Pre-Swim Team & Post-Swim Team Snacks

Here is today’s after school / pre-swim team and post-swim team snack:

After School & Pre-Swim Team Snack

(The mango, cantaloupe, honeydew combo on top is for me)

• Larabar
• unsweetened applesauce
• honeydew
• Tofurkey & Veganaise Sandwich

Organic Bread

The sandwich is on this bread from Publix.  To my knowledge, this is the only organic bread available at Publix. There is probably a frozen option, but I have found that they usually don’t taste as fresh.  Unless you want to consume GMO wheat, this is the way to go!  More options are available at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods if either of those store are close to you!

3 Days of Whole Foods (Kids)

Day 1

Breakfast:  fresh squeezed orange grapefruit juice, 1/2 banana, farina

Snack:  watermelon, whole wheat banana muffin

Lunch:  Pinto bean & cheese whole wheat quesadillas, carrot sticks

Snack:  Popcorn, homemade energy bites, apple slices & peanut butter

Dinner:  Rice Noodle, Tofu & Veggie Stir-Fry

Whole Food Friday School Lunch: Feb 20

Day 2

Breakfast:  whole wheat banana muffin, grapes

Snack:  strawberries, oatmeal

Lunch:  1/2 Tofurkey sandwich, cucumbers, grapes

Snack:  Vegan Goldfish Crackers, apple slices

Dinner:  Whole Wheat Pesto Pizza, roasted tempeh/carrots/asparagus/sweet potatoes

Homemade Whole Wheat Pesto Pizza

Day 3

Breakfast:  Oatmeal with strawberries/raisins

Snack:  mango

Lunch:   sunflower seed butter sandwich on whole wheat bread

Snack:  leftover pesto pizza, grapes

Dinner:  Whole Wheat Burritos (brown rice, black beans, shredded cheese), corn on the cob

mango

Recipe: Lentil Soup & Golden Crescent Rolls

This made a delicious and filling dinner.  The crescent rolls take a bit of time, but it is only in the rising.  No extra work, just waiting.  I can’t believe I have waited so long to make these rolls.  They were such a treat.  The lentil soup is such a staple in our house.  I serve it with an assortment of breads/rolls/biscuits, depending on my mood and time.  I hope you enjoy!

Lentil Soup & Crescent Rolls

Lentil Soup (modified from Vegan Lentil soup by Ashley Adams – About Food)

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow onion
• 2 chopped celery stalks
• 2-3 minced garlic cloves
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1/4 tsp. salt (I used even less)
• 3 chopped med-lg peeled carrots
• 1 14 oz. can tomato sauce
• 8 C. veggie broth (I used boiling water and Better than Bouillon vegetable base)
• 2 heaping cups dry green lentils (I think I used more)
• black pepper to taste

Saute first 3 ingredients in olive oil for about 5 min. Add spices and salt and stir for a few min. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for an hour or more.
*This was so easy to throw together, and would be even easier if you prepped veggies the night before OR bought them pre-cut. This recipe easily fed my family with leftovers, so you could halve it if you have a smaller crew to feed.

Golden Crescent Rolls

Golden Crescent Rolls (slightly modified from my Mom’s recipe)

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside for 10 minutes.  Stir together honey, salt, eggs, and 2 cups of flour in a large mixing bowl.  Stir in yeast mixture. Continue mixing in remainder of flour until mixture is smooth (may not take all of the flour).  Scrape dough from sides of bowl.  Cover and let rise in draft-free place until doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hours).

Grease 2 large baking sheets.  Divide dough in half; roll each half into a 12-inch circle.  Cut into 16 equal wedges. Roll up each wedge beginning at the larger non-pointed end.  Place rolls with point on the bottom on the greased baking sheets.  Cover and let rise in a draft-free place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bake 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.  Makes 32 rolls.

In the Whole Kitchen: Sundays

Sundays are about preparing for our week and spending time together as a family.  Other than a family beach outing, we are home for most of the day, so it is a great day to bake/cook and get ready for our busy week.  The two things I usually always make on Sunday other than our dinner are bread and granola.  Sometimes if I am up for it, I prepare other things such as muffins or chopping veggies.  The kids help on varying levels depending on other stuff they have going on.

Whole Wheat Challah Fresh out of the Oven

I use this recipe for challah that works very well for me every time.  I like the smaller loaves because the slices of bread are smaller.  It works better for those little hands, and I also like to emphasize other things in the lunch beyond bread or a sandwich.

I put two whole loaves in the pantry for the week.  You could pre-slice it, but I leave them whole because they seem to stay fresher that way.  Also, sometimes I cut them thinner or thicker depending what I am making or which child I am serving.  The other two loaves I slice and store in the freezer.  This makes it easy to pull them out for a quick slice of toast or bread to partner with soup.  Often, I end up pulling the extra bread out of the freezer for the rest of the week.  Sometimes we quickly eat our way through two loaves, needing more, and other times two loaves is enough for the week.  I used bread for lunches Monday, so the picture below only shows 1 1/2 loaves rather than 2.

Whole Wheat Challah for the week – Pantry & Freezer Ready

My other staple for the week is granola. This is seriously the best granola recipe I have ever used.  Everyone in my family loves it.  They honey makes it stick together in pieces, so you can eat it straight out of the bowl.  You can break it apart and eat it as cereal, or you can use it as a topping for yogurt and such.

Homemade Granola

Enjoy your week!

Speedy Supper Series: Grilled Cheese and Tomatoes

Grilled Cheese and Tomatoes

Along with my Super Simple Snack Series, I am introducing my Speedy Supper Series!  Lately it feels like I am more and more pressed to get a quick dinner on the table.  Preparing supper ahead of time is my preference because then I can be assured that when I walk in the door at 6:00 that my family will have a healthy, nutritious meal (and still get to bed at a reasonable hour)!  When that doesn’t happen, it is important to have other options for whole food meal prep in under 30 minutes.

This meal was a perfect way to use up some of the homemade whole wheat bread I prepared the previous day. Use any kind of cheese you like.  I sliced tomatoes and served them on the side.  Some of my kids aren’t tomato fans (but I still put one on their plate to try!), so I also served other raw veggies along with the sandwich.  It filled everyone’s bellies and was an easy clean-up, which is always a bonus!

Whole Food School Lunch: October 21

Whole Food School Lunch: October 21

Homemade bread with raw honey almond butter, unsalted pistachios, apple, baby tomatoes, yogurt sprinkled with pumpkin pie spice, blue corn tortilla chips and water.

I also made a bunch of new Halloween napkins, which the kids always love!

Whole Food Dinner: Chickpea Salad, Slaw and Roasted Veggies

Whole Food Dinner

This is a meal containing only whole foods that can be thrown together in under a half an hour.  Ideally, you would allow the slaw to sit in the fridge for an hour or more, but if this is not your reality never fear!

Here it is:

Carefree Chickpea Salad, Swift Slaw, Roasted carrots/broccoli/zucchini

You will need something to pair the chickpea salad with.  I used homemade bread that I pulled out of the freezer. Always have homemade bread in the freezer!  You could also use a cracker, pita or wrap with any veggie toppings you choose.  I cooked the chickpeas earlier in the morning, but again, you could easily use a can of chickpeas.  The broccoli in the roasted veggie mix was from the freezer also.  I wanted another green veggie but didn’t have anything fresh.  I loved this broccoli because the florets were tiny, and small pieces are often more enticing to children if you are trying to get them to eat new or different foods.

Tip:  If you are trying to get a child to try a new vegetable, roast it with one they already love.  Roast broccoli with carrots for example.  The child may be more willing to try the broccoli if it is next to something that he loves.

Recipe: Carefree Chickpea Salad

This is such an easy recipe…..seriously.  Very quick to throw together if you already have cooked chickpeas.  If not, use a can of chickpeas.  I like to buy organic bulk dried beans and cook them myself, but sometimes I am not so prepared.  That’s why they make canned beans.  I love chickpeas for their neutral flavor and because they offer protein, fiber and calcium to your diet.  This is my vegan version of tuna salad.

Carefree Chickpea Salad & Homemade Bread

Carefree Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup cooked chickpeas OR 1 can chickpeas
• 1/3 cup Vegenaise
• 1 tsp. kelp granules
• 1 tsp. yellow mustard
• 2 tsp. capers

Mash chickpeas with a fork in a large bowl.  Add Vegenaise and mix.  Add remaining ingredients and mix. Season with pepper to taste.

Carefree Chickpea Salad