I’m a strong advocate that parents need plenty of “me time”. But, that can sometimes be difficult when you’re on a tight budget. After instituting a spending diet for my own family, I’ve been even more diligent in looking for affordable ways to have fun. One idea I thought of was to host a wine or beer tasting, on the cheap.

How it Works

Invite 5-10 people for an informal get together at your house and instruct them to bring their favorite bottle of inexpensive wine or six pack of craft beer (less than $10), along with one pairing item (see suggestions below). While keeping the cost below $20 for each person, it’s a great way to broaden your horizons while exploring new drinks that are really affordable.

To help you plan a similar event, I’ve put together some suggestions. Read on for details.

Wine, Beer and Pairing Suggestions

Wine (Top Picks from The Wine Mom)

• Chateau Saint Michelle Riesling Columbia Valley – Good for someone wanting to try Riesling for the first time. It’s an every day Riesling with characters of juicy peach, apricot, ripe pear and sweet citrus, with subtle slate and mineral notes. Usually sells for about $10.
• Concha Y Toro Syrah Marqués de Casa Concha 2004 – Sells for around $7 and has had great reviews. Penfolds is a reliable brand and usually sells for around $10. This particular bottle has been noted to be ripe and pure, with lovely violet, blackberry and plum aromas and flavors that glide along sweet, imbedded tannins.
• Robert Mondavi Winery Moscato d’Oro 2005. A great desert wine that’s affordable and tastes great. The Mondavi Riesling and Fume Blanc are also great. All are around $10.
• Trader Joe’s brand Charles Shaw (affectionately known as Two Buck Chuck), a few of them have even been award winning.
• Almond Creek Vineyards, almond sparkling wine.Available at Trader Joes for $7.
• Anything from Barefoot or Yellow Tail – They frequently run specials that price a bottle at around $6.

Beer (My personal faves)

• Left Hand Milk Stout – Roasted malt and coffee flavors in a classic cream stout.
• Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar – a nutty twist to a traditional Euro brown ale. Dark brown in color with a hazelnut aroma, rich nutty flavor and a smooth malty finish.
• New Belgium’s Fat Tire Amber Ale – One of the cleanest tasting ambers I’ve ever had, Fat Tire has a sense of balance with toasty, biscuit-like malt flavors coasting in equilibrium with hoppy freshness.
• Paulaner Salvator – Brewed in Germany, it is the first double bock to be brewed and is considered to be one of the best of its style. Often referred to as the “Cabernet of Beers” or liquid bread, it has hearty, rich flavors of malt, toffee, bread, and a bit of coffee.

Pairing Items

Hard and Soft Cheeses
Crackers
Fruit – apples, pears, strawberries, cherries and/or grapes
Chips and Dip/Salsa
Chocolate
Roasted nuts
Variety of Breads
Pizza
Savory Appetizers or Desserts
Snack Mix
Antipasto
Pasta
Sliders
Buffalo Wings
Saltines for cleansing the pallet

For more ideas on pairing, check out these resources:

Williams-Sonoma Pairing Wine with Cheese & Desserts
Cabot’s Wine and Cheese Guide
Cabot’s Beer and Cheese Guide
BeerTravelers.com

Tips

1. Encourage each guest to bring something different and use facebook events or an email discussion loop to coordinate who is brining what.
2. Ask each guest to jot down a few notes about the drink they are brining so that tasters have an idea of what to look for.
3. Provide small drinking cups for sampling, as well as paper and pens for guests to jot down their thoughts.
4. Make sure to have plenty of non-alcoholic drinks on hand and designate a driver if necessary.
5. Print off a tasting guide for each guest. (not everybody knows how to taste or what to look for.) Check out these links for beer or wine tasting guides.

To get you started, below are some ideas and some pictures of my son’s lunches from his summer preschool. If you’re still itching for more, visit these great links I found through The Rookie Moms: Wendolonia’s bento project and Laptop Lunches.

Main Course

I struggled with this at first because I was used to cooking my son’s lunches. Then I realized that I could still pack those same foods, as long as they’re not sitting out for longer than 3 hours. Also, surprisingly, kids don’t really care about the meal’s temperature either.

A Sunbutter and jelly sandwich is a perfect alternative to peanut butter. Sunbutter is made in a completely nut and tree-nut free facility, so there’s no need to worry about cross contamination. (If your child attends a nut-free school, you might want to let the teacher know about this sandwich to make sure it doesn’t accidentally get tossed.)

Standard luncheon meat and cheese sandwich, on whole wheat bread or wrapped in a pita or tortilla. Or, you can skip the bread and make meat and cheese pinwheels.

French toast with cream cheese spread. The French toast can be made with apple, pumpkin or any other puree you have on hand. Plus, you can make an entire loaf at one time, freezing leftovers. The cream cheese can be plain or whipped with fresh fruit to change things up.

Omelets. I like to mix a couple scrambled eggs with broccoli, cauliflower and a bit of shredded cheddar. It can be served with ketchup or another sauce for dipping.

Toasted whole wheat waffles with Sunbutter and honey—makes a nice variation on the classic sandwich.

Whole wheat mac and cheese with peas and carrots mixed in.

Cheese tortellini or ravioli with marinara sauce for dipping.

Crackers, cheese and luncheon meats.

Tuna on bread or served with crackers.

Leftovers from dinner.

Fruits and Veggies

I try to include a fruit and veggie in every meal and it seems lunch is the easiest time to do this.

Fresh fruit: Orange slices, grapes (cut in half for the little ones), apple, kiwi, blueberries, strawberries, mango chunks, bananas and peaches.

Fruit leather and other natural fruit snacks can be pricey, but they’re a good option when you’re short on time and need to throw a lunch together in a snap. They also serve a good purpose when your child is complaining that everybody else gets fruit roll-ups.

Applesauce

Raisins, plain or coated with yogurt or chocolate.

Just Tomatoes makes a variety of dried fruits and veggies that are perfect for snacking. I haven’t tried them yet, but I’ve heard a lot of great reviews from other bloggers.

Veggie Pirate’s Bootie is actually quite a tasty snack. It’s made from puffed rice and corn, with vegetables such as kale, spinach, carrots and parsley.

Fresh Veggies and Dip (see dip section for ideas): carrot sticks or organic baby carrots, sliced bell peppers, cucumber, avocado, celery (for the over 5 crowd) and grape tomatoes.

You can also mix veggies into the main dish by adding peas and carrots to mac and cheese, broccoli to noodles or eggs, spinach on a sandwich or squash puree in French toast.

Dips

Kids love to dip and it’s an easy way to add taste and nutrition to any meal. Here are a few to get you started, but let me know if you have one to add.

Cream cheese whipped with fresh fruit, cinnamon, dried onion soup or ranch dip, or steamed veggies and your favorite herbs.

Ranch dip made with plain Greek-style yogurt adds more protein to a kid favorite.

Broaden your child’s pallet with other low fat salad dressings such as French or Thousand Island.

Ketchup…who doesn’t  love ketchup?!?

Guacamole

Hummus

Yogurt makes a great dip for fresh fruit, French toast or crackers.

Homemade spinach dip or broccoli dip (it will be room temp by the time lunch rolls around)

Pureed squash such as pumpkin, acorn or winter squash. Add a little cinnamon for added flavor.

Apple butter

sunbutter or peanut butter dip

Snacks and Miscellaneous Foods

Don’t get me wrong; it’s not like my son never gets cookies. But, I do try to limit the amount of useless calories he gets in a day. So, I usually leave them out of his lunch…or I find a healthier alternative. Here are a few you might like.

Soy nuts are super yummy and loaded with protein. Try them roasted with salt, or covered with yogurt or chocolate.

Soy crisps are just like rice cakes, but come with a bit more nutrition…especially protein. My son loves the cheddar flavor, but there are plenty other great choices

crackers

Dry cereal

Whole wheat oatmeal cookies. I use this recipe from the Food Network. I just replace the white flour with wheat and plop them down on the cookie sheet rather than following the twisting instructions.

Yogurt adds a sweet finish to any meal. Try the Greek style for extra protein.

blue corn chips (with dip)

Pita chips, with or without dip

Cheese cubes

Breakfast and granola bars

Dark chocolate

Related Post: Affordable Tools to Pack a Healthy, Waste-Free Lunch

So, I set out to find a solution that would be waste free and affordable for us (no expensive lunch boxes for this single-income family.) I’m also trying to put more of an effort forward to use the things we already have, rather than buying new all the time. Here’s what I was able to put together.

We had a SafeFit backpack at home that we purchased for my son a year or so ago. Its intention is to be a harness, but we bought it to be a weighted backpack for additional sensory input…to calm his hyper activity. While we don’t use it for his sensory needs any more, I thought it was the perfect bag for lunch. My son loves putting it on in the morning and the handy cup holder makes it a perfect fit for lunches.

Next, I needed to find some containers that would be waste free and store his lunch adequately. I found a lot of great containers online, but the backpack is small, so my options were a bit limited. I found a Sassy On the Go Feeding Set at Target that was perfect and only cost about $6. It’s split in half and has three removable, individual feeding dishes with lids…perfect for packing applesauce, yogurt and dips. Plus, all new Sassy feeding products are made from BPA-free plastic.

I just needed to find one more container for sandwiches, crackers and other bread products. Due to the size of our bag, space was limited, so I started researching reusable bags and found ReUsies. The company agreed to provide some for review, and a few for one of you to win, but they were already my favorite choice because the Velcro closure was perfect for little hands (zippers can be too much and origami wrapping is far too confusing even for me). I also liked the affordability of these bags. A snack bag is about $7 and the sandwich bag is about $10. (I use the snack bag for sandwiches…it’s a tight fit, but it works). The bags are 100% cotton, lined with leak-resistant nylon (BPA, Lead and Phthalate free) and are secured with Velcro closures. They come in a variety of colors and patterns that are sure to please everyone in your family. (we chose airplanes) They can be machine washed and dried, washed in the dishwasher, or simply wiped clean with a soapy sponge and air dried. I wash ours by hand and it’s super easy to do.

Finally, I needed to make sure that all this stuff came home at the end of the day. I started by marking each piece with a Sharpie…but that didn’t exactly work out. It washed off the dishes and the dark ink didn’t show up very well on the dark fabric. On the advice of other parents, I got connected with Mabel’s Labels and we’ve been set. I used the sticky labels on the dishes, ReUsie and the backpack, as well as a bag tag on the bag’s zipper.

Where to Buy:

SafeFit backpack – You can find them at most baby supply stores, or online at Toys R Us

Sassy On the Go Feeding Set – You can find this container at just about any major retailer, or online through Drugstore.com or ToysRUs.com.

ReUsies – You can buy ReUsies directly online, through Amazon or at these select retailers.

Mabel’s Labels – These labels can be ordered directly through their website.

Other choices you might like:

Laptop Lunches

Slimline Quaddie Lunchbox

Colorful Klip-It Lunch Cube

Fit & Fresh Lunch on the Go

Review Disclaimer:
The Average Parent has pledged to Blog with Integrity. What this means is that although we occasionally receive free products from PR and marketing reps, the recommendations we make are based on our own experience in the real world. We promise to only provide reviews on the products and services we absolutely love, and we define this as something we would purchase for ourselves or as a gift for others. For more details about our review policy please visit the Disclaimer Page.

We’ve faced a lot of these same problems with my son. His allergy is a 4 on a scale of 1-4…so we’re pretty vigilant. We read labels, and don’t bring any nut products into our house at all. We carry an epi pen at all times, as well as a pre-measured dose of Benadryl. We keep nut free treats in the car so that we always have something safe to feed him, and we teach all of his caretakers and family members about his allergy so that they understands how severe it is. Most people get it, but a great many don’t.

But when it comes to a blanket ban on peanuts, I’m just not sure.

I’ve heard the argument for nut-free schools and I have to say that I’m still a bit on the fence about it. I definitely think that ALL daycare centers, pre-schools and kindergarten classes should be completely nut free…and I’m quite surprised that many in my area aren’t nut free already. Because, at that age, it’s difficult to teach children the importance of being careful. Hell, at that age, kids are picking their noses without a care in the world for spreading germs. A three-year old kid just doesn’t understand that if he eats a peanut butter sandwich, it could potentially cause a life threatening reaction if he were to touch my child with his grimy hands. Plus, at three, my child still has difficultly expressing pains and illnesses. He could easily suffer a reaction and lack the ability to tell his teachers. By the time they realize what’s happened, it could be too late.

But, nut free schools…I’m just not sure. While I think it would be great to know that my child would be free from this horrible monster, I sort of feel like it’s a bit unfair to the other kids. I can’t really expect the school system to change everything because one or two children have an allergy. Yes, they should not serve products that have hidden nuts, but ban them completely? I think that’s a bit harsh. If you ban nuts, then you should also ban fish, soy, eggs, wheat and dairy too–as those are the biggest threats when it comes to food allergies. At that point, what are the kids going to eat?

Plus, what about life outside of school? I can’t keep him in a bubble and there’s no way for me to know if the sales lady at Build A Bear ate a Reece’s cup before starting her shift. I can’t go to the mall and ask Mrs. Fields to stop selling cookies, or expect Dairy Queen to halt blizzard sales. All I can do is be cautious and ready for the possibility that he might have a reaction, and be prepared to handle it.

Now there are some things I would advocate when it comes to food allergies.

1. Restaurants should be required to give ingredient information that pertains to allergies. According to the The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004, food manufacturers must include any of the top eight allergens, by common name, in the ingredients list if the allergen is in the food item. This includes peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, soy, dairy, wheat, fish and shellfish. I think the same regulation should be extended to restaurants. And, if it isn’t already, allergy information should be included in food safety training for those who handle food (cooks, servers, etc). More awareness on the severity would help food workers understand how important it is to be safe.

2. I love the idea of nut-free sections at ball parks and other major attractions. That would open a world of opportunity for our family. While my husband and I love going to football and baseball games, I’m not sure that I’ll ever feel safe taking my son. It would be like walking through fire and hoping not to get burned. I would love the chance to take my son without worrying about the guy next to us shelling through a bag of roasted peanuts. It would give us a great opportunity to enjoy one of life’s greatest pass times without the worry of a possible ride in an ambulance.

What about you? Do you think schools should be nut free? Or, are you secretly irked that you need to adjust your life because the kid next door has an allergy? Have you had to deal with a child who has a severe allergy? Or do you know someone who does, and wonder if they’re just a bit neurotic? I’d love to hear your feedback.

The reason this website is called The Average Parent is because I consider myself to be just that…very average. I do a decent job cleaning the house, although there are definitely some areas I’d like to keep hidden. I try to be a good mom, but there are certainly times when I use the TV as a babysitter a bit more than I should. And, when it comes to cooking…well, it’s just average. I have a few signature dishes, but that’s about it. The problem is that I don’t really enjoy cooking. It doesn’t hold my attention, and quite frankly, there are just other things I would rather do.

As a result, when we evaluated our family budget at the beginning of the year, we realized that we spend far too much money eating out. Not only was this a major expense, it was also very unhealthy. So, we set a goal to cook more while bulking up the nutritional value of our meals. I was on board with this new plan, but with only a few signature dishes to call my own, I was at a loss for what to do.

Enter Aviva Goldfarb’s SOS! The Six O’Clock Scramble to the Rescue: Earth-Friendly, Kid-Pleasing Dinners for Busy Families. I love the term rescue in this cookbook’s title, because it has done just that…it has rescued us from a cycle of unhealthy take out and a limited selection of meals to cook. This cookbook is designed for busy parents who are interested in taking the hassle out of meal time, while still providing an affordable, tasty, nutritious meal…which also happen to be easy on the environment.

I had been hearing some buzz about this book from other bloggers, so I was pretty excited for the chance to review it. When it arrived, I sat down to look it over and mark the recipes I wanted to try. Before long, I realized that I was marking all of them! Everything looked so good.

The recipes are broken down by season, allowing you to take full advantage of ingredients that are in season, at their peak flavor and best price. I started working through the Spring section and so far I’ve prepared about 10 recipes. Each meal was incredibly easy to make, and I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious the end result was. Not once did I have to resort to ham sandwiches or pizza delivery to replace a botched dinner. Even my uber-picky hubby loved all of the new dishes…and that’s saying something!

The best part is that while each meal is super easy to make (you can prepare most of them in less than 30 minutes), every recipe uses simple, basic ingredients that I already have on hand, or could easily find at any local grocery store. Yes, that’s right; these are easy, healthy AND eco-friendly dishes that have regular everyday ingredients.

This really is an unbelievably good cookbook. Without a doubt, it’s been the best cookbook I’ve ever used. It is now one of my go-to gifts for new parents. Each recipe is listed with complete nutritional information, possible side dish suggestions, as well as tips to shake it up. Plus, Aviva covers all types of meals, from traditional to slightly ethnic, giving you a chance to broaden your family’s taste buds without breaking the bank (or slaving in the kitchen). You can also mix up your weekly menu with dishes that are vegetarian or include beef, pork, poultry or fish.

One thing I do want to point out is that while I say this is an eco-friendly cookbook, Aviva does not ram it down your throat. This is important to me because while I try to be as green as possible, sometimes finances and convenience trump the environmental impact of my purchase. It’s not that I don’t care about the environment; it’s just that life sometimes gets in the way. Aviva doesn’t hammer readers with feelings of guilt nor does she make you feel like you’re doing your family an injustice if you don’t go organic. Instead, she strategically places helpful tips for maintaining a more eco-friendly diet and how to save money going green, as well as advice for when it just doesn’t matter all that much. She gives readers the tools to live green, without pushing it.

In addition to the Six O’Clock Scramble cookbook, Aviva also offers readers a chance to streamline their weekly menus with the Scramble Weekly Plan. For less than $3 a month, you can sign up to get an email every Wednesday with a newsletter, five family-tested healthy meals with side dish suggestions and a corresponding grocery list. You can use all the meals in your weekly newsletter, or swap any recipe for one in their database that fits your fancy. The grocery list is automatically updated with your choices. It just doesn’t get any easier than that! The best part is that the Six O’Clock Scramble cookbook comes with a code for a free one-month trial for the website. One more reason to check it out.

SOS! The Six O’Clock Scramble to the Rescue: Earth-Friendly, Kid-Pleasing Dinners for Busy Families is available through Amazon for $12.23 and most other major book retailers.

You can also have a chance to win it here on The Average Parent. Click here for details.

Review Disclaimer:
The Average Parent has pledged to Blog with Integrity. What this means is that although we occasionally receive free products from PR and marketing reps, the recommendations we make are based on our own experience in the real world. We promise to only provide reviews on the products and services we absolutely love, and we define this as something we would purchase for ourselves or as a gift for others. For more details about our review policy please visit the Disclaimer Page.

Note: This coupon is in PDF form and is good through the end of 2010…so print as many as you like and eat up.

Love is in the air this month, but not just romantic kind. I like to share the importance of love with my family, and Valentines Day is the perfect day to do that. When I was growing up, my sister and I always got a nice Valentines gift or treat. We looked forward to that day and celebrated it as a family. I have since carried on that tradition with my own family. Below I have listed some family friendly ideas for Valentines Day:

• Sit down with your kids and make Valentine cards for each member of the family. This is a great art project and will let the kids express their love individually.
• Plan a ‘fancy’ dinner at home on (or very close to) Valentines Day. Fancy doesn’t have to break the bank, but little things can make the dinner fancy. Use kitchen gadgets and table settings that you reserve for guests. Get out supplies like fondue pots, crème brûlée sets, punch bowls, or make the family’s favorite dinner.
• Make table settings out of art supplies and write special messages on each setting.
• A simple gift for each member (like chocolate) is a great touch.
• A glass of sparkling cider or juice is a nice addition that the whole family can enjoy.
• Have a small gathering of friends for a Valentine’s Day party.

Prep for the School Valentine’s Day Party:
• The Valentine’s Box can be made out of a shoe box and art supplies. My favorite Valentine’s Day memory is making a mailbox for all of my cards in elementary school.
• Hit your local party or dollar store. They have great holiday supplies for those of us on a budget. This is great if you plan to send treats or decorations to school for the big party.
• Of course, nothing says I love you like homemade cookies or baked goods. They are sure to please the entire family!

These ideas do not take weeks of planning, but will still show your family that you love them on this special day. Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day and love to all!

Cinnamon-Sugar Crisps

• Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Apple Dip

• 6 medium tart apples, peeled and coarsely chopped
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cold water

For Cinnamon-sugar crisps, on a lightly floured surface, roll pastry to 1/8 inch thickness. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over pastry. Cut with floured 1-1/2 in cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on  ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 425 degrees for 4-6 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, sauté apples, sugar and cinnamon in butter until apples are tender. Combine flour and cold water until smooth; stir into skillet. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Spoon in a serving dish and serve warm.

1 box German chocolate cake mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 9×13 pan. Mix cake mix, melted butter and 1/3c. Milnot. Press 3/4 of batter into pan and bake for 6 minutes. Melt the caramels with 1/3c. Milnot evaporated milk. Pour over the batter. Sprinkle the choc. chips and drop the rest of the batter on the caramels. Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Submitted by Tami Nuhfer

Dips

Rebeca’s Famous Spinach Dip (what I’m making this Sunday)
Cream Cheese Taco Dip
Hot Broccoli Dip
Ro*Tel Famous Queso (note, I use two cans of tomatoes with the juice drained)

Snack Mix

Ranch Party Mix

Caramel Matzoh Crunch

Finger Food

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Sausage Balls

Southwest Pizza from Cabot

Desserts

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Club Cracker Bites (my personal favorite!)
Apple Pie Dip with Crisps (another personal favorite!)
Pumpkin Pecan Crumble
Chocolate Football Bites
Tarte Tatin (perfect for half time)
Tami’s Yummy Caramel Brownies
Earthquake Cake