Plastic Packaging Dilemma, Seitan Piccata, and a Dreamy Bedroom Sky

By now all moms know to steer free of baby bottles and teething toys with BPA, but what many don't know is that BPA and other potentially harmful chemicals have also been shown to leech from plastic packaging, which unfortunately is a part of most prepackaged food. Just another reason to have your kids eat more fresh foods.

Avoiding plastic altogether is pretty much impossible since even many whole foods are stored in plastic containers or packaging, but there are some relatively easy ways to reduce your family's exposure. Here are a few:

1) Ditch plastic storage containers for glass ones (Pyrex sells all-glass options, but ones with glass bottoms and plastic tops should be fine, as the food won't normally come in contact with the lid.)

2) When possible, buy products in glass rather than plastic (e.g. peanut butter can be purchased in either).

3) If plastic is your only option, try only to buy numbers 1, 2, and 4, which are free of BPA.

4) Use reusable produce bags, rather than plastic bags to buy and store your produce. And avoid produce pre-packaged in plastic.

Recipe:

Candle 79's Seitan Piccata on Brown Basmati Rice

Kudos to this wonderful Manhattan restaurant for sharing their delicious recipe with the world. If you've never had seitan, a mock meat made from wheat gluten, now is the time to try it. It can be found in the refrigerated section of many health food stores and Whole Foods Markets. FYI-the broth is so tasty in this recipe you might want to make extra (I always do).

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

1 cup brown basmati rice
1 pkg seitan strips, drained
whole wheat flour (for dredging)
2-4 Tbs. olive oil, divided

Broth
1/4 cup chopped shallot
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
2 Tbs. drained capers
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup dry white wine (or broth + a few splashes of apple cider vinegar to make 1/2 cup)
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1-2 Tbs. Earth Balance
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1) Cook rice on stovetop in two cups of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for about 20 minutes until water is gone and rice is soft.

2) Dredge seitan pieces in flour, shaking off excess. Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil in skillet over high heat. Sauté seitan in oil until crisp and golden brown. Flip to brown both sides. Remove seitan from skillet, and drain on towel-lined plate.

3) Add remaining olive oil to skillet, and return to high heat. Add shallots, onion, capers, and garlic, and sauté 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened, stirring frequently. Whisk in wine, if using, and lemon juice, and cook 3 to 5 minutes more.

4) Add broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 1 minute to combine flavors. Whisk in parsley, margarine, salt, and pepper.

5) To serve spoon rice onto plates. Divide seitan slices evenly to top rice, then spoon on generous amounts of broth.

Project:

Turn Your Child's Ceiling into a Starry Sky

Let your son or daughter have a little fun before he or she falls off into dreamland. Nothing sparks the imagination more than a little taste of infinite space.

What You Will Need:

Package of glow-in-the-dark stars
A stepladder
Map of the stars to follow, optional

Stick the stickers on to your heart's delight, or try to create some constellations with the help of a map.


Children seldom misquote. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said. ~Author Unknown