Monday, September 29, 2008

Apple Picking And Eating!

Kids love fresh apples. At least that's what I observed on Saturday when we were picking apples at Chudleigh's in Milton, Ontario. Chudleigh's is a stereotypical entertainment farm: straw maze, farm animals, playground, bakery, gift shop, hay rides, BBQ, and 100 acres of apples. My sisters (Sophia and Michelle) and their families visit Chudleigh's every fall as soon as the Honey Crisp apples are ready to pick. The kids love horsing around on the hay bales, seeing the animals, and eating grilled corn-on-the-cob. But most of all, I think they love to pick and eat the apples. Matthew (7 years old) and Olivia (4 years old) couldn't stop eating the Honey Crisp apples. It seemed like for every one they picked, they ate two. Caroline preferred the smaller Empire apples, which she could hold with two hands. As I picked apples, I listened to the conversations taking place around me. I heard small voices say, "Daddy, can I have another one?" and "I love these apples!" And when I looked around, I saw kids and their families munching away on apples. Anyone who has taken a child to a farm or garden to pick their own apple or peach or carrot (...or just about anything) knows that children will eat fresh fruits and vegetables. It's the out-of-season, mealy, flavorless stuff that they don't like. We can't take fresh fruits over the border so we left our bag of Empire apples with Michelle....to add to the 20 lbs of Honey Crisp apples that she picked.

We'll take Caroline apple picking again sometime this month. Clearview Orchard has several varieties of apples ready for picking. They are located at 1051 Barry Road in Haslett (517-655-1454). Like Chudleigh's Clearview Orchards is more than apples. They also have caramel apples horse-drawn wagon rides, and a pumpkin patch.

Caroline's Lunchbox Menu, September 30: Breakfast - watermelon, apple muffin; Lunch - cheese quesadilla, carrots (Anne's home garden) and zucchini (Owosso Organics); Snacks - multigrain bread, sunflower butter, Empire apple (Chudleigh's...uh, we brought back a couple of apples)

Childcare Center Menu, September 30: Breakfast - honeydew, wehat bagels, cream cheese; Lunch - chicken fajitas, grapes; Snacks - baked sweet potato, wheat crackers

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Meal Time Accoutrements

Since starting my new job earlier this month, Geoff has been taking on the lion's share of getting Caroline to and from her childcare center. I try to help by writing Caroline's menus and packing her food. We use a variety of meal time accoutrements to help us stay organized. For hot breakfast and lunch items, we use Thermos food jars. Thermos sells FUNtainers (food jars with designs) but we went with the plain old stainless steel style. The food jar works well and keeps Caroline's hot cereal, rice, pasta, and other hot foods steaming for hours. On a side note, Thermos also sells a fabulous guarantee spill-proof coffee mug. The food jars and coffee mug can be purchased on the Thermos website. We pack salads, vegetables, and other cold lunch items in her Laptop Lunchbox. This bento-style lunchbox is plastic, lead-free, and comes with five removable containers (two with lids), including one that can be used for salad dressing, utensils, and a user's guide. We bought three of the lunchboxes last year when Obentec was having a sale on mismatched compartments. We love them and use them everyday. There have been some problems with quality though. We've had several cracked lids and all of our utensils broke. Obentec has great customer service and replaced the lids right away. They replaced one set of the utensils but after the replacements also broke, I didn't bother with additional replacements. I pack the rest of Caroline's food - snacks like muffins, fruit, and yogurt - in 1/2 pint Ball or Mason glass jars with plastic, reusable lids.

Caroline's Lunchbox Menu, September 25: Breakfast - watermelon (Greenman Produce), apple bread (Rasch Farms apples); Lunch - cheese and summer squash quesadilla (Owosso Organics summer squash), corn-on-the-cob (Titus Farm), banana; Snacks - cucumbers (Cinzori Farms), 100% whole grain bread, sunflower butter

Childcare Center Menu, September 25: Breakfast - cantaloupe, pumpkin bread; Lunch - cheese and bean enchiladas, corn, beans, grapes; Snacks - smiley fries, cucumbers
    

September 24th Menu

Caroline's Lunchbox Menu, September 24: Breakfast - ten grain hot cereal, banana, raisins; Lunch - whole wheat rotini pasta with pesto, cherry tomatoes (home garden), watermelon (Greenman Produce), zucchini (Owosso Organics), broccoli, cheddar cauliflower (Cinzori Farms); Snacks - string cheese, corn muffin, Honey Crisp apple (Rasch Farms)

Childcare Center Menu, September 24: Breakfast - oatmeal, bananas, raisins; Lunch - chicken lo mein with red and yellow peppers, kiwi; Snacks - cheese breadsticks, pizza sauce, apples

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Schuler's Quiche

Caroline loves the spinach/basil/feta quiche from The Chapbook Cafe at Schuler Books and Music. It's creamy and packed with spinach. And if you buy it before 11:00 am, it comes with a mini muffin and a side of fresh fruit. Schuler's is a locally owned and operated bookstore with two locations: Meridian Mall (Okemos) and Eastwood Towne Center (Lansing). Geoff and I love bookstores so we usually make a trip to one of the two locations on the weekend. Quiche was on the menu today but instead of making a quiche from scratch, I opted to buy a slice from Schuler's. At $5.25 a slice, it makes for a relatively expensive toddler's lunch but since Caroline always eats every bite, it's worth it.

Caroline's Lunchbox Menu, September 23: Breakfast - corn muffin, pear (Threadgould Gardens); Lunch - spinach/basil/feta quiche (The Chapbook Cafe), broccoli (Cinzori Farms), watermelon (Greenman Produce); Snacks - whole milk plain yogurt, Honey Crisp apple (Rasch Farms)

Childcare Center Menu, September 23: Breakfast - pineapple and corn muffins; Lunch - broccoli and cheese quiche, salad, honeydew; Snacks - yogurt dip, apples

Monday, September 22, 2008

From Bad To Worse

We are moving to Ann Arbor in a couple of weeks so we have been looking for a new childcare center. As much as I complain about the food served at Caroline's current childcare center, it is not as bad as some of the centers I have visited in Ann Arbor. Last week, I visited a center in downtown Ann Arbor and...to put it nicely, was disgusted. Besides the unprofessional attitudes among the staff (including the director), I was appalled by the condition of the toddler room. There was paint peeling off of the wall, there were no books to speak of, and the kitchen was in the toddler classroom. The rotating lunch menu - an optional meal that families can purchase for $3 per lunch - was cooked by the director and went something like this: Wednesdays - turkey hot dogs/Sun Chips/baked beans, Thursdays - Dominos pizza/Sun Chips, Fridays - chicken nuggets, mac n' cheese, fruit or vegetable. And we wonder why one in every four preschoolers in this country is either overweight or at risk of becoming overweight and why children have such poor dietary habits.

Caroline's Lunchbox Menu, September 22: Breakfast - O's, watermelon, cantaloupe; Lunch - zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli (Cinzori Farms), banana, rice with dill, chard, feta cheese; Snacks - whole grain crackers, carrot dip

Childcare Center Menu, September 22: Breakfast - orange juice, Cheerios, Life, Rice Krispies; Lunch - ground turkey and rice with tomatoes, California vegetables, bananas; Snacks - guacamole, taco shells

Thursday, September 18, 2008

September 19th Menu

I lost tomorrow's menu so I am just going to have to wing it.

Caroline's Lunchbox Menu, September 19: Breakfast - cantaloupe (Greenman Produce),pumpkin carrot muffin; Lunch - egg salad (Flying Goat Farm eggs), 100% whole grain bread, tomatoes (home garden), corn-on-the-cob (Titus Farm); Snacks - hummus, whole grain crackers, pear (Kismet Farm)

Sharing Food With Friends

These days, our garden is overflowing with cherry tomatoes. Caroline is learning how to share and is practicing by sharing the tomatoes. We pick them in the morning (or sometimes in the evening) and she takes a big bucketful of them to share with her classmates that day. The kids love them and gobble them right up. Who needs brownies, cookies, and other sweets when you can have vine-ripened cherry tomatoes? When Caroline comes home from school, she says, "I sharing totatoes, Mama." This morning, my friend Anne brought over a beautiful bunch of carrots - tiny ones, long ones, short ones, and fat ones. Caroline took half the bunch to the childcare center this morning to share with her friends. She proudly grabbed them by their tops - I kept them on since many children have never seen carrots with their greens still attached - and took them into her classroom.

Update: Caroline's friends loved the carrots. When I asked one of her teachers if the kids liked the carrots, she said, "I can't believe it, but they ate them. They loved them...Do they really just grow like that?"

Caroline's Lunchbox Menu, September 18: Breakfast -100% whole grain toast, sunflower butter, Flaming Fury peach (Clearview Orchards); Lunch - marinated baked tofu, rice, zucchini (Owosso Organics), pear (Kismet Farm); Snacks - trail mix (Michigan dried cherries, O's, sunflower seeds), cantaloupe (Greenman Produce)

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Food Mistakes In The News

I just finished reading an on-line version of the article, 6 Food Mistakes Parents Make, published in Sunday's New York Times. My friend Lori sent it yesterday but I only got around to reading it this evening. In short, the 6 food mistakes are (1) sending children out of the kitchen, (2) pressuring them to take a bite, (3) keeping 'good stuff' out of reach, (4) dieting in front of your children, (5) serving boring vegetables, (6) giving up too soon. One line in particular caught my eye. "Although obesity dominates the national discussion on childhood health, many parents are also worried that their child’s preferred diet of nuggets and noodles could lead to a nutritional deficit." This is a good article but it made no mention of the role of childcare centers in reinforcing the nugget and noodle diet. I realize that the article is focused on the mistakes that parents make. But when your child eats at a childcare center three times a day, five days a week, their role in cultivating children's dietary habits can't be ignored. Chicken nuggets, fish sticks, Ritz "cheese" crackers, cookies, brownies, pie, cake...these are all things that are regularly served at the childcare center. When children are eating these foods, it means that they are missing opportunities to improve their diets by eating one of their favorite healthful snacks or to maybe trying a new fruit or vegetable. For about a month or so early in the spring, the cook was menuing more fruits and vegetables and fewer processed and sweet foods. But when there is no oversight of the food program - the food and nutrition committee no longer exists - its easy go back to the same old, same old.

Caroline's Lunchbox Menu, September 17: Breakfast - ten grain hot cereal, currants, banana; Lunch - cheese and zucchini (Owosso Organics) quesadilla, carrots, cantaloupe (Greenman Produce); Snacks - Flaming Fury peach muffin (Clearview Orchards peach), cucumber (Owosso Organics)

Childcare Center Menu, September 17: Breakfast - cream of what, bananas, raisins; Lunch - veggie tacos, grapes; Snacks - pumpkin pie, cucumbers

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Feeling Overwhelmed

I am officially feeling overwhelmed by food. It is canning season and it seems like our boiling water canner has been on non-stop since last weekend. We've canned peaches, pears, and corn in the last couple of weeks and now we're canning tomatoes. I am grumpy tonight because Geoff and I have been canning tomatoes since last night and almost half of every batch (about 3 quarts) isn't sealing. Every batch needs to be processed for 85 minutes so it is maddening when I pull out a batch and 3 quarts have tomato juice spewing out of them. The quarts that don't seal have to be eaten, frozen, or reprocessed (for another 85 minutes). We bought the tomatoes - two bushels - on Saturday from Titus Farm for $15 per half bushel, or $30 per bushel. We have half a bushel left to process. Even though I am stewing now, I know that in the middle of winter, I will be glad that we went through the trouble to can our own tomatoes. Store-bought canned tomatoes tend to have added ingredients like salt, sugar, etc. and some of them leave a metallic after taste in my mouth. Each quart of our home-canned tomatoes have a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice (an extra measure to prevent them from spoiling) and nothing else. And they taste like tomatoes.

Caroline's Lunchbox Menu, September 15: Breakfast - peach (Clearview Orchards), O's; Lunch - mac n' cheese with chard and cabbage, broccoli (Cinzori Farms), banana; Snacks - plain yogurt, watermelon, corn bread (Titus Farm corn)

Childcare Center Menu, September 15: Breakfast - Orange juice, Cheerios, Rice Krispies, Golden Grahams; Lunch - macaroni and cheese, broccoli, banana; Snacks - pudding, crackers

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Chocolate Chip Cookies and Celery?

Caroline loves cookies. We went to my friend Mary's house for tea this afternoon and the first, second, and third things that Caroline wanted to eat were the cookies. She had one cookie but after that, I felt like that was enough. After whining for more cookies for a few minutes and realizing that I was not going to give in, she moved on to the rice crackers and cantaloupe. Chocolate chip cookies and celery are on the menu tomorrow for afternoon snack. I don't know very many two-year-old children who would choose celery over a chocolate chip cookie. In fact, I don't know very many children - or adults for that matter (including me) - who even like celery unless it is served with ranch dressing or used to add crunch to a salmon, egg, or tuna salad sandwich. But I digress. I am sure that Caroline will want one of those chocolate chip cookies tomorrow. And my guess is that if I observed her through the one-way mirror tomorrow during lunch, I would see Caroline munching on one. It's not that I don't think children should eat cookies. I just don't think cookies are appropriate snacks to serve at a childcare center. Children get plenty of opportunities to eat cookies outside of school. What their small bodies need are nutritious foods that are packed with vitamins and minerals. I'll pack a pumpkin carrot muffin in Caroline's lunch tomorrow. I hope she eats it but I won't be surprised if it makes its way back home in her lunchbox untouched.

Caroline's Lunchbox Menu, September 12: Breakfast - peach (Clearview Orchards), French toast sticks (Zingerman's bread and Flying Goat Farm eggs); Lunch - salmon salad, 100% whole grain bread, cucumbers (home garden), watermelon (Greenman Produce); Snacks - pumpkin carrot muffin, pear (Kismet Farm)

Childcare Center Menu, September 12: Breakfast - applesauce, French toast sticks; Lunch - tuna fish pitas, cucumbers, watermelon; Snacks - chocolate chip cookies, celery

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Homemade Pizza Dough or English Muffins?

Last night, Caroline and I made pizza for dinner. We made a whole wheat crust using my standby pizza dough recipe (makes two pizza crusts) and topped it with mozzarella cheese, a huge heirloom tomato we bought from Rebecca Titus last Saturday and chopped basil from our garden. On one half of the pizza - the half that Geoff and I ate - we also added minced garlic and freshly ground black pepper. The tomato was so sweet! Caroline surprised me when she said (or mimicked), "Oh my gosh, this tomato is soooo sweet." Instead of using all of dough for dinner last night, I used half. After kneading the dough (and before letting it rise), I divided the other half into four balls. I placed them on a cutting board and put the entire board in our deep freezer. When they were firm, I put them into a Ziplock bag and back into the freezer. Pizza is on the menu tomorrow. In the past, I've always used whole wheat English muffins as my pizza crust...but they don't even come close to tasting like a pizza. So tonight, I pulled out one of the frozen pizza crusts and put it into the refrigerator to thaw. Tomorrow morning, I will put it in a warm place (like my oven, turned off) to rise until it doubles in size. It will probably take about an hour and a half to double in size. And once it does, I will make a couple of mini pizzas for Caroline's lunch. Altogether it should take...two hours. What??! That means that I have to wake up at some crazy hour just to make @$#@%!$ homemade pizza for Caroline's lunch. Maybe I should have stuck with the English muffins.

Caroline's Lunchbox Menu, September 11: Breakfast - cantaloupe (farmer), 100% whole grain toast, sunflower butter; Lunch - pizza with heirloom tomatoes (Owosso Organics), zucchini (Owosso Organics), apple (Clearview Orchards); Snacks - hummus, whole grain crackers

Childcare Center Menu, September 11: Breakfast - cantaloupe, French bread, strawberry jam; Lunch - cheese pizza, carrots, apples, Snacks - hummus, pita bread

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Who's That Farmer?

I don't know his name but at the Saturday Meridian Township Farmers' Market, there is a farmer from Mason (I think) who sells a variety of fruits and vegetables at a stand just outside of the east entrance. His products aren't certified organic but he does not use sprays. Until last Saturday, I had never purchased anything from him. But last weekend, I bought a cantaloupe from him. Cantaloupe is on the menu later this week but the aroma was so lovely that I cut it open this morning. It was beautiful inside - firm, cantaloupe-colored flesh. And it tasted great too. I don't know why I've never patronized this farmer before. Well, it's probably because he's stuck in the corner and is easy to miss. Next week, I'll try to buy something else from him. And I'll find out his name.

Caroline's Lunchbox Menu, September 9: Breakfast - cantaloupe, French toast sticks (Zingerman's sandwich bread and Flying Goat Farm eggs); Lunch - cheese and zucchini (Owosso organics) quesadilla, corn-on-the-cob (Titus Farm), apple (Clearview Orchards); Snacks - tomatoes (home garden), fresh mozzarella cheese

Childcare Center Menu, September 9: Breakfast - pears, French toast sticks; Lunch - flour tortillas, cheese, corn, beans, apples; Snacks - sweet potatoes, grapes

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Fruit in Season!

There are so many lovely fruits in season right now - peaches, watermelon, cantaloupe, raspberries, apples, and pears. We bought some of each this weekend so we will be munching (or gorging) on fruit all week! Unfortunately though, I'll be throwing a banana into the mix tomorrow. Caroline's new teacher, Angie, told us last week that Caroline was asking for a banana after seeing the other kids eating one. I felt badly about her feeling left out so bought a couple of bananas at the co-op on Saturday. It's a shame that the childcare center serves bananas flown in from who-knows-where when we have so many different types of delicious fruits available to us right here in the Lansing area.

Caroline's Lunchbox Menu, September 8: Breakfast - Flaming Fury peach (Clearview Orchards), O's; Lunch - zucchini lasagna (Owosso Organics zucchini), banana, raspberries (Swallowtail Farm), Sun Gold and Yellow Pear cherry tomatoes (home garden); Snacks - whole grain crackers, watermelon (Titus Farm)

Childcare Center Menu, September 8: Breakfast - Orange juice, Cheerios, Golden Grahams, Rice Krispies; Lunch - turkey lasagna, mixed vegetables, banana; Snacks - pretzels, watermelon

Swallowtail Farm U-Pick Raspberries Now Open!

This morning we headed to Swallowtail Farm in Mason to pick raspberries. My friends Anne and David (and their son Quinn) own and operate this small farm. It was lightly raining when we arrived at 10:00 am but we were able to pick several pints. The raspberries are $2.50 a pint. We took two pints home but paid for four since Caroline ate about two pints while we picked the berries! The farm is not certified organic the berries are not sprayed with any harmful chemicals. To learn more about the farm, visit the Swallowtail Farm website.

Clearview Orchards Peaches!

Last year, I bought beautiful organically grown Queen's Lace peaches from Jane Bush at Appleshram Organic Orchards. But this year, her peaches got frosted out. I thought I wouldn't have any peaches to eat or can this year but found Flaming Fury peaches from Clearview Orchards at yesterday's farmers' market. Clearview Orchards is a family-owned and operated farm in Haslett, Michigan that grows peaches, apples squash, and asparagus. The apples and pumpkins are pre- or U-pick. They also have hay rides during the fall. The peaches aren't certified organic, but they are grown using IPM (integrated pest management), the next best thing. The peaches were last sprayed (very lightly) early in the summer and haven't been sprayed or treated with anything (biological or chemical) since. I bought peaches and apples from Clearview Orchards a couple of years ago and they were delicious. I ended up buying 3 baskets of peaches ($7 per basket) and a basket of apples on Saturday. Tonight, I'll can most of the peaches and eat the rest fresh. Yesterday may have been the last farmers' market day for peaches from Clearview Orchards but they will be available at the farm throughout the week and if we are very, very lucky, there may be a few leftovers next Saturday. To find out for sure, call the farm at (517) 655-1454.

Meridian Township Farmers' Market Picks: broccoli, Cheddar cauliflower (Cinzori Family Farms); corn, a huge heirloom tomato (Titus Farm); pac choi, Harukai turnips (Green Eagle Farm); mixed heirloom tomatoes, baby eggplant, flowers, zucchini, sweet red bell pepper (Owosso Organics); watermelon (Greenman Produce); Flaming Fury peaches, apples (Clearview Orchards, salad greens (Stone Cloud Gardens), cantaloupe (the nice farmer from Mason)

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Back to School Supplies

For weeks now, I have been ordering and receiving back to school supplies for Caroline: name labels, insulated lunch bag, SIGG water bottle and thermos food jar. They have been trickling in slowly. The insulated lunch bag (pictured here) just arrived in the mail. I bought it on one of my favorite websites Reusable Bags. These bags made using recycled juice boxes, are 100% lead-free and come in three different sizes - the medium ($19) is the perfect size for lunch. They are made by a women's co-op in the Philippines. The Phillipines is far away from Michigan but I loved the ideas of supporting a women's co-op and recycling old juice boxes. Plus, I love the surprise factor: each bag is unique and you don't know which one you're going to get until it makes its way to your doorstep. I had to laugh at the irony of a dietitian's daughter carrying around a lunch bag made using recycled chocolate milk boxes!

Caroline's Lunchbox Menu, September 5: Breakfast - pearsauce, 100% whole grain toast, sunflower butter; Lunch - whole wheat pasta, fresh mozzarella, Sun Gold cherry tomatoes (home garden), watermelon; Snacks - pumpkin carrot muffin, cucumber (home garden)

Childcare Center Menu, September 5: Breakfast - applesauce, wheat bagels, strawberry jam; Lunch - chicken lo mein, watermelon; Snacks - banana bread, cucumbers

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Ope's Veggie Burgers

I found Ope's Veggie Burger Patties in the freezer section at the co-op on Monday. I was so excited to find these patties because I love burgers and because they are made in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I must admit though that I was a bit skeptical because most veggie burger patties that I've tasted are dry and bland. But we ate these for dinner tonight and they were very good - moist and tasted great. The ingredient list is relatively short - organic non GMO soy textured protein, organic grains (brown rice, oats), organic shredded vegetables (carrots, kidney beans, dried diced onions), organic vegetable gum. I served the patties with Zingerman's hamburger buns (also from the co-op), condiments (mayo and ketchup), sliced tomatoes (Titus Farms), and roasted potatoes. Caroline loved the burgers!

Caroline's Lunchbox Menu, September 4: Breakfast - ten grain hot cereal, currants, peach (Heritage Acres Farms); Lunch - tomato soup (Titus Farms tomatoes), grilled cheese sandwich, carrots (Crane Centennial Farm); Snacks - egg (Flying Goat Farm), whole wheat crackers

Childcare Center Menu, September 4: Breakfast - cream of wheat, bananas, raisins; Lunch - tomato soup, grilled cheese, mango, carrots; Snacks - egg, saltines

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

September 3rd Menu

Bread is on tomorrow's childcare center menu for breakfast and lunch and snack is pumpkin pie. I am going to rebel by sending O's with Caroline for her breakfast. If I was feeling more creative and had more time, I would make something with rice or with an ancient grain like quinoa or spelt but since I am in my new routine that involves 3 hours in my car commuting to Ann Arbor, boxed cereal will have to do.

Caroline's Lunchbox Menu, September 3: Breakfast - pear (Threadgould Gardens), O's; Lunch - 100% whole grain bread, hummus, cucumbers (home garden), watermelon (Greenman Produce); Snacks - carrot bread (Crane Centennial Farm carrots), Sun Gold and Pear cherry tomatoes (home garden)

Childcare Center Menu, September 3: Breakfast - pears, wheat bagel, cream cheese; Lunch - turkey sandwich, cantaloupe, cucumbers; Snacks - pumpkin pie, carrots

Monday, September 1, 2008

End of Summer Pesto

In less than 3 hours, summer will be over. We just got home after a long weekend vacation on Mackinac Island. We had a lovely time. We rented a condo on the more secluded west side of the island. There are no motorized vehicles on Mackinac Island so we spent half of our time biking and riding around on a horse-drawn carriage and the other half exploring, eating, and watching the sunset. It was the perfect end to summer. We drove into town just before 5:00 pm and headed straight for the co-op to buy our week's groceries. The co-op was closed but there were a couple of working members inside and they let us in! We were hungry when we got home so I threw together one of my quickest summer meals: tomato drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, fettuccine with pesto, corn-on-the-cob. The tomato was a gorgeous heirloom variety that I picked up at the co-op and the corn was part of the bushel I bought last week from Rebecca Titus. The pesto is part of the 10 batches or so that I made a couple of weekends ago using my friend Anne's basil. Pesto is easy to make, freezes well, and defrosts quickly. We freeze small portions in old Gerber baby food jars or plastic 1/4 cup serving containers (from all that pearsauce that Caroline eats) and eat it all winter long...and on nights like tonight when I want something that's easy to prepare.

Caroline's Lunchbox Menu, September 2: Breakfast - O's, peach (Heritage Acres Farms); Lunch - garbanzo beans, corn (Titus Farm), brown rice with chard (Owosso Organics), dill, and feta cheese; watermelon (Greenman Produce); Snacks - graham crackers; sunflower butter

Childcare Center Menu, September 2: Breakfast - grape juice, Cheerios, Golden Grahams, Rice Krispies; Lunch - cheesy rice, corn, beans, bananas; Snacks - graham crackers, soynut butter
 
Legacy Tracking Code (urchin.js)