Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

Source: amazon.com via Michelle on Pinterest

For several years now Jamie Oliver (celebrity chef) has been campaigning, first in his native Great Britain, and now here in the US for improved school lunches (and breakfasts where provided.)   I was a hot lunch kid, I remember standing in line for my green tickets, not the yellow ones which were reserved for paying families, nope I was one of millions of children who eat subsidized school lunch every year. Sometimes it was the best or only meal I ate all day. So it follows that school cafeterias provide a substantial amount of food, whether it is nutritious or not to our nation's children. The children who are the future, our future as we age they will be the ones leading, maintaining our infrastructure, teaching and so on. Or not considering obesity and the related ailments are higher than ever in children in the United States. Click here to gain a better understanding of the school lunch program.   I grew up and had the good fortune to taste real food, fresh food from the earth. When I returned to the cafeteria with my own children I was appalled at what I had eaten (it was much the same, chop suey anyone?) and what was being offered my kids.   I joke that I'm a food snob, but I'm not, I just require  prefer to provide and consume wholesome food as close as possible to its natural state as the staples in my diet. Cookie butter on occasion, but after I know that I've had a few square meals under my belt. Food is meant to be fun and pleasurable, but out of the food eaten over the course of the week it is made up of mostly whole grains, greens, fresh veggies, fruit, nuts, seeds, beans with the occasional organic dairy item.   So what my kids, what our kids eat, is important to me so I just on board with Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and you can too!   Click here for the site and to educate yourself, your school system and your community. You won't find any "Go-Go Juice" on this menu.    I encourage parents and people who care to work in your community to make it clear that what we eat matters and why and the positive impact it has, not only on our bodies and health, but on local agriculture, businesses and the future.         Bon Appetit, Deirdre

Make-at-Home Yogurt Drink

What kid doesn't love a yummy yogurt drink? Yogurt drinks are fun, often portable, and full of tummy friendly probiotics. My beef with the store bought brands though, is that even the organic all natural brands are often packed full of sugar. One I bought not to long ago had a whopping 25 grams of sugar in one small bottle!

I got the following idea from my smarty pants Mama friend, Seana. Making my own yogurt drink at home is easy, cost effective, and I control the contents! I use whole milk, whole milk plain yogurt, all natural juice (just a splash) with no sugar added and a tiny bit of agave. There are all natural, chemical free food colorings you can buy at Whole Foods too if your little one would appreciate a little fun color too. My tot, Violet loves this drink in a spill proof cup with straw. Easy peasy!

Aliment, Copyright 2012

Vi also likes this because she can feed herself, which she loves to do...and I like it because she doesn't quite have the dexterity for spoon feeding herself drippy droppy yogurt yet. 

What little tricks do you use to make your own versions of more sugary store-bought items?

Bon Appetit!

Tamar

Onigiri - Creative Cooking with Children

Copyright: Deirdre/Aliment 2012

I have a thing for cooking playing with my food. I don't really like to cook or bake, but I like to eat and if you connect A to B chances are at some point I will have to find myself in the kitchen if I am to sustain this mortal form of mine.

Each day I make my kids "home lunch" as opposed to school lunch, which appologies if this is personal- it's not meant to be, school lunch is, in the words of my children, "disgusting." I don't know if it has changed much in twenty years, but I ate breakfast and lunch at school if I was lucky and I seemed to have survived.

Anyway, I dutifully pack lunches each morning and, at risk of making my kids out to sound spoiled, they pretty much won't have anything to do with the old "P B & J" standby. I sneak it in about once a week nonetheless, but this mama has to get creative...

I've long admired the bento style lunches commonly found in Japan. For an overview check this out and this. What's not to love?

So I gave Onigiri, also known as rice balls, a whirl. The recipe I followed was from the blog Just Hungry . It was very instructional and guided me toward successfully creating my first Onigiri, if I do say so myself. And my kids were delighted by their lunch!

It really is easy peasy. See the link above for more detailed instructions. Measure 1 cup rice. I used short grain brown. Add two cups of water.

Boil Rice, then reduce heat to low and simmer about 30 minutes. Then allow to cool a bit, so it is just comfortable to handle, but not cold.

Prepare ingredients. I used a splash of rice wine vinegar. A piece of plastic wrap in a small bowl. I drizzled some water on the on the plastic so it doesn't stick. Followed by a pinch of salt. I scoop the rice into the bowl. Poke a shallow hole in the center and insert peas and edamame for the "treasures" in the center of the ball.

Gather the plastic wrap then twist to shape into a ball. Then once it's nice and snug you can remove the plastic and shape as desired. Decorate to your heart's desire or sprinkle with Japanese rice seasoning. Domo Arigato.

Bon Appetit,

Deirdre

DIY Dreamsicle-Creamsicles

Just when you think your kids might just melt from the heat try making (then eating!) this refreshing smoothie-creamsicle hybrid we call a Dreamsicle. With two kids I had two tastes: one tropical, the other, height of summer berry. Both were yummi-liscious. For detailed recipe please scroll all the way down.

Simple ingredients for the Berry...

Ingredients for the Coconut-Kiwi-Lemon

If you do not have popsicle molds you can use plastic spoons and cups (these are small.)

Blend yo' berries!

Place the spoon in the center of the cup then pour in the mixture. Doing it the other way around will displace the liquid then your child might think to lick it off the counter. Probably not a good idea.

Blend some more.

  

Arrange on a baking tray. Place in the freezer. After about twenty minutes carefully shift any crooked spoons to the center. Then freeze again.

Enjoy!

And enjoy some more.

Green Tip: The cup should come right off, if not place a warm hand around it for a few moments then remove. The cups can be rinsed and reused for water or craft projects.

Very Berry Dreamsicle

by Deirdre

Prep Time: 5-10 Minutes

 Freeze Time: 3 Hours

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Ingredients (5-6 small)

• 1 Banana
• 1 Cup Mixed Berries (I use Trader Joe's Frozen)
• 1 Cup Water
• 1 Cup Ice Cream or your favorite non-dairy substitute

Instructions

Toss everything in the blender except the banana peel, whiz, then after placing a spoon into each cup, pour the mixture in evenly right up to the rim. Place on a baking try and carefully place in the freezer.

After 20-30 minutes straighten the spoons so they are in the center then continue to freeze for three hours or overnight. Toward the shorter time they were like Italian Ice....toward the longer side they were perfect Popsicles.

Best enjoyed on a hot summer day.

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Coconut Kiwi Lemon Dreamsicle

by Deirdre

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes

Freeze Time: 3 hours

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Ingredients (5-6 small)

• 2 Bananas - peeled
• 2 Kiwis - peeled
• 1 Tsp Lemon Juice
• 1 Tbsp (or more!) shredded coconut
• 1 Cup SoDelicious Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert
• 1 Cup Water

Instructions

Pop everything into your blender and mix.

Then (with help or if like me you have two extra hands) place the spoons into the cups, pour an even amount of the mixture into each then place each cup on a tray for their future in the freezer.

After about 20-30 minutes setting up, carefully adjust the spoons so they are in the center of the cup. Then freeze for up to 3 hours or overnight.

We could hardly wait so our first batch was eaten more as a slushy out of the cup, but the next day they were perfect pops.

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Bon Appetit,

Deirdre

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