Chicana Tejana

Mini Sub Box

2010-06-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

Mini Sub Box

Mini turkey and meunster cheese sub on homemade roll. I packed the tomatoes and lettuce on the side to keep the sandwich from getting soggy. I also packed some potato chips, strawberry and kiwi salad, celery sticks with peanut butter (in the yellow tub), cashews, and an apple.

I asked my husband to pick up some leaf lettuce. I had this nagging feeling that he would buy romaine. I don't know how or why I knew this. I buy and prepare all kinds of leafy greens for the family, but somehow I just knew he was going to buy romaine. So I called him and I was right. He said it was a good thing I called because he was just about to buy romaine. So I reiterated: leaf lettuce. Somehow he still came home with the wrong lettuce.

Iceburg :|

Seriously...I thought it was a joke. I mean how do we go from leaf, to romaine, back to leaf, to iceburg?

Sigh. Once I realized that he was not going to produce a head of leaf lettuce from some secret hiding place, I went from mildly annoyed to furious. I mean I called him to make sure! I walked him through it as he stood in front of the lettuce at Sun Harvest. How on earth could this happen?

I went on for a while. I mean I had a really hard time wrapping my head around how this could have happened. Among my immidiate thoughts, I wondered if he did this because he does not take me seriosuly. If he can't take me seriously when it comes to lettuce, what else could he do to hurt me. He was wise to walk away. Although some part of me always hopes he'll just pull it together and (a) recognize that while I have strong feelings for lettuce, my reaction is connected to something bigger, (b) be able to calm me down and reassure me of his love when I am upset thereby working to rebuild the trust we so clearly have not entirely worked out, (c) maybe just get it right the first time. It's not rocket science. Ugh.

But then that analytical part of me kicks in and I realize that he (like many of us working class brown folks) did not grow up with a variety of dark leafy greens. I get it. I do. Iceburg is cheap. Usually it's the cheapest so most of us are familiar with this one. Still, considering all that, leaf was on sale for less than iceburg and I walked him through it! Or so I thought.

This thought process took a few minutes. I worked it out as I continued to make dinner. Once I finished I was just tired of it all. Then I just felt silly. I mean if that's the worst he can do, I guess I should count myself lucky. Could be worse, right. Could be much worse. As a matter of fact, it has been. But you can probably guess that from the trust issues oozing out of this story. I wonder sometimes if he half-asses things like this so he won't have to do them again. You know I very near threw in the towel and conceded to live by the "If I want it done right, I'll just do it myself" rule. But that just makes more work for me. That's the last thing I need.

Speaking of more work, I made my own bread for these subs. I actually like baking bread a lot. It's really relaxing (when I'm able to do it in peace). But I don't always have the time to make bread that requires kneeding everyday. That's an all day event. This is why I love Zoe Francois and Jeff Hertzberg's second book: Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day . I checked it out from my local library and have renewed it twice just to hold on to it longer. I will buy it just as soon as I can afford to :)

I made the sub roll using the whole wheat brioche recipe from Zoe Francois and Jeff Hertzberg's second book: Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day . Unfortunately the recipe in the book has errors so don't try to follow it from the book. It won't work. I found that out the hard (and expensive considering my graduate student salary) way. Thankfully, the authors posted the corrected recipe online on their website . This dough is wonderful! So far I've used it to make doughnuts, chocolate pockets, hamburger buns, and mini submarine rolls. The sweets didn't last long enough for me to snap shots. Next time I promise.

Whole Wheat Brioche (replace recipe on page 275 in the book)

Makes enough dough for at least two 2-pound loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved.

4 cups white whole wheat flour (we use the white whole wheat for its lighter color and flavor)
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
2 1/4 cups lukewarm water
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted or (zero trans fat, zero hydrogenated oil margarine) or (neutral-flavored oil)
3/4 cup honey
5 large eggs
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water) for brushing on the top of loaf

The following are the basic instructions for brioche, for more details refer to the book.

1. Mixing and storing the dough: Whisk together the flour, yeast, salt, and vital wheat gluten in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) Food Storage Containers .

2. Combine the liquid ingredients and mix the m with the dry ingredients without kneading , using a spoon, a 14-cup food processor or a heavy duty stand mixer with paddle.

3. The dough will be loose, but will firm up with chilled.

4. Cover (not airtight) and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it rises and collapses, approximately 2 hours.

5. Refrigerate it for at least 2 hours before using. The dough can be stored and used over the next 5 days.

6. On baking day, grease a Non-Stick Brioche Mold or an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch nonstick loaf pan. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 2-pound (cantaloupe-size) piece of dough. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball. Place the ball into the prepared pan and allow to rest, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for about 1 hour 45 minutes. (dough should no longer feel cold and will have a bit of spring to it).

7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, with a rack in the middle of the oven.

8. Just before baking, use a pastry brush to paint the loaf’s top with egg wash.

9. Bake the loaf near the center of the oven for about 40-45 minutes. For smaller or larger loaves you will need to adjust the resting and baking times.

10. Remove the brioche from the pan (see page 50) and allow it to cool on a rack before slicing.

Spicy Thai Tuna Box

2010-06-11T20:53:00.000-07:00

Bumble Bee Spicy Thai Tuna Box

Packed this box for my husband. I had a coupon for Bumble Bee Tuna Sensations so I figured I'd try the Spicy Thai Tuna flavor. He said it was pretty good but reported that the tuna was a little sweet for his taste. I packed this with some homemade grilled rice balls (onigiri), lime wedge, garlic chili paste (in the green tub), steamed broccoli and tomato salad, almonds and golden raisins, and grapefruit slices. I used to buy already made onigiri from a nearby Japanese grocery store called Minano, but then I learned how easy they are to make ahead and freeze following this tutorial by Biggie: Making and freezing yaki onigiri, onigiri. What a time saver! I don't think I will buy this flavor tuna again. I'd rather make my own by mixing regular tuna (from a pouch is better because it's already drained) with fresh lime juice and garlic chili paste. Yum!

Meatless Monday Bento!

2010-05-24T07:09:00.000-07:00

Mini Veggie Calzone Bento

We are trying to cut down on the amount of meat we eat. So today's lunch and snack bento consists of mini veggie calzones with marinara sauce for dipping, salad with homemade honey and red wine vinaigrette, fruit salad (mango, kiwi, and grapefruit), and pumpkin pancakes (cut into flowers) left over from breakfast.

Mini Veggie Calzones

Mini Calzones stuffed with red and green bell peppers, onions, tomato, and cheese made using the Basic Pizza Dough Recipe. Faces are made out of red and green peppers. The dough uses white flour. I know, I know. White flour bad. I am working on a whole wheat recipe I can feel good about.

Basic Pizza/Calzone Dough Recipe
1 1/2 Cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
2 Tbsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
3 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
1/2 Cup bread flour
1 Tbsp coarse salt
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Combine water, sugar, and yeast. Proof until foamy (about 5 minutes). Mix flours and salt in seperate bowl. Add oil to proofed yeast mixture. Pour yeast mixture into flour mixture and knead for 10 minutes. Dough should be elastic and slightly sticky. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl (I use non-stick spray), turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
Punch down dough and refrigerate until needed (this dough can keep in the fridge for up to four days, but it is best the next day) or use immediately. Divide into three pieces for three 10-14" pizzas or smaller pieces (4-5 oz) for mini pizzas or calzones. Shape into balls and place on floured work surface. Let dough rise another 45 minutes covered loosely with a piece of saran wrap sprayed with non-stick spray. While dough is resting, preheat oven to 550 degrees with baking stone on lowest rack.
Brush crust with garlic butter, butter, or olive oil and bake until golden brown (about 5 minutes for mini pizzas and 10-15 minutes for larger pizzas).

Pumpkin Pancake Recipe
1 Cup sifted flour
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Cup milk
1/2 Cup pumpkin puree
2 Slightly beaten egg yolks
2 Tbsp melted butter
2 tiffly beated egg whites

Preheat large shallow pan to meduim. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a seperate bown, combine milk, egg yolks, pumpkin, and butter. Add dry ingredients to wet stirring just until moistened (over stirring will result in tough pancakes). Fold in beaten egg whites. Tada!

1/3 Cup batter = 1 pancake.

Field Trip Bento

2010-03-30T23:29:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy with school and work. I really hope after my thesis defense tomorrow I will find more time to keep up with this blog. I imagined something more than just pics of the bentos I make. Oh well.

With that said here is a small lunch bento I made for my daughter's field trip day to the Tower of the Americas in San Antonio, Texas. It's pretty simple. Popcorn chicken bites, celery sticks, a cutie, and a strawberry.

Grilled Chicken and Fresh Strawberries Salad Bento

2010-02-21T20:52:00.000-08:00

For this lunch box, I used chicken breast leftover from last night's dinner, salad greens, and sliced fresh strawberries. I also packed some grapes, a small tomato, and some Kashi wheat crackers.

The little containers on top of the greens contain homemade salt-free red wine vinaigrette.

Meatloaf Sandwich Bento

2010-02-21T20:38:00.000-08:00

I seriously love meatloaf sandwiches. I made the meatloaf for dinner and we got four extra lunches out of it. That's a deal. I use really lean meat so to keep it moist I shred zucchini and carrots right into the mix. I packed the meatloaf in a baggie under the bread so I could pop it in the microwave at work. The bread is covering it the picture, but you can pretty much imagine what a slice of meatloaf looks like, right. Along with my sandwich I packed a small salad with homemade red wine vinaigrette and fresh strawberries. I also packed some sliced celery with a little tub of peanut butter and a babybel cheese for a afternoon snack.

Black Bean Snack Box

2010-02-21T20:17:00.000-08:00

Snack bento for my little one (who is not so little anymore but remains my baby for eternity). Black bean, onion, tomato, corn salsa with small round corn chips. A tiny tangelo, and a baby bell cheese wheel. I made the black beans in the crock pot overnight. It's so simple and a serious time saver.

I have been criticized for not making beans the "authentic way." By a man no less. A man who says he feels its important to hold on to tradition. Where to begin?

This guy cooks maybe once, twice a year and his opinion is supposed to mean something to me? Brother please. I don't even have the time to explain to him the degree of his wrongness (it's a word now folks).

I cook almost everyday. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a couple of snacks. I wish I cooked for a living, but I don't. So I look for reasonable shortcuts in the kitchen. I do it mostly out of necessity. I like to eat food without mysterious ingredients and I need to save money. Sadly my husband cannot cook. Or I should say he doesn't cook. To be honest, as much as I would like more help with cooking duties, I am really, really picky. So to maintain harmony in the home, it's probably best that I keep cooking. This is just part of figuring out how to live with another person. I do not, however, wash dishes. I like to joke that I worked this into our wedding vows, but in reality I think I sprung it on him during that first year when we were trying to figure each other out. I think it's a fair deal. I shop and cook. He cleans. We all eat.

Earth Burger on Wheat Pita Bento

2010-01-26T09:03:00.000-08:00

This is another night class bento. I packed an earthburger using homemade wheat pita bread and monterey jack cheese. Off to the side I packed cherry tomatoes and half of an avocado rubbed with lemon and sprinkled with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.

In a previous entry I made these pitas using the white flour master recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking. This time I used the recipe from their new book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients . I prefer this recipe for pita over the other one. The dough was so much easier to work with when rolling out the pitas. Here is a great video the authors posted on You Tube explaining visually how to make the dough.

Greek Chicken Pita Bento

2010-01-26T08:29:00.001-08:00

I love my new Tupperware Orange and White Lunch N Things Box Container I ordered through Amazon. It rocks! It allows me to pack snack and lunch in one easy to carry streamlined container. For this one I packed a special greek inspired bento lunch with homeade pita bread and ground chicken patties, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber yogurt sauce, fresh fruit, nuts and raisins, and a cheese stick. This is lunch and a snack.

Chicken Patties
1 pound ground chicken breast
1/4 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup grated zuchinni
1 t greek seasoning
1 egg

Mix all ingredients together. Spray large skillet with non-stick spray and preheat on medium for couple of minutes. Drop chicken mixture into pan using a large spoon (about 1/3 cup each patty) directly into the pan. Cook for about 6-8 minutes on each side adding water or msg-free chicken broth to keep it from drying out as it's cooking.

Pita Bread
This bread is fast and versatile so I like it.

I used the master recipe for boule from Artisan Bread in Five minutes a day. It is so easy to prepare this dough. You keep it in your fridge for up to two weeks and with it you can make bread, pizza, and, as you can see, pitas! The master recipe calls for a large container to store the dough. I bought mine at Ace restaraunt supply on St. Mary's in San Antonio. It costs me under $5 to get the bucket and lid.

From Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking (Thomas Dunne Books, 2007)

3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (2 packets)
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt or other coarse salt
6 1/2 cups unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose white flour, measured with the scoop-and-sweep method

1. Warm the water slightly: It should feel just a little warmer than body temperature, about 100 degrees F. Warm water will rise the dough to the right point for storage in about 2 hours. You can use cold tap water and get an identical final result; then the first rising will take 3 or even 4 hours. That won't be too great a difference, as you will only be doing this once per stored batch.

2. Add yeast and salt to the water in a 5-quart bowl or, preferably, in a resealable, lidded (not airtight) plastic food container or food-grade bucket. Don't worry about getting it all to dissolve.

3. Mix in the flour--kneading is unnecessary: Add all of the flour at once, measuring it in with dry-ingredient measuring cups, by gently scooping up flour, then sweeping the top level with a knife or spatula; don't press down into the flour as you scoop or you'll throw off the measurement by compressing. Mix with a wooden spoon, a high-capacity food processor (14 cups or larger) fitted with the dough attachment, or a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the dough hook until the mixture is uniform. If you're hand-mixing and it becomes too difficult to incorporate all the flour with the spoon, you can reach into your mixing vessel with very wet hands and press the mixture together. Don't knead. It isn't necessary. You're finished when everything is uniformly moist, without dry patches. This step is done in a matter of minutes, and will yield a dough that is wet and loose enough to conform to the shape of its container.

4. Allow to rise: Cover with a lid (not airtight) that fits well to the container you're using. Do not use screw-topped bottles or Mason jars, which could explode from the trapped gases. Lidded plastic buckets designed for dough storage are readily available. Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse (or at least flattens on the top), approximately 2 hours, depending on the room's temperature and the initial water temperature. Longer rising times, up to about 5 hours, will not harm the result. You can use a portion of the dough any time after this period. Fully refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and is easier to work with than dough at room temperature. So, the first time you try our method, it's best to refrigerate the dough overnight (or at least 3 hours), before shaping a loaf.

To make bread
On Baking Day
5. The gluten cloak: don't knead, just "cloak" and shape a loaf in 30 to 60 seconds. First, prepare a pizza peel by sprinkling it liberally with cornmeal (or whatever your recipe calls for) to prevent your loaf from sticking to it when you slide it into the oven. Sprinkle the surface of your refrigerated dough with flour. Pull up and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece of dough, using a serrated knife. Hold the mass of dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it won't stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Most of the dusting flour will fall off; it's not intended to be incorporated into the dough. The bottom of the loaf may appear to be a collection of bunched ends, but it will flatten out and adhere during resting and baking. The correctly shaped final product will be smooth and cohesive. The entire process should take no more than 30 to 60 seconds.
6. Rest the loaf and let it rise on a pizza peel: Place the shaped ball on the cornmeal-covered pizza peel. Allow the loaf to rest on the peel for about 40 minutes (it doesn't need to be covered during the rest period). Depending on the age of the dough, you may not see much rise during this period; more rising will occur during baking ("oven spring").
7. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450°F, with a baking stone placed on the middle rack. Place an empty broiler tray for holding water on any other shelf that won't interfere with the rising bread.
8. Dust and slash: Unless otherwise indicated in a specific recipe, dust the top of the loaf liberally with flour, which will allow the slashing knife to pass without sticking. Slash a 1/4-inch-deep cross, "scallop," or tic-tac-toe pattern into the top, using a serrated bread knife.
9. Baking with steam: After a 20-minute preheat, you're ready to bake, even though your oven thermometer won't yet be up to full temperature. With a quick forward jerking motion of the wrist, slide the loaf off the pizza peel and onto the preheated baking stone. Quickly but carefully pour about 1 cup of hot water from the tap into the broiler tray and close the oven door to trap the steam. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and firm to the touch. Because you've used wet dough, there is little risk of drying out the interior, despite the dark crust. When you remove the loaf from the oven, it will audibly crackle, or "sing," when initially exposed to roomtemperature air. Allow to cool completely, preferably on a wire cooling rack, for best flavor, texture, and slicing. The perfect crust may initially soften, but will firm up again when cooled.
10. Store the remaining dough in the refrigerator in your lidded (not airtight) container and use it over the next 14 days: You'll find that even one day's storage improves the flavor and texture of your bread. This maturation continues over the 14-day storage period. Refrigerate unused dough in a lidded storage container (again, not airtight). If you mixed your dough in this container, you've avoided some cleanup. Cut off and shape more loaves as you need them. We often have several types of dough storing in the refrigerator at once. The dough can also be frozen in 1 pound portions in an airtight container and defrosted overnight in the refrigerator prior to baking day.

To make the pitas I preheated a pan with a lid to about medium high. Then I just tore off a piece of dough about the size of a golfball and rolled it out on a floured surface till it was about 5 inches in diameter. I made the pitas two different ways. First I put the rolled dough into the preheated pan, sprayed it with water and put the lid on. It takes about 2-3 minutes on each side. Second I tried it on a preheated baking stone at about 450. I like both methods but if you have neither the time nor the desire to crank up the oven the pan works just fine.

Quick Teriyaki Chicken Bento

2010-01-26T08:17:00.000-08:00

I packed this bento for my night class. It consists of a quick fix Teriyaki chicken breast with sesame seeds, broccoli florets, cherry tomatoes, and a roasted rice ball or onigiri brushed with soy sauce. I also packed some fresh berries and grapes and cranberry apple crunch cobbler sweetened with local honey. I wish I could give you the recipes for this stuff, but honestly I just pull it out of my head as I'm cooking. I will try to be better about measuring so that I can share the recipe and blog about it.

Earth Burger Bento

2010-01-26T07:16:00.000-08:00

This is a bento I packed for myself. This bento has an earth burger (recipe below)with avocado, monterrey jack cheese, sprouts, dijon, and lettuce. I also packed cherry tomatoes, a boiled egg, fruit, and cranberry apple crunch sweetened with honey.

This recipe is adopted from Gini Crowley who used to own Gini's Restaurant and Bakery in San Antonio. I worked there for three years and her mother earthburgers were one of my favorite things on the menu. Gini's no longer exists so I was so happy to find her recipe for the whole grain patties in the San Antonio Express News (archived-Wednesday, February 26, 2003. Record Number: 656150).

I have provided the recipe below. For conveniance I substituted frozen diced bell peppers and onions. I don't have a food processor and will take shortcuts in the kitchen as long as they don't cost too much and will not compromise the integrity of the final product. The rest of the ingredients can easily be found at Sun Harvest if you're in San Antonio.

Gini's Earthburgers

10 cups water

1 bay leaf

2.5 pounds peeled and quartered potatoes

1/2 pound barley

1/2 pound brown rice (short or long grain)

1/2 pound whole wheat berries

2 cups old-fashioned oats (not cooked)

2 pounds thinly sliced or shredded onions

1/2 pound grated carrots

1/2 pound bell peppers, diced small by hand or in food processor

1.5 teaspoons dried basil

11/2 teaspoons granulated garlic

1.5 teaspoons dried sage

1.5 teaspoons dried thyme

1.5 teaspoons dried tarragon

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons vegetable salt

1 pound fat-free whole wheat bread crumbs

Bring water to a boil with bay leaf and potatoes. Add whole grains (barley, rice and wheat berries). Lower heat and cover. Cook 45 minutes, or until grains are tender and water is absorbed. Remove from heat, add the oatmeal, and stir.

While the grains are cooking, spray a heavy nonstick skillet with Pam, heat the pan and add the onions. Saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are browned and caramelized. Add carrots and green peppers and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove from heat.

Remove bay leaf from pot and place grains in heavy mixing bowl. (A heavy duty Kitchen Aid mixer can handle the load. If not available, mix by hand. Potatoes should be broken up before they cool). Mix until potatoes are thoroughly mashed. Add all seasonings and the cooked vegetables and mix until well blended. Add bread crumbs and mix again. Cool mixture for several hours or overnight in refrigerator. Divide into 24 (7-ounce, by weight) or 3/4 cup portions and form into patties about 1/2-inch thick. (Wetting your hands helps to form the patties.) Place on a heavy-duty cookie sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake on lower shelf of 450-degree oven until bottoms have browned, about 10-15 minutes.

Remove from oven and flip over; continue baking until other side has browned. Stack on a plate or cutting board and continue baking batches until all of the mixture is used. When cool, individually wrap patties in plastic wrap and freeze. (Patties may be eaten right away, but the freezing process improves the texture.) (Recipe can be halved.)

To serve: Thaw patty. Heat in microwave for 2-3 minutes or heat slowly in a nonstick pan. Serve on a toasted whole-wheat bun with or without cheese, avocado, sunflower or sesame seeds, lettuce, tomato and alfalfa sprouts and dijon mustard-Yum.

Approximate nutritional values per serving: 194 calories, 1 gram fat.

Crockpot Oatmeal Experiment

2010-01-12T06:49:00.000-08:00

This was my first attempt at making oatmeal in the crock pot. I typically use the crock pot two to three times per week. I use one of those small ones that you always see at the grocery store for under ten bucks. It's worth every penny. It's perfect for beans, carne guisada, chicken soup, whatever cooks slow and long, really. So I figured why not oatmeal, right? The night before I placed one cup of old fashioned oatmeal, three cups of water, one cup of milk (you can use half and half, cream, I wonder if you can use soy milk or almond milk? Let me know if you try it with soy or any other non-dairy product). I also added some brown sugar (I was out of maple syrup. I'm sure you could use honey too. Yum), a pinch of salt, a dash of cinnamon, and one chopped apple. I set it on low for the next 8 hours. The result is very different than the oatmeal your probably used to. If you don't like the chewiness of traditionally made oatmeal this may make for a nice alternative.

I checked it as soon as I woke up (about 6:30am) and it was really soupy. Oh but it smelled wonderful. I expected the apple to disintegrate but I could still see good sized pieces in there. I turned it off and left it open as I continued to get ready for going out in public. Brushed my teeth, hair, put on pants...that sort of stuff. Then I saw to it that my seven year old brushed her teeth and hair, got dressed etc. By the time I was ready for my breakfast the temperature and texture was perfect. It thickened up nicely and was so creamy. As you can see I topped it with some fresh blueberries and chopped almonds. I also added a dash of milk because that's just how I roll. All in all I would say that this experiment was a success. It's hassle free, affordable, and fills you up in a good way.

Chicken Nuggets Bento

2010-01-12T06:28:00.001-08:00

I like to buy my gyoza from this little Japanese grocery on Callahan called "Minnano." It seriously is the best gyoza you can buy frozen. The owner, who is aware of my love for bento told me she saw these mickey mouse shaped chicken nuggets at Target that would be perfect for bento. I don't usually "buy" disney, but I figured I'd check them out next time I found myself in the frozen food section at Target.

Well I found them. They are made by a company called "Pilgrims Pride." I know it just gets better and better-Disney and now Pilgrims. Surprisingly they sounded pretty good (for frozen chicken nuggets.) They are made with white meat and have lower fat and sugar, 15g of protein per serving (which is five peices). Anyway I figured I would give them a try. We had a test run the other day for lunch and my seven year old seemed to enjoy them. A couple of severed Mickey heads, that must have fused together during the production process to form one large odd-shaped Frankenmickey, added an element of amusement to the initial experience.

So I packed them for lunch today with a little tub of ketchup (upon request), cheese and cherry tomato kabobs on a bed of romaine lettuce, strawberries and grapes, homemade tortilla chips cut into cute shapes with cookie cutters, and a couple of Hello Kitty wheat crackers. The yellow container holds cotton candy as a special treat. That's right. Straight up sugar. I don't often do this, so I don't feel bad about it at all. Not to mention, it's a miniscule amount.

Chickadee bento

2010-01-11T11:51:00.000-08:00

This bento consists of turkey sandwich, homeade corn tortilla chips cut into cute shapes with a cookie cutter. Babybel cheese, celery sticks with yogurt dip (in the blue thingy), grapes, cherry tomatoes, small boiled egg cut to look like a chick with sesame seed eyes and a carrot beak, pancake sandwiches with dark chocolate filling cut into flower shapes, and a little chocolate bar. This is lunch and snack.

2010-01-06T06:23:00.000-08:00

Lunch size and snack bento. I like to pack my daughter's lunch and snack bento together. She's really good about deciding what to eat for lunch and snack during her day at school.

Top layer consists of grapes and strawberry, half of a boiled egg, pancake rolls with dark chocolate filling, and a mini babybel cheese wheel. Bottom layer consists of a turkey sandwich made with one white bread and one wheatberry bread cut into squares and alternated to made chckerboard pattern and a couple of cherry tomatoes.

Top layer consists of homeade mini corn tortilla chips cut into cute shapes with cookie cutters. Celery sticks with ranch dressing made with yogurt, jasmine rice and mini turkey sausages. Bottom layer consists of small tomatoes, grapes and strawberries, cheese stick, and half of a boiled egg with face made out of sesame seeds and carrot shreds.

This bento consists of mini citrus ginger chicken kabobs, pinapple kabobs, homemade mini tortilla chips (shapes cut out with cookie cutters: stars and flowers), melon balls, half of an egg shaped like a flower using an egg mold, and pancake "sushi rolls" filled with peanut butter, honey, and banana.

Snack Bento

2010-01-06T06:11:00.000-08:00

Ugh. Sorry this picture is blurry. I need to get a new camera plus I was pressed for time to get out the door. This is a smaller Bento for a seven year old's school snack. This bento consists of half of a boiled egg shaped like a heart using egg molds. Made the face using black sesame seeds and carrot shreds. Melon balls with little blue man pick for little hands. Jicama and cranberries. And homeade tortilla chips (used cookie cutters to make little shapes: hearts, stars, and flowers).

In Response to Tim Wise's "On Santa..."

2009-12-27T10:38:00.000-08:00

My seven year old is with her father today, so I though I would sit down and put some serious work into my thesis. Of course this led to checking my email, random searches online for recipes, a hopeful glance at the bank account (still in the two-digit zone) and a visit to the ever-addictive black hole known as Facebook.

Among the comments and well wishes from friends and family, I found that Tim Wise posted a new article. See other people work during the holidays too (vain attempt to assuage my guilt for putting my work over familial expectations--gender differences at play between me and Mr. Wise, no?). Tim Wise was announcing a recent article he posted called "On Santa and Other Harmless Fibs: Childhood, Aging, and the Maintenance of Hope." Exciting! I love Tim Wise and as a parent I am always looking for critical commentary on Santa and the whole Holiday debacle in general. Now I love Tim Wise. I really do. He is insightful and thoughtful in his writing. His work is usually right on time. When I read Tim Wise I usually find myself nodding my head and blurting a few "that's right!" and generally thanking the Great Spirit for such an amazing contemporary mind. Sadly this time, Tim Wise's rationale really didn't work for me.

Now you have to read his article before you continue so go read it.

In general Tim Wise makes the argument for Santa Claus because it is part of what keeps hope and imagination alive. I get that. I really do. But seriously I have a couple of problems with the whole idea of Santa and what he represents.
To be honest, I have a real problem letting Santa take all the credit for my hard work. Women are socialized to give and thereby nurture those around them. We are expected to do this 365 days of the year. Males, on the other hand, are socialized to receive. Now there are men who also give but they always...ALWAYS...expect recognition. Hmmmm kind of like Santa. The fact that I don't like letting this guy who sneaks into our home as we sleep take all the credit for my hard work is not my main point here. Maybe that's my axe to grind. I frankly think it reflects a real social problem.

But back to Santa and Tim Wise. I get that children need to believe in something. First, I'd rather my daughter not believe in something that completely erases me from the picture and in turn threatens to erase her in the future when she makes that transition from girl into woman. Second I'd rather her believe in the beauty and wonder that can be found in the process of giving and receiving-building community. Santa does not allow for either of these.

I considered telling my daughter early-on that Santa does not exist. Okay, okay, in a moment of weakness, I did tell her that Santa doesn't exist. I mean she's already aware of the inconsistencies in the myth and asking questions- a lot of questions. Clearly she sees the holiday advertisements all around her--The gendered toy commercials and relentless product placement in her favorite television shows, the class projects and holiday inspired assignments despite the separation of Church and State. A seemingly harmless trip to the store to pick up some toothpaste quickly reveals the inescapable commercial madness tied to this holiday-three Santa's outside of Walmart! Aye yi yi! The image of Old Saint Nick is so ubiquitous. It is inescapable. It doesn't matter what mommy says, clearly the world has spoken.

So I explained to her that mommy works very hard to make this time of year special and give her the gifts I know she wants. Regardless, she decided to believe that Santa DOES exist and told me as much. Well, I can't stop her from believing in Santa-or I won't anyway. The truth will reveal itself to her over time. And when it does, sadly, she is in for a rude awakening. Am I wrong for wanting to spare her that pain and prepare her with the tools to confront this sexist holiday?

I mean consider for a moment that Christmas for men and boys is much different that it is for women and girls. This holiday is so strongly connected to ideas of the family which itself come with a world of gendered expectations. Crushing expectations. I am not a stay-at-home mom. I work outside and inside the house, I read, I write, I like to take a shower daily and I hear sleeping and eating are essential to existence, never mind the shopping, cooking, washing, and general organizational tasks required to run a home AND work towards a successful and fulfilling career.

I worked really hard to make this Christmas special. I don't make a lot of money as a grad student but I managed to put out the Christmas tree and it's adornments including the class project ornaments that have found their way home with her for the past four years-I wonder what all the Jewish and Atheist kids did with those? Way to make the classroom a safe space for all. Among the various gifts, I bought her the Mancala game she asked for last February, a small Chinese hand-held fan (she loves those), some cool clothes like the kids on iCarly wear, an environmentally friendly thermos she asked for, and tons of little doo dads for the stocking with Santa on it. I don't even know where that thing came from-It just appeared one year. Part of the Santa conspiracy, I'm sure. We even baked mini whole wheat bagels for Santa in lieu of cookies

(I must be off my game because I didn't realize the cultural significance of leaving bagels for Santa until after my dear Jewish Chicana friend pointed it out to me.)

I shopped for gifts between work and school so as to maintain the element of surprise. Christmas Eve, I stayed up till 4 a.m. wrapping and getting things just right for my little one Christmas morning. I ended up baking chocolate-chip cookies at the last minute (per strong request) and set up a plate of two cookies and a glass of milk for Santa. After my daughter was asleep I staged a morning-after-Santa scene leaving only cookie crumbles and the emptied glass.

No sooner than my head hit the pillow, I heard little feet shuffling into my room. A beautiful, sweet, wonderful child hopped up on top of me and proceeded to loudly announce that the cookies are gone and there are gifts under the tree. Shadows on my bedroom wall created by the headlights of an early morning car driving passed the house then led her to proclaim that she had just seen Santa's sleigh. No sleep for mommy this Christmas. Seriously it's all a blur. I can't help but wonder how much more enjoyable this Christmas would have been had we been able to share the experience. Make gifts or cards together to exchange with loved ones. But nooooo Santa demands that I take part in the clandestine operation that is Christmas so that he can take all the credit for my hard work.

So Tim Wise suggests that we let our children believe in Santa and therefore foster the organic mechanism that allows us to believe in wonderful and fantastical things-To hope and wish for more. Yet, in this traditional scheme the work women do is erased-I am erased. Parents in general are erased, but me as a women and all the work I do is erased and simply handed over to the guy with the white beard who mockingly calls me a ho-ho-ho. I gotta tell you, as a racialized women, I am tired of being erased!

This year after my daughter decided that my radical politics and subsequent attempt to flip the script and erase Santa were not good enough, I started to think maybe we can come to some sort of compromise. In an effort to encourage, as Tim Wise suggests, the hopes and beliefs in the unknown and unexplainable AND maybe help children to understand and value the work of strong, active parenting, I told my seven-year-old daughter that Santa could not do what he does without the help of parents. And this has to go beyond using the "naughty or nice list" to get kids to clean their room and brush their teeth. This means letting children know that ultimately, as parents, we are actively and responsibly engaged in what happens to them. I know, I know. It seems so obvious right. Yet, every year we completely succumb to the power of Santa and erase the hard work of parents (mostly mothers) everywhere. And why can't we encourage more giving? Why are we socializing our children to expect to receive and not give at Christmas (and again this goes beyond using the naughty or nice list to get them to do chores they should already be doing)? I'm sorry Tim but I think I detect a trace of internalized male privilege in your argument for Santa. I really am sorry to say that because I have sooooo much respect for you and the work that you do.

I'd rather spend this time of year sharing and exchanging openly. It just seems more productive and social than this myth that we call Santa.

Santa you, your enchanted reindeer, exploited elf labor force, and mute footless, nameless wife will just have to get used to it. I am reclaiming this holiday and making it more equitable. As much as I want to eradicate the red-clad man and all the capitalist fury he represents, I cannot yet dismantle the house that is Santa. I don't want to crush my daughters imagination and all that is tied to believing in and maintaining hope , but you can't ask me to be crushed for this Santa Klaus I mean Claus. I have to try to make it better for her and all the other little girls who, during the holidays, will confront what it means to be female in a male world. This way when she makes that transition from childhood to adulthood, maybe, just maybe, she won't feel erased but empowered by her ability to affect change in the world as a strong powerful woman who would not let Santa erase the power of community that is reflected in giving and receiving.

Ultimately, Santa is socially constructed and we are being asked to engage in the lies that maintain this myth. In the process we are effacing our hard work as parents and socializing our children to expect to receive rather than build community through giving and receiving. So, I choose to replace the idea of Santa with more productive expectation of active community. Think about this. Child wonderment, as Tim Wise suggests, is natural. But, child wonderment is not about constructing and maintaining lies like Santa. What happens to the beauty and wonderment of the everyday when we allow one man to represent the hope and love that is exhibited in the process of giving and receiving in turn. What happens when we situate the belief of hope and wonderment in one man instead of in the relationships we build with each other as people?

Introduction and other intimate musings

2009-12-26T13:24:00.000-08:00

I am a 34 year old Chicana/Tejana/Mother/Grad Student/Wife. I have a BA in American Studies and I am just wrapping up my Masters in Cultural Studies. I am preparing to enter into a PhD program in the fall. Being in academia, despite all the bullshit politics and hierarchy, really does make me happy. Academia is still wrought with sexism and racism and just plain old I'm-better-than-you-ism. But I feel like I'm fighting the good fight, you know. I believe I am where I need to be.

After a couple of years of wanting to start a blog, I finally decided to take the first steps towards doing something about it. I held off doing this sooner for several reasons. First, I wondered who in their right mind would want to read what I have to say? Then I thought what the hell am I going to write about? I need a hook, right? Something to reel them in. Well I don't have one. What I do have, however, is a need to write and space to do it. What else could I ask for? Well, an audience would be nice, but I'm not going to let that stop me. Mostly I worried about whether or not people would like what I write. I know, sad and a little annoying now that I am so aware of it. I came to the conclusion that there is always going to be somebody who does not like what I have to say or those who will consider my momentary lapses in judgment as pathological flaws in character. I cannot let this stop me.

I'm starting this blog with really no direction whatsoever. I figure the theme will present itself at some point and at that time maybe I will change the name or format to match. Until then I'm just going to use it to document my experiences, thoughts, and whatever else comes up.