Lunch-ability!

Back to week-2 of school, new-classroom-jitters, and lunch packing pandaemonium - for most mothers with preschoolers. I've been getting heaps of "school lunch" questions, and referral-requests for good packing ideas to make lunch a bit more fun and a lot more enticing. I've stumbled upon a fantastic little lunch blog called Another Lunch, and it is the perfect place for bumping up the sandwich/snack inspiration!

I'm by no way implying that all you busy mamas are meant to have the time (or patience!) to cut out, stack, size, design, and decorate your childs everyday lunch; just that these images and ideas + a little imagination can make for much more interesting lunchables.

But before joining this lunch-party - you got to get on the trendy bandwagon; better known as: The Bento Lunch Box. It's a theory. A method. A current wave of hipster lunch packing, and it's the basis of Another Lunch blog. But first you've got to get yourself a form of a "bento", my favorite is the Goodbyn.

The Goodbyn Lunchbox $24.95

Peas Please!

Alright, this is super random, but when I figured this out I found myself wishing some seasoned mom had let me in on the secret... So I'm just sharing the discovery. Frozen Peas.

Freida never swallowed a single pea in her little life. At 5 months old she spit out the pea puree over and over again, at 9 months old she spit-shot little steamed peas out of her mouth and onto the floor, and at 15 months old (don't know why I didn't just give it up!) she actually scratched the pea remnants (after spitting it out) off her tongue!

I so wanted her to like peas! Aside from broccoli she really doesn't get many green veggies in her diet (she doesn't chew leafy greens very well), and peas are such an easy on-the-go protein to sneak into any mealtime/snacktime.

Well, today she loves peas. Frozen peas. We've dubbed them "ice cream peas", and she's obsessed. Victory. Was worth the wait... easy vitamins, fiber, and protein all rolled into one teeny tiny pea.

Try it, they'll like it. (Maybe.)

Presto Pesto!

We are serious basil-lovers in this household, with pesto being a favorite. Between Freida, Manasseh, and myself - we go through lots of this stuff! We use it on pretty much everything (the normal and the not-so-normal), from picnic pasta to scrambled eggs in the AM. Manasseh loves it on sandwiches - it's amazing on a schnitzel sandwich, steak sandwich, cold cuts etc. Freida will eat anything if it's got pesto (or marinara) on it, and I like having it on hand to give a low-fat Omega-3-loaded flavorful kick to anything at all! I make batches of it, and store it in baby food jars (it last up to a week in the fridge, and with some extra olive oil at the top it maintains its color pretty well).

Here's the basic recipe (the amounts are not exact and totally flexible):

2 Cups Fresh Basil Leaves

3-4 Garlic Cloves

1 Tablespoon Pine Nuts (Pignolis)

2 Tablespoons Walnuts

3 Tablespoons E.V. Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Using a food processor, blend the basil (make sure to wash and check it - especially in the summer), garlic, and nuts together. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Add salt and pepper. Voilà!

There can be all sorts of variations to pesto, the most common (and the most perfect!) is to add in about a tablespoon of parmesan cheese. This week I tried adding some sun-dried tomatos to the blend, and the flavor was incredible!

Enjoy!!

Organic Fruit Mashups!

It's been a few days... apologies for the lack of posts; been kinda out of commission here. I think Freida may have the respiratory virus that is going around... the coughing won't stop!! I think I'll take her in to the doctor later today.... Anyways, I was doing a few (very old, totally procrastinated) returns/exchanges at BabiesRUs last week, and it was just one of the those trips - baby won't stop kvetching, my snack supply (a.k.a "Freida's retail entertainment") is running out, and I can't seem to find what I'm looking for. Naturally I head over to the food/snack isle to find some goodies to keep the tot busy, and I made a wonderful discovery! A kosher squeezable fruit (I have always had my eye on the Trader Joe's version - wondering why it can't be kosher)!! From the company Revolution Foods, this great product is called Mashups. It's basically a squeezable apple sauce, made from 100% organic fruits, and totally void of: added sugar, transfats, high fructose corn syrup, or artificial ingredients. The kid-safe resealable cap makes this the easiest, squeeziest snack to throw in your bag, the glove compartment,  their luchbox etc. Bonus points for the yumminess - Freida literally slurped happily on the stuff until I finished my toy store errands.

One Dish Wonder

Beaba Babycook - is now at Williams Sonoma!! $149.95

For those of you unfamiliar with the Babycook, it's a product from France enabling you to make homemade baby food with minimal (and I mean minimal!) work. Steams (in 15 minutes max!) and purées fruit, veggies, fish, meat, and even grains in one dish!! Forget about dealing with pots of water, steaming baskets, strainers, and food processors... This machine leaves you with no excuses!! Take control of what your baby consumes - lose the jarred food preservatives, and produce nutritional meals for your little one. Nix that picky-eating habit right in the bud by giving your baby more menu options straight from the get-go...

(This and the Qubies, and you're totally set!)