Get your Freezer Ready for Back to School

Now is the time to enjoy the last moments of summertime R&R. Yes, school has started, but it’s not yet Labor Day, the days are still long, PTA meetings have yet to begin and the holidays are still off in the distance.  This weekend is a great time to organize your household so that come GO time (the non-stop marathon that is September, October, November and December) you’re ready!

 One of the best ways to make your life easier this Fall is to utilize your freezer so that even on your busiest nights, dinner can be hassle-free and ready in a jiff. 

Load up on your family’s favorite homemade entrees:  pack your freezer full of meals made with love by you that  also freeze well.  Our favorite frozen homemade meals are enchiladas, lasagna, soup and stew (broth based soups, as dairy based soups don’t freeze well), Peas Protein Burgers, veggie casserole and shepherds pie.  When packaging these frozen meals, make sure that they have thoroughly cooled and are loaded to the brim; too much space in the container will cause freezer burn.

Load up on premade staples:  Next time you make grains, beans or some kind of sauce, prepare extra and freeze for a rainy (busy) day.  You can use these sides as a base for a quick meal, adding fresh veggies to freshen up the dish.

Peas of Mind will save the day:  Stocking your freezer with Peas of Mind products will leave you and your little ones happy, satisfied and feeling good about the fact that you’ve all eaten your daily dose of veggies. All of our products have clean, simple ingredients loaded with FULL servings of veggies. Not to mention the fact that cook time is minimal. 

 Now is your time to utilize your nice long weekend and get your freezer back to school ready; your future self will thank you!

Late Summer Rainbow Noodle Salad

School is officially in session and your weeknights are becoming a whirlwind of carpooling, homework and early bedtimes. But it's still summertime and evening temperatures are still scorching  so when it comes to dinnertime, you'd like to whip up a quick to prepare and refreshing salad. But your family doth protest; they need something much more filling and exciting than a bowl of lettuce - that’s where our Rainbow Noodle Salad comes in.  This month we're making noodle ribbons out of our favorite summer veggies and topping it with protein rich peanut sauce. This gluten-free noodle salad will cool off your family and ensure they eat their daily dose of veggies!

Rainbow Noodle Salad

-2 carrots 

-1 zucchini

-1 yellow squash

-1 cucumber

-1 8oz package of soba noodles

-1 tsp of sesame oil

-1 tbsp of sesame seeds to garnish

Peanut Sauce

-1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

-2 tbsp  soy sauce

-1 inch fresh ginger, minced 

-1 clove garlic, minced

-1 tsp ground coriander

-1 tbsp agave nectar, or sugar

-juice of 1 lime

Follow the cooking instructions on the soba noodle packaging.  Pour

drained noodles into a large bowl and toss with the sesame oil. Next,

peel off the skins of the carrots, zucchini, squash and cucumber.  Once

the veggies are skinless, continue to use the peeler to make vegetable

ribbons by simply peeling the flesh of the vegetables. Add the ribbons

to your bowl of soba noodles and mix.  Put the bowl in the refrigerator

to chill for 25 minutes.

In a small bowl combine, peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger, garlic,

coriander, agave and lime. Mix all the ingredients together until the

peanut sauce is creamy.  If the texture is too thick, add a small amount

of water and mix in until desired consistency.

Pour sauce over noodles and toss well. Sprinkle each serving with

sesame seeds. Serves 4

Food of the Month: Tomatoes

Is a tomato a fruit? Or is it a vegetable? Here at Peas of Mind, we really don't care; what we're looking for this August is a perfectly vine ripened summer tomato.  The trick to truly loving a tomato (and getting your little one to do the same) is to be picky.  Yes, you heard that right, we want you and your kids to be BE PICKY. This means waiting all winter and spring  for beautifully seasonal summer tomatoes and saying NO to the mealy refrigerated tomato that comes as an after thought on the salad you ordered in the middle of February.  Nobody really likes that kind of tomato and that might be why your little one turns up her nose when you try to cut her up a tomato for a snack.  Yes, you will wait months for your for the perfect tomato but trust us, when it comes to nutrition and flavor, it will be well worth the wait.   

When eaten during the summer months tomatoes are a great source of vitamin A, C and folic acid. They also have high levels of lycopene which has been shown to protect against heart disease and choline which helps with learning and memory (a tomato a day may make summer reading time that much more productive). 

Now the question is, how do you incorporate these delectable summer treats into your kid's diet? Have no fear, Peas of Mind is here and we've compiled our favorite tomato recipe ideas and made them extra simple and extra kid friendly:

Homemade tomato sauce: 
The trick to an easy and yummy tomato sauce is using your blender or food processor.  Simply halve the tomatoes, peel a few cloves of garlic and puree in your blender.  Pour into a sauce pan and add your favorite herbs and veggies, bring to boil then put on low and let simmer for about 90 minutes (no need to stir, just make sure it's nice and low).  Before serving add a "glug" of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, salt and sugar to taste (this will bring out the sweetness of your fresh tomatoes).

Salsa:
Some kids say EEEK to salsa BUT if you can figure out what it is they don't like about salsa and remove that and combine it with their favorite corn/tortilla chips, they'll devour it.  Most kids tend to be sensitive to spicy peppers, onions and cilantro.  Make a simple salsa with a small amount of finely chopped yellow onion (the most mild), chopped tomatoes (have your little ones choose a special heirloom tomato - with all the different colors, sizes, and shapes they'll love the challenge of finding the coolest tomato at the farmers market), a small amount of finely chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime, salt and agave.  Again, this hit of sweetness brings out the natural kid friendly flavors of a ripe tomato.  Allow the salsa to marinate in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes before serving.

Rustic Homemade Ketchup:  Follow this recipea for our delicious and easy to make homemade ketchup. Don't forget to pair with a tray of Broccoli Veggie Wedgies for the perfect afternoon snack!

Stuffed tomatoes:
Halve a few large tomatoes and have your little ones help you gently scrape out most of the insides/pulp of each tomato.  In a hot pan combine bread crumbs, the tomato pulp, herbs, cheese and stir-fry together until mixed thoroughly.  Add mixture back into tomatoes and top with a bit more cheese. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes for 350 degrees.

The time is NOW to seize this year's tomato harvest and enjoy some vine ripened, nutrient dense summer tomatoes. Now is your chance to get your little ones loaded up with vitamins, anti-oxidants and the joy that comes with waiting all year for the perfect summer fruit (or is it a veggie).