Meal Planning Magic

Menu Plan Monday!

2010-09-06T18:53:00.000-07:00

I know some of you just this week have kiddos starting back to school, but we're starting our third week here and the calendar is already filling up. Having my meals planned is hopefully going to save my sanity a bit! All our meals this week are coming from the freezer so that I can clean it out a bit to make room for new meals! Here's what's on our menu this week:

Monday: Road trip home--Labor Day holiday weekend
Tuesday: Chicken Tetrazinni (made with lighter white sauce from 30 Day Gourmet); garden salad
Wednesday: Beef & Chicken fajitas with peppers & onions (made it up as a "kit" with everything included--just thaw, grill and serve!)
Thursday: Grilled Caesar Marinated chicken salad
Friday: special activity-out to eat
Saturday: leftovers
Sunday: make your own pizza night

Last week I made the Fab Fish Fingers. We all liked the way they tasted and the kids gobbled them up. But the recipe calls for you to pan fry them and next time I might try baking them. Not sure what my problem was but the coating seemed to just slip off the fish...maybe too much egg mixture. For leftovers, I just reheated them in the toaster oven and that helped a bit. All in all, these were a much healthier and tastier version than the store-bought version.

How's your meal planning this week?

Giveaway Winners! Dinnertime! special issue

2010-09-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Jessie and Valerie! I used Random.org to choose the winners and the number were #37 and #15. They are the winners of the Family Fun magazine's special issue Dinnertime! giveaway. Please contact me within the next 48 hours with an email to mealmagic (at) gmail (dot) com with your contact info. to claim your prize.

To all the others who entered the contest, be on the lookout for future giveaways and thanks for sharing your "go-to" ideas for a quick meal.

Dinnertime! Cookbook Giveaway

2010-08-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

For many of us, when a new school year rolls around it's almost like we make New Year's resolutions just like in January.

"I will make more of an effort to feed my family heathier dinners"
"I will make my kids better lunches."
"I will try to plan my meals more often so we can save money and our health."

You get the idea. Even if you don't have children at home or in school, much of the media is focused on back-to-school, you can't help but get caught up in it all! And if your plans include looking for some new (and family-friendly!) dinner recipes to try out, look no further.

To help you achieve your goals (and also just because I love this cookbook!), I'm giving away TWO copies of Family Fun's special issue, Dinnertime! (see my review here) to TWO lucky readers!

Here's How To Enter:
1. Leave a comment with your favorite ways to get dinner on the table quick or you favorite family-friendly meal.
2. Become a follower of my blog (link is on the left of this page)
3. Like Meal Planning Magic on Facebook
4. Email subscribe to my blog.
5. Blog about the giveaway and leave me a link to your post.
6. Update your Facebook status with a link to this post.
7. "Tweet" about this post.
8. Vote for my blog at Babble.com's Best Mom Food Bloggers (I'm currently on page 2, #60 but hopefully your votes will move me up!)

Remember, leave a comment for each entry. Only one entry per person per method listed above. If you are already a follower or subscribe to my blog, you can still have an extra entry--just mention that in the comment. Good luck!

Giveaway Rules:
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

Winner will be chosen via random.org and will have 48 hours to claim their prize. If prize is not claimed a new winner will be chosen. Winner will be posted on blog and if an email is given, they will be contacted via email. Open to US and Canadian residents only (sorry to my other international readers!)

Disclosure: I, myself, originally purchased this special issue cookbook featured in this giveaway. However, the copies being given away were received from the publisher for promotional use such as this giveaway. The opinions in my review are my own and just that, my opinion! Check out Giveaway Scout's listing of blogs with giveaways for more chances to win great prizes (seen link to the left).

Menu Plan Monday!

2010-08-30T18:44:00.000-07:00

It's time for me to start thinking about cleaning out the freezer to make room for a new freezer cooking session so our meals will be a bit random these next few weeks! Here's what's on the menu this week:

Monday: Fab Fish Sticks, rice, steamed veggie and garden salad

Tuesday: Greek Meatballs, steamed rice, cucumber/tomato or garden salad

Wednesday: Chicken Parmesan with noodles and garden salad

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: leftovers

Saturday & Sunday: Labor Day holiday weekend...menu TBA as I'm not thinking that far just yet!

And a little feedback on last week's menu....I made Beef Empanadas. My husband and I loved them. The kids did not. They were a bit on the spicy side and that's what did it. I had the leftovers for lunch later that week and used a little sour cream for dipping. I know, not really South American-like but it cut the spice just enough and they were still delicious! Other than that they were soooo easy to make. If you decide to try them, I'd suggest cutting the cayenne pepper in half to start.

What's on your menu this week?

Lunch Revolution Blog Party {Keeping It Real}

2010-08-28T19:23:00.000-07:00

There's been a lot of media attention lately given to the quality of the lunches offered in our schools here. Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution television series this past spring seemed to have kicked things off here in the U.S. I wanted to join the Lunch Revolution party because there are several good sites out there addressing the challenge to improve our children's lunches too!

Mrs. Q over at Fed Up with Lunch is a teacher who takes a hard look at the food served in many of our schools and chronicles her experiences eating the food served at the school where she teaches and helps raise our awareness (by th way, if you go to her site, she's having a contest this weekend for some great lunch item giveaways and lots of other bloggers have linked with their lunch ideas too!) Notes from The Cookie Jar hosts Food Revolution Fridays and even went on a Food Revolution Road Trip this summer (very inspiring--and I'm encouraged to see that our road trips are pretty close to what theirs was--at least much of the time!)

I must say I'm encouraged in my own city with the changes in the largest school district in our state, HISD and several surrounding districts as well. This news report highlights the district including fresh fruit and salad bars at some school. Certainly the changes will not come overnight but at least they are thinking about it! The school district where my kids go to school still has a ways to go but they, too, are thinking about it as they base their menus on the Square Meals program.

I hope my Back-To-School series has gotten you thinking about how you can change the foods your children (or even yourself) eat for lunch each day. I have to say, we're not an all whole-grain, homemade-everything-eating family...at least not every day. But I would say we're pretty darn close compared to a lot of people we know. Sure, it helps that I like to cook, but I think that the more I learn about the foods that my children are offered, the more I want to try and prepare foods that are good for them and taste good too (generally the two go hand in hand!)

Melissa over at Another Lunch offers up some great ideas as did my recent guest posters like Fix Me A Snack, What’s For Lunch at Our House and Raise Healthy Eaters. Michelle of Muffin Tin Mondays provides another fun way to make a healthy lunch for your kids and the neat presentation may actually get them to eat more too! There are so many ideas out there (check my Resource Guide page too for more) I hope you'll find something that inspires you to make a change too!

{Guest Post} How to Handle Negative (Food) Peer Pressure Kids Get at School

2010-08-27T15:36:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure how I originally came upon the blog, Raise Healthy Eaters, but from the moment I found it I was hooked! Blog owner, Maryann, is a registered dietician and a mom who speaks from practical experience on both sides--professional and parent--about how to feed our children healthy foods. Every time I read one of her posts it's as though she's reading my mind! Each topic has such relevance to our family in some way and offers suggestions and ideas that are practical and doable. She's done several series on topics like managing sweets or addressing picky eaters and many more.

As part of my Back-To-School series, I'm glad to welcome her as she addresses a challenge that many of us face with our children--peer pressure when it comes to food! As my children have gotten older, the influences about the types of food they are around are many (and not always healthy) and I know that will only continue. Maryann offers some great tips on how to overcome those challenges so that everyone is a winner!

Welcome Maryann!

The school year is upon us. It’s time to pack lunches and plan dinner meals to help our kids eat well. But another not-so-pleasant reality comes along with food and eating during the school year.

Cookies. Empty-calorie snacks. And all the negative peer pressure your kids seem to get about diet.

Maybe your son starts asking for the same Lunch-ables his best friend eats everyday for school or the same colorful chips he gets when he plays over there. You might even hear your children mimic one of their friends by saying a healthy food, one they used to love, is “gross.”

You certainly can’t hide your child from food choices you don’t particularly like, but you can handle it in a way that helps your child make better food choices.
Let’s take a look.

1. Stay Neutral: When your child comes home and tells you he ate something you find appalling at his friends house, say Cheetos, it’s easy to react with disgust saying something like, “You ate what? I can't believe you ate that!”

The same goes for requests from your kids. If they ask for something you don’t approve of for their lunch, you might go into “we never eat foods like that!”

The problem with these types of reactions is they give too much attention to these foods. Kids, being kids, will zero in on what they can't have. And this will increase their desire for such foods more than it will decrease desire.

Instead, act neutral. When you hear they had Cheetos don’t react at all. There’s nothing you can do to change what they have already eaten so don’t even try.

2. Give them permission: After a child starts eating something outside the house, they may start asking you to buy and serve it in your home. As a parent you need to consider whether or not it is something you feel okay with serving.

If it's a food item you don't want to bring in your home, explain the why behind it carefully to your kids.

International feeding expert Ellyn Satter recommends the honesty approach. She suggests telling your children it's okay for them to try different foods at other people houses but that you personally don't feel comfortable with including those foods in your home. This erases the taboo around the items while letting yourself off the hook.

3. Create teachable moments: As much as this negative peer pressure about food gets to you, it really is a good way to teach your child about making wise food choices. Just think, when they go to college they'll have complete freedom around food without you there telling them what to eat.

So when your child asks you why they can't have packaged food tell them you prefer to serve fresh foods not only for health but because they taste better. Ask them to think about this the next time they have packaged cookies vs. homemade ones. Show them the ingredient lines in packaged and processed foods. You want to focus on taste and quality as much as health.

Make sure you steer away from categorizing food as good/bad or healthy/unhealthy. Instead talk about the roles different foods play in the diet. For example, fruits, vegetables and whole grains are eaten more often because they help children grow. Items like cakes and cookies are eaten less frequently. Let them know all foods can fit into a balanced diet.

This teaches your child how to eat a variety of foods without feeling "bad" for eating foods that also tastes good.

4) Emphasize manners at the table: It can be disheartening when kids turn on healthy foods as they declare to everyone that peas are now "gross!" And with a little digging you realize that their new opinion comes from a friend at school.

Resist the temptation to reason with your child about how they liked this same food just last week. This simply makes a bigger deal out of what is likely a passing phase. If a child truly enjoys a food they'll start eating it again even if they are taking a temporary hiatus.

Instead of focusing the fact that they don't like a food, teach them how to voice their displeasure in an acceptable way. In her books, Satter recommends teaching proper table manners when it comes to kids disliking certain foods. So instead of "this is gross" they should say "no thank you." It is not fair for them to ruin the meal for the other family members who like what's offered.

Kids often try to push parents buttons when it comes to food. Once they realize that you are not participating, they will stop too.

There's a big wide world of food out there that kids learn about. But if we as parents stay neutral, give them permission to experiment and gently guide them in a balanced direction, they will be less likely to rebel against the healthy eating habits we are trying to establish.

After all, the most important aspect of raising healthy eaters is providing a foundation of pleasant, consistent and nutritious meals at home. Most often kids will return to this foundation even when they are influenced by how their friends' eat.

Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen is a registered dietitian, mother of two and creator of Raise Healthy Eaters, a blog that provides parents with simple and sound nutrition advice.

Check out Maryann's latest series on how to turn picky eaters into healthy eaters.

Cookbook Review: Around the World Cookbook

2009-12-09T13:53:00.000-08:00

This cookbook is the book I've written in my mind for so many years and now I've found it already done! As you may know, food is not only a form of nourishment but it can also take us on an adventure right in our own homes. What I love about this book is that it written for kids and organized in a way that makes sense to kids. The pages are full of colorful pictures and clearly written recipes and directions. A basic glossary of Gear, Lingo and Skills helps kids get off on the right foot to preparing the recipes on their own or with the help of an adult (there's also plenty of cautions about staying safe in the kitchen too!) There's even a page that tells kids to clean up when they're done!

The cookbook jumps right in highlighting a region of the world first introducing the country or region and some basic facts about countries within that region included on a map of the area. Then there are several representative recipes for kids to make. For example, Asia includes a recipe for Vegetable Fried Rice; The Middle East, Africa and the Mediterranean includes a recipe for Greek Pork Kebabs or Gazpacho; Russia and Northern Europe includes recipes for Swedish Meatballs or Scones with Jam. South America, Mexico & The Caribbean includes recipes for Mexican Chocolate Pudding or Jicama Slaw and the United States & Canada region highlights Jambalaya or Apple Oatmeal Crumble. Little notes throughout add to the recipes to help readers learn more about their culinary adventure.

When we cook from different regions we sometimes get our globe out and find the country where we are eating from. It is a fun way for our kids to travel with their taste buds! What a fun way to introduce kids to cooking and the world--this book's a keeper!

Cookbook Review: Healthy Meals for Babies & Toddlers

2009-04-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

(I'm not sure why the picture of the cover does not show up here--if you click on the link it will take you to the website that shows the cover)

I originally picked this book up thinking it would make a nice gift for my sister-in-law and her new baby when she's ready to start eating solid foods! But after looking it over I may have to keep this one and get her another one! Even though my kids are well beyond the first foods stage, I found the variety of ideas and recipes appealing and they may be for my kids still!

The introduction gives a nice overview of basic sources of nutrition like carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins and minerals, fiber and more. It also includes a brief page on basic serving sizes for babies and toddlers and some great charts by age of what types of foods you can introduce to your baby (of course you should always check with your pediatrician first!) It goes on to include some simple tips on cooking, freezing and reheating meals for baby and even touches on allergies and intolerances and vegetarian diets for babies.

What I especially like is the simple layout for the recipes and starting with the basics like infant rice and first purees that you can make yourself from scratch (cheaper and easier than you might think!) Some interesting combinations like pea, bean and zucchini puree or purees and oatmeal cereal. Following chapters include a little more complex flavors like Tomato, Cheese or Vegetable sauce. Moving on to things like Spring Vegetable Risotto or Apple & Plum Yogurt rounds out the offerings for more than just the basics. For the self-feeding stage, Breadsticks with Dip (Hummus, Avocado, Beet) or Mini-meatballs and Sauce. For the toddlers on up, Simply Super Sandwich Fillings (like Crunchy Tuna, Fruity Cheese Spread or Egg & Bacon) or Tex-Mex Rollups are simple to prepare and a great way to keep exposing children to different flavors and textures.

Every recipe has a picture which is makes everything just more appealing. This book is definitely a keeper and a winner for parents with children of all ages!

Cookbook Review: Healthy Foods- An Irreverent Guide to Understanding Nutrition and Feeding Your Family Well

2010-03-10T10:55:00.000-08:00

I actually first came across this book several years ago and found it to be a great resource on learning more about feeding my family healthy, nutritious meals that also had great kid appeal. From the author of Saving Dinner, Ely's conversational style make it an easy read. Ely touches on basic nutrtion needs for families, addresses allergy concerns and even includes a chapter on Manners for the not so Mannerly (great tips on how to help your kids learn some mealtime manners!). The next section is Mealtime Mechanics...she breaks down how to get it done and what basics tools and ingredients every kitchen should have.

The recipe section is chock-full of delicious, family-tested (and easy!) recipes like Leanne's Lazy Lasagna, Not Your Mother's Tuna Casserole, Un-Fried Chicken or Manic Meatloaf. Snacks and dessert ideas are also included like the Ultimate Tortilla Roll-Up, Presto Pretzels or Apple Cake.

I have made several recipes from this cookbook and they delivered on ease of preparation, flavor and kid-appeal...the ingredients in my book for a successful meal!

Cookbook Review: The Healthy Lunchbox

2009-05-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

I'm not really sure how I originally came across this book but what a gem it is! If you're stumped for lunch or snack ideas for your family (kids AND adults), then this is a great guide to help you kick-start into some new options that will be sure to please. It's primarily geared towards readers with children but I think it would be benefical to anyone in discovering new favorites and how to keep track of them too!

Part One: Get Ready deals with the basics: Discovering Your Child's Favorite Foods, A Crash Course in Nutrition and Tips & Tricks for Turning Nutrition Knowledge into Healthy Reality. Each chapter provides hints and tools for healthier options (including a "quiz" to help you get started with a favorites list) as well as how to combat Junkfood Jealousy. Who knows the familiar "but Mom, Sarah has them in her lunch every day!".

Part Two: Get Set addresses how to set up your kitchen to make meal prep a cinch. How many times do you have great intentions in the store only to forget about what you bought and go back to the old standbys? What I especially love is the section on creating a Kid Friendly Kitchen. I did this a few years ago by setting up my pantry so that the bottom shelf of my pantry has the snacks that my kids can choose from...granola bars, raisins, popcorn, etc. There are still limits but it helps create a little independence. Who knows, maybe they'll start making their own school lunches too! The author also touches briefly on Breakfasts on the Run and give some great tips.

Part Three is all about recipes. Included are some fun things like California Rolls (my kids LOVE these!), Fruit Leather, or Good Anytime Granola Bars. Lastly, in Part Four, the author includes additional resources like story books for children on creating healthy eating habits, books for parents (with additional suggestions for food allergies titles) , cookbooks for kids and adults , and websites for more info. both on nutritional needs as well as mail-order sources for hard to find ingredients.

Overall this little book packs a lot of great info. that is easy to understand and follow right away--no matter what stage you're in! Check it out and happy eating!

Love Notes In Lunchboxes {Book Review}--and bonus printables!

2010-08-25T19:14:00.000-07:00

Book reviews are back! Kicking things off is a book that fits in nicely with my Back-To-School series, Love Notes in Lunchboxes by Linda Jeffords Gilden.

I've been making lunches for my kids for several years now, starting with Mother's Day Out and preschool programs and during that time I've read here and there that including little notes in their lunchboxes can really brighten a day. When they were smaller and couldn't read I would just include a little card with a fun sticker and my name at the bottom. Now that they can read, I can get a little more elaborate on my notes. Maybe a a few words of encouragement on the day of a big test or just a note to let them know I'm thinking of them.

I'm still not super regular about including notes but hope to change that this school year! I've got a special part of my Lunch Launch Pad drawer for notes...the idea is that I make up a few ahead of time to easily drop into their lunchbags. Or just having a few blank cards with some rubberstamps or stickers to easily decorate the card and add a quick note.

Love Notes with Lunchboxes takes lunch note writing one step further, providing inspiration for all sorts of situations like the First Day of School, Holidays or other fun times. The author even offers tips on how to take notewriting beyond the lunchbox and keep a positive dialogue going between you and your children. Also included in the book are lots of testimonies from kids who received notes in their lunches over the years--girls AND boys--and how much it meant to them and how the little notes, no matter how simple, let them know that they were loved and thought about even when they were apart from those that they loved. The appendix includes a nice resource of descriptive words to use on your notes. There's also a section of blank note templates with fun borders and designs that you can photocopy and cut out to help jazz up your notes.

Of note, the tone of the book does have a Christian theme but it is not overwhelming and still has tons of terrific inspiration...thought that was worth mentioning as it may make a difference either way for readers.

Need a few more ideas but not feeling overly creative? Check out these totally cute tags from Alphamom's site that you can print out and put in your kids' lunches! I love the play on words and the little nudge to make eating fruit a bit more fun too! The site also offers custom lunch box notes that you can print out too...fun!

Love the idea but need something a little simpler? I found these fun lunchbox note sets last school year (and periodically since then) at the $1 section at my local Michael's store. Each card has a fun or encouraging phrase (like I love spending time with you) or did you know? question (like Did You Know? There are more chickens than people in the world?") that makes lunch time fun. My daughter especially loves the fun fact cards!

If you can't find them locally, you can also buy sets of the cards online (there are tons to choose from--you can even customize some!)

I hope you're encouraged to add a little extra love to the lunches you make for your kids (or any other loved one!) Enjoy!

Kitchen Organization (Part 3): Back To School Launch Pad

2010-08-24T12:46:00.002-07:00

Several years ago I read about creating a Launch Pad to help us get out the door on hectic mornings. I set ours up in the front closet and it has made the process of getting going a whole lot easier. Since then, I've taken it one step further and applied the launch pad idea to the kitchen and created a lunch preparation launch pad.

I’m sure I’m the only one whose cabinets and drawers get out of control after awhile, right? :-) But in case you know someone who's like me, just pass this info. on to them. You know, the person who sometimes get in a rush and just throws things in the cabinets and drawer? Before you know it you have a real mess on your hands. It’s generally a good idea to go through everything at least annually to get reorganized. Be sure to evaluate and purge containers that are broken, you no longer use (like all those snack cups for toddlers we don’t need any more—at least not so many!) and other unused items...some may be recycled while others may head to the donation box.

Lunch Pad drawer before.

Lunch Pad drawer after.

Storage container cabinet before.

Storage containers organization during.

Storage container cabinet after (lunch containers are on bottom shelf).

I have two primary areas for my lunch preparation tools and containers. First, I’ve created a drawer that holds our reusable beverage containers, reusable snack/sandwich bags, our fabric napkins, bento box tools (the few that we have), sandwich cutters and a few other essentials to streamline lunch making. Secondly, I have designated a shelf in my storage container cabinet just for lunch making items…our reusable sandwich boxes and other containers that hold more “wet” foods like soup or pasta, dips or wet fruits like cut up watermelon, etc.

In between those areas are my refrigerator, a kitchen island and my pantry so grabbing what I need is all right there (yes, our kitchen is one thing that sold us on this house—the layout is great!) So when setting up your Lunchtime Launch Pad, try to locate it near the items that you will be pulling from to put into the lunch.

I try to make the kids’ lunches in the evenings and put things that need to stay fresh in the refrigerator to pull out in the morning. And when they're able to help, it makes things a lot easier for them too to find what they're looking for! Then, all we have to do is put it all into the lunch bag just before it's time to go--that's one more way for us to streamline our morning routine. And if you were inspired by last week’s guest post on bento-box lunch making, check out Michelle’s Journal Corner blog and her Muffin Tin Monday feature for how to organize all the tools that can come with that!

Lunches packed and ready to go!
(cold items like drink containers and fruit go
into refrigerator to be pulled out in the morning)

I hope this helps you get off to a great start of the school year (or any time) and making packing lunches a little less stressful!

Menu Plan Monday! (on Tuesday)

2010-08-24T12:14:00.000-07:00

A power outage from some crazy Texas storms last night and procrastination kept me from getting my blog posts done yesterday! School has started for us here in Texas and it's time for me to get back to planning my meals a bit more regularly. Here's what's on our menu this week:

Monday: Crunchy Beef Tacos (ok, so I didn't use this recipe because I used a homemade taco seasoning mix and fixings that we like...but this one looked like a good one if you don't have the seasoning on hand!) This is our back-to-school traditional meal!

Tuesday: Pork chops with Apples and Stuffing; steamed veggies or garden salad

Wednesday: Beef Empanadas; garden salad or fresh carrot sticks

Thursday: Shrimp Fettucine Alfredo (trying this recipe--I've got some shrimp in the freezer to use up); garden salad

Friday: leftovers

Saturday: out to eat

Sunday: leftovers/TBA

What's on your menu this week? Make it a great one!

Giveaway Winner! Back To School Goodies

2010-08-23T15:25:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Tracee! She is the winner of my Back To School giveaway. I used Random.org to choose the winner and the number was #22--Tracee's number! Tracee, please contact me within 48 hours so I can get the goodies on their way to you.

Thanks to everyone who entered and for sharing your great lunchbox ideas! Be on the lookout for another giveaway coming this week!

Back To School Giveaway!

2010-08-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

Today is my Facebook birthday--yay! It was on this day last year that I put up my Facebook fan page and 380+ Facebook fans later here we are--thank you all!

In honor of my Facebook birthday AND back-to-school, I've got a giveaway for you! Included in this prize package are some items that will make packing a lunch a little more fun! It includes one each of the following:

--Dip & Snack Container (as mentioned in last week's guest post about Healthy Lunchbox Ideas)
--Heart-shaped Sandwich Cutter
--Heart-shaped lid design sandwich keeper
--Yellow lunch tote (it's not insulated but it's very cute!)
--Package of Four Reusable produce bags (as mentioned in my Go Green post last spring)
(I realize the colors are little girly so if you don't pack lunches for girls and you win, just give it to a friend who does!)

Here's How To Enter:
1. Leave a comment with your favorite quick and easy on-the-go lunch ideas.
2. Become a follower of my blog (link is on the left of this page)
3. Like Meal Planning Magic on Facebook
4. Email subscribe to my blog.
5. Blog about the giveaway and leave me a link to your post.
6. Update your Facebook status with a link to this post.
7. "Tweet" about this post.
8. Vote for my blog at Babble.com's Best Mom Food Bloggers (I'm currently on page 2, #69 but hopefully your votes will move me up!)

Remember, leave a comment for each entry. Only one entry per person per method listed above. If you are already a follower or subscribe to my blog, you can still have an extra entry--just mention that in the comment. Good luck!

Giveaway Rules:
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!
Winner will be chosen via random.org and will have 48 hours to claim their prize. If prize is not claimed a new winner will be chosen. Winner will be posted on blog and if an email is given, they will be contacted via email. Open to US and Canadian residents only (sorry to my other international readers!)

Disclosure: I, myself, purchased all the items in this giveaway. I did not receive any compensation from any of the companies mentioned in this post or the items shown for this giveaway. Check out Giveaway Scout's listing of blogs with giveaways for more chances to win great prizes (seen link to the left).

{Guest Post} Bento Lunch Making 101

2010-08-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

This summer, I had some extra time to explore online and stumbled upon the super fun idea of making bento lunches (and breakfasts or whatever). Bento lunch making is nothing new...it has been common in Japanese cuisine for hundreds of years, but it's popularity in other parts of the world has been growing rapidly with greater numbers of people preparing at home and bringing their meals on the go.

I think what I like about it is that it helps make lunch-making a little more fun (and appeals to my creative side too!) To me, it also seems that it would help me think more about what's going into the lunchbox and make sure I've got a balanced, nutritious lunch for my kids. I was hopping from blog to blog and collecting a ton of great ideas and inspiration!

In this week's Back-To-School guest post series, I'd like to introduce Shannon from one of my new favorite blogs all about bento lunch making...What's For Lunch At Our House? Shannon's creativity is fun to read about and since she's a real mom of two young children she tells it like it is when it comes to packing a lunch and keeping it simple. She even occasionally packs some bentos for the grown-ups too! Her guest post offers some great ideas on how to get started--it's really not as complicated as it might look.

Welcome Shannon!

My daughter started kindergarten three years ago, at a school with no cafeteria, so I was thrust into the world of making lunches. In my search to find lunch ideas for her, I discovered bento lunches. I may a few for summer camp for her, shared them with my real life friends and eventually started BentoLunch and blogging about them.

What appealed to me most about bento lunches was the little bits of lots of things, presented in a cute way. My daughter was prone to taking her time to eat and the school didn't give her quite as much time as I did for lunches. And, as a five year old girl, anything cute was definitely preferred to plain. A nice added bonus to bentos is the "green" aspect. Bentos involve reusable containers and minimal throwaway packaging, we've even added cloth napkins, bags and reusable silverware to the mix.

Even so, to start, you really don't need anything more than a sturdy container with a lid. There are many amazing containers available online and in stores, definitely more than there was 3 years ago! A great "starter" container are the 4 square Lock & Lock containers, available on Amazon and at some stores (mine was from Target). Each of the 4 compartments is removable and perfect to fill with fun lunch items, and the lid is easy to seal and open for little hands.

Another great option (available online) are the Easy Lunchboxes. They are perfect for families with more than one child, each set comes with 4 containers and 4 lids. The larger main compartment can hold a regular sandwich with room to spare, still leaving two smaller compartments for side dishes.

Other containers include Laptop Lunches, Goodbyns, Lunchbots, and many more, including traditional Japanese style bentos. It's best to choose something that will work for your child, holds enough food for them and is easy to open and close. Simple boxes are a great choice to "try out" bento without investing in more expensive gear. The Target snack container mentioned in the last guest post makes a great first bento and has room for a messier food like yogurt!

Besides boxes, you can purchase other fun gear like cookie cutters, food picks (think reusable plastic toothpicks in cute patterns), even patterned wrappers/cup holders for your bento. While all of this is fun, it's not necessary to make a great bento.

When filling the box, try to pick a variety of colors, textures and foods. A mixture of colors looks so much better than a box of all beige items and a balance of soft, chewy, crispy and crunchy items taste better too!

For main courses, try sandwiches, stuffed corn muffins (corn muffins with meats & cheese in the mix in), mini quiches, boiled eggs, bagels, meat & cheese kebabs with crackers or mini pitas, pasta salad with extra fillers, among others. It's easy to decorate a main course--think cookie cutters on sandwich bread, shaped pieces of cheese in a pasta salad, cute food picks for kebabs, etc. I also love to top sandwiches and muffins with a cute cheese decoration. Cookie cutters come in handy to add cuteness with very little extra effort. I typically only spend an extra few minutes on a bento than I would making a normal lunch.

For side dishes, add lots of fresh fruits & veggies, the more colors, the better! It's easy to cut cucumbers or melon with a small cookie cutter to add a bit of decoration. Find a cute mini container to hold dip for veggies or string small berries on a food pick for a different kind of kebab. I also usually add a small sweet or treat for my kids--mini cookies or mini muffins fit perfectly in a bento box. Homemade granola bars are healthy too and add some extra fruit to a box.

I also try to pre-make as many items as I can. Meal Planning Magic can definitely include lunches. I bake, then freeze, batches of quiche and stuffed corn muffins for quick entrees, as well as mini muffins and cookies for quick desserts. I alternate those with sandwiches and other fresh items to create a variety of lunches. I also prep all my fruit when I purchase it so all I have to do is add it to the bento when putting it together. It's the little steps that save time and make bentos less time-consuming.

I hope this has helped a little, bentos can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make them, it's all up to you!

--Shannon

{Guest Post} Healthy Lunchbox Building Blocks

2010-08-13T05:44:00.000-07:00

I'm still on my blogging vacation just a bit longer but our thoughts are turning to school that will be starting soon. I know that for some of you, your kids have already started school so maybe you're scrambling for ideas of what to put into their lunchboxes each day. And even if you don't have children, you'll find lots of great ideas with my Back-To-School series.

I'm kicking things off with a great guest post from Cindy at Fix Me A Snack. Her blog is all about offering her kids and family healthy snacks--that they actually like to eat too! And she also provides some fun presentation ideas everyone is sure to love (be on the look out for a related giveaway from me in the next week--or less!). Welcome Cindy!

I’m new to the world of lunch packing as my oldest was at school all day for the first time last year. This year I’m going to try to hit the ground running and have my pantry fully stocked with tasty and healthy bits to round out her lunchbox.

The week before school starts, here are the things that I’ll be stocking up on as a last line of defense against that sinking “I’ve-got-nothing-to-go-along-with-this-sandwich” feeling.

Dried Fruits
Sweeten things up naturally with dried fruits such as (clockwise from top) unsulfured apricots, cherries, dates, and golden raisins. The larger fruits can be chopped up and mixed with nut butter or cream cheese to make a quick pinwheel sandwich. Or you can throw together a quick trail mix with some cereal and some candy coated sunflower seeds for color and a hint of chocolate.

String Cheese
This fun little snack packs an awesome protein to calorie ratio.

Unsweetened applesauce
I usually top a small container of applesauce with rainbow sprinkles just to give my kid’s lunch a fighting chance against all the slick, highly processed foods that some of her classmates are nibbling on.

Pickles
We are fans of dill pickles and even bigger fans of Trader Joe’s little cornichons.

Plain Yogurt
There are a bazillion quick ways to turn a cup of plain yogurt into a healthy snack (see Yogurt 101).

Cottage Cheese
Jazz it up with fresh fruit or some fresh herbs.

Ranch Dressing
An instant companion for lonely carrot sticks.

Trader Joe’s Marinated Bean Salad
This is probably a reach for most kids, but my oldest loves these. I’ll probably save them for the second month of school because last year she got all kinds of comments from her classmates about the salads and other non-typical fare they spied in her lunchbox.

And here’s some hardware that make my girl’s lunchbox more convenient and fun.

Snack container with dip well
I picked this up at Target last week for $1.00. We already had one, but it was such a hit that I decided I needed one in reserve.

Lollipop sticks or bamboo skewers with the tip cut off
There are lots of healthy foods that are instantly made exciting once they are on a stick. It seems ridiculous, but if your kids are anything like mine, they will flip for this simple tweak in presentation. Think sandwich-on-a-stick, rainbow-on-a-stick, pizza-on-a stick…and so on.

Bento cutters
Cut up some melon, carrots, or a myriad of other fresh foods with these and they are instantly delectable.

I hope I’ve been able to provide you with a few good ideas/reminders and your lunch packing is stress-free this year. Feel free to chime in with a comment about any secret weapons you have planned for your kids’ lunchbox(es).

Good luck!

Cindy

Help Make Your Lunchtime "Green" {Keeping It Real}

2010-08-18T18:34:00.000-07:00

I have a confession. I'm kind of a container and lunchbox-stuff junkie. And at this time of year, with so many back-to-school things in the stores, I naturally gravitate to the lunchbox aisle and all the fun, new options that seem to show up each year. I love to browse through all the different choices and the kids and I have fun choosing new items for those of ours that may need replacing. With Back-To-School, many stores have additional supplies for packing lunches--now is the time to stock up and take advantage of their sales. And keeping our lunches waste-free is certainly a plus in my book!

Our stock lunchbox packing items currently include:
--Reusable lunch tote
--Reusable insulated beverage container
--Reusable sandwich container
--Reusable food jars (we like the Thermos FUNtainers)
--Cute freezer "blue-ice" packs to keep everything cold that needs to stay cold
--Reusable snack containers or Reusable snack/sandwich/whatever bags (my kids get to take a snack to school to keep at their desks because their lunches are so crazy early in the morning!)
--Cloth napkins (my mom made us some cute ones but keep reading for info. on purchasing some for yourself)

Here's a photo of our recent trip to Target...see all the wonderful reusable lunch bag choices? Makes it tough, huh? (the picture is a little fuzzy...I was trying to be covert when I was taking it!)

This shows some more choices and these neat containers that I found this year from Aladdin. Their Chill Sandwich and Chill Snack Pack containers come with a removable ice pack that you can keep in the freezer and it pops easily right into the container to keep your foods cold. Genius!

If you don't have or want to buy the Aladdin packs or want to keep other foods cold, try these fun cold packs that you can keep in the freezer and slide into the lunch bag when packing.

There are SO many choices of how to take your lunch on the go all the while keeping a thought to making our planet more "green" (and saving you some money in the long run!). Here are a few other websites with tons of options to help you find something that will work for you!

Green My Lunch LOTS of different retailers offering reusable food containers. Save 10% from participating retailers when you use the coupon code on their site now through September 6, 2010; join their Facebook page and enter to win daily giveaways too!

Reusit.com Takes going green on the go to the next level.

Waste-Free Lunches Learn how to make your kids school or your work a little greener!

Laptop Lunches They have a neat monthly email newsletter you can sign up to get--tons of great tips, lunch ideas and more!

Easy Lunchboxes'>Easy Lunchboxes An all-in-one compartmentalized lunchbox system.

Ecochic Reusable Snack/Sandwich/Whatever bags...these are my other "venture"--check it out!

I'm sure there are many more options so if you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments section or email me. If I get a bunch more, I'll do another post. There are so many people out there writing about it I figured I didn't really need to recreate the wheel...just push it along a bit! Hopefully you've got lots of great ideas now to get you and your kids going green for back to school.

Disclosure: I have either purchased myself or done research online for the products mentioned here. The stores mentioned did not provide any compensation. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. No additional compensation was received.

Kids Cook Monday & A Weekend Challenge

2010-08-16T06:43:00.000-07:00

You know how I love to get kids into the kitchen, right? Well, this past weekend I was presented with an opportunity that I couldn't pass up! Several months ago I joined a Facebook group for Mario Bosquez's Weekend Cooking Challenge on Martha Stewart Living Radio (one of my favorite satellite radio channels to listen to while I'm in the car!) The idea behind the group is that once a month Mario and a guest chef present a recipe for the group's members to make and then post their pictures, comments, tips and encouragement on cooking day. It's kind of like a virtual cooking party!

This weekend's challenge was to make a Blackberry Blueberry Crumble. Since I had (literally) pounds and pounds of both varieties picked at a local farm on an earlier summer outing just waiting in my freezer I was there! So I recruited my daughter to help me out and I cannot tell you how easy it was! Truly, it took us about 15 minutes to assemble and then bake. And the taste...talk about yummy! We served ours with a little whipped cream as we didn't have any vanilla ice cream on hand. It was a hit. And I must say it made a great late night snack and breakfast too. :-)

So what does this have to do with kids cooking on Mondays? Well, it's not so much about actually cooking on MONDAY but just getting your kids in the kitchen with you. Kids Cook Monday is program I recently learned about that "encourages families to cook and eat meals together in order to teach important skills to children, such as teamwork, portion control, following instructions, and even motor skills. Research has shown that kids who eat family dinners tend to get better grades, develop communications skills, and are less likely to be obese. Empowering children to take control of what they eat allows them to consider how much and what they're eating." The idea is that once a week you and your children plan a meal and cook it together. Partnered with Columbia Univeristy's Mailman School of Public Health and John Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Health, they are committed to helping our nation end preventable diseases.

I hope to make Kids Cook Monday a regular feature of my blog, too, to hopefully inspire and encourage you all too!

Here are some pictures from our cooking session (recipe follows)!

Measuring out the brown sugar.

Mixing together the filling ingredients...yummm--berries!

Mixing together the crumble topping ingredients!

It's ready to go into the oven!

Yummy! Our crumble fresh out of the oven--ready to eat!

Here's the recipe for the Blackberry Blueberry Crumble:

Blueberry Blackberry Crumble
Recipe by: Kate Goodyear, Pastry Chef at Soho House Group

Ingredients
2 pounds fresh blueberries
1 pint fresh blackberries
1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Juice of 1 lemon
Crumble topping
1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup old fashioned oats
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup dark brown sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 oz (that's one 1/2 cup stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2) In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, blackberries, 1/3 cup brown sugar, cornstarch, salt and the lemon juice and toss well.
3) Pour into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish.
4) For the topping, place the flour, oats, sugar, the brown sugar, ground ginger, and the salt in a bowl.
5) Add the butter and mix by hand until it's in large crumbles.
6) Spread the topping evenly over the fruit, making sure the fruit is covered.
7) Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the fruit is tender and bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature with buttermilk ice cream or the ice cream of your choice.

Serves 8-12

Kate's Notes:
In the middle of June, with the weather heating up, New York City’s farmers’ markets are beginning to bloom with berries and the first of the stone fruits, cherries. Take advantage of its largesse with a fresh fruit crumble. I like the combination of blueberries and blackberries – the blueberries are a bit sweeter and the blackberries give some tang. In addition, the dark blue/purple of the fruit is gorgeous against some white ice cream. If you can’t find one of the fruits, feel free to substitute anything that looks beautiful and tastes delicious. This crumble recipe works all year long – pair with apples and pears in the fall.

Resource Guide

2009-12-31T09:55:00.000-08:00

Here you will find a list of all the links that will help you in your meal planning journey!

MEAL PLANNING MAGIC'S RESOURCES/FORMS (the links are to the posts with the forms--the post title is what's in parentheses!):
Basic Weekly Meal Plan (Chicken, Chicken, Chicken....No More!)
Freezr Inventory Sheet (Seen Any U.F.O.'s Lately?)
Standard Grocery List (Grocery Shopping Simplified)
Meal Planning Services (Give Me A Plan Ma'am!)
Meal Planning on a Budget (Create a Price Book)
Weekly Breakfast Menu (No More Boring Breakfasts)
Weekly Meal Plan Form (Secret To Meal Planning (Mine!))

ONLINE RESOURCES:
Freezer Cooking Resources (aka OAMC)
Dinner’s In the Freezer
Feed The Freezer: Freezer Cooking Guide
Frozen Assets: Cook for a Day, Eat for a Month!
How and What Can I Freeze?
How Do I Thaw It Safely? (and here's a second link for more info.)
LabelOnce Erasable Food Storage Labels
Busy Cooks Make Ahead Recipes and OAMC
Real Food For Real People-Once A Month Cooking

Lunch and Snack Ideas
5 Sack Lunch Ideas Kids Love
Back-to-School-in-30-Minutes-or-Less
Best School Lunch Ideas
Laptop Lunches—Ideas
Lunchbox Ideas
Vegetarian Lunch with Punch!

Baby/Toddler/Kid Food Tools
Wholesome Toddler Food Guide
A Serving of Fun--How Much Is A Kids' Size Serving?

Family Meals....Plan Together, Eat Together!
Family Day: A Day to Eat Dinner With Your Children
Healthy Family Home
Importance of Family Meals
Studies Supporting Family Meals
Ties That Bind at Mealtime (Washington Post article)

Meal Planning Services—Some Free, Some a Little More!
Nestle's Meals.com (free!)
Taste Of Home's Weekly Menusaver (free!)
Better Homes and Gardens® DinnerTime (check the Frequently Asked Questions for details)
Dine Without Whine Meal Plans
DinnerSelect
Kid Approved Meals
Meal Mixer: Meal Plan the Easy Way
Menus4Moms
Plan To Eat
Saving Dinner Weekly Menu Plans

Meal Planning and Recipe Idea Links

Meal Makeover Moms
Martha Stewart Living--Food and Meal Planning Ideas
Martha Stewart Living-Radio Show Blogs (great ideas and links!)
Cooking Light Menu Planner
Cooking Light magazine and recipe search
Eating Well magazine & recipe search
Healthy Cooking Magazine
Simple and Delicious magazine
Family Fun magazine's Month of Meals Menu Guide

Special Diet Links--Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Vegan and more!
Book of Yum!
Fresh Ginger (has probably two dozen gluten free blog/site links!)
Gluten Free Mommy
Gluten Free Blog
Strawberries Are Gluten Free
Vegan Blogs Directory
VegBlogs.com
Wheatless Foodie

Organic/Local/Sustainable Eating Guides
Eat Wild: #1 Site for Grass Fed Food and Facts
Food News from Environmental Working Group
Meat Production Methods Glossary (wallet card) by Sustainable Table
Organic Consumers
Organic Produce Shopping Wallet Card
Top 10 Reasons to Buy Organic

Food Storage Info.
Center for Food Safety
Food-Storage-Info.com (TONS of links here)
Fruit Storage Guide
How and What Can I Freeze It?
Vegetable Storage Guide
Leftovers Storage Guide (from Clemson University)
Food Safety: Storage, Preparation and Handling (by USDA)

Meal Shopping/Preparation Tools
Food Pyramid Meal Planner, Guides and Games!
Organic Produce Shopping Wallet Card

Organize Your Life! Resources
OrgJunkie
More Coming Soon!

Going Green! Earth Friendly Resources

Coming Soon!

I'm a Guest Poster at OrgJunkie.com!

2010-08-12T06:28:00.000-07:00

I've got a Back-To-School series planned but am still getting some of the info. together so I wanted to let you know about my guest post on Org Junkie for "Organizing Your Freezer" (not super creative title I realize!)

If you've been reading my blog for awhile you no doubt know that I LOVE freezer cooking. In my guest post I share some tips for keeping track of it all! I'll be doing an expanded series of that post here on my blog sometime in the future so be on the lookout for that!

And when you're over there, be sure to explore the OrgJunkie site...you'll no doubt learn something new and hopefully feel better for it because you'll be more organized.

And speaking of guest posts, I've got a few guest posters lined up for the next few weeks to appear here on my blog while I'm on my blogging vacation (getting back into action soon though!). My guest posters will share ideas especially with Back-To-School in mind...healthy snack and lunchbox ideas, lunchbox packing tips with ways to make it fun (not just for kids either!) and a nutritionist who will share ideas about how kids can eat healthy at school even if their friends are not so much! Be on the look out for the guest posts starting tomorrow.

Enjoy!

Best of Meal Planning Magic: Kids in the Kitchen

2010-08-04T18:17:00.000-07:00

{This post is part of my Best of Meal Planning Magic series while I'm on my blogging vacation--enjoy!}

I love spending time with my children in the kitchen. From the time they were very small we have been cooking and baking together. Their first recipe to help me make: banana bread. What kid doesn’t love mashing up a banana and stirring it all together with other ingredients? And generally, when the kids have had a hand in making the meal they are more likely to want to eat it!

I love finding fun, new ways to encourage my kids and others to spend more time in the kitchen. Watch for upcoming features with more ways to get your kids into the kitchen to make something yummy together--and make great memories too. Here are a few of my favorite posts that will hopefully inspire you too!

Eating the Alphabet

Kid Friendly Kitchen Help Kids Help Out

Fun Cooking Lessons For Kids

Kids in the Kitchen: More Than Just Learning How to Cook

Cookies for Kids Cancer: Plan Your Bake Sale Now!

There’s still a bit of summer left to try a few ideas before homework and after school activities get in the way, so gather up the kids and get cooking!

Cooking Fun With Kids!

2009-10-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

We were at the library a couple of weeks ago and came upon a fun-looking DVD from ActivityTV. What treasure we had stumbled upon! We first picked up the Lunches & Desserts program. Each segment can stand alone or you can watch them all in a row. Each one sounded more appetizing than the next! Soon, we had a plan to make our Sunday dinner and dessert together. We decided on the Chicken Quesadillas and Baked Snowcaps.

What I love about this series is that the host clearly explains all the equipment and ingredients that will be used and also goes over kitchen safety rules before each segment. Then, she involves three kids in preparation of the recipe. The kid-helpers ask plenty of questions that help real kids understand the process (and sometimes the science) of what they are making.

I'm not sure if it's just because we made it together, but I have to say the quesadillas we made were some of the tastiest ever! We served ours with all the toppings--guacamole, sour cream, chopped tomatoes and salsa. Yum--it's making me hungry now. Even better, we had enough leftovers for us to send in the kids' lunch the next day (using one of our insulated lunch containers of course)! And it's no secret that when you involve your kids in cooking what you want them to eat they're more likely to actually eat it if they helped prepare it--yes, even for the pickiest eaters!

There are recipes for Beginners through Expert and really, I'd say even young children can tackle some of the more advanced recipes--they may just take a little longer and require a bit more hands-on help from a grown-up. The video gives you plenty of time to write down all the ingredients and instructions or you can just go to their website to print a copy of your recipe with everything you need to get started. Check out your own local library

We can't wait to try some of the other recipes! Be sure to check back soon (or better yet, subscribe to get my updates regularly) as I'll be reviewing some neat cookbooks for kids that we enjoy using in our own home.

Eating the Alphabet: A & B

2009-01-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

Last week was our first week to to try our Eating the Alphabet program (my husband loves my "programs" :-) ). We had a mixed up week because we were headed out of town for the long weekend so I wasn't that inventive. Since this week was A, we went with apples which my kids love (organic pink ladies are our favorite!). I bought some vanilla yogurt for dipping too--the kids love the dipping and I love the extra calcium they get! Sometimes we spread a little peanut butter on the sliced up apples--a tasty combination if you've never tried it. We had them for snacks and with breakfast or lunch.

I wanted to get a few more healthy dip ideas because I knew we'd be needing some with our quest to eat more fruits and veggies. I found some great ideas here...check out these Six Healthy Dips that Will Get Your Kids To Eat More Fruits and Veggies.

This week our letter is B. I bought a bag of single bananas--probably 3-4 pounds for only 99 cents (you know to look for those at your grocery store right? They take all the slightly bruised bananas, put them in a paper bag and you pay one price--great for making smoothies, banana muffins or banana bread!) Tomorrow we've got Crumb-topped Brussel Sprouts on the menu. I'm not sure how they'll go over so I'll be sure to let you know!

How are you Eating the Alphabet? Post your comments below to share how your family is eating more fruits & veggies this year!

Menu Plan Monday!

2010-08-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

I'm back in the kitchen this week as we're kind of in a lull between camps and vacation and the start of school. Here's what's on our menu this week:

Monday: Chicken & Clam Pasta Sauce with linguine (my recipe originally came from a Tupperware cookbook I got years ago and I couldn't find one oneline that is similar...my kids love it!); garden salad;
Tuesday: Beef Stroganoff (from freezer cookins session) over noodles (this is actually the recipe I used!); garden salad
Wednesday: Pecan Crusted Salmon with Cucumber Dill sauce (yes, my kids WILL eat this!); garden salad, steamed rice pilaf
Thursday: Pad Thai with shrimp or tofu (or both)
Friday: leftovers
Saturday: out to eat
Sunday: Pork Tenderloin of some kind (still searching for a recipe)

What's cookin' in your kitchen this week?