little LADIES WHO LUNCH

Along with the warmer weather comes greater opportunity for wellness.  

Many people will find it easier to eat healthier and lighter (summer foods rock!)

….to get outside and see the gifts that Mother Nature has bestowed upon us (this is Brooklyn in the photos, folks)

and just become more active all the way across the board. 

With longer daylight hours comes a longer period of time to work in after-dinner family walks, and with the end of the school year comes a flurry of last-minute fundraisers like the upcoming 5k the girls will run to raise money for their local YMCA. 

There are opportunities abound for wellness!  You owe it to yourself and your family to slow down and seize that opportunity. 

And while you’re thinking of ways to eat healthier and become more active, don’t forget to introduce a tiny dose of mindfulness into your day. 

Grilled humanely raised, nitrate/antibiotic free sausage with organic red and yellow peppers and sweet Vidalia onions; organic baby spinach with organic strawberry slices; Ojai Pixie seedless tangerine, whole grain baguette slices and pistachios.

The kids went nuts for this dish:  a multigrain tostada bowl stuffed with shredded free-range chicken (leftover from our meal of roasted chicken the night before), avocados, organic corn, orange peppers, organic black beans, red onion, local organic butter lettuce, locally made cave-aged cheddar from raw milk with a dollop of organic sour cream and locally made salsa. 

We purchased the bowls at Whole Foods, but if you have tortillas you can easily make them at home using whole wheat, corn, etc.  You can find out how by clicking here.   

100% grass-fed ground beef, raised at Bobolink Dairy and Bakehouse

Baked organic yams (raw vegetable tray in background):

The Jamie Oliver Foundation recently announced a “global day of action to inspire, educate, and empower people everywhere to stand up for real food.” According to the Food Revolution Day website:

Food Revolution Day on May 19 is a chance for people who love food to come together to share information, talents and resources; to pass on their knowledge and highlight the world’s food issues. All around the globe, people will work together to make a difference. Food Revolution Day is about connecting with your community through events at schools, restaurants, local businesses, dinner parties and farmers’ markets. We want to inspire change in people’s food habits and to promote the mission for better food and education for everyone.

So what does Little Ladies Who Lunch (The Food Revolution’s Blog of the Month!) have planned? 

We’re aiming to host a dinner party at our home featuring fresh, wholesome foods similar to the meal we’ve featured in today’s post (all treasures from our recent Spring Break trip to Pennsylvania and New Jersey after visiting local farms and markets). 

(left to right from Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse) Taleggio (imported from Italy via the farm); house-made cranberry walnut loaf; pastured duck salami; house-made cave-aged cheddar with a patina rind made from grass-fed raw milk

We will also encourage readers and fellow bloggers to stop by our Facebook page and share photographs of their culinary adventures, recipes, how-to suggestions – anything that will help us exchange ideas on how to eat in a healthier manner.

Lastly, our May 19^th blog post will be teeming with links to some of our favorite sites and images that keep us inspired and we hope will do the same for others. 

Homemade quiche (local Hudson Valley organic cream, local pastured eggs, cave-aged Gruyere, ramps, organic tomatoes and diced crispy humanely-raised prosciutto)

Field salad with lightly sauteed asparagus, organic heirloom tomatoes, crushed walnuts, diced dried apricots and baby beets with a handmade balsamic vinaigrette

Please join us! For more on Food Revolution Day and how you can get involved, click here.

We would love for you to join us on Facebook for interactive discussion and off-blog commentary (or just to lurk). Click here to visit us and see if you “like” the new page, or just click the icon above.

If you’re like us, you’re probably looking to eat a little lighter post-Easter, while simultaneously looking for ways to use up those Easter eggs.

Our featured bento contains crudites (organic carrots, red and yellow peppers, celery), hummus, organic red seedless grapes and hard-boiled pastured eggs.  A mini whole wheat pita bread was wrapped separately to prevent sogginess.

Easter eggs dyed using only vegetables and spices:  an art project and science lesson all in one. 

Happy Easter, All!

This is my stepson’s version of a Happy Meal. :0)  Said stepson wanted me to make it very clear that he is not a Little Lady, by the way. 

Today’s bento features grass-fed beef, sauteed green beans with garlic, kiwi and organic strawberry slices, dragon fruit (sort of tastes like a cross between a kiwi and a pear) and a wee bit of low-sugar, organic ketchup.

Strawberries and homemade whipped cream are hands down a favorite no-bake treat in our family — and so easy to whip up (no pun intended)! My youngest daughter recently took 25 mini servings to school as her classroom birthday treat and received rave reviews.

Below, her older sister agreed to walk us through the process. 

First, here’s what you’ll need:  local cream, sugar (we used organic), real vanilla (we scored ours at a Kickstarter fundraiser for one of our favorite blogs, Time at the Table), organic strawberries (rinsed and hulled) and an optional bar of dark chocolate (for grating).

Start by whipping the cream:

Then slice the strawberries:

Add strawberries to disposable mini party cups or your vessel of choice:

Grate optional dark chocolate:

Spoon or pipe whipped cream on top of berries.  We used a cookie gun because we love the fancy look it gives the cream.

Add a few dark chocolate flakes and top with a strawberry slice:

Enjoy!

Today’s bento today features an organic red leaf lettuce wrap stuffed with humanely-raised meats (chicken and nitrate-free bacon), organic grape tomatoes and avocado.  The sides are pomegranate seeds, Sumo orange slices (read about them here at The Jolly Tomato), organic raw red pepper and a fruit kebab of organic strawberries and fresh pineapple.

In addition to one meatless day per week, the Little Ladies and other members of our household have agreed to a formal grain-free day.  I can just see my grain-free friend Crystal rolling her eyes right now.  But Crystal — we have to start somewhere!  Once we establish that grain-free eating can be delicious and fun and relatively hassle-free, we will have the option to expand.

Here goes!  I’m looking forward to it.