Pesto Chicken Salad

Ezekial pita bread stuffed with green leaf lettuce and chicken pesto salad made with shredded Rocky Jr. broiled chicken breast (dinner leftovers), pesto sauce (frozen when there was an abundance of basil in my CSA box), kalamata olives and pinenuts; Newman's Own spelt pretzels (wrapped in the bandana) and a small box of raisins.

I got the idea to use the bandana to wrap pretzels after talking to a friend who said she felt badly about the number of plastic bags she uses to pack her kids' lunches. In my quest to create a waste free lunch, I thought I'd start to use napkins and bandanas, in addition to my trusty wrap-n-mat, more often to wrap food that isn't significantly wet or in danger of drying out. They are just as easy to use as a plastic bag and more likely to find their way home (because even children realize that it feels a little wierd to throw anything made of fabric into a garbage can). If I was really crafty, I'd coordinate my bandana with a pretty ribbon or small sticker. . .but, well, I'm not that crafty, at least not yet. . .

waste generated: one small raisin box

Pasta with Broccoli, Edamame and Walnuts

Whole wheat pasta with broccoli, edamame, walnuts and olive oil; organic orange and beet salad; carrot sticks; and Brianna's Blue Cheese Dressing for dipping. Beets, broccoli and carrots were from our weekly Full Belly Farm CSA Box.

waste generated: none :)

Tiny Crepes with Lemon Curd

Tiny organic whole wheat crepes (with soy flour and wheat germ) filled with fresh organic lemon curd; organic orange sections; salt free roasted peanuts and Organic Valley mozzarella cheese cubes. Yummy.

waste generated: none :)

A is for Aidan

Homemade whole wheat "A" shaped bread with sesame seeds; organic, free-range eggs (I realize that means practically nothing - we hope to get our own chickens one of these days so we can eliminate the guesswork - still, the yolks in this batch are a brilliant yellow and taste delicious); red leaf lettuce and strawberry daikon "flowers" (from Full Belly Farm); oatmeal whole wheat lemon bar (lemons from our tree).

waste generated: one paper napkin

Life of a Piece of Parchment

It is probably pretty obvious by now how much I rely on parchment paper. I carry a good deal of environmental guilt for this (especially since it is rarely a necessity and more likely being used for aesthetic purposes or easy clean up). Still, I'm not entirely haphazard with it and generally, one piece of parchment sees several uses before finally being put to rest. I thought I might share the typical life cycle of a piece of parchment in my home:

First: Flour Catcher while baking (I level the flour onto the parchment and then lift the parchment and pour back into the flour jar)

Second: Placed on Baking Pan to promote even bread baking (also alleviates the need to grease sheet and virtually no clean up); used for subsequent baking the same day

Third: Same piece of parchment is used to wrap leftover bread to store and/or used to wrap bread to be given as a gift

Fourth: Parchment finds its way into my son's lunchbox, as a "placemat" of sorts for food

There, some guilt purged. You'd think I was Catholic . . .

More Hidden Vegetables

This was created with dinner leftovers. Prior to anyone under the age of 35 taking a bite I was attacked by a line of questions and comments that went something like this - -"so, what's in here? is this broccoli? I don't like this. How many vegetables? Can I pick out the broccoli? But I don't like broccoli. I wish you wouldn't put leeks in this. I don't like cooked carrots. What are leeks? Are they vegetables? I don't like vegetables. . ." Generally, and usually after some cajoling, threatening, or inquiries about a possible dessert I may have hidden somewhere, a bite will be taken and, if it is a good night, the anti-vegetable rally will cease. This happens every night. You are not alone.

Whole wheat pastry stuffed with broccoli, shredded carrots, leeks (all from our Fully Belly CSA box), Organic Valley ricotta & mozzarella, and pecorino cheese; pizza sauce for dipping, peeled organic mandarin sections, and crunchy Romaine lettuce.

waste generated: square of unbleached parchment

Open Faced Peanut Butter

Open faced peanutbutter sandwich with kumquat slices (Aidan did the decorating); 1/2 an organic Bartlett Pear; Mi-Del whole wheat honey graham crackers.

waste generated: 1/2 a toothpick used to keep the sandwich from sticking to the lid