It’s back-to-school week here and as I contemplated what to write this week, I realized how many unknowns our kids are faced with as they head back to the classroom:
Making meals together with our children opens up a world of fresh possibilities and endless ways to build positive eating habits. This week we are proud to share our article and recipe over on US Kids Magazines for Caprese Bruschetta. (more…)
Summer Road Trip. As American as apple pie and Patsy Cline. Give us a hot day, a long road and a desirable destination and we’re ready to roll. The romanticized vision I’ve created of myself cruising down a deserted highway, warm-wind rushing through my hair as I bellow tracks from Pat Benatar (yes, I was a teenager of the 80’s), screeches to an alarming halt as I’m yanked back to my reality — a loaded minivan, numerous potty stops, cries of “Are we there yet?” and “I’m hungry.” Yeah, that reality. (more…)
Credit for my children’s love of cornbread can be rightfully given to Mrs. Laura Ingalls Wilder. Yes, the author of the “Little House on the Prairie” series of books owns the right to my boys love of cornbread as well as other favorite pioneer dishes such as Baked Beans and Fresh Churned Butter (though I admit ours usually comes churned fresh from the Farmers Market or Whole Foods). If you haven’t read the series of books yet with your children, do. We actually loved listening to the books-on-cd in the car on the way to and from school. My kids were given joy and a sense of wonder from tales of pioneer adventure, and I was given the gift of quiet contentment from the back seat. A win-win! (more…)
Last week we made Olive Oil Kale Crisps, a fun and delicious way to introduce kids to the incredibly nutritious vegetable, Kale. But where do we go from here? The kids like the Kale as chips, but ONLY as chips, yet the beautiful bunches of brightly colored Kale call to me every Saturday at the farmers market. I know we can only make so many batches of Kale chips before they tire of them – so how else can we prepare this incredibly nutritious vegetable? How can we turn it into a meal they will enjoy? (more…)
Kale has always been a challenging vegetable for kids to eat, let alone like. I’ll be honest, Kale wasn’t even on my radar for years. Now I see piles of different varieties of this beautiful vegetable at the farmers market and my fingers itch to bring them all home to my family. There is Tuscan Kale (also known as Dinosaur Kale or Cavolo Nero), Curly Kale and even a variety with vibrant purple edges. (more…)
On Saturday May 19th, the world stood up for Real Food by participating in events in honor of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Day. Representing Los Angeles, Out of the Box Food, together with Jennifer McColm and the city of Calabasas empowered kids to join in the movement by holding a community-wide event, Food Revolution Kids Day at the Calabasas Farmers Market…and what a Revolution it was. Armed with a reusable grocery bag, a wristband and a farmers market “treasure map”, kids from all over the Los Angeles area explored the Calabasas Farmers Market in search of fresh produce from local farmers. The discovery of farm fresh carrots from McGrath Family Farm, healthy mushrooms from LAFungHi, and gorgeous fruit from farmer/HealthierGeneration.org representative, Gene Etheridge of Etheridge Organics, inspired kids to try new, fresh produce. Throughout the markets, kids were seen sampling fruits and vegetables, engaged in conversation with farmers, planting basil to be grown at home, and creating their own farm-fresh recipes – It was truly a sight to warm the heart. (more…)
This week, in honor of Mother’s Day, Out of the Box Food is sharing a healthy and delicious snack for moms and kids alike (Ah, who are we kidding….everyone will love ’em: dads, grandparents, friends, friends-of-friends, cousins of friends-of-friends…you get the gist) These Rosemary-Garlic Almonds are delicious and nutritious and by starting with whole, raw almonds, we have control over the sodium in this wholesome snack. (more…)
In our last post we made a whole grain alternative to a classic french pastry, Gougères. The reason I tackled these little light as air delicacies was to ultimately turn them into a fun and fresh alternative lunch box sandwich for kids. I know I’ll break out the recipe again down the road and turn them into sweet treats, fun appetizers…the possibilities are endless, but this week they’re going to become the basis for our lunch box sandwiches. (more…)
At a cooking class up in Sonoma, California a few weeks ago, I learned how to make a Pâte à Choux from chef and culinary instructor, Christa Resing-Colardo. As she taught us how to create this versatile dough used for a number of pastries such as profiteroles, churros, eclairs, beignets and Gougères, my mind immediately began to churn. Kids love anything “mini” and if enriched with whole grain flours, this dough could become the packaging for lunch box sandwiches, snacks, mini treats…the possibilities were endless. (more…)