.  Instead, I placed it all in a brown paper bag and sent him off to school.

When I picked him up, however, he had eaten his almonds and cake.  That was all.

Very disappointing.

I believe I will try this lunch again, but I will use some good bread (a hunk of french bread perhaps?), some grapes, and whatever else is on hand.  But it will be wrapped up in a knapsack   Packaging is all part of the appeal, I am learning.

And of course, I did forget to take a picture.  One of these days it will be a habit.  One of these days.

October Week 4

It is getting chilly in the mornings now.  Deliciously so.  Chilly enough that the warm security of my comforter pulled up around my neck entices me to not get out of bed.  It is enough to just lay next to Jeffrey, breathing deeply the aroma of morning and my sweetie in complete opulence.  But school doesn't wait for my morning meditation, so I have to force myself out of bed and get going, or Keith will be lacking a lunch.

It doesn't really matter, though, because my next favorite thing to do on a chilly morning is to step into a steamy shower, the warmth washing over me as I let it wake me up a little and get ready for the day.  I always shower in the dark.  I prefer it that way.  Once upon a time I worked in a doctor office and was told that showering in the dark helps to create new synapses in the brain.  I think more than showering in the dark, it is the creation of new memories, doing new things that helps create those synapses, but I have not turned on the lights when I shower since then.  It is strangely comforting.  Jeffrey thinks I am odd, but I have never told him about the synapses creation, so I guess it is warranted.

Enough about my morning oddness, though.  I just mentioned all that because I have been thinking about it and enjoying it immensely.  I think it is important to recognize the little things that make us happy.  By doing so, we will have more happiness.

Moving on to the lunch, though.

I decided to try something new today.  It was a chickpea and tomato salad.  It looked yummy enough.  I was hesitant because Keith isn't a huge fan of new things.  He has been more frequent in telling me all about the things he doesn't like, rather than what he does like.  We had a talk after school today about following my grandmother's advice; be known for your likes, not your dislikes.  We are practicing a nice way to say he doesn't like something.  Instead of saying "I don't like the plastic spoons" he can say "I really like and prefer the metal spoons."  I had a feeling I would be hearing how much he didn't like his lunch today, but decided to try it anyway.

The recipe calls for

• 1/4 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes quartered
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/8 tsp salt
• dash of pepper

Combine everything together and mix until everything is coated.

That was the recipe.  I followed it exactly.  Except for the feta.  I didn't have any, so I used some shredded mozzarella and cheddar.  Then I tasted it.  It was so bland!  I didn't like it at all.  I decided in the future, if I were to make this again, I would cut the oregano in half or substitute basil, rosemary, or even a mix of the three!  But not a whole teaspoon.  That was way too much.  Also, I would probably try it with the feta.  That could be the reason it didn't turn out so well.  To spruce it up a bit, I added some cauliflower and broccoli florets.    It tasted better, but wasn't brilliant by any means.  Though I found ways to make it a bit better, I most likely wont be doing this one again.

I found some Halloween cookie cutters last week at the store.  I cut a granny smith apple into thick slices, and used the cookie cutters to cut out shapes.  Next time I think I am going to use the cookie cutters to simply core the apple.  That way the middle pieces can be used better, and less will be wasted.

I found a small silver cupcake liner and put some goldfish in that.

And he got a blueberry muffin with a Frankenstein head poking out of the top.  It was just a picture on a toothpick, but it adds a bit of fun and whimsy to his lunch, which he really appreciates.

When I picked Keith up today, everything was gone, even some of the salad!  But I also found a bag of corn chips in his lunch box.  That is what the school had given the kids today.  And he of course wanted some, so they gave it to him.  I am not too upset about it, actually.  I am relieved that every day he gets good healthy food, and not processed junk.  Chips?  Really?  It was a generic version of Fritos, which I love because there are three ingredients to those, but still, with the nation so concerned about the childhood obesity rate, they should be ashamed to be putting such processed and yucky foods in the growing childrens' lunches!

I was told he ate his lunch backwards.  Muffin first, salad last.  And he was sitting by a great friend, so rather than eat, they talked.  But I am happy with the progress he made.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Update: I just asked him if he liked the salad, and he said yes.  I asked him if he would like me to make it again, and he said "Well, I like to have different things in my lunch every day."  I clarified, and he said yes, he would like it again one day.  Evidently he did like it, but was more interested in talking with his friend.  He said his favorite part was the broccoli and cauliflower.  So, it looks like I did save it after all!

October Week 3 All the days

I would like to call this meeting to order.

The first item on the agenda to discuss is the new post headings.  Seeing as how the committee had a hard time remembering which week it was, it was decided to just go with the month of the year and the week as that is much easier for both the author and the readers.  

The second item of business is the short week.  The third week in October this year is a three day week.  Which leaves us with a four day weekend.  Yay for playing with the children all four day weekend!

Thirdly, is the fact that the author has been ridiculously busy and has not been near a computer at all this week despite her best intentions.  So, this whole week will be lumped into one post.  The author acknowledges this is not the best way to post the weeks food experiments  but is not sure when she will be near a computer again, so knows this is the only way to get it all posted.

Thus, it is moved we continue along with the post.

All in favor say "aye"

AYE

All opposed, say "no"

* * Silence * *

Monday

I didn't have anything for Keith Monday, so I woke up early and hurried to the store.  I found all sorts of great things for him.  

Firstly, I made him an Almond Butter sandwich with honey.  I don't think I will do that again, because after I made it I learned the almond butter was sweetened.  Next time he gets fruit on the sandwich.  No honey, no jelly or jam.  With the sandwich, I found some cookie cutters and his sandwich became a pumpkin and a ghost.  He loved it.  Ate the whole thing!

I gave him a gogurt.  Not a fan of all the sugar in yogurt, but the probiotics are so very important.  Still needing to figure out a solution for that.  

A cheese stick, which is one of his very favorites.  Yay!

Multi-colored gold fish.

Baby carrots and apple slices

Keith ate the whole lunch.  I was very impressed.  Evidently sandwich shapes are a big deal for a 5 year old.  Good to know.

Tuesday

I got to go to Keith's school and volunteer the whole day.  Also, it was his birthday.  I wanted to make an amazing lunch.  Instead, I made something I love, and he didn't so much.  

Meh.

At any rate, I crushed up some garbanzo beans and added some mayo and salt.  It was like an egg salad sandwich without the egg.  Very tasty.  I sliced up some tomatoes and put that on the sandwich.  

He got another gogurt and string cheese.

He also had some baby carrots and... wait for it... strawberries!  They were delicious.  

He didn't eat much of the sandwich, ate all of the gogurt, cheese, carrots, and gold fish.  I made him eat 3 more bites before he could eat his cookie which was the treat he brought to share with the class for his birthday.  

Wednesday

Since the day before was his birthday and he didn't get to bed until very late.  And then he woke up super early, but I didn't.  And so, with me waking up late and getting the kids ready for school, I didn't have a lot of time.  I was going to take Faye to her school, and then when it was over, I was going to rush home to make it, but my mother called me, and she offered to make Keith's lunch.  She was very sweet.  I am not exactly sure what went into that lunch, but I know it was absolutely healthy, as my mother is the one who made me want to be so healthy.  Make sense?  I know there were almonds, cucumbers, and broccoli.  Not sure what else was there, but he loved the whole thing.  Yay!

And that, my friends, was Keith's lunch for this week.

I feel so empowered by being able to fight the system and give him a wonderful healthy lunch.  Love it!

Week 9 Day 3 and 4

Wednesday I woke up so late.  I honestly didn't have time to make him a lunch, so I let him have school lunch.  A little sad, I know.

Thursday, I made him a grilled cheese sandwich.  He didn't eat it.  He ate everything but the grilled cheese.  Silly boy.  I popped him some popcorn, gave him a cheesestick, some broccoli from our garden, a pickle, and a pear apple.  My lunches are getting better, I think.  He is eating more of them, which is wonderful.  I do have to constantly look for new ideas, and it keeps me on my toes, but I think things are going well.  It is getting better nearly every day.  Yay!  I did forget to take pictures, though.  But lets be honest, my pictures aren't all that great anyway.