First day of School

and all is well.

Snack. mix made by 2nd grader with water
Lunch. guac sushi. whole grain tortilla wrapped with guacamole, carrot shreds, diced chicken. rolled and cut to resemble sushi. apple fries. carrot/apple juice.
after school. pluot

Back to School Panic

This is the time of year that I begin to panic.
What will the kids eat for school lunches and snacks? What will be healthy and easy for dinner?

as if we have not eaten all summer. LOL but still, every year at this time, the anxiety sneaks in.

So, this week I will post my strategies and recipes for back to school dinners. They will feature my no-one-knows-if-or-when-we-will-eat-at-the-same-time dilema. Pete and Repeat menus. Pantry to the rescue. and much more.

So don't change that dial!

Pantry Dilema!

Girls, I love my pantry. It is an integral part of my kitchen. and I'll tell you why...
I love to look like I have it all together. although that is pretty far from the truth, you know? but when there is a change in our schedule or unexpected company or one of the kids is going through a growth spurt and goes from eating like a big to more like a teenager; well the pantry is my friend. Everything in the pantry is accessible, easy to fix, inexpensive, and always healthy.

The middle of the summertime is when I use down my pantry and use my "saved" money for fun things like waterpark. Then the end of July, I gradually restock. This is when pantry item coupons and sales are abundant. Plus, with hurricane season right around the corner, I like to have a well-stocked pantry.

Here is the dilema: my well-meaning husband put moth balls in my fully stocked pantry. The odor has penetrated the boxes and plastic wrap and seeped into my pasta, crackers, cereals, and sadly more. Is there any salvaging my groceries?

Thanks.

Omelettes for a Crowd

I saw this idea on Paula Dean. I've done something similar before. Now I do egg whites and lots of good veggies. But after seeing Food network, I tried this when we had a sleep over and it was big hit. Very little clean up. and fun!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_36990,00.html

6 large eggs Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 re-sealable plastic freezer bags
Add-Ins (all are optional): Shredded Cheddar Crumbled feta Shredded mozzarella Cooked and crumbled bacon Cooked and crumbled sausage Diced ham Chopped bell peppers Chopped spinach Diced red onion Diced tomatoes Sauteed sliced mushrooms Sliced black olives

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together eggs, salt, pepper and any of the desired add-ins. Divide and pour the egg mixture into re-sealable plastic bags.

Boil a large pot of water and drop in the sealed omelette bags. Simmer the bags for 5 to 8 minutes. Remove bags from the water with tongs and drain them on a paper towel lined plate.
Allow to cool slightly before handling. Open the bags and pour the cooked omelet out onto a plate.

Fresh salad

I just had to share this delicious salad that I "invented."

Yep. We are living off the land. We really are excited when we eat from our little garden. We had some beautiful heirloom tomatoes that are thriving and a bumper crop of Cucumbers. So we took 4 big ears of corn. 2 tomatoes. and one cuke. Sliced adn Diced. Our dressing was basil, balsamic vinegar, a little splash of oil oil, fresh ground sea salt and black pepper. Threw them in a bowl. Gave them a little stir. and voila! Salad. Very colorful and mighty tasty.

Other variations could be with red onion, peppers, black beans, or whatever else you dream up!

On the road

Is it possible to eat healthy on the road?

That has been our family's challenge lately. We do well on short all day trips. But eating out for a long time, ack! I start feeling really sluggish. and I do believe that too many Happy Meals make the children quite the opposite (of happy).

So to make everyone's time more enjoyable, I try to limit the amount of sugar when the kids (and we) are trapped in the car for long periods of time.

We also try to schedule some stops to burn up some energy. 15 minutes of jumping rope at a rest area is 15 minutes well spent, I assure you.

I try to pack little snacks that are healthy and boost energy. For long trips I let the kids make their own creations of munchies. I set up a little buffet of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, pretzels, and other munchies. Then each child fills their containers with their own unique and ultimate snack. You know what would happen if I fixed it? "Mom! you know I don't like raisins!" *rolling eyes* <==I recently mastered this art from my 6 year old. she is very talented.

I would love to hear tips from other people about how they try to avoid too much junk while on vacation.

REthink

Thanks so much for the encouraging feedback! I am glad that you are enjoying the site and getting some ideas.

I wanted to remind our faithful friends and our new acquaintances that the purpose of this blog is not to be extreme ultra 100% top-level healthy. The name should be "healthier" express. I just want to get you think (re-thinking) about the choices you and your family make about food. That is all. and to make that fast, simple, and fun!

Remember when your mama said you are what you eat? that very well may be true.

Happy and healthy eating.