Busy parents know that packing healthy lunches and snacks that kids will eat and not throw out or trade day after day is a challenge. For kids with food allergies – which, according to the CDC, is one in 13 kids or about two per classroom – or who attend a peanut-free school, it gets even more difficult.
Here are some tips for packing healthy and delicious allergy-friendly lunches and snacks that fuel kids' active minds and bodies all day long.
Send a Kid-Approved SnackThere will be birthdays and celebrations in school where the snacks may not be allergy-friendly. Talk with your child's teacher and make sure they understand his or her dietary restrictions. Send a snack they can eat for the teacher to keep on hand for these occasions. Or, if it's your child's birthday, send something delicious everyone can enjoy together.
One to try: EnviroKidz Granola Bars and Crispy Rice Bars, the first organic, gluten-free, peanut-free bars for kids, in tasty Chocolate Chip and Strawberry Granola Bars and Berry Blast and Chocolate Crispy Rice Bars. The strawberry and berry blast flavors are also dairy-free, and 1 percent of sales from all four flavors go to help endangered species.
Make It PositiveInstead of focusing on the things your child can't eat, focus on all of the delicious foods they can enjoy. You can look online for ideas and talk about them with your child, involving them in the process to come up with a list of things they love. Try gluten-free waffles instead of bread for sandwiches, nut-free butters like sunflower seed butter, smoothies or soups in a thermos, or fruit with dairy-free yogurt for dipping. Make sure to stock the fridge and pantry with these items so you can easily pack lunches without stress. You can even post the list on the refrigerator and let them choose what they want.
Go for the Gold Standard: OrganicIf your little one has allergies, it's important to think about lunches in a holistic way, not just avoiding certain foods.
"When packing allergy-friendly foods, considering the quality of all the ingredients, not just the ones it's 'free of,' is really important," said Ashley Koff, registered dietitian. "The easiest choice: organic ingredients, which means non-GMO, because they give you what the body recognizes easily and avoids ingredients that can detract from better nutrition and better health."
Make It FunJust because you are avoiding certain foods doesn't mean that lunch or snack time can't be delicious and fun. Pack foods in a variety of colors and shapes, including rolls and stacks. Use cookie cutters to make fun shapes and create pops, kebabs or other easy recipes that use kid- and allergy-friendly foods and make eating a blast. Additionally, a simple, sweet note or picture drawn on a napkin can be a nice lunchtime surprise.
Packing lunches and snacks for kids with allergies can be a challenge, but with some planning you can find delicious, nutritious foods your child will love. Find more allergy-friendly recipes and lunch and snack tips at envirokidz.com.
Fruit and Granola Bar Kebabs
Serves: 8-10
4- 5
varieties of colorful fruits
Star or heart-shaped cookie cutter (optional)
1
box peanut-free EnviroKidz Granola Bars
kebab skewers
Wash and slice fruit into bite-size chunks large enough to withstand a skewer.
Use cookie cutter for fruit shape at top of kebab.
Once fruit is ready, cut up granola bars, about 3 squares each, and begin layering kebabs.
If You Like a…Bourbon Old Fashioned Try a…BACARDÍ 8 Old Fashioned Ingredients:
2 parts BACARDÍ 8 Años rum
1 teaspoon sugar
2 dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters
0.5 part water
Orange peel for garnish
Method: In an Old-Fashioned glass, pour in the sugar, water and Angostura Bitters. Combine everything with a bar spoon (or muddler), add the BACARDÍ 8 Años. Fill the glass 3/4 of the way with large ice cubes and stir repeatedly, around 10 stirs. Top with a little fresh ice. Cut a piece of orange peel and squeeze over the cocktail before dropping it into the drink.
If You Like a…Gin Tom Collins Try a…GRAN RESERVA Maestro Collins Ingredients:
2 parts BACARDÍ GRAN RESERVA MAESTRO DE RON®
1 part freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp fine white sugar (caster sugar)
To fill: Soda or sparkling water
Method: Pour the BACARDÍ GRAN RESERVA MAESTRO DE RON, lemon juice and caster sugar into a cocktail shaker with cubes of ice and then give it a good, hard shake. Fine strain the mixture into a serving glass and top it up with soda. Finish by garnishing it with a lemon peel.
Nothing beats a meal filled with flavorful ingredients fresh off the farm – unless you add a table filled with your closest friends to enjoy the bounty. From sides to main dishes to desserts, these recipes show you how to transform wholesome farm-raised foods into a crowd-pleasing menu you can enjoy from start to finish.
Center your home-cooked meal around a hearty dish such as Pan Roasted Maple Dijon Chicken with Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts to ensure that none of your guests leave the table hungry. To find more main dish ideas for entertaining, visit eatchicken.com.
Pan Roasted Maple Dijon Chicken with Butternut Squash and Brussels SproutsServings: 4
In saute pan large enough to hold chicken in single layer, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan, skin side down, and saute about 4-5 minutes per side, or until chicken is browned.
Remove chicken from pan and reserve. In same pan, add butter. Allow butter to melt over medium heat. Add sprouts and squash to pan and saute, tossing occasionally, until outsides are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan and hold separately from chicken.
Turn heat to high and add stock, syrup and mustard. Stir and bring to boil, stirring to scrape up brown bits on bottom of pan. Add chicken back to pan, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook over medium-low heat 20-25 minutes, or until chicken registers 170 F with instant read thermometer.
Add vegetables back to pan, cover again and cook another 8-10 minutes until vegetables are tender. Move chicken and vegetables to serving platter, placing vegetables around chicken. Turn heat to high and boil sauce until it is reduced and slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.
Potatoes Perfect for a Party
Perfect as a crowd-pleasing appetizer or side dish at any festive party, simply grill or bake Wisconsin potatoes and top them with your favorite flavors, like bruschetta or a combination of ingredients such as Greek yogurt, cheese, herbs, olives and tomatoes. Find more potato recipes at eatwisconsinpotatoes.com.
Heat grill or oven to 400 F. Thinly slice potatoes lengthwise to 1/4-inch thick, discarding ends.
Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Place on grill or prepared baking sheet in single layer. Cook 10 minutes on each side. Add toppings.
Topping Ideas
Bruschetta: In bowl, mix together 2 medium tomatoes diced, 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, 2 cloves minced garlic and 1 tablespoon olive oil and spoon on top of potatoes.
Baked Potato: In bowl, mix together 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped, and spoon on top of potatoes. Garnish with 1 tablespoon chives.
Mediterranean: In bowl, mix together 1 container (6 ounces) feta cheese; 1 can (2 1/4 ounces) sliced olives, drained; 1 medium tomato diced; salt and pepper, to taste; and spoon on top of potatoes.
Creamy Greek Yogurt with Lemon and Herbs: In bowl, mix together 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill; juice from 1/2 lemon; salt and pepper, to taste; and spoon on top of potatoes. Garnish with dill sprigs.
Better with Berries
When dinner settles, end your gathering on a high note with Mixed Berry Shortcakes. These palate-pleasing pastries combine sweet strawberries and blueberries, fluffy biscuits and a dollop of ice cream. For more delicious dessert ideas, visitnestleusa.com/nestle-kitchens.
In large bowl, combine strawberries, blueberries and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar; stir gently. Let stand, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 425 F. Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
In large bowl, whisk flour, remaining granulated sugar, baking powder and salt; cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk and yogurt; stir just until moist dough forms.
Turn dough onto floured work surface. With floured hands, knead 6-8 times until dough is smooth. With rolling pin, roll dough into 9-by-6-inch rectangle, or about 1/2-inch thick. Cut into six 2 1/2-inch circles. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
Bake 10-12 minutes, or just until golden. Transfer biscuits to individual plates; split open. Top each with about 1 cup berry mixture and 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream.
Design and Real Estate Experts Showcase How Revolutionary Technologies Like LG OLED TV Are Changing Today's Living Room Landscape
Today's living room doesn't look like living rooms from 30, 20 or even 10 years ago, and neither do home entertainment products or the habits of the modern family.
Bringing the living room revolution to life, LG Electronics USA partnered with powerhouse design duo Lydia Marks and Lisa Frantz of Marks & Frantz Interior Design to create "Modern Family Portraits," a series of living room present-day time capsules depicting how the modern family is designing and utilizing their space with advanced technology like LG OLED TV at the forefront.
Media attendees and guests experience LG’s 2016 OLED line-up at LG’s “Modern Family Portraits: Picture-Perfect Technology of the 21st Century Living Room” event in New York City on August 3, 2016.
Ricardo Rodriguez, real estate trends specialist of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage; Dave VanderWaal, vice president of marketing, LG Electronics USA; and Lydia Marks and Lisa Frantz of Marks & Frantz Interior Design participate in a panel discussion on the evolution of home design and technology at LG’s “Modern Family Portraits: Picture-Perfect Technology of the 21st Century Living Room” event in New York City on August 3, 2016.
From established millennial couples who are combining smart home technology with entertaining elements from trendy bars and restaurants into their own home, to empty nesters who are creating the ultimate home entertainment caves as they wave their kids off to college, tastemakers and influencers provided an exclusive look at the changing dynamics of the 21st Century living room.
A unique design-meets-technology case study, LG's Modern Family Portraits showcases how generational shifts in behaviors along with emerging technologies have led to a new set of living room design philosophies centered on home entertainment.
Three different living room vignettes, with LG's revolutionary 2016 OLED TVs front and center, were conceptualized and brought to life by renowned designers Marks & Frantz, who have worked on everything from film sets, such as Sex and the City, Money Monster and The Devil Wears Prada, to high-end residential and hospitality interiors.
In addition to the living room vignettes, Marks, Frantz and real estate trends specialist Ricardo Rodriguez of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage shared expert design and modern living insights in a live panel discussion alongside LG executives, who highlighted the marriage of advanced technology and design innovation for various life stages.
"LG continues to be at the forefront of creating innovations that deliver a better life for consumers with products that are smarter, more intuitive and offer greater connectivity and flexibility for consumers to use them where and when they want," said David VanderWaal, vice president of marketing, LG Electronics USA, who moderated the expert panel.
Tapping their vast knowledge and experience, Marks & Frantz created living room scenarios that reflect three different modern day family archetypes – the established millennial couple living life to the fullest, the traditional family who are anything but traditionalists and the empty nesters who are enjoying a new life chapter. Each vignette featured one of LG's latest OLED TV models, along with other home entertainment, audio and smart products to showcase the various devices that make up the ecosystem of today's connected homes.
"Consumer electronics have had a huge impact on the way we design and live in our homes. They not only allow us to stay connected, but also serve as a distinct design statement that can elevate the look of any room and reflect one's lifestyle," said Marks, co-founder of Marks & Frantz. "Companies like LG are allowing us to incorporate electronics as part of the room design with their sleek, artful aesthetic and advanced functionality. LG's OLED TVs are so sleek and beautiful that you don't want to relegate them to an armoire or cabinet, but rather make them the focal point of the room."
"The three vignettes we designed showcase how technology and connected devices offer the flexibility to personalize living rooms to suit a particular family's lifestyle and create a connected hub where they can interact and bond with each other, as well as with friends and relatives that are near and far," added Frantz.
Established Millennial Couples Living Life to the FullestAccording to Frantz, the established millennial couple loves "cocooning" – it's all about hiding out at home and entertaining rather than going out. This vignette was designed to maximize comfort for this couple when they're at home and bring outside culture inside.
Complementing a young couple's love for spending time together and entertaining, the new line of LG OLED TVs, which includes four series with eight models, combines statement-making design with the best TV technology available. With LG OLED TV, they get the best picture quality available today, with perfect blacks and incredible color.
The entire 2016 OLED line up is 4K-enabled and the first to be compatible with both core HDR formats – Dolby Vision™ HDR and HDR10 – so couples can stay on trend with the assurance that they will get the newest HDR titles. LG's award-winning webOS 3.0 Smart TV platform* also offers access to a plethora of streaming content and apps along with some of the most widely consumer media in this demographic – channels like Buzzfeed, Esquire and more – through the new Channel Plus feature launching later this summer.
Making up nearly half of connected home adopters, the established millennial couple also cares about protecting their home with a flexible security option like the LG Smart Security™ plug-and-play monitoring solution and home automation hub secured by ADT Canopy™.
Traditional Families That Are Anything But TraditionalA recent study concluded that more than half of parents today say that technology makes them feel closer to their family1, so it's essential that families build a central hub where they can connect and bond through home entertainment, while also having the flexibility for "me" time. LG OLED TVs offer a viewing experience that only OLED can deliver, producing stunning, life-like picture that holds up even from wide viewing angles, so everyone can appreciate its color and clarity from any seat in the house – a must have for a large family. LG's webOS 3.0 Smart TV platform offers easy and fast access to a seemingly endless selection of content options.*
Parents can let loose and spend a few hours acting like one of the kids, with access to the GameFly Streaming App available through the platform. Since LG OLED TVs are also the first TVs to be compatible with both Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10, families can watch the newest HDR titles with the best picture quality possible from leading streaming content partners like Netflix, Amazon Video® and VUDU®.
With various members of the family either in school or working, they also need a tool for emails paired with school research projects or online shopping – laptops such as the LG gram® 15, which weighs a mere 2.2 pounds, while also boasting 0.7-inch thinness and a 15.6 inches screen, are a mainstay in this living room. Not to mention, having a second screen in the living room is great for those family members that love multitasking in front of the TV!
Empty Nesters Enjoying Life's Next ChapterWith the last kid finally off to college and out of the house, the empty nester living room represented the newly reclaimed space and discretionary spending power of this couple. The LG SIGNATURE® OLED TV (OLEDG6P) delivers the "wow factor" for a living room centerpiece with visually striking design and incredible picture quality.
A prime example of Empty Nester's home entertainment and home decor investment, the top-of-the-line LG SIGNATURE OLED TV features a stunningly sleek "Picture-on-Glass" form factor that sets a new benchmark in aesthetic design with an exceptionally thin depth – the width of just a few credit cards - translucent glass back and powerful, forward-facing sound bar that doubles as a stand. And, with the Magic Mobile connection feature accessible through LG's webOS Smart TV platform*, empty nesters can easily pair their smartphone to their LG SIGNATURE OLED G6 TV to view mobile content – like Facebook, Instagram and other popular social channels – so they can keep up with their kids.
When one person needs a little personal time, portable devices like LG's P5 wireless Bluetooth speakers allow them to stream music from popular online services, such as Spotify, Napster, iHeartRadio and Pandora and more from the privacy of their bedroom or anywhere in or around the house.
Marriage of Form and Function for Modern Day FamiliesLG's VanderWaal concluded: "Revolutionary advancements like LG OLED TV – an entirely new category of television – deliver what experts and enthusiasts have hailed as the best TV ever for its unrivalled picture quality and performance, but also have a sleek, elegant design and impossibly thin screen so that they're works of art on or off to complement any room. With today's innovations from LG, advanced design and function no longer live independently."
Considering the idea of building a collection of great wines? Jim Cash, long-time collector and founder of Revel Custom Wine Cellars, shares some tips on the art of wine collecting. Whether your motivation is to diversify your investments, delight your friends or simply to have a mature beauty to decant whenever the mood strikes, consider this:
Measure Twice, Cut Once: This time-worn mantra of carpenters and surgeons applies, and in this context we mean plan ahead. Wines that actually improve with age and in value are far and few between. Those that do so consistently and predictably, even more so. And they are expensive.
Invest Your Time: Acquiring knowledge and a palate will take time and energy. The world of fine wine is very complicated. Not to say there needs to be any snobbery involved--you just need to develop a healthy appreciation and you'll be amply rewarded.
Know Your Means: There are many wine writers and pundits espousing the notion that wine collecting can be a relatively easy and inexpensive undertaking. In the world of fine and collectible wine, this is simply not true. Collectible wines are costly to acquire and to own.
You Need to Drink It: This is the foundation upon which your journey is based. As an alternative asset class, fine wine is unique in this regard. You don't "consume" collectible art, cars, watches, etc. Consuming and sharing wine with friends is the best way to appreciate it. When building a collection, be sure to account for this.
Critic's Scores Matter: They may not matter to you in terms of predicting whether you will like the wine, and they also don't accurately forecast future values, but they do represent one component of a wine's resume. And not just any critic – there are critics that matter and critics that don't.
Provenance is Key: A documented chain of custody from creation to present is most desirable. The more expensive the price, the more important this is. There are forgeries, gray market wines, and wines that have been improperly stored being offered for sale. Know your sources.
Travel to the Vineyards: Not only great fun, but this is the best way to gain certain fundamental insights into the soul of the wine. Wine is a living organism, and so much goes into its creation that being there and experiencing the place is essential to fostering your understanding. Learning about the people that make it, the production processes, and the winemaking philosophies will fortify your knowledge base.
Don't Expect to Make a Profit: While it may be true that certain wines increase in value over time, that time horizon is long, and there are many other factors to consider. Wine is illiquid in the financial sense. Selling wine is a transaction with a lot of friction. Still, having a wine collection can save money when drinking mature wines, and it can also be a viable diversification strategy and inflation hedge.
You Need the Right Place to Keep It: While seemingly obvious, this is often underestimated. Collectible wines need to be kept in a very specific environment. Whether you use commercial storage or build a proper cellar--this is generally a costly proposition.
Live the Life: Enjoy it for everything it has to offer and you will be richly rewarded. To truly know wine is to know society, culture, history, cuisine, geography, science, language, the environment, and the list goes on. It makes one a more interesting person and contributes to a life well lived.
No matter the season or the reason, no party is complete without dessert. The trick to making the most out of your celebrations is finding ways to trim your kitchen time so you can enjoy the festivities, without sacrificing quality or flavor in your favorite sweet treats.
Many dessert recipes require multiple time-consuming steps, but using canned fruit can help cut down on prep work and provide you and your guests with a refreshing, delicious treat.
Fresh fruits are popular ingredients for desserts, but it can be difficult to know whether you're choosing a ripe, sweet fruit. For example, pineapples have several potential indicators of ripeness, such as a sweet smell coming from the bottom of the fruit, the rind yielding slightly to pressure or a yellow, golden color rising toward the crown. An alternative such as Dole Canned Pineapple lets you know you're getting pineapple that is at its sweetest, because the canning process locks in flavor when the fruit is perfectly ripe.
In addition to baked recipes, canned fruit is also well-suited for other desserts, such as fruit salads, baked muffins and breads, or even as a dessert topping. Whether you're creating a blue ribbon recipe for a local competition – such as one of the most famous award-winning desserts, Pineapple Upside Down Cake – or delivering a delicious dessert to the family table, Dole Canned Fruit is the perfect ingredient.
Find more tips for your next gathering from the expert chefs at Dole Packaged Foods' test kitchen at dolesunshine.com.
Old-Fashioned Upside Down Cake Prep time: 20 minutes Total time: 35 minutes Servings: 8
2/3 cup margarine, divided 2/3 cup packed brown sugar, divided 1 can (20 ounces) Dole Pineapple Slices 10 maraschino cherries 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided 2 eggs, separated 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup sour cream
Heat oven to 350 F.
In 10-inch cast-iron skillet, melt 1/3 cup margarine. Remove from heat. Add brown sugar and stir until blended.
Drain pineapple slices; reserve 2 tablespoons syrup. Arrange pineapple slices in sugar mixture. Place cherry in center of each slice.
Beat remaining 1/3 cup margarine with 1/2 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, lemon peel, lemon juice and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Blend into creamed mixture alternately with sour cream and reserved pineapple syrup.
Beat egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar to make stiff meringue. Fold into batter. Pour over pineapple in skillet.
Bake 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes then invert onto serving plate. Serve warm or cold.
Heat oven to 350 F. Spray two (9-inch) cake pans with cooking spray. Drain mandarin oranges, keeping fruit and syrup reserved separately.
In large bowl, combine cake mix, juice from one can of mandarin oranges, eggs, oil and orange peel; beat 2 minutes.
Pour cake mix into prepared pans. Layer mandarin oranges from one can over each cake and gently submerge them into cake batter.
Bake 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan onto wire rack; cool completely.
Pour 1/2 cup reserved juice from second can of oranges in bowl with pudding mix; whisk 2 minutes, or until pudding mix is completely dissolved. Remove 12 orange slices from second can and dry with paper towel; set aside. Fold in whipped topping and remaining mandarin oranges. Spread mandarin frosting on top of first layer of cake and out to edges. Place second layer on top of first layer.
In small saucepan, heat cream until just beginning to steam, but do not boil. Remove from stove and stir in chocolate. Stir until well-blended. Pour chocolate mixture over cake and garnish with reserved mandarin oranges. Refrigerate half hour before serving.
1 1/2 cups butter, softened, divided 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 4 eggs 1 can (20 ounces) Dole Crushed Pineapple, drained 4 cups shredded carrots 1 cup Dole Seedless Raisins 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two (9-inch) round pans.
In large bowl, beat 1 cup butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Fold in crushed pineapple, carrots, raisins and vanilla.
In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Gradually add to pineapple mixture and fold until well-blended. Pour into prepared pans.
Bake 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pans 15 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
Beat cream cheese with remaining 1/2 cup butter until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar, lemon peel and lemon juice until smooth. Frost completely cooled cake. Garnish with additional crushed pineapple and grated carrots, if desired.
Note: Cake can be baked in 13-by-9-inch pan. Bake 50-60 minutes at 350 F. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
