Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Sixty-One (Breakfast Made the Night Before)

OK,  I am slightly overwhelmed, but I'm not going into details.   Though, I have to admit I had a nice day relaxing at the beach with my neighbors and kids.   Here is a power breakfast made the night before for those mornings that you know will be overwhelming - like making a 5 hour plus trek with 6 in the Honda Pilot to a family reunion in Western Mass.  

Ingredients: One Spelt Right Pizza Dough fully thawed and risen.   Scramble eggs to your liking (I used 5 eggs, milk, salt and pepper), grate cheese (your choice, I used orange cheddar from Wisconsin).   Make the eggs and cheese the way you like them (I like them fluffy and scrambled with cheese).  Make about 6-10 rounds out of the pizza dough.   Fill dough with egg mixture.  Make triangles.  Bake at 375-400 until golden brown.  Put in fridge until the next day (can be frozen).  Heat in toaster oven or microwave.  It's a great tasting power booster.

You can make a bunch of these and freeze them and take them out for those crazy mornings.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Sixty (S'Mores Spelt Right)

Spencer and Olivia had been asking for Spelt Right S'Mores for s'me time.  Well, s'mores are made with graham crackers (quite a surprising history behind graham crackers - go ahead research it.  I'm too bashful to fill in the details here), chocolate and marshmallow.  The problem is that our household has some significant food sensitivities (no common wheat here....I actually did make graham crackers with whole spelt once and they came out great).  Also, often the campfire marshmallows are usually loaded with artificial junk, so here we go improvising again.

Ingredients: One Spelt Right Pizza Dough (fully thawed and risen), one cup of Ghiradelli chocolate chips (we mixed milk and semi sweet chocolate bits) melted, and Natural Tiny Trapeze Marshmello Creme.

Instructions: Melt the chocolate on the stove top on low heat.  You can add a smidge of milk to the chocolate to loosen it a bit, but only a smidge.  Set aside.  Separate dough into 6 even balls (we used only two balls and used the remaining dough for some quick pizza).  Roll out dough until very thin, but not transparent.  Spread chocolate and marshmallow on the dough.  Roll (See photo).  Place on baking dish, bake at 350 until browned.  

These would have been good IF all of the goo inside did not ooze out.  You need to be sure to seal the edges and ends very carefully.   Proceed with caution.  Despite the mess, the kids enjoyed them.   I, on the other had, was a little grossed out....could it have been the little sticky fingers making the them or the oozing marshmallow and chocolate?  PS: We tried to seal the gaps with Cereal Os. 

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

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Fifty-Nine Spelt Right Shrimp Patty (Guest Chronicler Daniel M.)

This recipe offers a great southern twist to Spelt Right dough.  Daniel, who hails from southern Georgia, brought us this treat in corn bread several years ago.  It has an amazing bite.   He decided to give the recipe a try with Spelt Right dough.  It was wonderful!

The slight problem is that Daniel provided us the ingredients without clear instructions as to how to actually make it.   You have to understand that Daniel is an incredibly talented artist and his hands just magically create wonders without needing a clear set of directions to follow. Most of us, on the other hand, are slightly creatively challenged and need a little more guidance. Here's a link to Daniel's website.  http://www.danielminter.com/Welcome.html Do yourself a treat and browse through it.  You will feel inspired.

Ingredients:  One Spelt Right Pizza Dough (fully thawed and risen).  And, Daniel's art inspired recipe "cilantro, tomatoes, garlic, hot peppers, red palm oil, and shrimp."  In an effort to try to 'frame' this work of art, our assumptions are that you chop and combine all of the ingredients (use reasonable amounts to taste) and saute in red palm oil.  Then place enough of the filling on a rolled out round of Spelt Right Pizza Dough and fold over, pinching the edges to prevent dripping.   Bake at 375-400 on baking sheet until browned.

REMEMBER, this recipe came from an intuitive artist with magical hands.  You may have to work in some of your own magic to reach the result you desire.

VOTE: DELICIOUS - two thumbs up.  Probably a recipe that best fits adults as the hot pepper gives it quite a kick.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Fifty-Eight (Tuna Salad on Grilled Spelt Bread - Whole Foods Style)

Thank you Whole Foods, Portland (Maine, that is)!   I was on my way home but decided to take a quick detour to Whole Foods.  There was something wildly magnetic pulling me there.  Perhaps, my credit card?

I was getting some sliced turkey and the woman helping me asked me if I had a sister in Seattle.  "Nope, I said, but I betcha she is Lebanese."  There is a strong ethnic resemblance among many of us - relative or not.  Her co-worker then began assisting me and I said, "So, do I look like someone you know too?"  "Nope," he said, "but you do look familiar.  Do you work here?"  I explained that I am around a lot because I am "THE SPELT LADY".  "Ohhhh, the Spelt Lady?"  Well, he said, "I've got something to show you.  Check out these great sandwiches that we make with your Spelt Right pizza dough.  We take balls of the dough and grill them and make these great sandwiches."   The spelt sandwich of the day was tuna salad, baby spinach and tomato.  

Despite not needing dinner (Spencer was working on some tofu creation at home), I bought one for a photo op.  Glad I did.   One word?  Delicious!  One piece of advice?  Head out to Whole Foods - Portland, Maine and get yourself a sandwich made with grilled SPELT dough.  Second piece of advice?  Just buy a Spelt Right dough and try it at home - you might need a panini maker.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Fifty-Seven (Reunion Fare-Peach Mango Fitayers)

What a week!  This was graduation week for Scarborough High School, event after event after event all starting at 7pm.  And, then there was that minor detail of Beth's college reunion, and speech to be given on Saturday, and Emma's actual graduation on Sunday.  And, the Farmer's Market we missed AGAIN, but we just couldn't swing it.  There truly are not enough hours in the day.

But, one of my all time favorite people in the world, college roommate, confidant, cheerleader, lifetime friend, and my conscious (do I hear Jiminy Cricket?) Sue P., showed up to join me for reunion.   The family was out and we got to sit down to a rare quiet dinner san food fights, kids clamoring for attention, or glasses of milk being spilled.  It was simply divine!

Dinner:  Lime marinaded chicken, (for recipe, see Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Fifty Four) Jasmine rice, salad with homemade balsamic vinegar dressing (for recipe, see Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Fifty-One (Balsamic EVOO dressing) and Fitayers stuffed with Mango and Peaches for dessert (recipe below).

Recipe for Mango and Peach Fitayer:
One Spelt Right Pizza Dough - fully thawed in risen.
One bag frozen peaches (we used Whole Foods 365 brand)
One bag frozen mango (we used Whole Foods 365 brand)
VITA spelt flour
Organic sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350 F.   Cut dough into 8 rounds.  Roll so that dough is even.    Mix chunks of fruit with sugar (be generous with the sugar) and a dusting of flour.   Place fruit in center of dough and make triangles.   Bake until brown.  The consensus from all (the peanut gallery did show up for a tasting and comments after the moms enjoyed their quiet dinner) was that the recipe needed MORE SUGAR.

And, the above was our kid-less dinner, cloth napkins, red wine, and all.  (Too bad Tim wasn't around to take the pictures....he does a better job, but if Tim had been there, so would have the kids.....I'll take the washed out photos!)

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Fifty-Six (Focaccia Heaven)

I am doing several posts today because I have had absolutely no time in my day to update recently.  Still feeding the family, but this blogging thing takes a little extra time.

Although I am not a beef eater, my kids are.   Here is a great burger made with Cold Spring grass fed beef from Maine, tomato, Cabot sliced cheddar, onion, lettuce on a very delicious ROSEMARY focaccia rolls made by Spelt Right.   We do not yet sell these buns on our website.   Are there any votes for us out there for having these "focaccia rolls" available to the public?

According to Spencer, this meal was beyond awesome.