A “Bento” Mentality

By Marilyn Hunter

Let’s face it, making lunch for two boys five days a week can be pure drudgery, for us and for them. The risk is feeding our kids the same uninspired foods, day after day after day, thus creating uninspired eaters.

So in our house, we’ve adopted a “bento mentality.” We went to a Japanese hardware store and bought reusable bento lunch boxes with snap-on lids. They’re great for portion control, waste reduction and safe eating adventures.

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A Labor Day Ballpark Picnic

By Marilyn Hunter

Labor Day is the last official summer celebration, signaling that the dog days are nearing an end. While the weather will remain warm for weeks to come, afternoons playing baseball in the park will soon give way to more indoor-centric activities. So follows cooking.

But the Hunters aren’t battening down the hatches just yet. Instead we want to tell you about a fun and easy picnic for Labor Day that the whole family will enjoy—a gourmet ballpark picnic.

No all-American celebration is complete without hot dogs, coleslaw and potato salad, and if your kids are like ours, they’ll be pleased as punch with the menu.

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Sushi Begins with Cucumber Rolls

By Marilyn Hunter

When I was little and hesitant to try something new for the first time, my Dad would always say, “start with what you know.” It’s no surprise that I’ve adopted this same approach with my boys when it comes to trying new things, especially food.

If your kids have never tried sushi, they may not want to begin with raw fish. Our boys started cucumber rolls (Kappa Maki). Most kids like cucumbers and rice so it’s hard to go wrong. Our boys also love edamame, spinach gomae (steamed spinach in a sweet sesame sauce), mixed green salad with miso dressing, agedashi (fried) tofu and udon because they started with what they know…veggies, tofu and noodles.

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Enjoy the Moment

By Marilyn Hunter

My great aunt Lucile used to say, “When life gets you down, go do something silly.”
Everyone’s always saying how important it is to “live in the moment.” I’ve heard this time and time again.

As a mom, it’s easy to get bogged down with the details – being punctual, organized and prepared. I used to try so hard to anticipate my boys’ every need – hunger, thirst, boredom. I would plan ahead packing countless items I never even needed.

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The Importance of Breakfast

By Marilyn Hunter

Our youngest son, Nicholas, looked at me with a wrinkled up nose and asked, “Why do we have to start every day eating?” I replied, “It’s called breakfast little man! ‘Breaking the fast’ since the last meal you ate.” It’s hard for an energetic four year old to understand that food equals energy. After many failed attempts to nourish our boys in the morning, we’ve finally found a favorite that everyone enjoys.

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