My first 10k

I'm pretty nervous. Tomorrow I'm running in my first 10k event for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. I'm part of the Moms in Training team and just yesterday learned that our group has raised almost $250,000!

I've been a dedicated runner for years (except for a few brief periods when I was unable to either because of an advanced pregnancy or a stress fracture). My preference is to run with my iPod with the music blaring in my ears and I'm a treadmill runner, not an outdoor runner. My ideal distance is 3-4 miles. One of the things that draws me to running is that it's a solo activity. I realize how that might sound, and how nice it is when people like to participate in team sports... I'm just not one of them. Exercise is my quiet time. My "me" time, and I need that. 

Me after our Hill Training workout on Harlem Hill

The event will raise money to help find cures and better treatments for lymphoma, leukemia, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma.  The cause is near and dear to me. I set a fundraising goal of $11,000 and am just shy of reaching that goal. If you'd like to support this cause and my run, please click here and accept my gratitude in advance. 

People talk about a runner's high – I get that. My feet and legs move as if on autopilot. The beat of the music propels me forward. At some point in mile two, I start feeling like a rockstar. I sometimes forget where I am in these moments and start singing out loud. Oops. 

Tomorrow's run takes me out of my comfort zone in many ways. I'll be running outside, which I am not accustomed to and the distance is much farther than what I know my body is easily able to do. Luckily, LLS has a whole plan for folks like me, and for people at every level actually. Though today I worry about whether I'm ready for the run tomorrow, I've been diligently following an 8 week training schedule and and I know I'm prepared. I've been visualizing the faces of my family members cheering me on; it's one of the greatest motivators ever.  

For anyone in the NYC area, come to Central Park tomorrow morning, June 8, to cheer on the many people who are running to support this amazing cause!  

Kale & Farro Salad with Mint and Cilantro

We've been eating a ton of chick peas lately in all forms: I snack on them, I roast them, I make hummus with them. ​I'm usually super organized when it comes to groceries and know when to restock staples but every now and then I'm taken by surprise and discover that we're out of things like paper towels or low on milk. Today I opened the pantry expecting to find at least one can of chick peas for a salad that I had in mind to prepare. No dice. 

I proceeded with my recipe plan anyway and swapped raw sliced carrots for my missing chick peas. ​Wow. That crunch! The color! Frankly, I forgot all about the chick peas and have a sneaking suspicion that I'm about to dive head first into a carrot kick. I've been getting weekly organic produce deliveries from a company called Urban Organic and for several weeks now, one of the many delightful things that I receive is a pound of beautiful carrots. My most recent box also included some fresh fava beans that I haven't a clue how to deal with, but that's a story for another day.  I peeled the entire pound of carrots so they're ready for immediate snacking. 

This salad has summer written all over it. The raw baby kale leaves are softened by added lemon juice and olive oil and the chewy texture of the farro next to the crunch of the carrots was delightful. I added fresh mint, cilantro and red onion and will probably finish it in its entirety before long. In the meantime, the chick peas, while delicious in so many things, were not even missed in this recipe. 

Kale and Farro Salad with Mint and Cilantro

6 ounces raw baby kale, thinly sliced
4 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
1 cup cooked farro
1/4 red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
Juice of one lemon (about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon olive oil
pinch of cayenne (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and toss well to make sure lemon juice and olive oil are evenly distributed. Enjoy! 

Introducing LaLa Breakfast!

We are absolutely thrilled to introduce the newest member of our family: LaLa Breakfast! ​

Breakfast is often called the most important meal of the day and yet so very many families I have spoken to struggle with it – mine included. ​I'll admit, it has been a challenge at times to make sure my kids (and myself and my husband!) are fed a balanced meal in the morning before we all race out the door. I set out to improve the flow of lunch with LaLa Lunchbox and since then, lunch planning has been chugging along smoothly. But after one too many breakfast-related arguments, temper tantrums and mishaps, I realized something had to be done. 

What's the problem anyway? First of all, time is tight. And though I may be a morning person, my family members certainly are not. ​There were two options: I could choose what my kids ate in the morning (and deal with the potential waste of unwanted items) or be faced with a barrage of requests, many of which I either couldn't (or didn't want to) prepare in time or didn't have on hand. I don't know about you but the last thing I want to hear in the morning as I struggle to get everything done is whining.

​Your favorite monsters are back

Select your favorite breakfast combos

Customize the foods for your family's needs

Enter LaLa Breakfast. It began on paper, just like LaLa Lunchbox. Each night, my kids eagerly grabbed for it and selected what they'd like to eat the next morning. Naturally, it had to be within reason; I'm neither a short order cook nor a fully stocked grocery store. I let them know what was available and they made their selections. Whatever was able to be prepped in advance, was. Cereal was poured into a bowl and set out on the table. Fruit was cut and stored in containers in the fridge. Breakfast became easier chez moi! And I'm happy to report, the breakfast-related whining has left the building. LaLa Breakfast gives users the option to "hide" items that are not available and like LaLa Lunchbox, it generates a handy grocery list for parents. The Food Library is organized into the following four categories: Eggs, Produce, Grains and Protein. For those who have both LaLa Breakfast and LaLa Lunchbox, the two grocery lists can be seamlessly synced into one, and accessible via multiple devices. 

LaLa Breakfast was created to end breakfast chaos so that families can wake up to healthy, happy mornings. I sincerely hope you enjoy using it! And special thanks to my sometimes goofy, always hungry little (and big!) monsters for their hearty support, feedback and big smiles.  

My hungry monsters

LaLa Granola Bars and Food Revolution Day 2013!

As I've mentioned, (here and here) I've got nut allergies. It's really difficult to find a good tasting granola bar that's made without nuts, but beyond that, it's hard to find a granola bar that's made simply. So we take matters into our own hands at my house and regularly make our own, and affectionately call them LaLa Granola Bars. They're nut free, dairy free, full of delicious flavor and have zero added refined sugar. They are snacks that I feel great about packing for my kids' lunch and that I can safely consume myself. Win-win! 

​My son spreading granola bars onto a cookie sheet for Food Revolution Day 2013

In honor of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Day 2013, my son and I rolled up our sleeves and made these delicious and simple granola bars. Here's a link to the recipe we used. ​The whole process took less than 20 minutes but it's 20 minutes of well spent time together. I'm proud to see my son wielding a spoon, ready to help out. I believe that one of my many responsibilities as a parent is to teach him the importance of good, fresh ingredients and to show him the joy that comes from making meals ourselves. Today our Food Revolution Day celebration took part on a small scale but I believe that real change happens both from the bottom up and the top down and therefore, all of these small moments matter. ​I look forward to hearing him tell the story of our adventures in the kitchen this morning when we serve these granola bars to guests this weekend. 

​Homemade LaLa Granola bars! 

Roasted Black Beans and the Healthy Lunch Challenge

You know that phase when kids start counting and then they delight in counting all the time? My son is there now and it's incredibly entertaining. He's super excited to count to 20 these days and, while he skips 17 every single time, it is amazing to hear him sing out his numbers. Though he doesn't truly understand quantity, addition or subtraction in the formal sense, he can see that ten grapes are more than 5 grapes, and if his big sister reaches over and takes one of his four strawberries he can count that he now only has three. Math and food are a thrilling combination. 

Our Healthy Lunch Challenge plan

Enter Crunch a Color, the Healthy Eating Game. It's an award winning card game that families can play together to encourage nutritious eating. The cards have colors, food lists, cute drawings and point values and the person with the most points wins. But there's deeper learning here; avocado and green grapes are both green foods but avocado gets 10 points and green grapes get 5. That makes for interesting conversation. My kids love to compare and it's pretty neat to see my daughter helping out her little brother with the tally (after the whole "haha, I win" bit is done, of course).

When Jennifer Tyler Lee, Crunch a Color's creator, asked me to be part of the Healthy Lunch Challenge, I was thrilled. My daughter chose the lunch below that features three colors, a protein, a healthy grain and no processed foods. We planned it using LaLa Lunchbox so I was sure to have everything I needed on hand. 

This lunch features a delicious and healthy new food that we are crazy about chez moi: roasted black beans! YUM. My daughter calls it black bean popcorn thanks to its satisfying yet light crunch and practically begs for it on a daily basis. We packed this lunch together and snacked along the way. Aside from the roasting time for the beans, this took less than 10 minutes to prepare.

​Check out this deliciously colorful and balanced lunch!

3 colors: Green celery, Orange carrots and Red raspberries
Protein: Black beans (two ways: roasted and pureed into an easy dip)
Healthy Grain: toast crust from whole wheat bread
We always pack lunch with water (5 points extra) bringing the total points to 55!

I used half of one can of black beans for roasting and the other half to make a black bean dip that was finished in three minutes. I cut carrots and celery for dipping and added the toast crust (affectionately called Toast Crust Dippers in my house) that I cut from the bread of my anti-crust son. My daughter grabbed and washed a handful of raspberries and voila! Lunch is complete! 

Here's how we made the roasted black beans: ​

​black beans, ready for roasting! 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Open one can of black beans. Rinse and dry them with a paper towel. Spread half of the can onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and ​drizzle with olive oil and a scant sprinkle of salt. Roast in the oven for approximately 35 minutes or until crispy. 

Here's how we made the black bean dip: ​

​Ingredients for black bean dip

We poured the other half of the beans into a bowl and then added: 
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* note: I initially intended to add fresh garlic but changed my mind at the last minute.  This dip can be made with either, depending on your penchant for garlic flavor. 

Using a stick blender, blend all of the ingredients until smooth. ​

​Enjoy and happy lunching!