Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Shrove Tuesday

"Shrove" must be Old English for "pancake" because half the churches around here are hosting pancake suppers tonight. Shmoo has his own pancake supper here, made up of four oat pancakes (the best for serving cold!) with a tiny container of maple syrup for dipping, some Smart Bacon, home-fried new potatoes, and an orange.
Verdict: What's not to like? Unfortunately, shmoo left the lid off the syrup container when he finished his lunch and tossed it in his backpack. A delicious, if somewhat sticky, 5 stars.
P.S. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, and shmoo's class will be sharing a simple meal of rice to welcome in the Lenten "fasting" season. So no lunch box, and I'll be fretting all day over his emptyish tummy. But I'll be making him a big breakfast and afterschool snack!

86 comments:

Anonymous said...

first to post, wish i could see picture but it seems it doesnt come up right away, but it is almost 7pm on east coast and I must leave work. Ill See more lunches on Friday.

Everyday Superhero said...

My fave way to eat pancakes is rolled up like the Shmoo had for his lunch. We had pancakes for breakfast.

Fasting? Poor Shmoo.

Anonymous said...

Wow that looks so yummy! One of the best yet, although I'm not a big fan of potatoes.

That rice thing tomorrow sounds somewhat odd. Is it a Catholic school?

-Jake

Jennifershmoo said...

Yep, it's a private Catholic school. He also has to go to a special Ash Wednesday Mass. He always tells us "I hate mass", and we keep thinking he's saying "math" and offering to do flash cards with him. LOL

Everyday Superhero said...

Ash Wednesday brings back memories of my school years. We would get ashes placed on our foreheads and weren't allowed to wipe them off until the end of the day. In high school we would take the city bus home and were so embarrassed to get on the bus with ashes on our foreheads. Not cool.

Everyday Superhero said...

We were also not allowed to eat meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. I'm not sure if that's a "rule" for all Catholics or just Italian-Catholics.

Anonymous said...

Oh, we used to do Rice Bowl during Lent...the idea was that you'd have rice for a meal once a week, and donate the difference in price between the rice and what you'd normally eat to charity.

Jennifershmoo said...

Yes, that's how they explained it to us, too -- they're using the money they get from the lunch for charity.

I wonder if he'll get ashes on his head, too? I suppose so. Luckily I pick him up from school.

Anonymous said...

Boy.. I love this site more and more every time a meal gets posted. :-)

Regarding the pancakes - they were/are seen as a way to use up the rich ingredients like eggs and butter that wouldn't be considered appropriate for consumption during Lent. It is why Shrove Tuesday is also called "Fat Tuesday" - you are using up all the fat stuff.

:-)

Anonymous said...

quick question from a jewish lunchbox reader..what exactly is the religious significance of ash wednesday? i understand what easter and good friday represented but was just curious as to why ashes are placed on the forehead for this holiday..thanx!

Anonymous said...

^ I'm Jewish too and am feeling a little ignorant, so I looked it up. I know it's Wikipedia, but this seems like a nice short explanation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ash_Wednesday .

Heh, I used to lisp, too, though I didn't have that typical "th" lisp. It went away when I was just a little older than Shmoo is -- his might just disappear too, but if it continues still, you might want to seek out the services of a speech language therapist. It's probably not something someone would want to grow old with.

That looks yummy!

Anonymous said...

hi:
i have a question for Jennifershmoo or other how can answer:
i may sound dummy to all this but how do you keep your son lunch fresh until his lunch time?

i just want to learn how to do it,
thanks
C

High Power Rocketry said...

Good call on the oranges. I am now eating an orange a day, and the old apple saying should be switched. At first they didnt agree with my digestive system (too much detail?) but now it appears my enzymes and what not have optimized for it. I just love it. So cheap, tastes great, and is probably good for you (other than the tons of sugar in it).

Flo @ Yielded Heart said...

I love cold pancakes!
I don't know if anyone had noticed this before, but Shmoo has a bunch of LT lunchboxes! (or are they just the different inner containers?)
Anyhow, I think Obentec should just send them free to Shmoo in all available colors! This blog is doing excellent marketing for these lunchboxes! (Hi, Tammy & Amy!)

Flo @ Yielded Heart said...

I just read a comment from yesterday's post about homeschooling so I thought to chime in (again).
We homeschool, and our kids have these lunchboxes, and yes-they use them!
I think every vegan kid should have a cool lunchbox like this. Hey, they don't have as much options out there foodwise- at least make their lunch fun! And homeschoolers NEED OUTINGS, you know!

Jarrod said...

A friend of mine posted about the signifigance of today's pancakes:
http://baronj.livejournal.com/94913.html

Tom said...

Mmm.... Oranges! I may have to bring one to snack on tomorrow.

Deva said...

yes, homeschooling kids need outings. we had an outing almost every other day when i was growing up, and my younger siblings still do. library, grocery store, art gallery, science center..

everything is a lesson in homeschooling, and learning how to pack a healthy meal is a good leasson!!

Anonymous said...

Jennifer, it sounds like your family is not Catholic. If private school is your choice, you might consider your local Seventh-day Adventist school for your son. As a denomination is has the largest school system, up to University level, outside of Catholic church and the largest health system of any denomination. It is also more veg and vegan friendly than most schools. Many of the members are vegetarian and a growing number are vegan, also, no mass.
There was recently an article in National Geographic that stated as a group Seventh-day Adventists are one of the healthiest in the world. Loma Linda Medical University has done a long term study and because of their lifestyle, they live an average of 6-10 years longer with better quality of life than the general population of the USA; 6 years longer are the vegetarians and 10 years longer are the vegans. They even have a really great kids program for boys and girls together, that is similar to the Boy and Girl Scouts, lots of nature and they never eat meat. Just something to consider.

sarchan said...

I'm doing a fast for Lent tomorrow as well. Good luck to shmoo. Sometimes it is nice to be reminded of life's simplicity :)

Anonymous said...

I'm not Catholic (or religious at all) but I think I'll give up meat for Lent. ;)

-Jake

Anonymous said...

Hi, I have two questions, I have asked before but they have never been answered. First I am wondering, do you make these lunches in the morning, or the night before? How logn does it usually take you? Also I am wondering how he carries everything, some days he has a lunchbox and a thermos too, where does the thermos go? Thanks.

J

Anonymous said...

wow u're completly crazy...i'm vegan too but i thing that the kids must choose what they want eat.

Unknown said...

You'll post the recipie for the pancakes, right? Or include it in your cookbook?

I am glad to see this lunch! I'm hyper allergic to peanuts, so sseing the PB & J muffin lunch made me feel lonely.....

Anonymous said...

I am super allergic to peanuts, too. Try substituting almond butter for peanut butter, it often works well.

Anonymous said...

Jennifer, this is something that my mother used to makes for us for picnics, it travels well, easy to eat and is good at room temperature. You fry together the following with just a little oil: vegan vegie burger crumbles, finely shredded cabbage, and finely diced onions. Seasoned with a little salt.
Let the mixture cool.
Take bread dough roll it out and cut into squares, put some of the filling into the middle of each square and make into individual bundles.
Bake and cool for a packed lunch or eat warm with soup for a nice family meal.
I don't know if little shmoo likes cabbage, we didn't, except like this! Just an idea.

Anonymous said...

Sorry for my ignorance, but to make vegan pancakes, do you use an egg substitute, or do you just make them eggless?
Btw - great blog!
Thanks

leila said...

i'm pretty sure that little shmoo was brought up omni until he started asking questions about jennifer's special food---vegan food---and on that information decided to be vegan himself. that's what i remember from a previous discussion of the subject of little shmoo's deLightful lunches.

jennifer seems to me to be righteous without the self, earth-conscious and thoughtful.

love from leila

leila said...

so this kid did choose what he wants to eat. :)

Anonymous said...

I think I shall give up meat for Lent too...wait, I already did! :)

Tasty as usual Jennifer. Saw oat pancakes at a restaurant today but skipped them. Now I am inspired to try them. How is Smart Bacon? Another thing on my list to try.

Anonymous said...

Here in England, Shrove Tuesday is also (and probably more commonly) known as "pancake day".

Addy N. said...

About the Anonymous comment at 9:29 PM: Why is it that non-veggies get so uppity about children being vegetarians? Don't they realize that parents always instill their own values in their children? Whether it's religion, political beliefs, or diet, kids learn things from their parents.

My daughter has been vegetarian since birth (not vegan), since I had been vegetarian for almost 8 years before she was born. If she decides to eat meat when she gets older, that is her decision, but for now I will feed her the healthiest diet I can. (and btw, she has been 90th to 95th percentile for both height and weight since she was a baby). I think it's much more disconcerting when parents pass on their unhealthy habits to kids.

I really don't see why people feel compelled to post negative comments about this blog (e.g., the whole Oreo argument the other day). It's obvious that Jennifer is trying to fix her son healthy, delicious lunches and share the ideas with everyone. It hardly seems controversial to me!

Great blog, Jennifer- I just started reading recently. It has inspired me to make my daughter's lunches more exciting!

Anonymous said...

hi

ilu.- said...

Hi.. I red your blog avery day... but unfortunatly I red english a little better I can write.... :S

Congratulations! this site is source of inspiration for a lot of peoople who has kids.. :)

I have a question... little shmoo decide himself be vegan??' wooooooww for that kid!!!
How old is he? ..- I have a litle boy ( 3 y old) and I start to find problems in partys, supermarket and every place i go... :S
I like yo kwon your experience to raising veg kids.. :)

have a great day

sky said...

Hello Shmoo, my name is Sky Cosby and I'm from Walla Walla originally. I run a site called Pirate Papa and would love it if you would share it with your friends and contacts. I will toss links up to your pages soon as I love your recipes! Please put me in touch w/ your husband if he would like to write anything for my blog.

Thanks!

-Sky

Jesurgislac said...

adenostoma said...About the Anonymous comment at 9:29 PM: Why is it that non-veggies get so uppity about children being vegetarians?

I can't figure that out either! All children eat the food their parents provide for them - until a kid gets old enough to cook all their own meals, that's just inevitable: and until a kid starts earning, they eat the food their parents buy for them. That happens whether the parents are vegan, vegetarian, carnivorous, omnivorous, or Orthodox Jewish. Providing a kid is getting enough to eat, it isn't anyone's business but their own and their parents what they eat.

Me, I'm lacto-ovo vegetarian - I love cheese. Maybe the groovy little shmoo will be vegan when he grows up, or vegetarian, or omnivorous like his dad: but meantime, he gets to eat beautiful nourishing healthy food, and there are many kids in the US who don't.

I find it far more objectionable that kids that age are being made to fast for a religion they don't necessarily subscribe to - I hope at least they're getting brown rice, not white. (A large bowl of brown rice for lunch is perfectly nourishing.)

(Jennifer, "Shrove" is the past tense of "Shrive" - "Shrove Tuesday" is the day a good Catholic goes to confession to prepare for Lent, and - as I think someone else already said - pancakes are made to use up all the eggs and fat that people won't be eating during the 40 days of fasting before Easter.)

Anonymous said...

"I find it far more objectionable that kids that age are being made to fast for a religion they don't necessarily subscribe to"
-It is a Catholic school. Such a school is intended for Catholics, people who do subscribe to that religion. It wouldn't really seem fair if all the other children are not eating meat on Ash wednesday and some do.

Anonymous said...

"It is a Catholic school. Such a school is intended for Catholics, people who do subscribe to that religion. It wouldn't really seem fair if all the other children are not eating meat on Ash wednesday and some do."

Abstaining from substantive food (since it’s more than likely white rice) is much more detrimental to little bodies than not eating meat for a day. I wonder what the teachers think of this policy? I can’t imagine much learning gets done with hungry tummies.

To Jennifer, thanks for the lovely blog. I've been reading since October and I'm constantly impressed by your creativity. Keep up the good work!
~Katherine

Karlie said...

Yes, as someone said pancakes were a way to use up all the "rich" ingredients which weren't allowed over Lent. Since all the rich stuff was used it was "Fat Tuesday" - ie "Mardi Gras" in French. I can't believe I forgot it was shrove Tuesday, I could have had pancakes! I'm not sure what I'm giving up for Lent though.

Oh and also, I hope this doesn't sound like an advertisement, but I'm guessing you use vegan bath products as well. LUSH products (www.lush.com) has lots and lots of Vegan products, and I LOVE their stuff. It's all organic and as natural as they can make it, and handmade. They have lots of stuff kids love too. I just put another order in today (I swear I don't work for them!)

Jesurgislac said...

It wouldn't really seem fair if all the other children are not eating meat on Ash wednesday and some do.

Huh? What's "fair" got to do with it?

As I understand it, these are kids under 7 - they're not old enough even by Catholic standards to take part in a religious fast, and in any case, fasting for religious purposes is hardly meaningful if it's imposed by school fiat.

Anonymous said...

Did you guys miss that she isn't a "non-veggies", the person said right in their comments "I'm vegan too...", nice way to generalize all us "non-veggies" guys.

As usual, Shmoos lunch looked better than mine ;)

Jennifershmoo said...

>>i may sound dummy to all this but how do you keep your son lunch fresh until his lunch time?

The lunch box goes into an insulated case that has a pocket for an ice pack.

Hi, Kristina -- We have a large population of Seventh Day Adventists here, but I had never heard of SDA schools. I'm intrigued!

>>Hi, I have two questions, I have asked before but they have never been answered. First I am wondering, do you make these lunches in the morning, or the night before? How logn does it usually take you? Also I am wondering how he carries everything, some days he has a lunchbox and a thermos too, where does the thermos go? Thanks.

Hi, J -- Actually, those questions have been asked and answered quite a lot! Re. timing, it depends on the lunch; some lunches are made in the morning (like these pancakes) and others are made the night before and warmed up in the morning (like soups). I pack the lunch box and take its picture in the morning. How long it takes depends on the meal; some are quick and easy, others take a bit more time.

Re. packing, his lunch box fits into an insulated carrying case which I put in his backpack. When he carries a thermos I place it next to the lunch case inside his backpack.

>>to make vegan pancakes, do you use an egg substitute, or do you just make them eggless?

Some recipes use Energ Egg Replacer, ground flax, or whirred silken tofu, and some just leave the egg out and you don't miss it. This particular recipe uses ground flax blended with the liquid ingredients. And yes, it will be in my cookbook!!

>>i'm pretty sure that little shmoo was brought up omni until he started asking questions about jennifer's special food---vegan food---and on that information decided to be vegan himself.

That's correct. With an omni husband it's not like he can be raised in an all-vegan environment, so day to day it's up to him with my help and support. But of course I know vegan parents raising wonderful, healthy vegan kids from the get-go, and I think that's wonderful.

Thank you so much for your kind words, adenostoma. Shmoo has been over 95th percentile all his life, too!

Hi, Vegetarianita! He is 7 1/2.

>>As I understand it, these are kids under 7 - they're not old enough even by Catholic standards to take part in a religious fast, and in any case, fasting for religious purposes is hardly meaningful if it's imposed by school fiat.

To clarify, it was not "imposed", we had a choice to opt out. And I'll confess I did pack him a pb&j just in case!! I, too, wonder what the school day will be like with a bunch of empty tummies, but I'm sure one meal won't kill 'em. I'm *positive* they will not be getting brown rice -- they'll be lucky if it's not Minute Rice! LOL

Anonymous said...

Great blog!

Surprised about the controversy.

We are omnivores but I have in common with you the idea about reducing garbage and eating healthy (our version). I try to use recyclable containers, not buy packaged food, and feed my kids healthy seasonal food.

I have known vegans who feed their kids lots of packaged junk food because it is vegan. But then again their are vegans who are the opposite extreme; this goes for every category of eater out there not just vegans. I don't believe people can be easily pegged. If your son didn't choose to be vegan who cares as long as he is eating healthy food and enjoys it.

I always check out vegan/vegetarian sites and magazines because one can always find a great recipe!

I especially love your pictures.

Anonymous said...

Is there vegan junk food? All the stuff I like (I'm vegetarian, not vegan) i.e. the basic food groups of ice cream, etc. would seen to have ingredients that would rule out their being vegan.

Jennifershmoo said...

>>Did you guys miss that she isn't a "non-veggies", the person said right in their comments "I'm vegan too..."

I noticed that, too. I actually think the "crazy" statement would have be more understandable if it were coming from a non-vegan; the fact that a vegan is saying it is even weirder.

>>Is there vegan junk food?

Oooh, yeah. :-)

LadyRachelLynn said...

There is an SDA school in Pasco. Here is the link.

http://www.tcja.org/index.htm

Anonymous said...

Regarding vegan bath products, for fun splurges, check out puritycosmetics.com. Not all vegan, because a few products include honey, but quite a few of hte products are vegan!

Anonymous said...

mmm... if I hadn't just had falafel and hummus for lunch I'd be so craving one of these right now...

Molly said...

Tofutti Cuties rule. Seriously, I could eat a whole box in a day.

The mint chocolate chip flavor is so good, it makes me want to weep with joy. . .

(as you can see from my example, many vegans are overdramatically obsessed with junk food!)

Anonymous said...

mmm...I love pancake day! I knew I'd be too busy last night to make pancakes, so I made them on Sunday for breakfast :)

Incase anyone is interested...here's a veganised version of English panckes:

5oz plain flour
pinch salt
2 eggs (whatever eggreplacer version you use)
10-12 fl oz. plain soymilk

That's it! Put all those ingredients in a jug/bowl. Whisk until bubbly. Let stand 30 minutes.

Heat some oil in a pan. Pour in enough mixture to thinly coat the pan (that amount will make about 5 pancakes in a 10 in pan for me).
Cook on both sides...try tossing the pancakes if you are brave!

Serve with lemon juice and sugar.

mmm...

Koby said...

A lot of dark chocolate is vegan, too. And Tofutti Cuties... I just found out some of our campus restaurants at UCB stock them. Mmm... (I like the original vanilla ones the best)

Anonymous said...

Jenniferschmoo, I just wanted to thank you for your blog. I've been toying with going vegan for about a year (which is when I became a ovo-lacto-vegetarian) and even with being fairly well researched, I still had that nagging feeling of 'What am I going to eat?' Since I've been visiting your sight and seeing all of the variety, that feeling/fear has gone away. So, I've given up all animal products for lent. Hopefully all goes well for the next 40 days and this becomes a lifestyle change. Again, thank you for giving me the courage to do what I've known is right in my heart for so long now.

Anonymous said...

Love your site! I have been vegetarian for 12 years and am now vegan largely due to this site and the Vegan with a Vengence cookbook. I also love your personal blog. I have a 7 yo first grade boy and can really relate to many of your stories that had be laughing out loud!! Also, my husband of 10 years became vegetarian 2 years ago so there is some hope!

Anonymous said...

Hi there - a few weeks ago I stumbled upon this miraculous blog! I am a 16 y/o vegetarian from Newfoundland, Canada. It had become ridiculously difficult to find suitable foods for lunch until I found The Vegan Lunchbox! These lunch ideas have helped me out a whole lot - just wanted to say thanks :D

Jennifershmoo said...

Yay, Beth, that's great! 40 days will be a good amount of time to learn and get comfortable with it. Don't feel bad if you take a break at Easter and come back for another 40 days -- some people need to ease into it. You might find, like I did, that after a while the vegan times feel more natural and that you can actually think of *more* things to eat then versus during non-vegan times, and then you're set!

Speaking of vegan junk food, I took a trip to the store today and have a new treat for tomorrow's lunch...if I can resist eating it myself!

Anonymous said...

I really want some pancakes now. To the grocery store I go!

-Jake

Cindy said...

Mmmm, this gives me so many ideas for my pesko-vegan boyfriend! He eats bad food!

I got my ashes today at university. The priest reminded us that the purpose of Ash Wednesday was to help us think about the great emptiness that can't be filled with "food, drink, or new clothes" but only with God. When I got my ashes smeared on my forehead, he said, "You come from ash, and to ash you will return." So the goal is to think about your sins and start atoning for them, like on Rosh Hoshanah (excuse my spelling). It's a bit Zen, to me. I like it.

Cindy said...

Doh! I meant Yom Kippur! Eeek!

MommaSchell said...

Looks really good...! I am Baha'i and I commence tomorrow what is called The Fast, where I do not eat or drink (not even water) from sunrise to sunset for a total of 19 days. So I'll take a look at your marvelous blog either way early in the morning or later at night when I'll be able to eat!

Anonymous said...

i found that really powerful what was written above about "coming from and returning to ash"..im a jewish girl..but respect the sacrifices made during lent..and was very intrigued to find that pancakes are a common food during mardi gras!

Addy N. said...

Oops! My apologies for not reading carefully that the anonymous poster at 9:29PM yesterday was also vegan. I am used to disapproving omnivores questioning vegetarian children. I also agree that this development makes the whole comment even more strange (or interesting?).

Take care, everyone!

P.S. My daughter enjoyed some applesauce with flax cinnamon sugar, and edemame in her lunch today! She loved it!

Shelly said...

Ash Wednesday isn't just for Catholics...I'm Methodist and we observe it as well. And Lent. I became a vegetarian during Lent two years ago by giving up all meat for Lent. Our pastor likes the giving up meat thing. :) I'm about to head out to services, so happy Ash Wednesday to all!

Anonymous said...

Mammaschell, is there a connection between The Fast and Ramadan, since they sound similar?

p.s Not to be too cynical, but with the trolls in here lately, why should we believe the 9:29 pm yesterday poster is actually vegan?

Yes, Ash Wednesday is Protestant as well as Roman Catholic.

High Power Rocketry said...

What was for lunch today?

And do you ever repeat?

R2K

Anonymous said...

Jennifer, I checked online and there is a SDA School in your area: Tri-City Junior Academy is located at 4115 West Henry Street, between Sylvester and Court and near Road 42 in Pasco, Washington. It has grades K-10. Check it out if you have the chance. I don't know how close that is to you, but it might be an option to consider for little Schmoo.

Once you publish your cookbook you might check with them about doing a Vegan Lunchbox cooking class for interested parents and have your cookbook available for sale. There is a local SDA church in Kennewick and two others in the Tri-City area, they also might be interested in you doing a cooking class for them and selling your cookbook. Little Schmoo could help, and show other children how fun it is to help pack their own lunch.
If I lived closer, I certainly would attend.

i *heart* paper said...

You're amazing! I love all of your lunch ideas and have been trying them out on daughter. Wonderful!!

Anonymous said...

I think the idea about doing a cooking class for your local SDA Church or school would be great. I am very impressed by the Adventist lifestyle and how the church stresses the importance of health. I have several friends who are Adventists, and some of them are vegan as well. I have recently started attending an Adventist church, and they just had a vegetarian cooking class. I am sure your cookbook would be well received in the Adventist community.

Renee said...

Everything looks great. When will your cookbook be out?

Anonymous said...

I'm not vegan, but both my husband and I are vegetarian and have been searching for some good ideas for our lunchboxes. Your blog looks like it will be wonderful for inspiration, Thank you very much for taking the time to do this.

Anonymous said...

I am not vegan or vegetarian, but have been considering many healthier lifestyles including these. What a great website!

I think it's funny that people would criticize you for raising a vegan child when the majority of the children in this country are being fed fast food and pre packaged, chemicalized crap.

Good for you!

Anonymous said...

www.veggieboards.com

I'm posting this as a reference for those who would like to discuss more deeply the pros, cons, and controversies of all forms of vegetarianism.

This is a very feisty board full of outspoken people. I don't want to discourage debate here if Jennifer condones it, I just want to offer another resource.

Anonymous said...

Just went through your archives with my kids to show them all the yummy things that your son gets for lunches. They all said "He gets better lunches than we do!" So you have inspired me, and have helped me to think "outside the box" :) Can't wait to start using some of these ideas in our own lunches! Thanks so much!

PS I grew up in Yakima and still have a lot of family in the area, and a cousin in the Tri-Cities area :)

Thank you so much for taking the time to put this together each day!

BE YOUR BEST said...

Your blog is great and I enjoy the recipes that I've read. You have been doing this for awhile. Can you give some advice to a first time blogger. I wanted to know if there is any downside to the Adsense ads with your blogs? Any downside with the blog thing? I know you are real busy trying to answer these comments, but if you can answer back thanks.

BE YOUR BEST said...

I like this blog and your recipes. I am a first time visitor. I started a blog for the first time today. You have been at this for awhile. Is there a downside with having a blog or any serious reprecussions for advertising, etc. If you were to do it over again, would you do anything different. My blog focuses on personal growth resources and tips. Thanks for any replies.

High Power Rocketry said...

what did Schmoo eat today?

R2K

Shananigans said...

I’ve been lurking here for quite a while and just wanted to pop in to say I love your blog and shmoo is one lucky little boy! I wish someone would fix me lunches like these.

My boyfriend of five years surprised me the other day by commenting that kids shouldn’t be raised veggie because that decision shouldn’t be made for them! Well, if I had things my way the decision to eat meat for the first 14 years of my life wouldn’t have been made for me either, but kids eat what their parents feed them that’s how it goes.

As someone who was emotionally scarred and remains very bitter about my 9 year sentence in a K-8 Catholic school I would urge you to listen to little shmoo about hating mass and any other complaints he may have about his school and make sure there’s nothing serious going on there. I hated mass too…and math for that matter ;)

Anonymous said...

I used to be a vegetarian (since 4th grade), then went back to eating meat in college, and recently have been steering away from the meat, but found myself bored with salads. Your site has given me so many creative, healthy alternatives and ideas to incorporate into my meals. I never contemplated going vegan until reading your site and seeing that there actually are many options out there. Thank you and keep up the good work. Also, in your cookbook it would be so helpful if you had some kind of a rating system on how difficult it is to prepare the meal as well as how long it takes to prepare.

Amanda Werhane said...

holy soycow! your shmoo is one lucky kid!

Anonymous said...

This has to be one of very favorites so far!! Delish.

Jennifershmoo said...

>>do you ever repeat?

Hi, Alex -- Sure, I've had a few repeat requests. We've had fondue twice, and tortilla-bean wraps are another favorite. I was thinking of doing a "shmoo's top five" week towards the end and letting him vote for his favorite lunches of the year.

>>When will your cookbook be out?

I'm still not sure, but I work on it every day, so stay tuned! When I have a publication date I'll let everyone know.

>>what did Schmoo eat today?

It was Ash Wednesday "rice bowl" day. He ate half the pb&j I stashed in his bag at the last minute, but the rice got rave reviews because it came with packets of soy sauce. :-)

Vampire Rabbit said...

Yeah pancakes rolled up with jelly inside is great.


Well until Great Lent, when us Eastern Orthodox Christians do not eat any more dairy, eggs, etc.

How do you make pancakes vegan?

Jennifershmoo said...

>>How do you make pancakes vegan?

I use soy "buttermilk" -- soymilk mixed with a bit of lemon juice -- and use blended ground flaxseed or whirred-up tofu to replace the egg. :-)

Anonymous said...

I wanted to also agree with the above poster about catholic grade schools. please please listen to little schmoo if he has complaints about mass or the teachers or whatever. i know you help out at the school, so i'm sure that you can see for yourself what the school and the teachers are like on a day to day, personal basis, but i spent one horrific third grade at a catholic school before my parents pulled me out, which was the best thing that ever happened to me.

if he's happy there, and so are you and his dad, that's excellent too. i just really feel obligated to say that i found catholic grade school to be a spirit-crushing place that tried its best to kill my love of school, and succeeded in terrifying me out of any love of math i might have ever developed. i hope that catholic grade schools have changed, since i just realized that third grade was more than 10 years ago for me (i can't be getting OLD, can i?!), but the fact that he only gets 20 minutes to choke down his lunch already makes me feel apprehensive about it.

anyway. yeah. just some well-intentioned advice that you probably shouldn't take too seriously, since i'm obviously still emotionally traumatized by third grade, but i felt i had to offer it anyway :)

best of luck, and keep up your wonderfully inspirational lunchbox work!

Anonymous said...

hi,
i know this is a really late post, but i have had fantastic luck veganizing pancakes by putting a few tablespoonfuls of vegan sour cream in the batter. the difference it makes in thickness and texture is just amazing and the pancakes come out thick, fluffy, and delicious! please try this out yourselves and you'll never miss eggs in your pancakes again!

Jennifer, you are awesome.

Anonymous said...

This is a late post, but maybe you'll be looking back sometime and see it.

I'm a Catholic (vegan), and I think my years of Catholic schooling prepared me incredibly well for further academic endeavors!

Just another perspective...

red said...

thank you








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