Stoplight Veggie Snacks

My youngest son attends a special needs preschool associated with our local school district. There are 12 kids in his class and every child is responsible for bringing in a snack for the class every few weeks. In an effort to help the children branch out and try new foods each school day has a food type assigned. The last time my son was on the snack schedule his day was "veggies". Which, naturally, brought lots of sighs from both my boys. When I asked for veggie snack suggestions neither boy could come up with a single food item they would be willing to eat. What is a busy mama to do? That's right, I turned to Pinterest.

And I found this:

Awesome stop light veggie snacks! The look in my sons' eyes told me everything I needed to know- this snack might just be a hit!

I changed up the recipe slightly- I don't know about other kids, but my boys have a slight salt addiction. This may, or may not, be my fault. I know that they really like savory foods, so I replaced the plain cream cheese with vegetable cream cheese. This was just enough of a change up to really get my boys excited.

I used a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to cut the peppers, rounding them off with a sharp knife. Each boy was given a child's knife and reminded about a thousand times NOT to lick the cream cheese off their fingers. The boys spread the cheese on the celery while I cut the peppers and then all three of us worked on assembling the snacks.

This was a super fun activity with my kids and each one of them ate a bunch of these stoplights- it just may have been the first time I have seen my oldest son eat a vegetable willingly!

Word on the street is that this traffic inspired snack was also a big hit with the preschool set as well- a total win-win!



Stoplight Veggie Snacks

celery
cream cheese- plain or veggie flavored
red, green and yellow peppers (one pepper each color made approximately 12 stoplights)

cut celery into 2-3 inch pieces. spread celery with cream cheese- add enough so that the cream cheese comes to the top of the celery and use your knife you level it off so that the surface of the cream cheese is smooth. cut each pepper into small circles. (I used a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, pressing the spoon into the flesh of the pepper. I then used a sharp knife to cut around the circle so that it actually looked like a circle.)
place one red, green, and yellow pepper circle onto each celery stalk. easy peasy!

I placed two stoplights each into a snack sized plastic bag and made one bag per preschooler. We had plenty of leftovers, which I stored in the fridge in an air tight container. Everyone in the family loved them and they were gone in no time!

taco cups, won ton wrappers and lots of sour cream

It has been quite some time since I have written anything for this much neglected blog. If you read my other ramblings then you know why. If you don't, you can read it here, and catch up with the rest of the class. Between maddening   oh so fun toddler chaos and the new work from home job I just started two months ago I have been a little tied up. But during my unexpected hiatus I kept plugging away in the kitchen.

I have continued my on again off again quest to serve my family only home made, only healthy food. And I am proud to say that I am meeting that lofty goal at least 75% of the time. My husband has been experiencing some mysterious health issues and my youngest son is exhibiting signs of attention deficit or, at the very least, defiant behavior. So now my quest to change our diet has real tangible reasons attached to it. My research shows that many behavior and neurological issues stem from problems with our "gut". My sister in law has been feeding her family with this in mind for the past 8 years or so and the changes have been amazing. So stay tuned for adventures in gluten free living, as well as a shout out to my past way of life- a return to homeopathic and alternative medicine.

In the meantime, here is what I made for dinner:

don't they look yummy?

Straight from Pinterest these little yummies were, well, yummy. And super easy. And another great use of won ton wrappers.

1 pound ground beef  (I used ground turkey- shhh, don't tell my family.)
taco seasoning packet
water
shredded cheddar cheese
assorted taco topics- I used diced onions, sour cream, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce

Cook the ground beef and drain. Mix in the taco seasoning mix and the water according to the package. Spray a muffin tin with non stick spray and place one won ton wrapper in each well. Place approximately 1 tablespoon of the beef mixture in each won ton. Top with cheese. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 8 minutes or so. If they don't look crispy enough for you then place under the broiler for a few minutes.


I also made little taco packets with a few of the won tons, figuring these would be easier for my little guys to pick up and eat. And I was right. The sharp corners on the little mini taco cups were a little tricky for my three year old. Who, by the way, totally did not understand dinner tonight. He ate all of his sour cream with his spoon, mixed a little bit of it in his yogurt, and then made a few passes at eating the little taco cup before I finally handed over the won ton packets, which he found much easier to eat. I know, I should have offered him one sooner, but he was just so darn fun to watch...

To make the taco packets I placed a teaspoon of the meat mixture and a little bit of the shredded cheese into the center of the packet, folded in each corner to the middle, wet the tips down to hold in place and cooked on a greased baking sheet for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

I rounded out dinner with corn and pitted cherries and everyone was happy. Another healthy meal!
Plus, I am now filled with fun ideas of what else I can stuff into a won ton wrapper...

Best. Chicken. Ever.

Best. Chicken. Ever. Truly. Everyone at the dinner table agreed, and as you know, I have a five year old who could live on meatballs and chicken nuggets and a two year old who doesn't eat chicken. Even the two year old ate a little bit, which is saying a lot.


beth's yummy chicken pockets

4 chicken breasts
frozen puff pastry sheets
4 oz cream cheese (I used light cream cheese and it tasted wonderful)
bacon slices
parsley or basil (I used parsley - fresh)
1 green onion
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon and set aside. Finely chop onion and parsley or basil. Add onion, parsley or basil, pepper, and crumbled bacon to cream cheese in large bowl. Mix. At this point you could add grated cheese, red pepper flakes (if you like a little heat), really you can add in whatever flavor combinations you like.

Cut a deep slit in each piece of chicken and fill with 1/2 cup of the cream cheese mixture. Place the chicken on the puff pastry, cream cheese side down. If your pastry is too small link two together with a little dab of the egg. Salt and pepper the chicken. Brush egg onto the edges of the pastry and fold up over the chicken, totally covering the chicken with pastry. Brush the top of each packet with egg. Place on baking sheet and cook in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.

These were great with crisp green beans. Easy to make ahead of time and just pop in the oven when ready to bake. Enjoy!

I love "pantry" and "fridge"...

You would think that because I work from home dinner would always be on the table right on time, right? Well, think again. Despite my best intentions to have home cooked, yummy, and healthy meals for my family to enjoy every night life seems to keep getting in the way. I plan. I shop. I prep. I start dinner hours before the family shows up at the table so that I can do a little at a time. I frequently cook extra and freeze for another day. And some days I pull it all off beautifully. Others, not so much.

So the other night I was slightly panicking at dinner time. I had defrosted pork chops but had no plan. And the boys, all three of them, would be home soon. As in SOON. I rummaged through pantry and fridge, (I LOVE Chopped, the TV show, so now I too have "pantry" and "fridge".) Anyways, I rummaged around, tossed a few items in a bowl, used my new favorite wisk and created my new favorite glaze.

Whisk together 3 parts apricot marmalade with 1 part soy sauce. Add in 1 teaspoon minced garlic and a dash of salet and pepper. Pour over pork chops during last 20 minutes of baking.

Amazing. Sweet and tangy with a little touch of salt. Husband LOVED it. Tiny Toddler LOVED it. Big Five Year Old tried it and said it was "good", which is HUGE coming from him.

This was so good and so easy that it has officially made my monthly dinner rotation.

Cheers to the New Year

Today is January 3rd and so far, I am doing great with my renewed desire to feed my family out of the box. Sunday my husband was out of town at a football game, which normally would mean I would feed the boys cereal or waffles or peanut butter sandwiches. But it was the start of a new year, the renewal of eating outside the box, so I made home made mac and cheese for my boys.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni - I usually just use one small box and freeze the leftovers
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese - shred it yourself to save money!
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 cups milk- add more if you like your mac & cheese a little saucier
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

           

Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. In a saucepan melt butter over medium heat and stir in enough flour to make a roux. Add milk slowly while continuing to stir. Stir in both cheeses and cook over low heat until all the cheese is melted and sauce is slightly thick. Place cooked macaroni in large casserole dish and pour sauce over- mix well.

Melt small amount of butter in saucepan and add breadcrumbs. Cook until brown. Spread over the casserole. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for at least 30 minutes.

oh my goodness so yummy!

 

 

 

The boys loved it and there was enough left over the freeze for school/daycare lunches.  And as always, I used fat free milk and lower calorie margarine, and it tasted just fine.  Yesterday we enjoyed home made sloppy joes, complete with veggies hidden inside so all of my boys, including my husband, were none the wiser.

We got a little off track last year with our eating. Who am I kidding- we got WAY off track. Spending each day fighting through adoption and bonding issues leaves little time or energy for planning, shopping, and cooking healthy. But those issues are all worked out, the family is back on a schedule and stronger than ever, and my commitment to feed myself and my boys outside the box has been renewed. I am totally psyched for this new year- bring it on!

 

Thankful for Corn on the Cob Cookies!

Thanksgiving brought beautiful sunny weather to Ohio and another foodie challenge to my kitchen- corn on the cob cookies. I made these beautiful creations for my son's preschool class and they were such a hit that I made them again for my husband's family Thanksgiving celebration, where there are lots of kids and cookie eating adults. Again, they were a huge hit at the family gathering as well, so score!

I used a basic sugar cookie recipe, true to my desire to cook outside the box. This recipe calls for a corn cob shaped sugar cookie as the base, so any type of sugar cookie dough would work. If you need to speed up the process or just don't like to bake then I would think that pre-made dough would work just fine. Just make sure the dough is cold enough to roll out. Because I don't own a corn cob shaped cookie cutter I used a sharp knife to cut out my cobs free hand style- they were each a little different in size but they looked just fine.

After baking and allowing the cookies to cool I frosted them very lightly with chocolate frosting and then covered each cob with fall colored M&M's, pushing them into each other so that they sat on the cookie like little kernels of corn. I then used green and yellow fruit leather to create the stalks, attaching the leather to the cookie with a tiny dab of frosting. Honestly, finding green and yellow fruit leather was the hardest part of the whole process! I ended up buying a bunch of boxes of mixed fruit leathers, which made my preschooler VERY happy, as he was able to then snack on the blue and red ones.

This cookie was easy to make, looked great, was fun for the little ones, and tasted great- total win! This is one I will definitely make again!

the invisible pop show down

My attempt at making the Invisible Pops from Martha Stewart resulted in a fair number of usable lollipops, a possibly ruined pot and measuring cup, and one small stove fire. Just a small one. I found the recipe to be easy to follow and even without any added flavoring they actually taste pretty good. I made two batches and followed the directions exactly and my pops still turned out slightly yellow, instead of the way cool clear of Martha's. (When I put on my Fall apron I like to pretend we are on a first name basis.)

Martha's

Mine

I found that the candy hardened quickly, especially to the inside of the saucepan. Happily, I had read the reviews of others who had attempted these lollipops and so I used an old pan. Catastrophe avoided. 

I chose to use lollipop molds instead of pouring free form onto paper. I should have just poured away. I found the molds difficult to use because the candy mixture kept overflowing the small pop cups. I did try a few free form ones at the end and they turned out OK, so if I make these again I will keep the molds in the cupboard.

The next step was adding the candy corn to the pop. This was not so easy. I pushed each piece down as far as I could, which resulted in a few burns on the tip of my left index finger. They were not completely encased in the hot candy, so I figured they would sink as the lollipop cooled. This did not happen. So each pop has the candy corn sticking up a little.

OK, so all in all they didn't turn out so bad. They are not nearly as beautiful as the photo shopped image from Martha Stewart. (That's right, I don't know if it's my burned fingers or the sugar high I'm on but I am currently not on speaking terms with Martha. This has happened before. Like always, it will blow over.) But they are cute. And maybe it's just because I am surrounded by monster trucks and sticky boys in my world over here but I'm thinking that little bugs would look great "trapped" inside these pops. Now I just have to figure out how to make edible bugs...









it is officially Fall at Bethfork

Better late than never but it is now officially Fall at Bethfork. I finally finished hauling the rest of the Halloween/Fall decorations up from the basement and I found my Fall apron. Mock me if you must; I know my loving husband occasionally finds my aprons smile worthy. But I love them. I put one on and I am instantly transformed from chaotic to calm. Not only calm, nearly fearless. Which is why tomorrow I am going to try to make these:

Now, knowing these are Martha Stewart's lollipops I did my homework. I read the reviews and agree with those brave women who have already tried this recipe - it cannot be humanly possible to get these into a perfectly round shape without help. I doubt I could get them into anything even close to resembling a circle. So I will be using molds. I also think I will be adding some type of flavoring - the very simple recipe sounds very simply too sweet. I am thinking cherry, if I can find it.

Now this might not seem like that daunting of a challenge, but I am not a baker or a candy girl. I cook meals. Appetizers. The occasional coffee cake. Sometimes I even branch out into cookies. But I haven't made anything requiring a candy thermometer in years. And yes, I do not plan to use my calphalon. On the off chance the candy mixture completely melts itself into the metal I want to be using something I don't mind throwing away.

So, wish me luck! And stay tuned- photo's to follow!

a yummy twist on Chicken Wilson

Last night I made my own special version of Chicken Wilson for dinner. I find that this dish is not flavorful enough for me when made the traditional way, plus, with a few small updates it turns into a dish my whole family will eat, which is, of course, my goal. My oldest son liked this dish so much that I renamed it "Chicken Matthew". It is nice when a meal with grown up tastes also works for the little ones.


Chicken Matthew

6 eggs, slightly beaten
3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
butter
1/2 to 1 pound mushrooms, sliced (depends on your tastes)
1 small onion, chopped
bread crumbs ( I like to use the seasoned kind for more flavor)
1 cup white wine (the recipes always call for "dry white wine" but I just use what I have on hand, which is almost always a sweeter wine, and it is always good.)
6 slices muenster cheese
olive oil
sage
salt
pepper

Lightly beat eggs in medium size bowl. Place chicken pieces in bowl and let sit in refridgeraor for at least 30 minutes. I usually get this step completed before I walk out the door to pick up the boys from daycare; that way I can start dinner as soon as we get home.

Melt butter in a large pan and add mushrooms and onions. Cook, stirring, until softened.

Remove chicken from egg bath and roll pieces in breadcrumbs. Cook in heated pan with olive oil. I just use the same pan I already cooked the veggies in- it is all going to mix together in the casserole dish anyways. Add sage, salt and pepper to taste. Mix in 2 additional tablespoons of breadcrumbs. Once chicken is browned on all sides pour entire mixture into greased 9x 13 casserole dish. Pour wine over mixture and place sliced cheese on top.

Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and cheese is bubbly.

I found that the addition of the sage and extra breadcrumbs made a stuffing like taste to this dish, which is probably one reason it was such a hit with the little ones. The wine cooks off and only a light flavor was left. I found this made about 6 servings.

Enjoy!

an anniversary dinner straight from the pantry

Yesterday my husband and I celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary. We have plans to leave the boys with a sitter and spend some quality time together this weekend, so last night we just had  simple dinner together after the boys were in bed. Normally I would have planned a meal especially for my husband, complete with dessert, but this year two things got in the way of that. First of all, my temporary out of work situation has led to a tightening of the budget, so I needed to stick to the ingredients we already had in the house. And second, this anniversary kind of snuck up on us. Last Saturday when I was doing the meal planning for the coming week I didn't even consider our anniversary. I didn't plan on a special meal so I had to make do.

Sausage Ratatouille

4 links italian sausage
1 eggplant, peeled and chopped (I use a small eggplant because it's not my husband's favorite.)
1 zucchini, sliced. (I halve mine first before I slice it.)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, seeded and sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can stewed tomatoes, with juices
3 tablespoons basil (I like to use fresh)
olive oil
salt & pepper

Puncture the sausage links several times with  sharp knife. Place in a pot of boiling water and cook on a low boil until no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes. Remove from water, cool, and slice into 1/4 inch slices.

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large, deep skillet. Add onion and pepper and saute for approximately 3 minutes. Stir in sausage and garlic and saute for 3 to 4 more minutes, stirring often. Stir in eggplant, tomatoes and zucchini.

Place lid partially over the skillet and let cook at a simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste and let simmer 5 more minutes. Stir in half the basil and remove from heat. Transfer to plates and top with remaining basil.

This recipe serves 4 to 6 people. even though the boys weren't eating with us I went ahead and made the whole recipe so there would be leftovers for lunch. I have noticed that if you are going to eat leftovers of this meal you might need to add a tiny amount of water or butter to the meal before you reheat it. I served this meal last night with a salad and garlic bread and it made a wonderful anniversary dinner!

sour cream chicken & potatoes

Last night I tried out a new chicken recipe. The reviews were mixed.

Husband:     please make this again. And put it in my lunch for tomorrow.
4 year old:   I don't want to taste it, it looks gross. (He did eventually take a few bites.)
2 year old:   refused to eat anything but fruit cocktail. But at least he did not throw it on the floor.
Me:             really really yummy, but too much sour cream.

I pulled the recipe off www.foodonthetable.com but then, of course, made it my own. The recipe I am printing here is the one I fine tuned last night. As you know, I don't measure a lot of my ingredients, so all amounts are merely suggestions. Also, I added to the recipe so that I would have leftovers for lunches this week. And no, I did not send it with the boys to daycare today. Although I was tempted... And don't put too much stock into my kids' lack of excitement over this meal - neither of them eat very well so I just make what I want, give them something else if I am making something that no little one will eat, and otherwise let them eat when they are hungry.


Sour Cream Chicken & Potatoes

4 medium sized potatoes, quartered
1 cup parmesan cheese. (I have found it tastes better and is less expensive to just grate my own. I always grate a little more than I need for the recipe so that I have some ready for salads and soups.)
1 1/2 cup sour cream (I used all the recipe called for, which is what is listed here. Next time I will not use nearly as much.)
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup fresh spinach
1 clove garlic (I use fresh garlic but the jarred minced kind is good also. Buying fresh and mincing it yourself is going to save you money, but cost you time.)
1 red onion, chopped (I think the recipe needs 2 onions)
olive oil - as needed
1/2 large green bell pepper, chopped (I think the recipe needs the whole pepper)
10 chicken tenders (any kind of chicken would work in this recipe. I like chicken tenders because they are less expensive than breasts and smaller, so they are easier for the kids to handle.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prep a casserole dish by lightly greasing. Place potatoes in large pot with water and pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Let boil long enough to cook until tender, approximately 10 minutes. Drain and return to pot. Partially mash with 3/4 cup parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup sour cream. Next time I will use only 1/4 cup of the sour cream.  Set aside, but away from the hungry hands of any two year olds who may be wandering through your kitchen or you might find yourself chasing down your potatoes.

Place sun dried tomatoes, spinach, butter, garlic and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese in food processor or blender and blend until almost smooth. This should only take a minute or two.

Heat olive oil in medium pan and add onions and peppers. Cook until tender and then spread onions and peppers in bottom of casserole dish.  Spread potato mixture on top. Keep oil in pan and mix tomato mixture in with oil. Add chicken and cook until done. Place chicken and tomato mixture on top of casserole and top with remaining 1 cup sour cream. This is the step I would leave out. I don't think the casserole needed the extra sour cream.

Place in pre-heated oven and bake approximately 15 minutes, until browned.

I like this recipe because of it's grown up tastes, it low cost, and it ease to make. I like casseroles that I can overcook keep in oven for longer than recipe states. Usually my meals hang out in the oven for a while, either due to my husband not getting home from work when expected or because my children have started some sort of war in the living room. Yesterday I had to remove both boys from the living room and send them into the backyard. Then I had to lock the screen door to prevent them from constantly coming and going. But at least I managed to get dinner on the table!

falling off the whole foods, no meals out of boxes wagon, landing in a ditch filled with diet root beer and instant pudding

The past few weeks have been very busy ones for me. I'm not sure why, really. I am between outside the home jobs and my two young children are in daycare throughout the week. My oldest son attends daycare/preschool five days a week and the little one is going two days a week until I go back to work. So maybe that is where my time has been going. Trying to adjust to being at home with the two year old three days a week was maybe a little more challenging that I thought it would be. I want him to still be challenged and learning, plus, if he sees that he does not have my total and undivided attention he turns into a tiny tasmanian devil, crossing the living room like a hurricane, leaving mayhem and destruction in his path. I send my oldest son and husband off in the morning and before I know it is time to do the daycare pickup. And frequently the two year old, (and me), is still wearing pajamas and I am rushing to get him dressed and thinking, "Where did the day go?" Then, all too soon, everyone is home and it is time for dinner. Which someone still has to make.

So I didn't even notice how crazy the past few weeks were until I was gathering up the trash from the kitchen. Not all of it would fit into the kitchen sized trash bag because there were so many boxes needing to be thrown away. I pulled them out and stacked them on the counter, to be carried out separately. And then it hit me. There, on my counter, were boxes from macaroni and cheese, hamburger skillet meals, pop. There were empty rice side dish and cookie boxes. I had to face the facts. I had completely fallen off the whole foods, no meals out of boxes wagon. Not just fallen off. Catapulted off while the wagon was rolling along at top speed, rolling down a hill covered with preservative laden fruit gummies and landing in a ditch filled with diet root beer and instant pudding.

Here's the sad part. Not only have I been feeding my family the least healthy meals I possibly could, but my oldest son had found a new favorite food. From a box. What have I done?

My four year old is just like every other four year old out there. He would eat meatballs and chicken nuggets every day if I let him. And he only eats those items if covered in cups and cups of ketchup. He is not big on trying new foods. And now I have given him a new food, a new unhealthy food, and he loved it. Now he keeps asking for it. So I finally found something different he would eat, something the whole family would eat, and now I feel like I can't serve it to him.

So back to eating outside the box. I know my experiment was working- last week my oldest son and I were at a play group dinner where very yummy and healthy food was served and I actually saw him eat a cucumber slice. Normally he sticks to fruit only and I have to trick him into eating his vegetables. It was a proud mommy moment, to be sure.

I set out to create a healthier version of my little guy's new favorite meal.

matthew zhao's favorite hamburger stroganoff

1 lb ground beef (lean lean lean!)
1/3 cup water
1 cup plain yogurt
8 ounces egg noodles

Cook noodles according to package directions. Brown ground beef in a large skillet with high sides, breaking into small pieces as it cooks. Drain. Remove from heat and add water and yogurt. Mix thoroughly. Return to low heat, add noodles, and mix.

I have played around with this recipe a few times trying to get it just right for my little guy. My first pass at it was too "grown up"- I made it like a traditional beef stroganoff, only replacing the beef strips with ground beef. I kept in the white wine, sour cream, onions and mushrooms I normally use in this dish. It didn't fly. I then removed all but the sour cream. Still too strong a taste for the four year old. Finally I replaced the sour cream with plain yogurt and voila - child approved. The good news is the cost of the meal was significantly lowered by replacing the sour cream with plain yogurt. In my house at least sour cream always goes to waste. I never plan accordingly and I wind up throwing away a half full carton away, long after the expiration date. The plain yogurt, on the other hand, never goes to waste. With the amount of yogurt my two year old puts away it is much healthier and cheaper to feed him plain yogurt with frozen unsweetened berries mixed in. So two birds, one stone. My son gets his new favorite meal served homemade and not from a box, and my grocery budget stays intact, which is more important than ever these days, with me between jobs. Another successful meal, and we are back to eating outside the box.

a visit to the farmer's market

Matthew Zhao and I are so excited that our local farmer's market is finally open! What started out as a quiet stroll through the fruits and veggies while pushing my little guy in his stroller has evolved into quality Mommy and Matthew time as we walk, chat, and buy our veggies for the week. I just cannot express how very much I look forward to this weekly event!

Last week we bought fresh green beans. Matthew picked them out himself, carefully stuffing them in the bag and then setting them on the scale. He handed over the money and attempted to pocket the change. Now I have read over and over again that if you want your kids to eat vegetables you should include them in the selection and preparation of said vegetables. This has never worked for me. Matthew likes to look at the wide selection of vegetables in the store and he likes to put them in the little bags to carry home. he likes to place them on the hanging scale and see how much each item weighs. What he does not like to do is east any of them. I remember back in China, the one time on the whole trip when he actually ate something other than cheerios, he ate tofu and veggies. Then he came home and somehow we broke him. My little guy wouldn't touch another vegetable.

I have found that the best way to get him to eat his veggies is to show him how physically strong he gets when he eats them. And by "eats" I mean actually chew and swallow them. I show him how he can't lift my arm up at all before he eats the vegetable and then, little by little, the more green beans or peas he eats, the higher he can lift my arm. He loves this game and it often results in him stealing vegetables off my plate just to see if he can lift my arm all the way over my head. It does, however, make for a long dinner time with the constant interruption of my son suddenly standing up on his chair demanding to see how high he can lift my arm, after every bite. So far I have only gotten this trick to work with green beans and peas. He still won't touch a carrot. Literally. He will not touch a carrot.

So maybe the combination of choosing his own veggies from the farmer's market and growing "strong" while eating them will continue to work for a while. But the farmer's market is so much more than a way to get my four year old to eat his vegetables. It is my opportunity to buy local. It offers my family fresh, pesticide free choices. And it gives me yet another chance to hang out with my little boy. They are young but for a minute and so anytime I can combine routine household chores with spending time with my boys we all win. Next week I think I will choose some fruit to try out a few new cobbler and dessert recipes, so stay tuned!

So here's a question for all of you: how do you get your little ones to eat their veggies?

organic or not organic, that is the question

It seems as though we hear an awful lot about organic these days. And I don't know about you, but to me, organic translates to pricey. I want to buy local, and I do, as often as I can. I understand that we should know where our food comes from, and it is often less expensive. And I love wandering around the local farmer's market, choosing our veggies for the week. But there is so much talk out there about "organic", so sometimes I feel as though this is what I should be feeding my family. So I did some research. And it turns out that some fruits and vegetables are lower in pesticides than others. I did not know this. I never really considered this before, but fruits and veggies with thicker rinds or that you will be peeling anyways will have fewer risk of pesticide residue. I also learned that young children are more at risk to harm from pesticides than adults. Yikes.

So here is what I have decided works for my family, and my family's budget.

always buy organic:

celery
apples
berries
potatoes
lettuce and fresh spinach/greens
peaches
pears

maybe not worry so much about:

corn
onions
pineapples
eggplant
cantaloupe
watermelon


There are a ton more fruits and vegetables that didn't make either list, but you get the idea. It's hard, right? You want to always do what's best for your family, but there is so much advice out there and only so much money to go around...

breakfast, anyone?

My sister and her daughter are spending the night with us tomorrow night and I am very excited. I don't have a large family, or barely any family, any more. Growing up it was just my sister and I. We have six cousins, both sides of the family combined, but being six years younger than the next youngest cousin I was never really close to any of them. My mom's lack of closeness with her sister-in-law led to a pretty non existent relationship with that aunt and uncle. While I was close to both sets of grandparents they have been gone for some time, the last one passing away back when I was in college. My father passed away shortly before I met my husband, and my mother has now been gone six months. My father's sister and brother-in-law, who are a great aunt and uncle to us and who are great with the kids, are aging, and my cousins are spread out throughout the country. It is basically just my sister and me. And while we are very different people who do not always see eye to eye I do enjoy spending time with her. Plus I like to have house guests. I'm weird that way. So I am looking forward to having overnight guests tomorrow night.

I have pulled out the basket of fluffy towels and toiletries. Because our guest bathroom is now the boy's bathroom I keep a basket filled with essentials for guests hidden away. I have checked for pillows and made sure the extra sheets are clean. I'll help the boys pick up their toys and straighten their rooms tonight before bed.

So now I am thinking about breakfast on Saturday morning. Three adults and three kids to feed, without becoming a short order cook. I think I'll make my french toast casserole. I know my family likes it, and hopefully my sister's family will too!

french toast casserole
12 slices dry white bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2  8-ounce blocks of cream cheese, cut into 3/4 inch cubes. (optional)
1 cup fresh or frozen berries (I like using fresh raspberries)
12 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup maple syrup

(the bread needs to be dry. I use the same method as I would for making bread crumbs. cut the bread into the 1/2 inch cubes and place on an ungreased cookie sheet or in a large baking pan. bake, uncovered, at 300 degrees for 15 minutes, stirring a few times. cool before use in the casserole.)

Place half of the bread cubes in the bottom of a well greased baking dish. Sprinkle cream cheese cubes and berries over bread cubes. Layer remaining bread cubes over fruit.

In separate bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, and syrup. Pour egg mixture over bread mixture. Cover tightly with saran wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Casserole can be chilled for up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove saran wrap and cover dish with foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for at least another additional 25 minutes. When done knife will come out clean and top will be puffed up and browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with warm syrup.

 

 

I like to make this recipe with raspberries, although the day I took the picture I had frozen blueberries in the freezer. There are so many reasons that I love this recipe. First of all, it is very easy to make. it is made with relatively wholesome ingredients. It can be made ahead of time. But the main reason I like it is because it is very easy to make with my oldest son. He loves to help Mommy in the kitchen, and this is the perfect meal for him to assist. And he is so proud when it is served!

back in the kitchen and loving it!

After a weekend at Cedar Point eating hotel and amusement park food I was happy to get home yesterday to my own kitchen. Overall we did pretty good while away. We all drank lots of water from our reusable water bottles. The boys did a good job of knowing that Alex's bottle was red with farm animals and Matthew's bottles was yellow with jungle animals. I did a god job of constantly refilling the bottles so that we always had water. On a side note to that: the family care center at Cedar Point is really nice! It is located in Planet Snoopy and also houses the medical services. The family bathrooms were clean and kid friendly and the baby changing station was right next to a small play room, so my older son could play while I changed the little guy. The sink had cold water for refilling our water bottles and there was even a quiet room with rocking chairs and high chairs, a microwave, and bottle warmers. Plus, there were two private breast feeding rooms. I was very impressed. And the best part? The air conditioning. We took a few diaper changing/snack breaks there and it was wonderful to sit down and relax out of the heat while not having to worry about what the kids were doing.

But back to yesterday. As soon as we got home I hit my "to do" list and got everyone ready for the week. The 4 year old and I did the grocery shopping and then I made two new recipes for dinner. Well, one new one and one that was still in "test" mode but that now I think is a real live recipe.

Parmesan Tomato Pasta Salad

1 bag tri colored pasta
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1 to 3 cups fresh baby spinach
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 finely grated parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons dried tomato & garlic pesto mix (I use Tastefully Simple. Really, any of the dried seasonings made to add to olive oil for dipping bread would work fine. It all depends on the taste you are looking for in your finished dish!)

Boil pasta according to package directions. I prefer mine al dente, especially in a dish that might be served cold. Add sun dried tomatoes, fresh chopped tomato and baby spinach to cooking pasta during last few minutes of cooking.

While pasta is cooking mix together olive oil, cheese and pesto mix in small bowl. I prefer to use a whisk to mix this so that all of the seasoning is mixed in with the oil.

Drain the pasta and tomato mixture. Rinse with cold water and return to pot. Add seasoning and oil mixture and toss until well coated.

This dish can be served hot or cold. I prefer cold because I am not a big fan of warm tomatoes. Crazy, I know. I am the only Italian I know who doesn't really like tomato sauce... I added the fresh baby spinach because I add this to a lot of my dishes in an attempt to sneak more veggies onto my family's plates.

My husband and the 2 year old liked this side dish. The 4 year old not so much, but then again, he really doesn't eat much so I usually don't worry too much about his culinary opinion. This is a recipe I have been playing around with for some time, trying to get the oil mixture right. This time, it was pretty good! I served this with Blue Cheese Burgers. I am not a fan of hamburgers unless they are served to me at Red Robin, but my husband is a fan and part of my joy of cooking is making new dishes for him.

Blue Cheese Surprise Burgers

1 pound ground beef (I use as lean as I can find, which, to be honest, does seem to make the burgers a little dry. But it's a trade off I am willing to make for a healthier burger. It doesn't bother me, probably because I don't really like hamburgers to begin with.)

worcestershire sauce
course sea salt
black pepper
blue cheese (I used a wedge and just broke off what I needed with a spoon.)
dry red wine

Place ground beef in large bowl and add 4 to 6 shakes worcestershire sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix. Pull off about 1/4 of the meat mixture and roll into a ball. Push approximately 1 teaspoon of the blue cheese into the ball. Add more or less cheese to suit your taste. Roll the meat around the cheese and form a patty. Repeat until mix mixture is gone.

Pour enough red wine into a flat dish to cover the burgers halfway. Add a few more shakes of worcestershire sauce and stir. Place each burger into the wine and let sit while the broiler or grill is heating, turning once to coat both sides with the wine. Place the burgers on a greased broiler pan or onto grill. Cook until desired level of doneness.

These burgers are really good with fresh red onion on a sturdy kaiser roll. This is the first time I have made these burgers, although I have made meatballs with cheese inside and figured these would be similar to make. The cheese melted well. I think next time I make these burgers I will add a little more cheese. We could really taste the wine on these, so you might not want to serve these to the little ones. Mine ate chicken nuggets the night I made these burgers. My husband liked the blue cheese inside these burgers and this is definitely a meal I will be making again!

thank god for annie's

We are taking the boys to Cedar Point tomorrow for the weekend. Matthew has been asking to go to a beach for about a year now, so he is super excited. Plus, he absolutely loved Cedar Point last year. He is still talking about the rides and has already planned out what he will be riding this year. We have looked at the rides online and he is ready. We are all looking forward to it.

I have been working hard to assure that my family eats whole and healthy. This means less eating out, no fast food. (although Alex, Brad and I did just eat at Boston Market yesterday.) Snacks are healthy. Popsicles are fruit based, juice is 100%... I do have to admit though that I seem to have replaced my McDonald's sweet tea addiction with sugar free Kool Aid. So far cherry is my favorite.

So back to the weekend. Every meal will be eaten either in the park or in a restaurant. Like any other family, we'll do the best we can. Applesauce or oranges, when available, instead of french fries. No pop. (Which my kids don't drink anyways. My 4 year old did recently learn the joys of orange pop while at the zoo, but he knows that is for special occasions only.) And I am ready with the snacks and drinks. Thank God for annies, right?

I am armed and ready with the "gummy bunnies", as Matthew calls them. I've got bunny crackers and granola bars. I've got raisins. I've got 100% fruit juice drink boxes. Alex picked out his reusable water bottle and so now no one in the family will be drinking out of plastic containers. Not only is drinking filtered tap water less expensive, but drinking it out of BPA free containers is healthier for everyone. Bottled water runs about $6.00 for a case of 24 bottles, and at the amount we are supposed to drink every day a busy family, away from the home tap and fridge, can really shell out a lot of money over the course of a year! Plus, I want my children to understand that there simply isn't room in this world for waste items that don't break down. The other day my 4 year old and I were out somewhere and he spotted someone drinking from a disposable plastic bottle of water. He pointed it out to me and said "they should be using a bottle that is just theirs. They shouldn't be throwing that away." I was so proud!

 I think I can balance the unhealthy food choices we might have to make with our healthy snacks and drinks. Bring on the beach!



alex's pick for a reusable water bottle



The Mission: Create a Side Dish and Save Dinner!

The other day my husband and I were sitting at the kitchen table. He was eating a late dinner after having gotten home from the office too late to eat with the boys. The aforementioned boys were playing "race car", which meant every 20 seconds or so the older one would shoot past us wearing his race car helmet and holding the matching steering wheel out in front of him. About 20 seconds after that the little guy would waddle past holding the Wii steering wheel out in front of him, totally mimicking his older brother. The race car helmet makes appropriate race car noises and both boys were giggling and screaming. It was kind of loud. But I think I heard my husband ask about "grandma's potatoes". Now I don't know if anyone else has ever heard of this dish or if it is specific to my husband's family, but I do know that I had never heard of it prior to joining this family. My husband's sudden interest in side dishes could only mean one thing. Side dish boredom had set in. I had to act quickly.

So I wanted to spice up dinner but didn't want to head back to the grocery store. For me, at least, part of the fun of trying new recipes and cooking for my family is doing it all well and coming in under budget. Lacking the items needed for grandma's potatoes I did the next best thing and threw together a brand new potato dish. It wasn't too bad!

Beth's "Side Dish to the Rescue" New Potatoes

1 pound small new potatoes, quartered. I would think that any type of potato would work, I just happened to have new potatoes in the pantry.

2 cups fresh baby spinach

4 green onions. Use more, use less, depends on how much you like green onions.

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour (approximately)

salt to taste

black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon basil. I use fresh and I am just not sure I actually like basil, which is why I keep putting it in so many dishes. If you use dried then you will need to adjust the amount to suit your tastes.

1 cup milk (approximately) I use skim milk in all my recipes, because that is what I have on hand.

1 cup shredded cheese. I used mozzarella because that is what I had in the fridge. I would think any kind of cheese would be good in this dish, as long as it melts well. I would not use Velveeta. :)

bread crumbs.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the potatoes in lightly salted water in a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Boil for approximately 8 minutes or so. You want to use a large pot because you will be adding the spinach directly to the pot and will need the extra room. Stir in spinach and drain. Set aside.

In a smaller saucepan heat the butter. Cook the green onions in the hot butter over medium heat for about 3 minutes or so, until onions are softened. I like to use my kitchen shears to cut the green onions- so much easier than chopping and works great. This way you can cut them directly into the pot. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and basil. Continue stirring as you cook the mixture over medium heat until thickened. Add approximately 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese and stir until melted.

Lightly coat a 2 quart baking dish with whatever you use to prevent foods form sticking. I usually use cooking spray or olive oil. Layer half of the potato and spinach mixture into the dish. Pour half the sauce over the potatoes and sprinkle with cheese. Top this with the remaining potatoes and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and breadcrumbs.

Bake, uncovered for about 25 minutes until potatoes reach your desired tenderness. I shut my oven off after 25 minutes and kept the door closed and didn't serve the potatoes until about 15 minutes after that, so they were in the oven for quite some time and they were fine. It seems like this is a dish that is hard to mess up, which, of course, makes it an instant favorite of mine!

These potatoes were really good. I may have added a smidge too much black pepper. My husband liked them. I liked them. The 24 month old smashed his with his spoon and then moussed up his hair with them. The 4 year old tasted them, stated they tasted "sour" and refused to try another bite. To his credit though, he really doesn't like potatoes. And to the 24 month old's credit, he didn't eat anything for dinner, so I'm thinking it was less the potatoes and more the heavy lunch that stopped him.

I served this side dish with homemade chicken and noodles. It was the first time I made the chicken and noodles without using some sort of cream soup, and it was lighter and yummier, and took only slightly longer. Plus, it was healthier. Two of the three boys ate the chicken and noodles; the little guy, again, just smushed his noodles into his hair.

OK, so if I had it to do all over again I would probably not serve potatoes with noodles. But my mission was to create a yummy side dish with what I had on hand, so mission accomplished.

Not Your Mom's Chicken & Noodles

3 cups frozen noodles

3 cups chicken broth

veggies. I used approximately 1 cup chopped onion, 2 stalks chopped celery and 1 cup frozen peas. You could also add sliced carrots.

2 cups milk

3 tablespoons flour

salt

black pepper

2 cups cooked chicken, or more, if your family really likes chicken. Mine doesn't really, so I only used about 2 cups.

In a large pot combine noodles, broth and veggies (except the peas). I used the granules to make the broth so I started with only water in the pot, then added the chicken broth granules, then added the veggies. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes or so, until noodles are the way you like them. Stir in 1 1/2 cup milk and the peas.

In a separate bowl combine the remaining milk (1/2 cup), flour, salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth. Add to noodle mixture along with diced chicken. Stir  and serve.

I waited to add the milk/flour mixture until we were ready to sit down at the table, so the noodle mixture sat on the stove on "low" for about 10 extra minutes. The noodles were fine. I love dishes that can wait on the stove until we are ready, don't you?

dare I dream about finally making the perfect cup of iced coffee... at home?

I just found an old Starbucks gift card and checked on the balance and woo hoo, woo - there's enough money on it for the small french press I've been eyeing! Overnight iced coffee, here I come!

I have tried the whole refrigerating the hot brewed coffee way of living, and it is not for me. Something happens after the hot coffee cools down, leaving it bitter. I have been trying for a while now and just can't re-create the yummy iced coffee my favorite coffee shops are hawking. And by my "favorite coffee shops" I mean pretty much every coffee shop I have ever passed. I love coffee shops. But I digress. Coffee shops are expensive and taking the kids is difficult and often annoying to the other patrons. Although I do enjoy the "mommy and matthew" time we have at Starbucks. We play Uno or spell words with the Boggle tiles, we talk about our day, we share. And my son learns a little bit about the world and how to behave in it. But again, I digress. What was I talking about? Oh yes, iced coffee. ahhhhhhh.

So word on the specialty coffee drink street is that for really amazing iced coffee you need a french press. And I have been wanting one for a while now. So I might just have to use this gift card, which I know is mine despite the horrible way we keep track of our gift cards, because my husband hates all things coffee and anyone who knows him well would never get him a Starbucks gift card. And really, should we be accepting gift cards from people we don't know well?

I'll keep you posted on my iced coffee success. (thinking positively!) And if it works, I might just chuck my old coffee maker to the curb. The thing has never worked properly since the day I took it out of the box, and a cute little red french press would look oh so much better on my counter!