We went camping as a family for the first time this past weekend, and it was a great success. The boys were so excited leading up to the trip that we hoped they wouldn’t be let down, and they were not. J. and turned off our phones when we got to camp, and spent the next two days unplugged, which was incredible. I felt that, especially disconnected from my email and calendar, I was much more able to enjoy the present moment, rather than figuring and organizing and planning the future in my head. I’ll be writing a bit about our campfire cooking later this week — we all ate well but there is definitely room for improvement. I started a Camping Food board on Pinterest to save ideas for next time.

This week it’s back to the surprisingly busy regular summer routine. G. requested “big chicken” — that’s a term he coined when he was little for roasted chicken on the bone — and challah for Friday, “because Friday is Shabbat, Mom.” I cannot say no to a great request like that.

Monday: Hamburgers (using my CSA ground beef) & buns (plus condiments), grilled broccoli and cabbage, potato chips

Tuesday: Roasted yellow squash + homemade pesto over whole wheat spaghetti

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Chana Saag, brown rice, naan (bumped from last week)

Friday: Roasted chicken, challah, farm share vegetables

Saturday: At a party

Sunday: At a ballgame

For more menu planning ideas, check out Laura at Organizing Junkie.

Three and a half years ago, I started meal planning and cooking more. Before then, a plain bowl of pasta with shredded mozzarella on top could have been lunch and dinner for a month at a time — that’s what the boys wanted, and there was little I seemed able to do to entice them to try anything else. It didn’t make me feel good about my parenting, and I was so frustrated with my kids’ limited diet. I didn’t want to fight about food.

I started with a simple theory in early 2007: if I regularly presented new food to the boys, and they saw others in their family eating and enjoying it, they would eventually try it too. It’s been a long haul proving that hypothesis, but 2010 has been a breakthrough year for us. True, the boys are older and they may have grown into an expanded food repertoire on their own. But I’d like to think my commitment to cooking — and not offering alternate meals if they didn’t like what I’d made — has had something to do with it.

On Tuesday, I made turkey burgers with whole wheat buns and lettuce and tomato, kale chips, and sweet potato fries. None of these items, save the bread, are things the boys normally eat, though they’re close. They will eat roast chicken (not that different from ground turkey), white potato french fries, and potato chips (salty and crunch, like the kale I made). As with many meals, I knew that at a minimum they’d eat the rolls; ideally, they’d try something else on the table as well. My 5 year-old — the pickier eater of the two — asked if he could please try the kale chips. He also asked for a piece of lettuce, and tried both a sweet potato fry and a bite of turkey burger without any fuss. He didn’t care to eat a second bite of any of those things, but the trying in and of itself is a huge step from where he was even six months ago. A. made himself half a tomato sandwich, and then a lettuce sandwich — 100% more vegetables than he would have eaten any given night a year ago. My parents and I had to avoid each others’ eyes, afraid we’d break the magic of all this new-food trying if we said anything.

At seven years old, A. now looks forward to tobiko (fish roe sushi), steak, J.’s smoked brisket, apples, watermelon, cilantro (he eats it by the spoonful), rice, roasted chicken, lettuce, sugar snap peas, green beans, and more. He frequently tries food that J. and I are eating, and I wouldn’t hesitate to take him into any restaurant — we’d be able to find something he’d eat. We’ve come such a long way since April 2008, when he would accept just pasta and yogurt.

Likewise, G. continues to take small steps towards a wider acceptance of different foods. Tuesday night was an extreme example of his budding willingness to taste new things, but it is a trend now, and not an exception to his usual behavior. I even cheer when he tries something like Reese’s Pieces, because it challenges his belief that he doesn’t like peanut butter. Maybe next he’ll try a peanut butter sandwich.

At the boys’ annual doctor check-ups this year, we were asked several lifestyle questions: “Do you wear a helmet when you ride a bike?” and “Do you like going to school?” I was relieved that for the first time in their lives, I was able to answer “Yes” to “Are you happy with their eating habits?” Yes, we’re getting there. And yes, that makes me happy.

J. and I watched an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay last night, and now I cannot get Grandma Maroni’s Meatballs out of my head. The first night I can work meatballs into our menu this week is Wednesday, and I am already looking forward to them!

I’ve planned a very easy week, and what might seem like entirely kid-friendly meals. But, my boys normally pass on meatballs, have never had tacos (I know! I’m going to try them out), and are not fans of hamburgers either. At least they’ll eat the pasta, taco shells, and buns from those three meals, if nothing else.

Monday: Leftover (frozen) brisket for me and J., roasted chicken drumsticks for the boys, mashed sweet potatoes, roasted cauliflower

Tuesday: Bring in pizza, garden salad, roasted delicata squash

Wednesday: Spaghetti and turkey meatballs, carrot and celery sticks

Thursday: Grilled chicken taco bar, with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and refried beans as add-in options

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Eat out

Sunday: Grilled hamburgers, steak fries, farm share veggies

For more menu planning ideas, check out Laura at Organizing Junkie.

[Edited 8/5/09: I realized this is really a Five Pepper Stir Fry -- there are 2 banana peppers and 2 Mariachi peppers, not 4 Mariachis (they are the same light green color, though the Mariachis are stubby while the others look like their namesake). Plus the red pepper, Carmens, and jalapeño = 5 types.]

This is a quick meal that is perfect for a post-pool dinner, but only if you remember to do all the vegetable prep earlier in the day! I had intended to slice all the peppers right after lunch, but I wound up busy with something else. By the time we got home from swimming after 5, I wasn’t much in the mood to start cutting up nine peppers before I could get started cooking, but I did it anyway. Then after I had them all sliced I still briefly toyed with the idea of bagging them up and throwing them into the freezer for another night — ordering in was tempting. But, with the hardest work behind me I figured a few more minutes to stir fry them would be quicker than take out.

I  used four types of peppers: the dark green Carmens (which were almost tasteless raw) and light green Mariachis (which have a tiny bit of heat) were from my CSA. The red pepper and jalapeño came from the supermarket. I also threw in the last purple onion from last week’s farm share. I cut the peppers and onion into thin strips and cooked them over high heat in a pan coated with a bit of olive oil. I only used a little kosher salt for seasoning, since the spice from the jalapeño and Mariachis combined with the sweetness of the red pepper and onion lent a nice flavor overall.

Then I tucked the peppers into a tortilla, and served it with corn from our CSA. My super-exhausted boys — who had been very patient waiting for me to cook — nearly fell apart when I suggested they even try a plain tortilla. I took one look at their red-rimmed eyes and decided that it was not the right night to stick to my guns. So while I enjoyed the meal you see in the photo above (and J. cooked some leftover peppers into an omelet when he got home), my kids ate leftover hot dog buns: G. likes his with melted cheese, A. prefers a little butter. Everyone was fed and happy, and the boys were asleep soon after eating their makeshift dinner.

Since I have been having good luck with the boys eating roasted chicken lately, I thought I’d branch out and try a turkey burger. Neither of them eat any red meat, but since these turn out pale like chicken, I thought I might have a shot. Even making miniature burgers — sliders — on a cute roll couldn’t convince them to try this dinner.

I used 1 lb. of lean ground turkey, an egg, 2 tablespoons of wheat germ (you can use bread crumbs, or skip it entirely), a heaping teaspoon of Dijon mustard, and some black pepper. I rolled most of the mixture into small meatballs and then flattened them, broiling them in my toaster oven for about 5 minutes on each side. I used a little olive oil to pan-fry the leftover meat as 2 full-size burgers. The broiled burgers, especially in the sandwich, were really delicious — flavorful and moist. The ones that were fried were even better, natch.

The rolls are actually hot dog buns cut into three pieces. I know there are slider buns on the market, but I couldn’t find any that were pareve. These worked just fine. The creamy avocado is a really nice counterpoint to the acidity of the tomato and the meaty burger.

This was such a cute, easy meal… if only the boys had eaten any of it. G. ate a bun; A. had a bun plus some watermelon. I couldn’t even get him to try the avocado. (I gave them deconstructed plates, with just the burger on the bun, so they could choose to add the avocado or tomato.) At least my niece enjoyed the meal — she packed away some of the turkey burger, the roll, avocado and watermelon. Thank goodness for Miss M.