Below is a list of some of our favorite healthy homemade school lunch ideas from www.thescramble.com: 

1. Turkey, ham or salami, Swiss cheese and lettuce on whole wheat bread

2. Turkey or ham, red bell pepper strips, and Cheddar cheese wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla, with mayonnaise, spicy mustard or salsa

3. Tuna, chicken or egg salad with whole grain crackers or on a bagel with cucumbers or lettuce

4. Cheddar or Muenster cheese and sliced tomato sandwich (put the tomato between the slices of cheese so the bread doesn’t get soggy) with a little mayonnaise or mustard

5. Peanut or other nut butter with jelly, sliced bananas, honey, raisins or apples

6. Leftovers like pasta, tortellini with tomato sauce, pizza, chicken, turkey sausage or steak (kids don’t seem to mind eating them cold). Save little condiment packages from takeout food to use as dips

7. Black beans and rice or other rice salad (try searching for one of the rice or orzo salads on The Scramble website)

8. Healthy soup or chili in a thermos (try The Scramble’s Tomato and Wild Rice Soup, Simple Chicken Noodle Soup, or Black Bean and Tomato Soup)

9. Whole grain bagel or rice cakes with natural peanut butter or cream cheese

10. Trail mix made with raisins, peanuts, and chocolate chips (or your kids’ favorite items)

11. Healthy dried cereals (milk is optional)

12. Baby carrots, celery, sliced cucumbers, red bell peppers and pita chips with hummus or other dip

13. All varieties of fresh fruit (cut apples, mango, oranges and other hard to eat fruit, if needed)

14. Popcorn (a kid-friendly whole grain), alone or mixed with raisins and nuts

15. Whole grain tortilla chips and salsa (look for a brand without added sugar) or black bean dip

16. Low fat yogurt or cottage cheese with fresh fruit and granola or other cereal (keep them separate and let your child combine them at lunch)

17. Drinkable, spoon-able, or squeezable yogurt or kefir

18. Cheese and whole grain crackers

19. Proteins like cheese sticks or cubes, hard-boiled eggs, nuts and chickpeas, edamame, or other legumes

20. Diced tofu drizzled with teriyaki sauce

P.S.  In an effort to create less environmental waste, I’m packing everything I can in reusable containers, using cloth napkins, and washing all the used plastic utensils in the dishwasher.

P.P. S.  Share your ideas for Healthy School Lunches on the Scramble Facebook fan page.

Have you been feeling stretched a little thin lately? Many of us not only run our own businesses or have demanding jobs or other ongoing commitments, but it can also feel like we are, as my friend Jessica put it, CEOs of our own household. Do you find that you are not only responsible for your own work and to-do lists, but also those of everyone else in your household? In addition, many of us also find we have family members and friends who need our help, requiring more of our attention and energy.  No wonder we sometimes feel like we’re going to snap!

None of this daily chaos or drudgery diminishes my deep joy of being a mother to Solomon and Celia.  They are the loves of my life and nothing makes me happier than exchanging hugs and kisses, cheering or jeering at American Idol together, and having meaningful talks around the dinner table. But that joy can get sapped after driving endless carpools through traffic, finding dirty socks under couch cushions, and badgering everyone to help with basic chores.

Last week I told (to put it mildly) my family that I was tired of being the house nag. It was time for everyone to take charge of their own activities and schedules (take out the trash, write thank you notes, practice instruments, fill water bottles before sports practices, etc.) without me having to remind them (Keep dreaming, right?).  Since the storm, they’ve all been on their best behavior, but as the designated worrier of the house, I’m sure I’ll be back to my constant reminders before long (Sigh.). 

Recently my business group hosted a guest speaker who led a discussion about how hard it is for moms especially to make time for leisure in our own lives. Our group agreed that we all needed to make our own needs a bigger priority, even if it means scheduling (and then sticking to) appointments with ourselves as we would any other commitment.

Although I sometimes complain about being too busy, I do actually take time for myself every day. I go for a long rejuvenating walk in the woods with my dogs (and often a friend or two), I read a novel before bed (right now I am loving The Postmistress by Sarah Blake), and I’m also pretty good about getting together with friends in the evening every couple of weeks.

So how do you make time for yourself? Can you squeeze in at least an hour a day of “you” time? With Mother’s Day this Sunday, my message this week is to look beyond special holidays like Mother’s Day and our birthdays, and to put ourselves at the center of our own lives for at least a short time every day. We are the pillars upon which our families and friends lean for support and strength. When we don’t make time for our own needs, our pillars can start to lean or even crumble.  This Sunday, and every day, buttress your precious ability to “mother” others by nurturing yourself.

With just 6 days from the launch of the new Scramble cookbook I was elated to see our first print review today:“Healthy Eating Made Easy: The perfect guidebook for busy parents trying to feed their families well: SOS! The Six O’Clock Scramble to the Rescue. Author Aviva Goldfarb runs thescramble.com, a service that makes meal planning simple, and she brings her dinnertime sanity to these 198 quick, earth-friendly recipes. We also love the seasonal shopping advice and side dish ideas for every entrée.” Kiwi magazine, April/May 2010

Now that your meals are getting organized with The Scramble, have you been craving organization in the rest of your life, but think you can’t afford to hire a professional organizer?  My friend Lorie Marrero, founder of the Clutter Diet, who has been featured in Good Housekeeping and in Better Homes & Gardens, has helped thousands of people get organized through membership in her Clutter Diet website and access to her team of online professional organizers.  Lorie wanted me to share with Scramblers a one-week-only discount that takes 20% off of her most affordable membership price between now and April 9th.  If you are ready to get your family organized, take advantage of Lorie’s limited time offer, by using the code “spring” at www.clutterdiet.com, and sign up to transform your home and become clutter-free for only $8.08 per month. 

Some of you longtime Scramblers (I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you long timers!) might remember that The Scramble was built around my mom’s weekly menu planning habit when I was growing up.  My mom is an organizational genius and a great problem solver, so I had to share this private note I received from her after last week’s column about my coffee desperation during the blizzard. 

“Hi, Honey.  In reading your column (which I love to do), I was reminded of the worry I had going to Honduras in 1987 that I might not find my coffee fix (little did I know how important coffee was to the people there!).  So I took along edible espresso beans–maybe chocolate covered, just to get the “fix” if needed–which it wasn’t.  A little stash of those in your home might allay the coffee anxiety.”
Much love, Mom

Sweet Potato Pancakes (Hanukkah Latkes)

Prep (20 minutes) + Cook (20 minutes)

Makes 16 pancakes, or 4 servings

In my family, latkes are one of the best parts of celebrating Hanukkah. These modern potato pancakes have a terrific blend of flavors and a nice crunchy texture without all the oil.  If you make the batter ahead of time, refrigerate it until you are ready to cook them, and drain the excess liquid from the bowl before frying them.  Serve the pancakes with a green salad with dried cranberries and shredded or grated Parmesan cheese.  For a heartier meal, serve them with scrambled eggs. 

1 large sweet potato

1 large white potato

1 medium yellow onion

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

6 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided

1 cup nonfat or low fat sour cream (optional for serving)

1 cup naturally sweetened applesauce (optional for serving)

Using a hand grater, coarsely grate the potatoes and finely dice or grate the onion.  Drain the vegetables then wrap them in a clean dish towel for a minute or two to get the excess water out.  Transfer the grated vegetables to a large bowl.  Stir in the beaten eggs.  Thoroughly mix in the flour, salt and cayenne pepper (optional).  (Prepare the eggs and salad now, if you are serving them.  The eggs can cook while the potato pancakes cook.) 

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. oil over medium to medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot, scoop in spoonfuls of the potato pancake mixture and flatten them with the spoon or a spatula.  Cook the pancakes for several minutes per side until they are browned.  After each batch, add 1 – 2 Tbsp. oil to the pan and let it heat for a minute or two, to keep the pancakes browning nicely.  If they start to get too browned on the outside before the middle is cooked, reduce the heat.  Transfer the cooked pancakes to the baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven while the rest cook.  Serve them topped with the sour cream and applesauce (or dipped in ketchup, as our kids like them!)

Side Dish suggestion:  For fluffy scrambled eggs, beat 6 eggs with 1 heaping Tbsp. plain yogurt or sour cream, and 1 heaping Tbsp. cottage cheese until thoroughly combined.  In a medium-sized nonstick skillet, melt 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine.  Add the eggs and cook them over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are just firm and still fluffy.  Season them with salt to taste and serve. 

Nutritional Information per serving (% based upon daily values):

Calories 300, Total Fat 16g, 26%, Saturated Fat 2g, 10%, Cholesterol 110mg, 36%, Sodium 620mg, 26%, Total

Carbohydrate 32g, 10%, Dietary Fiber 4g,12%, Protein 6g, Sugar 8g

Nutritional Information per serving (with applesauce, sour cream, and 1 1/2 cups salad, 1/4 of eggs):

Calories 475, Total Fat 28g, 45% Saturated Fat 5g, 26%, Cholesterol 431mg, 143%, Sodium 825mg, 35%, Total Carbohydrate 36g, 11%, Dietary Fiber 5g,  17%, Sugar 8g, Protein 19g