Food Challenge

I'm challenging myself this week to shop from my cupboards, fridge, and freezer. However, I'm quantifying this as "challenge lite" because I've given myself permission to shop for fresh fruits and vegetables and dairy. So this is mostly about coming up with a daily main course (dinner) from foods I already have in the house.

Why this challenge? Several reasons:

I *hate* food shopping. My normal schedule is to get out of the house early in the day and shop before it gets too crowded. With the kids home this week, I can't get out as soon as I'd like.

I have a well-stocked pantry. I'll shop and buy non-perishable staples like brown rice, beans, pasta, canned tomatoes, and then forget I have them as I get side-tracked by tempting sale items. It's good to rotate the foods in the cupboard.

This time of year is uninspiring, food-wise. Sadly, I hit the creative (kitchen) wall right about now. Produce is definitely not local. We're getting a bit tired of the heavier meals but it's way too cold to think about lighter, fresher dishes.

Lent starts this week. Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting (or mostly fasting, for those not familiar with Catholic rules). Meat is not allowed, nor is it allowed on Fridays during Lent, so that's two days where non-perishables come in handy. And luckily, I have fish in the freezer so that's an option, too. The notion of "giving up" something fits in with this challenge, too.

Yesterday, I made salmon burgers and spinach brown rice casserole, all from ingredients I had on hand. I added corn as a side, also, from my freezer.

Tonight I will make a pasta dish with canned tuna, DD17's favorite meatless pasta dish. Most of this week may end up being meatless, now that I think of it. Oh well, that would be healthier for all of us, I'm sure.

Vacation Week

Another vacation week...the school year starts to fly after the holidays. This week DS16 is starting Driver Ed, which begins with a week of in-class instruction. Since it is so time-consuming (9-3:30 every day), there's really no other choice than to sacrifice a vacation week. I can't believe I'll soon have a second teenage driver in the house. However, the process is so long and involved now that the laws have changed in our state that hopefully it will be quite a while before he gets his license (phew).

DD17 has, as usual, a lot of homework to plow through, but we will hopefully get some clothes shopping in as well as other fun stuff. I think she feels like she can breathe now that all the college applications are submitted (now we just wait). Senior year is very stressful, and I think more so than when I was that age.

I call DS13 the "drag-along child" since he ends up doing whatever the older two do, so he may end up shopping with the girls this week since his brother will be occupied. We'll probably make a few library trips, since he's my reader (or the one with the most time to read for pleasure). Other than that, I feel a week of just hanging out is good for him, since kids are so overscheduled. It's OK to be bored. (That's when I was most creative as a child.) Just got to keep the electronics at bay...

A PBS Show about a Cancer Drug

Last night I was bored and turned on the t.v., not really expecting to find anything interesting to watch (we don't have cable), and I stumbled upon a PBS program about a new cancer drug, IT-101. The show chronicled the story of a chemical engineer who was moved to help his wife battle breast cancer. His scientific journey and discoveries resulted in a nanoparticle drug just now finishing Phase I clinical trials.

I am not a scientist but I was fascinated by this story and awed by the drug's success. The Q & A with the drug's creator is very interesting, and the episode itself is engrossing, especially if cancer has ever touched your life.

Snow Day

School's cancelled here, even before it starts to snow. Guess they expect almost a foot of snow, and don't want to chance trying to get the kids home later today. This is our first snow day this school year; the other snowstorms all fell on the weekends. DD17 is excited because seniors don't have to make up snow days in June.

Last night I made a turkey for dinner. I'd been feeling overwhelmed with what feels like the huge mountains of food I need to cook to satisfy three hungry teenagers. Given that I mostly avoid processed foods and we almost never eat out*, it's a lot of work. And given that winter meals are generally heartier (this, I believe, is natural and what our bodies need), it often feels like nonstop cooking. So while food shopping, I saw the turkeys in the meat department and a light bulb went on over my head: hmm, big meal...but then, lots of leftovers! Can't say they're all thrilled with this, but hey, mothers look at leftovers with appreciation.

So, thankfully, turkey sandwiches and maybe even turkey pot pie today...I love when I can cross the meal preparation chore off my list, or at least lessen it somewhat.

*Michelle Obama announced her anti-obesity campaign yesterday, and in one of her interviews said she encourages families to eat home-cooked meals once or twice a week. ??? I dunno, even when I was a working mother, I did my best to cook most nights of the week. (Well, I did make it home by a reasonable hour....) Who can afford eating out that often? And losing that much control over what we put in our bodies? (And I don't care who cooks--Dad can, too, if that's his skill set, or even the older kids.) Maybe I shouldn't judge, but I feel something's out of whack if the family has time to eat at home only very infrequently.

Online Math Tutoring: A Good Use of Screen Time

It seems like every month or so another study comes out describing the incredible amount of time kids spend online. Well, other than doing the obvious parental-type controls (no computers in bedroom, limiting texting, nanny-controls on the computer, etc.), I think we have to accept and even embrace our digital world. It's not going anywhere, and lots of it is good.

Here's an example. DD17 is taking A.P. Calculus. It's a fast-moving class with really bright kids, and she struggles with math. She's worked really, really hard to earn a spot in the class, and is doing well. However, she does need extra help understanding the difficult material, and the teacher is the impatient sort with only once-a-week extra help days.

So DD17 took it upon herself to search out options online, and found a favorite: justmathtutoring.com. When asked why she prefers this site after trying several others, she says she likes the videos (she's needs to see to understand) as well as the tutor's voice (she decided she could listen to him much longer than she could listen to some others).

Well, I think it's great. I was an introverted, math-phobic child, and a private online tutor would've been a dream come true. So when the scary studies about screen time make headlines, I think it's worth noting that the pros definitely outweigh the cons, at least in my book.

Stonyfield Giveaway

Stonyfield Yogurt had a neat giveaway advertised on their lid labels: free copies of the new edition of Anticancer, A New Way of Life. Apparently, the promotion lasted only minutes before the book was gone.

But what a great idea to promote a great book. I recently saw the author on a morning talk show, and he was really moving and positive, yet honest. I wonder if the new edition has anything interesting or groundbreaking in it. I'm debating ordering it and donating my version to the local library.

This book empowers us to take control of our lives and our diets to harness the potential cancer-fighting abilities in our own bodies. I highly, highly recommend it. And kudos to Stonyfield for helping spread the word.

Ryvita Crispbread--My New Favorite Snack Food

When the kids have a craving for something crunchy, they reach for the packages of Ryvita Crispbread I keep in the cupboard. I discovered them recently, and fell in nutritional love. I cannot believe how few ingredients they contain: rye, salt, and sometimes sesame seeds or oats--wow. No chemicals, no preservatives. Ryvita, where have you been all my life?

Research suggests that whole rye products provide numerous health benefits, like lowering the risk of Type II diabetes, preventing gallstones, keeping cholesterol levels in check, and protecting against breast and colon cancer.

Trying to find whole rye products can be difficult, and rye bread (like other supermarket breads) often contain too many scary preservatives. Ryvita Crispbread is a great way to get this grain in our diet. We like it plain, topped with melted cheese or nut/seed butters, or even with some smoked salmon. The other day I had some for lunch, topped with veggie refried beans and a dollop of salsa. I'm so excited to have discovered a wholesome, simple food right on the supermarket shelf, in the midst of so much junk. And I'm even more excited that the kids seem to have developed an appreciation for real, simple food, without all the added artificial flavors.