Back To School & Bloody Mary's

The party starts early on the first day of school...

You might think the kids are excited to go back to school, but imagine how the parents feel! Ask my friend Amy, and she’ll tell you it’s an occasion to celebrate – so she threw a party on the first day of school, just like she has for the last several years. The event has become something in and of itself – it has grown from a small gathering to a huge, all-day affair, with elaborate menus and celebratory drinks shared!

The kids were dropped off just after 8am, and the party began around 8:30am, when each guest was handed a Bloody Mary or Mimosa…

Food was passed, souvenir cups were kept full, the guests were happy, and the host could relax knowing that everything was being taken care of!

The morning menu included:
Tomato Tea Sandwiches
Mini Omelets
Monkey Bread
Cucumber Sandwiches
Deviled Eggs
Fruit
Snacks

The tomatoes... they're an heirloom variety called Roman Candle, and I bought them from The Sippels. I made southern-style tomato sandwiches with them – soft white and wheat bread, cut into tea sandwich slices with a biscuit cutter (perfect size for the tomato slices), Duke’s Mayonaise (Amy’s insistence – she’s a southern gal, and it's the “secret of great southern cooks,”) and a thick slice of tomato. I prepped the ingredients the night before and kept them separate so the sandwiches didn’t get soggy. On party day, I assembled them quickly and neatly using a piping bag for the mayo. The Roman Candles were a perfect choice for this – bright red, not overly juicy, but packed with fresh tomato flavor.

For my own twist on finger food omelets, I adapted a recipe from a magazine. The size was perfect for a quick, light bite. They’re easy to make ahead of time, refrigerate, and then keep warm in the oven on party day.

Mini Ham & Cheddar Omelet

1-1.5 lbs. deli ham, sliced to medium thickness
6 whole eggs
½ cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper

Mini Turkey, Spinach, & Swiss Omelet

1-1.5 lbs. deli turkey, sliced to medium thickness
6 whole eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup frozen spinach, liquid squeezed out
¾ cup shredded Swiss cheese
Salt and pepper

Grease a mini muffin pan with butter.
Cut deli meat into 3” rounds using a biscuit cutter. Save the scraps for sandwiches!
Carefully press each round into muffin pan, taking care to prevent holes.
Beat eggs and add milk.
Gently stir in remaining ingredients. Fill each muffin cup with egg mixture.
Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown on top.

I left after breakfast was served and the kitchen had been cleaned, but I hear the party continued long into the day. I think I also heard the remark “what happens at Amy’s, stays at Amy’s…”

Names and identities have been concealed in order to protect the innocent and not-so-innocent…

If you would like assistance in planning or managing your next party, contact me!

Recap: Living Well, Eating Well - Back To School!

The second Living Well Nutrition Education & Cooking Class was a great success! Thank you to those that participated!

This class was definitely more education, less cooking. Parents and their children were invited to talk, eat, sample, create, and learn! Nine eager participants helped me read labels, discussed healthy alternatives to processed foods, created balanced and nutritious lunches, and then chowed down! My friend and neighbor, Rita, came over to take a few pictures...

A few of the topics included:

• Limiting Processed Foods, Fats, and Sweets
• Eating The Rainbow
• Wholesome Lunch Choices
• Strategies For Success

We tried out a really exciting product called a Bento Box Set made by Laptop Lunches, and one winner, Arabella, has a stylish new back-to-school accessory!

I already have some other ideas specific to packing healthy lunches, and for more general nutrition topics as well. I would like to include more discussion of the food pyramid. If it is not new information, it is always good to review, and I have a lot of fun ideas for food pyramid activities for kids. If you would like to schedule a Nutrition Education course for Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, a school classroom, or a sports team, I can tailor the topics to suit your needs! Please contact me.

Back To School!

It’s the end of summer, and that means it is time to go back to school…

At most schools that means eating those sometimes loved (tater tots!), sometimes hated (canned green beans, anyone?) school lunches. But the lunch lady has disappeared, and what has replaced the hot meals cooked on-site has turned into copious amounts of processed food and junk food, pre-packaged and re-heated meals, beverages and snacks packed with high fructose corn syrup and preservatives, vending machines, and fast-food delivered to cafeterias. Even with the National School Lunch Program, meals offered at full-price, low cost, or free are required to include ⅓ of the Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamins and minerals, but they lack the fresh fruits and vegetables that are so important to childhood growth and development.

As a result of the low quality, non-nutritious food offered at many schools, childhood obesity has become an American epidemic, and health problems such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and sleep disorders are not far behind. You can find a well-written article and staggering statistics here:
http://www.sustainabletable.org/features/articles/backtoschool/

Make sure that your child has the healthiest food possible by packing their lunch for school. Turns out, packing a lunch is cheaper than a full-price school lunch too – especially when you figure in the expensive a la carte options that tend to be the unhealthiest choices anyway!

Living Well, Eating Well – Back To School!

The Nutrition Education and Cooking Class this month will feature kid-tested and parent-approved ideas for creative and healthy school lunches! Breakout of the PBJ rut and lose the fruit snacks – this class will completely change the way you think about school lunches!

Monday, August 17, 2009 (one week of summer left!)
7:00pm
$15 per adult, kids are free
$5 more will help a less fortunate parent and their child attend the event
Class size limited to 12 adult participants and unlimited kids – we need a tasting panel!
RSVP (name, email, phone number) to livingwell@columbus.rr.com by Friday, August 14th

More "Back To School" features to come - I'll be helping my friend Amy with a Back To School brunch that should be off the hook!