Asian Rice Bowl Recipe

Love this recipe!

* Prepare 2 cups short-grain brown rice as directed.

* Poach 1 pacific wild-caught salmon steak or salmon fillet (or 1 cup cubed braised tofu) in 1/4 cup water mixed with 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce. Flake salmon and remove bones.

* Prepare each of the following ingredients: chopped scallions, steamed broccoli, steamed carrots, cubed avocado, and diced cucumber.

* Put a serving of rice in each bowl, and top with flaked salmon or braised tofu.

* Add scallions, avocado, broccoli, carrots, and cucumber.

* Garnish with daikon or alfalfa sprouts.

* Season with an Asian-style salad dressing, such as Ginger/Miso or Wasabi Lime.

Valentine's Day Lunch

We just received this beautiful Valentine's Day lunch photo from Gina Flanagan.

*pizza hearts,
*cucumber hearts,
*strawberries and raspberries,
*a heart sprinkle cookie

...and a valentine!

When you have a free moment, check out Gina's Web site at www.KidsLunchBoxCards.com.

Cabbage Pasta

Menu Steamed Broccoli Cabbage Pasta Satsuma Tangerine Whole Grain Crackers Preparation Notes Leftover pasta dishes are an obvious choice for lunch, but be sure to look beyond the oh-so-ordinary spaghetti with tomato sauce. Pasta is versatile and easy to make, and pasta leftovers retain their flavor well. Tangerines are colorful and deliciously sweet at this time of year--and perfect in size. The broccoli provides color contrast, nutrition, and a bit of crunch as well. And the whole grain crackers are wonderfully nutty, salty, and sweet! Prepare the cabbage pasta for dinner and pack the leftovers for lunch. (For the recipe, click HERE.) Steam the broccoli. Peel the tangerine. Add the crackers.

Dana's Quick and Easy "Cold Slaw"

Looking for an easy way to get vegetables into your kids? Try this delicious salad recipe:

* Combine 1 1/2 cups shredded green cabbage, 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage, 2/3 cup finely chopped or shredded carrot, and 1 chopped green scallion.

* Add your favorite salad dressing to taste. (Thousand island and ranch work particularly well.)

* Add tamari-roasted almonds (or dry-roasted cashews) and dried cranberries (optional).

* Toss and enjoy!

Curried Pasta Salad

This salad is so delicious and very easy to make:

* Boil 2 cups dried elbow pasta as directed.

* While the pasta is boiling, mix together 1/2 cup plain yogurt (or soy yogurt), 3 tbs high quality mayonnaise, juice from 1/2 lemon, 2 tbs curry powder (or to taste), a pinch of salt, 3 tbs sweet pickle relish, and 2 tsp soy sauce or tamari.)

* Combine in a separate bowl: 1 can tuna (drained) or 2/3 cup cubed firm tofu, 1 medium tart apple (peeled & cut into 1/2-inch cubes), 1/3 cup red onion (chopped), 1/4 cup chopped celery, 2/3 cup roasted cashews or pecans, and 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley.
* Combine the two mixtures, stir well, add the cooked pasta, and toss.

* Serve hot or cold.

Beet Smart

Here's a zesty salad recipes we thought you'd enjoy:

* Peel three medium-size beets and cut into 3/4-inch cubes.

* Steam until soft but not mushy.

* Add 3 tbs chopped red onion.

* Toss beets and onions in a mustard vinaigrette dressing (2 tsp Dijon-style mustard, 3 tbs balsamic vinegar, 2 tbs olive oil, and 1 tbs water).

* Sprinkle with walnuts and toss again.

* Add crumbled blue cheese (optional) and toss again.

* Add pepper to taste.

Yum!!!

Sustainable Farming Practices

GLOSSARY OF MEAT PRODUCTION METHODS If you eat meat and are confused about the many labels in use, check out the Sustainable Table's wallet-size folding glossary of sustainable farming practices. Available at http://www.sustainabletable.org.

Print it off and take it to the market to help make informed decisions.

What's in your fridge?

Want to reduce your energy bills and your carbon footprint? Check out these great tips from the Organic Consumers Association (http://www.organicconsumers.org)

The average refrigerator consumes more energy than any other household appliance. We spend over $10 billion in the U.S., alone, to supply energy to our household refrigerators. The following tips will save you money and reduce your carbon (energy) footprint:

1) Clean the filter and coils annually: Most Americans rarely, if ever, get around to vacuuming out the filter and coils on the back of the fridge. A dusty coil can increase energy consumption by 20 percent or more.

2) Keep it full but not stuffed: A fridge and freezer will be able to retain their coolness better if they're full. If you're not at full capacity, place a few containers of water in the freezer.

3) Think about what you want before you open the fridge. Every time you open the fridge to browse for a snack, you consume around of 9 to 13 watt/hours, which is enough power to light a 60-watt bulb for 10 minutes.

4) Let hot items cool before placing them in the refrigerator.

5) Defrost the freezer regularly.

6) Check the door gasket for a tight seal.

7) Cover liquids and foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder.

8) If your fridge is older than 1993, get a new one. You're spending so much on your electric bill, you'll actually save money. New models use less energy than a 75-watt light bulb. Be sure to look for the Energy Star label.

Idle Free

What's more cringe-worthy than the sound of a tone-deaf Idol wannabe?

An idling car. Kids are especially vulnerable to tailpipe pollution 'cuz it’s at their breathing level, so turn off your car if you need to stay put for more than a minute, especially if you’re waiting outside school. You’ll help reduce nasty emissions and keep kids' health on key.

Read more at http://www.idealbite.com/mama/archives/american-idle.

How to Shop for Organic Foods Without Breaking Your Budget

By Ruth Olson
Newsweek, June 14, 2007
Straight to the Source

Most of us would love to have a fridge full of fresh organic produce and meats. But because pesticide and hormone-free products often have a premium price tag, going organic can seem like a luxury for anyone on a tight budget. So how do you make sure the green on your table doesn't drain the green from your wallet?

Craig Minowa, environmental scientist with the Organic Consumers Association, has these tips: First, learn to buy big. Many health-food stores have bulk sections, and if you fill a bag with, say, organic cereal, you may end up paying less for it than you would for the nonorganic variety, since you're not paying for packaging costs. Second, form a buying club. If a bunch of people pool their grocery lists, they can often special-order directly with the store, he said, and that, in turn, can lead to much lower costs. [Read the rest of the story at http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_13331.cfm.]

Practical Lunchmaking Tips

* Don't forget to pack leftovers for lunch. Set your Laptop Lunch containers on the counter during dinner cleanup, and fill them up as you go.

* Get your kids to help take care of their lunchboxes. Children can help wash or rinse their lunch containers when they get home from school. It takes only a few minutes, it reduces your workload, and it teaches them to take responsibility for themselves.

* Encourage your children to help in the kitchen. Choose manageable developmentally appropriate lunchmaking tasks for each child. Even a young child can help make a sandwich, fill a reusable drink bottle, or place finger foods into their Laptop Lunch container.

* Pack lunches the night before and keep them in the refrigerator overnight. You'll have one less thing to think about during the morning rush.

Cookus Interruptus

Have you been to http://www.cookusinterruptus.com?

Check out this great Web site for some "real life" cooking demonstrations. They're informative and are guaranteed to put a smile on your face!

Their mission is to educate viewers about how to prepare high-quality wholesome food within the context of busy family life. Do the cooks in your house ever get interrupted? If so, you'll be able to relate to this family!

Cookus Interruptus utilizes and advocates for foods that are sustainably produced, emphasizing whole fresh local organic ingredients made into recipes that taste great. These choices help maintain health and provide pleasure for individual family members and well as for our community and our environment.

Their belief? Education should be both entertaining and informative.

They've got

• Cooking Videos


• Recipes


• Menus


• Blog

For more information, visit www.cookusinterruptus.com.

Worldwide Plastic Bag Bans

The Florida State Dept of Environmental Protection has a cool tool for learning more about plastic bag bans around the world. You can click on a map to find out which countries, states, provinces, and municipalities have either proposed or passed bans and what those bans look like. Check it out at http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/retailbags/pages/mapsandlists.htm.

Cookie Magazine

Be sure to check out Laptop Lunches in Cookie Magazine at http://www.cookiemag.com/magazine/blogs/nesting/2009/01/bento-box-round.html. Love that black and red bento box!