School Lunch Nightmares!

To say school lunches in America are a horror show. I am talking about Rob Zombie level here. I am going to include two articles below on this issue. I will also include some easy fixes that may not require a microwave as some schools don’t have them. 

First, let’s look at the articles. This first article is originally from 2013 however, it’s still relevant. The lunches Maria Godoy featured were horror show ready. Something that looks like ground beef but not really. The pizza looks awful. I can remember the pizzas I had as a kid in school, yum. Taco Surprise was terrible. I guess the surprise will be if  you don’t get sick. Dear God, it can’t get any worst! 

Except it does. According to the second article details a misadventure involving raw chicken being served to kids at a school. Yeah! Hello 911 we have a problem. Was this a one time deal? NOPE! According to this article it’s an on going problem. The lunches at Soviet schools are far better than we have here. 

Here’s the solution: send your child(ren) to school with a lunch. Of course, you will have to find out what reasonable limits you will be operating under. I say reasonable limits because some schools are allowing teachers to go through little Johnny’s lunch bag and if there are chips or cookies, well that’s not allowed. The teacher has permission from the school to toss them. Also, food allergies are something we have to consider. Now you understand why people homeschool their kids. I do. 

Here are some links to check out: 

100+ Easy Lunchbox Ideas (With Free Mix and Match Printable!)

By Karen Shcravemade

100+ Easy Lunchbox Ideas (with free mix-and-match printable!)

Sweet Peas and Saffron

Denis is awesome and her meals are incredible. You are bound to find something that meets the requirements of your local school for home lunches.

https://www.youtube.com/c/SweetPeasSaffron

Here is my Pinterest.com link to my boards you can explore for ideas. 

References

Godoy, M. (2013, November 22). This Is What America’s School Lunches Really Look Like. NPR. Retrieved September 11, 2022, from https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/11/20/246400702/this-is-what-america-s-school-lunches-really-look-like

Plotka, M. (2022, March 11). Danville Middle, High School students say school served raw chicken for lunch; parents, restaurants step in. WAFF. Retrieved September 11, 2022, from https://www.waff.com/2022/03/12/danville-middle-high-school-students-say-school-served-raw-chicken-lunch-parents-restaurants-now-stepping/

Pre-Winter Inventory

It’s done! I have been working Summer on this inventory. And it’s finally done. The only things we need is Thai Long Grain Jasmine Rice, oatmeal, instant mashed potatoes and bread flour.

Bread is gettjng crazy expensive. The cheapest loaf at Kroger is $1.09. It’s gone from $.98 to $1.09. No! Walmart’s cheapest bread is $.98. This what we’ve been getting. However, Walmart is about a twenty minute drive in ice and snow. I will be making bread and freezing it.

Thai Jasmine long grain rice is awesome. Jasmine rice has a beautiful fragrance to it that no other rice has. So having different forms of Jasmine rice is a must here.

Oatmeal. You can do so much with it. Oatmeal is wonder food that has infinite possibilities to be used in.

Instant mashed potatoes. This is another wonder food. There’s so many potential uses for it. I have used instant mashed potatoes flakes in bread to create a soft bread that is divine. Like bitting into a cloud.

I almost forgot Mesca Harina for tamales. I can’t believe that I almost that. I have a bag of it right next to me.

Dad’s Creamy Cucumber Salad Recipe | Allrecipes

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/238423/dads-creamy-cucumber-salad/

I made a version of this salad today. Below are my substitutions I made.

The recipe calls for two cucumbers. I had a small box of baby cucumbers. I added carrots sliced with a Julienne device. I will be sharing this with y’all soon. I used an onion because I have them and they need to be used.

White vinegar. I didn’t have my white vinegar handy so I used Mirin instead. Dill is another thing I need to get so I used Greek Seasoning. Oh wow! It was absolutely wonderful. Keep in mind I used store brand mayonnaise. And store brand sugar. Perfectly fine.

This salad is one I’ll keep on hand forever. You could use the dressing with other versions.

Fall Cooking

Who out there is ready for Fall? After a long Summer, I am ready for Fall. In this quick post we’re going tske a peak at Fall flavors. The ones the I look forward to.

Pumkin Pie Spice (and Apple). This is a combination spices that screams Fall is here. Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cardamom. It’s just the scent of these call up memories of pies and apple butter. Here’s a link to a basic recipe for this mix.

Homemade Apple Pie Spice Mix

Holiday meals. Rosemary, sage, onion, garlic, and apples call up memories of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. Cranberry jelly I loved as a kid but can’t stand as an adult. Here’s a site with a basic list of herbs and spices to keep on hand.

Holiday Seasonings

Hot Chocolate. I grew up drinking hot choclate. Unfortunately it was the stuff you get in a box. 🤮 I know that’s a litte extreme but once you’ve had homemade hot chocolate, it’s hard to go back. I will give you a link to start with. Homemade Hot

Now I am putting the ball in your yard. What smells and foods scream of Fall for you? What are your memories of family traditions?

Harvest Season Begins

https://thefreerangelife.com/foods-water-bath-canner/

Alright y’all harvest season starts toward the middle to the end of this month. So for the next few Wednesdays exploring the possibilities. I hope y’all have a happy and great harvest.

Let’s look at some traditional ways of preserving. Canning is a popular method. There are so many flavors and directions one can go. If it’s pickles or pie filling waterbath is a great start. However, low acidic foods like potatoes or proteins should be pressure canned. The Amish use waterbath canners for everything. I don’t. Most non-Amish people will use a pressure canner.

Dehydrators. These are awesome to have. You can dehydrate many items. Fruit leather or veggies. Jerky is always a welcome treat.

Freeze Dryer. These are fairly new go home persevering. They use to be a large factory production. Not anymore.

Copycat Pad Thai

https://www.recipetineats.com/shrimp-prawn-pad-thai-spice-i-am-restaurant-easy-homestyle/

I love finding copycat recipes. Recipes that come from my favorite dishes to eat out I can make at home. Oh yeah!

Our girl Nagi nailed it. Not only did she nail a great recipe but she recoomends the cookbook from the owner of Spice I Am. That’s also the name of the cookbook. Alright, that’s it. I will stop here so you can hit the link and check out the cookbook. For those of you living in Sydney Australia, you know how awesome this place is. For the rest of us it’s got be on a bucket list.

Winterize Your Grill

https://www.thekimsixfix.com/2016/10/how-to-clean-and-winterize-gas-grill.html?m=1

It’s time to winterize your grill. Yep! Summer has come and gone. I certainly hope y’all were able to put sone grilled meats up for the winter in your freezer. If do it’s going to be awsome to pull out a rack of ribs you grilled up over the summer so you could enjoy them in the winter.

Alright, let’s get started. First if you have been diligent about kerpung your grill clean un between uses great. That will make this job easier. Get your favorite brand of cleaner for this job. Scrub outside first is what Kim in the article recommends. Personally? I would start imside and work out ward. Once you’ve got the racks placed back in the grill clean the outside.

If you have propane grill it is essential to make sure you turn off the tank. Then unhook the cord from the grill to the tank. Here’s another area where I disagree with Kim, once you have secured the tank, put it somewhere safe that no one will steal it. The cist if propane is gone through the roof. You may want to have a small shed that is well ventilated to store the tanks in. By no means should you ever put a tank in you basement or garage. They aren’t ventilated well enough to protect you from a leak. Of course, make sure the valve is closed on the tank.

Okay where to put the grill. Garage would be good. This dill protect the grill from the elements of winter. It’ll be waiting for you come summer.

Brazilian Kabobs

https://carlsbadcravings.com/brazilian-steak-kabobs-with-potatoes-peppers/

We are one day away from time to put the grills away for the Northern winter. So one last cookout and let’s leave an impression. The kind of meal that will leave your guests drooling all winter.

I have the Brazilian Steakhouse seasoning in this post above and OMG is it good. It’s awesome… Jen has great suggestions for these kabobs. We’re going to discuss some sides.

The cuisine of Brazil has been influenced by so many people across the world. Embrace that. How about a spaghetti salad. Yeah! You got veggies and pasta. A dressing made from oil and vinegar so no risk of it going bad. Veggie tray with chimichurri as a dipping sauce. Lime and cilantro rice.

As for dessert kerp it light and easy. Watermelon is always popular. Strawberries with balsamic vinegar dip is excellent.

Piri Piri Chicken Potato Skewers

https://hostthetoast.com/piri-piri-chicken-potato-skewers/

This is going to be a short post. Here’s why, these skewers (or kabobs) have such bright and bold flavors that they don’t need any description. Piri Piri sauce hails from Africa. It’s intense spice. Which is why it was named twice!

What to serve with it? Given the bold spicy flavors, the sudes should cool your palate. A French Potato Salad would be an excellent choice. Or a veggie plate with humus. Cucumbers are standard for some Southeast Asian Cuisines to help cool the palate.

Desserts should be simple. Put your time into the skewers. So buy a dessert of ice cream, cake or fruits.

Romesco Sauce

https://www.thekitchn.com/easy-romesco-sauce-recipe-23027442

Here is a wonderful sauce for everything that is used in Spain. They use it as a dipping sauce and as a condiment for meat or seafood. It couldn’t be easier. Put your ingredients in a processor and buzz till mixed.

How to use it? This sauce can be used with grilled meat (which is why I am sharing this), seafood and even n pasta dishes. Yeah! Why not? It’s tomato based and traditional Italian pasta sauces are tomato based.

What veggies will Romesco go with? Any of them. Romesco is such a great base sauce you can use to dip any veggie in it.

Is Romesco made the same all over Spain? I doubt it. You have regions with access to the Mediterranean sea. They will have access to different seafood so they are going to make their Romesco different from those who live up in the mountains. They will have access to a lot if land based meats. Also, they won’t have access to the same veggies that people on the coast have. The veggies won’t have any influence of sea salt and the microbial elements on the coast.

Folks on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees Mountains they share with France will have some elements of French herbs.

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