Granola Bars |
My first hand account of the ongoing search for health and wellness through a conscious focus on nutrition, cooking, ingenuity, and physical exertion. As an active stay at home mother of two young children, I spend large portions of my day in my kitchen inventing new recipes and reinventing old favorites into fun, healthy and delicious meals my whole family loves... especially while on the run... literally.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Granola Bars
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
How I got my daughter to eat dinner
my daughter's plate |
My five year old daughter is pickier than most picky eaters. She could subsist on crackers, cheerios, cheese and milk alone if I let her. But now that she is getting older, I am trying to figure out ways to get her to eat a bit healthier without it turning into what at times has seemed like an inevitable battle at every meal. My steadfast rule has always been that as long as I get her to eat a small amount of produce first, she can have whatever she wants within healthy limits (cereal, crackers, yogurt, cheese, etc...). But this is drastically limiting her palate. When we go out to eat anywhere all she ever orders is a plain cheese sandwich (not grilled!) and it is getting a bit embarrassing.
I have heard all the different tips about getting kids to eat healthfully: model good behavior (always), incorporate the produce into a main meal so they don't notice it as readily (doesn't often work with main meals, although it seems to work when I also include chocolate, as in a muffin with zucchini and chocolate)... I know food should never be a battle and that dinnertime should be a peaceful time for the family to gather and share, but when she comes to the table and sees anything other than crackers, cheese, a carrot stick or cherry tomato or two, or a bowl of yogurt, she screams. I mean screams. She is willful, smart, and knows what she likes, but I know that meal times have become frustrating for her as well.
Knowing I was frustrated, my mom sent me an article a few weeks ago that mentioned having your picky eater try "one teaspoon" of every food offered at the meal and once they have eaten that, they can have more of any of the foods that they happen to like. The trick is to make sure that at least one of those foods is something you know they do like (obviously). I thought I had tried this method before, but perhaps not so precisely and considering I have gotten into the habit of making more elaborate, spicy, exotic meals for my husband and I which my son will usually at least try, I had almost given up on trying to get my daughter to eat even "normal" dinner foods.
To my great joy, my daughter has also turned into a very aware vegetarian. Her being picky, and me not serving or eating very much meat myself, I think I can count on one hand the amount of times she has consumed even a morsel of chicken or beef in her whole life. Now that she is older and I am making my family more aware all the time of what they are eating, she has gotten into the habit of asking whether something she has been served or something that I am eating was at one time an animal. She has told me outright that she never wants to eat animals because she "likes them to be happy and alive." I can't argue with that and I have promised her that I will never ask her or trick her into eating an animal, ever. So tonight when she picked up her tiny piece of vegetarian Italian sausage, she looked at me and asked "is this dead?" Poor thing. I assured her it wasn't and she reluctantly took a bite.
So on her plate, which I pictured above, I literally placed one bite of every food I was offering, plus a few of her favorites. I had told her earlier in the day that we were going to "try something new at dinner" and have her take a bite of a few new foods before she got to eat anything else. She had agreed earlier, but I was unsure what her reaction would be once dinner time actually came around. To my delight, she did not yell or scream or even complain. She looked at her plate, contemplated what to eat first, and picked up a pretzel. I guess it is typical to eat what you know first to feel "safe". But after the two pretzels and the one cracker were gone, she tried the veggie sausage, then the avocado, then the rice and then the broccoli (which she has eaten before). She was not a fan of the sausage, said the rice was "ok", and actually asked for a second piece of avocado and broccoli before eating the tomato, carrot and then more pretzels, a stick of cheese and a granola bar. She also ate about four more cherry tomatoes and some dried fruit. So all in all, I have to say it was a success. And I can say is that if this worked with my daughter, it is at least worth a shot with other picky eaters as well. I plan to try this again at most meals and hope that she finds a few new foods that she can add to her safe list. Slowly but surely I am determined to create another healthy, adventurous eater.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Taco Salad with Crispy Polenta
Taco Salad with crispy polenta |
This meal was a creative way to use left overs from Taco Night. Instead of just eating tacos again, (which my kids did since we had tons of left over veggie meat, cheese, tortillas and taco shells), my husband and I opted for something a little more inventive. I had bought a roll of organic polenta at the store earlier in the week thinking I was going to serve it with some left over chili out of the freezer, but decided to use it with the left over taco fixings instead. I hadn't cooked polenta in a really long time and was hoping to find a way to cook it in the oven so I could get it all done at once and not make a big mess on the stove top. The solution? Broil it!
I sliced up the polenta into 1/2 inch slices, coated both sides with organic canola oil and broiled them for about 20 - 25 minutes (4 inches from the broiler, with the oven door open). I never turned them over, just rotated the pan once in the oven about halfway through and they were perfectly crispy and delicious. I even had enough for left overs again and the polenta was just as good cold as it was straight from the oven.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Taco Night
Ok, so this post isn't so much a recipe as a guideline for making what is one of my family's favorite dinners into something that is also fairly healthy. Definitely not perfect, but when I see how much my daughter and son eat and how excited they are about "Taco Night!" it is totally worth it. My silly daughter has even come up with the quirky routine of needing to make and wear a "taco hat" or "taco crown" for this meal and last night declared that she was the "Taco King!" So how can I resist not making this meal at least once a month and possibly even more now that I found an even healthier brand of taco shells to use. Here are the basics of what I did last night and the ingredients that I used.
Fresh Ingredients organic romaine lettuce 5 organic tomatoes organic cilantro avocado jalapeno |
taco "meat" cooked with green chilies, taco sauce, taco seasoning and three chopped fresh tomatoes |
Quick Guacamole one fresh avocado, two chopped tomatoes, one chopped jalapeno, fresh cilantro and Adobo seasoning |
Dinner toppings include: organic romaine lettuce extra sharp cheddar cheese 2% Greek yogurt homemade guacamole (my 100th post!!!!) |
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Time to warm up!
The weather here in PA has been ridiculously cold these past few weeks, so much so that I have joked that my husband's family in Winnipeg, Manitoba have sent us their winter and I wish they would take it back! Consequently, school schedules have been constantly disrupted which means my personal schedule has been disrupted and in the past three weeks I have only made it to the gym twice. Craziness... considering when I don't get a chance to literally blow of some steam I get a little crazy myself. Of course I am a big proponent of the fact that you can get a really great work out without leaving your living room if you know what to do, but sometimes the motivation just isn't there. I have done pretty well these past few weeks, but I know I am not in the same shape I was in two months ago. Although it is hard to detect any differences day to day, it was obvious how things have changed after struggling through the home workout I created for myself yesterday.
I had about 30 minutes of time to spare before I had to pick my daughter up at preschool, so I turned up some music and got to work. I have a set of six steps up to my living room from the entryway of our house so I used that as the base for the cardio portion of my workout. The routine I did is as follows:
30 times up and down the stairs
30 crunches
24 side plank dips (12 per side)
50 front lunges holding 8 pound weights (25 per side)
16 side lateral raises using 8 pound weights
40 times up and down the stairs
30 crunches
24 side plank dips
50 back lunges holding 8 pound weights
16 lateral raises using 8 pound weights
30 times up and down the stairs
It actually looks like more than I thought it would be when I write it out and a few months ago this routine would have been fairly simple for me, but it just about killed me yesterday. Especially the side planks. Before Christmas I could whip those out so easily but yesterday I did my first two and almost fell over. I felt so weak. But I did them and today I am sore so I guess they worked. Now I know what to do more of starting tomorrow!! Anyway, the reason for this post is to encourage others to not make being unable to get to a gym or being stuck inside because of the weather an excuse for not moving your body. If you have stairs you have a cardio machine, if not, do jumping jacks or run in place. It all works. Switch up a little cardio with some toning exercises of your choosing (sit ups, push ups, tricep dips with your hands on a chair, squats...). I find that writing out either on paper or in your mind a routine you hope to achieve helps you actually follow through. You could even do it with a friend, either physically together, or just as a promise to both do the same routine while snowed in separately. With the way this winter has been going I know that I will definitely be creating a lot of little workouts like this to keep my body and my mind in top form. So get up and start moving!!!
I had about 30 minutes of time to spare before I had to pick my daughter up at preschool, so I turned up some music and got to work. I have a set of six steps up to my living room from the entryway of our house so I used that as the base for the cardio portion of my workout. The routine I did is as follows:
30 times up and down the stairs
30 crunches
24 side plank dips (12 per side)
50 front lunges holding 8 pound weights (25 per side)
16 side lateral raises using 8 pound weights
40 times up and down the stairs
30 crunches
24 side plank dips
50 back lunges holding 8 pound weights
16 lateral raises using 8 pound weights
30 times up and down the stairs
It actually looks like more than I thought it would be when I write it out and a few months ago this routine would have been fairly simple for me, but it just about killed me yesterday. Especially the side planks. Before Christmas I could whip those out so easily but yesterday I did my first two and almost fell over. I felt so weak. But I did them and today I am sore so I guess they worked. Now I know what to do more of starting tomorrow!! Anyway, the reason for this post is to encourage others to not make being unable to get to a gym or being stuck inside because of the weather an excuse for not moving your body. If you have stairs you have a cardio machine, if not, do jumping jacks or run in place. It all works. Switch up a little cardio with some toning exercises of your choosing (sit ups, push ups, tricep dips with your hands on a chair, squats...). I find that writing out either on paper or in your mind a routine you hope to achieve helps you actually follow through. You could even do it with a friend, either physically together, or just as a promise to both do the same routine while snowed in separately. With the way this winter has been going I know that I will definitely be creating a lot of little workouts like this to keep my body and my mind in top form. So get up and start moving!!!
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Spinach Pesto
Spinach Pesto |
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Inside Out Peanut Butter Cups
Inside Out Peanut Butter Cups |
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Cashew Butter Trail Mix Bars
Cashew Butter Trail Mix Bars |
Monday, January 20, 2014
Kale Salad with Roasted Salmon and Sweet Potatoes
Kale Salad with Roasted Salmon and Sweet Potatoes |
I prepped the kale and the potatoes earlier in the day so they were all ready to use, and while the kids were eating their suppers at the normal time, I made the salad dressing and the marinade for the fish. So when 8 PM rolled around and my husband was getting the kids upstairs to brush their teeth, I just tossed everything together, put the fish and potatoes in the oven and opened a bottle of wine.
Obviously, this meal is ridiculously healthy, with it's rainbow of colors and fresh ingredients. Between the leafy green kale, the heart healthy salmon and pecans, and the nutrient rich sweet potatoes, it is a light meal (good for eating late) that is also extremely satisfying. The best part is that this makes enough for four servings and since kale holds up really well in the fridge (even with dressing on it), I had left overs for lunch two days later. I will definitely be making this meal again.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
What NOT to Make for Breakfast
I like to pride myself on the fact that I do not often waste any
food. Although I know I spend more than
the average American does on groceries, since I buy a large amount of organic
produce in addition to expensive items like nuts, seeds and dark chocolate, I
know that everything I buy eventually gets consumed. I plan my weekly meals
around leftovers, am constantly checking dates on everything I buy so as not to
let anything go bad, and besides the very occasional piece of rotten produce, I throw out next to nothing. I am
always eating the last few bites off of my children’s plates, saving little
bits of everything to be eaten later, and whenever I bake, I channel my great
grandmother’s influence and insist on scraping the bowl of batter completely clean so as
not to waste even one bite. I value my
food and I hate to see anything edible go uneaten.
This past weekend, however, I had to give in. With all the experimentation I do in my
kitchen, not often repeating a recipe twice, it is amazing that I have not
had more failures than I have. Usually, even
if something doesn’t turn out quite right, it still gets eaten, whether it is a
pan of brownies that will not hold it’s shape and becomes a topper for ice
cream, or the extremely dark chocolate birthday cake I made three years ago for my
daughter’s 2nd birthday that actually tasted bitter (it was ok if
you ate every bite with some frosting and my chocolate loving daughter had no
trouble finishing her giant piece). But the
meals I cooked up for breakfast yesterday and today were a different story.
In my defense, these were recipes largely based on ones published
in magazines, so someone, somewhere, thought they were good. I did make some subtle changes, adding in
organic whole grains, extra cinnamon, different fruit and nut combinations, etc…
but nothing that could place the blame solely on my cooking techniques. I must say, my husband is a trooper and
despite realizing either initially or after a few bites that what I had placed
before him was actually pretty unsatisfying, he ate a large portion of each of
these recipes while we both had a good laugh and I threw my meal away.
I have included the two recipes below, in case anyone wants to try
something I wouldn’t recommend or thinks they know of a more edible method
of preparing versions of them. The first
is a recipe for a twist on a carrot cake muffin using beets instead of shredded
carrot. I have never been a fan of beets and these muffins smell and taste like beets. My husband likes beets which is why I think he was able to eat two of these muffins and
asked me to save them in the freezer “just in case” (I didn’t).
Maybe there isn’t enough sugar or cinnamon or the usual raisins and
coconut that is found in carrot cake, but I just found them to be gross. Beautiful to look at, extremely light and
moist, and completely unpleasant tasting.
Both of my kids took one bite and looked as if they were going to
die. I felt really bad and of course
gave them something else immediately.
The second recipe, which was this morning’s disaster and the
inspiration for this more comedic blog post, is one that I have heard mentioned
on TV shows, in numerous magazines and even on the package of quinoa
itself. It is a breakfast cereal
creation in the style of oatmeal but using the highly nutritious grain quinoa
instead of oats. Sounds simple enough,
but the flavor of the quinoa, and the smell, does not go well with blueberries,
lemon and cinnamon. As my husband so
nicely commented while eating more than half of his large bowl (I ate about 4
bites total), “quinoa is not a breakfast food.”
I have to agree, unless you are in the habit of eating savory dishes for
breakfast, because although my husband has never liked quinoa in general, I have
found it palatable as a rice substitute cooked with beans, onion, garlic and
plenty of other strong savory spices. But as an oatmeal substitute? Never again!!
So although my breakfasts these past few days have been tragic
disappointments and I had to break my steadfast rule on wasting food and
literally throw it all away, I do plan on redeeming myself later on this afternoon
with a delicious batch of chocolate filled peanut butter fudge drops and a
delicious pasta dish with homemade spinach pesto. Here’s to hoping that those creations turn
out well!!
Friday, January 17, 2014
Peanut Butter Cup Pudding
Peanut Butter Cup Pudding |
This recipe is yet another twist on my family's favorite Dark Chocolate Protein Pudding. The inspiration for this version came from a large block of 70% dark chocolate that I received in a gift basket at Christmas. Normally I would not have any trouble just eating a large amount of chocolate all on it's own, but this block was really big and every time I tried to cut a chunk off, it crumbled into tiny pieces. I suppose I could have just gnawed on it, but unless the chocolate is in bunny form, I find that method a little gross. So I figured I would melt it down and use it in a recipe. And since I had recently bought some silken tofu and some organic coconut milk to try, I thought maybe I would combine the three and see what happened. The result is a tasty pudding that is a bit smoother than my previous versions. However, the chocolate flavor was a bit overpowered by the tofu and milk, so I decided to add the almond extract which was definitely an improvement. I thought it was fine as is, but my chocolate loving daughter wasn't so sure, so I mixed her serving with some peanut butter. I am so glad I did. It was amazing. The pudding became rich and decadent, and since all I added was healthy all natural peanut butter, it was still fairly nutritious, and higher in protein and healthy fats. Because this recipe makes a lot and I am obsessed with not letting things go bad in my fridge, I have been eating it for breakfast the last few mornings and it has been so much fun. I guess I really do love chocolate more than most!
Labels:
chocolate,
coconut milk,
high protein,
peanut butter,
pudding
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Black Bean Brownies
Black Bean Brownies |
These are so cool. My 5 year old daughter watched this morning as I blended up the beans in my magic bullet and asked what they were and what I was making. Trust me, she was not very excited when I told her black bean brownies and adamantly refused to eat them later. I halfway convinced her that they would not taste like beans at all, but would be chocolate brownies that I was pretty sure she would like.
Fast forward a couple of hours and the brownies are cooling on the counter and the whole house smells like chocolate. I bring a sample over to her at the couch and she eats it without thinking and says, "yummy." I give a bite to her brother, who has a slightly more developed palate, and he politely asks what is in them, fully aware that I am always making something somewhat odd... His sister tells him "beans!"... so she did remember, and is now asking for more. Awesome.
Of course these are still a dessert since they have sugar and oil in them, but they also have a lot of healthful ingredients in addition to the high protein, nutrient rich organic black beans. I think next time I might swap out the coconut nectar for maple syrup because coconut nectar can taste a bit tangy and there aren't enough other flavors in these brownies to mask that. I also plan to try variations of this recipe using coconut oil or peanut butter instead of canola oil, and maybe even white cannellini beans instead as well... in perhaps a peanut butter chocolate chip version. So stay posted for updates!!
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Purple Rice Chili
Purple Rice Chili |
It is a very simple recipe to make, similar to a lot of my other bean and rice soups, but this recipe makes a lot. I cooked it the day before the party, let it cool for awhile on my counter (since it has no meat it can sit out longer than the usual two hour limit), and then put it in the fridge overnight. The next day I transferred it into my crock pot to have at the party and offered plain Greek yogurt, fresh salsa and shredded cheddar cheese to put on top. Since it was a cold January day, the chili was definitely a hit and although there were only about 16 people at the party and enough food to feed an army, more than half of this was eaten. Which means that although everyone liked it, I also have left overs, which I love!
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Maple Whiskey Birthday Cake
Maple Whiskey Birthday Cake |
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Raw Vegan Chocolate Pudding
Raw Vegan Chocolate Pudding |
Friday, January 10, 2014
Vegan Coconut Sugar Cookies
Vegan Coconut Sugar Cookies |
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Quick Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Quick Banana Oatmeal Cookies |
My daughter is super picky and there are many nights where I give in and let her have whole grain crackers, cheese and some small amount of produce that she always fights me about eating. But I had about a cup of oatmeal left in a big container in my fridge that I wanted to use up and knowing it would be way too much for my son, and that as oatmeal alone in a bowl, my daughter would not even attempt to eat it, I had to think of some other way to get it into her tummy. How about in cookie form?
This recipe is basically just a very simplified version of my Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie from the second post on this blog. I literally just mixed five ingredients in a bowl, popped a small tray with 8 cookies on it into my toaster oven for 15 minutes, and presto, dinner and dessert all wrapped into one. Of course I would normally use dark chocolate chips for their health benefits and the superior taste, or if it were just me, some walnuts instead, but I had a bag of white chocolate chips already opened and knew my kids would approve. Otherwise this "cookie" is extremely nutritious, really moist and flavorful and super easy to throw together. So the next time you are thinking about making oatmeal and have 20 minutes of time, why not make something a little different, and a little more fun!!! The mix in possibilities are endless!!
* at the bottom are some additional photos from the following morning when I made them again, in a larger form, with walnuts and dark chocolate- amazing!! :)
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Arugula and Walnut Pesto
Arugula and Walnut Pesto (with gnocchi) |
Monday, January 6, 2014
Kale Salad
Kale Salad with walnut & cranberries |
Saturday, January 4, 2014
5th Birthday Cake (snow tubing party!)
5th Birthday Cake (snow tubing party!) |
This is without a doubt a blog about healthy living, and along with that comes celebrations and indulgences. Birthdays, and children's birthdays in particular, are definitely examples of such occasions. So my daughter's 5th birthday party, the first real party, with friends, that she has ever had, called for an unforgettable cake. Growing up, my mom always made elaborate homemade cakes for my birthday parties and I have followed in her footsteps ever since my son's first birthday over 8 years ago. Depending on the party planned and the theme involved, I plan out something extra special, usually weeks or months in advance. Although not bakery display worthy, my creations are always fun, inventive, delicious and full of love.
When we first asked my daughter what she wanted to do for her 5th birthday, she said a pool party, but being that she was born in December, that wasn't such a great option. We wanted to do something different and active and since there is an amazing ski mountain less than 15 minutes from our home that offers snow tubing we suggested that idea. She took to it immediately. And it didn't take long for me to imagine the perfect party cake to go along.
This cake recipe is one passed down from my mom, with the exception of the whole wheat flour that I always have to add at least a little of. It is a basic cake recipe: moist, decadent, delicious and easy to make in all shapes and sizes. I have listed all of the different baking times depending on what shape cake you need to make as I have made it numerous ways myself. The frosting I used this time was made purely out of cream cheese (no butter) because I wanted it as white (and snowlike) as possible. I think the dark vanilla extract I added yellowed it a bit and maybe next time, if I ever need to emulate snow again, I will use clear almond extract instead. I used a lot of cream cheese because I needed a lot of frosting, but only one box of confectioners sugar. Hence the frosting was really gooey and soft and I am sure adding another 1/2 or full (1 pound) box would stiffen it up a bit, but being health conscious I figured one pound of sugar was enough. And it worked out fine regardless.
Below are the recipes as well as step by step images of what I did to create my daughter's delicious cake. I also included a few other cake designs I have done in the past, often using the same basic chocolate cake recipe. So please, instead of using a box, or ordering a cake from your local store (unless it is a wonderful small business you wish to support) try this recipe the next time you are in need of a birthday cake worth celebrating.
Friday, January 3, 2014
Italian Beef Stew
Italian Beef Stew |
On a snowy and freezing cold day like today, with time inevitably spent outside shoveling and plowing away half a foot of snow, it is nice to come back inside and smell a delicious dinner cooking all on its own. I usually don't like cooking beef and thought about making this stew with just vegetables and beans, but the organic vegetables at the store yesterday were not very plentiful or fresh looking. I only used a pound of organic stew meat, which cost me less than $5, so this dish is not only deliciously flavorful, but economical as well. It does take a bit of time to cook, with a few steps in the process, but the actual effort is pretty minimal. It will make your house smell amazing, while providing you and your family (and probably a few more people) with a nutritious, high protein, hearty meal. Sure to warm you up when the temperature outside is anything but!
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Chocolate Almond Fudge Drops
Chocolate Almond Fudge Drops |
* I made a double batch of these for a party a few weeks after the original post, but I didn't have quite enough almond butter... only about 1 2/3 cups instead of the 2 cups I needed. So in order to thicken up the dough I added an additional 1/4 cup dark cocoa and 1/2 cup organic sugar. They tasted just as amazing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)