Wednesday, April 29, 2009

REAL MOMS REAL FOOD #20

Although I’m very excited to have reached this milestone of 20 blog postings, its been a busy week, so I have less to say. Tomorrow I’ll be teaching a workshop for kids called “Eat Locally, Act Globally” and if it goes well, I will add an extra posting with the description of the game I’ve created. If not… I will just go to bed and be glad the week is over.

I will share my birthday party experience: for the second year in a row I have managed to throw a really simple party that really works. Here in LA, people go a little crazy with birthday parties and I do think we can make a difference on so many levels (to the planet and our kids’ psyches) if we look at what we’re doing at these parties, and just simplify. Here’s Audrey’s birthday party plan from yesterday: walk 12 girls home from school (me at the front of the line, my husband at the back), kids play in bounce house, kids have snack (veggie chips, apples and lemonade), kids decorate terra cotta pots, kids plant flower seeds, more bounce house, kids make ice cream sundaes and eat them, more bounce house, kids go home with flower pots. Although I did get, “Aren’t you going to give us a goody bag?” I also got, “This is the best party EVER!” and a whole bowlful of apples was eaten. No juice boxes, no candy, no useless plastic toys from China. Last year we had a book exchange instead of gift giving, but I couldn’t sell the kindergartener on that one. Still, so simple, and they really had fun.

My final tip: a couple years ago I filled a storage bin with plastic cups, plates, bowls of two sizes that I got on sale at Target. I have used these for parties at home and at school as well as lemonade stands. I wash more things, but I just don’t (and won’t) buy paper plates and cups anymore.

Recipes for this week: JERRY-RIGGED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES, SPINACH & CHEESE STRATA, AND PASTA FAZOOL CASSEROLE.

No comments:

Post a Comment