Back To School, Back To Sanity

Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Pique. I only partner with brands I genuinely use and like. If it’s in here, it’s because it’s already in my house.

Last fall our daughter enrolled in a 2’s program so, as Ms Rachel would say, I was feeling big feelings. It would be the first time we’d be apart from her, and she still very much felt like a baby, wobbling around in diapers, only saying a few words. I stayed up the night before her first day adding custom ladybug iron-on labels to all her clothes while heavily sobbing. That summer our yard was filled with ladybugs, and she became obsessed, nervously observing them from a distance.

Now she’s a full-fledged toddler and the vibes are different. She talks and isn’t afraid to tell you, “I need space”, “Give me a minute”, and “I don’t want to eat chickpeas.” She’s mostly potty trained but will still occasionally pee on the floor, then cackle as she runs through it and the house. And the nerves are gone as she’s always about to jump, climb, or break something. She had her first big injury a few weeks ago, ER trip and everything, and I’m alarmed at her lack of reaction to a pretty deep cut with enough bleeding to dramatically stain Ham’s shirt (he is in charge of wounds because he’s trained for this with his line cooks). Hey, other parents, are they all like this, or should we be worried? Anyways, we are so ready for school to start.

Which brings us to lunch. I tried to quell all the feelings I had last summer with retail therapy: I bought every lunchbox, bento, water bottle, and ice pack I could find. My anxiety made me really productive, reading kids' lunch cookbooks, scrolling through endless lunch Pinterest boards, and waking up early to cut sandwiches and fruit into pandas and penguins. After wasting lots of time and money, here’s what worked for me last school year, and coming along for the next grade (hint: skip the pandas, they fall apart before you even get to school).

• OmieChill - My favorite toddler lunch purchase. Yogurt and smoothie pouches slip in and stay cold, and the entire lunch box gets a chill from it too. In the summer it’s easy to toss into my purse so she can have a cold snack after playing at the park. I love this and use it every day.

• Yeti 12oz Kids Water Bottle - Indestructible, absolutely no leaks, and keeps drinks cold for hours. I have two, one for water and another for smoothies or milk. I’ll send her to school with cold milk, and the few remaining drips will still be chilly when she gets home.

• Planetbox Rover Stainless Steel Lunchbox Set - This one’s my go-to: Just the right size, thoughtfully designed compartments, easy for her to open on her own, and it’s one piece that I can easily throw in the dishwasher.

• Planetbox Rover/Launch Carry Bag - Pair this with the Rover lunchbox and OmieChill and everything stays insulated, with extra pockets for snacks and that Yeti water bottle. It’s slim so it fits in a toddler backpack alongside the rainboots she can’t go without.

• OmieBox - Love that it keeps hot food hot, but it is a pain to clean. The silicone inserts stay sticky unless you run them in the dishwasher, which their site advises against. Plus, the silicone seal along the edge must be removed, cleaned, and reinserted perfectly between use otherwise there will be leaks. I only use it if I’m packing something that needs to stay warm. (You really don’t need it, but it’s nice to have.)

• More Planetbox! - They have the best snack containers. Most others I tried were too big for toddler portions. I recommend the Day Tripper and Big Square Containers.

• Laguiole Dessert Spoon & Fork Set - I initially sent her to school with Omie or PlanetBox cutlery, but they kept not coming back. They look cheap, making them easy to accidentally toss in the trash. So I tried a different method—sending her to school with fine French cutlery. We’ve never lost one. They look and feel expensive (because they are), which means someone will notice if any ended up in the trash. Plus, they fit perfectly in the top narrow compartment of the PlanetBox Rover.

One more thing that earned a permanent spot in the bag (mine, not hers): Pique’s X·E Fountain Electrolyte!

And the timing is right, because nothing drains your energy reserves like the school schedule. The 6:45 wake-up, the race to drop-off, oh then you gotta work, and pickup, and somehow dinner. Pique’s X·E Fountain Electrolyte gets me through. It’s caffeine-free, so no crash, with B vitamins and magnesium for steady energy and an electrolyte blend that hydrates me after a day of forgetting to drink water (classic).

Pique is offering 15% off when you subscribe to X·E Fountain, and there’s a 90-day money-back guarantee, so it’s risk-free

Before she started school, we had a pretty good eater on our hands, but now she’s picky as hell. And we went from a strict no-processed-food, no-sugar household to regularly bribing her with M&M’s. Here’s what she will eat:

Below I’m sharing 3 recipes that she does eat no matter what, and they hold up great in the freezer, so start prepping: Very tender and gently seasoned chicken meatballs. Cupcakes packed with fiber from canned pumpkin and whole wheat that she calls birthday cake. Date balls that taste like cookie dough but have hemp seeds and oats.

PLUS!

• Carbs! Pasta, rice, and potatoes, obvi. But also bulgur, quinoa, oatmeal, and polenta. Especially if cooked in bone broth and finished with plenty of cultured butter

• Poultry in all forms: cutlets, drums, nugs, and chicken meatballs (recipe at the bottom)

• Eggs (thank God)

• Anything with sprinkles. (The Molly Yeh x Burlap & Barrel ones use natural dyes so I feel less guilt. And these De Ruijter chocolate sprinkles are made with real cocoa and are basically health food.)

• Prepared foods I love (because I’m definitely not super mom making everything from scratch):

  • Afia Frozen Falafel: Packed with fiber and don’t taste half bad. I pair them with labne to dip

  • Laobun Bao Buns: Filled with Berkshire heritage pork, they are squishy and slightly sweet, so she’ll always eat the whole thing.

  • Damascus Bakery Flax Roll Ups: One teeny wrap has 6 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein, so I can feel good about giving her a simple cream cheese roll up on chaos days.

  • Laobun Chicken Ginger Dumplings: Uses free range chicken and tastes homemade. And this girl can crush dumplings.

  • Good & Gather Chocolate Hummus: I know, I know, isn’t this a crime against hummus? Non-mom me would be horrified. Mom me is thrilled it gets her to eat fruit and secret chickpeas

And just for fun, what she won’t touch

• Sandwiches of any kind besides PB&J (very inconvenient)

• Visible vegetables (blended green things are fine)

• Any fruit that isn’t mango, banana, or strawberry (must be ripe)

• Cheese that looks like cheese, unless it’s a cheese stick

My lunchbox strategy is to pack it ⅔ with foods I know she’ll eat and ⅓ with wild cards, like cucumber, grapes, or sungolds in hopes she’ll come back to me. Hasn’t worked yet.

Weelicious Lunches by Catherine McCord An entire book dedicated to the lunchbox, with strategies and variety, so you can make food your kids will (hopefully) eat.

Bento Power by Sara Kiyo Popowa Live that Japanese lunchbox life. A little of this, a little of that, packed up extra cute so even last night’s leftovers feel fresh.

Dinner: A Love Story by Jenny Rosenstrach Not a lunch book, but the book about feeding a family without losing your mind, and let’s be real lunch usually is just last night’s dinner.

I toss these straight from the freezer into an insulated lunch box. By the time lunch rolls around, they’ve thawed just enough to be easy to bite into, but chewy and still a touch cold.

• 3 cups (550 grams) dates (see note)

• 1 cup (260 grams) sunflower butter

• 1 tablespoon vanilla paste (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 cup (100 grams) quick-cooking, instant, or rolled oats

• ½ cup (60 grams) hemp seeds

Pit the dates, then blitz with sunflower butter, vanilla, and salt until it comes together into a paste.

Toast the oats over medium heat, tossing frequently, until they smell nutty and are golden, about 5 minutes.

Add the toasted oats and hemp seeds to the date paste, pulse to combine. Roll the mixture into balls with oiled hands and arrange in one evenly layer on a sheet tray to freeze. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight container or ziploc and freezer for up to 3 months.

NOTE: If your dates are dry, soak them in hot water to soften, then drain and blend. Save the soaking liquid and use to make oatmeal or just drink it, it’s delicious.

Pull these out of the freezer the night before to thaw. They won’t thaw in time for lunch if you go straight from the freezer to the lunchbox in the morning.

• 1 ½ cup (150 grams) whole wheat flour

• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice or ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

• 6 tablespoons (126 grams) honey

• 2 eggs

• ½ cup oil

• ½ cup chocolate chips or raisins (optional)

Heat the oven to 375°F and line a cupcake tin.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, pumpkin spice, and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, honey, eggs, and oil.

Add the flour to the pumpkin mixture and stir until combined. Fold in chocolate chips or raisins (if using) and divide between lined tins.

Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into a muffin comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

I portion the meatballs and sauce into 1-cup deli containers, then freeze. One container is good for 2 lunches for my kid. Heat thoroughly on the stovetop or in the microwave before packing into the lunchbox. If you heat the thermos in the Omie box with hot water before filling, it keeps the food warm until lunchtime. I serve them over whatever is leftover from dinner the night before: pasta, polenta, mashed potatoes, rice, or even just bread.

• 1 large egg

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs

• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

• 1 pound ground turkey or chicken

• Olive oil

• 1 jar marinara sauce

In a large bowl, whisk the egg, milk, and salt. Add the breadcrumbs and let sit until they have absorbed the moisture, about five minutes.

Add the parmesan and ground meat, then thoroughly mix (you can also do this with a stand mixer with the paddle attachment). Roll into balls right away, or chill the mixture for up to 24 hours for even better texture and flavor.

Line a sheet tray with foil and heat the broiler on high.

Portion and roll the mixture into ping pong-sized balls, evenly arranging them on the prepared tray. Drizzle each meatball lightly with oil and broil until browned on top, about 5 minutes.

Warm the marinara in a large pot. Add the meatballs, cover, and very gently simmer to cook through, about 10 minutes.

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