Organize your Summer

Here at Peas HQ we’re approaching the end of our second quarter and like most other businesses, we are working on wrapping everything up to ensure a smooth transition into next quarter.  The same can be done with you, your family and your home.  This is probably your final month of a calm house without the pitter-patter of little ones wondering, “what’s for lunch?” and exclaiming “I’m bored!”  Now is the time to finish up the school “quarter” and get everything in place for the summer “quarter.”

• Gather all of the piles of papers that have been floating around your house the past school year and organize. Create a memory binder for the report cards, tests, papers, crafts and projects that you want to hold on to and recycle the rest.  Also, create a similar binder for next year where you can begin to store important information for the future.
• Utilize the fact that your child’s school is still in session and begin any planning that needs to be done for next year whether this means ensuring enrollment, meeting with teachers or scheduling orientations.
• Create a mega-calendar for the summer quarter that will include vacations, activities, tutoring sessions and play dates. Make sure the calendar is in a place where everyone can access. Not only is this a great way to organize your families schedule, it’s a great count down tool to create excitement around an upcoming vacation.
• Set up some fun and educational goals for the next two months.  Whether it’s finally getting rid of those training wheels or mastering long division, summer is a great time to teach your children the importance of making goals and working towards them. 
• Summer is the perfect time to involve your kids in meal prep. Whether it’s teaching them to master the perfect pb&j sammy or letting them rip the lettuce for your family’s salad, getting your kids in the kitchen and engaging their interest in food is really an investment in their health.

Have a fantastic summer and let us know some of your organizational tips.

Chick of the sea sandwich sushi!

Here at Peas of Mind, our mission is to get kids to eat their veggies.  We always say that we reinvent the classics! We take those unhealthy dishes kids love to eat, like pizza and fries, and infuse them with veggies for a nutritious meal the entire family will enjoy. Studies show that kids are more likely to eat foods that they had a hand in making; so instead of the regular ole sandwich format, we’re making Sandwich Sushi for the lunchbox. Not only is this a healthy reci-pea but a fun project your kids will enjoy preparing with you!

We reinvented the classic tuna fish sandwich using chickpeas instead of tuna. Did you know that chickpeas have almost as much calcium as a glass of milk plus loads of fiber and protein? So grab your kids, a rolling pin and enjoy some quality kitchen time together making chick of the sea sandwich sushi!

Ingredients:

-2-3 slices of whole wheat bread

-1 ½ cups of drained chickpeas

-1 small apple, diced

-½ medium onion, diced

-1 celery stalk, diced

-3 kosher dill spears, diced

-6 sheets of seaweed, torn up into small pieces

-1/4 cup reduced fat mayonnaise

-Squeeze of lemon

Pour chickpeas into a food processor and pulse until lightly ground.  Add mayonnaise, a squeeze of lemon and seaweed and pulse a few more times until the texture resembles tuna. Spoon mixture into a mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients, stirring until thoroughly mixed.

Cut the crust off the sandwich bread and flatten each slice with a rolling pin. Top with filling. Cut into 1” slices and eat like sushi!

Other sushi sandwich options:

For breakfast: top flattened bread with bananas and peanut butter.

For a snack: top flattened bread with hummus, avocado and julienned veggies.