For several years we made our kids take cold lunch to school. Our school didn't have a school lunch program so it really wasn't an issue.
I would pack their lunches that morning and always tried to make them healthy. Whole wheat sandwiches, leftovers from dinner the night before, fruit, veggies, etc. They ate them quite well and hardly complained especially because I refused to send those prepackaged lunches--you know the ones I'm talking about.
But then this year our school moved to a new building and we got a lunch program.
Yeah!
After 3 years of eating cold lunch, and my son refusing to ever eat sandwiches except on school days, we decided to take part.
Now almost 8 months later and I'm not so thrilled.
School lunch is not all it's cracked up to be.
I remember looking forward to lunch everyday as a kid, but now looking back it wasn't very healthy at all. Burritos and Chicken Sandwiches were my favorite and let me tell you they weren't fresh, they were utterly and completely frozen and then fried. Mmmmm....not so good.
Now I'm not completely dissing on school lunches but I think there is a lot to be done. Putting salad on the menu everyday just doesn't cut it for being "healthy". But I really think it's adding to our kids problems and it added to my issues with food, especially as a teenager.
So in standing up for my kids, we are back to eating cold lunch everyday. Some aren't so thrilled especially on Pizza Fridays but my daughter loves it. To quote her, she said, "Not to be mean but the spaghetti sauce tastes like throw up." How can I not change after that?
And no I am not involved in The Food Revolution, I am just a mom trying to help her kids eat better.
Which leads me to this. I know it sounds like an oxymoron because here I am complaining about school lunch and yet you see all these desserts and treats on my blog, but I totally believe in "Everything In Moderation".
Most of the desserts you see on here we try a small piece and then it's packaged up and sent off to friends, co-workers, neighbors, and whoever I happen to think of that day. I know it's not healthy to have treats all the time but there is nothing wrong with a small piece.
And sometimes there's nothing wrong with keeping the whole thing. This was one of those times.
I requested this for Mother's Day and my husband made it all by himself. It was beautiful, with not one crack or problem. He did a fantastic job!
This. Was. Amazing. And I will leave it at that, I'm serious. DIVINE.
Lime Cheesecake with Blackberry Sauce
Crust:
2 c. graham cracker crumbs, crushed finely (food processor works great for this)
6 T. sugar
6 T. unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake:
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese
1 c. sugar
3 large eggs
Juice of 2 limes
Zest of 2 limes
Blackberry sauce:
6 oz. blackberries, rinsed and drained
2 T. sugar
1½ t. cornstarch
1½ t. cold water
1. To make the cheesecake, preheat the oven to 325 ˚F. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a medium bowl. Stir together until well combined and moistened. Press the crumbs into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan or 6 4-inch mini springforms. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth. Gradually mix in the sugar. Blend in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the lime juice and lime zest until well combined. Pour the filling over the graham cracker crust.
2. To minimize cracking, place a shallow pan half full of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven during baking. Bake for 55-65 minutes or until the center is set or 25-33 minutes for mini springforms. Turn the oven off and prop the door open about 4 inches. Let the cheesecake stand 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool 10 minutes. Carefully remove the sides of the pan and let cool to room temperature on the rack. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours before slicing and serving.
3. To make the blackberry sauce, combine the blackberries and sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries begin to release some of their juices and the mixture is simmering. Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl; whisk until smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture to the blackberries and mix well. Reduce the heat to medium and let cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a low boil and thickens slightly. Remove from the heat and press the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds, this is optional. I like my sauce chunky and don't mind the seeds at all, completely your preference. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.
4. Drizzle the blackberry sauce over the cheesecake before serving. Enjoy!
Source: Annie's Eats
