Category: Guiding Principles

The good lessons we have learned along the way

Arsenic and Old… Rice?

You’ve probably seen the recent news on high arsenic levels found in rice grown in the United States. As gluten-free eaters Jessica and I are big consumers of rice and its derivatives, so this news came as quite a shock. We wondered why arsenic levels are just being discovered now, and what it will mean for our diets. Realistically we understand this will be one of many “food issues” we face in our lifetime, so an all out panic and ensuing wide-scale elimination of this month’s offending food won’t work in the long term. Instead, we’re looking at the facts, weighing the consequences against other “food issues” out there, and setting a plan that will allow us to eat and live without fear.  And, while this plan involves fewer grains of rice, we won’t eliminate the starch completely.  We will, however, take precautionary measures with the rice we eat and use this as an opportunity to bring out our favorite, practical, non-rice recipes that allow us to explore some of the wonderful other grains that we can find. There’s the silver lining!  Come and cook with us! Continue reading “Arsenic and Old… Rice?”

A Spoonful of Sugar…

Here’s an interesting piece of information: almost one quarter of all food and beverage ads viewed by children ages 2 to 11 were for cereals. This is according to the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, who, in 2009 issued a study called Cereal FACTS documenting the poor nutritional quality coupled with heavy marketing of sugar cereals to children, and challenged cereal manufacturers to do something to change this pattern. They’ve issued a follow-up study this year citing research that found not enough has changed.  While some manufacturers have reduced salt and sugar in their products, total media spending to promote child-targeted cereals has increased by 34% and cereal companies continue to aggressively market their least nutritious products directly to children. We often say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but surely not if it contains one spoon of sugar for every three spoons of cereal. Read on to learn more about the Center’s research.  Come and cook with us! Continue reading “A Spoonful of Sugar…”

The Chefs Have Left the Building (and Headed Off to School)

It’s been six weeks (nearly the whole summer) since we started our mini-series on Chefing with Kids inspired by a meal I cooked with Kathrin’s oldest son, Finn one Friday night early in the summer.  The meal was memorable – mini hamburgers, home made French fries, and a whole lot of quality time with Finn – and it is my hope that its spirit will live on with you as you get out those pots, pans, and kid-size aprons to cook with the mini-Chefs in your lives.  Before wrapping up this series, we thought we’d furnish you with a cheat sheet of the recipes we like to cook with kids.  Come and cook with us! Continue reading “The Chefs Have Left the Building (and Headed Off to School)”

Pizza Delivery… by the Kids

Whatever the time of year, it´s always pizza time in my house. Pizza is a fast, relatively wholesome food to make, and gives my boys a perfect outlet for creativity in the kitchen.  And make it they do, at least once a week, sometimes more. I often allow them freedom over what they put on their pizza, but I do retain control by setting the pizza rules: at least two vegetables, at least three colors, and no more than one type of cheese (though Bode always tries to trade an extra vegetable for the right to get a second type of cheese). When making pizza a staple in your house, make it easy, set up rules, allow for creativity, and keep in mind that kids love to dig their hands into the dough and the toppings; and, if you are short on time, lean on replacement options such as pita breads, tortillas or flatbreads. Come and cook with us! Continue reading “Pizza Delivery… by the Kids”