One of my all-time favorite commercials is the classic "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" from Staples. I love how giddy the father is for back-to-school shopping and how miserable the kids look. The voice over is perfect too - exuding over-the-top enthusiasm. This commercial always comes to mind at the start of every school year (maybe that's the geeky advertising side of me).



Except for the first time, I've become empathetic with the kids. I am dreading the chore of packing lunch for my Kindergartner... and for the next 17 years?! He's not a terribly picky eater, so I'm not worried that he'll go hungry because he didn't like what I packed for lunch. But because I'm the one packing his lunch, I want it to be enjoyable and satisfying. And hopefully that will carry-over to the food when my kid opens his lunchbox.

I'm sure there will be days he'll ask to buy lunch. Being a new mom and someone who truly values wholesome food, I am leery of the processed foods that is being served in our public schools. Thanks to organizations like Whole Foods and its Great American Salad Bar Project and Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, there is a push to bring fresh food into local schools. Until significant progress is made, I'll be packing lunch most days of the week.

So I've done some homework and found some great sites and blogs that truly inspire when it comes to lunch ideas. I don't have any delusions of creating mini works of art with bento boxes (if only I had the time). Here are some sites I will be coming back to often:

We made our annual trek to visit the in-laws in Lancaster county last weekend. The boys, while at times feisty during the 7+ hours in the car, had a wonderful time. It's a weekend complete with doting grandparents, trains (note: parents of "trainiacs", the Strasburg Railroad Museum and Choo Choo Barn are a must-see), playtime with relatives, and a good dose of country air.



For umdaddy and I, we get to relax (thanks to doting grandparents), spend some quality time with relatives and get our dose of country air. Some might think a trip to Amish Country equates to simple, butter-laden meals by candle light. In actuality, we were treated to some fresh-from-the-garden, sophisticated meals in the comfort of central AC (no, my in-laws are not Amish in case you were wondering).

One dinner consisted of a comforting and delicious baked lasagna with meatballs. Instead of slaving over a frying pan, we tried baking them in muffin tins for the first time (a tip I saw on Good Eats).

We were also treated to a cookout complete with burgers, dogs, and local corn on the cob. We had fun improvising and whipped up a delicious Greek pasta salad (check out the recipe at the end of the post). And every meal ended with a delicious dessert. Check out these adorable brownie cupcakes made to look like grilled meat.


And no road trip is complete without some food off a major highway in either a chain restaurant or hole-in-the-wall establishment. We decided to roll the dice and dined at El Sombrero, a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant in Southington, CT (off of I-84). I'll be posting my restaurant review of El Sombrero soon!

It was a successful and great mini-vacation and I'm already looking forward to our trip next summer.


{Recipe} Greek Pasta Salad
 Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS:
12 ounces farfalle pasta (bow-ties)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1 cucumber, cored and chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

DIRECTIONS:

Here I am, three weeks into my personal adventure eating challenge (three new recipes/week and one new restaurant/month) and can proudly say, I am meeting the challenge! Here's a recap:

Week 1:

• Roasted Chickpea Bruschetta
• Mini Spinach and Tomato Fritattas
• Grilled Asian Pork Chops

Week 2:

• Roasted Tomato Linguine
• 101 "Whaler" Fish Sandwich
• Asian Slaw
• El Sombrero Restaurant

What I am finding difficult is finding the time to write about it. How do all those food bloggers and mommy bloggers do it? How do they find time to blog, twitter, attend conferences and events, work a full-time job, and mother little ones? I want in on your secret!

Until then, posts on week 2 are in development. A visual sneak peek...

I love food. And I love how food can bring a family together. I started this blog as a way to chronicle my quest in finding good - no make that great - meals for my family. I didn't want to believe that restaurants with a menu kids could color were our only options when dining out. Nor did I want to 'deceive' my kids by masking good-for-you ingredients in their dish. And I definitely did not want to be the kids' short order cook, serving up typical toddler food they would eat while my hubby and I ate 'grown-up' food. Whether it be from a recipe, pre-packaged or eating out, I wanted an outlet to share the good, bad, and tasty.

 
I am amazed and quite frankly, overwhelmed by the number of bloggers out there. The ones that get my attention, and better yet, lure me back time and again have my utmost admiration. For me, these blogs are an honest and fun peek into a personal experimentation: A mom who is teaching herself and her son the art of cooking in 365 days. An eco-mom teaching her kids to cook healthy. A mom getting her son to eat vegetables. There's The Julie/Julia Project of course.

Since my goal is to raise adventurous eaters, then I too need to be ready for adventure. So I am challenging myself to try *at least* two new recipes a week, test something store-bought, and review one new restaurant (sans kiddie menu) a month. I'd be lying if I told you dinner didn't come from store-bought rotisserie chicken and mac and cheese from a box with a bunny on it now and then. But who wants to read about that? And hopefully after some time, I will have a catalog of great eats that my boys can try out on their own kids.

Well, we didn't actually have Tony preparing dinner in our kitchen (if only!). After watching this week's No Reservations, my husband and I came to the conclusion we had to make Boeuf Bourguignon. We've experimented with many classics in the past, but had yet to try making this classic of classics. The ultimate comfort food.

We watched carefully as Tony went step by step, in his usual irreverent and honest delivery, on how to make Boeuf Bourguignon (and was it me, or did Jacques Pepin look like he had a few too many glasses of wine during his omelet demo). Easy peasy. It also helped to have the actual recipe found on the travel channel's website. Three plus hours later, my family is enjoying a truly satisfying meal. The boys didn't even complain about eating the vegetables. It was the perfect dish on a cold and rainy day. Thanks Tony!

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