Lunches: 1.31.14

It's Friday, and the last day of the coldest January I can remember in a long time... we are all sick of the Polar Vortex around here, and I bet the majority of you are, too..we're even used to the cold (more or less) up here in Vermont, and it's still brutal.  Unfortunately, February is often the most cruel month of our winter... maybe this year will buck the trend.  All I want is some nice snow and temperatures between 15-30 F.  I know that doesn't probably sound nice to some of you, but I am a realist.  I would love to be able to get outside some, which has not been possible in the bitter weather.

Anyhow, for Friday lunches, I went easy.

Mini Bagel: 30g, banana: 28g, fruit jelly: 5g, apple slices: 8g, Goldfish puffs: 8g

The Boy has a small banana, golden delicious apple slices, Goldfish puffs, a fruit jelly, and a mini bagel sandwich with hummus and ham.  His snack is a yogurt (not pictured, 16g)

The Girl has strawberries, Goldfish puffs, a fruit jelly, and a mini bagel sandwich with hummus and ham.  Her snack is also a yogurt (not pictured)

Lunches: 1.30.14

This has been the kind of week where Wednesday felt like Thursday... and it was with bitter disappointment that the realization that it was only Wednesday hit like a brick to the face.

So now, it's Thursday, and one day closer to the weekend.

I got frozen pizza for dinner last night, and the kids get leftovers in their lunches, upon their request.

Pizza: 28g, strawberry, 3g, fruit jelly: 5g, apple slices: 4g. Goldfish puffs: 8g

The Boy has a slice of pepperoni pizza, strawberries, a fruit jelly, apple slices, and Goldfish puffs.  His snack is an applesauce (not pictured, 15g).

The Girl has a slice of chicken parmesan pizza, strawberries, a fruit jelly, apple slices, and Goldfish puffs.  Her snack is a yogurt (not pictured).

Family Lunches: 1.29.14

Wednesday!

Pretzel bun sandwich: 40g, Goldfish puffs: 10g, fruit jelly: 5g, apple slices: 4g, strawberries: 5g

The Boy has a pretzel bun with hummus and ham, Goldfish puffs, a fruit jelly, apple slices, and strawberries.  His snack is an applesauce (not pictured, 15g)

The Girl has a pretzel bun with hummus and ham, Goldfish puffs, a fruit jelly, pomegranate seeds, and strawberries.  She has an applesauce for snack (not pictured)

I have a pretzel bun with hummus and ham, Goldfish puffs, a fruit jelly, an applesauce, and apple slices.

The Hubby has a pretzel bun with hummus and ham, Goldfish puffs, an apple slice, strawberries, and some chocolate cake (since he didn't get any on Tuesday).

Family Lunches: 1.28.14

I found out last night, thanks to my friend, Bakeaholic Mama, that it was Chocolate Cake Day.  Not one to let such a momentous occasion pass unnoticed, The Boy and I threw together King Arthur Flour's Cake Pan Cake, which is a super quick no-bowl-needed chocolate cake.

I had some when it came out of the oven, but the kids had already gone to bed, so I gave them some in their lunches.. and I have some in mine, too.  It's good stuff.

Sandwich: 30g, applesauce: 15g, Goldfish Puffs: 10g, strawberries: 5g, cake: 18g

The Boy has half a pretzel bun with hummus and ham, along with some Goldfish Cheese Puffs, an applesauce, strawberries, and a small piece of chocolate cake.  His snack is a yogurt (not pictured, 17g)

The Girl has the same lunch, and also has a yogurt for snack (not pictured).

I also have the same lunch (and I am looking forward to it!).  The Hubby has the day off, so no lunch for him, but if I had to guess, I think he might snag some of that cake to have with his lunch...

Lunches: 1.27.14

I have leftovers for the kids from the Middle Eastern feast we made with my mother for her birthday, which they loved.

Flatbread: 25g, spinach puff pastry: 10g, apple slices: 6g, carrots & hummus: 3g, fruit jelly: 5g

The Boy has some puff pastry stuffed with onion and spinach, along with pita bread with fig jam and feta cheese.  He also has apple slices, and baby carrots with fresh hummus, and a fruit jelly.  His snack is some Dick & Jane Educational snacks (not pictured, 18g).

The Girl has a pita pocket with garlic, cinnamon, and sumac chicken, along with parsley and Greek yogurt, some bulgar and ground lamb patties, puff pastry with onion and spinach, apple slices, pomegranate seeds, a fruit jelly, and a clementine.  Her snack is Dick & Jane Educational snacks.

Recipe: Pistachio Baklava with Orange Blossom Syrup

For my mother's birthday celebration, she and my sister and I decided to make a Middle Eastern feast.  My contribution was Pistachio Baklava with Orange Blossom Syrup, a specific request from my mother.

I have been wanting to make baklava for a long time, but never had an excuse to do so.

It was a blast to make, and it was just amazing, if I do say so myself.

The rest of the spread was nothing to shake a stick at...

This baklava has just one layer of nuts in the middle of all the layers of phyllo.  I have seen multi-layered baklava in the past, with walnuts and honey.  This has no honey, but instead a beautiful orange blossom simple syrup.  I think it sang when I poured it over the piping hot baklava.

I hope to have an excuse to make baklava again, in this or other variations.  It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, and oh... oh how delicious.

As a note, I used butter flavored cooking spray between the layers, with just a light brushing of melted butter for flavor.  This is always how I make things with phyllo dough, and though it is not traditional, it is a time saver.  If you prefer, you can use all butter.  The recipe is written with butter.

Pistachio Baklava with Orange Blossom Syrup
(Modified from Food & Cooking of the Middle East)

1/2 c melted butter
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 lb phyllo dough (one box), thawed
2 1/2 c pistachios, chopped
zest of one orange

Orange Blossom Syrup
1 lb granulated sugar
1 c water
2-3 Tbsp orange blossom water
1/4 tsp cardamom

Preheat oven to 325 F.  Mix together the butter and the oil.  Brush a little on the bottom of a 13" x 9" pan.  Lay down a sheet of phyllo, then brush with a little butter and oil.  Lay another sheet on top, and brush with butter and oil mixture.  Continue layering phyllo with butter and oil until half the phyllo is used.

Top with the chopped pistachios mixed with orange zest.

Layer the remaining phyllo on top of the pistachios, brushing each piece with butter and oil, until all of the phyllo is used.  Trim the edges to get rid of any excess phyllo.  Brush the top layer with butter and oil mixture, and then, using a sharp knife, cut diagonal parallel lines through all the layers to form diamond-shaped portions.

Bake, uncovered, for 50-60 minutes, until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, make the syrup.  In a heavy saucepan, mix together the sugar and the water.  Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup comes to a boil.  Reduce the heat, stir in the orange blossom water and cardamom, and simmer for about 15 minutes, until slightly thickened.  Leave to cool slightly while the baklava finishes baking.

Can you see it singing with joy at the syrup?

When the baklava is finished baking, pour the syrup over the piping hot pastry.  Put the baklava back into the oven for 3-5 minutes to help the syrup to soak in.

Serve once it is completely cooled.

Lunches: 1.24.14 - Kid Made!

I was really tired on Thursday, and so we got pizza for dinner.  I ordered extra Pizza rollers, which the kids love.  Then, The Boy asked to make lunches.  Extra bonus!

Pizza Rollers: 36g, Banana: 28g, carrots & ranch: 2g, fruit jelly: 4g

So here are Kid Made lunches for Friday - Pizza Roller Edition!

They both have the same lunch - a pizza roller and a half, with a small banana, carrots and ranch dressing, and a fruit jelly from the Asian market.  They both have Dick & Jane Educational Snacks for snack (not pictured, 18g)

Lunches: 1.23.14

The kids loved the Greek inspired Wacky Worldly Waffles we had for dinner, so they have leftovers for lunch.  Alas, I did not make enough topping to have leftovers, so I made sandwiches with them instead.

Waffle sandwiches: 30g, spinach & feta: 1g, fruit jelly: 5g, watermelon: 5g

The Boy has a couple Lemon Oregano waffle sandwiches with ranch cream cheese (a dip I made for my Post-Holiday party), spinach, and a little feta, along with a bed of spinach with some extra feta.  He also has watermelon and a fruit jelly.  His snack is Dick & Jane Educational snacks (not pictured, 18g)

The Girl has the same as The Boy for both lunch and snack.

Wacky Worldly Waffle Wednesday: Greece

We love spanikopita and other Greek food, so I had the idea of making Greek inspired waffles.

What I ended up with was lemon oregano waffles with a spinach feta topping.  Oh, yums.  The kids practically licked their plates.  It was only from a sense of propriety and the fact that we had dinner guests that I did not do the same.  I used a waffle mix as the base for the waffles, but you could make them from scratch and just leave out some sugar if your favorite waffle recipe is a sweet one.

Try these, I urge you!

Lemon Oregano Waffles with Spinach Feta Topping

Waffles:
3 c add-water waffle mix
2 1/4 c water (or as called for by your mix)
zest of one lemon
1 Tbsp dried oregano

Topping:
1 10-oz box spinach, thawed but not drained
1 c feta cheese
1/4 c cream cheese
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp garlic powder
pinch nutmeg

Prepare waffle batter (adjusting amounts according to your mix's instructions).  Stir in the lemon zest and oregano.  Cook according to your waffle maker's instructions.  Keep warm in an oven until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, heat the spinach in a small saute pan and stir in the feta and cream cheese.  Add lemon juice, garlic powder, and a pinch of nutmeg.  Mix until the cream cheese melts and the flavors combine.

Serve a waffle with a scoop of the spinach mixture on top, with a slice of lemon if desired.

Family Lunches: 1.21.14

The Hubby has Tuesday off, but I made some really yummy homemade bread, so the rest of us have sandwiches in our lunches.

Sandwich: 40g. carrot: 2g, watermelon: 5g, fruit jelly: 5g

The Boy has a liverwurst and cheddar cheese sandwich, with baby carrots, watermelon, and a fruit jelly.  His snack is a Granny smith apple (not pictured, 8g)

The Girl has a sunbutter and jelly sandwich, baby carrots, mango, and a fruit jelly.  Her snack is some Dick & Jane Educational snacks (not pictured).

I have a liverwurst and cheddar cheese sandwich, with some pickles that my sister made on the side (I intend to eat them with my sandwich, but didn't want them to get soggy), along with baby carrots, and mango.

Lunches: 1.17.14

I made crockpot bbq pulled pork last night, and the kids loved it, so I decided to pack them some in their lunches.

Bun: 24g, Pork:4g, Fruit jelly: 4g, apple: 4g, Dick & Jane Educational Snacks: 

The Boy has a bun, a container full of bbq pork, a fruit jelly, Pinata apple slices, and Dick & Jane Educational snacks.  His snack is a yogurt (not pictured, 12g).

The Girl also has a bun, a container full of bbq pork, a fruit jelly, Pinata apple slices, and Dick & Jane Educational snacks.  Her snack is also a yogurt (not pictured)

Family Lunches: 1.16.14

Happy Thursday!

Sandwich: 25g, strawberries: 3g, fruit jelly: 5g, apple slices: 4g, Dick & Jane Educational snacks: 16g

The Boy has a ham, salami, spinach, and Cabot cheddar sandwich with strawberries, a fruit jelly, Pinata apple slices, and Dick & Jane Educational snacks.  His snack is a yogurt (not pictured, 12g).

The Girl also has a ham, salami, spinach, and Cabot cheddar sandwich with strawberries, a fruit jelly, Pinata apple slices, and Dick & Jane Educational snacks, and her snack is also a yogurt (not pictured).

The Hubby has a ham, salami, spinach, and Cabot cheddar sandwich with strawberries, Pinata apple slices, and a cupcake from our freezer as a treat.

I have leftover Moroccan Fetteh waffles, with Pinata apples and a fruit jelly.

Wacky Worldly Waffle Wednesday: Morocco

I wasn't sure what I was going to do for Wacky Worldly Waffle Wednesday when I got home from work. Upon peaking into my pantry, I saw some chick peas, and I decided to make some Moroccan inspired waffles!

I found a dish called Fetteh, which is a warm yogurt and chick pea dish, served with toasted pita bread.  I thought it would translate to waffles very well.  So - I give you, Moroccan Fetteh Waffles.

Moroccan Fetteh Waffles

Waffles
2 c waffle mix (I use just add water waffle & pancake mix)
2 Tbsp sesame oil (or tahini if you have any)
1 1/2 c water
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin

"Fetteh" topping
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 cans chick peas, drained and rinsed
2 c Greek yogurt
salt & pepper to taste

Mix together the ingredients for the waffles and cook according to your waffle maker's instructions.

In a saute pan, heat the oil lightly and toast the cumin seeds.  Add the chick peas and the rest of the spices.  Stir in the yogurt and adjust spices to taste.

Serve the waffles with a scoop of the Fetteh on top and enjoy.

Lunches: 1.15.14

Happy Wednesday!

English muffin ham skewer: 25g, apple slices: 4g, spinach: 3g, strawberries: 5g, Dick & Jane Snacks: 16g

The Boy has ham and an English muffin on a skewer on a bed of spinach, with slices of Pinata apples, a fruit jelly, strawberries, and Dick & Jane Educational snacks.  He has a yogurt for snack (not pictured, 12g).

The Girl has ham and an English muffin on a skewer on a bed of spinach, with slices of Pinata apples, a fruit jelly, strawberries, and Dick & Jane Educational snacks.  She also has a yogurt for a snack (not pictured)

Review: The Better Chip

A while ago, I was given the opportunity to try out some great new snacks from The Better Chip.  They contain all natural ingredients and fresh vegetables.  Sounded good to me!  They are also gluten free, which isn't a big deal for my family, but I know it is hard for many on a gluten free diet to find decent snacks.

They come in five different flavors.

Image courtesy The Better Chip

The Jalapeno chips were delicious for me, and for my friends with more adult palate, but they were too spicy for the kids.  They would be amazing with guacamole or a seven layer dip.

Image courtesy The Better Chip

Lunch featuring Red Pepper Chips from The Better Chip

The Red Pepper were also a bit challenging for the children, but I really liked them a lot.

Image courtesy The Better Chip

A very green lunch featuring Spinach & Kale chips from The Better Chip

I think the all-around favorite were the Spinach and Kale chips.  The kids gobbled them down and enjoyed them in their lunches, and I love how packed with veggies they are.

Image courtesy The Better Chip

A lunch featuring The Better Chip corn chips

The Corn chips were not your every day corn chip.  They were slightly sweet and crispy and simply delightful.  They didn't taste greasy at all.

Image courtesy The Better Chip

Finally, the Sweet Onion chips.  These were also a hit.  They are the only non-vegan option, as they have white cheddar in them.  I could eat these all day - and my kids, who claim not to like onions, liked them a lot, too.

 There is a store locator on their website, but if you can't find them locally, you can get them on Amazon.  I plan on stocking up on them, and I hope that you give them a try, too.  It's fun to have a snack that you feel good about giving your family.

Disclaimer: I was sent a sample box from The Better Chip to try out free of charge, but was in no other way compensated for my opinion. All opinions are my own.