Kids Dish

I’m still obsessed with other people’s bento boxes. Yesterday I spent close to an hour admiring pictures of other people’s lunches and comparing them to the sad little lunches I pack Bob every day. I wonder if, when the time comes, I’ll step up or if little preschooler Sam will have variations on the same lunch every day: a sandwich on either some sort of whole grain bread, rye or pumpernickel, a baggie of reduced fat or reduced sodium potato chips, two pieces of fruit, and some dessert when available all made the night before.

Part of the challenge for me is that I’m not a morning person. I hate having to do anything in the morning to the extent that pouring a bowl of cereal and milk is often more effort than I’d like to exert. The idea of cooking something in the morning, even warming something overwhelms me. It’s a wonder I ever taught first period classes. Most of my teaching days I couldn’t even bring myself to eat breakfast or drink coffee before my first prep period.

But the bento lunches are just so appealing. Even when made with boxed macaroni and cheese and little sausage “octodogs� they’re still creative and interesting and usually have enough extras on the side for some nutritional content. Based on my reading of bento lunch blogs it seems like all I’d really need is an extra 10-20 minutes in the morning to reheat, shape and properly pack any foods that can’t stay cold or room temperature during the day. Maybe I’ll pick up a bento set for my birthday to start practicing now.

The Locavores and Eat Local Challenge people are hosting a challenge for the month of September that emphasizes preserving, freezing and canning food for the winter. With a child who can’t seem to function without Shredded Mini Wheats and soy milk I’m not quite ready to commit to eating ALL of my meals locally, but starting this weekend (eek! September already) I’m going to be participating in an eat local challenge at Farm to Philly. Here are the rules.

1. Eat one meal per week during the month of September that is made using locally grown ingredients. Non-local oil and spices are allowed.
2. Can, freeze, dry, or otherwise preserve two things during the month.
3. Utilize one new resource for locally grown food during September - that could be a new restaurant, farmer’s market, etc.

I will probably eat more than one meal a week made from entirely local ingredients and I’m going to try and preserve as much as I can for the winter. What I’m looking forward to most is looking for new resources. There are a bunch of farmer’s markets I haven’t yet been to and restaurants I haven’t tried. With these rules I think that everyone can participate if they have a mind to. For local resources check out Local Harvest, Food Routes, or your city’s Buy Local organization. Let me know if you’re up for the challenge!

Eat Local Challenge, September, local foods, preserving, canning

First, the sites to check out.

Tastespotting, though not child specific is a great site for inspiration. Beautiful photos of food are uploaded to the site several times throughout the day. Each photo links to the blog post/recipe at the original site. Scrolling down the page makes my mouth water.

The Great Big Vegetable Challenge is just what it sounds like- parents of a picky eater trying to get their kid to like veggies. Currently on H, for herbs, they’re running through the alphabet with recipes and child ratings. Horseradish was not a success. Herby beef burgers scored 10 out of 10. Of course my problem’s not the veggies. My problem’s getting Sam to eat the fattening stuff.

Now for the menu planning. I have the following vegetables on hand:

3 large beets with greens
1 lb of spinach
1 bunch swiss chard
5 medium carrots
1 sweet onion
1 red onion
3 scallions
1 lb green beans
1 bunch asparagus
1 yam
2 medium zucchini
3 red peppers
garlic scapes
1/2 lb fava beans

I’m pretty sure I’m going to make

Stuffed peppers with spinach, feta and tofu
Swiss chard with bacon and red onion
Roasted beets with ginger
Asparagus risotto
Fava bean crostini
Spinach and ginger fried rice

I’m not sure about the rest yet. Recipes and more menu planning to follow. Suggestions are welcome.