Day 3 is the first school lunch day

     Breakfast was as usual today, with one new change.  I decided we should have our morning devotional at the dining room table rather than snuggled around in couches and chairs.  There was a general agreement that this would be ok.  Sometimes people would just continue their sleepy dozing during our time together, so hopefully this change will be positive.  Nobody seemed bummed.  Also, I brought tea to the table, which I don't allow on the couches, and sweetened up the deal by letting everybody who was at devotions add sugar to their tea.   Learning takes place better in a learning environment, and a little added motivation never hurt the attitudes, either.
     Another good thing is that we could all start breakfast together, so our morning today felt more organized.  Not so much gathering people and waiting on laggards to get breakfast going.  Starting together and ending together really make things more organized.  And all this with no added effort, only reduced effort.  What a deal, all around. 
     Everybody pitched in and did their chore right after breakfast, and got off to the bus ahead of the curve for this year's averages, so good job and kudos to my kids.

     Guess what happened.... My friend Nola stopped by!  We chatted and drank tea and I was able to slice her some fresh french bread made by Christiana last night, spread with some yummy raspberry jam we made for the market last summer.  Well, shortly after we said good-bye, I drove off to pick up Noah, and forgot to put away that beautiful loaf.  It is now down Gus's gullet.  Grrrr.  Not so happy with him or myself.  I usually check the table and counters for anything a trolling dog might find, but forgot to do it this morning.  I don't have any more bread in the house, so I think I'll make some before violin lessons, and bake it when we get back.

menu: oatmeal squares with milk, tea with milk and sugar

Breakfast Total: $2.02

cold cereal: 1.00

milk: 1.00

6 teaspoons sugar for tea: .02

sack lunch menu:  hoagie rolls with ham and cheese,lettuce wedges, 1/2 banana, sugar cookie

Sack lunch Total:  $4.46

10 4oz french rolls, made by Emily:  .54

8 oz sliced ham:  .75

3 oz gouda cheese: .63

(not everybody likes gouda, so we only dole it out to the appreciative amongst us)

sugar cookies@ .05 ea: .60

(we gave two to each basketball girl for pre-game energy)

lettuce, one head, cut into 10 unequal wedges: .84

5 bananas: 1.10

snack menu:  one loaf french bread=2 slices each, with raspberry jam

Snack total:  $.59

Christiana's homemade bread:  .26

jam, 4 tablespoons@  .03/tbsp:  .12

1 oz cheese for Rodger: .21

supper menu:  beef stew and bread
Supper total:  $2.86
roast beef:  1.80
4 large potatoes: .40
3 large carrots:  .33
1 1/2 loaves fresh french bread: .33

Today's Total bill: $9.93

     It was more challenging for supper with Rodger gone to the twins' basketball games and the rest of us at violin lessons until supper time, and then Sarah needing a ride home from the Auto repair garage.  Proper portions are best doled out and not self-served, if those arriving at the end of the pot of stew wish to have their fair share!

     The stew made 18 cups, so even though some people over-fed themselves, there was still adequate for the stragglers, and they were given an extra slice of bread each to pacify them, since they didn't get any seconds on the stew.

       We found ourselves wanting something for a bedtime snack, because we are so used to helping ourselves, so this project is bringing a new awareness about the "off the record" eating we have been accustomed to.  We didn't snack, except to have a bit of celery which we were cutting up for tomorrow's school lunches.  That gave some small chewing satisfaction, plus talking about wanting a snack helped, and the celery will be accounted for in the price for tomorrow, so it wasn't technically cheating...was it?

      When Sarah, Trudy, and I learned CPR last week, Dr Krueger was one of the convention's speakers.  He spoke about how he had mistakenly believed that all calories are equal, meaning that if you kept your daily intake to a specific number of calories, it didn't matter when you ate them.  But research has not shown that to be true.  Eating a large breakfast and lunch, and then a small dinner and no bedtime snack kept people at a lower weight than the same caloric intake with small or no breakfast, small lunch, then big dinner or dinner and snack.  Those who eat mainly at night pack on more weight. 

     Dr Krueger recommends eating the largest meals early in the day, before 3pm, then a light dinner and no snacking in the evening.  This is why I am instituting soups for supper and spending the most money on school lunches.  We will see how the troops deal with this new way of eating.  So far, ok, but 3 days isn't much of a sampling.