My Dinner Struggle

Let me just put this out there: My husband and I don't usually eat dinner with our kids. I grew up eating family dinner and the thought of sitting and chatting together around a table of deliciousness sounds fantastic, but I can't quite figure out when that's going to happen around here. Or how. But the problem is bigger than that. 

Timing
My kids are still young (9, 5 and 3) and they eat early, around 5:30 pm; my youngest is asleep before my husband gets home from work. The kids eat together and then later in the evening, my husband and I eat together. Having the opportunity to break bread as a twosome at the end of the day is lovely in many ways. That said, I'm naturally hungry much earlier than we eat so I don't particularly love eating dinner at 8:30 or later. I usually end up sitting down with the kids for a little nibble and then eat another small plate later. Far from ideal. 

Planning
Some nights I'm a rockstar and I make one meal for all of us, and serve part of it to the early birds and save the rest for the night owls. But each and every time, I stand in my kitchen wondering: do I leave this food out on the counter or the stove top for hours? Or do I refrigerate it? I never know the answer.
Despite the fact that I cook dinner for 5 people every day and have been doing this for years, I somehow haven't mastered the art of quantity. Sometimes I cook a meal that I think should be enough for all of us and one (or more) of the kids is hungrier than I'd anticipated so there isn't quite enough for the night owl dinner. On the flip side, occasionally I'll make a meal and my kids aren't as hungry as usual so there are way more leftovers than planned. Other times I'm in the mood for something that I know the kids won't enjoy so I end up cooking twice. That's when  I stand in my kitchen wondering how crazy I must be to make two separate dinners in one day (followed by packing three school lunches). 

I'm tired. 

Supplies
You'll find me in the grocery store about twice weekly -- it takes a lot of food to feed five people and my fridge isn't as big as I'd like. But let's be honest, I also enjoy browsing the aisles and discovering new products. Shopping more than once per week gives my kids more options to choose from to plan their lunches and I like to cook so it felt like a win until I realized that I'm feeling stretched too thin. 

The Solution
Something had to give. I decided that any time there was an issue with dinner, eggs were the answer. If I make a dish that I'm pretty sure the kids won't like, I offer it anyway and when it's inevitably rejected, they get eggs (with veggies and fruit). If dinner is gobbled up more than expected, my husband and I have eggs (with veggies). Eggs are a great source of protein and vitamin B and also happen to be delicious! And the money spent on a dozen eggs goes a lot farther than many other proteins. So we're in an egg routine now. I've been buying jumbo eggs for a while now, mostly because of their size but also because finding a double yolk gives me an absolute thrill every single time. 

The Questions

• I'd love to find dishes and straightforward recipes that can accommodate all of us. Do you make one meal for everyone in your family?
• I don't know when I'll figure out a way for us to eat dinner together - for now, our family meal is breakfast. Do you eat together? If so, how old were your kids when you started that? 
• It's pretty lucky that we all dig eggs. For me, it was important to have a fall back option so that I don't feel guilty or stressed out or resentful about dinner. What are your standbys? Do you have a source for recipes that you absolutely love? 

The Recipe
Eggs are so versatile. Here's one of my favorite recipes for Veggie Pie that every member of my family enjoys: 

Ingredients
8 eggs (I use jumbos but large will work just fine)
1 pound of spinach, chopped
1 pound of asparagus, chopped
1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1 teaspoon of salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1 pie crust*
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

*the pie crust is optional. I've made this dozens of times with no crust at all. 

Method (photos below)
Preheat the oven to 375. Prepare your pie crust as needed. I often use a ready-made dough which needs to be par-baked. Mix the greens, salt and pepper in a big bowl to evenly distribute all ingredients. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the greens. Sauté for just 2 minutes, when the greens begin to shrink. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Place greens back in your big bowl and add the eggs. Combine all ingredients and pour into your pie crust. Bake in the oven for approximately 35 minutes (time will vary depending on the depth of your container, so keep your eye on the oven). 

Chopped greens, all playing nicely together

lightly sauteed greens

eggs + greens + crust = ready for the oven!

Veggie Pi(e)! 

Winter 2015-2016 School Lunches

This time of year, there's a general feeling of UGH in the air when it comes to school lunch. Believe me, I feel it too. I pack lunches at night to save time and energy in the morning, and while it works well for us, there's still no magic fairy packing lunches for my 3 kiddos. If you're looking for a bit of inspiration to get you out of the winter school lunch blahs, look no further -- here are some of the lunches that have been fueling us through winter.  

For daily pics of our three lunches, head over to Instagram and for a look at even more options, check this out. These lunches have been chosen by my kids - and here's what's amazing: when you give kids the power and responsibility to choose, they really do rise to the occasion. Check out these lunches! If you're looking to simplify your lunch-packing life, here's what will make that a reality. Trust me on this. 

hummus with pita and carrots, apple, arugula with lemon and chocolate covered blueberries

Yogurt, "tuxedo banana," raspberries, broccoli and cookies

chicken, cucumbers, mango, golden berries and raspberries and a chocolate truffle

spinach and potato pierogies with sea salt yogurt for dipping, pea shoots, raspberries and dark chocolate

leftover pizza on a lollipop stick, raspberries, mango and chocolate covered blueberries

chicken sausage wrapped in puff pastry, mango, clementine, blueberries and cookies

black beans and brown rice, raspberries, golden berries, apple, green beans and cookies

breakfast for lunch: mini waffles and mini maple syrup, mango, yogurt and blueberries, peas and a cookie

egg, clementine, apple, green beans, rice cakes and cookies

eggs, broccoli, raspberries, coconut date roll, toast sticks, clementine, carrots and a mini no-bake (egg-free) chocolate chip cookie dough bar

banana sunbutter dog with jam, cara cara orange, broccoli, strawberries and homemade granola bar

ham, date, pea shoots, broccoli, blueberries and granola

pancakes, "tuxedo banana," carrots, strawberries and a brownie bite

macaroni and cheese, raspberry and carrot "wands," clementines, fig bars

leftover pasta with turkey meatballs, zucchini, peas and cookies

arugula salad, chicken cutlet, raspberries and brownie bites

cheese and crackers, carrots, blood orange, apple and a chocolate

salad with goat cheese, leftover pasta with tomato sauce, mango and a brownie bite

Looking for lunch containers for your school lunches? Check out our favorites. 

Granola Bar Recipe: nut free, dairy free, and packed with protein

Life as a parent is infinitely more complicated than I could have imagined as a kid playing "house." The little things that make it easier (like packing lunch at night) are complete godsends. Simple, straightforward recipes are just as important. These granola bars are outrageously delicious and easy to make with my kids (prep time is only 15 minutes!) and I feel great knowing that there are no unpronounceable ingredients and nothing artificial. This recipe is also nut free, dairy free, packed with fiber and protein and can be easily modified with slight changes (noted below). I’m happy to pack these with my kids’ lunches any day of the week.

The Recipe:
1 ⅓ cups rolled oats (old fashioned, not instant)
1/3 cup oat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons ground flax meal
1/2 cup raisins (*can substitute dried cherries instead)
1 cup puffed kamut cereal (*can substitute puffed brown rice cereal)
6 tablespoons coconut oil (*can substitute vegetable oil)
2/3 cup sunflower seed butter (*can substitute any nut butter)
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup dairy free chocolate chips (*can use any chocolate chips, or eliminate completely)

The Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
In a mixing bowl, add the oats, oat flour, salt, cinnamon and flax meal. Mix thoroughly.
Add the raisins, puffed kamut and coconut oil and stir to eliminate clumps in the coconut oil. Fold in the soy nut butter, honey and water, carefully coating the ingredients but not pulverizing them in the process. Finally add the chocolate chips.
Spread evenly on the parchment paper. Mixture should be about one inch thick.
Bake for 30 minutes.

Let cool for ten minutes and cut into bars.

Enjoy!

Chick Pea Kale Patties

Last year I found this Chick Pea and Parsley Patties recipe via Aimee at Simple Bites and it has become a standby in my house. My husband and I wolf them down and my youngest, who loves foods that are full of flavor, can't get enough of them. I made some modifications to the original recipe - initially based on ingredient availability in my own kitchen (recipe below) - and they were such a hit that we've continued to make them this way. This recipe is straightforward, simple and delicious. 

Ingredients: chick peas, kale, dill, lemon, garlic, dried shallots, ground corriander, ground cumin, olive oil, flour and egg.  

Combine all of the ingredients except eggs and oil and refrigerate for several hours to let the flavors open up to each other. Add those ingredients into a food processor along with the egg and combine until the mixture is a chunky batter. Some of the chick peas may remain whole and that's okay. 

Spoon the batter into a hot pan with olive oil, turn down the heat to medium and fry the pancakes until golden brown on both sides. Holy moly. These things are jam packed with flavor and loaded with nutrition. Home run!

Chick Pea and Kale Patties

Ingredients
One 15 ­oz can of chickpeas
1/2 cup chopped kale
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon dried shallot (or one fresh shallot, chopped) 
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Juice of 1 lemon (approximately 2 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
2 large eggs
Approximately 1/4 cup olive oil for frying

Method
Rinse and drain the chick peas. Pour them into a large mixing bowl. Add kale, dill, shallot, garlic, cumin, coriander, lemon, flour and combine. Let the batter sit for at least one hour so that the flavors play nicely together. In a food processor (or in a bowl with a potato masher) mash the ingredients together until they form a batter (chunky is good, don't worry if it's not uniform). Add eggs and form into patties with your hands or a spoon. Heat half of the olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat and fry until golden brown (about 4-5 minutes per side). Repeat. This made 12 patties for us. Reduce the heat if they appear to be burning. Serve warm or room temperature with a dollop of sour cream or sea salt yogurt. Enjoy!

3 Uses for Coconut Milk Yogurt

Are you a "phase" person? I definitely am. There are periods where I have oatmeal and a banana every morning without fail, and then suddenly I realize it's been months without it. There are weeks where I can't get enough eggs, and then one day I notice that there are still three eggs in the dozen that I bought ten days ago. This past summer I had a phase where I ate giant breaded chicken cutlet sandwiches for lunch several times a week, and now I can't remember the last time I had one. These phases begin and end unceremoniously and in between, I eat a variety of things like a regular person. 

It dawned on me today that I'm in a new phase: I'm currently obsessed with Anita's coconut milk yogurt (this post is not sponsored, I genuinely love this stuff). Coconut milk yogurt is dry and thick, like a strained Greek yogurt and has a pleasant tang that makes it perfectly suited for both sweet and savory dishes. The brand I've been buying lately has just 3 ingredients: coconut milk, coconut water and live probiotic cultures. It's rich and filling, with no added sugar which means it's great for everyone in my house, including my youngest who cannot have cow's milk  dairy. It's high in fat, low in protein and sugar. I'm not put off my the high fat content because even 1-2 tablespoons of this goes a long way and I believe in moderation of everything. I'm also not concerned by the lack of protein because my family gets a solid amount of protein regularly so I try to focus on the big picture. 
So what can you do with coconut yogurt? 

1. Coconut yogurt is a perfect soup companion. Today felt like a soup day so I prepared this quick red lentil soup before getting started with work and when hunger hit, I poured myself a bowl and immediately reached for the coconut yogurt to make it creamy and even more delicious. Hours later, I am still completely satisfied. 

2. Coconut yogurt works wonders for breakfast. Last weekend I made my favorite batch of apple pancakes using coconut yogurt (instead of kefir or soy or goat milk, as I usually do). I had to thin the batter by adding some additional coconut milk and they were a huge hit with my kids. Other quick breakfast ideas include coconut yogurt with granola and fruit, or a waffle smeared with a tablespoon of coconut yogurt in place of a nut butter or other spread. 

3. Coconut yogurt is terrific with dessert! Need a quick dairy free chocolate mousse? Coconut yogurt is your answer. Four-ingredient chocolate mousse is simple and delicious because it's not too sweet and the creamy texture is perfect alone or with fruit. You can also top a cookie with a dollop of coconut yogurt, or use two to make a sandwich! 

If you can't find coconut yogurt in your neck of the woods, you can make it on your own.  

Have you tried coconut yogurt? What do you think?