Menus

SURVEY questions:  How much a week do you budget for food? How many people are in your family?  Answers will help us plan some menus for you.

 Thanks for your response!

… for the health of your family,

ellen and sally

Ruth Milstein took 6-7 years to write this award winning cookbook so you can have everything you need to know in one binder. From Utensils, Useful Substitutes, and Healthy Handling of Food to simple sumptuous recipes for fresh salads, soups, veggies, entrees, pasta, rice, bread, tofu, sauces, dips, desserts and more… it is all there for you. AND, most are family recipes!

What jumped out of our conversation today is that she prepares and freezes a lot of her food in advance – even brown rice. During your busy days, all you have to do is move your food of choice into the refrigerator in the morning and it is ready to be heated and for last minutes touches when its time for dinner! She explaines this as your listen.

Ruth’s book is filled with answers and tips you have been looking for. We love it!

To learn more, look for this interview on itunes.com – its Free. (Family Food Experts – Blog Talk Radio Feed)

… for the health of families,
ellen

Extra Virgin, Cold Pressed, Pure…how do you know what olive oil to buy on your budget? Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cold Pressed is your top choice and most expensive. You should have a bottle in your home at all times. However, you don’t need to use it exclusively. Instead, buy olive oil, cold pressed to use for cooking. Wynnie Stein, co-author of the Moosewood Cookbook series, suggested using olive oil sprays for preparations and saving the Extra Virgin as a topping just before serving to add richness and moisture. Wynnie also noted that to avoid olive oils that have had some other oils added, always look for the country of origin as an assurance you are getting what you are paying for.

Storage: Keep cool. A dark cook cupboard is okay. Sally has the most practical solution. Place the bulk of your olive oil in the refridgerator and keep a small spout-topped bottle of olive oil in a dark cool cupboard. Refill when needed. The purpose of keeping olive oil cool is to prevent the formation of free-radicals.

Why Cold Pressed? To avoid the ingestion and side effects of hexane gas used to extract oil from the olives. Cold press is the way to go.

Enjoy the healthy benefits of olive oil.

… for the health of families,
ellen

Wynnie Stein, co-author of the twelve Moosewood Cookbook series, reminded us that the Mediterranean communities have existed for thousands of year and so have many of their traditions. Whether located on the northern coast of Africa, Greece, Italy, Spain or anywhere along the Mediterranean Sea, these communities have at least one thing in common, they eat fresh food. Traditions of Mediterranean meals all center on how food is grown, harvested, prepared and served. Fresh vegetables, fruits and grains are the foundation of their diets. Legumes (beans) are included for protein. Lean meats and seafood are added to recipes often as an accent, not a center piece. Smaller portions are served. In Spain, Tapas are popular -they are similar to appetizers served in little dishes. You simply take a bit or two of each offering.

Eating locally grown and in season produce are both key to Mediterranean cuisine. The preparation of meals as well as the consumption of the food is a social event. Engage your kids and enjoy making light easy Mediterranean recipes in your home. Watch for a Mediterranean menu with recipes by Wynnie Stein on our website – coming very soon.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Assign menu planning to your kids. Give each child one night a week to choose what is for dinner. Require them to include protein, good fats (EFAs), and complex carbohydrates (vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fruit) in the meal. Instruct them that each meal must include two to three different God-made colored foods, or more.

This accomplishes several things. Each child will become more educated about the food group choices. Each will eat what he or she wants at least one night a week. He or she will also have the satisfaction of knowing his or her sibling will have to eat his or her chosen menu. They all figure out that they, in turn, have to eat the chosen foods of their siblings. Parents can be assigned a dinner as well so it becomes a family team.

Best of all, mom does not have to plan every dinner menu. We guarantee you, this works.

… for the health of your family,
ellen