Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred and Seventeen (On Saving the World)

In a world in which nothing seems predictable, from civil wars in the Middle East, to union busting in Wisconsin, rising oil and gas prices, and millions of kids going hungry, I often shut my eyes and wonder if I can, just in a small way, make the world a better place.  It sounds so trivial, but it is real...can improving just one life, once in a while, make the world just that much better?

I have to believe it is so, or else, the meaning of existence would not mean much at all...So, how is it that some of us have the curse that we feel compelled to make the world a better place, and other of us, can just exist, being satisfied that we survive day-to-day without harming anyone in our path?  I am one of the cursed...I am driven by the need to "do good" on some level in my life.

For many years, I represented 100s of kids, kids in trouble with the law, kids struggling in school, kids who parents tried, but simply couldn't withstand the rigors of parenting.   There was a lot of pain, a lot of lecturing, a lot of re-shaping, and too much disappointment.  There would be a team of social workers, psychologists, teachers, probation officers and lawyers working with these kids and families, but sometimes, the dysfunction was so hard wired, or the damage from the abuse so irreversible that, no matter our best efforts, the kids would fall through the cracks, and eventually become adults who also fell through the cracks.   I started to feel as if each child's pain became my own.   Ten years into it, I left to maintain my protective shell and to help my own family.

Years later, after leaving that world, I occasionally have a fleeting encounter with my past. Was that young victim a past client of mine?  Is so-in-so now in prison?  And, how many babies did she lose to state custody?  But, sometimes, a glimmer of what it means to make a difference walks through the door.

And, indeed that is what happened this week when I was sitting in the bakery.  After a steady stream of walk-ins, one tall well-dressed man walked in the bakery.  "Beth?" He said, "Yes?"  I answered.  He continued, "You may not remember me, but you represented my son several years ago when he was a teenager."  "Oh yes," I said, "How is he doing?"   He continued, "He is doing wonderfully; after the dark period in which you represented him, he turned himself around, got into college, did really well, and now works in finance.  I just wanted to say thank you and wish you good luck with your business ventures."  Slightly stunned, I said "You are welcome; and please tell your son, I say congratulations and if he ever wants to invest in his attorney, I have a great business."  We both said good-bye with a smile and a nod.

I guess one small gesture can make a world of difference, even if it just for one kid.

And, with this, I offer a way to help you make someone's life better, just for a fleeting moment....by making a damn good Spelt Right Pizza.   The way I prepared this crust was one of the best I can remember.

Ingredients:  One Spelt Right Pizza Dough, fully thawed and risen, stretched out on a stainless steel pan oiled with extra virgin olive oil.  Preheat oven to 450F.  Let dough rest in a warm place while on the pan.  It gives it a lighter crispier texture.   Top with your favorite toppings.  I used Frank's Pasta Sauce, made in Cranston, RI., Hannaford Mozzarella Cheese, sauteed mushrooms, and Trader Joe's Calamata Olive Tapenade.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending upon how you like your crust.

Critique:  A pizza that has the possibility to make the world a better place.  Enjoy.  Stop and smell the roses and the pizza.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred and Sixteen (Saturday Night Boredom Fever)

The snow is unending this winter.  I can't believe I complained about the hot weather this summer....if only I could turn back the clock!

Venturing outside, unless you are a polar bear, simply isn't fun.  The kids have been going a little stir crazy so we have been trying to entertain them.  Unfortunately, the cheap craft from Target didn't work ..... and a ride to LLBean can take you only so far....and t.v. is getting boring....

The kids were mulling over some ideas...."What can we DO???? We are SOOOO Bored!!"  Well, I wasn't feeling particularly creative as I have been in the throws of planning my whirlwind trip to NYC, praying that there will not be flight delays.

I have been promising my friend Frank that I would make him fitayers, but have broken my many promises to ship some, so I said I would make them for the trip.  The problem is that it is Sunday night,  the trip is Monday morning, and there not a fitayer was in sight.  I decided to get to work. 

As I started to prep for the culinary quest, Spencer and Olivia both chimed in "Can we help?"  Wow, I thought, how awesome is that?  I've trained these kids right.  They think cooking is fun!  The 8 year old Olivia got to work chopping onions with only a tear or two shed, and Spencer de-stemmed and chopped the spinach.  Olivia then went to work on squeezing the fresh lemons and Spencer to crushing the fresh garlic.

Not sure if it was the good will and love flowing through the preparation, but we made the best tasting fitayers yet.  Tim's response, "Wow, these are so light and tasty."

Recipes: Spinach, Onion, and Feta Cheese Fitayers and Grass Fed Beef, Onion, and Mint Fitayers.

Ingredients for Spinach Fitayers: One Fully Thawed and Risen (in bag) Spelt Right Pizza Dough, one package fresh spinach, one onion, 2 large lemons, 2-4 TBL Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1-2 TBL dried mint, salt and pepper to taste.

Ingredients for Beef Fitayers: One Fully Thawed and Risen Spelt Right Pizza Dough, one pound grass fed ground beef from Cold Spring Ranch one onion, 3-4 cloves garlic, 2-3 TBL extra virgin olive oil, 1-2 TBL dried mint, salt and pepper to taste.

If you don't have an 8 year old and a 13 year old on hand to help, you will need to do the following:

SPINACH FITAYERS:  rinse, spin, de-stem, and chop spinach, chop onions very finely, place in bowl with squeezed lemon, olive oil, and spices, toss together.  Shape 8-10 rounds on lightly oiled stainless steel baking pan (preferably with edges), place dollop of spinach mix in center, add crumbled feta cheese if desired, shape into triangles.  Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes until bottoms are golden brown.

GROUND BEEF FITAYERS: chop onions and garlic finely, saute in EVOO over medium heat until onions are soft, add ground beef, add spices to taste (the mint adds a really nice flavor).  Cook until meat is done.  Set aside.  Shape 8-10 rounds on lightly oiled stainless steel baking pan (preferably with edges), place dollop of meat in center, shape into triangles.  Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes until bottoms are golden brown.

I'm not sure why these tasted extra special, but I think it had to do with the extra special help I received in preparing them.

Try cooking with your kids....it's more rewarding than you might think, and it provides lessons that they will be able to use for a life time.

bil-hanā' wa ash-shifā' (Bon Appetit!)

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred and Fifteen (Zucchini, Yellow Squash Vegan Pizza!)

Garlic - It makes the world go round.   Not only does this beautiful allium make just about every savory food taste better, but it also has some incredible healthful benefits - helping alleviate arthritis symptoms being one of them.

Here is a perfect garlicky vegan pizza.   Ingredients: One Spelt Right Pizza Dough fully thawed and risen in its bag, one onion thinly sliced, 3-6 cloves of garlic (depending upon your taste and who wants to smell your breath), EVOO, 1-2 zucchini, 1-2 yellow squash, 5-6 mushrooms, sliced   On stove top, caramelize onions by sauteing them in about 1 TBL of EVOO until caramelized (sounds a little circuitous).  Set aside onions on plate.  In same pan, add more EVOO, sliced vegetables, and salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 450.  Roll out or stretch pizza dough to full size.  Place on lightly oiled stainless steel pan.  Top with sauteed toppings.  Bake for 10-20 minutes.  Enjoy!

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred And Fourteen (The Healing Power of Food)

This mass of hand made food was my response to feeling helpless.   A good friend of mine recently was injured pretty badly.  I wanted to have the power to heal her.  To make the boo boo go away.  To stop the pain.  To start all over again.   But, I don't have that power.  All I have are my words of sympathy and support.  And, my ability to cook and cook and cook.   So, that's what I did.   I cooked, and baked.  I made fillings, all sorts, from vegan to ground beef from to sweet to savory, and I rolled and stuffed them in my favorite Spelt Right dough.

My sense of needing to do something rubbed off a bit on Spencer, who made the lovely round shaped rolls, which are a variation of garlic bread.  He combined crush fresh garlic, Kosher salt, and extra virgin olive oil, and rolled them in the dough.  They were delicious.

My mother looked at the feast and asked if we were having a throng of guests.  "No," I said, "Just making some food for the family and a friend or two."

I brought over the fixins' the next day to my friend and her family.   While the food did not heal the breaks or bruises, I hope they were filled with just the right amount of love to make the pain go away, at least for the moment of the first taste.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred and Thirteen (Upside Down Shepard's Pie)

It's great when you can ask your 13 year old to make dinner, give him a few instructions, and then come home to an almost perfect dinner....a little upside down.  Spencer took his hand at making Shepard's Pie.   As what we now understand as a visual spatial learner (one who needs to see the whole picture), Spencer requested that I just tell him what I would like him to make, and then give him the instructions.  I started with the instructions first, "now chop the onions first"....and he quickly informed me that it was like telling him to identify an animal by taking out one of its organs.  OK, then...here it is.  "We are making Shepard's Pie, that is sauteed beef, frozen corn, and mashed potatoes made in a total of three layers then baked."  "OK," he insisted, "I can do it."  I did write down the order....meat, corn, potatoes.

After Tim and I left the house to do a few errands, Spencer started on his handiwork (with 85 year old Grandma in the background....just in case....)

Spencer first peeled and cut up about 4-5 potatoes and put in a pot to boil.  He then chopped an onion and crushed a few cloves of garlic with salt and pepper, sauteed in extra virgin olive oil, and then added a pound of ground beef (we like to use local grass fed when we can get it), along with spices to taste.  After the potatoes were soft, he drained the water and mashed them with real butter, milk, salt and pepper.

Here is where reading directions from Mom might have helped.  He then put the meat in a long casserole dish, covered it with potatoes, and then added the corn.  Baked at 350 until everything was hot.

It was delicious - great simple flavors - but a little upside down.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred and Twelve (Homemade Spelt Pasta)

Spencer and I were two lucky folks last week to come home to some homemade spelt pasta made by Tim, Grandma Helen, and Olivia. Made with Vita Spelt flour, eggs, water, salt, and Grandma Joan's hand cranked pasta maker which is at least 50 years old.  Here are some photos.  Recipe and instructions to follow.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred and Eleven (Egg and Cheese Fitayers with Spelt Right Pizza Dough)

Our camera is on the blitz so we are resorting to Blackberry photos for this blog.  Please bear with us.  At some point, a quality camera will appear - perhaps a gift from heaven??

In any event, this morning, the family seemed a bit at a loss for breakfast ideas.  I was slow to get out of bed, not really liking to face the cold (which is not good thing if you live in Maine in the winter), and as I dragged myself down the stairs, I heard the familiar mantra...."Maaaaummmm, I'm hungry!"  Soon, it seemed like there was a chorus singing those words even though there were no more than two kids in the house.

"Quick," I said to Spencer "Get out the eggs, milk, Cabot cheddar, salt, pepper, dried dill, and Spelt Right Pizza Dough."  The kid knows the drill, is pretty quick on his feet, and went right to work.  Spencer mixed the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and dill in bowl, while I cut and shaped the pizza dough(which had been thawing in the fridge for a few days) into eight equal rounds.  In a matter of no time, we had all of the fixins' ready to make egg and cheese fitayars.

Directions:  Preheat oven to 400-450.  Prepare scrambled eggs how you like them prepared.  We mixed eggs, milk, dried dill, salt, and pepper, and then added cheese.   Use a fully thawed and risen Spelt Right Pizza Dough, cut into eight equal pieces, place on lightly oiled stainless steel baking pan, stretch dough to about 1/4 inch thick, put egg and cheese mixture on it.  Fold into triangles.  Here are step-by-step directions for making fitayers. Bake for about 10 minutes.  Watch these carefully, because they are easy to over-bake.   We made two batches, so that we have enough for the week.  We froze the extras and will use them during the week.  They can be microwaved or put in a toaster oven to reheat.

These are great for busy mornings.  You will also see that we made one with just pizza cheese.  That is for an afternoon snack.  YUM.