Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred Seventy Seven (Forks Over Knives: Day Three, No Cheating)

Thanks to Netflix, we saw the documentary Forks over Knives.  It told us what we suspected.  Made us feel guilty for many foods we eat.  And, motivated us to make some dietary changes - at least until we can't stand them anymore or run out of ideas, or worse, get really grumpy.

So, the synopsis is this: meat is evil; red meat is the worst; animal based products are bad; give up your beloved cheese, eggs, and butter.  People who eat animal based diets have higher rates of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and all the horribles that haunt those who consume products made by or with fellow creatures that once breathed.

Man! That is a harsh pill to swallow.  What if we have just a little meat?  A little cheese?  Our beloved eggs in the morning and cream in our coffee?  What if we just cut out some, but not all those animal based products?

Apparently, the real deal is that we are supposed to go cold turkey.  Cold Turkey?  More like Cold Kale.

We were ready to introduce this change to our daily routine. Tim did the shopping.  I did the cooking.  Lots of green stuff, beans, rice, and veggies in our fridge and cupboards.  I cheated on Day One - eating my friend's baked chicken that he did not eat while visiting him as he was recuperating from surgery at the hospital.  How could I possibly admit to my family that, in my desperation, I ate chicken from hospital fare?   I cheated also on Day Two, even though I did make enough rice and beans the night before to last a week.

The rice and black beans were not finished until late night because I did not anticipate the 4 hours of cooking after the eight hours of soaking.   So, we had them for a late night snack, for breakfast the next day, and for dinner the following evening.  The family was being surprisingly cooperative at dinner facing beans and rice again, but were looking a bit forlorn.

Enter cheat number two.  More poultry.  We happened to have some chicken in the fridge so I sauteed it up with some olive oil, garlic, and wine.   Everyone was happy with the addition of the poultry because the steady diet of beans and rice was causing slight gastric distress in all of us.  Day two was a semi-success.

So tonight, day three, we all sighed at the thought of consuming anything that contained beans.  Yet, I was resolute not to cheat again.

As I looked at a beautiful bunch of dark green kale that Tim brought home like a bouquet of flowers (thanks honey, so beautiful!), I prayed for my culinary instinct to divine something to me.  My prayers worked.  All I needed was a little organic tofu, some nuts, and some tasty oils (probably against the diet...but, heck, I needed some tools).   Here it is. Forks Over Knives, Day Three - No Cheating.

Ingredients and Directions

Make a cup and half of rice, according to instructions - organic brown rice is recommended, but if you are pressed for time (as we were), use white rice.

One large bunch kale, de-stemmed, rinsed, and chopped and half chopped onion.  Saute onion and kale in frying pan with freshly minced garlic (crushed with a mortar and pestle), extra virgin olive oil (about 1/4 cup), 2-4 TBL of organic toasted sesame seed oil, and salt to taste.   Saute until onions are soft and kale is limp.  Set aside.

Take one pound of organic extra firm tofu, and cut into equal size chunks.  Coat thoroughly with organic spelt.  Heat about 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil in a separate stainless steel frying pan.  As soon as the oil is heated, add coated tofu.  Cook until brown on all sides.  Add about 2TBL of toasted sesame seed oil.  Add about 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts.   Add kale, onion mix, and toss together.

Serve over rice.   DELICIOUS.

We did it.  We accomplished Forks over Knives, Day Three...

As noted by Tim, "Served with red wine, thank god, that hasn't been eliminated..."

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred Seventy-Six (Blizzard Blues: Spelt Blueberry Banana Muffins)

Blizzard Blues.

Experiencing a major blizzard in coastal Maine is a different experience than in the Big Apple. 

In Maine, Tim would have shoveled the drive and walkway, shoveled them again, shoveled them again, loaded wood in the woodstove, and we all would have hunkered down to stay snug in the house all day.  I probably would have baked something too. 

In NYC, we had no shoveling (except for digging a car out), have no woodstove, and had tickets to see Blue Man Group.  So, we hailed a cab, met some friends, and went to a very bizarre off-Broadway production.  A little loud for my taste.

But, the habits of Maine linger.  So before embarking on the Blue Man adventure, I felt compelled to make blueberry muffins– appropriate for a snowy blue-themed day.

Problem #1, there was no organic sugar in the house, and I was not about to use bleached white sugar, nor was I going to pay $7.99 for a pound and half of organic sugar at our local grocery store.

 

Spelt Blueberry Banana Muffins with Honey

Problem #2, we had very few blueberries, and as with the organic sugar, I was not going to pay triple for the convenience of buying them in our neighborhood.

Solution #1: create a recipe with honey

Solution #2: use blueberries in combination with some other fruit we have in the house: bananas!!

Here is a recipe for Blueberry-Banana Spelt Muffins – made especially to prevent stormy day blues, and to keep you from going bananas.

Blueberry-Banana Spelt Muffins – with no sugar

1 and 1/4 cups white spelt flour

1 cup whole spelt flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 TBL baking powder

1 cup buttermilk (made with 1 tbl fresh lemon juice and 1 cup milk, mixed and set aside for 10 minutes)

7 TBL honey

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup blueberries

1 and 1/2 ripe bananas

Combine dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.  In a larger bowl (I used the Kitchenaid), combine all the other ingredients, except the blueberries, and mix the dry into the liquid until blended.  Stir in the blueberries. 

Scoop enough batter to fill the muffin pans 3/4 way either lined with muffin papers or in well oiled muffin pans.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred Seventy-Four:(On Kids, College and Cakes)

Well, arriving home last night couldn’t have been any cuter. 

I came home slightly grumpy after a $300+ eye doctor bill because of some crazy astigmatism that I have – making the cost of the appointment and the contact lenses about a gazillion times more expensive than that for the normal far-sighted folks.

But, as I walked into the apartment, there was laughter and wafts of baking chocolate and perhaps an essence of alcohol?

This was truly a sight for sore eyes. 

My two oldest were in the kitchen baking together.  Emma wanted one of Spencer’s famous (at least in our household) cakes to bring back to college.  Spencer will use any excuse to make a cake, but this excuse was a good one, because he loves his big (albeit 6 inches shorter) sister.

What kind of cake for the college kids?  Well, of course it has to have chocolate, and maybe a little liquor.   Voila!  A spelt chocolate Kahlua cake.   

Tim, being the good dad and cautionary fellow he is, warned Emma not to give the cake to any of the drivers on the trek back to school.  I assured Tim that when baked, the liquor is baked off and so the cake would not be truly intoxicating, except maybe for its delicious taste.  Still, we got the assurance that the kids would not “eat and drive”.

Now, I was lucky to try the frosting, but the kids simply would not let me break into the cake to try it, so we will have to hear comments from the college kids way up North on how they rate it.

SPELT CHOCOLATE KAHLUA CAKE (adapted from cdkitchen.com and modified to be mostly organic, all natural, and without regular wheat)

INGREDIENTS:

Kahlua Chocolate Spelt Cake

3 eggs, separated

3/4 cup organic sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 cup light brown sugar packed

2 1/4 cups organic spelt flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 cup strong cold brewed coffee

3/4 cup Kahlua

Kahlua Frosting   (this was not the typical way Spencer likes to make frostings.  He usually does butter cream on the stove top, but he took the confectioners sugar short cut in order to make it in time for his sister’s departure to college)

6 tablespoons butter

1 pound of sifted powdered sugar

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tablespoons Kahlua

3 tablespoons hot coffee

DIRECTIONS:

Kahlua Chocolate Spelt Cake

Butter and flour 2 9” cake pans

(it is best to put fitted parchment paper on bottom of the buttered pan)

Preheat oven 350 F.

In a medium bowl, beat egg whites till frothy; then beat in sugar until stiff peaks forms. Set aside.

In a larger bowl (or in the KitchenAid Mixer if you have one), cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks one at a time.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking soda together. Add to creamed mixture alternately with coffee and Kahlua; blend well. Fold egg whites into batter.

Pour into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until done. Cool 10 minutes. Invert on wire rack.  Remove from pans. Cool before frosting.

Kahlua Frosting

In a large bowl, cream 6 Tbsp butter and a pound of confectioner’s sugar. Add 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 Tbsp Kahlua and 2-3 Tbsp hot coffee; beat until smooth.

Gently frost.

Lunch Box Chronicle Day One Hundred Sixty-Eight (In the Shadow of the Storm, Make, Bake, Eat Cookies)

This day is beyond surreal.  One of the largest natural disasters is about to hit NYC, and I'm waiting impatiently in my apartment for all hell to break loose.  All public transportation is closed - no subways, no buses, no rail service.  All flights are cancelled.  The threatened eleven foot water surges have caused the closure of the tunnels.  More than a quarter of a million people have been ordered to evacuate from their NYC homes.  

The talking heads on the t.v. are murmuring non-stop, holding on to swaying trees, sopping themselves, repeating to us again and again The Obvious.  This storm is going to be Big.  Bigger than Big.  How-to-survive messages from friends and family who are out-of-state and out-of-country are appearing on my Facebook, in my email, and through texts.  

All kids are home from school - indefinitely.  The apartment building has become a refuge for all the children, huddled together, roaming the halls and apartments as if the world belongs to them; playing make believe, and showing the adults that a hurricane is nothing but a chance for all kids to just be kids.

Somehow, this close living, the quick stop with neighbors to share goodies, the endless play of the kids in the building, the Super making storm preparations, all make this impending event seem less lonely, more communal, and perhaps safer.   But, what do I know?  It is only the shadow of the storm that has reached us thus far.

So, I retreat to doing what I do best in these situations - cooking, baking, and writing.   Here is a recipe to offer a little bit of calm before the storm.   

Whole Grain Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookies.

1 cup (2 sticks) of butter - REAL BUTTER softened

1 and 1/2 cups organic cane sugar (this stuff has sooo much flavor)

2 TBL pure molasses

1/2 teaspoon baking SODA

2 eggs

1 teaspoon REAL VANILLA 

1 1/2 cups organic whole spelt flour

1 cup organic white (sifted) spelt flour

12 ounces mini semi sweet Ghiradelli Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, beat butter until smooth.  Add sugar and  molasses.  Keep beating until smooth, add in eggs and vanilla.  Keep mixing.  In separate smaller bowl, mix together spelt flours and baking soda.    Beat flour mixture into butter mixture, slowly adding in the flour.  Stir in chocolate pieces.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake in 375 oven for about 10 minutes.  Because these are spelt, they tend to flatten out.  Done when edges are slightly brown.  Transfer to a wire rack for cooling.  

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred Sixty Two (Eggplant Whateva' Text Style)

This is called a text recipe. 


It is from a friend from whom I often request quick recipes.  I have modified it to make it slightly less criptic.  Hope you enjoy.


Message:  Any ideas for quick recipes with leftover fresh mozzarella and fresh ricotta?


Reply: peel slice eggplant....flour [with Vita Spelt] and egg the slices...fry lightly in olive oil...drain...place pomi [homemade tomato sauce] in pan....layer in cheeses [fresh mozzarella, fresh ricotta from Teitel!]...eggplant...top off with pomi,grated cheese and mozzarella...cover and cook slowly or put bake pan in oven (at 350F for about 20-30 minutes)....bon apitito.

Reply:  TY Wz Gd, CU later.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred Sixty One (Popeye Strikes Again!!)

Baked Farro with Fresh Ricotta and Mozzarella - Popeye Style - with Spinach

This weekend I visited one of my favorite stores in one of my favorite neighborhoods in one of my favorite cities....Teitels in Little Italy in the Bronx.  It was nice to have a new friend along - Tania - as we shared stories of parenting and the art of feeding our offspring.

As always, I loaded up on fresh made mozzarella (once you've had this stuff it is really hard to be satisfied by the mass produced supermarket variety), fresh ricotta, fresh parmesan and farro pasta.

I decided to make a new old time favorite - baked penne - but this time with a little influence from an old old time favorite - Popeye.   Baked pennette with spinach!

Ingredients:

One organic onion (finely chopped)


8-10 crimini mushrooms (thinly sliced)

4-5 cloves of garlic (finely chopped or minced with salt)

1/4 – 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Pomi – crushed tomatoes – all natural, no citric acid – in a carton (no BPA in packaging).  Soon you will be able to buy this on our website.

1-2 Teaspoons of Sea Salt (also soon to be available on our website)

Ground pepper to taste


1 TBL Organic sugar (optional)

1/2 bunch fresh spinach, carefully cleaned and rinsed with water and vinegar.  Coarsley chopped. 

One packages of FARRO pasta which you can now purchase at the Spelt Right store. 

1/2 small container of whole milk ricotta

One half to one pound of natural mozzarella (shredded or pulled apart)

Instructions:

Place chopped onion and garlic in olive oil in large stainless steel pan. Saute until onions are brown. Add mushrooms Saute until browned. Add Pomi tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Add one teaspoon of organic sugar if desired. Stir all ingredients. Cook on medium low for 20-25 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Add chopped basil.

In the meantime, boil and drain Farro Pasta according to instructions on panel. Rinse, and then toss with extra virgin olive oil to keep from sticking.

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a 9 inch glass baking dish, spread a little of the sauce on the bottom to keep the pasta from sticking. In the sauce pan, toss the pasta sauce and pasta. When thoroughly tossed, place the pasta in the baking dish. Fold in the ricotta.  Fold in the spinach. Then sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake until bubbling on top. 

This meal was DEVOURED.  Can you imagine if we had Popeye to dinner?

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred Fifty-Seven (On Cellular Memory and My Grandfather's Cuisine)

Is there such a thing as a cellular memory in which your body, heart, and soul remembers something, not because you personally have ever had the experience to remember, but somewhere in your ancestral past, someone that preceded you, had the experience and your body remembers it?

Bizarre, no? But, I swear I have had this experience with food, and I witnessed something similar with my youngest daughter.

Several years ago, I frequented a now closed Persian restaurant in Portland, Maine, and had a dish that I had never tasted before – Fesenjan. I was immediately taken by the first bite. I absolutely loved it! Despite never having tasted anything like this before, it tasted like home, transported me back in time, and created a sense of déjà vu.

It was a Mediterranean dish made with ground walnuts, pomegranate paste, onions, sugar, salt and pepper blended together. I couldn’t get enough. I was enthralled; I brought my 8o year old mother to the restaurant to sample the dish. “Mom, try this. It is so good.” She tasted it and gave me this faraway look, “Yes, yes,” she said, “I know this dish, my papa use to make it; he brought the recipe from the old country.”

But, her papa had died years before I was born, and I never met him. The recipe was lost with him. My mother did not carry that recipe forward. It was something tucked away in the past. “But, mom,” I protested, “How come you never made this for me?” She lamented, “With 9 kids in the house during the Depression, we needed to stay out of the kitchen and leave the cooking to mama and papa. When I was older, I learned a few recipes, but not this one.”

Now having tasted Fesenjen, it was a part of my present sense. I wanted it again, but the Persian restaurant closed, and I became wrapped up in daily life, and the longing for the taste was tucked away.

Yet, last month, my recent memory was sparked, and my cellular memory went into overdrive when I happened upon a bottle of pomegranate paste in an international grocery store. “I’ve got to have that bottle!” I proclaimed to my business partner. A little perplexed, and slightly amused, he took out $5 to buy the bottle of the mystery syrup, the likes of which he had never previously seen.

I scanned the internet and found a recipe for Fesenjen. I was worried that my expectations would not be met, but I made the dish, tasted it with delight, and gave it to my family with great anticipation as to what they would think of this exotic dish. 

The appearance is brown and grainy with a tart, sweet, and tangy flavor. Certainly, something that typically does not appeal to the average American kid.

And yet, when 9 year-old Olivia gave it a try, her face lit up. “This is one of the best things I have ever tasted!” It was as familiar and comforting to her as a hug from a grandparent or a great grandparent. She knew this taste; she loved this taste; but she only now first experienced it. Like I did several years earlier, she too was experiencing a cellular memory of her ancestral past.

And, here is the recipe for generations to come, borrowed from Whats4Eats website.

http://www.whats4eats.com/poultry/fesenjan-recipewebsite.

4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• Butter or oil -- 1/4 cup (I used extra virgin olive oil)

• Chicken, cut into serving pieces -- 2 1/2 to 3 pounds (I used boneless chicken)

• Onions, thinly sliced – 2 (I chopped the onions finely)

• Walnuts, finely ground in a food processor -- 2 cups

• Stock or water -- 1 1/2 to 2 cups (I suggest the lesser amount)

• Pomegranate syrup or molasses -- 2/3 cup

• Sugar -- 1-3 tablespoons

• Salt and pepper -- to taste

Method

1. Heat the butter or oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium flame. Add the chicken pieces a few at a time and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and set aside.

2. Add the onions to the pot and sauté until translucent.

3. Stir in the ground walnuts and stock or water and return the browned chicken pieces to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Stir in the pomegranate juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for another 15-20 minutes until the chicken is tender, the sauce is somewhat thickened and the walnuts begin to give off their oil. Adjust seasoning and serve with plain white rice.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred Fifty-Two (I should NEVER forget how much I love my kids!)

It took an inquiry from Jim, a good friend visiting from Maine, to bring my attention to a poem that 9 year old Olivia had written. "Beth, did you see this?" "No, Jim. I haven't had time."

Then, I realized it was not because Olivia didn't try to show it to me, but that I scooted her away one too many times. "I'm too busy Olivia! Can you play in your room while mom makes dinner, does the dishes, does the laundry, cleans out the cat litter, works on her business, works on her business, works on her business." Gulp! In my rush to be everything, I neglected to see some of the most beautiful things right in front of my eyes. My children. Gulp, again!

Little Olivia is a force of her own. She is a talented writer, has a keen sense of justice ("it isn't fair!!!") and an independent mind. Do NOT expect silence if you cross Olivia. She will give you a piece of her mind...and then some.

But, she is also a kind hearted trooper. She has been trudging along since she was 5 watching as mom often disappeared for what seemed like endless moments into the morrows of her business - day after day, morrow after morrow. Sometimes, it just hurts. She told me so.

But, she also expresses how proud she is. "My mom invented something. She created Spelt Right." And, she says that with pride, even though under her breath she grumbles about that demanding sibling - the one that doesn't talk back, or poke fun, but the one that grabs mom's attention, moment after moment, day after day, 'morrow after 'morrow.

Like with any sibling rivalry, there is love there too. And, in the piece that Jim discovered crumpled on the couch, Olivia expressed her love for that sibling.

Here's her poem.

"Spelt....what is spelt? Spelt, is not smelt or some sort of felt, its a grain a healthy scrumptious grain. Spelt is easier to DYGEST and here is the rest. No more stomach aches and no more pain just as long as you eat this grain. How can I get spelt product? Here's how. Just go to wwww.speltrightbaking.com now!" Olivia

No recipe with this post. Just a hug and kiss and a squeeze for Olivia - today, tomorrow, and forever.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred Forty-Seven (Santa Sal - Tradition)

Sal has the names of each of his children tattooed with pride on his arm. Maria, his ex-wife, is tattooed there too. Not only is she still present on his arm, but also in the front end of Sal’s Pastry Shoppe. Maria greets each customer with love and pride, as if each one is as precious as her offspring who are laboring in the back with their father. “Cannoli, tiramasu, struffoli? What would you like, honey? They are all delizioso; Sal and my sons make them.”

Sal, direct from Italy, has been baking for 40 of his 52 years. “Not no one knows how to make the bread or the pastries like Sal does.” This is not arrogance, it’s pride; it’s true; don’t mess with the maestro. Just as the famous Italian violinist Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) became one with his violin, Sal, of the same romantic origin, becomes one with his bread. “You must understand the dough; observe it; listen to it; feel it.” The message is clear. A recipe is meaningless without engaging all of yourself, all of your senses, and the sixth sense of intuition into the dough.

The back of the bakery is the training ground for Sal and Maria’s sons, Salvatore, Jr. and Dominic. Sal, Jr., the eldest, has taken on his father’s love of baking. In fact, Sal's Pastry Shoppe is owned by Sal, Jr. An impressive endeavor for a 20-something.

Better than any cake boss, he is the “Prince of Specialty Cakes”. The first time I met him, he honored me with a picture album of the works of art he creates for all occasions: playgrounds, sports fields, crosses, dradles, baby carriages, wedding cakes, all edible, all individual, all made with the precision of a mathematician. Uncle Frank beams, “the kid is a math whiz, you know.” Sal, Jr.’s math acumen is evident by the symmetry and artistry of his creations.

As we continue to knead the test batch of spelt bread, Dominic, the youngest says to me “Maine? That’s where you are from? I love Stephen King.” “Stephen King?” I inquire, “You must love to read, and love horror too?” “Yes, I am a writer.” Dominic’s revelation brings a smile to my face; it explains the drawing of caricatures in the office. Sal, Jr. drew a likeness of Dominic with the phrase “I AM A WRITER”. Dominic drew a picture of Sal, Jr. “I AM A BAKER.”

Dominic has written a few screenplays; some horror in the tradition of Stephen King; some comedy in the tradition of life. He studied at the New York Film Academy. “It’s hard to be recognized in that business.” Dominic said. “Yes, Dominic,” I replied, “It’s hard to be recognized in any business.” But, Dominic, Sal Jr., Uncle Frank and I all have something to learn from Sal, Sr., we just need to keep working at it – using all of our senses – becoming one with what we do.

Sal’s Pastry Shoppe, a beautifully complex tiny world, spins with family, love, passion, tradition, and hard work. Whether creating tiramasu, spelt bread, 12 layer cakes, or screenplays, a few things remain true, we must persevere, hold on to our dreams, hope for a little luck, and being thankful for those who spin into our tiny worlds to help us keep our passions alive.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred Forty-Two (Special Person Day: Banana, Applesauce, Orange Juice Spelt Cake)

This special recipe is for special person day.  

Last week we had special person day for the 4^th graders at Olivia’s school.

She had a hard time choosing between her dad and me, but finally came to the conclusion that we both warranted a “special person” title.   I felt privileged!  As special people, we were treated to a personalized reading session, a tour of the classroom, and being served treats by our daughter.  I was moved that the feature in Olivia’s Newspaper was about Spelt Right Baking Company.  Despite her protestations about the time I spend on the company, there seems to be a special place in her heart for this  family endeavor. 

 All in all it was a pretty special day.

Here is the cake we made for special person’s day. 

Banana, applesauce, orange juice spelt cake.  So moist!

1/2 cup soft butter

1 cup brown sugar (we use organic)

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups whole grain VITA SPELT flour
1 teaspoon aluminum free baking soda

1/4 cup orange juice

1-2 ripe bananas

1/2-3/4 cup applesauce (we used this because we ran out of bananas and it turned out to be a fantastic modification to the recipe)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs.  Add dry ingredients, and then mix in mashed bananas, applesauce and orange juice.   Mix well.  Bake in 9 x 12 well butter glass pan, or in loaf pan.  Bake for 30-40 minutes in glass pan or 45 min-1hr in loaf pan.  Enjoy!   This is really really moist, and surprisingly light for a whole grain cake.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred Forty One (Back-to-School One Day Special: Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookies with Splash of Kahlua)

BACK-TO-SCHOOL creates an urgency to buy new clothes, sharpen pencils, and make cookies!

Yet, this back-to-school mode was of the “one day only” variety, kind of like a quick sale.  

"One Day Sale – Get A Pair of 50 Dollar Jeans for Only 10 Dollars – but ONE DAY ONLY!  Hurry in quickly, before you lose your chance!"

That was our back-to-school event.  One day only.  

Hurry in quickly, or nothing will get done around the house, including making those cookies for school lunches. But why worry about school lunches?  We won’t need them for another 4 days, because the kids are on vacation again.

Not only is this schedule throwing off my equilibrium, it just ain’t fair!

Although Hurricane Irene did not pack a hard punch in our town, her impact is nonetheless being felt.  School opening was delayed for a day, which meant that the elementary schoolers were back to school for a day on Thursday until vacation started again Friday.  No school again until Tuesday.

This Labor Day schedule is causing more labor for me.  What’s the point, really? Please?  Why the false start?

No time to complain; just make the cookies before the kids get home and vacation starts - again.  

Here’s a delicious recipe made with100% whole grain – my guess is that they will be devoured just in time for school to start – again.

Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Splash of Kahlua

1 cup (2 sticks) of butter - REAL BUTTER softened

1 and 1/2 cups organic cane sugar (this stuff has sooo much flavor)

2 TBL pure molasses

1/2 teaspoon baking SODA

2 eggs

1 teaspoon REAL VANILLA – (I used 1 TBL Kaluha because I was out of vanilla)

2 1/2 cups organic whole spelt flour

12 ounces all natural chocolate chips (semi-sweet)

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, beat butter until smooth.  Add sugar and  molasses.  Keep beating until smooth, add in eggs and vanilla.  Keep mixing.  In separate smaller bowl, mix together spelt flours and baking soda.    Beat flour mixture into butter mixture, slowly adding in the flour.  Stir in chocolate pieces.

Whole Grain Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookies

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake in 375 oven for about 10 minutes.  Because these are spelt, they tend to flatten out.  Done when edges are slightly brown.  Transfer to a wire rack for cooling.   YUM!!

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred and Twenty (Spelt Coffee Cake the Answer to an April Fool's Snowstorm):

It just AIN'T fair.  Finally, we saw a glimpse of spring.  The brown beaten wet grass in our front lawn and the last remnants of polluted snow banks littered with tar and sand all sang the notes of spring to us.  We could hear it!  The kids even got to take out their bikes for a day or two.  The cats started choosing the out-of-doors, rather than their litter box, to deposit their cat duties.  It was glorious!

But, that all changed.  April 1, 2011, the day that makes us all FOOLS, brought us a whopper of a snowstorm.  School was cancelled, roads were too slick to drive anywhere, and Olivia - now almost 9 - was BORED out of her mind.

"Ahh, honey, please let me get just a little more shut eye...we can rest, stay in, keep on  our jammies."  No doing for this kid.  She was BORED, is BORED, and will forever be BORED, unless we figure something for her to do.

Well, I was NOT going outside.  I've had it.  I am not built for cold, but for some reason, I was born into a 4 season climate with long winters, and moved to 4 season climate with longer winters.  What's the matter with me?  I need to go south.  It is in my blood.

So, what to do?  Well, this almost 9 year old is an excellent reader, and an even better speller.  Just ask her?  How to you spell...PHENOMENAL...well, she'll tell you, and then tell you some more.

I said, let's make cookies...She suggested something better.  COFFEE CAKE...."O.K., Olivia, you get out the cookbook, follow the directions, and get to work."  And, that is what she did.   We modified the recipe just a bit to use spelt instead of wheat, and to make our own sour milk with milk and fresh squeezed lemon.  The result was an absolutely decadent coffee cake - phenomenal in fact.  The problem is our family of 5 ate the entire cake (with a few pieces to spare for some special friends) in less than a day.  Great cake, but we'll make this baby only once a year.  Too much sugar and fat for our daily intake...but once in a while, especially on such a FOOLISHLY snowy April's day, it is the perfect treat.

 Ingredients:
1 and 1/2  cups VITA SPELT organic white spelt flour
1 cup organic VITA SPELT whole spelt flour
1 and 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2/3 cup BUTTER
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon all spice
2 beaten eggs
1 and 1/3 cups of milk with 1-2TBL freshly squeezed lemon juice (let sit for at least 5 minutes)
1 cup chopped nuts (we used a mix of pecans and walnuts)
1-2 TBL organic molasses (optional)

Butter a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish. Set aside.
In a medium bowl. combine flour and brown sugar.  Cut in butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.  Set aside 3/4 of a cup for topping.
Stir in baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and all spice into remaining crumb mixture.
In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk and lemon.  Add wet mixture to dry and mix together.  Pour batter into prepared baking dish.  Combine nuts with reserved crumb mixture, drizzle in molasses.  Mix together in crumb form and then sprinkle over batter.
Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

ENJOY!!!  Eat as you watch the snow gently coat the escaping vestige of spring.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred and Nineteen: ADHD and Hyperactivity in Kids. Help us Spread the Word!

Great news!  The FDA has just announced that it is considering banning certain food dyes (specifically Red 40 and Yellow 5), because of a possible connection between the consumption of these additives and hyperactivity in children.

Of course, this isn't news to us.

We've been talking/writing/blogging about this issue for years ever since our son began experiencing health and behavioral problems when he was 3 or 4 years old.

Those of you who have followed our son's story know that he is now a healthy, thriving 13-year old. But that wasn't always the case. When he was younger, his health and behavioral issues were so severe that doctors suggested he had everything from ADHD to Asperger's Syndrome.

And every diagnosis came with a drug solution.  HOGWASH!

We weren't buying it. Instead, we started paying close attention to the relationship between what he ate, and how he behaved. It took us several years to figure it all out, but by eliminating artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners, along with removing industrial wheat from his diet (and adding in spelt), we were able to completely turn his health and behavior around.

No drugs. Just good - and real - food.

So we couldn't be happier to hear that the FDA is finally catching up with Spelt Right on the issue of synthetic food additives and their negative effects on our kids.

This is such an important issue - Please help us spread the word!

Also, check out some of our past articles on the relationship between synthetic food additives and hyperactivity in kids.

Down East Article on Spelt Right and Its Mission

http://www.feastnh.com/articles/900538-236/womans-use-of-spelt-in-sons-diet.html?CSAuthResp=1234%3A%3A5000%3A1%3A24%3Aapproved%3A0F4585785573305EC4153626DBD917C5

So, here is picture of the kid, now 13, additive free for 6 years, always

 drug free, all natural diet, and one of the sweetest brightest folks I know.  

He is an incredible chef.  Last night's dinner was made completely 

by Spencer.  Marinated beef tips with a reduction sauce, sauteed tofu, 

tons of garlic, fresh veggies, special homemade sauces, all in a stir fry. 

 Diet change has been worth every moment.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Sixty-Seven (We're back!!)

Well, we survived our first attempt at the Fancy Food Show and thank McMahon's Farms for inviting us into their vendors' booth.  We were so busy just meeting and greeting and sampling that we hardly had a moment to check out the thousands of other vendors there.  Overall, it was a good first experience for us, though we did leave with ideas on how to make it better next year.

As always, we find NYC exhilarating, exhausting, frustrating, magnetic.   We love visiting with our relatives and friends (thank you both Mickey and Alissa for separate nights out at Turkish restaurants - one on the East Side and one on the West).  And, we thank Erica and Jim for making it possible to be in the City without Olivia....And, we thank our friends of friends of friends' friends who toured Spencer around the City while we worked the show.

After our six hour return drive, we came home to a house that was depleted of the fixins' for dinner, but somehow I cobbled together a meal with grass fed beef burgers, pita made Spelt Right dough, assorted lettuces from Tim's backyard garden, olives from Cortas Lebanese foods (I love Cortas brands and I actually got to meet the Cortas family at the Fancy Food Show), spelt focaccia strips, some left over cheese hiding in the fridge, and my almost famous three bean salad. Recipe to be provided at a later date.

Overall, not a bad meal for slim pickins', but as for a recipe...you're just going to have to think creatively with the list I provided.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Special Post about an Exceptional Child!

We love connecting with our Spelt Right customers.  And, yesterday, I heard from Linda, an on-line customer from NJ,  that her family is ready to place another "stock up" order until they make another trek north to Maine.   Several members in Linda's family have Lyme's disease and they have to be very careful about their diets as foods can either help or severely aggravate their symptoms.   Spelt is one of those special foods that this incredible family can eat.  Myles, their 10 year old, entered the MBL Jackie Robinson Breaking Barriers Essay Contest this year.  As a 4th grader, he won second place in a context with more than 9,000 applicants nationwide.  He wrote about the barriers he faces with Lyme's disease.

With the permission of his mother, I am reprinting his essay here.  I had my children read it.  It is moving and inspiring.  If your kids are like mine and complain about such things as not having enough t.v. time, have them read Myle's essay.  He has the perspective of one much older than his years. I've also linked one of the many articles that was written about Myles and his essay.  Enjoy and be inspired!

MY FIGHT WITH LYME DISEASE

By Myles Hutcherson

4^th Grade

Mrs. Corrynn Ross

West Freehold Elementary School

Freehold, NJ 07728

"My name is Myles Hutcherson and I am a ten year-old boy from Freehold, NJ.  I have faced many barriers in my short life just like Jackie Robinson.  The biggest barrier I have faced though is having Lyme Disease.  Lyme is a disease you get from being bit by a tick.  When my family lived in Massachusetts, I got Lyme.  My mom and brother have it too but I think I have it the worst of everyone.  Lyme affects your whole body and everyone reacts differently.  For me, Lyme has been really tough. It makes me really tired and weak.  Sometimes, I can barely even get out of bed.  It also, makes you ache all over.  My knees and arms always hurt.  Most of all for me, Lyme means I am restricted from eating certain foods.  If I eat regular sugar, flour, or other processed foods, I get really sick.  My body will break out in a rash, I have difficulty breathing and all of my symptoms get way worse.  This is really hard because when I am at school or at holidays and they have parties or celebrations I have to watch everyone else eat sweets, while all I can eat are the foods my parents make for me that don't make me sick.  I have been on a strict diet since I was four years old which is when I was diagnosed with Lyme.  My family has been really supportive of me.  My mom makes special foods for me so I can enjoy the parties like the other kids.  My dad is a really good cook and he learned to make all of our favorite foods with ingredients that I can eat so we can continue to enjoy all the great recipes the family likes.  Again, we will not let Lyme ruin our lives.  We will continue to persist, never give up and always keep a positive outlook.  Now that I know I have Lyme, I have to take lots of medicine everyday and every night.  It took a long time for doctors to know what was wrong with me.  Most doctors don't believe that Lyme Disease is even real or if they do, they think it is no big deal.  Because of this, they usually don't believe you when you say you are really sick. Sometimes my friends don't believe me either.  They think because you look healthy and don't have to be in the hospital that you aren't really sick.  Trust me, I am.  My mom works really hard to keep me healthy so she joined the board of the Lyme Disease Association.  Now she does lots of research to get a better understanding of what causes Lyme and how best to treat it.  I am really thankful for my family because they have kept me going through a really tough struggle.

My favorite sports are baseball and basketball.  I always work really hard to get better and try to participate as much as I can.  Unfortunately, it is really tough with Lyme because you get really tired and sick and sometimes I just can't go on.  Even though it is hard, I don't let it get me down.  I fight through the pain and sickness.  I won't ever let Lyme beat me.  During my baseball and basketball seasons, I have to take more breaks than the other kids.  Sometimes, I can't get to practice or the games because I am too sick.  Even though my teammates sometimes don't understand and think I am weak, I don't get mad at them because they just don't understand.  I keep a positive attitude and still try to endure the pain to help my teams win.  Our AAU basketball team is really good and I am committed to helping my team get to AAU Nationals.  Even if we never make it, being a good teammate, a good friend, and the best player I can be is motivation enough for me to keep working no matter what Lyme does to me.

In school, I have tried to take responsibility for helping others understand Lyme and what it can do to you.  I have talked to my teachers, classmates, and friends about Lyme Disease and what you have to do to avoid it.  Also, I have talked to everyone about good nutrition and what you should eat to keep your body healthy.  Since I have had to eat really healthy since I was a young boy, I now know a lot about foods, nutritional values and how to stay healthy.  I have tried to pass that on to everyone I know so they too can be as healthy and fit as possible.  I can tell you for sure, if you have Lyme and you don't eat well, you will definitely get worse.  Trust me, I know.

Recently, I was diagnosed with another tick borne illness called Babesiosis.  It is another infection you get from the tick bite.  I didn't know I had it until recently.  This infection makes parasites in your body that eat all the nutrients you have.  The thing about Babesiosis is it makes everything worse.  Any symptoms you have will be twice as bad if you have this infection.  When I found out that I had Babesiosis I was so sad.  I thought to myself, "not another thing!" I couldn't believe it.  More medicine, more doctor visits, more blood tests.  Ughh!  After a few days though, I decided that this was just another challenge I had to face.  I wiped my eyes and decided at that point, this would not beat me.  I would continue to work hard, do great in school, educate everyone I could about Lyme and good nutrition and keep being a happy kid.  Even though I can't do all the things other kids can do, I have learned to accept all the things that are good in my life.  I know I have to make sacrifices that will keep me healthy.  While I used to get upset and down, I now stay positive and just feel thankful that I have such a great family, friends and teammates.

My life and challenges are similar to Jackie Robinson. Even though he had to endure racism, we are similar because we both wanted to do something we loved and there was something in our way trying to stop us.  Just like Jackie, I am not giving up.  He had to deal with people making fun of him, telling him he couldn't be successful and trying to keep him down.  Despite this, he kept a positive attitude, remained determined to be the best he could be, and never lost sight of his goals.  I use Jackie as a role model whenever I start to wonder if I can make it.  If he could, then I can too. 

Jackie also inspires me because I am a biracial boy who loves baseball and basketball.  I know that Jackie is the reason I can play sports.  His sacrifices and accomplishments have allowed me to be an athlete.  It motivates me to continue to work as hard as I can to achieve all of my goals.  I follow his example of being a great teammate, maintaining his commitment, remaining determined to achieve his goals, and showing courage to fight through whatever life put in front of him. 

My dad teaches me to live by the word P.R.I.D.E.  This word means, Positive mental attitude, Respect, Intelligent choices, Determination and Enthusiasm.  I use this as a reminder that "if you can see it, you can be it".  I bet Jackie did the same thing.

My name is Myles Hutcherson and I am a ten-year-old boy from Freehold, NJ.  Remember my name and remember my story.  I will never give up on my dreams and goals and I won't let Lyme Disease beat me." 

Below is an article in the June 3, 2010 of the Examiner in NJ
Article about Myles Hutcherson