Monday, September 13

Last week, someone asked me how I come up with new ideas each day. To make it easier, on Sunday I sit down for about 10 minutes and chart out what I'm going to make each day for the week — main stuff, dessert, and fruit. This makes it SOOOOOOooooo much easier on a day-to-day basis. Otherwise I would be sitting there in the morning going, "Ah, what did I give him for fruit yesterday?" It also helps with planning the night before. (It's a lot easier to cook a batch of rice the night before than it is while you're running around in the morning!) So if you have to make a school lunch everyday, my advice is to try this system. And you don't have to be rigid about it. If you have leftovers from dinner, use that instead of what's on your chart. If you realize one morning that your chart says "blueberries" but you have half a melon leftover, switch.

Ok, onto today's lunch:

• wheat pasta with "shakey" cheese (what the kids at E's former preschool call grated parmesan)
• broccoli
• baby tomatoes
• grapes
• cat do-do cookies (E's name for these yummy vegan cookies that we make — recipe below)
• water
• morning snack: clementine

recipe for cat do-do cookies (vegan)

(technically called Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows, from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: http://www.theppk.com/vegan-cookies.html)

Chocolate dough:
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons non-dairy milk (I used soy)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup + 2 tab. unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:
3/4 cup natural salted peanut butter, crunchy or creamy style (I used creamy)
2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons soy creamer or non-dairy milk (I used soymilk)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl combine oil, sugar, maple syrup, non-dairy milk, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Sift in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix to form a moist dough.

Make the filling. In another mixing bowl beat together peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, 2 tablespoons of soy creamer/milk, and vanilla extract to form a moist but firm dough. If peanut butter dough is too dry (as different natural peanut butters have different moisture content), stir in remaining tablespoon of non-dairy milk. If dough is too wet knead in a little extra powdered sugar. (I had to add extra powdered sugar.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Shape the cookies. Take a golf-ball sized scoop of chocolate dough, flatten into a disc (but not too flat), and place a little peanut butter ball in the center. Fold the sides of the chocolate dough up and around the peanut butter center and roll the chocolate ball into an smooth ball between your palms. You can leave them plain or dip into sprinkles, what E calls the "cat litter." I prefer without the sprinkles, which make the tops a little crunchier. Place on parchment paper about 2 inches apart and bake for 10 minutes. (I baked mine for 7 but our oven runs hot.) Do not over bake — these are meant to be soft. Remove sheet from oven and let cookies stand for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to complete cooling.