grocery shopping but not for us.

School is out this week - there are a lot of children who attend our local elementary school whose main meal of the day is lunch.  With school being out an entire week that can really have an affect on grocery budgets, especially if extra daycare costs or lost work days come into play.
I spoke with the Community in Schools liaison for our elementary school and she referred me to the local food pantry.  There are a large number of students at the school who qualify for services that the food pantry provides.  Between school being out and it being thanksgiving week, they are expecting an influx of need at the food pantry.

I offered to purchase some fresh fruits and vegetables.  I was shocked at how much I could get with so little.
I filled a grocery cart with 45 apples, 45 oranges, 30 lbs. of potatoes, 12 lbs of bananas, 16 lbs of mini peeled carrots, 9 cucumbers, 17 bags of lettuce/spinach.  My main thought was grab and go items for any kids left at home while parent worked, and of course healthy and fresh foods. The food pantry normally wants non perishables, but this week is an exception and they were so thrilled with the donation.

It is eating at me that I purchased conventional produce and not organic, but I knew I could help many more people and that the fresh fruit and veggies were better than alternative foods.

total spent - $115

Ironically, I moved some term CD's around whose time was up and sure enough, the interest made was right around $115.  This means this trip has no impact on our grocery budget!

I took a picture of the groceries in the back of the car using my cell phone, but it turns out it was really a video and I can't figure out how to just add a still from it on here...

Pom Wonderful giveaway winners

Thanks you to all who entered!!
CONGRATS to Astrid, Jill and Christa (#'s 4, 16, 28) in the comments. Those numbers were chosen using random.org for the pom wonderful giveway! All are CONFIRMED!  your coupons should arrive soon! enjoy.

red celery

I teach 3 year olds part time.   Last week was our farm unit.   Most of the week is spent talking about farm animals; we sing animal songs, play animal games, make animal noises, pattern with animals, work with animal related manipulative items - even 'milk' a cow (our easel transformed into a cow with a rubber glove filled with water as the udders).
  We do however throw in a little talk about food grown on farms.  We read books about plants needing water, soil and sunlight to grow.  We pretend to be farmers and pretend to plant, water, etc.  Our science experiment for the week is to take a leafy stalk of celery and place it in water with red food coloring.  By the end of the day, the stalk and leaves have a tinge of red to them and the kids can see how a plant needs water.

I've done this lesson in the past and didn't even give it much thought.  This year, it really struck a chord.  The red dye is was in the water, the plant 'ingested' that dye.  I am sure there is a lot of higher level science involved = size of the particulates, temperature and evaporation rates, blah blah blah.  But the basic, preschool level thought of the day...
If chemicals are sprayed or added to the soil -  The plant will 'ingest' it.
Maybe we should add funky colored dyes to any chemical put on or around conventionally grown plants so people can SEE that those things are actually there in the 'final product'. Oh wait - that would just be marketed as fun, exciting, and would have a character endorsement.
*eye roll*

POM wonderful giveaway ends tonight!

click the link on the right sidebar to enter!

My Pom wonderful juice arrived today.  Good timing!  I am off of work all next week - time to get creative!!

I can't take it anymore!

I am ordering a new laptop lunchbox for the boy.  Wow, I made it how long - only a week before breaking down?!?!

I sent the LL bean one the other day with some rubbermaid containers and a lid did not get tightened before being returned home.  I can't just quickly wash and dry like I can with the hard box of the laptop lunch.  Nope, It needs a date with the washing machine.  What can I say, it has been a busy week and that date has yet to happen... (don't worry, I did wipe the funk out... just needs a deep clean still).
He brown bagged it today and will tomorrow as well.

squinty corn

You kinda have to squint a little, maybe use your imagination....
It is a piece of corn made out of a tortilla pb&j.  It is on top of a cut apple, lettuce, and noodles with parmesan.

I miss his laptop lunchbox.....   We'll see how long I go without buying a replacement.  I'm still holding out hope that it will appear.  Although...  not sure how funky it will be if it does.

fruit turkey

This will be my daughter's only thanksgiving themed lunchbox.  On Thursday her class will be having a party/feast.  The turkey is made from a pear half, orange and apple slices, with raisin and quinoa eyes.  It is placed on a bed of quinoa with some cinnamon and a tiny touch of brown sugar mixed in.

The kids loved the horizon natural yogurt blends.   The last ones I picked up on markdown had .75 off coupons on the inside of the outer package.  I found them marked down again and used the coupons also.  I paid a total of .75 for a four pack! 
A cut up organic pickle rounds out this lunch.