Preschool Lunch Ideas and Organization with help from Sistema Plastics

Oh plastics....

One of life's many conveniences that are toxic to us and hard on our environment. But it's just too hard to give up, for now.

I am relatively new to avoiding BPA and we do try to avoid it as best we can. Especially in long term food storage.

All of this of course becomes even more substantial now that lil girl is in preschool this year! I've been trying to keep her lunchboxes interesting, fun, healthy and exciting.

She isn't the best eater and usually will have a better lunch if something is shaped like a flower, or a man or a tree, even a butterfly. Or in this case, A little man with carrot eyes and mouth!

I knew that because I have a "snacker" and not a foodie on my hands, I needed a BPA free, inexpensive version of a bento box.

This was lil girl's most recent preschool lunch. Sandwhich buddy and yogurt in the large bottom compartment, Apple slices and grapes in the top side compartment, cucumbers in the other and some Annie's chocolate bunnies in the smaller compartment. And guess what, it came home EMPTY! Victory!!

I've been purchasing food storage containers from Sistema since my first real apartment, 8+ years ago.
It keeps food fresh, is priced super reasonably and is very high quality.

Did I mention it goes in the dishwasher safely and comes out sparkling clean?

Because I always have so many ingredients on hand at any given time, even 20 cabinets wouldn't be enough. Things get piled high and I dig around for 15 minutes sometimes looking for the baking powder.

I am so embarassed to show you my cabinets before and after but here goes!

It was pretty much just boxes on top of bags on top of mason jars. I try to keep it as neat as I can but life gets away from you sometimes and you end up with that kind of mess.

Now check it out--

Between my combination of mason jars, tin buckets (targets $1 section) and beautiful Sistema containers, My cabinet is pretty much as neat as its going to get. You can see that most of the bags are now in my new Sistema baker's line(white) and my gluten free pasta, rices and other goodies are in the klip-it line(blue).

Did I mention this closet is right front and center of my dining room? And that the kids leave the door open ALL the time?

Sistema Plastics is one of the few brands that I feel comfortable reviewing and recommending to my beloved readers. With their BPA free materials, sustainable business practices and all around reasonable pricing. The House Of J family will definitely be buying more and more!

I'd love for you to check them out @ www.sistemaplastics.com and read there awesome story. Basically their company went from a small business, operating in someones garage in New Zealand. With what is now a huge factory warehouse, full staff and available at most of my favorite stores.


House Of J was sent these products gratis to review but the views and opinions expressed are 100% my own. House Of J is not paid in exchange for advertising.

Oktoberfest German Style Soft Pretzels

Pretzels...

Filled with flour and gluten and salt... NOT the healthiest treat in the world but delicious and great with a big stein of Oktoberfest beer.

Its an easy process but there is a lot of rising time. So be prepared to wait a few hours to eat your delicious pretzels. Real Authentic pretzels are actually made with food grade lye. But I rather not cook with things that you need to wear goggles and rubber gloves!

You need:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour 1:1
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 cup warm water plus 2 tablespoons
• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 5 tablespoons butter, divided 3 tablespoons and 2 tablespoons
• Coarse sea salt 

* try using all organic ingredients if possible and full fat butter

Add yeast to the warm water. In the bowl of your electric mixer, add in flour and sugar and make a little well in the middle.

Pour your yeast/water mixture into the well and leave it alone for 15-20 minutes.

When you return to your bowl the flour will be risen a bit and the water will be very bubbly, mix with a slotted spoon or silicone spatula. 

Add in 3tblspoons butter and mix on low speed until dough comes together, you might need to add in 2 additional tablespoons of water. The dough should be just sticky enough to hold together.

Let the dough rest for 40 minutes to an hour.

Beat the dough down and cut into 12 equal strips... I am not Auntie Anne so please excuse my uneven pretzel dough!

roll dough strips on the counter top to desired thickness. The skinnier bigger pretzels are more crisp and the smaller fatter pretzels have softer insides.

Once all your pretzels are shaped, lay them out on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the fridge for another hour...I KNOW you are desperate to eat them already, but I promise this step is important!

After your last rise, bring a large pot of water to a boil (fill up a little more than half way full) And SLOWLY pour in 1/2 cup of baking soda.

Quickly, 1 pretzel at a time let pretzel soak in the water bath for 5 seconds per side, a wide spatula is the easiest way to flip!

After you dip the pretzel line them back on the parchment lined baking sheets, sprinke desired amount of salt and bake at 400 degrees for 12-17 minutes depending on your level of crisp desired, these were baked for 15 minutes. Use remaining butter (microwave for 20-30 seconds) and lightly brush your warm pretzels with butter, using a pastry brush or basting brush.

Eat with mustard or with House Of J Raw Milk Queso 

Raw Cacao Double Chocolate Baked Doughnuts

My darling hubby has been so good and so patient and understanding with our "no refined sugar treats" house rule, that it was time he had a special "daddy treat" as we call it.

No refined sugar and organic & natural ingredients that include raw cacao powder. If you aren't familiar with cacao, it is the purest form of the cocao bean aside from eating a bean off the plant.

Cacao has loads of health benefits and because it isn't cut or refined in any way, cacao powder keeps all those powerful attributes. Obviously baking them into a delicious doughnut is not the healthiest way to enjoy cacao, but everyone deserves a treat sometimes!

Check out this awesome resource for all things cacao. EnjoyDarkChocolate.com

On with the doughnuts!

You do need a doughnut pan. Mine is a cheapy one from the baking aisle at the craft store and it works perfectly.

You need:
1 C unbleached natural flour
1/4 cup pure cane sugar, granulated
1/3 cup raw organic cacao powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 + 3 tablespoons whole organic milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon full fat organic butter, melted
1 large organic egg

Start with all dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Add in egg, butter, vanilla and milk and whisk until smooth and creamy.

Spray your pan with olive oil spray or organic canola spray and fill each cavity half way up.
Bake at 325 for 13 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

While your doughnuts are baking, start on the glaze!

You need:
2 tablespoons organic sweetened condensed milk
3 tablespoons raw organic cacao powder
1 tablespoon strongly brewed coffee

whisk until shiny and creamy and dip your cooled doughnuts in for a light glaze. or spoon over your doughnuts for a thicker glaze!

Although sprinkles are awesome, I've omitted them because of the chemical dye factor =( if you know of any REAL sprinkles (not colored sugars) that do not contain any yellow blue red etc etc chemical dyes I'd love to hear about it :)

enjoy!

Real Food: Organic Raw Cacao Chocolate Pudding

Chocolate pudding...It's delicious, it's my hubbies favorite sweet and if you make it from a box. You are pretty much eating chemicals.

Sugar, Cornstarch, Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), Food Starch Modified, Contains Less Than 2% Of The Following: Natural & Artificial Flavor, Salt, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean And Cottonseed Oil, Calcium Carrageenan (Texturizer), Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1

Sugar, cornstarch, cottonseed oil and soybean oil is pretty much guaranteed to be GMO. Chemical colorants that are actually listed on FDA website to cause hyperactivity in children.

Carrageenan has no nutritional value and linked to inflammatory illnesses and ups the chances of developing diabetes.

Homemade real food chocolate pudding?
Cacao powder
Tapioca starch
Raw cane sugar
Egg Yolks
Milk
Cream
a little organic semi-sweet chocolate
a pat of butter
DONE

Ingredients you can pronounce. With healthy fats and protein. Oh and by the way...
Done in 10 minutes time. You can totally eat it right away (it's delicious) Or you can wait 45 minutes to let it harden a little.

I even made it 2 ways, regular refrigerated chocolate pudding (which is for the hubs) and pudding pops for me and the kiddos =)

For 8 servings...you need:
2 tablespoons raw Cacao Powder*
2 tablespoons Tapioca Starch*
5 tablespoons raw pure cane sugar*
2 egg yolks*
2 cups whole milk*
4 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips*
.5 tablespoons butter*

* organic ingredients

Whisk together all dry ingredients. in a medium sauce pan. Slowly pour in milk and yolks.

After all ingredients are fully incorporated, add in cream and bring to a slow rolling boil. About 8 minutes with continuous whisking.

Once pudding has thickened add in chocolate and butter and whisk to combine.

Pour into 8 ramekins or pudding molds.. Let set 45 minutes and up until over night and enjoy =)

PS:
If you are tracking calories this recipe is uploaded under "House of J: Real Food Chocolate Pudding" on Myfitnesspal.com

117 calories, 13.5g carbohydrates, 6.4g fat, 3.4g proteins,9.6g sugar, 38g sodium

xo-J

Real Food: Tropical Greens Breakfast Smoothie

I am not really a breakfast person. I LOVE breakfast food, but I am just not good at eating in the morning.

I rather drink 3 cups of coffee...

One thing that's easier for me is making smoothies. I posted the yummy chocolate one here.  Now its time for a yummy tropical fruit version. Except this one has GREENS instead of protein! Feel free to switch them out or use both! Breakfast is SO important to a healthy, active lifestyle, but for me it is one of the hardest meals to eat. Mornings with a 14 month old and a 3 year old are HECTIC and taking care of mama just takes a backseat sometimes! 

Smoothies are so easy, and PORTABLE! 

I have a love for Amazing Grass Goji Greens because they are so fruity and tangy I don't even taste the "greens" part!

In a blender goes 8oz preferred juice. I LOVE the orange, peach mango combination*. Very "tropical" =)

1 Kiwi Fruit*

5 Large Strawberries*

I sachet Greens*

1 cup of ice.

Blend on high for 1 minute and enjoy =)

* organic 

Real Food: Cauliflower Pizza Crust

I promise that House Of J will not turn into a diet food only recipe blog. There are plenty of those. But what I will promise is to keep it at least on the "spectrum" of healthy eating.

My families choice to eat organic is based on lots of research and some health factors that play a part in our specific journey.

For me... Finding alternatives to food I love that pack more punch when it comes to vegetables, nutritional benefit and dietary benefit is absolutely essential.

Low and behold... The cauliflower pizza craze.

When I decided I'd like to try it, I had heard it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. So I called in reinforcement! A friend and I decided to tackle cauliflower pizza head on and we are so glad we did because it was out of this world amazing!!

You need:

1 head of cauliflower "riced" (grated in a food processor until very fine)
lots of spices and flavorings like oregano basil and yummy garlic
1.5 cups shredded asiago cheese
olive oil
1 egg
tomato sauce of your choice ( homemade is always better )
mozzarella & pecorino romano cheese

Take your grated cauliflower and boil it on medium heat for 3 minutes. Use a strainer to to catch it and then wrap in a dishtowel or cheese cloth. We used a few paper towels in a strainer and it worked great :)

Squeeze ALL liquid from the cauliflower and return it to the food processor with your egg, asiago, garlic, basil and oregano.

line a baking sheet with parchment and shape "dough" into a Sicilian pie( rectangle ). Brush a little EVOO on top and bake at 450 for 20-30 minutes

Add your toppings and return to the oven for another 8-10 minutes or until all your cheese has melted.

Be sure to put more seasoning on top as well! You can never have enough basil, garlic and oregano!

Cut into 8 slices and share with your friends :)

xo-J

Real Food: Organic whole wheat chicken enchiladas with raw milk queso & green chiles

Mexican food is my weakness. It's also probably the most GM(genetically modified) restaurant food there is.

Lots of canola oils, corn meals, etc etc etc. But making your own at home is never as satisfying as grabbing a burrito at your favorite spot with a big frothy margarita along side it.

Until now...

This recipe is the real deal. It incorporates slow cooked chicken, delicious queso and organic whole wheat tortillas. Serve it with some organic chips and guac and you are good to go. Even hubby was impressed!

There are a few steps so it is definitely a plan in advance meal. The first step, is the longest. You need organic boneless skinless chicken breast and organic chicken broth. I'd like to say I am brand loyal but with organic food being so costly I buy what is on sale.

You can even use frozen chicken breasts, for this recipe I made 3 breasts and had enough for leftovers.

In your crockpot or slow cooker goes 1 box of organic chicken broth and your chicken breasts, cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken shreds with a fork.

Put shredded chicken back into crock pot for 30 minutes to let those shreds soak up all of that yummy chicken flavor.

I buy the 365 store baked whole wheat organic tortillas, as I haven't yet mastered the art of tortilla making.

As for your queso, you need:

2 tablespoons butter(organic)
half of a green pepper (minced)
1.5 tablespoons organic flour
2.5 oz raw milk sharp cheddar (cut into tiny bits)
1 cup cream on top, not ultra pasteurized whole milk (or raw if you can get it)
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon season salt.

In a pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter and your green pepper and saute until peppers are soft.
Add in your other tablespoon butter and flour and whisk until smooth and pastey (a rue)
Add in milk and cheese and simmer on low until all ingredients have incorporated.

Add in spices and simmer on lowest setting.

Meanwhile, grab your tortillas and start piling on the chicken and to each one add in about 1 tablespoon of your queso. Fold  like a burrito and place in a pyrex or oven safe dish.

I made 5 enchiladas with chicken to spare. Once you've completed building your enchiladas, pour remaining queso over top and then your green chile sauce.  I found a really great local to Colorado brand with NO chemicals!! Or you can make your own =)

For those of you that use MYFITNESSPAL.com to track your calories, I've added the Raw Milk Queso to the HOUSE OF J food list =)