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October 03, 2007
Today's Menu
I think I'm going to milk this dairy allergy thing (no pun intended) as long as possible. Instead of buttered white bread and canned peas at daycare, my toddler has the following in her lunch box:
a.m. snack: grapes and apples (that we picked on Sunday)
lunch: herb-crusted pork tenderloin, homemade mango-ginger applesauce, organic veggie medley
p.m. snack: sesame sticks and organic animal crackers
She'd better appreciate this epicurean toddlerhood someday.
Despite working full-time, I still make it a priority to cook, for all kinds of reasons. I know it's a lot of work, but I like good food too much to jettison that particular responsibility. And now that the Bug is getting old enough, she can "help" in the kitchen, meaning it's not necessarily time away from her. It's so funny watching her in her play kitchen talking through various steps to preparing a meal. It's something I'm really glad I'm passing on to her.
Things that really make meal preparation easier when you work are advance planning, ingredient prep beforehand (and having a food processor), and making extra to freeze of anything that requires time. I do use things like frozen veggies and canned beans, but I don't think I lose points for that. This morning, while I had my first cup of coffee, I threw some onions and red peppers into the food processor for a quick chop and sauteed them, then stirred in some thawed spinach. That is now set aside in the fridge to assemble no-boil lasagna tonight, in three individual pans (one to bake tomorrow, one to freeze, and one mini cheese-free for Lily). It'll take about 1/2 hour to put together, and will be all ready to roll whenever we need it. Some of my quick recipes are totally made up or thrown together last-minute, but others are tried and true recipes. Vegetarian Times, which isn't so good anymore (in my opinion) used to have a lot of good quick meals, which I clipped and saved, and surprisingly Parenting magazine has a lot of good 30 minute meals each month. Despite the fact that her voice gets on my nerves, I find myself wanting to try some of Rachael Ray's recipes too, though she's a little heavier on the meat than we tend to be. Bon Appetit!
Posted by mwashburn at October 3, 2007 07:08 AMPosted to food and drink | mommyhood
Comments
Do other kids at daycare really eat buttered white bread and canned peas?
Posted by: Carol at October 3, 2007 01:08 PM
The daycare is part of a preschool that is on the state school lunch menu. So, certain things are counted (protein, veg. servings, etc.) others are not (source of calories, sugars, etc.) so yes, they have things like that. What else... chicken nuggets, I think. All the horrible hot lunch crap from school. Twice a week they give TWO YEAR OLDS 1/2 a chocolate pop-tart and a couple of apple slices and a cup of milk as the morning snack. I'm apalled. It's the only thing I don't like about Lily's daycare, but because of the allergy we signed a waiver to bring our own food.
Posted by: flygrrl at October 3, 2007 01:57 PM
What about Twinkies and strawberry shakes? ;-)
Posted by: Carol at October 3, 2007 04:27 PM