Quick picnic lunch. With sprouted bread.

The school days are over. The summer vacation is here. Time for picnics!

Sandwiches made with sprouted bread and oven roasted turkey; broccoli, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, radishes and beets

What to pack for picnic with kids?
Sandwiches are easy and quick alternative for picnic. They are easy to plan, to make and to eat. To make a tasty and healthy sandwich, be sure to select best quality ingredients. Choose nitrates free meats (ask to read an ingredients list at the deli counter), natural cheeses, good quality bread. Serve with fresh and cooked vegetables and fruit.

I like to use Ezekiel 4:9 100% sprouted whole grain bread to make sandwiches. Bread made with sprouted grains has complete protein and low glycemic index. The bread is soft and delicious.

We went to do strawberry picking today. I have packed sandwiches with roasted turkey, avocado and other vegetables I had on hand. Cucumbers, tomatoes, cooked beets, red peppers, olives, steamed broccoli and local radishes (those are for me, the kids try them from time to time, but radishes are still too spicy to their palates). Pack in insulated lunch bag with ice to ensure food safety. More on lunch packing gear is here.

We were covered for snack - plenty of juicy, fresh, red, sun filled strawberries. Straight from the field at Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, MA. Yum!

David is picking strawberries

What do you like to take to picnic with you? What is your kids favorite?

To your liking. With oatmeal.

How many times have you heard from your child at the dinner table - "I don't like it!"? 
How does it make you feel?

oatmeal on plate; dry oatmeal; oatmeal soaked

Imagine this picture - family is sitting together and happily enjoying great food. I have had this perfect picture in my mind.  But must the food on the table be the finest food? May be it just plain simple food?

Lately I heard this expression "You don't have to like it, just eat it". It makes sense to me. Food is energy. Sometimes it is just OK. Sometimes it is great. Sometimes it is below any expectations. Sometimes it is great.

There is still a choice how to experience food. Any food.

Can you let go of control on what is on your plate?
Can you teach it to your kids?
I find that doing so saves my energy for other things. 

My practice this morning was to feed my kids oatmeal. My son happily eats it and asks for more. This is an easy part. My daughter doesn't like it. Sometimes it will work if David will feed Mai with a spoon. Sometimes, I need to explain and explain. "This is the breakfast today. Yes, today is an oatmeal day." "Eat, you don't have to like it. You will like it more when you grow up". This is true for me. I learned to like it. "Oatmeal will give your great energy and you will run fast as a horse". The explanations worked today. And didn't work the other day.

Oatmeal with cinnamon and maple syrup
Note:  Soak the oats overnight to shorten cooking time. Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated.

Ingredients 
 
rolled oats, old fashioned, 2 cups
water, 5 cups
lemon juice, 1 teaspoon (or 1 tablespoon of whey)
cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon
sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon
maple syrup or honey, to taste (optional for serving)

Method

Place oats, cold water and lemon juice or whey in big pot. Soak overnight. In the morning, add salt, cinnamon and bring to boil. Lower the heat and cook for 5-7 minutes. Serve with maple syrup, honey or toppings of your choice.

What is on your child plate in the morning?

Zebra cake. Sweet cooking with kids. With whole grains.

Baking with children is sweet. For children, it is an entire project that includes counting, measuring, sensory experiences, instruction following, socializing and taking turns.  For me, it is a quality time and practice in patience. And in the end, there is a sweet creation made with their little hands. They will be proud.
 

 

Spelt zebra cake made by me and the kids

Zebra cake 
 
Ingredients

butter, 4 tablespoons unsalted, room temperature
sugar,  3/4 cups  (I used raw turbinado)
eggs, 4 room temperature
sour cream, 8 oz or one cup
baking soda, 1 teaspoon
vinegar, 1 teaspoon
orange zest of 1/4 organic orange
spelt flour,  1 1/2 cups (or while whole wheat)
unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/4 cup

Method

The instructions are for adult baking with child. Ages 2 to 6. Mark each step as completed as you go to teach your child to work with instructions.

1. Oven preparation:
Preheat to 350 degrees F.

2. Eggs and sugar:
Break one egg into small bowl and let you child transfer it to the big bowl. Repeat. Let your child to count four eggs. Let your child to measure and add sugar to eggs. Show her/him how to use whisk and to cream eggs and sugar. Let your child to try.

3. Butter and sour cream:
Ask your child to add butter and sour cream and mix. Reserve paper wrap of butter.

4. Orange zest:
Wash an orange. You may show your little helper microplane or zester and explain that it is sharp and how to use it. Older kids can use the tool with or without your assistance. Make sure to smell the zest together. It has fresh and relaxing fragrance. Add the orange zest to the mix and whisk again.

5. Flour:
Let your child measure measure 1/2 cup flour.  Add flour to the mix and combine. Repeat 3 times. In addition to health advantages for spelt flour, it forms weaker gluten chains, so it is not easy to over mix as regular flour. 

6. Leavening:
Now the volcano part. To replace baking powder we will use mix of soda and vinegar. Put tea spoon of baking soda in a table spoon and together with your child gently pour teaspoon of vinegar over it. Add to batter and mix gently. Explain to your child what is the reason to do it. Small little bubbles of air created by mixing vinegar and soda will make the cake light and tender. And bigger!

7. Pan:
Grease a small baking pan with butter. I used small cast iron pan. Springform pan can be used. You can use paper the butter was wrapped in to grease the pans. Sprinkle with flour.

8. Zebra pattern:
Move half of the batter to another bowl. Let your child measure the cocoa powder and add it to one of the bowls. Mix to combine. You will have a bowl of yellow cake batter and a bowl of chocolate cake batter. Pour 2 table spoons of chocolate batter into the center of the pan. Pour 2 table spoons of yellow batter. Repeat. It is a taking turns practice, especially if you are baking with more than one child or in a classroom.

9. Bake:
Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into cake center comes out clean and still moist. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from pan and cool completely on cookie rack.

Zebra cake after baking in heavy pan

10. Eat:
Get your plates. Ask your child to bring forks and enjoy together.

Nourish. With chicken soup and carrots.

Chicken soup is a staple in our house during colder months of the year. It keeps well and makes lunch preparation a breeze. It nourishing, warming and healing.

Served for lunch at home - chicken noodle soup with carrots and chicken meat

I like it with pasta, rice, quinoa or other grain and leafy green vegetables - kale, bock choy, chard. The kids prefer it with pasta or rice. Good thing they like carrots. From my mom point of view I use way too much carrots. "Carrots make the soup so sweet! I can't eat it" she said. But the kids love it.

This chicken soup is a like my marriage - pairing of Russian and Yemeni. With a lot of carrots, onion and parsnip (Russian side) and hawaij spice mix made of turmeric, pepper, cumin, coriander (Yemeni side). Being multinational has a huge advantage. It allows me to adopt healthy practices from various cultures. Like in this chicken soup. Carrots for vitamins and fiber,  turmeric for its anti inflammation properties.

Chicken carrot soup

Serves 4 with enough leftovers to pack few lunches

Ingredients:
chicken, 1/2 whole natural, preferable organic (see note)

carrots , 5-6 cut to bite pieces

onion, 1 peeled whole
black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon or to taste

sea salt, 1/2 table spoon or to taste
parsley leaves, chopped, 1 table spoon or to taste (optional)

healthy extras (optional)

bone gelatin powder, 2 teaspoons 

1 teaspoons turmeric or 1 teaspoons of hawaii

cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp

bay leaves, 2 

vinegar or lemon juice, 1 tea spoon (acid helps to extract minerals from the bones to the broth)

parsley steams, 4-5 tied using tea bag string

Method
Wash chicken pieces under cold water. Place them in big, preferably heavy pot and cover with cold water. Bring close to boiling on medium high heat. Turn the heat to low. As foam is forming,  discard it using large spoon (slotted works the best). Repeat as needed. Add carrots, onion and any of healthy extras. Simmer for 4 hours to ensure the bird will release minerals, gelatin and other good nutrients into the stock. Add salt and black pepper and simmer for 10 more minutes. Turn off.  Get the cooked meat out and strain the stock. Remove meat from the bones and cut to bite pieces. Return the carrots and the clean meat back into the broth. Discard the bones. Boil the broth for 3 minutes. Serve the broth over cooked regular or whole grain pasta garnished with chopped parsley.

Chicken noodle carrot soup in thermos for school lunch

Serve leftover stock with rice, pasta or whole grain of your choice. My childhood favorite is to boil the stock with potato chunks. Heavenly.

Note

You can get whole chicken and use breast and tight meat for stir fry or other dish and take bones, wings, drumsticks and this little package it has inside for soup.

Questions? Comments? I invite you to discuss.