A is for...Apples for your Health!

     A is for.....Apples!  How could I not start the first day of the challenge with that basic wholesome (no packaging required!) old Lunchbox standard.  Apples are fantastic!  Lovely and red (or green or yellow), crunchy and sweet.  Kids love them and Mums do too.  They are a great portable snack in their own right.  but then there are all the great things you can do with apples for lunch box treats as well as after school or breakfast foods.  Before I stopped including peanut butter on my Daycare menu, sometimes we would have apples and peanut butter and rice cakes for snack.  There is something delicious about a piece of apple with a smear of peanut butter across it that just says "yum".  We still have apples and rice cakes for snack, we just have cheese instead of peanut butter.
I don't even want to think about how many apples we eat our way through in our house each week (well, maybe I do...5 for lunches, and then 4-5 for snack for daycare and then another 2 for those who like to snack after school...I feel like Friendly Giant, lining up the chairs..."and here's one more for two to curl up in", but I digress, I am sorry...) Sounds like it adds up to about 10-12 in a day...times that by 5 days...Add a few for the weekend...And I think it is time to buy an apple tree or two!  (of course I think even one of the smaller trees needs about 4 years to produce its first fruit...And a big one takes something like 7 years!)

And of course, there is always a recipe!  This one comes from Dietitians of Canada "Great Food Fast" that was published in 2000.  You can still buy it, or find it in your local library.  When I was a kid, my Mum used to make something called "snackin' cake" from a mix, and this recipe (which also tastes a whole lot better) makes me wonder why my mom used a mix at all, 'cause this one is that easy!

 Lunchbox Applesauce Cake

Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray or grease an 8 inch square baking pan.
Cake:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (fine grind if you can get it)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I use canola)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup applesauce

Frosting (yes, this one is so good, but you can add the frosting too if you want, it makes it a bit "special")
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp milk or cream
1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Cake: Sift together in a medium bowl flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.  Set aside.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, blend eggs, oil, sugars on high speed for one minute or until mixture is light and fluffy.  Stir in applesauce; blend at medium speed for 30 seconds.  Add dry ingredients; blend at medium speed for 30 seconds or until well combined.  Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean when inserted into center of cake.  Cool in the pan.

2. Frosting:  In a medium bowl of an electric mixer, blend icing sugar, butter, milk and vanilla at high speed for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Add additional milk as required to reach desired consistency.  Spread frosting on top of the cake.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Sometimes when I make this cake, I leave off the frosting all together and just sprinkle some icing sugar over the top.  It always goes over well.  Easy to make and very inexpensive!

Thanks for stopping by!  And if you want to check out some more "A to Z blogging" I have included one of the blog links for the letter "A":  "allison writes" is the "A" blog 
Happy Packing!

Ginger Spice Cookies

   Given that we are on spring break (still!), I got to take my kiddos with me to the grocery store this afternoon.  After a morning of picking up fir cones, raking the yard and sorting the bottles and cans to go to the return-it depot, of course, they were "over the moon" to be heading to the grocery store with Mum.  Er, well, not so much.  However, I offered that they could share the money from returning the bottles and cans...Half of the money was going to the Sunday school World Water Day fundraiser for Japan (All the Sunday school classses at our Church are collecting water bottles and the money raised is going to the Red Cross to help people in Japan), and then they could share the other half.  But that I would only be giving it to them once we had finished the grocery shopping. 
   My dear daughter always wants to push the buggy when she comes shopping, so she headed off in front of us to grab one.  Once inside, I handed the list to my son and told him to tell us where to start.  He asked for a pen to cross things off, and then gave me a big grin.  (to make a long story short, it was a reasonably painless trip, although it took us almost an hour and a half to get the groceries done!)  And they were both very impressed when "they" figured out how much cheaper it was to buy the big big box of goldfish crackers for $6.99, rather than to buy 6 and a half small bags for $2.99 each....I am surprised no one asked if they could keep the difference!   My son's eyes got very big and round when he watched the total come up on the screen.  "That is a lot of money," he whispered to no one in particular.  "Aw, Mummy, we forgot to buy cookies!" was my daughter's comment as the grocery bags went into the buggy ("Would you like help to your car?" the young girl at the cash asked me with a smile..."No thanks" I smiled back, but I sure like knowing that you ask, and that is why I keep coming back!).  My son looked at his sister and said, "Mum is going to make Ginger cookies when we get home instead."

And here they are!

Ginger Spice Cookies 

(original recipe from Chatelaine Magazine, December 2006 however, this is my version)  This recipe easily doubles and is great to make the night before and then chill overnight in the fridge, before baking.

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Makes 36 cookies
Line two cookie sheets with parchment (you can use oil and spray or coat if you don't use parchment)
1 cup (250ml) all purpose flour
1 cup (250ml) whole wheat or fine grind spelt flour
2 tsp (10ml) baking soda
1 tsp each (5ml each) cinnamon, and ginger
1/2tsp (2ml) nutmeg
1/4tsp (1ml) salt
1 egg
3/4 cup (175ml) canola oil (or for softer cookies, use 1/2 cup oil and 1/4 cup applesauce)
1/4 cup (55ml) molasses
1 cup (250ml) brown sugar (no packed)
1/4 cup (55ml) granulated sugar

Arrange racks in top 1/3 and bottom 1/3 of the oven.


In medium bowl, whisk flours, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.  In a  large bowl of a standing mixer, combine egg, oil and molasses.  Beat on medium until well combined.  Add brown sugar and beat until fluffy, if using applesauce, add now and beat until fluffy.  Gradually add flour mixture and beat on medium-low until well combined.  At this point, if you are making ahead, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and place in fridge until ready to use.  Allow to warm up 10 minutes or so before baking.
Place granulated sugar in a small bowl or on a saucer.  Using a small food scoop or tea spoon, scoop off a small amount and roll between hands to make a ball.  Roll ball in sugar and then place on parchment.  Continue with remaining dough, placing balls at least 4 cm apart on cookie sheets.
Bake on two racks, switching sheets halfway through baking (around 4 minutes).  Continue baking until edges are set and cookies begin to crack, 7-10 minutes.  Remove cookie sheets to cooling racks, and allow cookies to cool 6-7 minutes on sheets (they will be easier to remove), then remove to racks and allow to cool completely.  Store in covered container 5-7 days.  Freeze for up to 1 month.

My son was very pleased to see these come out of the oven!  My suggestion with these cookies is to make a double batch, and freeze half right away, so there will be some for lunches! 
At bedtime tonight, my son gave me back his half of the bottle money.  "I think it should all go to the water fundraiser, "he whispered, "Haruka might need water where she is and I don't want her to be thirsty."
Yes, he is my honey.

Happy Packing!

Creating your lunch box pantry (Pantry renovation Part I)

   Spring Break started around our house this time last week.  And it continues until next Sunday at this time!  Yes, we are blessed (or so some would say) with two weeks of Spring vacation this year.  In light of the two week break, I opted to take one week off from Daycare as well.  So, my Spring Break has just started!

    One of the things that I try to do each time I have some down time is pick something around the house to organize, or de-clutter!  This time it is the Pantry.  My goal is that when we go back to making lunches next week, that things will be organized so that even my 9 year old son can get himself organized to make his own lunch.

   The first thing we did was sort out the lower cupboard where the granola bars and protein bars and what-not are stored.  This cupboard has a drawer that rolls out and is low enough for the kids to get into without help.  Using two vegetable bins (you can find them at Walmart or Zellers or Target), we created a space for bars (of all sorts) and a space for packages of crackers and rice cakes and individual fruit cups and apple sauces.  On this same shelf, there is room for a package of juice boxes and some larger unopened containers of mandarin oranges and applesauce as well as extra jars of peanut butter and honey and jam.  This way if the current jar ends up empty, we will have less of a chance of someone having to holler, "Is there anymore peanut butter?"  

   Next thing we did was move the containers of dried fruit (raisins and apricots, we left the dried cranberries in the baking cupboard) into the same cupboard with the granola bars and crackers and such.  Duncan also found a container for the cashews, and another one for the almonds, that were sitting on a shelf in plastic bags.  He put these containers in with the dried fruit.

   Typically, we keep a good selection of fruit in the fruit bowl and then more apples and oranges in the fridge.  Cut-up veggies are usually kept in small containers on the shelves in the fridge, but they end up anywhere once inside.  Duncan asked if we could use the same kind of containers as we had used for the granola bars in the cupboard, however he soon figured out that they didn't fit.  Those containers also did not have lids to keep the veggies from drying out.  He explained that he could never find the small containers of veggies when he wanted them.  So, instead, we found a bigger container that fit perfectly on the shelf above the fruit drawer.  We put a small container of celery inside the bigger one, and then filled up the empty space with carrot sticks.  Not everyone in our house likes celery sticks but they all like carrots.  Next, he found the container of dip and the container of vanilla yogurt and placed them on the same shelf with the box of veggies.  

   The third space we worked on was the big cutting board area that sits on the counter right beside the stove.  There is a basket there that holds the current loaf of bread or package of bagels.  Next to it, is where I keep the container or tin that holds whatever our baking is for that day or week.   Duncan went and found the spreader he likes and moved it into the knife block so it would be close to the bread.  He also moved the peanut butter, the nutella and the jar of honey from the big pantry into the spice cupboard, "Because that makes it close to the bread for sandwiches".  And it really doesn't matter to me if the peanut butter and such is hanging out with the vinegars, the Worcestershire sauce and the spice jars, as long as he likes it.  

   The final leg of our lunch box pantry Reno was the lunch bags, water bottles and assorted containers needed for the actual packing part.  I have the lunch bags stored in the cupboard right near the big cutting board, and he thought that was great, but the water bottles should be there too, he told me.  So we moved them.  Next, Duncan went downstairs and a few minutes later reappeared with a plastic basket in his hands.  He proceeded to remove a variety of lunch containers from the drawer where we keep those sorts of things (as well as all the other smaller Tupperware type stuff, and assorted plastic plates and cups and extra bits for water bottles, sippy cup lids etc) and put them into the plastic basket.  He then stored the basket on the shelf below the lunch bags and water bottles.  Very impressive.  I didn't bother to ask him where we should store the half bag of potatoes, two red onions and the butternut squash that he had taken out of the cupboard to make room for the basket.  I guess that is my part of the re-organizing project.

    "Hey, Mum...Do you think I could make lunch?  Well, it could be kinda like a 'practice' lunch, just to make sure that everything has a good spot.  Can I?"

"Sure. As long as you eat everything you make."

Tomorrow, I owe you all the recipe for the Ginger Molasses cookies!

Until then, happy packing!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe was once a recipe that I asked for from my mother-in-law...because my husband loved these cookies so much.  She got it from her Aunt Mabel...So, in my recipe binder, we call them "Aunt Mabel's oatmeal cookies-sort-of"...The original recipe started out with quick oats, a cup of brown sugar (for 18 cookies!), white flour and a half a cup of shortening.  (ew...butter, I have no problem with, butter is real!  Shortening, that doesn't need to be refrigerated ever??  Just wrong!  Although, I confess I do eat oreo cookies sometimes...I just try not to think about that part!)

So, after years of playing with the recipe...Here is what we have come up with!

Aunt Mabel's Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (sort-of)
Makes 30 lunchbox size cookies
Preheat oven to 350F,  set oven racks in bottom 1/3 and top 1/3 of the oven, line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2 cups large flake oats
1/2 cup skim milk powder
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter (room temperature)
1/4 cup smooth unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup liquid (water, milk, soy milk, evap milk)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup unsweetened dried cranberries
1 oz block bittersweet chocolate shaved into the batter at the end

Combine oats and skim milk powder, set aside.  Combine other dry ingredients in separate bowl, set aside.  In bowl stand mixer, combine brown sugar and butter, mix until light and fluffy (medium speed).  Add applesauce and continue mixing well.  Add egg and vanilla, and beat until light and fluffy.  Add half dry ingredients, and mix until well combined.  Add half oat mixture and mix until just combined.  Add 1/8 cup of liquid, mix until combined.  Add remainder of dry and oat mixtures, mix until combined , add remaining liquid, mix 30 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer stand and stir in chocolate chips, cranberries and chocolate shavings.
  Using small food scoop (or tablespoon), drop cookie dough onto lined sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart (12-16 on each sheet).
Bake 12 minutes (rotating sheets at 6 minutes).
Will keep in airtight container 3-4 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.
Enjoy!

Happy Packing!

Was that really the best price?

Ah, another impending trip to the grocery store.  It involves the usual chores of checking the fridge, the pantry, the freezer and the opinions of other household members (the cat's request was that Grandma and Grandpa's dog be removed from the house and returned to wherever she came from...apparently, he wants to go back to eating on the floor and hanging out in the big play room during daycare time...In a few days, Emmy, it will all be back to normal, and you can run away from the lego cars to your heart's content...In the meantime, go back to enjoying your newfound Cat-tertainment of the fish swimming in the aquarium)...But I digress...
   When it comes to packing lunches, in our house, we try and take a "litterless" approach whenever possible.  Sandwich boxes (I like the Lunchbots stainless steel ones), thermoses, containers for yogurt and cookies, carrot sticks and dip, water bottles.  You know the drill.  We have some great sandwich containers: beyond the stainless steel Lunchbots, we also have Tupperware sandwich boxes, and some snackTAXI's.  They are great when you need to take your lunch, but don't want to carry around the bulky box afterwards.  They are fabric velcro closing snack or sandwich bags (2 sizes), that have a nylon easy-to-clean lining.  All great gear for saving on garbage creation and for saving money.  Saving money, because we all know that it is cheaper to make your own snacks and pack them than it is to let someone else pack them and sell them to you prewrapped and then boxed up in groups of  5 or 6 or 24!  However, while I stand firm on the pre-packaged "Lunchables" or lean cuisine type meals, I do give in and stock (both for their enjoyment and my sanity) cheese strings or Babybels, applesauce, granola bars and small yogurts (the deal being that the yogurt and applesauce containers have to only be used for lunches and that the empty containers come home to be washed and used for daycare paints, glue or other craft helper uses).
    So, I did a little homework this week and investigated where you get the best value for your dollar (and your nutrition) when buying the standard lunchbox fillers.  The yogurt was the easy one:  watch for the sales, as long as you have a few different brands that your family will eat, and aim not to pay more than 0.50 per serving.  Most yogurts are the same, when you compare similar fat contents.That and the sugar content, those are the decisions that you have to make for your family.  The ideal being about 2% mf (for younger children or teens who are maintaining a healthy weight, go 1% or no fat for adults), and the lower the sugar the better, staying away from artificial stuff.  Best is creating your own: plain yogurt and adding your own fresh or frozen fruit, and using honey or maple syrup as your sweetener (if you brought back a bottle of vanilla extract from your last trip to Mexico, add that too!  Mmmmm!).  Bottom line, the less ingredients in your yogurt, the better, both health-wise and taste-wise.  However, if your family will only eat somebody's 2% fruity yogurt, go for it and feel good that they are eating yogurt.  Yogurt (plain or fruit filled) will give your loved one a serving of dairy (and for your kids, that means you are only looking for one or two more servings to meet the RDA).
   Granola bars is another one: we buy Nature Valley crunchy ones or the Kashi chewy ones (altho these are probably the most expensive if you go regular price).  Comparing sizes and prices and nutrition values, Kashi gives you the best bang for your buck.  The key?  The same as the yogurt: the fewer ingredients on the list, the better.  And the Kashi ones had no added palm oil, and I could pronounce and recognize everything on the ingredient list.  However, regular price around here, they go for 4.99 a box (so 6 bars), when you compare with other store brands, you can get the same number of bars for half the price.  The Nature Valley crunchy bars (the ones in the green package containing 2 bars), sell at reg price around here for 3.99 a box, but regularly go on sale for 2 for 5.00 or even 1.99 a box.  They too have a reasonable ingredient list (pronounceable and recognizeable), and average about 4g of fat per bar (so 8 per package).  My suggestion?  Buy what your kids will eat (because it's no deal if it goes in the garbage), but stay away from long ingredient lists (and I won't mention the one big name that I left off of here, that tends to be a big seller because they advertise that they have "Peanut Free" bars...they are filled with puffed rice and all kinds of other ingredients...their bars are smaller than both the other brands I mentioned earlier and when you compare same size servings, they have more fat and sugar, and less fibre).
   The third and last item I compared was Applesauce...Unsweetened (albeit they make a variety of mixed flavours like berry apple and peach apple etc)...Motts, Presidents choice and Compliments (owned by Sobeys) were the three brands of applesauce cups I compared, all unsweetened, and all offered similar nutritional information.  The big thing for me was that as far as I could tell, both Presidents Choice and Compliments are really Leahy (available some places as Applesnax).  Mott's is a US company that began in New York State as a Cider company.  It has been through a variety of changes over the 100 plus years of existance and is now owned by Cadbury-Schweppes out of England.  See their website for more info http://motts.com/ 
Leahy is a Canadian company, based in Franklin, Quebec.  Growing up in the Chateauguay Valley, Franklin was (and still is) "Apple Country", and therefore close to my heart.   Leahy offers both organic and regular unsweetened apple products (both of which are available as Compliments and Presidents Choice across Canada), and are made with Canadian apples.  Price-wise, both of the store brands are slightly less expensive than the name brand, altho Motts is the one available at Costco. Both of the store brands are availabe in larger jars (700ml) and if you go to Zellers, you can find Applesnax (Leahy) in both organic and regular unsweetened varieties in the large jars.
So, while Motts may be the name brand on the shelves, in this case my heart is with the store brands, and my daughter's taste buds are too. 
To read more about Leahy, http://applesnax.com/EN-CA/index.html
The Leahy company is also Apple Boost another interesting concept:
http://www.appleboost.com/index.php

Now, to get back to that grocery list!  But first, take Grandma and Grandpa's doggy for a walk!
Happy Packing!