School Days

Although the thermometer is still reaching into the 90s, summer is officially over in our house.  School bells started ringing yesterday, and my first grader and fifth grader headed back to class.  Being in first grade, my middle son is looking forward to lunch in the cafeteria.  I think as a kindergarten student, the cafeteria held mystery and allure.  "What could be going in there with all the older kids?  Us little guys must be missing out on something good."

At our school, the only thing the little guys are missing out on is processed chicken!  The September menu reads like a Tyson product list - popcorn chicken, baked chicken patty, chicken strip sub, chicken stix, chicken nuggets, chicken parmesan sandwich.  Out of 23 days, 12 of those days some sort of chicken item is offered. 

I used to think that a chicken nugget was just a bite-sized piece of chicken, breaded and fried.  I think a lot of America thinks that as well.  I recently went shopping for a new oven and most of the newer models have a "chicken nugget button" - presets the oven to cook your nuggets perfectly!  Talk about convenient!  But a nugget is SO much more than chicken - it's actually mostly corn.

These two paragraphs are taken directly from The Omnivore's Dilemma regarding a McDonald's chicken nugget, (which is probably pretty similar to the chicken products sold to our kids at school):

"The ingredients listed in the flyer suggest a lot of thought goes into a nugget, that and a lot of corn. Of the thirty-eight ingredients it takes to make a McNugget, I counted thirteen that can be derived from corn: the corn-fed chicken itself; modified cornstarch (to bind the pulverized chicken meat); mono-, tri-, and diglycerides (emulsifiers, which keep the fats and water from separating); dextrose; lecithin (another emulsifier); chicken broth (to restore some of the flavor that processing leeches out); yellow corn flour and more modified cornstarch (for the batter); cornstarch (a filler); vegetable shortening; partially hydrogenated corn oil; and citric acid as a preservative. A couple of other plants take part in the nugget: There's some wheat in the batter, and on any given day the hydrogenated oil could come from soybeans, canola, or cotton rather than corn, depending on the market price and availability.

According to the handout, McNuggets also contain several completely synthetic ingredients, quasiedible substances that ultimately come not from a corn or soybean field but form a petroleum refinery or chemical plant. These chemicals are what make modern processed food possible, by keeping the organic materials in them from going bad or looking strange after months in the freezer or on the road. Listed first are the "leavening agents": sodium aluminum phosphate, mono-calcium phosphate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, and calcium lactate. These are antioxidants added to keep the various animal and vegetable fats involved in a nugget from turning rancid. Then there are "anti-foaming agents" like dimethylpolysiloxene, added to the cooking oil to keep the starches from binding to air molecules, so as to produce foam during the fry. The problem is evidently grave enough to warrant adding a toxic chemical to the food: According to the Handbook of Food Additives, dimethylpolysiloxene is a suspected carcinogen and an established mutagen, tumorigen, and reproductive effector; it's also flammable.

But perhaps the most alarming ingredient in a Chicken McNugget is tertiary butylhydroquinone, or TBHQ, an antioxidant derived from petroleum that is either sprayed directly on the nugget or the inside of the box it comes in to "help preserve freshness." According to A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives, TBHQ is a form of butane (i.e. lighter fluid) the FDA allows processors to use sparingly in our food: It can comprise no more than 0.02 percent of the oil in a nugget. Which is probably just as well, considering that ingesting a single gram of TBHQ can cause "nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, delirium, a sense of suffocation, and collapse." Ingesting five grams of TBHQ can kill."

Bet you never thought that was in your chicken McNuggets!  

I don't blame the school for offering this to my kids.  They have a budget to follow, and they probably make what sells, and kids LOVE processed chicken.  But parents can change this.  For one, we can pack our kids healthy meals.  I do allow both the boys to buy once a week (they usually choose pizza day).  We can also contact our government representatives and voice our concerns, demanding our kids get healthier, fresh-ingredient lunches.  I'll make it easy - sign Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution petition.  And while you're at it, show your kids his video about how chicken nuggets are made - they may never eat another nugget in their lives (let's hope!)

Pizza Night

Friday night has always been pizza night in our house.  By Friday, I'm usually so tired of cooking dinner, and coming up with something to make, that we'd just hit our favorite pizza joint.  Eating out has definitely become one of our generations' past-times.  Growing up, eating out was a treat for our family.  Most nights my mom cooked.  Going to a restaurant was big deal, even something as casual as McDonald's was a momentous occasion.  Today, my kids are jaded.  They don't get excited at the prospect of getting ice cream, or going out for a bite to eat, because it's so commonplace for them. 

Until now...My husband and I are trying to budget our money better and have decided to limit eating out (or ordering in) to once a month.  We've issued this decree before, but we're serious this time (didn't we say that the last time?)  In the process of making more meals at home, I can also have more control over what my family eats.  I know what goes into everything I make.  I don't know what's going into that pizza made down the street.  And the horror of reading the Sunday paper's restaurant inspections and seeing a bad review of somewhere we've recently frequented - not going to happen when we're eating in!

We can still have pizza night, and we can even turn it into organic pizza night for less than a frozen pizza from your nearest grocer.  Homemade pizza is super easy to make, and great fun for the kids.  You can cut your dough into several small pizzas, giving everyone the chance to create his or her own dinner.  Put some toppings on the counter (like uncured pepperoni, peppers, onions, mushrooms (all organic of course)) and you have a pizza bar...

I've tried a ton of pizza dough recipes, and this one has become the one I use this recipe almost every Friday.  It's quick, simple and yummy!

Quick Beer Pizza Dough, from King Arthur Flour
2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 cups semolina*
1 tablespoon Pizza Dough flavor, optional (I never use this)
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups room-temperature beer
*Substitute unbleached all-purpose flour if you don't have semolina (I never have semolina)

Directions
1/Mix and knead together all of the dough ingredients - by hand, mixer or bread machine - until you have a smooth, soft dough.  (I use the bread paddle on my Kitchen Aid mixer)
2/Cover the dough, and allow it rise for 30 minutes, or for up to 2 hours.
3/Preheat oven to 500 with the pizza stone (if you're using one) on a lower rack.
4/Divide the dough in half.  Shape each half into a 10" or 12" round.
5/Place the dough on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
6/Transfer dough, parchment and all, to the baking stone. Or place the pans in the oven.
7/Bake 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove from the oven, top as desired, and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the bottom crust is crisp and cheese is bubbly and browned.

Sauce
You can use a store-bought pizza sauce, or make your own organic sauce. 
1 can (14 oz) organic tomato sauce
1/2 can organic tomato paste
Oregano, basil, garlic, salt and pepper to taste
I simply mix this together in a small saucepan, bringing to a light simmer, allowing the flavors to blend.  This will make enough for two 10" pizzas. 

A little bit about King Arthur's Flour (my favorite line of baking products!)
They are America’s oldest flour company, founded in 1790. To put it into context, George Washington had just been elected to his first term in office.
King Arthur Flour became an employee-owned company in 1996, when Frank Sands instated the employee stock ownership program (ESOP). They are now 100% employee-owned, and have always been 100% committed to quality.
Their headquarters in Norwich, Vermont, is a 16,600-square-foot timber-frame structure called, appropriately, Camelot. Vermont Public Radio also calls Camelot home.

No One to Blame

Monday there was a post on Facebook titled “Who’s Fault Is It?” from an organic page I subscribe to.   The author was questioning why more people don’t follow in her footsteps, eating 100% organic.  She was wondering whose fault it is that so many children are allowed to eat "junk," concluding that is was mainly the parents.

I’m a newbie to choosing organic, so perhaps I haven’t climbed the ladder to the pedestal yet, but why is it so necessary place blame and judge people that don’t make the same choices we do?  Instead of judging, we should try educating.  I personally had no idea what was going on with our nation’s food system.  I wasn’t completely in the dark, but I didn’t understand how corporate America had overrun the system and focused solely on profits opposed to the safety and well-being of consumers.  I assumed the government protected me and my family.  Do I sound naive? 

I thought organic food was for panty-wastes.  Seriously.  I thought, hell, what’s a little pesticides?  I grew up eating canned veggies, Kool-aid, and one of my mom’s go-to meals was peas with Spam.  My philosophy was “It didn’t hurt me, why would it hurt my kids?”  Another of my favorites was “Geez, practically everything causes cancer, so why bother?”  I don’t think I was trying to justify not eating organic, because I really didn’t think of organic as a necessity.  It was for yuppies or crunchy granola types! 

But, then I saw a documentary, "Food Inc." that educated (and shocked) me.  That documentary led me to read a book, "The Omnivores Dilemma," that led me to read another book, "Fast Food Nation," and several books later, here I am, choosing organic most of the time, because now I know better.  Of course I’m not perfect, and I’m definitely not 100% organic, and honestly probably never will be, but my kids will get less pesticides and less HFCS and lead a healthier life regardless of the percentage.  

Speaking of less HFCS, Honest Teas has some great deals on their kids line of drinks, Honest Kids.  They’re low-sugar, fruit-flavored drinks that come in pouches (great for lunches) and now 64-oz. multi-serve bottles.  And again, what can be cheaper than free?  Head to their website for Buy One Get One Free coupons.  They also offer a rewards program.  Enter the code on your juice pouch and save up for a bike!!

Peas and Spam (for the adventurous (and nonorganic) readers)
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
2 cans of peas
2 can of Spam

Prepare cream of mushroom soup according to directions.  Add peas.  Cube Spam, add to soup and peas.  Heat on stovetop until warm throughout.

Doesn't Get Cheaper Than Free

"The best things in life are free..."  And in this case, it's so true!  Stonyfield Farms, makers of organic yogurts, milk and ice creams, has a rewards program that offers free organic products, cool magazines, and other eco-conscious products.  There is no cost to sign up, and you don't need a gazillion points to start earning products.  A meager 15 points can earn One Free KOYO Ramen, 20 points can earn a YoBaby or YoToddler multipack and subscription to KIWI magazine.  Points per product vary, but range from one to five points.  The rewards program is slated to end December 31 (although they may extend it) so eat that yogurt fast! 

The Stonyfield site also offers generous coupons, like up to $1.00 off one multipack of yogurt.

My husband was bummed to know that Stonyfield doesn't come in flavors like Apple Turnover or German Chocolate cake.  But, Stonyfield also doesn't contain high fructose corn syrup or aspartame in it's ingredient list, so the trade-off is worth it!  

www.stonyfield.com

The Zoo

So today we headed to the zoo.  What, you may ask, does the zoo have to do with eating organic?  Well, if your family is anything like ours, any outing, especially a day trip, includes FOOD!  In my pre-converted days, we'd stop for fast food or grab something at the zoo.  And please don't get me wrong - we still do this kind of stuff once in while.  Yes, it's easy to judge and say, "I'd never let my child eat that garbage" but sometimes I just don't have the energy to deal.  Please don't report me to the authorities...

Suprisingly, I actually thought ahead of time today and packed a lunch.  Peanut butter and jelly, cheese sticks, and snack packs of Pirate's Booty.  Just normal, everyday food.  I wish my kids would eat some of those cool lunch ideas I see on other sites - like hummus dip with carrot sticks, but alas, my kids are more the Lunchable/nugget types if allowed...

If you're a member, be sure to check out Costco's coupon mailer this month.  Inside is a coupon ($2.50 off) a 36 pack of Annie's Snacks.  I think the box cost about $11.00.  Great for school lunches!  Other great items at Costco - Kirkland (the store brand) of Organic Peanut Butter, Organic Bread and Organic milk (1%).  They recently began stocking organic chicken (breasts, thighs and whole chicken) and ground meat at reasonable prices!!  They also sell Stonyfield Farms yogurts, Disney Organic Animal Crackers, Honest Kids juice pouches and more!