Friday Fish and Chips

The protein in this lunch comes from frozen fish sticks.  I should have made my own version but I was busy bailing out my washing machine with a small cup. . . long story.  Anyway, these sticks are made by Natural Sea, processed food, but not entirely hideous.  They are made with cod fillets, organic whole wheat flour and canola oil and numerous other things  - -all things I can pronounce, and more importantly, recognize.  Also, Natural Sea "supports sustainable fishing practices"  hmmmm, a bit more sketchy. Exactly what does that mean? Like, ideally, in a perfect world, we SUPPORT sustainable fishing practices, but, at this time, due to labor costs, and our desire for a high profit margin we buy fish that has been caught and killed by any method, anywhere and at anytime.  We sure do give a big thumbs up to those who are doing the right thing. . . . why must I be so cynical?

Natural Sea Fish Sticks; Full Belly Farm organic snap peas and carrots; organic apricot from the Farmer's Market; and Eden Brown Rice Chips.

waste generated: none

Smiling Pizza

Leftover pizza from a local restaurant with sundried tomato pieces  and basil leaves (from Full Belly Farm); organic cucumber and avocado salad (both from the Farmer's Market and sprinkled with a touch of lemon juice, salt and chopped organic basil); organic Santa Barbara Kalamata olives; Oat and Wheat Bran Swirls (see May 22nd. entry for more info.).

waste generated: none :)

Apricot Turkey Sandwich and Spicy Carrot Soup

After a week of 100+ degree days then a quick turn to cooler weather, soup was definately in order, especially soup of the slightly warm and spicy variety.

Diestal Turkey sandwich on homemade organic  wholewheat bread with apricot mayonnaise (Full Belly Farm dried apricots, soaked in hot water, and then sliced thin and mixed with a touch of canola oil, carmelized onion pieces, dijon mustard and canola mayonnaise) and organic red leaf lettuce (Full Belly Farm); spicy vegan carrot soup (organic carrots and onion from Full Belly farm with cumin, curry, coriander and fresh ribbons of basil stirred in after pureeing).

waste generated: none :)

Fresh and Local No. 4

Stone fruits are in season and they seem to be incredibly juice right now.  I had to incorporate some into today's lunch:

Organic avocado (good enough to be eaten with a spoon), apricot, half a peach, strawberries; organic raw almonds; and Spring Hill Cheese Co. tangy curd.

waste generated: square of parchment

Unpig in a Blanket

I think this lunch was somehow inspired by Tuesday's schoolyard barbeque. If Cheetos or some less offensive facsimile, like Pirate's Booty, appear here this week it may be time for an intervention.

Unpig in a blanket (Smart Dog - vegan - wrapped with Organic Valley Provolone cheese - not so vegan); organic snap peas from Full Belly Farm CSA; organic strawberries and orange segments from the Farmer's Market; and Trader Joe's oat and wheat bran swirl (tiny, delicious and addictive little cookies masquerading as cereal); soymilk in a Sigg bottle (not shown).

waste generated: none :)

O-KONOMI-YAKI: Japanese Pancakes

The recipe for these pancakes came from the Tassajara Bread Book.  The last sentence simply stating "May also be eaten cold on the beach."  Beach fare.  What could be better for a lunchbox?

O-KOMONI-YAKI (organic wholewheat pastry flour, egg, evaporated milk with a mixture of organic chopped vegetables mostly from my Full Belly CSA including leeks, napa cabbage, carrots, mushrooms and celery) with tahini wasabi soy dip; chard "chips" (organic chard from a friend's garden tossed in olive oil and salt and baked until crispy (a tip from mollyjade - -thank you!!); organic navel orange segments.

waste generated: none :)

Reprieve From the Wholesome Lunch

Yesterday was my son's school's version of "Field Day" including, of course, the requisite barbeque.  Accordingly, I did not pack a lunch, and since I was working at the beverage tables, all three of my children ate the barbeque fare.  This is what they collectively ate (FYI:  green salad, pasta salad, bananas and oranges were also available, but not chosen by my children):

3 hotdogs on white buns, some with ketchup, some without

2 bags of Cheetos

1 bag of Doritos

several grapes

chunks of watermelon

5 popsicles

More Gatorade and Lemonade than I care to talk about

BLUE SLIME (see photo)

The blue slime in my daughter's hand is what I was scraping out of the bottom of the gatorade dispensers at the end of the day.  Abby was helping me clean out the containers by scooping out the blue sugar sludge and depositing it directly in her mouth.  My youngest kept herself busy by sucking the powdered lemonade leftovers off the ice cubes (ice cubes that had been dumped from the dispensers into the grass).  Some people were horrified by this apparently aberrant behavior.   I determined that sometimes you have to just let it go. . . lose the battle, win the war.

waste generated:   too depressing. However, I did provide a relentless tirade to all who came to the beverage table explaining the benefits of using your own container vs. the plastic and paper cups provided.  I would like to believe I made an impact on at least one otherwise clueless student.  Of course, it is more likely that those I preached to were hiding boogers in my Sigg bottle when I wasn't looking.