Packed Lunches Are Back On The Horizon

Meal planning has been the bane of my existence for the last month, and so I haven't been doing it.  As a result, we've been eating unbalanced, strange meals.  Mostly things that I don't have to cook.

I figure a few strange weeks of eating aren't the worst thing I've subjected my family to.  But with school starting in one week, I've got a good dose of panic going, and I'm not ready to deal.

I'm not ready!  Whose idea was this whole back to school in the middle of August?  WHO?

I came up with some great suggestions for packables last year... but recently, I've been really inspired by a few fellow bloggers:

Lunch in a Box - this is right up my alley - I love the presentation and the smaller portions.

Pack My Lunch - she's been on a slower posting schedule this summer, but she's got some fantastic ideas for even the picky kids.

The title of this blog just cracks me up, and she's got some fantastic stuff here, too.

 

I'm determined to pack lunches for the kids this year - last year, I made it through two discouraging weeks of nearly-full lunch boxes being brought home (and the news that my kids were mooching off of their friends who had pringles and "fruit" snacks) before I decided to purchase hot lunches for my kids - I figured it would be better to have the school food get rejected, so I could still pretend that I'm a good cook.

This year, I'm not going to be defeated!  (Or okay, not that easily!)  My kids aren't sandwich eaters... so I'm thinking leftovers are going to be the way to go.

How about at your house?  Are you ready for school lunches?

Lessons Learned

So, since returning from my vacation and swearing off on dairy products for the month, plus all refined sugars and flours, I'm doing surprisingly well.  But it is curious how often I reach for a cheese stick, or a yogurt, or the milk to add to my coffee or whatever.  I consume a lot of dairy products on a daily basis, and eliminating them (temporarily) has shown me how much I clearly use dairy to fill my stomach.  That and bready stuff. 

I know that I need protein and veggies, but I can't tell you how often I've made a meal of a bagel and cheese, or buttered toast, or a granola bar.  I can justify each of these choices, of course, but the reality is they DON'T contain the nutrition I need, at least, not entirely.  I need to have protein and veggies at every meal, or I get sluggish and mean an hour later. 

Making Food Fun Again

I'm going to get back to posting my weekly menus, along with photos of my dinners over in the Small Slice album.  It feels like forever since I made anything to eat that rocked my socks off, and frankly, that sucks.

I got up this morning and walked the kids to school, and then came home determined to make a good menu and cook from it for the next two weeks.  I don't know how I got off track, but I'm not dwelling.  It is time to move forward!

So!  This is the plan for the next two weeks: 

Monday: Crustless Quiche made with red bell pepper, onion, and zucchini, served with baby spinach salad and sliced apples.
Tuesday: Vegetarian chili with whole grain flatbread topped with broiled cheese, served with steamed broccoli
Wednesday: Chicken and brown rice casserole with a chopped salad.
Thursday: Tea-party dinner - mini-sandwiches (egg salad, watercress and cucumber with cream cheese, turkey with cranberry sauce) sliced fruit and raw veggies.
Friday: Homemade pizza with whole wheat crust.
Saturday: Baked sweet potatoes, TJ's Soycotosh, teriyaki glazed chicken breast
Sunday: Leftovers
Monday: Whole grain pasta with green beans, red peppers and fruit
Tuesday: Breaded Tilapia from TJs, spanish rice and brussels sprouts
Wednesday: Whole grain mac and cheese, made from scratch, with steamed broccoli and cauliflower

You know what?  I'm going to stop right there.  The following morning, I'll be boarding a flight for Hawaii, and I'll be filling my freezer with quick and easy foods that my husband can nuke for the kids while I'm away.  If I'm not cooking it, I'm not going to overthink the menu right now.

Shopping list below the fold:

Emotional Demons

Denise (again) makes a very good point by mentioning my silence on the emotional issues that have helped hoist my chubby little fist full of snackies. I'm going to take a stab at revealing some of the emotional issues I have, and the way they have twisted my relationship to food.

Demon #6 - Recognition and Appreciation
Food has long been a way to reward myself.  From my earliest years:
"Finish your dinner, and you can have a popsicle." 
"Get good grades, and we'll go out for ice cream!"
Let's not forget the Starving Children in China argument.  I'm making it sound like my parents were plying us with sweet rewards daily.  This isn't the case at all.  But times of celebration, large and small, generally called for something yummy. 

In my adult life, a job well done has always been marked by a little something edible. As an office worker, a balanced ledger meant it was time for a visit to the vending machines.  As a new mommy, every breastfeeding session 'earned' a little treat. The thankless day-to-day grind of dirty diaper and dirty laundry and dirty dishes was sweetened by a little "thank you, Jenny!" in the form of a Pumpkin Spice Latte, or a handful of cookies.  This last year has brought me major improvement on that front.  No longer do I 'celebrate' each folded load of laundry with a fun-sized Snickers (or three) from a hidden stash.  No longer do I 'celebrate' the end of the day by polishing off a pint of Ben & Jerry's. 

However, the snacking urge remains.  I believe that there are several complicated emotional triggers behind this.  My need for appreciation and recognition is abated and soothed by chocolate and sweets.  I realize that I cannot continue to feed this need with food - but I am not sure how to fill the hole.  At the risk of sounding like an ungrateful wretch, I will admit that I find many of my hausfrau duties to be completely mundane.  Not only that, but I'm not particularly good at them.  Which brings me to Demon #7.

Demons doesn't rhyme with lemons

I've been humbled this last year by my utter inability to shed pounds.  I've read articles and books, digested theories and made plans.  I've been angry, motivated, ambivelent and defiant.  I've used food as a punishment and as a reward.  I've "tried" lots of ideas, tested theory after theory.

And I'm still fat.

This year, I'm determined to get to the bottom of my body's refusal to let go of the weight.  And I think I'm finally onto the demons that have been plaguing me.

Demon #1 - Awareness
As much as I love to eat, I don't want to think about it.  I don't want to plan it, I don't want to anticipate my next meal, I don't want to balance my meals and I certainly don't want to journal every damn bite that crosses my lips.  This goes hand and hand with Demon #2, by the way.

Demon #2 - Honesty
I don't want to admit that sometimes I eat a handful of chocolate chips, or drink a second cup of coffee, or put an extra slice of cheese in my mouth.  I don't want to count that glass of juice I drank.  In fact, I don't want to have to be accountable at all.  I just want to eat what I want to eat, and magically lose weight.  Without revealing that I'm not as "good" at dieting as I want to believe.

Demon #3 - Eating Habits
Over the last few months, I've gradually slipped back into snacking mode.  While I agree that for many people, five small meals a day makes more sense, for me, five small meals becomes constant grazing.  I literally wander around with food in my hand all day long.  Instead of sitting at the table and eating at a sedate pace, I stand in front of the pantry or the fridge, downing a few crackers, a string cheese, a little bit of this and that.  My snacks add up to well over 500 calories a day, when I'm being honest and aware about it.  Not only that, but most of the time, I snack without thought, and without enjoyment.  My snacking has become a habit that continues even when I'm not hungry.  99% of the time, the snack is in my mouth before I've even closed the cupboard.  I need to eat three balanced meals a day - which means planning ahead, shopping smart, allowing time for cooking and eating and writing it all down.

Demon #4 - Food Choices
I'm making good choices, generally speaking.  But I tend to go heavy on the "white" flour items, and heavy on the whole-fat dairy, and skimp on lean proteins.  I always need more fruits and veggies.  Always.  And that requires planning, because really, I'm totally satisfied by a bowl of pasta with red sauce.  Who needs a salad?  (Hint: me.)  And again - the snacks add a lot of low-gratification, mindless calories.  I need to put food on my plate and appreciate each bite.  And I need to drink  more water.

Demon #5 - Conflicting Advice
Count calories.  Don't count calories.  Fat is bad.  Fat is good.  No carbs.  Good carbs.  Red meat!  No red meat.  Sugar bad!  Sugar fine. 

Here's the deal:  I'm a sucker for a persuasive argument.  And like many dieters, I want to believe that I've finally discovered The Magic Answer to all my woes.  You tell me that cabbage is the answer to my prayers, I'll try it.  I draw the line at diet drugs, and I'm done with crazy eating.  That said, however, I am working on eliminating refined sugars and flours from my diet.  One meal, one choice at a time.  Not because I believe it will make me magically thin, but because I believe it will correct some of my impulsive behaviors, and improve the health of my entire family.

Really Thai'd One On Last Night

Happy New Year!  I'm happy to report although my FitDay journal has not been updated, I've been eating a healthy breakfast and lunch every day!  Dinners have been more challenging for me this week - we ate out at Chili's on Saturday night (I ate about 1/4 of an awesome blossom and had a giant margarita, then wasn't able to finish my lettuce wraps (with some sort of asian chicken).  Sunday night, we were without the kids, so we headed out to my favorite Thai restaurant.

I don't know what it is about this place, but they have been amazing every. single. time.  Of course, I don't vary my orders much.  This woman right here knows what she likes.  And what I like is mostly deep-friend vegetarian balls with tangy, sweet, spicy dipping sauces.  Things like tarot root and mung beans and yellow lentils and tofu.  Chop that stuff up, make it into a ball, fry it, and gimme some sauce with it.  I'm good to go.

I also love the salad rolls, and recently have been all about Meing Kam (which I've seen spelled 500 ways.)  It is a wonderfully flavorful appetizer, and something that although I've heard it is time consuming (and I know where to go get it if I want someone to make it for me) I would love to try to make at home. 

I posted a link over at Three Kid Circus to a site that has what looks to be a great recipe.  Even though I felt really full last night, in retrospect, I didn't overeat to the degree that I normally would have.  And the food itself was fresh, healthy and worth every bite.  I ate slowly, and lingered over each new dish, and really, that's a victory.

The Day After

I feel like I have rocks in my kaboose this morning.  That lead-bottomed feeling that comes from overindulgence. 

Truthfully, over the course of the day, I didn't eat too much... but I filled my dinner plate and went to town on roasted potatoes, green bean casserole, turkey and gravy, marshmellow and coconut salad (with canned fruit!) and rolls.  Mmmm.  Rolls.  And wine.  And champagne.

Is it any wonder I feel sluggish this morning?

We'll be visiting relatives over the next two days, so it is hard to say what I'll be eating and when.  In fact, this whole "logging my food in the sidebar" thing isn't working very well for me.  I write it down, and then eat other stuff when mealtime approaches.  I'm going to have to rethink that.  Maybe I'll post the week's dinner menu in the sidebar instead.

In any case - I'm going back to Dr. Clower's advice in Fat Fallacy.  Eat small.  It doesn't matter what it is - even fast food - order the smallest portion available, and eat it slowly.  Enjoy it.  I'm often guilty of ordering a giant salad at a restaurant, and finding that with toppings like fried chicken, heavy dressings and crutons galore, I might as well have ordered a burger.  Who needs a mixing-bowl sized salad, anyway?

I ate at an El Torito with my husband this week, and chose the tortilla soup and salad.  The bowl of soup alone was filling, and I couldn't finish the salad.  My husband ordered a combo, which was served on an oval platter as large as the one holding our 15 pound turkey yesterday.  It was unbelievable.  He ended up taking much of his food in a to-go bag.  We could have easily split an entree.

Sadly, my exercise streak ended yesterday, unless you count carrying limp, 45 pound kids from the car to their beds.  I'm going to take the dog for a walk this morning, and get the ball rolling again. 

And I'm turning all those leftovers into mini-turkey pot pies in a muffin tin.  Yum!

Mother Talk Blog Tour - Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook

Today is my day on the Mother Talk Blog Tour for Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook - a charming cookbook inspired by the stories of Dr. Seuss.  From the back cover:

Award-winning cookbook author Georgeanne Brennan has joined photographer Frankie Frankeny to whip up the very first cookbook inspired by the wildly outrageous food references that abound in the Seussian oeuvre.

Well, then.  With its bright orange cover and large, glossy pages, it is quite a visual treat.  Throughout, the classic artwork and verses that inspired various recipes are prominently featured.  I sat down with the kids and had them check it out, and help me choose what we should try to make for this review.

I was gratified to recognize plenty of recipes (over 40) for kid-friendly foods, without dumbing down the process, eliminating herbs and spices, or relying on packaged foods.  The focus is on creating a delicious meal, not on special effects, although the suggested presentations are quite clever. 

You'll find a recipe for ricotta stuffed noodles "Cat's Mac and Cheese" - a multi-bean chili made with several canned ingredients "Zans' Cans Chili" - assorted charming snacks, and lots of recipes that my kids eat anyway,  hot dogs with baked beans "Nook Hook Cook Book Dogs," crispy fish and coleslaw "Finney's Freshest Fish" and more.  The process for most of the recipes is not difficult, but would obviously require adult supervision and assistance.

Last night, we chose to make Schlottz's Knots - which involved a  package of refrigerated bread-stick dough and some salt.  These were fun and easy to prepare, and were a great accent to our other dish, Hoop-Soup-Snoop Group Potato Soup.  A basic, creamy potato soup (made from potatoes, onion and milk) topped with your choice of cheddar cheese, bacon, croutons and green onion.  It was quick to prepare, and delicious. 
Behold:
If you are a fan of Dr. Seuss, you'll smile with recognition as you flip through these clever interpretations.  If you like to try jazzed up recipes for some of your everyday staples, this is a great book.  If I had one wish, it would be that the finished foods would have been more prominently featured in the artwork.  The food photography got lost amongst all the Seussian goodness.  This is a minor complaint, however. 
Georgeanne Brennan and Frankie Frankeny have created a fun, inventive addition to family-friendly cookbooks with the Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook.  You can check it here.

To see what other Mother-Talk Tour guest have to say, visit the Mother-Talk blog.

Control, One Piece at a Time

I'm contemplating stuffing my ears with Tootsie Rolls, in the hopes of drowning out the siren song of halloween candy stuffed into out of the way locations.  Perhaps I should shove a couple of Dum-dums up my nostrils, too, to prevent myself from smelling caramel and chocolate.

I'm being good.  So, so good.  And while I can pat myself on the back for resisting, just having all this junk in the house is making me insane.  I still want it all.  By the handful.  Right now.

I've been making due by sticking with three healthy meals a day.  And pouting.  And stiffening my spine everytime I get near a forbidden zone.  And if I do find myself with my hand in a bowl of fun-size bars, I have been forcing myself to walk directly to the trash and empty my hand into the garbage.

Well, except for the eight Butterfinger bender I went on yesterday afternoon.  I learned my lesson.  I was sick, sick, sick last night.

I think I'm going to steal the idea of my friend Steph and have the Tooth Fairy pay a visit, swapping out the candy for a new toothbrush, floss (and in my kids' cases) a small toy.  I just can't have this stuff around.

Will power.  Wherefore art thou?

Menu Monday - Kids Are Cooking

Alrighty.  I sat the kids down yesterday, and we took a glance through our cookbooks and picked out some easy recipes to try.  Here's the plan:

Monday night: Ravioli Lasagne with garlic bread and green salad
Tuesday night: Chicken Soup with Rice, sliced apples.
Wednesday night: Broccoli and Turkey with a cheese sauce
Thursday night: Homemade mini-pizzas
Friday night: Crazy Sandwiches with pickles and fruit
Saturday: Mini-meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans
Sunday: Pancakes and bacon with homemade applesauce.

I'll be posting photos and recipes as we go over in the Small Slice album. 

Incidentally - our ClubMom contest for our MomBlog email digest signups is almost over... if you aren't a ClubMom member yet, click here to join ClubMom; Once you're registered, you can go to the MomBlog Digest signup page, and once a day you'll receive an email that gives you a look at what all your favorite ClubMom bloggers have written that day.  It's really cool - Big Slice right in your email box!  And - you get 50 ClubMom posts just for signing up!