Bob Evans & bust!

Bob Evans vs. The Marigold Kitchen


1.99 Kid's breakfast at Bob Evans: Toasty French Toast with choice of bacon or sausage
This came with 1 pc. of French toast, cut into triangles, a monkey dish of whipped butter (4% butter) a pc. of turkey sausage (we requested this over the pork sausage or bacon) and maple syrup (Mrs. Butterworths I think)






1.95 Kid's breakfast at the Marigold Kitchen in Madison, WI: Mini french toast, fresh berries - This came with 1 pc. of french toast made from home made bread and organic eggs and milk, with a handful of raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, a monkey dish of orange almond butter, and REAL maple syrup.

Hmmm... which one do I choose? Why is Bob Evans at every rest stop between Ohio and Wisconsin, but places like the Marigold Kitchen are few and far between- and usually in big cities? If a city like Madison can support a 1.95 quality organic breakfast, why can't a small town road stop in Indiana do the same?

My husband and I thought that Bob Evans was cheaper because it was fast food- and we're shocked to find we were faced with a wonderful breakfast at a local cafe for 4 cents less, a day later!

Not so "happy" meal....

The Fast Food Swap-

McDonalds.... The Happy Meal... it does make my kids happy- because it has a toy. In reality, I'm not sure they really love the food. We do it every once in awhile- on a road trip, during an insanely busy week or weekend. For the most part, though, we have created our own version of "fast food" for those nights when you just can't imagine cooking something.

We have a few standard things we keep in the freezer- Cascadian Farms Spud Puppies (otherwise known as tater-tots), sweet potato fries, Boca burgers of various flavors, Boca chicken patties, and Ian's (or Applegate Farms) chicken strips or fish fingers. We throw all these things into the oven and add what we have in the fridge, condiments, pickles, cucumber, peppers, lettuce, avocado, etc.. If you have hummous or pesto in the fridge- I highly recommend these on a burger! Sometimes I'll steam some green beans or broccoli in the microwave- for 3 minutes. We top it off with a fruit smoothie- frozen mango, berries, and yogurt is about all you'll need to keep around. Throw them in the blender and you're all set to go with a shake!

This tradition has kept our kids from craving the very salty, greasy fast food options in restaurants. It has also kept down our costs of eating out, and our waistlines smaller! I have not done a full nutritional analysis or calorie break down... but surely our concoction is better overall for your health. Everything is baked, not fried. You control the salt and condiments. Add in some fresh vegies and fruit and yogurt- yum!

PS- Most of the toys end up in the garage sale anyway, right?

We all scream for REAL ice cream!

I know- we all love a visit to DQ in the summer. Who doesn't have a favorite treat from childhood- mine was a vanilla cone, dipped in butterscotch and rolled in that crunchy topping. My husband was a fan of the Peanut Buster Parfait. I still, every once in awhile, love the idea of going there. I think it is more of the ritual of the summer ice cream visit- sitting outside and eating a cool treat, rather than -Wow I love this stuff. I think this, because every time we go- its just OK. My kids get the Buster Bars or Orange Star type things... and rarely finish them. Someone ends up with some color on their face that doesn't clean off easily or an upset tummy.

We've been talking this week about going for ice cream on Sunday after a mother's day softball game. Everyone thought of DQ to begin with- but I think we may try another option. We have a lot of great local ice cream shops. Many of them use local ingredients and even organic ones. My favorite place has a Salted Butter Caramel flavor.... made with local caramels! They have outdoor seating to boot!!

Try your local ice cream shop this summer- you may find some new favorite summer time treats and rituals!

Stretch the definition of fruit...

The latest trend in snacks, treats and lunch additions amongst the kid crowd where we live, is fruit roll-ups that have words and images printed on them. You can even order custom-printed ones. Yikes! The colors are scary and the flavors even scarier. How many chemicals can one little body take?

My first problem is calling it a FRUIT roll-up. There is actually not much fruit in it. It is mostly corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors and colors- sound familiar? They may be the same main ingredients in Aunt Jemima! Secondly, they really shouldn't be a replacement for fruit- as they are sometimes used by parents. A fruit roll-up does not a serving of fruit make. It is basically equivalent to a piece of candy and should be treated as such- a special treat.

If you are looking for something quick, on the go, for the lunchbox- that could be a fruit replacement, why not swap it out for something that actually does contain a serving of real fruit? Nothing artificial and no added sugar. Stretch Island makes fruit leathers, fruit flats and fruit rolls. My kids LOVE them- beg me for them- can't get enough of them. We do limit these, for dental reasons- any sticky substance whether corn syrup or real fruit has sugar in it and can be harder to brush out of the teeth. Trader Joes also has some great all-fruit leathers for a better price- but not as popular with my kids. Granted these real fruit snacks are more expensive than a box of General Mills fruit roll-ups, but really- you get what you pay for. Real fruit- or candy disguised as fruit?

The choice seems pretty clear.....