Menu for 5/26 to 5/29

Tuesday, 5/26
AM Snack: Raisin bran, water bottles
Lunch: Mexican lasagna, apple and orange wedges, organic milk
PM Snack: peanut butter “saltine” sandwiches, water bottles

Wednesday, 5/27
AM Snack: Orange wedges, water bottles
Lunch: Vegetable beef barley soup, homemade bread, organic milk
PM Snack: Cheddar cheese cubes, pretzels, water bottles

Thursday, 5/28
AM Snack: Whole grain fruit & cereal bars, water bottles
Lunch: Egg salad, crackers, applesauce, organic milk
PM Snack: Super trail mix [trail mix + chex mix], water bottles

Friday, 5/29
AM Snack: Cantaloupe slices, water bottles
Lunch: Turkey pita sandwiches, cucumber sticks with ranch, organic milk
PM Snack: Strawberry smoothies, vanilla wafers, water bottles

Beef Stir Fry (featuring D & D Beef)

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
by Leslie

1. Start with 1 package D & D stir fry beef (approx 1 pound). Place in non-reactive bowl and top with marinade ingredients, stir to combine and set aside. Let this marinate about 20 minutes.
Marinade: 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon water 1 tablespoon cornstarch

2. Next, start a pot of brown rice. I used a new favorite--Texas Best Organic Brown Jasmine Rice (http://www.texasbestorganics.com/). I made 2 cups dry to yield 8 servings cooked.

3. Mix together the sauce ingredients and set aside.
Sauce:
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 T corn starch

4. Get out your knife and prepare the carrots, onion, and garlic.
Veggies:
1/2 lb carrots cut on the bias--I used organic baby carrots
1 large onion, cut into small strips
2 or 30 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb broccoli--I used Central Market Organics frozen broccoli florets.
1/2 cup peas--I used Central Market Organics frozen peas

5. After the meat has marinated for the requisite time, heat 1 cup oil in a skillet or wok--I used canola. You are going to blanch the beef rather than stir fry it until crisp (and tough!). Place 1/2 the beef in the hot oil and do not stir for 1 minute! After 1 minute, stir the beef around in the oil for 1 minute, then transfer the beef to a paper-towel lined plate. Cook the second batch of beef using the same method. Drain all of the oil from the pan. The beef should be cooked medium, so don't be alarmed if you see a little blood in the drippings.

6. On to the veggies, add 1 tsp oil to the pan and stir fry the garlic, onion and carrots until crunch tender. Remove to a large bowl. Pour the frozen peas on top of the garlic/onion/carrot mixture. Set aside.

7. Add the broccoli and 1 tsp water to the skillet over high heat, and cover to steam. Stop cooking when the broccoli is still bright green, crunchy, but just heated through. Drain the broccoli and add to the garlic/carrot/onion/pea bowl. Your veggies are done!

8. On a cutting board, slice the D & D meat into bite size pieces, approixmately 1 inch, and on the bias. The beef comes in really long strips and I had to make it a little more user friendly for the kids.

9. Add the sauce mixture to the skillet and bring to a boil, add beef pieces. Cook about 30 seconds until beef is hot through and no longer pink. Add sauce/beef mixture to veggies and stir. Serve aside some yummy brown rice. My husband and I add chili flakes and a little soy sauce to ours at the table, the kids added just soy sauce.

You might also like to add:

~chili paste to the sauce or dried chilis
~water chestnuts
~mushrooms
~red pepper strips
~scallions

Pecan Grove Angus

As we work to build the farmer's market and seek local artisans, craftsmen and farmers we have stumbled onto a wonderful family that raises Angus beef. Deborah and David Hajda of D & D farms along with their four sons raise Angus beef along the San Gabriel river.

Let me just say that I am a born again beef lover! Yep--can I get some beef? Any cut will do as long as you get it from D & D farms. We have dined on their t-bone steaks, ribeyes, flank steak, ground beef and cube steak. Haven't been disappointed yet! Like butta......

Their cows graze along the San Gabriel river in a pecan grove. These are happy cow, folks. They are antibiotic and hormone free. No cattle prods are used which causes the muscles to seize up and makes tough meat.

You can purchase individual cuts of meat or 1/8, 1/4 or 1/2 of a calf. Leslie and I purchased 1/8 of a calf and were quite impressed with the quantity, quality and price. The meat is locally butchered, inspected and vacuumed packed. The meat is frozen solid and keeps well in the freezer.

Experience what Leslie and I have been enjoying the last few weeks! The Hajdas are at the Farmer's Market every Saturday from 8 AM - 11 AM. You may purchase the day of the market or preorder, if interested.

Thank you Deborah and David for supporting our idea and for producing such a wonderful product!

~Janie

Menu for May 18 - May 22

*menu subject to change

Monday, May 18
AM Snack: Bananas, water bottles
Lunch: Cheese tortellini with garlic, butter and parmesan, steamed organic green beans, organic milk
PM Snack: Strawberry smoothies, water bottles

Tuesday, May 19
AM Snack: Bagels with cream cheese and organic apricot preserves, water bottles
Lunch: Bean, brown rice & cheese burritos, tossed salad with vinaigrette, organic milk
PM Snack: Organic pear slices, graham crackers, water bottles

Wednesday, May 20
AM Snack: Dry cereal, organic raisins, water bottles
Lunch: Broccoli cheese soup, fresh baked bread with organic butter, orange wedges, water bottles
PM Snack: Watermelon, pretzels, water bottles

Thursday, May 21
AM Snack: Grapes, water bottles
Lunch: Breakfast casserole with sausage, potatoes, egg and cheese, orange juice, crackers
PM Snack: Frozen yogurt sticks, graham crackers, water bottles

Friday, May 22
AM Snack: Organic apples, water bottles
Lunch: Deli platter [deli ham and turkey], crackers, organic carrots and celery, organic milk
PM Snack: Central Market organic tortilla chips and salsa, water bottles

Charlotte's Web Coming to Canyon Ridge Middle School in Leander ISD!

On May 28th and 29th, CRMS Drama Department in conjunction with CRMS Choir (with special permission from Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Illinois) will perform Charlotte's Web The Musical by Joseph Robinette and Charles Strouse. Performances will begin at 6:30 PM in the cafetorium. Pre-show tickets will go on sale May 18th for $5 and may be purchased from Ms. Cooper (theater director). We look forward to seeing you there as we bring to life the story of two very unlikely friends overcoming the odds together, with a little help from their barn animal friends!

Canyon Ridge Middle School
12601 Country Trails Lane Austin, TX 78732
(512) 434-7550
Fax (512) 434-7555

This Week . . .

We have enjoyed the beautiful weather this week at school! In PreK, we having been enjoying rhymes and a special story about turtles. We planted mammoth sunflowers in the garden (thanks to Colton's grandfather, Chuck, for all his tilling!), and our beans, corn, onions, tomatoes, peas, and squash are doing well. We have a lot more to plant, though! We have a beautiful new doll that Wacy's mom Sarah made for us, as well as a really awesome pizza for our pretend area. Wet on wet painting is a favorite every week as is bread baking. Lately we have been enjoying our warm bread at school on Wednesdays with soup. Everyone has loved yummy cantaloupe and watermelon this season--we hope we'll have some of our own in a couple of months. The roosters have been fun to watch roaming the fenced animal yard, and Lucy has loved her daily mud puddle! Beautiful dark purple morning glories that we planted a couple of months ago have greeted us by the front gate and beside the garage. All of the children have enjoyed watching the road construction--a good reminder that what seemed like an inconvenience is actually an exciting on-going project right in our front yard for the children to experience.

Driving Miss Vivian? Vivian gets a loving ride from Gavin. Big brother Noah eventually came to help, too.

It's so important for our older children to develop empathy for our youngest friends. Everyone loves to give Emma a ride in her stroller.

Miles enjoyed building a tent with the parachute several times this week.

Peachy and Aurora are our cats--they receive extensive training here at the school. Mostly, they are incredibly patient. Which one is this?

Cole strikes a pose for Iris (behind the camera).

Soleil works with the felt board. She loves to tell a story while she works.

Our new baby doll. The children loved taking care of her. They can tell when they are in the presence of something special.

The road project is very exciting. On Thursday, we were able to see some of the equipment change attachments!

Many, many thanks are due! Thank you, Vicki and Soleil, for clearing out our garden bed a couple of weeks ago. Thank you Allison for the small scoop, bamboo spoons, and the "squirty things" that the kids will love to fill/decorate muffins and cupcakes. Thank you Shana and Cooper for the felt boards, figures, and puppets--they are beautiful. Thank you Stacy for helping and believing in all of our ventures and for your help marketing. Thank you Anissa and Dana for coming to the yoga class. Thank you Jennifer D. for the client referrals. Thank you Christina and West for finding Christin. Thank you Christin for your patience and love of the Twos. Thank you Ellen and Caprice for loving the infants and toddlers. Thank you Leslie and Mason for the veggies for the animals. Thank you Allison S. for volunteering to help the kids sew this summer. Thank you Wacy and Sarah for feeding the animals on Sundays and for baking cookies for the market. Thanks everyone for your business!

Children busy at work.....

Kai playing with the hose connection.

Emma Grace relaxing in the rocking chair.

Gage sharing his smiles....

Leo with rosy cheeks after playing outside.

Children having fun exploring a tree that has fallen on the property.

Planting peas with Leslie.


Taking a break after helping plant peas--Iris, Isaac, Kai, Jonie, Colton, Cameron and Catherine

Waiting for a turn planting--Keith, Siler, Cole and Caeden

Pre-K helping to prepare lunch--Soleil, Colton, Jonie, Cameron, Cole, Noah, Keith, Siler and Lena

Lena adjusting her silk "skirt" during free play

Siler arranging artifacts at the nature center

Iris stops to pose for the camera.....

Soleil working hard during free play

Cole and Noah with their capes


Colton and Siler peeking out from behind the puppet stage.....


Jonie sorting color tablets...

Nina and Iris stand ready to mix the bread dough

Isaac and Mattvey work on table activities while they wait for their turn to make bread

Colton with his wings

Isaac runs laps around the play yard as one of the farm kittens follows close behind

Mattvey and Isaac racing

Chevy the goat, Abby the donkey and Lily Belle the minature horse are close friends



Our mom, Nancy [aka Grandma], helping Iris and Asa plant potatoes

Asa attempts to put a stake in the ground at the potato patch

Cole and Luke playing in the kiddie corral

Mattvey loves to climb

Mattvey, Cole and Noah

Saxon

Jack showing us his serious side

Cole

Gavin and Luke

Jonie

Catherine

Vivian and her ba [blanket]