EasyLunchboxes Review (and Giveaway!)

I first came upon EasyLunchboxes by following “100 Days of Real Food” on facebook. And while I was more than willing to take advice from Lisa of “Real Food,” I wasn’t about to remake my entire kitchen and pantry to match; I was neither financial able nor willing to just throw away all my plastic storage containers. Then along came all the reports about BPA and, suddenly, I found myself tossing out every canned food on my shelves and looking with disdain at the contents of my food storage cabinet. All I could think each time I opened that cabinet door was “danger!!!” So, I did my research while I also did some virtual window shopping on amazon.com. Ideally, I was looking for stainless bento-type containers to send with my husband and daughter to work and school, respectively. But goodness! I was not about to take out a second mortgage in the name of environmental and health consciousness! When I stumbled upon EasyLunchboxes again that day, it was a no-brainer. Four individual containers, each with a bright colorful lid and compartments for different meal components, and BPA free all for less than $15 - shipped!

I liked them from the moment I opened the package. The lids are easy to put on and take off, the boxes conveniently nest within each other (even the lids stack nicely on top of one another) and they were labeled dishwasher-safe. Out of nowhere, I just wanted to come up with cute and healthy meals to pack for my family. And, before I knew it, that’s just what I was doing every day (well, cuteness is in the eye of the beholder...I certainly think my lunches are at least cuter than they used to be). 

My youngest daughter testing the product durability.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that EasyLunchboxes go everywhere with me on an almost daily basis. I have a four-year-old who seems to be on an endless quest to burn off every single calorie she consumes, so she’s constantly running on empty, and a 15-month-old who can’t go more than an hour without some sort of snack since she is always trying to keep up with her older sister. And when the toddler doesn’t get what she wants, she lets everyone know - not so cute during library storytime. So, these boxes make my life easy by being a good fit in my lunch tote (although, since the lids are not leak-proof, the tote has to be carried flat on its side as opposed to by the handles) and very lightweight.

We all know that nasty brownish red hue that our plasticware tends to take on after being used for spaghetti sauce or similar foods. We all hate it, too. After I used my EasyLunchboxes to hold marinara, I fully expected to see that dingy color when I pulled it out of the dishwasher. To my delight there was nothing of the sort. They were as clear as the day I got them. I even stored diced beets in one of the boxes and still there was no discoloration after washing!

Whole wheat rotini with sauce, organic unsweetened applesauce, stove-popped popcorn, and a spinach/carrot brownie.

The most beneficial aspect of owning the EasyLunchboxes is that, upon their arrival, I automatically felt compelled to come up with healthy and delicious snacks and meals to pack in them. I no longer had to figure out what packaged foods would hold up to my daughter’s tendency to spin and throw her lunch bag around...I could simply throw together individual elements in these boxes. The compartments encourage me to provide my family with a variety of foods, not just wrap up a sandwich with an apple and call it a day. I’m now able to safely pack noodles with meatballs, carrots, and applesauce all in one lunch. I can quickly put together a good dinner for my husband when he works nights, as well. This makes the EasyLunchboxes a healthy choice all around.

Stove-popped popcorn, fresh berry skewers, leftover whole wheat pasta with carrot/beet puree sauce, and a pumpkin cream cheese egg roll for my daughter.

In the past few weeks, I’ve begun to see more and more of them around town - at the park and my daughter’s gymnastics class. Obviously, people are having the same positive experience with EasyLunchboxes as I have had. I love seeing them popping up everywhere as these were created by a concerned mom who saw a need and came up with a solution. Kelly Lester, EasyLunchboxes’ owner and creator, aimed to make something that could hold enough to satisfy an adult hunger but lightweight and easy for a young child. Good on her for having the gumption to get it done!

Now is your chance to feed your family with less waste and more creativity...FREE! Enter our giveaway starting May 10 to win a set of four EasyLunchboxes PLUS one lunch tote in the color of your choice (a $21.90 retail value)!!

This giveaway is open to US residents only!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How to Save - Personal Care Products

I’m calling this particular blog entry “How to Save,” which I’m sure led you to intinctively think “money”. However, that’s only one aspect of your life that you’ll find you’ll be able to cut back with these tips and recipes. You’re also going to be saving time, saving fuel, saving your health, and saving the planet. Obviously, making your own personal care products saves you money in one big way - you don’t have to buy the store shelf version of the item. However, when you start to think about it, you realize you’re also saving time at the store and having to go to the store less often which, in turn, saves fuel and fuel costs. Additionally, you can control what goes into your products. So, you’re not exposing yourself to parabens (http://healthimpactnews.com/2012/99-percent-of-breast-cancer-tissues-have-parabens-from-cosmetics/) and potentially hazardous chemicals (http://www.rodale.com/hormone-disrupting-chemicals?cm_mmc=TheDailyFixNL-_-868210-_-04022012-_-what_is_a_hormone_disruptor_anyway_text), thereby protecting your health. Finally, you’re not using and tossing packaging, you’re reusing what you’ve got on hand or, ideally, using a glass or stainless container that can easily be rinsed and used again.

While there are a TON of different recipes for different DIY cosmetics and other personal care items, these are a few that I’ve tried and love. The bonus is that these are things I use every day, sometimes two or three times a day, meaning that I’m really cutting back in all the areas mentioned above!

Eye Makeup Remover

As crunchy as I tend to be, I still love my heels and my makeup. I’ve been trying to wear less and less cosmetics since there are certainly chemicals and plasticizers present in my foundation and eyeliner, but to completely go cold turkey just isn’t in my future (particularly since I haven’t found the secret to reversing or freezing time and aging). I decided to, instead, ditch my Maybelline Eye Makeup Remover which I use at least four times a week. In the process, I found myself not having to use my toner, either - BONUS!

All you’ll need is water (practically free), vegetable glycerin (less than $10 per bottle and you’ll only need a smidgen per recipe), and oil (you can use coconut, almond, vitamin E, olive, avocado, baby oil...whichever you choose or happen to have on hand). I used an 8-ounce bottle I originally purchased for taking toiletries with me on vacation. It’s got a squirt spout, which is perfect for applying the remover to a cotton swab and swiping your face!

Here’s the recipe...just put all the ingredients into your chosen container, then swish around a bit and there you go!

1 ½ tablespoons vegetable glycerin
¾ tablespoon oil
approximately ⅔ cup water

Voila! All in all, the solution costs about $1 for an 8-ounce bottle of remover, whereas I was previously paying $5 for a 3-ounce bottle. It doesn’t seem like a whole lot of savings, but everything adds up!

Deodorant
Don’t be scared. I know everyone hates sweating and no one wants a deodorant which isn’t going to be able to stand up to heat and activity. I live in Texas where it got so hot last summer that our state was literally on fire. So, believe me when I tell you this stuff works!

The next time you run out of deodorant, don’t toss the container! Simply follow this recipe (adapted from littlehouseinthesuburbs.com), then press the mix into the container. Within minutes, you’ve got a smooth and effective perspiration-fighter!

¼ cup baking soda
¼ cup cornstarch
10 drops of your favorite essential oil (I used tea tree but I think next time I’ll try rosemary - love the smell)
2-3 tablespoons coconut oil

Mix the first three ingredients in a bowl until well-combined, then stir in the coconut oil, adding more a little bit at a time until you reach the right consistency for you. Remember that coconut oil is solid at room temperature, but starts to melt above 72 or so...be sure to store this somewhere that stays relatively cool. Also, word to the wise: this must be applied by hand. I’m okay with that, especially since a little bit goes a long way. I made this recipe about two months ago and I’m still only halfway through mine.

Mouthwash

Have you ever taken a minute to think about all the stuff you put in your mouth throughout the day? I’m sure you take steps to clean up your diet, so the food you eat is (hopefully) organic and chemical-free. But what about your oral care products? I didn’t really give it much thought until I realized that the ingredients label on my mouthwash is not required by law to be all-inclusive. And what the manufacturers choose to list there is enough to give me great pause. So, the last time I ran out, I decided to try my hand at DIY whitening mouthwash. I remember my mom using hydrogen peroxide as a teeth whitener when I was a kid; it was time I tried something myself.

I chose to use an empty mouthwash container, but as soon as I buy more small mason jars, I will switch to using one of those. I don’t expose the plastic container to heat (I simply rinse out with lukewarm water when I’m out), so I’m not terribly afraid of the consequences, but I’d still like to un-plastic my life as much as possible.

It’s a simple recipe, really. And one you can easily adapt to your own tastes. I use a mixture of ¼ hydrogen peroxide to ¾ water (filtered is best), then I add drops of peppermint extract until it tastes perfectly minty and fresh. I use this twice a day and I’ve noticed that my teeth look great and my mouth feels delightfully clean!

Recycled Bird Feeders

My 15 month old has just started daycare and I was so excited when I learned that his first activity would help celebrate Earth Day. I think it is never too early to teach them how important it is to take care of our earth. We can help them understand that everything we do (or don't do) and eat affects our earth. Earth Day reminds us to reduce, reuse and recycle, which helps eliminate pollution and save animals everywhere! The craft his teachers choose highlighted how to re-purpose materials we would typically just throw away!

It was so cute to watch and help Sammy's class make bird feeders out of recycled bottle waters. Each class took turns lining around a table.  We (the adults) cut out two holes thru the bottle. One on one side and one on the other. Right below those two holes, we made holes small enough for a straw to fit through all the way. Finally, a long piece of string was tied around the bottle top, so that it can hang on a tree. Once the straw was in place, string tied and names were written on them, the kids headed over to the fill up station and filled their bottle with organic bird food. The look on their face was priceless! I enjoyed very much helping every class, starting from my sons class all the way up to 1st grade. All different ages, responses, interests and attention but ALL with the same objective....to teach them how to take care of their planet for a better future!

While his class did this project because of Earth day, it would be a great thing to do with your kids anytime.

~Karla~

Foodie Friday! Meal Plan 5/7-5/13

Get your pens and paper out because it’s time to make a mouth-watering shopping list! This week’s meal plan is full of easy and fool-proof dishes that only sound too good to be healthy, but they are all packed full of veggies, vitamins, and flavor! Also, we’d love to know if you’ve tried any of our meal plan recipes...if so, share your thoughts and photos.

As always, you can find the recipes here: http://pinterest.com/mlg5678/foodie-friday-meal-plan/

DAY ONE:
Bacon and Apple Stuffed Pork Chops
Zucchini and Parmesan “Tots”
Roasted Parmesan Parsnips

DAY TWO:
Vegetarian Ribollita in the Crock Pot

DAY THREE:
Cheesy Bacon Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Homemade Whole Wheat Garlic Rolls
Organic Broccoli

DAY FOUR:
Ground Pork Meatballs
Homemade Marinara
Quinoa “Risotto” with Mushrooms, Arugula, and White Beans
Baby Spinach Salad with Fig Balsamic

DAY FIVE:
Spaghetti Squash with “Rawfredo” Sauce (can sub homemade alfredo if raw doesn’t get your engine revving)
Italian Asparagus Sticks
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Yellow Pear Tomatoes

DAY SIX:
Parmesan Chicken with Roasted Caesar Romaine
Baked Zucchini Fries
Yellow Pear Tomatoes

DAY SEVEN:
White Bean Meatballs
Homemade Marinara
Whole Wheat Spaghetti
Kale and Dandelion Greens with Toasted Garlic and Leeks

Breakfasts:
Pumpkin Banana Brioche French Toast Casserole (to my torn up brioche - linked recipe - I added ½ can pumpkin puree, two mashed bananas, ¼ cup maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, four eggs, and milk then baked for about 20 minutes at 350 and topped with almond cream cheese)

Blueberry Banana Cake Bars
Chocolate Zucchini Bread Waffles (the linked recipe is for chocolate-less pancakes, but I have a waffle maker which is easier than flipping pancakes, and everything is better with chocolate so I added cacao nibs)

Egg Muffins (there are a variety of different recipes you can follow, using everything but the kitchen sink)

Culinary Classes:
Homemade butter (and buttermilk)

Chocolate Earth Balls (no cooking required - my oldest loved rolling the cookies in coconut!)


Enjoy!!!

A green thumb… well hopefully anyways

Since we moved into our house, I have desperately wanted a garden.  I had my oldest son the first year we were in the house and I just never got around too it.  As a new mom, I had one thing on my mind and that wasn’t a garden. The second year in our house, I was pregnant and just didn’t feel up to it.  I did manage to plant some flowers in my front yard so I think I should get a little credit for that.  Are you seeing a pattern here?  I had my second son the third year we were in our house BUT I made my first attempt at gardening and failed miserably.

           My township sent out an email that they had community garden plots available and I snatched one up.  I knew it would be more space then I would need but I tried it anyhow. My plot ended up being the next to last garden plot and was quite a trip. I had a lot of momentum going in the beginning but it was virtually impossible to maintain with 2 children under 3 especially since my littlest was completely dependent on me since he was nursing. It is hard to get much substantial work done with an infant attached to you almost hourly.  This was pretty much his pattern day or night… can you say hello sleep deprivation?!

I had my hopes set on a raised garden in my backyard this year.  I had a spot in mind and while not perfect, I thought it would work well.  In February, our sewer system, both inside and outside of our house, needed replace. Yup crap literally and figuratively.  The only bright side was that, the plumbers removed a number of overgrown shrubs in our backyard, which left me with a nice sunny spot for a raised garden.  After a lot of research, I finally decided what I wanted and set out to build it.  Oh and by set out to build it, I mean my husband did it.  Thanks hubby!  I loved the way this DIY raised bed looked and wanted to model mine after it. After weeks, yes weeks apparently cedar planks are not as readily available as the internet tutorials would lead you to believe, I finally had a raised garden bed!  We had to make several adjustments.  While we could have used other wood, I really wanted cedar because of the climate in southwestern PA.  Cedar stands up very well to moisture and resists rot better than other woods. We placed chicken wire at the bottom of the bed to deter animals from burrowing up through.  As for the dirt, we used a mixture of peat moss, organic compost, and vermiculite.  This mix may sound familiar to some.  It is Mel Bartholomew’s recommended mix. I’m not sure if Mel would fully approve of my garden but I think it is going to work fine. I might be eating my words but only time will tell.

Close to done

Hubs putting down markers

 Needless to say, my 3 year old is stoked about it.  He says “Mom, that is a great idea.”  He was going through my square foot garden book a couple of weeks ago and all I heard was “Oh mom, we need carrots, and strawberries, and broccoli and...”.  How can you refuse that kind of request?  I am not quite sure how well strawberries will grow but I figure we might as well try. I am really excited that he is interested in it. There are so many great reasons to include children in gardening but that will be the focus of another post.

Discussing our strategy

So to all you green thumbs out there, do you have any advice for me?  I could use all the help I could get!

Celebrating Earth Day: A Day at the Farm

We celebrated Earth Day by accepting an invitation to spend the day at Swede Dairy Farm.  It is important to me that my kids get in touch with nature. Every Spring we plant a small veggie/fruit garden because I want them to learn the value of growing food. I want them to learn  that it does not magically appear at the grocery stores and to make wise choices on what they put into their bodies. We couldn’t have picked a better activity for this special day.   

This was our first time visiting this farm and we felt welcomed. We each had the name and description of a goat on our name tags and we had to find them, we then took pictures with them.

We got to experience what is like to milk a goat! It was much easier than I had thought!

They had newborn goats and we were thrilled to have been given the opportunity to bottle feed them. 

We were also given a complete tour of the Dairy Farm and even learned how to make Chevre!  

And of course we had to bring home some of the good stuff! We decided on their Lemon-Blueberry Chevre and Goat Cheese Pesto and Pepper Torte. 

It was a very rewarding experience and I’m thankful to have been given the opportunity to spend our day at a farm.  On our way home my husband thanked me for the things I encourage our family to do. We live in a world with such busy lifestyles that we forget to appreciate Nature.  To those who live in the Houston/Austin area, I encourage you to check out Swede Dairy Farm. Not only would you be supporting a great farm but they really do have amazing products. 

~Adriana

Foodie Friday: Meal Plan 4/30-5/6

I’m an avid foodie and I love (live) to cook. It relaxes me, it gives me a feeling of accomplishment, it tames my anxiety by giving me something to do with my hands, and it gives me great comfort to know that the food I set on the table came from the freshest ingredients possible and was brought together by my hands and no one else’s. So, I suppose in that way it also satisfies my inner control freak (sometimes not so inner, but I digress).

I’m also a food porn junkie - I love to look at pictures of gorgeous meals and I also love to produce my own food porn, though the results tend to be less-than-stellar looking (I blame my camera phone, but to be honest, I’m not much of a food artist). Almost every night, I post pictures of my dinners for all the world (well, all of a certain facebook group, at least) to see. I’m both documenting my achievements and proving to others that healthy, well-cooked meals are within anyone’s reach.

As a result of all my food porn spamming, I get a lot of positive feedback and many requests for recipes and meal plans so that other people can put together a cache of their own go-to meals. That is what this is all about - sharing information, recipes, tips, ideas, etc. Each week I will post seven days worth of dinners (three of which will be meatless, a compromise borne of much arduous discussion with the husband), as well as ideas for “cooking class creations” to do with young children each night and a few freezable breakfast and snack ideas so that you can have a stash of things to reheat in a pinch.

Here goes nothing...for recipes, please visit my pin board “Meal Plan 4/30-5/6” here http://pinterest.com/mlg5678/meal-plan-4-30-5-6/ . If you have questions about substituting a particular ingredient because you can’t find or don’t have something listed in a recipe, don’t hesitate to contact me at greenolagirls@gmail.com!

DAY ONE:
Spaghetti Squash “Noodles” with Thai Peanut Sauce (I added sriracha to both of these sauces)
Baked Vegetable Egg Rolls
Egg Roll Dipping Sauce

DAY TWO:
Braised Oxtail in the Slow Cooker
Roasted Cauliflower with Bacon and Garlic
Sorrel Salad with Beets and Berries

DAY THREE:
Spaghetti Squash Florentine (I used a combo of kale and spinach in the florentine, skipped the jarred sauce and just pureed some fresh organic roma tomatoes)
Cauliflower Crust “Pizza” Topped with Broccoli Pesto and Grated Parmesan
Mixed Baby Greens Salad Topped with Halved Yellow Pear Tomatoes and a Drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar

DAY FOUR:
Salmon with Blood Orange Salad (I added sliced radishes to the salad)
Quinoa with Blood Orange and Basil (I used whole wheat couscous in place of quinoa since I had run out...it also makes the recipe much quicker to make)

DAY FIVE:
Vegetarian Quinoa Chili in the Slow Cooker
Summer Corn Cakes
Honey Mustard Collard Greens

DAY SIX:
Lazy Woman’s Cabbage Roll Casserole (using ground chicken thighs)
Chickpeas and Spinach
Mixed Baby Greens Salad Topped with Halved Yellow Pear Tomatoes and a Drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar

DAY SEVEN:
Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers (using black beans)
Homemade Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns
Raw Cauliflower Mash (skipped the mushroom gravy)
Mixed Baby Greens Salad

  
Each week, I pick a day on the weekend when the husband is able to baby wrangle and I make several different easy, freezable recipes. These morsels will then get reheated in the mornings for breakfast or a snack or even to be included in my oldest daughter’s lunch when she goes to her gymnastics MDO program twice a week. This week, I made these tasty treats:
Pumpkin Pistachio Bread
Whole Wheat Waffles (I mix in superfoods like chia or flax seeds, a cup of either kefir or Odwalla superfood smoothie, or pumpkin puree)
Blueberry Quinoa Pancakes

Also, each night, I try to do a little interactive cooking demonstration with my oldest daughter. She loves to be treated with dessert each night, and I feel a bit better knowing that she’s taken part in the preparation and that the ingredients are wholesome. Her kitchen lessons this week have included:
Healthy Chocolate Pudding (6-8 soaked and pitted medjool dates, 2 T cocoa or cacao powder, ½ cup coconut milk, 1 t vanilla extract, 1 ripe avocado - throw it all into a blender or processor until smooth)
Stove-popped Popcorn (we made “cheesy” using butter, sea salt and grated Parmesan, and we made “sweety” using butter, honey, cinnamon and vanilla extract)
Easy Chocolate Frosting
Yogurt Covered Strawberries
Yogurt Freezie Pops (we simply pureed fresh berries, mixed them in with yogurt, then poured the mixture into these pop molds http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-431-4-Piece-Silicone-Maker/dp/B0036B9KHO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335456424&sr=8-1 and froze them)
Ice Cream in a Baggie (we used heavy cream sweetened with vanilla and maple syrup)