Oscarmama's Profile

I'll put in a vote for small portions that can be eating out of hand or with a single fork. Mini meatloaves, empanadas, egg rolls, muffin cup mac and cheese (or lasagna or enchilada stacks), I was always hungry **RIGHT THEN** and waiting an hour and a half for a huge casserole to bake wasn't an option.

If the family has bigger kids, a "bar" type meal would be good (baked potato, taco, salad, noodle) or breakfast dishes (pancakes & an egg casserole). If the mom is breastfeeding, check in about tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, cruciferous veggies and dairy--they sometimes cause tummy trouble in the baby.

That's a lot of food to bring with you. I agree with a lot of the suggestions.

Justin's Nut Butters come in individual packages--those would be yummy on some apples and a nice change from peanut butter. A batch of homemade breakfast cookies would be great. Fantasic Brands has a just add water hummus that could work. Hard veggies that don't need refrigeration would be good. With hot water, couscous becomes an option, too. Tasty Bites (& Trader Joes) have foil packets of rice and Indian foods (dal, channa masala, etc.) that are really pretty good.

My one word of warning would be to be considerate of your other passengers. Sardines and good salamis are awesome to eat and STINKY. I would be really grossed out to be stuck on a train for days with the funk of sardines hanging in the air.

I use the ones I have for snacks like goldfish crackers, but I've found that for freezer use they crack or break.

I've had to clean out my freezer at least twice because of broken jars. I'd never put a liquid in them and carry them around in my purse--to many spills just in the fridge. Freezer bags work better for me and can store flat or upright. These jars end up wasting a lot of space.

Protein is tricky because of texture.

Meatballs/sliders/burgers/tacos always work well, especially if you include some lentils and veggie purees.

I can get my toddler to eat just about anything if it is breaded. I usually use whole wheat or panko, spray with a bit of canola and bake. Pork chops, chicken, tofu, etc. all work well, as do veggies.

Smoothies with whey protein (and maybe some sneaky kale or spinach?) could work, too. You could serve them as a soup or dip.

And don't forget the cheap, protein awesomeness of eggs! Hard boiled, deviled or scrambled, but also mini quiches or on sandwiches.

One of the big things that works well for me as a parent is to introduce a new food with "B list" familiar foods. For example, I'll make black bean tacos with broccoli and melon(both are not favorites, but not hated)

I do agree that a neutral would be really lovely--charcoal gray or a nice golden brown.

At the same time, I think I would go with something bolder that highlights how different this is from the usual couch. A tone on tone Damask would be awesome on this. I've seen it done in a leaf green that was really beautiful and surprisingly versatile.

I tie changing the food out with the first day of spring and the first day of fall--I also change my smoke detector batteries and clean out my dryer vents around that day.

I have pouches of precooked brown rice (the kind you microwave to heat), tuna pouches, canned white beans, potato flakes, Indian meals from Trader Joe's, peanut butter, crackers, granola bars, freeze dried veggies and powdered milk.

Most of those things are easy to incorporate into our regular diet. The potato flakes, beans and tuna can easily be made into tuna cakes, The rice is a little on the mushy side, but heated with milk or made into pudding it isn't too bad. It's not a huge amount of food to work into your regular household cooking plan, but donating it is another good choice.

AmberM--I hated the washPod. It was a pain to haul out, was always a storage nightmare (too big to tuck out of the way, always getting stuff piled in it/on it, tripping hazard)

I used the kitchen sink at first, then the regular bath tub with one of those cheap foam mats (replace for $5 when it gets gross). I also would shower with him (easiest of all!).

If I did it over again, I'd do the same with the minor addition of a waterproof sling (that I'd use at the pool as well...)

Any of the "Look & Find" books by Publishers International. We have several, most around $8. Yes, they are mostly character based, but they never fail to entertain for hours of long car rides.

For more literary, story driven books, check out Jan Brett. Her illustrations are lovely and intricate and fascinating. They tell complete stories of their own.

I tried the kitchen cleaner. It doesn't work nearly as well as their other lines of cleaning sprays and the smell of thyme oil was just too overpowering for me. I'll wait to finish off the bottle until spring when I can have the house open again.