First "Cook Night" Results

Here's what our first scheduled "Cook Night" was like from both mom's and 13 year-old son's perspective.

Mom's version:

It's a good thing we set a date for our first "Cook Night"- the night chosen for David to learn how to prepare a favorite meal of his choice.   Without a concrete plan, it is less likely to happen.  Life is full, and it's just easier not to teach the kids to cook. 

I started thinking/talking about the event several days in advance.  First of all, I wanted to make sure we had the necessary ingredients.  Secondly, I wanted to prep David so his expectations were in line with the plan for him to cook.  Sure enough, when the day arrived, he balked, asking why we need to do this.  "So that you know how to cook when you go off to college" was my reply.  "We have lots of years left" he murmured, complaining that he would rather be hanging out with his friends.  I told him he needed to be ready at 5 pm to begin cooking, and we would eat at 6.  It would have been easier to give in to his whims, but I persevered.

We began promptly at 5 pm to prepare David's selection of Colorado Calzone.  Each calzone serves 4-6 people.  The plan was for me to make one calzone for our neighbor friends who are in the midst of packing up for a move, and David would make one for our family.  I demonstrated the process with my calzone, and then intentionally let David independently complete every step from beginning to end with his calzone.

It's really quite an easy process thanks to the use of some prepared foods.  We rolled out the loaf of thawed bread dough, placed the toppings of choice (we used cooked Isernio's Italian chicken sausage and grated cheese) on the dough, rolled it up, pinched it closed, brushed egg white over the top, and baked for 30 minutes.

The kitchen became a little (well, a lot) chaotic with incoming phone calls (exciting news- Kristen found a wedding dress!) and a last minute idea to make our Connell signature chocolate chip cookies.  The cookies flopped, which was my fault.  In haste I mindlessly used too little flour.  We took the opportunity to transform the pancake-flat cookies into home-made ice cream cookie sandwiches.  David and Dad assembled those while I made the salad and steamed broccoli.  I would have liked David to cook the veggies, but there's always next time.

After delivering the neighbor's meal, the four of us sat down to a scrumptious meal of calzone, steamed broccoli, and tossed mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, with a sprinkle of olive oil & raspberry balsamic vinegar. 

We all complimented David on how delicious the calzone tasted. (Except for Jennifer- she had braces put on that afternoon and was feeling too much pain to bite into food).  When I asked David how it was making calzone all by himself, he confidently responded with a proud smile, "It was a piece of cake!".  He was especially happy that he didn't have to do his dinner clean-up chore that night.  That was my suggestion - that whoever cooks on Monday Cook Night is relieved from doing their nightly chore.  Now that's a win-win!

[Special thanks to Dad for cleaning up the kitchen!]

David's version:

I got a steal on doing my chore- I didn't have to do my chore. ha ha.  Making calzones wasn't that bad because it's not actually that hard.  It was easier than I thought it would be. 

Here's how I did it.  First you take the Italian sausage, put it in the pan, and cook it.  Then you take the pepper, dried basil, and salt and mix it into the meat.  You take a rolling pin and roll out the dough.  When the meat is done, you lay it in a line on the dough, and put the cheese on the meat.  To fold it up you take the short ends and fold those in. Then take the long ends, fold them over and pinch it together. Then really fast you pick it up and put it on the pan.  You bake it in the oven for 30 minutes, look to see if it's done, yep it's done.  You slice it up and eat it.

It tasted great. It was easy, and yummy. I felt happy that I didn't have to do my chore.  I would do it again if I had nothing going on, and I didn't have to do my chore.

 

Cook Night

In our home, 99.9% of our dinners are cooked by me.  At first glance this may feel like a noble service.  But when I reflect on author Michael Pollan's words of wisdom (that the most important thing you can do if you're concerned about your kids' health is teach them how to cook),I realize it may in fact be a disservice.

 

I know that others in the family can cook because they manage dinners on their own when I am occasionally out of town.  I use the term "cook" loosely, since it's mostly pre-made items that merely require heating up according to the directions on the package.

Cooking means different things to different people.  Michael Pollan refers to eating these packaged foods as "secondary eating".  He believes that this industrial "food processing" has taken a substantial toll on our health and well-being since they tend to use much more sugar, fat and salt than do people cooking for people. "Primary eating" involves cooking a meal from scratch. 

Facing the facts about the nutritional benefits of home cooking helps me place a higher value on "primary cooking".   I can bring myself to a point where intellectually, I get it.  It's way better for us to home cook our meals from scratch more often than consume packaged food prepared by corporations.  But does my attitude and my shopping/cooking behavior reflect the high value I place on cooking?

Attitude check -  do I view cooking dinner as drudgery or as an opportunity?  I can't deny that there are times when it feels like drudgery.  My heart's desire is to approach cooking with a spirit of adventure, with mindfulness, with fascination with the cooking process, and with enjoyment of the experience of cooking and eating.

I ran across a superb article, "Find Your Young Lady".  Referring to the famliar "Old Woman/Young Lady" illusion (see picture), the author uses the phrase "find your young lady" to teach athletes how to reframe their thoughts to improve their running experiences.  The principles can be readily applied to any behavior, including cooking. The power to embrace cooking as a joy and opportunity comes in changing our thoughts from self-defeating to self-empowering.

Although my having the "right mindset" is necessary for me to inspire others to cook, it is not sufficient.  Nor will aiming to simply capitalize on the teachable moments.  Instead, I need a concrete plan.  If we leave it to chance, it may not happen. 

Drum roll......"Cook Night"

My experience tells me there are two core factors that internally motivate kids to cook:
1. their stomach (sheer desire to eat something yummy)
2. fun, especially with friend

I started by asking the kids who still live at home, "Name your 3 favorite home-cooked meals."   David chose:  Sesame Grilled Chicken with Ramen Salad,  Flat Iron Steaks with mushrooms and green beans, and Calzones.  Jennifer picked:  BBQ ribs, Hamburgers, and Tacos.

Next I told them, "You get to learn how to make these favorite meals of yours this summer on Cook Night!"

"You may invite a friend to help cook if you wish."

We chose Monday for Cook Night since at present there are no extracurricular activities disrupting our dinner hour on Mondays. Here is our actionable plan to begin teaching our children the life-long skill of cooking:

Goal:  Throughout the 10 weeks of summer vacation, the kids get to learn how to cook their three favorite meals.

"SMART" plan (specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, time-based): Each Monday beginning June 24 through August 26, Jennifer (age 10) and David (age 13) will alternate being chef on Cook Night.  Each will have an opportunity to learn how to make their three favorite meals with my assistance.  Since the Cook Night plan will use up only 6 of the 10 summer Mondays, we have wiggle room built into the plan.

 

Perhaps in August we will celebrate with a fun, culminating "graduation" home-cooked dinner.

 

The above plan is tailored to our family.  It's important to become the expert of your own self and family.  Think about your attitude/knowledge/skills/behavior with cooking.  Where are the gaps?  This process of exploring will help gain insight to establish a realistic plan to put into action.  My hope is for all of us to discover and pass on the joy of cooking, comfort and fun in the kitchen, and good health for a lifetime!

 

 

Who's Cooking Dinner?

I'm reading Michael Pollan's latest book, Cooked.  It is lighting a fire within me for this month's topic, "Who's Cooking Dinner?"

In his book, Pollen sets out to learn how to cook.  He becomes the student as experts show him the finer points of mastering some timeless culinary skills.  He makes several discoveries, including just how pleasurable it can be to cook.  Reflecting on the 8,000+ dinners I have cooked over the years, I can relate to his description of himself,

"I have always cooked, but I've always approached it with a great deal of impatience, and always kind of fought against it."

 

However, now he approaches cooking with a very different spirit.  He slows down, enjoys it more, and squeezes more out of the experience.

Cooked is an argument for making the choice to cook (versus relying on the food industry to do the cooking for us.).  The argument for cooking can be made on many levels.  On one level are health reasons.

"There is something inherent in the process of cooking that will drive you toward using better ingredients -  not using too much salt, fat and sugar."

"I'm convinced that the most important thing you can do if you're concerned about your kids' health is teach them how to cook.  It's a life-long skill that will do more to assure their long-term health and happiness than just about anything else you can give them."

Best of all, Pollan offers hope in reclaiming cooking as a pleasure, rather than a common perception that cooking is drudgery, and perhaps even daunting.

To be honest, on some days as dinner time approaches, I simply do not want to stop what I'm doing to make dinner.  After a day of work, I might rather be reading, playing a game of croquet or badminton with the kids in the backyard, catching up with family or friends, gardening, or writing.  These activities feel good and replenish my sense of well-being.  Forcing myself to switch gears to the kitchen and enter dinner preparation mode brings to mind the familiar bumper sticker, "I'd rather be....[fill in the blank with anything but cooking]."

How would life be different if I, too (like Michael Pollan), discovered that cooking is one of the most worthwhile and interesting ways to spend my time?

I wonder... exactly what is needed to reclaim cooking as a pleasure, and to teach our children the life-long skill of cooking?

 

I believe it begins with me, in my own "backyard", so to speak.  Things like challenging myself to venture outside of my comfort zone to learn and practice new cooking skills.  Things like practicing mindfulness skills (being more in the present moment as I cook).  Maybe even a little attitude adjustment.  Throw in some fun!  With these fix-ups, I am likely to be a more effective teacher for my children.  After all, more is caught than taught, especially when it comes to the joy of cooking.  Can I rise to the challenge?

 

Can the children rise to the challenge?

 "...if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that." (Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe).  I believe the answer is "yes".

I have people in my life who inspire me (merely through their living example) to approach cooking with confidence and a spirit of adventure.  As Pollan learned, cooking is not that hard.  Maybe cooking has more to do with one's mindset.

Maybe it really boils down to -  how much do I value cooking?  Now there's something worth chewing on.

In the mean time, summer is around the corner.  What better time is there than now, to engage the family in cooking dinner?  I will put on my thinking cap to devise a plan for my approach to reclaim cooking as pleasure, and to teach my children the life-long skill of cooking.  Stay tuned for an actionable plan.

Begin with a plan...lunch

Hard to believe there are only a few weeks left of school!  I was absolutely sure that one of the many joys of the upcoming summer break for my children would be to eat something (anything!) other than a peanut butter & jelly sandwich for lunch.

Surprisingly, when I actually took a poll, I was dead wrong.  On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being "I love pbj sandwiches to death everyday", and 10 being "I'm going to puke if I have to eat another pbj"), the kids ranked themselves 4 or below.  They say it's nice to have a change every once in a while, but overall they're pretty content with their packed lunches. 

I guess I was putting undue pressure on myself to change up our packed lunches.  Nonetheless, just for fun, I peeled off the two lunch idea articles I had cut out and taped to the inside of the lunchbox cupboard a few years ago.  Yes, several years ago. They are tattered despite never having been used.  One is entitled, "Kids love to assemble their own lunches".  Hmm, not so in my house.  Mine are quite happy to leave the packing to me.

 

I slap the pbj sandwich together, toss in a fruit (fresh or fruit cup with no sugar added) and veggie (carrots, celery sticks, or red bell pepper strips), and call it good.  It's expedient, reportedly satisfying, and chalks up two servings on the F&V tracker.  Why fix it if it's not broken?  Finally, I dropped those articles into the trash.

I will, however, try to incorporate a dinner each week that lends for tasty, packable leftovers just for variety.  Packing lunches on those mornings is a breeze!  Some of our favorites are pizza, burrito, and Colorado Calzone . These will make convenient, help-yourself summer lunches, too.

Let's hear what others pack for their own or their kid's lunches.  Simply click on the "No comments" below this post.

For my friends and others whose children are on a gluten-free diet, "100 Gluten Free School Lunch Ideas"  looks like a winning resource for everyone- whether packing or eating at home. 

Questions from readers

Questions from readers

I received a few great questions from readers about information in the Breakfast Maker (see April post):

Question 1:  "How do you get 30 gram of protein in those examples of breakfasts you gave?  5 eggs=30 gm protein (1 egg=6 gm) or 3 cups beans, or a whole bunch of nut butter, or 4+ oz of cheese.  It seems tough to eat all that."   

Answer: Rather than consume 30 gm protein at breakfast, 30 gm at lunch, and 30 gm at dinner, I like to think of it as consuming 30 gm throughout each 1/3 of the day. Taking in 30 gm of protein from the time I rise in the morning up until lunch time is doable but requires careful selection of high quality protein foods so that I don't go overboard on calories and unwanted weight gain.

A few examples:

- Breakfast: 1 egg, a bowl of fruit & walnuts provides ~8 gm protein.

Mid morning snack: 1/2 c cottage cheese with a fresh pear provides ~16 gm protein.
Total ~24 gm protein.

- Breakfast: 1/2 cup oatmeal with fruit, flax seeds, and a scoop of protein powder provides ~ 20-25 gm protein.

These examples do not add up to 30 gm protein.  But I'm headed in the right direction.  If you want to calculate your protein intake, here's a worksheet that's helpful.  For even greater detail with calculating your protein intake, try www.myfitnesspal.com.

The recommendation to consume 30 gm protein at breakfast is based on one set of research and may not be ideal for everyone.  An alternative to counting grams of protein is to use the Breakfast Maker as a rough guide to help you choose all three macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate, and healthy fat) at your breakfast meal.  If you are not eating a good protein source at breakfast, start by adding one.  Any amount of protein is better than none.  See how you feel 2-3 hours after eating breakfast.  If you feel energetic, satisfied, and focused, chances are your breakfast is fueling you well.  On the other hand, if you feel lethargic and foggy-headed, you can experiment with increasing your protein.

Question 2:  "Does the fact that protein powder is processed take away from the nutritional value?" 
 

Answer:  The answer is a very definitive, "it depends".  It depends on how it's processed and what is added.  There are plenty of protein powders on the market that I will not buy, especially those with soy and artificial sweeteners.  Do an internet search on the good and bad of protein powder, and you'll find a war zone akin to hotly debated subjects like religion and politics.  Suffice it to say that although protein powder is processed, it still provides a complete source of high quality protein without packing a lot of extra calories.  If you choose to use it, it should merely be a supplement to a naturally occurring whole foods diet packed with nutrients.

Begin with a plan... Journal of the Breakfast Maker

Journal of the Breakfast Maker

I designed the Breakfast Maker (previous post) to help steer our family toward making a healthy breakfast choice.  Is it working for us?  Yes... when we use it.  A tool is only as effective as it's user.  However, I am discovering that the key ingredient to starting the day with a healthy breakfast in our home has less to do with the food choices and more to do with how we use our time in the morning.

A bit on food choices.....the Breakfast Maker is taped to the kitchen cupboard for our family to see and hopefully use.  I initially made a point to walk the kids through the steps of the Breakfast Maker.  We don't use it everyday.  It comes in most handy for anyone feeling "lost" in the morning, not knowing what to eat for breakfast.  It provides direction, sort of like a compass.  Not everyone needs that direction, but it's there as needed.

For example, one morning, Jennifer (age 10) was at a loss for what to eat for breakfast. I pointed to the Breakfast Maker and asked her to pick one item from each of the three categories (protein, carb, fat).  She selected the Greek yogurt topped with cereal, along with a fish oil supplement.  Done. There is nothing magic about the Breakfast Maker.  It simply allows her the independence to make choices within the framework of healthy eating.

 
The Breakfast Maker doesn't work so well when we have less healthy but appealing foods around such as home-made cookies, graham crackers, Nutella (hazelnut chocolate spread), etc.  It all goes back to "make the healthy choice the easy choice".  If unhealthy options are available, I know what the kids will prefer to eat!

So I experimented with making home-made Nutella which turned out quite tasty (with less sugar and healthier fat than the store bought stuff).  The kids didn't like it as well, but I bet they will eat it if the store bought version isn't in our home.  Also, I wonder...why not make a healthy breakfast cookie?  This "Super Healthy Breakfast (or anytime) Cookie" looks like it is worth a try.  Or make a "Healthy Ice Cream Sandwich" consisting of a healthier graham cracker with Greek yogurt.

Even healthy choices will do us no good, however, if we "don't have time" for eating breakfast.  There are endless reasons for "no time" for breakfast -  alarm clock failure, hitting the snooze button, homework to finish up in the morning, phone calls, things to do, shiny objects that distract us -- even good things like exercise, a shower, or prayer/meditation time.

How we use our time boils down to our priorities.  A favorite saying of mine is "The good is often the enemy of the best".   It applies to balancing how we spend our time in the morning.  I tell myself that fueling my family well before they head out for the day is important to me.  But the reality is, it doesn't always happen.  Making breakfast a priority continues to be a work in progress.

 

 

Start with a plan... Breakfast Maker

Breakfast Maker

Morning times can be hectic.  Everyone is on a different schedule and we often fend for ourselves when it comes to eating breakfast.  I was feeling like something needed to be done to help increase the likelihood of everyone in our family eating a good breakfast each morning.

At first, I had visions of preparing a breakfast which we all sit down to eat at some point before heading off to work or school.  Not realistic. Instead, I developed the "Breakfast Maker".  (No, it is not a magic genie who instantly makes breakfast appear on the table each morning -  wishful thinking).  Rather, it is a tool we all can use to help us choose a healthy breakfast.

This is how the Breakfast Maker works.  Make your own breakfast by following these steps:
1. choose a protein source
2. add carbohydrate source(s)

3. choose a healthy fat source

Breakfast Maker

1. Begin with a protein source

• Beef/pork/chicken/fish (3oz=20 gm pro)
• Protein powder (1 scoop=18 gm pro)
• Cottage cheese (1/2 cup=16 gm pro)
• Greek yogurt (8 oz =11 gm pro)
• High protein cereal such as Kashi (1/5 c=10 gm pro)
• Cow's Milk (1 c=8 gm pro)
• Beans/legumes (1/2 c = 7 gm pro)
• Cheese (1 oz=7 gm pro)
• Eggs- hard boiled, scrambled, fried, poached, omelet, frittata (1 egg=6 gm pro)
• Nut butter (1 Tb = 3 gm pro)

 

  2.  Add carbohydrate source

• Fruit
• Grain (cold cereal, oatmeal, whole grain toast, tortilla, quinoa)
• Vegetable (celery, carrots, red bell pepper, sweet potato, etc)
• Milk or milk sub (almond, coconut, soy)
• Yogurt

3. Choose a healthy fat source

• Walnuts or almonds
• Hummus
• Olives
• Avocado
• Chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp
• Olive or coconut oil
• Fish oil supplement

The following are some examples of a healthy breakfast using the Breakfast Maker:

-  Scrambled eggs, whole grain toast, orange slices, fish oil supplement
-  Yogurt parfait (Greek yogurt, fresh/frozen fruit, flax seeds)
-  Cottage cheese with pear slices, almonds/walnuts
-  Tortilla with black beans (or leftover taco meat) & cheese, sliced avocado/guacamole or black olives
-  Smoothie:  David's favorite is 8 oz. milk, 1/2 frozen banana, 5 ice cubes, 1 scoop of chocolate flavored protein powder
-  Steel cut oats, frozen blueberries & strawberries, banana slices, walnuts, flax seeds (I make the steel cut oats in the rice cooker and store leftovers in frig)
-  Hard cooked egg, muffin, fresh fruit

Advertisers lead us to think that breakfast cereals are the only breakfast option.  It may be helpful to think outside of the (breakfast cereal) box.

The key ingredient in building a healthy breakfast is protein.  Protein plays a role in "time releasing" the carbohydrates we eat.  If you eat protein and carbs together, the protein dramatically slows the carbohydrate digestion.  The result? Greater satiety, improved energy levels, and a feeling of well-being.  Here's a good description of the physiology behind the complaint, "If I eat breakfast, I'm hungry all morning".  http://inthezonefitness.com/Bodyfat.htm   A mostly carb breakfast can have that effect. 

How much protein is necessary for breakfast?  Recommendations vary.  Research from a recent presentation I heard suggests that the optimal distribution of protein throughout the day for adults to prevent loss of muscle as we age is 30 gm at breakfast, 30 gm at lunch, and 30 gm at dinner.  This is in contrast to the typical Western diet of ~10 gm at breakfast, ~15 gm at lunch, and ~ 65 gm at dinner.  Because there is a ceiling of ~30 gm of usable protein at any one time, any amount beyond that does not help our body in building/repairing muscle as we age, exercise, or attempt to lose weight.

 "Advances in Successful Aging Strategies: Smart Nutrition, Effective Exercise"

Today I taped the "Breakfast Maker" to the cupboard to help steer each of us in making a healthy breakfast choice.  We'll see what tomorrow will bring.

 

 

One of my friends asked how I will use the vegetables in the photo on my previous post.  Great question!

Carrots, sweet potatoes, onion- in a stew

Sweet potatoes- sliced into rounds and roasted

Spinach & arugula - in salads

Cherry tomatoes- in salad, as garnish for various meals

Beets- roasted

Cucumber- sliced

Cauliflower- steamed, then topped with grated cheese

Kale- kale chips  (This is my third attempt at kale chips.  We're so-so on them.  Next time I will likely use the fresh kale in a salad.)

Parsnips, carrots, radishes - I tried a new recipe with roasted parsnips & carrots, a lemon/herb vinaigrette, and radish garnish, which isn't worth passing along.  Rather than mess with recipes with a million ingredients, I think I may transition to simply using flavored olive oils and vinegars for cooking veggies. 

Tonight I needed a quick meal, and to use up two chicken breasts.  I chose to stir fry an assortment of veggies (carrots, onions, radishes, celery), and garlic.  I didn't even follow a recipe (hooray!), and everyone really loved it!  Here is what I did:

1. Marinate cut-up chicken breasts in Soy Vay Island Teriyaki sauce for 30 minutes.

2. Stir-fry chicken in coconut oil; remove chicken from pan.
3. Stir-fry veggies.
4. Place chicken back in pan.
5. Serve over rice.

Begin with a plan: breakfast & lunch

A menu of breakfast options

I blinked, and here it is mid April already.  We enjoyed a spring break trip to visit Kristen at pilot training in Oklahoma, and grandparents in Arkansas.  We were blessed with being present with Granddad Connell before and as he passed.  The dear man lived to age 77 after having Type 1 diabetes since his early 20's, with little to no complications evident until the past year.  Rest in peace, sweet Granddad.

The passing of loved ones helps you gain perspective on what's important in life.   Lessons learned for me on our trip and the events of the past two weeks include:  have the courage to be vulnerable, for it transforms the way we live and love.  Laugh often, be present in the moment, and have the confidence to be wholly, completely myself. 

"While in Rome, do as the Romans do."  So while in Oklahoma, we ate some traditional southern fare including fried pickles and homemade biscuits & gravy.  I was pleasantly surprised with the most delicious homemade carrot cake ever, to celebrate my birthday.   What a gift it was to be with family and to forge new friendships.

Back home now, I stocked up on a colorful bounty of fruits & veggies. 

Wednesday night I attended the Camas & Washougal on a Diet community event.  We watched a segment from the HBO "The Weight of the Nation" documentary on childhood obesity.   My take-away message:  the most important determinant of a child's weight and health is the home environment.  Unfortunately, parents have a tough battle against the forces of advertising.  Dr. Kelly Brownell says, "Food marketing for children is powerful, pernicious, and predatory."  And, "We need to change what 'good' looks like".  The role that parents play in shopping, cooking, and eating is crucial in developing healthy habits among our children. 

That's a good segue into The Eating Well Project April topic: Begin with a plan: breakfast & lunch.  Let's just say that skipping breakfast simply cannot be an option.  Our metabolism is like a fire, and it must be stoked at the beginning of the day and throughout the day so we can keep our energy up.  Additionally, eating a good breakfast and lunch helps prevent becoming over-hungry which often triggers overeating later in the day.

Question for reflection - what qualifies as a "good" breakfast in my home?  Ideally, for me a good breakfast provides adequate protein for satiety until the next "stoking of the fire", along with carbohydrate and healthy fat from whole foods.  And it is consumed sitting at a table.

Since everyone in our home is on a different schedule in the morning, we all pretty much fend for ourselves when it comes to eating breakfast.  For the kids, precious morning time is often wasted trying to decide what to eat for breakfast. I recall David saying once that it would be easier to figure out what to eat if he had some ideas/options listed for him.

Here is my experiment for this week:  to develop a menu of options for quick, healthy, & tasty breakfasts.  I will share that plan next time, along with the results of using it.  My hope is that this experiment to put more intention into providing a healthy breakfast will make for more productive use of time in the morning, and reduce the occasions of eating a poor quality breakfast in a scramble, on the way out the door, or (worse case scenario) not at all.

 

A memory just popped into my head.  I recall as a child, my mom setting the breakfast table the night before.  Hmm, that gives me an idea.