whole foods kitchen love

I’ve been having a blast in the kitchen with the Whole Foods Kitchen workshop. Here are some highlights:

I love making the almond milk (so easy) to go with the homemade granola that had come to be a staple in our pantry. If only I could remember to get the almonds soaking the night before! I am really trying to up my intake of vegetables- green smoothies, salads as whole meals and I even dragged out the juicer again. When I realize that I might not make it through all the veggies in the CSA box, I start juicing. Plus I like that there is less sugar than when I make a green smoothie. Both are good, it just depends on the day.

My frustration is the reluctance of my kids to eat some of the recipes. I want to cut down on meat, but beans are a hard-sell around here in the under 14 set. I keep sneaking them into things like pasta dishes and soups, but the kids  just move them around the plate and  avoid them. It’s better than refusing to eat the dish, I realize, but disappointing, nonetheless. That said, they are definitely more open to “mom’s wacky whole food meals” than most kids their age. It’s all progress.

Whether or not the kids will eat them, I am cooking and freezing a lot of beans these days. I love having them ready to go in the freezer, reducing my dependence on canned beans and their BPA problems. I have to admit that I get a kick out of having all my bowls of soaking beans, grains, and almonds set out at night, ready for cooking the next day. It makes me feel so organized and homemakerly. 🙂

The workshop is already about half over, and I’ve really enjoyed it so far. It’s fun to have a whole new nutrition topic to dig into each week, and I love having a bunch of new recipes to try every Monday.

The only downside is that all this cooking leaves the kitchen looking like this. A lot.