Whipped and Chopped

I tried my hand at homemade chocolate mousse recently and the results were really delicious. It involved whipping a lot of ingredients...and then folding them together...and then more whipping...you get the idea. But it was well worth it! I can't wait to make this recipe again.

Speaking of food, I did something unusual (for our family) and signed up for our school district's free breakfast and lunch program. Yes, it's usually for students who qualify, but the district recently announced that they were making it free for all students--in-person or virtual, qualified or not. My friend registered right away since she has four kids and was looking to spiffy up her daily lunches. When I learned that it came with milk, fruits and veggies, I was intrigued. But then I felt bad taking advantage of a program that was not created for me. When I talked to Beth about it, she wisely suggested that we try it anyway since we're taxpayers and could always donate the extras to a food bank. My father-in-law added that we could make a donation to the food bank equal to money we saved on groceries...both great ideas! So here is what I picked up for breakfasts and lunches for three kids for one week. It was A LOT! 

If I do it again, I likely won't get meals for all three kids; I could barely fit the food in the fridge and freezer. And it was daunting to think of what to do with all of the food--like carrots for days! 

I ended up making carrot soup--Tony's smart idea--and then decided that my best bet might be to treat these ingredients like an episode of "Chopped"...making something from random things! (YES, we still had a lot of carrots leftover.)

What else is helping to chop up the monotony of our remote learning weeks? Outdoor lunchtime with other virtual classmates who live on our street! 👍👍

More often than not lately, virtual learning goes very smoothly and I am so proud of the kids. Check this out! Sebastian and his classmates each colored a letter or two to spell out, "We Love 1st Grade Virtual Learning." Can you find Sebastian and his letter?? 😄

On other days, virtual school and being a virtual learning partner can be exhausting. By 3 p.m., I'm just whipped! So I'm about out of cooking puns for now, but it was fun while it lasted! 

P.S. We've now caught the Space Station flying over our house three times. It never gets old!