Un-Processing The Way We Live and Eat

Perhaps we should do a better job of it year round, but we use summer as a time for our family to really come together and live life un-processed.

What this means for us is that we cancel any television subscription services for the entire summer (we currently have Netflix and Hulu) and really encourage the kids, and ourselves, to get outside, enjoy nature, and enjoy spending time with one another.

Summer Means Less Screen Time

The hustle and bustle of winter, with school, work, errands, and just…life often leaves the kids with a bit more screen time than I’d like, summer is a time that we can really let all that go.

To get the kids ready for the transition to less screen time and more time playing and exploring outdoors, I sat down with them and asked them to each list two activities that they really want to do at some point this summer.

The guidelines were simple. It must be something outdoors, and it has to be something we don’t normally do every day (like going to the park, going for a bike ride, etc.).

My two oldest came up with these great ideas:

Go fishing
Go kayaking
Go on rollercoasters
Go camping, fishing, hiking, and kayaking all in one 🙂

The great news is, we had already planned on doing all of these things except camping, but I’m going to try to plan a weekend camping trip for the family so the kids can check that box off their list!

Summer Means Fresh, Unprocessed Foods

One of the best things about summer is being able to enjoy fresh food right from the garden! I don’t have a garden of my own, but my mother-in-law has a pretty substantial garden that the kids help with. They love picking peas, green beans, and broccoli right from the garden and eating it fresh.

This also allows them the freedom to have a snack whenever they are hungry without having to stop playing!

In addition to the fresh garden foods, we try to eat very little processed food year round and eat as healthily as possible.

Unprocessed Dairy – A Great Choice!

We typically choose Organic Valley dairy products (partly because my husband works there and partly because we just love their products).

The Best Cheese For Grilled Cheese

When I’m making a grilled cheese, the best cheese for grilled cheese sandwiches has to be something that makes a really nice melty sandwich, and tastes great too! I love ooey-gooey cheeses, and the Organic Valley sliced cheese is exactly that. It is so creamy and smooth, and melts like a dream!

We recently made some fantastic pressed grilled cheese sandwiches using our panini maker, and they turned out amazing with this great cheese from Organic Valley! This soft, creamy cheese is the best cheese for grilled cheese.

The great thing about these sandwiches is that you can customize each sandwich to everyone’s tastes.

In addition the to the sliced cheese, we added turkey slices and spinach.

We sometimes add tomatoes, or whatever we happen to have on hand that would be a great addition to our grilled cheese sandwiches. Just set up a little prep station and let everyone choose their favorite things!

Using a Panini Grill makes the grilled cheese sandwiches nice and flat, and in my opinion, a bit easier for the kids to pick up and eat.