Back to school prep

It is that time of year again. Time to get my little girl ready for first grade. The school supplies are waiting in her Barbie back pack. The newest line of Gymboree is hanging in her closet. Her hair is cut into an easy to manage length. The only thing left to do is start planning lunches. As Hannah put it last year she "is a packer, NOT a buyer".

I am a list writer. So of course when I started thinking about back to school meals I made a couple of lists. Here is my back to school meal plan:

Breakfast
- Muffins (All of these recipes are from Gluten-free Cupcakes by Elana Amsterdam)
*chocolate banana
*cinnamon crumb
*tart apple spice
*pumpkin
*honey walnut
*banana pecan
- Eggs
- Almond flour pancakes
- Smoothies (All of these recipes are from Everyday Paleo: Embracing a Natural Diet &Lifestle to Increase Your Family's Health, Fitness, and Longevity by Sarah Fragoso)
*blueberry bonanza
*berry chocolate
*mango madness
- Paleo waffles

Lunch
- Entrees
- turkey/ham rollups
- pb&j yogurt
- grilled/roasted chicken with dip
- almond butter and banana coconut flour crepes

- Sides
- sliced veggies (carrot, cucumber, celery, etc.)
- fruit segments (apple slices, oranges, grapes, etc)
- trail mix (nuts, seeds, & dried fruit)
- great balls of dates (Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragoso)
- bugs in a boat (Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragoso)
- yogurt
- apple/pear sauce

Snacks
- Fruit slices
- Cheese slices
- Mini-muffins
- Trail mix
- Lara bar
- Apple/pear sauce
- Dried fruit (cantaloupe is the favorite right now)
- banana bread

Of course the bready/muffiny items are grain-free and home made.

What are you planning to put in your little one's lunch box?

Crockpot coconut chicken

I'm clearing out my pantry and freezer in preperation for a major kitchen renovation.  Major.  Walls will be knocked down and ceilings raised.  To get ready, I'm trying to use up everything in my pantry (the pantry will be demolished) and freezers.  Thankfully I have a second fridge/freezer in my laundry room so we can live for a few months without this appliance in the kitchen.  I need to be able to condense the two fridges into one though.  Another way I'm trying to prepare is to make a list of dinners that I can make in a crockpot on top of my washing machine.  The thought of dinner being cooked on top of the washing machine amuses me now, it might not be so funny in a few months.

This dinner takes care of both kitchen reno prep duties.  There are only three ingredients that were pulled from my pantry and freezer.

Crockpot Coconut Chicken
(serves 2 adults and 2 small children but could definitely be doubled)

3 chicken breasts
1 can of coconut milk
1 Tbs. garam marsala

Place the chicken breasts in the crockpot.  Top with coconut milk and garam marsala.  Cook on low 8-10 hours.

The end result is a chicken breast that is incredibly tender and has a mild flavor.  Both of my kids gobble this up. I typically serve it with buttered broccoli.

This Christmas we bought the kids a few toys to replenish their toy kitchen stock.  We found two great Melissa & Doug sets that the kids have been enjoying.

 

This set includes seven types of fruit that the kids can pretend to slice.  Ben served me a very nice wooden fruit salad today.  The kindergarten teacher in me can see lots of matching and fraction practice too.

This is the other pretend food set that was under the Christmas tree.  It is a stir fry set that includes various vegetables, shrimp, and beef, along with the necessary kitchen tools - wok, spoon, knife, and chop sticks.  Some of the foods can be chopped into smaller pieces with the knife.  Hannah has created several stir fries for her baby dolls already.  I hope that if we create matching stir fries in the kitchen maybe the kids will eat them.

Did your kitchen (real or pretend) get a little bigger Christmas morning?

Trick or Treat

Halloween is just around the corner.  We try to eat healthy (obviously - given the nature of this blog) and not let Halloween derail the healthy habits we work so hard to foster.  Halloween is NOT the beginning of holiday eating.

Here is how we manage a cavity-free Halloween:

1)  Make the focus on dressing up.  The kids love choosing  their costumes and picking out the finishing touches.  This year Hannah is going to be Cinderella and Ben is going to be Elmo.  Hannah made sure to point out that Cinderella does not wear a tiara, she wears a blue satin headband and matching choker necklace.

2)  Limit trick or treating to one event.  In my town there are many many opportunities for trick or treating.  Just about all the shopping centers, malls, and even zoo have trick or treat hours that are not on Halloween.   We only go trick or treating once, around the neighborhood on Halloween.

3) Eat most of the Halloween candy on Halloween night.  I know, this probably sounds crazy.  Normally I would not condone eating large amounts of sugar but it is Halloween.  I have read that it is better for your teeth to eat a heavy dose of sugar once (and then brush well) than to be constantly snacking on sugar.  My kids are allowed to eat as much candy as they want when they come home from trick or treating.  They are usually so overwhelmed that they only eat about 5 pieces.

4)  Get rid of the candy that isn't an absolute favorite.  There is no need to eat candy that you don't like just because it was free.  The neighbors will never know you threw it away.

5)  Switch Witch!!  Every year on Halloween we have a special visitor - the Switch Witch.  The Switch Witch is kind of like the Halloween version of Santa Claus.  Instead of leaving milk and cookies we leave the majority of the Halloween candy.  The kids each pick 10 pieces to keep and the rest is left on the table.  In the morning the candy is gone and a gift is left in it's place.  My kids typically only get new toys on their birthday and Christmas so this is very exciting to them. 

How do you handle Halloween in your house?  Do you place limits on the amount of candy allowed to be eaten at once?  Do you pass out anything other than candy?

10 Commandments of healthy eating for parents

I received this as an e-mail recently and thought it was worth sharing.  We try to follow these guidelines in our home.


The 10 Commandments of Healthy Eating for Parents

It's as simple as counting to 10!

1. Thou shalt not force, bribe or coerce thy child to eat.
   
2. Thou shalt set a good example by eating at least five fruits per day thyself.
   
3. Thou shalt make mealtimes pleasant.
   
4. Thou shalt encourage thy child to help in meal planning, preparation, and cleanup.
   
5. Thou shalt back off when mealtime becomes a power struggle.
   
6. Thou shalt accept food "binges" as phases that will eventually pass.
   
7. Thou shalt accept the fact that thy child is an individual and thus will dislike certain foods (and there may be many).
   
8. Thou shalt not give up on introducing thy child to new foods. Thou shalt realize it sometimes takes 10 tries to get a child to accept a food.
   
9. Thou shalt use this division of responsibility for eating: As the parent, thou art responsible for deciding when and what to serve. Thy child is responsible for deciding how much (if any) will be eaten.
   
10. Thou shalt give thy child a multivitamin-mineral supplement if he is a picky eater.

Sauteed green beans and mushrooms

Sauteed green beans and mushrooms

1 lb. green beans, cleaned and trimmed
1 lb. mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
extra virgin olive oil
salt

1. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with extra virgin olive oil.
2. Cook the onion and garlic over medium heat until they start to soften.
3.  Add the green beans, mushrooms, and a light sprinkling of salt.  Stir often until the veggies are soft and tender.
4.  Eat :-)

This side dish is ridiculously easy but it is very yummy.  It comes together in just a few minutes and goes great with many fall dishes.

Food coloring is evil

Yesterday afternoon was a bad afternoon, very very bad.  Hannah jumped off the school bus talking a mile a minute about the cupcake she had in class to celebrate a classmate's birthday.  She was very excited about it which I understand.  We do not bake cupcakes very often so they are truly a treat for her.  She's 5.  In her opinion a surprise cupcake in school = best day ever!

Within 2 minutes of getting off the bus she was already picking on her little brother - snatching his toy trucks away and then throwing them at him when told to give them back.  You know it is a bad sign when a time out has been issued before we even make it through the front door!

All through the homework process Hannah fussed that she couldn't concentrate.  The homework was just too hard, she couldn't do it, clearly I hate her for making her write the number 2 a couple of times.  Oh, believe me when I tell you that my normally happy child was gone and no where to be found.  After some questioning, Hannah told me that the cupcakes were very very colorful ("like rainbows").

Now I see the problem.  Hannah and food coloring do not mix well.  It isn't surprising since food coloring is a neurotoxin.  Add it into a ball of sugar and wheat and pass it out in a party atmosphere and we have trouble.  Big trouble.  Put the kids to bed early and pour a glass of wine kind of trouble.

I don't know what I can do about this problem.  I certainly don't want to label it as an allergy with the school and have Hannah singled out during special events.  Honestly, it isn't the cupcake that bothers me.  There is plenty of room in Hannah's 20% for a birthday cupcake.  It is just the food coloring that bothers me.  If the cupcakes had been left white we likely would have had a better evening. 

I suppose there isn't anything I can do to avoid this.  Hannah is bound to have a colorful cupcake again this year.  All I can do is make sure we are stocked up on wine when I see a birthday coming up on her class calendar.

Real food expires

Follow the link to see what a McDonald's Happy Meal looks like after 6 months.  It might be different than you think!

Menu plan

I love stealing ideas for dinner from other people's menu plans.  Here is what we will be eating this week:

Monday - Chicken brocolli (and cauliflower) cheese bake
Tuesday - Roast beef (crock pot)
Wednesday - Grilled salmon
Thursday - Beef stew
Friday - Butter chicken
Saturday - Apple dijon chicken (crock pot)

Other things to make this week:
Trail mix
Chocolate chip cookies
Pumpkin "brownies"
Stuffed dates

Let the fall cleaning begin!

The air is finally starting to feel cool and crisp.  Around my house that means it is time to begin the annual tradition of fall cleaning.  I of course clean my house on a fairly frequent basis.  With two little kids and a dog there is hardly a day that goes by without at least a little cleaning.  I kick it into high gear in the fall (and again in the spring) though.  I love to air out the house and clean every nook and cranny before the weather becomes cold and we spend all day in the house.  To keep myself organized I have a binder with several pages of cleaning and organizing tasks to be completed for each area of the house.  I love crossing those tasks off the list!

If you spend much time in the cleaning aisle at the grocery store you might believe that you need all kinds of chemicals to get your house spic and span.  I don't think this is true.  The dirt might be gone but there could be a chemical residue in its place.  I clean the majority of my house using vinegar, water, and baking soda. Ben is one of those toddlers that is into everything and not remotely slowed down by standard babyproofing.  I can store my cleaning products under the sink with ease knowing that he can't be poisoned.

Vinegar is effective against some molds, bacteria, and germs.  I fill a new spray bottle about 1/3-1/2 full with distilled white vinegar and fill the rest with water.  This is a great multi-purpose cleaner.  I use it to clean my kitchen counters, bathroom sinks, dining room table, and any other nonporous surface.  It is also a fantastic window cleaner.  I think it does a better job cutting through the greasy fingerprints that seem to appear constantly on my windows and glass door than commercial cleaners.  Vinegar is an extremely useful and economical cleaner.  I buy those huge containers of distilled white vinegar for a couple of bucks and it lasts about 6 months.  $3 for 6 months worth of a multi-purpose cleaner is a great deal!

Have you ever seen those massive boxes of baking soda at BJ's and wondered who buys them?  I do!  Baking soda has a ton of uses, not just limited to cleaning.  I like to clean the bathtub with baking soda.  I hate to clean the tub with yucky chemicals and then give the kids a bath later.  I feel like they are sitting in chemical soup instead of fresh water.  I don't have that problem when I use baking soda.  Baking soda is nontoxic and safe enough to eat.  Sometimes I even add it to the tub to help with any diaper area redness.  My kids love when I clean the drains with baking soda and vinegar.  I just sprinkle in some baking soda and pour on the vinegar.  The drain fizzes right up, which always makes the kiddos laugh.  I then clear the drain with hot water.  Here are a few more ways to clean with baking soda.

With a little bit of planning and elbow grease you can naturally clean your home. Here are a few websites that offer specific cleaning advice:
The natural way to clean everything in your house
66 All natural cleaning solutions 
Natural cleaning recipes 

What fall cleaning tasks do you have planned?  How do you use natural cleaners?

This is news???

These headlines made me laugh.  Why do we need journalists to tell us these things???


Overeating in pregnancy make bigger babies

Meth use in pregnancy endangers mom and baby

Suppressing anger can make you a mean drunk

Study:  Teen internet addicts more likely to develop depression

Avoiding flu shots

This time of year you can not run to the grocery store or Target without seeing an advertisement for a flu shot.  Vaccines are a very personal issue so I am in no way trying to persuade someone who WANTS a flu shot to not get one.  I just want to offer a bit of support for those who choose NOT to get vaccinated.

My children and I have never had a flu shot (Paul has because they were mandatory in the Air Force).  I choose not to get the vaccine because we have healthy immune systems.  I also am a bit paranoid about all of the immunizations given to young children so I don't want to add anything else to the mix.  The first time I declined a flu shot for my children the doctor called me a bad mom and told me it would be my fault if my son died from flu complications.  Nice. It is worth pointing out that Ben was only 4 months old at the time and the flu vaccine is not FDA approved for babies under 6 months.  Needless to say we switched pediatricians. 

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition weighed in on the flu shot vs. no flu shot issue in the March 2010 issue.  They reported a study out of Japan that suggests that adequate levels of vitamin D are 800% more effective at preventing influenza than flu shots.  More studies are needed but appears to be promising information.

It makes me happy to know that taking vitamin D supplements can be so beneficial.  Our immune systems are growing stronger by the day. We are avoiding the flu while still avoiding formaldehyde and thimerosal (flu shot inactive ingredients).

Staying healthy while traveling

It can be really easy to eat junk when you are traveling.  The junk is RIGHT there.  There are big macs, french fries, and chocolate donuts at almost every exit.  You don't need to eat them though.  You can stay healthy while traveling.

1)  Preparation is the key - you NEED to pack snacks!

We usually start long car trips either very early in the morning, around 3 a.m.   This way we can drive for a while before we need to feed the kids breakfast.  In theory they would fall back asleep after being put in the car but my kids are always so excited to be traveling that they stay awake for hours.  When bellies start grumbling we pass out cheese sticks, homemade trail mix, raisins, apples, bananas, and/or nuts (chopped for the little one to avoid a choking incident).  This usually holds the kids for awhile. 

2)  Choose your restaurants carefully.

At some point we usually end up at a restaurant.  We can get the kids dressed (remember, they were plucked from their beds still in their jammies), teeth brushed, get out our wiggles, and eat a somewhat healthy meal.  We always choose a sit-down restaurant over fast food.  A real restaurant usually has a larger menu with more options and are willing to customize a meal.  For breakfast, Cracker Barrel is a good choice.  They offer a low carb meal that has eggs, bacon, and tomatoes.  It oddly comes includes bread too - just leave that alone.  Most restaurants serve some sort of salad for lunch or dinner.  Just make sure you order meat (chicken, shrimp, steak, etc.) on top of the salad or you will be starving by the time you are back on the highway.  If you really must eat fast food choose Chipotle.   Here is an excellent post on how to order at Chipotle.

3)  Bring bubbles!

Sitting for long amounts of time isn't good for you but is near impossible for little ones.  Bring bubbles, balls, and frisbees to use at rest stops.  When Hannah was 23 months old I drove (with the help of my mother-in-law) from Colorado Springs to Northern VA.  That is 30 hours of driving!  We stopped at rest stops along the way so that Hannah could run and chase bubbles.  When it rained we stopped at Walmart and let Hannah walk around until her little legs were tired.  If there are no other options you can stop at a fast food restaurant with a play area to play for awhile.  There is no rule you have to eat there just because you are using the play ground.

How do you stay healthy while traveling? 

Autumn in a jar trail mix

Autumn in a jar trail mix
(recipe inspired by Martha Stewart)

1 c. raw pumpkin seeds
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
coarse salt
1/2 c. unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 c. almonds, toasted and chopped
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1.  Coat the pumpkin seeds with the extra virgin olive oil and salt.  Bake at 375 for about 8 minutes or until golden.
2.  Mix all of the ingredients together.

Simple and delicious (oh wait....that's a different magazine)!

Nutritional supplements

I spend a lot of time researching recipes, ingredients, and nutrition in general.  The more I learn, the more I realize how much there is that I still don't know.  Take nutritional supplements for example.  I know that some are necessary,  some are a complete waste of money, and some can be downright dangerous.  The trick is to figure out which category each supplement falls into.  That is still largely a mystery to me.

Currently, I only take a D3 supplement (5000 IU - oil based).  I know that I probably should take a multivitamin but I have yet to find one that doesn't make me nauseous.

What supplements do you take?  Do you have a multivitamin that you recommend?  Any links to help decode the nutritional supplement mystery?

Brain Food

Cooking Light magazine recently ran a list of 10 foods that benefit mental health.  It is no surprise to me that these foods are primal friendly.  They are all foods that are found in nature and offer various health benefits other than just mental health.  If you want to protect your mental health (and who doesn't) make sure you include these in your diet.
1.  Blackberries
2.  Coffee (black)
3.  Apples
4.  Chocolate (the higher the cocoa count the better)
5.  Cinnamon
6.  Spinach
7.  Extra virgin olive oil
8.  Salmon
9.  Curry
10. Concord grape juice

Is there anything on this list that surprises you?  Anything you expected to see but don't?

Credit:  http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/09/08/cookinglight.food.boost.mind/index.html?npt=NP1

For the full size version check out http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/snake-oil-supplements.  There is a lot of information to digest there!

School lunch menu

The September breakfast/lunch menu was passed out at kindergarten orientation.  I was not impressed.  At all.

Here is the first day:
Breakfast - Chilled orange juice
                  Sausage breakfast pizza
                                  OR
                    Cereal with oatmeal to go

Lunch -               Choose one
                  Popcorn chicken with bread stick
                   Teriyaki beef dippers with bread stick
                   Chili cheese wrap with cheese sauce and tostitos
                   Yogurt with bread stick
                   Pepperoni and cheese salad with bread sticks
                          Choose two
                    Mashed potatoes with gravy
                    Steamed broccoli
                    Chilled mixed fruit
                    Fresh nectarine

This is a pretty typical lunch.  Some form of fried chicken and pizza are offered every single day!

Let's be positive first.  There are some good things about the menu.  There is a salad choice every day (although it often includes fried chicken) and fruits and vegetables are offered daily.

Now the negative. The breakfasts are not ideal.  Cereal WITH oatmeal?  Really? Sausage could be okay if it wasn't on pizza.  I find it absolutely awful that a child could eat nothing but fried chicken and pizza for lunch Monday through Friday.

Probably needless to say, Hannah will be packing lunch 99% of the time.  What are the school lunches like where you live?

Chocolate chip cookies

I think we have finally found our new cookie recipe!  I changed around Elena's cookie until it fit our desires.  This recipe makes a really soft cookie. 

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 ½ cups almond flour (make sure to press the flour into the measuring cups)
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 stick of butter, melted

1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup honey

1 egg, beaten
1 cup dark chocolate pieces 

1. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl
2. Stir together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl
3. Mix wet ingredients into dry
4. Form ½ inch balls and press onto a parchment lined baking sheet (a mini-scoop is really good for this)
5. Bake at 350° for 7-10 minutes
6. Cool on the parchment paper and serve

Tips:  *I add the egg last so I can taste the cookie dough first and adjust the sweetener, amount of chocolate chips, vanilla, etc.
          *I recommend that you cool the cookies on the parchment paper.  They are so soft they might fall apart hot out of the oven on a cooling rack.

Makes 24 cookies

 

I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we do!

Changes to our television schedule

All week summer we have been preparing for kindergarten.  Hannah went to a fantastic preschool program last year but now she is going to REAL school.  Permanent record kind of school.  Pass or fail school.  Can you tell we think this is a really big deal in our house?

As part of our preparations we laid down a new family rule.  No television during the week.  Did you hear screaming children somewhere in the distance on Monday morning?  Sorry.  That was my children's reaction to having the television turned off and the remote moved out of reach.  I was a little bit surprised they were so upset.  Our old t.v. rules were somewhat strict (1 show in the morning, 1 show while I'm making dinner, a movie only if it is raining so hard you can't go outside) by today's standards.

The good news is that the children are starting to recover from their grief.  Contrary to what they believed would happen, they did not die.  In fact they found lots of things to do.  On several occasions they took the time to dig to the bottom of the toy basket to find forgotten favorites.  We read a ton of books, built every puzzle in the house, baked cookies (look for our recipe today), built with blocks, etc.  You know, the kinds of things kids are suppose to do.  We all survived and did not cross the border into Crazyville.

The reason we elected to ban television during the week is pretty simple. We want to foster time management skills.  Hannah is only awake about 12 hours a day (7am-7pm).  Her morning will be completely taken up with getting dressed, eating, brushing teeth, etc. in order to get to school on time.  By the time she gets home from school and does her homework she only has two hours until dinner and starting her bedtime routine.  I want her to be able to play, create art projects, hang out with her brother, and just generally jump out her wiggles.

Has anyone dared take away television?  What are your back to school rules?