Monthly Archives: January 2010

Cereal FAIL

I love cereal. Give me a bowl of Lucky Charms or The Captain’s Peanut Butter Crunch and I will love you forever. But I restrain myself from buying them. Oh, the things we do for our children. Yes, I gave those cereals up for my kids. Why? Cereal is the breakfast of champions, right? Uh, WRONG. Most cereals are devoid of any kind of nutritional value. And don’t let those “NOW, less sugar and MORE Fiber!” lines fool you. I mean, really, are we supposed to believe that Fruit Loops are actually good for you? Add up the dyes and high fructose corn syrup and it’s no wonder why our kids can’t concentrate in the morning! Did you know that some food dyes are proven to cause hyperactivity in children? Oh yes, it’s true. But that’s a whole other post. And don’t even get me started on the affects that white sugar and high fructose corn syrup have on us, especially our children.

SO, what cereals are good for you? I mean, really good for you? Eat This Not That has a list of the 24 Best and Worst Cereals on their site. Go ahead and check it out. You will be shocked at which cereals are healthy and which are, excuse my language, crap.

Before you go read it, which cereals do you think fall into the healthy and unhealthy categories?

-Quaker Natural Granola
-Frosted Shredded Wheat
–EnviroKidz Organic Koala Crisp
-Kellog’s Smart Start

You might be surprised!

Image: Michelle Meiklejohn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Dinner Time? Put Your Freezer To Work!

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One of my favorite ways to stay on top of things in the kitchen is by getting meals in the freezer. I won’t call it once a month cooking because food doesn’t last in our house for more than a couple of weeks. (I don’t know what I’ll do when our three boys are teenagers!) I get as many meals in the freezer as I can and here’s how I do it!

Crazy meat cooking: I will cook up large amounts of hamburger and chicken and then separate into meal size portions and then freeze them. When I want to make tacos, just thaw the meat and add seasonings. When I want to make homemade chicken pot pie, just thaw the meat and add veggies, etc! Easy!

If I’m feeling really ambitious, I’ll add all of the seasonings and sauces and such and put the whole meal in the freezer. So I’ll add the veggies and creamy soup with the chicken for the pot pie and put in the freezer. When pot pie night comes around, all I have to do it thaw and bake! When taco night comes, thaw and heat! Even easier!

It takes just a bit of work but so worth the time and effort! This is a must do for working Moms and Moms who spend every other night at the soccer field. HUGE time saver, Mommas!

Hamburger: Buy the highest quality hamburger you can. Organic meat is always best, but do the best you can! I know that’s not always an option for everyone. (You can also use ground turkey and I often do!) I like to put the hamburger in the oven in a nice big roasting pan with a chopped up onion and some fresh pressed garlic. Chop it up a couple of times while it’s baking and Voila! Way easier than standing over a skillet!

Here, I baked five pounds of hamburger. Then let cool a bit and separate into meal sized portions. Freeze in freezer safe containers or add ingredients for a full freezer meal!

Chicken: Be very careful when you buy chicken. Read the labels carefully and buy only chicken not treated with steroids or antibiotics and injected with solutions. On the same day that I cook the hamburger meat and puree my veggies I also put several chicken breasts in the crock pot to cook. I will usually use frozen ones so I stick them right in, turn it on, let it cook for several hours until it’s cooked through and easily shredded. (If you use fresh chicken breasts, add water or broth so it doesn’t burn and stick!) Separate into meal sized portions and/or add to meal ingredients to get a full dinner in the freezer. I love having chicken readily available to throw in a salad or add to some stir fry. It really cuts down on dinner prep time!

Here I have four containers of chicken ready to freeze. I also strained the liquid and saved the yummy slow cooked broth to add to soup! One thing I love about cooking chicken this way, you won’t believe how much further it goes! The chicken below was from FIVE chicken breasts. Yes, I got four meals out of five chicken breasts!

What you see below is eleven prepared meals and meats, one container of pancakes, two mini loaves of banana bread, beet puree, homemade pasta and homemade whip cream. How’s THAT for a stocked freezer! (We also have a freezer in the garage full of frozen veggies and meat, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to fit this much in there!)

Freezer recipes will follow soon!!

Not Me!

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No, I did not take my camera into the bathroom so I could get this picture…

…just so I could prove that I can’t get a moments privacy even in the bathroom because if the kids aren’t bothering me, the dog is!

It’s weird and gross to perch on the toilet, camera in hand to take a picture of your dog.

And I am not weird and gross.

Check out what other Moms are not doing over at MckMama’s website!

Puree Love

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I am a big fan of the recipes in the Deceptively Delicious recipe book. If I can get more veggies into my kids’ food, I’m all for it. I’m not necessarily a fan of “hiding” the veggies from the kids though. I puree veggies and fruits and mix them into our foods very frequently. And I do tell my boys about it…after they’ve tried it! You know kids, if I say “Here try this, it has spinach in it!” They are going to instantly hate it. But if they try it and like it, then I happily announce what it’s laced with. If I ask the boys if they like their dinner, Chandler never fails to ask, “Why what did you put in it?”

If you start early enough your kids should have no problem with being veggie eaters, but not everyone does. It’s so easy to fall into the habit of making a box of mac and cheese for lunch instead of serving raw veggies and real cheese. I didn’t start early enough myself, so my kids are set in some of their ways. But it’s never too late! Start slowly introducing healthier options to your kids and teaching them about how important healthy eating habits are. We’ve made huge progress over the past few years as we assume a healthier eating lifestyle. And here is one big way we do it!

PUREE BABY!

Mostly, I puree butternut squash, spinach, carrots and sweet potatoes. It seems like a lot of work, but really, a couple of hours of kitchen work is so minimal when compared to the health benefits! So here’s how I do it:

Squash: Cut in half, scrape out the seeds. Place flesh down on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees until mushy. (These are technical cooking terms, people, stick with me.) Let cool and then scrape the skin off. Puree in food processor until nice and smooth.

Here’s what it will look like when roasted with the skin on and off.

Carrots: Cut up into quarters, steam. Let cool just a bit so you don’t burn your hands! Puree!

Spinach can be steamed until just wilted, then pureed.

Sweet potatoes can be roasted in the oven whole, cool, then scrape out of skin. Puree!

See? Simple! I like to do it all in one day. That way I only have to dirty up the food processor once! I will then place the purees in one cup portions into the freezer, ready to be added to whatever I wish! I also will leave out some of the purees to add to some of my freezer meals, like chicken pot pie, chili, etc. Which I will show you all about soon!

Try it once, just once! If it’s not for you, find another creative way to get those veggies into those kids!

*If you have babies in the house, save the purees for them too! SO much cheaper and healthier than buying the jarred kind!

Parenting 101

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I think it’s the hardest job on the planet, by far. These sweet pieces of heaven are sent into our lives with nothing but a hungry belly and a loud mouth. No instructions. No How To DVD. Not even a tag on the back so you know how to wash it.

I have made my fair share of mistakes with my boys. I have no problem admitting that. I just wish I would have known what I know now when I first brought them home. But that is part of the parenting process. Learning by trial and error. And hopefully, by the end of the day, we’ve done more good than harm!

So here are just a few things I wish I would have known!

*It’s ok for a baby to cry. OK, don’t get me wrong here, I don’t think you can spoil a newborn. I think you should attend to their needs as quickly as you can. They will not learn a lesson from crying at this point. But at some point, you need to show your child that they can wait. If they are not hungry, in pain or covered in poop, they can wait just a moment. Stir dinner so it doesn’t burn. Go to the bathroom without balancing them on your knee (it’s possible, people, just not convenient). Take a moment to breathe and calm down if you need to. They can wait. The world will not fall out from underneath them if they sit in their swing for just one moment longer so I can brush my teeth before noon!

*It’s ok for kids to feel disappointment. It’s good for them. We can’t always get what we want, but for some reason, we think that shouldn’t apply to our children! I made that mistake with my first born. Oh, he doesn’t want that, get it out of here! Oh, he wants that, quick, give it to him before he cries! NO, NO, NO! Please, for the love of God and your own sanity, do not do this! A toddler is old enough to understand that sometimes, you are told no. Sometimes, plans change and no we can not go to the zoo today because it is raining. I can remember trying so very hard to avoid every possible moment of disappointment with Chandler only to have ruined him. He is getting better, his 9 year old mind is able to understand life a bit more now. But there were some hard (unnecessarily hard) years of him not being able to handle the slightest let down. Lesson learned for Mom and Dad!

*Make healthy eating and exercise habits from the start! There is nothing harder than changing the eating habits of a three year old. So start how you mean to go on. Do you want an obese 13 year old with diabetes? Of course, not, so don’t feed your child twinkies and coke at a young age because it’s inevitable that as they grow, they will continue to make bad eating habits and cringe when you try to feed them healthy food. Encourage your children to spend more time being active than watching tv. You can’t change the rules on a six year old who’s used to playing video games for hours on end without a fight. So teach them young that exercise is a priority and tv and video games are a luxury. But take heart, while changing to a healthier lifestyle when your kids are older is more difficult, it is not impossible! You can do it and they will thank you later!

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY

*You are your child’s biggest example…so watch it! You yell, your kids yell. You forget to say please and thank you, you will have an ungrateful, demanding child. You eat junk food, they won’t touch veggies with a ten foot pole. It’s a simple idea, but a lot of work. But when you choose to become a parent (or when God chooses for you) you don’t have a choice. Do the work. You won’t regret it!

Quick and Healthy Pancakes

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I am not a fan of prepared foods. I try very, very hard not to buy prepackaged foods. I mean, have you read what the ingredients are in a box of frozen waffles? I try to follow my golden rule of food as often as possible.

So in an effort to provide healthy choices to the boys for breakfast without spending an hour making them something from scratch while scrambling to get everyone on the bus on time, I make up plenty of breakfast items ahead of time and freeze them. Just as easy as the boxed frozen foods, but way better for us!

These items include homemade, from scratch: Pancakes,Waffles, Bagels and Biscuits. So on a busy morning, it’s very easy to warm up one of these items, pair them up with some eggs or fresh fruit, and you have a healthy and quick breakfast.

Here is my pancake recipe, I’ll be posting the waffles, bagels and biscuits soon as well! I usually double the recipes on a weekend morning and then freeze whatever is left for the week.

Pancakes:
2 cups Homemade Biscuit Mix
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tbs Milled Flaxseed
1/2 cup Water
1 egg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
(I do not sweeten my pancakes, but if you prefer to, I suggest using a bit of agave nectar in place of white sugar)

Mix ingredients together until well blended. There are a couple of secrets to perfect pancakes and this is one of them: Mixture should not be too thick…if it is lumpy and comes off your spoon in clumps, add more milk or water until just a tad runny, but not so runny that it will puddle all over the place. Am I making sense? How about a picture: Make sure it looks like this:

Got it? Ok, cook on a hot griddle. I keep mine at about medium heat.

*Pancake Perfection Hint #2: Cook on the first side until bubbly. Your pancake won’t be overcooked this way!

Then flip, cook the other side until it steams, then they are perfect!

Enjoy with some warm maple syrup!

Or just eat it like a big cookie. You choose.

Make sure you make enough for left overs. Then place on a cookie sheet or baking rack and freeze.

Once frozen, store in airtight, freezer safe container.

Stick in the toaster or microwave to warm up just like you would the boxed kind!

These pancakes are super good for you, easy and way cheaper than anything packaged!

Check out some more recipes by fellow Mom bloggers at Beauty and Bedlam’s Tasty Tuesday post!

My Food Golden Rule

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IF YOU CAN’T READ IT, DON’T EAT IT!!!

Simple, really.

Disclaimer:

I can usually ignore this rule
when it comes to dessert.

*ahem*

Picture found at this website which is a site that has some great info about what’s really in our food!

Eat This, Not That

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You have probably seen the books called Eat This, Not That. I have never read one but I do sign up for their daily emails and I have to say, YEEEIKES! It has been very eye opening to read about the hidden calories and chemicals in the foods in restaurants and in the grocery store. Just today they sent me one called 8 Food Mysteries Revealed where they uncover what is lurking in McDonald’s chicken nuggets and the Wendy’s Frosty. I’m not a fan of the golden arches so I wasn’t too bothered by that, I know their food is fake, but I was shocked by the Wendy’s Frosty! I love those! Not sure that I can eat one know that I know that it is basically a laboratory experiment more than it is a recipe!

So head on over there and sign up for the emails too, I highly recommend it! I will be posting more interesting facts that I have learned from reading Eat This Not That’s daily emails that I think everyone needs to know. So stay tuned!

And no, I was not paid to say any of this. But wouldn’t it have been cool if I were? 🙂

Soup’s On!

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This cold weather just makes me want to curl up with a good book and a hot bowl of soup. But with three boys running around and a bazillion loads of laundry staring at me, I will have to settle for scarfing down a bowl between laundry loads and light saber battles.

So here are some of our favorite soups to get you through these cold months ahead. They can be frozen and saved for another meal so double the recipe and you’ll have dinner on hand for the days when you just can’t get away from the laundry long enough to make something for dinner!

Buffalo Chicken Soup
Even my kids love this soup, but if yours are not fans of spicy foods, leave them out a portion of the soup before you add the hot sauce. It’s not the healthiest soup recipe, but for an occasional football Sunday, it just doesn’t get any better!

3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
3 cans cream of chicken soup
3 cups milk
1 can white northern beans, rinsed
1/2 cup hot sauce

Simmer ingredients together. Serve over crushed tortilla chips or cooked elbow noodles. Top with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.

Kale Soup
My Mom makes this soup and it is really tasty and quite healthy to boot!

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 medium onions, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
1 pound kale, coarsely chopped
coarse salt and pepper
1 15 ounce can chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 pound diced smoked sausage
1 quart chicken broth

Heat oil and add potatoes and onions. Cook 5 minutes, add garlic, bay leaves and kale. Cover pot and wilt greens, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add beans, tomatoes and broth and bring to a full boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook 5-10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Tortellini and Zucchini Soup
My kids don’t even care that they are eating soup filled with veggies, it’s just plain yummy!

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 large carrots, finely chopped
1 onion, diced
2 tbs minced garlic
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 14 ounce cans vegetable broth
2 medium zucchini, diced
2 cups fresh or frozen tortellini (I prefer the spinach filled ones)
4 plum tomatoes, diced
2 tbs red wine vinegar

Heat oil. Add carrots and onion, cook till soft. Add garlic and rosemary, cook about one minute. Stir in broth and zucchini, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until zucchini is soft. Add tortellini and tomatoes and cook about 6-10 minutes. Stir in vinegar just before serving.

I have so many more recipes for soups, and still on the prowl for more healthy ones. Most of our favorite soups are very fattening, creamy soups! So please share your favorite soup recipes in the comments, especially if they have a healthy kick!

About Me

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A quick run down of who I am, because the readers other than my Mom and BFF might want to know…

My name is Tasha. My friends call me Tasha. My Dad calls me Toosie. Do not call me Toosie.

I am a Mom to three boys. Chandler is 9, Chase is 6 and Charlie is 5. They are boys. They are loud. I think God made them super cute just so I won’t put them out by the side of the road with a free sign. Need I say much more?

I have been married to my husband, Matt for 11 years. It feels like yesterday. It feels like a million years ago.
I am in love with him, nerdy quirks and all.

I love chocolate. I love scrapbooking. I love coffee that is barely coffee because of the amount of creamer I put in it.
Put the three together and I am one happy lady.

Cooking and baking are passions of mine. I am in charge of taking care of my family and their health. I take that job very seriously. So I do as much as I can from scratch, with real food.
It’s good clean fun, folks.

I am imperfect. I am forgiven. Friends are my strength.
Family is my soul.

Sarcasm is my friend. Writing is my outlet.
Put the two together and you have this blog.

And that’s about all you need to know about me!