Photo via flickr: USDAgov

Ever wonder what your kids are eating for school lunch? Do you have a strong opinion about healthier and less processed foods in the lunch line?

We think this is a great idea from Chesterfield County!!

Chesterfield County Public Schools is inviting students and parents to taste food being considered for school lunches and breakfasts. Feedback will help shape the 2014-15 menus.

The school system has scheduled its first-ever tasting fairs for March 27 at
Clover Hill High School and April 2 at Thomas Dale High School.

About 30 items will be served at the Food Fair, including healthier and less-processed foods. Here are just a few of the items that will be offered: cucumber and tomato salad, sweet and sour broccoli, mushroom and Swiss burger, Asian chicken taco, cinnamon breakfast roll, Italian green beans, macaroni and cheese, pizza and whole-grain cookies. So much food will be available that families can think of the Food Fair as a free supper!

This free event is open to all families with children in Chesterfield County Public Schools. Online registration is required and space is limited, so families should register as soon as possible:

Click here to register for the March 27 event at Clover Hill High
Click here to register for the April 2 event at Thomas Dale High

There will be two tasting periods on March 27 and two on April 2: 6-7 p.m. and 7-8 p.m. Families are asked to sign up for just one time period. Families can register up to four people; at least one parent must accompany elementary and middle school students. Details about potential allergens will be posted at each food station.

For more information, call 804-743-3717.

Not in Chesterfield County? Let your administration know you think this is a great idea!

Party.

Honest to goodness, I don’t care a thing about football but I really do love football snacks.
So unhealthy. So good.

Actually, this year my friends and are celebrating a long overdue Secret Santa gift exchange.  I know. It seems to get later and later every year.

Anyway, whatever you plan on doing for the Super Bowl (and whether or not it involves gifts) here are some food idea to make your Super Bowl super delicious!

Fried Guacamole from Eat, Bake, Drink, Cook
This looks AMAZING.  Anything fried is delicious of course, but I’m pretty sure that fried Guacamole is genius.

Sausage Dip from Plain Chicken
I don’t eat much meat, and I don’t watch much football, but I know this is a game day classic if you haven’t made this yet, it’s practically a requirement. (Bonus: easy peasy sausage squeeze-y)

Blue Moon Cupcakes from Spoon Fork Bacon

Denver Broncos fans, here’s your excuse to make these cupcakes.  Blue moon cupcakes garnished with orange zest.
If you want to make it more obvious, throw some food coloring in there or top with a blueberry.

Creamy Vanilla Fruit Dip from Love, Pomegranate House

Seahawks fans, alternate fruit skewers with grapes and blueberries for a green and blue theme.

A Buffalo Wild Wings Copy Cat Recipe from Around My Family Table

Well, these will be gone quick.

Spinach Cheese Dip from Gimme Some Oven

I think Super Bowl is synonomous with dips and I love a good spinach and cheese dip (it’s got spinach in it, so it’s healthy, right?)

Cajun Pretzels from The Kitchen is My Playground

Speaking of dips, you might need something to do the actual dipping… however these pretzels seem tasty enough that no dip is required.

Pizza Swirl Bread from How Sweet Eats

Mmmmm… add whatever “toppings” you’d like to this yummy bread.
This looks really, really good.

Whipped Feta on Crostini by What’s Gaby Cooking

Alright you little game-day-foodie, not impressed with sausage and cheese dip? Top crostinis with whipped feta (top with some tomatoes and basil).
I never thought about whipped feta before actually and now I’m having a hard time thinking of anything else.

Baked Zucchini Fries from Health Magazine

I know what you’re thinking. I’ve turned on you, I’ve gone healthy. How could I possibly list a fry substitute.
Zucchini fries are actually quite good.

Vegetarian Chili from Two Peas and Their Pod

Don’t forget the vegetarians! I always like it when I see a recipe for “easy” chili, because really, isn’t that the point?
Anyway, if you’re a newb to vegetarian chili, this recipe is a good basic.

This game starts at 6:30 folks, that’s hungry time! Fill your guests with yummy goodness (and minimal effort on your part) with a baked potato bar.
Toss those bad boys in the crock pot to keep them warm and set out an array of toppings. Stick to the classics with butter, shredded cheese, bacon, sour cream, chives.  Or get fancy with sautéed onion and mushrooms, a variety of cheeses, chili, baked beans, broccoli, creamed spinach, ham, or whatever you can think of.
Set them out and let people create their own masterpiece.

Then of course, you can go all out and make whatever the heck this is:

You guys… there are bread shaped cars!!!
This is intense. If any of you do this you better #RVA_mom on Instagram ’cause I gotta see that.
(We promise to regram)

Need more food ideas?
Check out our Football and Tailgating Pinterest board

It’s all to help raise money for FeedMore and Meals on Wheels. Restaurants are donating a portion of their sales to these organizations.

April 22-28, 2013 is the spring event and it happens again October 21-27, 2013. Each time you go out to dinner at participating restaurants during Restaurant Week, you  contribute to the local economy and help eliminate area hunger through a partnership with The Central Virginia Food Bank and Meals on Wheels.

Many participating restaurants are offering delicious dinners for $25.13.

Why $25.13?

The cents represent the year we’re celebrating. The whole dollar amount helps support the Central Virginia Food Bank and Meals on Wheels and the costs associated with Richmond Restaurant Week.

Participating restaurants include:

• Acacia
• Amici
• Amour Wine Bistro
• Amuse (at VMFA)
• Avenue 805
• Bacchus
• Bistro Bobette
• Charles City Tavern
• Chez Foushee
• Europa
• Helen’s
• India K’ Raja
• Julep’s
• La Grotta
• Lehja
• Little Venice
• M Bistro & Wine Bar
• Made in Asia
• Mezzanine
• Millie’s
• Mosaic
• Rowland
• Sam Miller’s
• Secco
• Selba
• Tarrant’s Cafe
• Tastebuds
• The Dining Room at the Berkeley Hotel
• The Blue Goat
• Tobacco Company

Visit the website to learn more. Some restaurants may require reservations so plan ahead. Help support FeedMore and Meals on Wheels in a unique way – and enjoy delicious local food in the process!

Here are my top five reasons that I love Chick-fil-A:

1. Fresh ingredients: The topic of food quality creates a lot of buzz these days. Fast food gets a pretty bad rap with a reputation for lower quality ingredients, pre-packaged delivery, and food additives like “pink slime.”  You won’t find anything like this at Chick-fil-A.  They are committed to

All you need to make that fresh Chick-fil-A lemonade

using fresh, top-quality ingredients in all of their products.  Name brands such as Nabisco Nilla wafers, Hershey’s chocolate syrup, and Sunkist lemons are used in all of their restaurants.  During our tour, we had an opportunity to make the Chick-fil-A lemonade just like every restaurant operator.  The ingredients are simple: fresh lemons, sugar (or Splenda for diet), and water.  These lemons are squeezed fresh every day at each location.  Lemonade isn’t made from a mix or syrup.

Similarly, their chicken breasts and nuggets are hand-breaded, pies and cookies are baked fresh, and  salad ingredients are chopped in each store. Nothing is “pre-made” for Chick-fil-A locations.  This commitment to freshness ensures the best quality for your family.

2. Kids meals encourage engagment: I usually cringe when we get a kids meal from another fast food restaurant.  The plastic object included with the meal may carry some interest long enough for the car ride home but it is quickly forgotten and often relegated to gathering dust or taking up valuable storage space in our already cluttered home.  This never happens at Chick-fil-A.  The prizes

One of the popular Chick-fil-A cows

in their kids meals focus on bringing families together.  If you have been to one of their restaurants recently, you may have seen the University Games educational toys or the Klutz Build-A-Book kits that allow kids to create books for mom, dad, or family (perfect for those spring holidays that celebrate the family unit).  Stay tuned later this year for gardening tools from the National Wildlife Federation, Mercer Mayer’s Little Critter books, Jim Henson puppets, and comic books featuring the popular Chick-fil-A cows.  Did you know that each kid’s meal prize comes with a guide for families that offers activities and ideas to expand engagement with your child?  I have yet to find a comparable restaurant that offers that kind of thoughtfulness with their kiddie sized fries.

3. Challenging conventional wisdom:

Me & Dan Cathy at the original Dwarf House restaurant, the "First Chick-fil-A"

When Truett Cathy started his Dwarf House restaurant in 1947, he served meals 24 hours a day to the blue collar employees who worked in the industrial area of Atlanta where he set up shop.  The exception was that he always closed on Sunday.  Sixty-six years ago, this was not uncommon, but the Cathy family has kept to their commitment of giving all of their employees a day of rest.  It certainly hasn’t hurt their business.  Their commitment to quality ingredients also bucks the fast food standard.  Truett’s son Dan Cathy shared their family formula for success during our tour: success happens when you “get the food right, create the right employee atmosphere, and get people coming back over and over again.”  This commitment is seen not just in the three generations of the Cathy family who now run the business but the thousands of employees who work in all aspects of the corporation, from owners and operators to dishwashers and cashiers.

4. Commitment to the community: You have probably participated in a Chick-fil-A Spirit Night recently.  The individual locations are proud to be an active part of their communities. Not only do they offer creative opportunities for local organizations to raise funds, they also offer special evenings that help families reconnect and engage.  In the past year, some Chick-fil-A locations have hosted special family nights such as father-daughter and mother-son date nights, girls night out (for mothers and daughters) and football nights (for fathers and sons).  These events are usually more than just an opportunity to eat out.  The restaurants offer extras such as tablecloths, table-side entertainment, themed games, and  more! In the next year, stay tuned to your local Chick-fil-A locations for more opportunities like this.  For the cost of a meal, you can get an engaging evening out with one (or more) of your children.

5. Standing by their values: The Cathy family does not shy away from their commitment to being a family centered company. Many people know that they are a Christian family and it is evident through some of their kid’s meal programs as well as their charitable activities that their business model and employee training are centered around Christian ideals.  Regardless of your personal ideology, it is difficulty to argue with a business that is clearly family centered, focused on engagement, and also focused on balance.  I respect that commitment to the Golden Rule as well as the investment they put into both their business and the community.

Do you love Chick-fil-A?  Comment on this post, telling us what you like best about their restaurants, and you could win some great prizes brought straight to you from Chick-fil-A headquarters in Atlanta.  Comments must be made by May 28th to qualify.

Disclaimer: Chick-fil-A provided my food, airfare, and lodging during the Backstage Tour. The opinions expressed are entirely those of the author.  

In January, 2012 they will introduce new whole wheat options in-store. That means more options from Dream Dinners and more choices for you. It also means more emphasis on higher fiber, healthier options too.

Dream Dinners is also teaming up with the NFL Wives’ Club to bring a super-sized football sandwich for the big game. $1 from every sandwich sold goes straight to “Off the Field”, the non-profit organization led by the NFL wives to support children’s hospitals.

And don’t miss their great TV offer where your first dinner is free for new customers. Check the Woodlake Commons location for January menus and sessions and schedule yours now. It’s a nice way to start the new year.

Football season is already underway, and it’s a great time for families to gather around the gridiron.  Watching sports with your family can be an enjoyable experience as you cheer for your favorite teams, learn about historic moments in sports and spend quality time together!  It’s no secret that sports and food go great together, but watching a game doesn’t mean that you have to be on junk-food overload.

Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods prepares or makes a variety of great appetizers for small viewing parties with just the family—to big gatherings with friends and neighbors during major events.

Spice up your routine and add some of our great game-day “starters!”

• Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Enjoy a dip that’s a blend of spinach and artichokes combined with cheddar, Monterrey Jack and Parmesan cheeses.  Goes great with fresh pita, pita chips or water crackers; for an added touch serve it in hollowed-out artisan bread.  Chop the bread into cubes and watch it disappear!

•  Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods Buffalo Chicken Dip

Get your chicken fix without messy bones to clean up!  Our great-tasting buffalo chicken dip is made with all white meat chicken, cream cheese, ranch dressing and flavorful spices!  We’ve kicked it up with hot sauce and topped it with cheddar cheese!  Serve with fresh veggies!

•  Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods 7 Layer Dip

We’ve taken the guess work out with our hearty dip made with refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, black olives, shredded cheese and more!  It’s as easy as 1-2-3:

1. Heat
2. Eat
3. Serve

It’s great with salsa and tortilla chips!

Find these items are your local MARTIN’S store in our convenient pans that can be heated in the oven or the microwave!

Ukrop's Bakery has cupcakes for all occasions.

Pinkalicious Cupcakes and Hello Kitty Cupcakes by Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods are a wonderful option for a little girl’s party. MARTIN’s Grocery has them all, including new custom themed cupcakes. Ordering online or in the store is quick and easy.

For perfectly pink parties, plan to host a Hello Kitty collectible party and feature their pink/white custom Hello Kitty Cupcakes!

Invite guests to come dressed in pink, ask them to bring their favorite Hello Kitty themed item, and serve the cupcakes, strawberry flavored ice cream and pink lemonade!  Each cupcake comes with a great party favor already included to add to their collection!

Fans of the popular Pinkalicious children’s book series can also think pink by ordering our custom

Hello Kitty cupcakes by Ukrop's Bakery

Pinkalicious cupcakes!  Invite guests to bring their books and have a round robin storytime or arrange a book swap!

Are you headed to a party and want to leave a perfectly pink impression?  Order a set of cupcakes and gift them to the host!