Monthly Archives: August 2011

Ups and Downs in Food News (now with more ups!)

Happening Now

I haven’t shared any interesting links in awhile. Here’s what I’ve been reading:

School Food:

(Up!) Help bring The Food Network to New Haven (NH School Food) — Please vote for Chef Tim’s Food Truck to win some money and press from The Food Network!

(Up!) Kid Safe Lunch Gear (Feed Our Families) — For those who pack, a great round-up of lunch packing options

Food:

(Down!) Cargill recalls 36 million Pounds of Ground Turkey (Civil Eats) — It was hard to miss this story, but if you did that number is astonishing. Visualize a package of turkey at the store. That’s one pound of turkey. Now imagine one package of bad turkey for every Canadian citizen. That’s how much turkey was allegedly contaminated with salmonella. What is wrong with our food system that this could happen? What a terrible waste of resources and turkey!

(Down!) Food Price Spikes Visualized – Infograph (Civil Eats) — When food prices go up, there are other consequences including political instability.

(Down!) Give Me My Fish (Civil Eats) — We need to stop polluters from putting mercury into our food chain.

(Up!) Summer’s Coolest Culinary Trend: Invasive Species (Civil Eats) — Invasive species are plants and animals that “adversely affect the habitats they invade economically, environmentally, and/or ecologically.” (Wikipedia) Why not eat them so they do less harm?

Can you tell I’m a fan of Civil Eats? It’s hard to find in-depth reporting about food anywhere else.

Videos:

Even if I have a crappy day, every day that I’m on this earth I feel lucky. Nothing like some videos to make you feel better about the world. Life is amazing.

(Up!) Penny de Los Santos — This video feels like summer to me. It’s about the food truck scene in Austin. I’ve never been to Texas — maybe I need to go! This video feels like summer to me.

On Assignment with Penny De Los Santos: Austin Food Trailers from Penny De Los Santos on Vimeo.

A series of three videos about life — you NEED these on a Monday morning!

(Up!) Move — I have traveled a little, but there’s lots of the world I want to see. Videos like this help me get out of my head!

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

(Up!) Learn — This video reminds me that I have so much more left to do in my life. I need to get out and do it.

LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

(Up!) Eat — Food is personal.

EAT from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

Don’t you feel better about the world now? I sure do.

 

 

Lunch Wrap Up: First Two Weeks of August

Packed lunches

According to a study in Pediatrics,  90 percent of the perishable items in packed lunches (lunches sent from home to school) were kept at unsafe temperatures. The article goes on to state that the CDC says that perishable foods kept between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit for more than two hours are no longer safe to eat. Wow.

There is often no refrigeration for lunches that kids bring from home because there’s no place or money for fridges. Should schools start offering children a place to refrigerate their lunches? Is there a rampant bacteria issue in packed lunches? Thoughts?

Well, I see another argument in favor of changing school lunch! At least it’s not sitting in a warm classroom all morning!

***

A few weeks ago, my son and I visited a family friend who lives relatively close by (Hello! She reads the blog). Every year she grows a garden from her own saved seeds. Each summer she says we should stop by and get some produce from her garden. I never took her up on it before. But since I had my son with me when we visited, I decided to inquire about what she had growing. She took us back to go through the garden. She grabbed a couple small tomatoes, a big bunch of broccoli, a couple green beans, and a banana pepper. My son and I carried them back to the car and we drove home.

Back in our kitchen I asked my son, “What do you want for lunch?”

He looked at me and gestured wildly, “Broccoli and tomatoes!!” Like duh, Mom.

I was shocked. My kid likes cooked broccoli and tomato sauce on pasta, but raw? He never ate raw tomatoes or broccoli before.

So I got out a cutting board and sliced up one tomato. He proceeded to eat three slices of raw tomato.

Then he grabbed the broccoli and nibbled on it until it was gone. I barely got a bite.

People talk about how kids will eat what they grow, but I wondered if that was *really* true. I no longer question it. My kid will eat what he sees other people growing.

Light bulb moment!

 1.

Half gluten free pita bread, two eggs; nectarine cake; applesauce; broccoli slaw with cucumber stars (CSA); sliced strawberries 

The nectarine cake was a wonderful flop (no recipe to share – I just read a cookbook). I was trying for a nectarine/apple crumble, but it turned out cakelike. I don’t bake as much as I want to because I’m still learning about gluten free flours and when I do bake something sweet, I have a tendency to scarf it down. I have no willpower! Day care menu: Battered cod, pasta with alfredo sauce, peas, and diced peaches with two snacks of shredded cheddar and small frozen yogurt.

2.

 Spiced rice; cabbage (CSA) and apple slaw; hummus and crackers; tilapia in a sweet chile sauce with onions (CSA); sliced cherries in a bag (Farmer’s market)

My husband made the rice Indian-style. He’s not Indian, but loves Indian food. Again, he’s just reading a recipe. My son avoided the rice, but ate everything else. Day care menu: cheese ravioli, bread, green beans, and pineapple with two snacks of banana pudding and hummus with crackers.

3.

Half a pita bread; pumpkin seeds; tuna; applesauce; carrot sticks; bar 

What’s in the bag?

 

Hello apple slices! I asked my son if he wanted a sliced apple or sliced kiwi in his lunch and he said apple. Yeah, I know there are two apple products in his lunch, but what can you do. I instructed my son to put the tuna on the pita to eat it. Day care menu: Chicken and rice casserole, carrots, and applesauce with two snacks of string cheese and soy nut butter on crackers.

4.

 Plum slices, cucumber shapes (CSA); Potatoes (Farmer’s market) and corn (CSA); rice vegan cheese and crackers; strawberry muffin (“You pick” farm); egg

Lots of finger foods here. I wanted to make it easy on the kid! Day care menu: Turkey on wheat, vegetable soup and bananas with two snacks of pumpkin bread and pretzels with cream cheese.

 5.

Rice with lamb; hummus; pita; pumpkin seeds, cucumber shapes (CSA); apple slices

The rice, lamb, and hummus were restaurant leftovers. We had overnight guests the previous night so it was so great to have a little shortcut when I was preparing his lunch that next morning! Day care menu: Diced ham, cheddar potatoes, baked beans, and apple slices with two snacks of an apple muffin and a lemon Italian ice.

Breakfast survey results and a lunch survey

Survey says

Thanks so much to everyone who took my Eating Breakfast survey. The results were fascinating (I’m into numbers and I like food, go figure).

633 people took the survey! I’m so flattered that so many of you took the time. I bolded the question and the response with the highest percentage:

1. Do you eat three meals a day? (answered question = 604; skipped question = 29)

Yes 80.8% (488)

No 19.2% (116)

*53 people who responded “Other” to this question usually remarked that they eat more than three meals a day, opting to eat 4-5 small meals.

2. Do you eat breakfast every day? (answered question = 620; skipped question = 13)

Yes 79.4% (492)

No 20.6% (128)

*30 people who responded “Other” to the question added that they “usually” eat breakfast every day and many also mentioned eating a “brunch” or a late breakfast sometimes. Some of you get nauseous if you eat before 10-11 am. Curious.

3. Do you ever eat or drink the following at breakfast? (answered question = 622; skipped question = 11)

(Multiple responses allowed)

Cereal 71.4% (444)

Apples 35.5% (221)

Waffles 38.3% (238)

Oatmeal 66.1% (411)

Pancakes 47.3% (294)

Eggs 74.8% (465)

Bacon 46.8% (291)

Toast 70.3% (437)

Bananas 64.3% (400)

Strawberries 52.9% (329)

Blueberries 48.6% (302)

Milk 56.1% (349)

OJ 42.9% (267)

Bar (cereal, nut, fruit, etc) 34.6% (215)

English muffin 42.8% (266)

Sausage 29.7% (185)

Butter 46.8% (291)

Spread 21.2% (132)

Peanut butter 51.8% (322)

Jam/Jelly 45.2% (281)

*Eggs are very popular followed closely by cereal, toast, oatmeal and then bananas to round out the top five breakfast foods. The least popular? The vague “spread” — we’re not margarine people, are we?

3. Do you normally eat at home, on the go, or at a restaurant? (answered question = 571; skipped question = 62)

At home 83.7% (478)

On the go 15.6% (89)

At a restaurant 0.7% (4)

*87 people responded “Other” they told me they eat breakfast “at work.” Wow, of course. Something I hadn’t considered.

5. Do you ever eat breakfast outside of the home? (answered question = 618; skipped question = 15)

Yes 29.1% (180)

No 11.2% (69)

Only weekends 11.7% (72)

Only special occasions 48.1% (297)

*39 people responded and most said they eat breakfast outside of the home when they are on vacation or out of town.

6. Where do you eat breakfast outside of the home? (answered question = 508; skipped question = 125)

(Multiple responses allowed)

Fast food restaurant (McDonald’s, etc) 26.4% (134)

Casual (Panera, etc) 28.5% (145)

Restaurant (Local pancake place, etc) 87.8% (446)

*93 people responded “Other” and said they eat it at work, at the cafeteria at work, or at a coffee shop.

7. What’s your typical breakfast? (answered question = 597; skipped question = 36)

Responses varied — I noticed a lot of “yogurt” answers, which I somehow forgot to include in the list of breakfast food. Duh. In my defense, I’ve never been a yogurt-in-the-morning kinda gal. It strikes me as more of a lunch side. Also many of you mentioned coffee — I did not include it in my list as I have never drunk coffee in my current or previous lives. Responses included what you guys checked in the itemized list: eggs, toast, fruit, etc. MADE ME HUNGRY.

8. What’s your ideal breakfast? (answered question = 556; skipped question = 77)

Again, a wide range of breakfast yummies including French toast, eggs benedict, “breakfast in bed with my hubby” (how nice), green smoothies, coffee by the ocean, “hot oven pretzels” (sounds amazing), “blueberry pancakes made by someone else,” “a sit-down meal with friends,” “my grandma’s biscuits and gravy,” “mom’s homemade caramel rolls (swoon),” and “IHOP” (LOL).

9. If you have children, what’s their typical breakfast? (answered question = 398; skipped question = 235)

Many of you wrote that you don’t have kids. Those that do mentioned cereal, eggs, waffles, peanut butter sandwich, toast, pancakes, fruit, bagels, even kefir.

10. What’s your child’s idea of the perfect breakfast? (answered question = 365; skipped question = 268)

Again most don’t have kids, but those who do shared that their kids like chocolate milk, donuts, croissants and jam, bacon, eggs, pancakes, chocolate cake, grapes, tacos, and IHOP again! 🙂

11. How important is breakfast to you and/or your loved ones? (answered question = 551; skipped question = 82)

Most of you report that breakfast is VERY (your emphasis) important to you and your family. Many of you say it’s your favorite meal. Some of you report non-compliant significant others who don’t recognize the importance of breakfast (made me smile). Yet others of you don’t think breakfast is important.

To summarize my takeaways from the survey, I think we can safely say that food is personal. That was something I learned last year, but I love seeing it reinforced. I think it’s important to note the social role that food takes on in our lives. However, breakfast may be one of the least social meals we eat if we are eating it at work during the week and saving our big breakfast/brunch outings for special occasions.

I enjoyed reading your replies to the survey and I’m working on your suggestions to the design of the blog (the other survey I asked you to complete).

Without further delay, here’s this week’s survey:

***Eating Lunch***

Click above to take it. It will be open for a week! Oh, this is a fun one!

 

Guest blog: Learning cooking at childcare

Guest Blogs

From Mrs. Q: Over the past four months, my son has really gotten interested in preparing food with me in the kitchen. He’s so curious about what’s happening on the counter that we just leave a chair sitting in the kitchen so he can climb up and check things out. I think his new interest has to do with the fact that I am preparing so much food at home this summer AND that he is getting older and wants to help more than ever before. I’m really, really enjoying having him by my side. When I slice a veggie, his job is to grab them and throw them into a big bowl. He loves having a job.

I was contacting by Primose Schools about submitting a guest blog post and I was curious to learn more about their approach since my son attends a childcare center. I appreciate it when childcare centers and schools plan activities that are creative and promote useful skills. Enjoy!

A Recipe for Fun: Cooking with Children in the Kitchen

Modern day cooking can be fun, addictive and an easy way to teach meaningful lessons. At times the amount of time we spend in the kitchen as parents can take away from the time we spend with our children. This does not have to be the case. Instead, utilize the time you spend in the kitchen cooking or baking by engaging your child. This is not only a great way to spend quality time together, but you can also teach your child valuable skills and life long lessons while having a great time together.

As Vice President of Education at Primrose, Dr. Mary Zurn puts it, “The kitchen is often the most popular place in the house for families to gather. It’s a place for learning and sharing, where the family can enjoy quality time. Children can also develop a sense of responsibility by participating in daily tasks.” Primrose Schools provides a balanced learning curriculum, incorporating activities such as cooking, into the different ways of learning and educating.

By following these four simple guidelines, you and your youngster will have the recipe for a successful learning experience:

  1. 1) Build up skills step-by-step. Children can develop many essential skills in the kitchen, such as following recipes or counting eggs. For more advanced skills however, start slowly and have your child master easy tasks before attempting harder ones.  Older children can gradually be taught to use a knife. Start them off with a dull knife, cutting softer items first such as cheese or fruit. As your child’s coordination develops, they can move on to slicing or sawing vegetables and dough with a plastic knife.
  2. 2)Engage your child meaningfully. There are many tasks children can do independently. Simple jobs like mixing batter, rolling dough and measuring water can boost a child’s confidence and give them a sense of accomplishment. Tearing lettuce, adding sprinkles to sweets and sprinkling cheese onto pasta are also safe, satisfying tasks children can easily accomplish. Even very young children can get involved – give them some pots, pans and wooden spoons so they can pretend to cook with you or use them for music-making. Your child may not be a future recording artist, but at least you know your child is close by and banging away happily.
  3. 3)Set some ground rules. Establish a list of safety rules with your children before you begin cooking. Little things like, making sure the handles of pots and pans are turned inward on the stovetop so you and older children don’t accidentally bump them and spill hot liquids or food are just as important as teaching children to wash their hands before and after handling food to avoid spreading germs. Children need supervision when they’re in the kitchen, so always keep them within sight.
  4. 4) Keep it fun.  Most importantly, make sure you have fun with your child. Even if everything else goes wrong, at least you will have had fun doing it, together!

We all know cooking can be messy, even when the children aren’t around! Instead of stressing over the “oops” moments offer guidance and let your child try again. This is a better way for them to learn hands on.  Your child will not only feel a sense of pride, but will also be happy to have your approval.

Now that your masterpiece is complete, sit down and offer you little sous chef the first bite of whatever you made. While enjoying your meal Discuss what it is you might like to make
next! Bon appétit!

Submitted by Emily Patterson on behalf of Primrose Schools. For over 25 years, they have helped individuals achieve higher levels of success by providing them with an AdvancED® accredited, early child care services and education.  Through an accelerated Balanced Learning® curriculum, Primrose Schools students are exposed to a widely diverse range of subject matter giving them a much greater opportunity to develop mentally, physically and socially. Emily has written a number of articles on topics varying from bilingual learning to teaching the importance of volunteering.

Old Health Book: “Your Body — A Wonderful Gift”

Health book

Post 2: More shots of the 1940’s health book I found in the library’s free bin. Not sure if I should laugh or cry… (Here’s my first post about this book)

“It is what we eat that makes the difference.”

The book reads like propaganda, but there’s something about it that sounds almost naive. It was a different time.

“Only Wholesome Foods Are Good”

From the book, “It is not correct to call what you eat ‘food‘ unless it is wholesome. Anything else that you eat can, at best, waste body energy. It cannot do you much good. In fact, it can even be harmful.

“The Farmer Tills the Soil. Mother Builds a Son.”

That just sounds awkward.

“The right kinds of foods made the difference”

The picture shows two boys. The boy on the left has been eating tons of sugar and is gaunt and malnourished while the boy on the right is, I’m guessing, the idealized kid eating a well-rounded meal and staying trim. Did people in the 1940’s think that eating too many sweets and too much sugar would make you skinny and gaunt? What do you think happens to your body if you eat too much sugary foods? I think of that belly roll.

 Some Important Fuel Foods

From the book, “Fats and oils make twice as much heat and enerby as starches and sugars. This is a good thing to remember when extra heat andenergy ar needed.”

I’m not sure if you can see the list clearly in the photo, but I really like the message that fats are good. I’m not sure I agree with offering kids lard, but I do believe that kids today aren’t getting enough good fats.

This book is trip! What do you think?

Questions, questions

Survey says

How important is food in your life? What do you eat? What’s your favorite food? Where do you shop? What kind of things do you like to buy at the grocery store? There’s so much we don’t know about each other and the food we eat. Since we are all so fascinated by food, let’s find out more details about lives with food.

So every Friday in August (and beyond if we really have fun with this), I’m going to send you a survey about food. Then I’ll present the results of the survey so we all can learn more about the people reading this blog!

To kick this thing off, I’m got two surveys for you to fill out. Let’s start off with your feelings about breakfast. Breakfast is the first meal of the day and it seems like a great starting point. Breakfast is also the most flexible of meals. Sometimes it can be just a cereal bar, while other times it’s huge platter of eggs, bacon and toast. The second survey is about the redesign of the blog. I want to hear your thoughts.

You can click on the links below to access the surveys. Just so you know, once you hit “submit” you cannot go back and change your answers.

1) Eating Breakfast –

2) Feedback on the Design (of the blog)

Thanks for your time!

CSA Box Week 4

CSA Boxes

Normally I would never go into a store and buy something I had no name for.
Normally I would never buy more than one herb.
Normally I would never buy an herb not in a little plastic package.

Basil, Celery, Lettuce, Chard

Normally I would never buy more than two green veggies at once.
Normally I would not buy lettuce and chard at the same time.

Corn, Five Cucumbers, Dill

Normally I would not buy five cucumbers in one year.
Normally I would avoid dill.

Yellow squash, purple eggplant, white eggplant, LIGHT GREEN THING (top right!?), zucchini, garlic (at bottom left), onion (bottom right)

Normally I would not buy something I had never seen before without a recipe like a white eggplant.
Normally I would not buy something I didn’t know how to cook.

Ten ears of corn and one more (hidden) cucumber!

Normally I would not buy ten ears of corn at once.
Normally I would not buy something that needs to pickle.
I guess I’m not normal anymore. That’s ok, I never want to go back.

***

Here’s what came in the box:

  • 11 ears corn
  • 6 cucumbers
  • 1 zucchini
  • 1 purple eggplant
  • 1 white eggplant
  • 1 LIGHT GREEN THING
  • 1 bulb garlic
  • 1 onion
  • 1 yellow zucchini/squash
  • 1 bunch dill
  • 1 bag basil
  • 1 celery
  • 1 head of lettuce
  • 1 bunch of chard

 
It really does take us two weeks to get through everything. Here’s what I did with the patty pan squash:

 Patty pan squash with basil and olive oil (before oven roasting)

I’ll spare you both a link to the recipe and the final product. I am not a fan. I like spaghetti and acorn squash, but not patty pan, sadly. Hey, at least I tried.

Big win? The cabbage I turned into the most delectable slaw. I’ll share the recipe later (I must go to sleep now).

I’m loving my new relationship with produce.

Ups and downs in food news

Happening Now

I haven’t shared any interesting news items in awhile. Here we go…

SCHOOL FOOD:

Food Truck to Feed Kids in the Summer? What brilliant innovation! Chef Tim Cipriano rockin’ it in Connecticut:

(Up!) NEW HAVEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS CENTRAL KITCHEN UNVEILS FOOD TRUCK TO PROVIDE FREE SUMMER MEALS FOR KIDS  (NH School Food: Notes from Chef Tim)

(Up!) CHEFS MOVE TO SCHOOLS BRINGS PIZZA TRUCK TO NHPS ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL SUMMER PROGRAM (NH School Food: Notes from Chef Tim)

(Up!) Massachusetts Bans Chocolate Milk (Better DC School Food) — Kids don’t need the sugar every single day.

(Up!) Exclusive Interview with Kathleen Merrigan: Farm to School Movement Comes of Age (Civil Eats) — Farm to School is moving up. I love this quote from the interview: Farm to School is “also good for farmers’ bottom lines, economically. Particularly for that struggling mid-size commercial farmer, who could really use a local institutional buyer. We’ve seen it make a difference in their viability in a number of states where farm to school has taken off.”

(Down!) Getting Drinking Water Into School Cafeterias – Not As Easy As It Sounds (The Lunch Tray) — You might be surprised how difficult it is to get plain water on the tables at schools.

***

FOOD:

(Up/Down) McDonald’s has decided to offer more “healthy” foods in its Happy Meals. Part of me is thrilled by this small change as the company *maybe* is thinking a little bit about its role in childhood health and well-being. But another part of me is, like totally, “big whoop.” Until they cut the fries out completely AND drop the soda, I won’t be having a party. By the way, I’m a potato lover, but there are more ways to prepare them that putting them in a basket and lowering them into a fryer. What other bloggers think:

***

(Up!) Google’s impressive healthy food program (Marion Nestle, Food Politics) — I knew that Google was a terrific company to work for, but I didn’t realize they had their own food program. I should have known. And since they do a lot of things right, they get the food thing right as well. Maybe one day I’ll get a chance to tour their facility!

(Up!) There are no bad foods (and five more industry lies) (Andrew Wilder, Eating Rules) — Right on the money!