Feeding Tyler

I am back-School Lunches Part One: Containers and Yogurt

2010-08-17T16:25:00.000-07:00

Well-I am back. I am going to try to post at least once a week, but would like to be posting 2-3 times a week. I will try to back fill with info about Ty’s diet, put in recipes in addition to the theme of my next few posts: School Lunches-What to Pack? If you have any requests or need meal ideas email me!

School Lunches: What to Pack: Part 1 Containers and Yogurt
So, as you know I am a director of a small early learning center near Columbus, Ohio. One reason I enjoy our center is because children have the choice to pack a lunch, or buy a school lunch for an additional fee (although, we currently do not offer this at our center, it will be offered soon).
This gives me the ability to pack my son healthy, mostly organic, meals that I know he will enjoy. In Ohio, and many other states, Childcare centers and schools are required to follow the USDA food guide. In Ohio this means that at each meal served at the center has to have a serving of veggies, fruit, protein, grain and milk. Milk is provided by the center and you can bring two veggies or two fruits instead of one of each.

My first hurdle when packing lunch for Ty was what to put it in. I know this seems like you just throw it in a lunch box and there you go, but I was packing 4-6 items for lunch everyday. That was a lot of plastic containers and/or disposable sandwich bags. Many of the items that I pack for Ty are warmed up, so I was not only worried about waste but also heating items in plastic.

So here is what we settled on:
This box not only has 4 compartments with lids for 2, but also a small container for sauce/ketchup, a spoon and a fork, and the plastic is safe to heat in. It is large enough for Ty now, and will continue to hold all his food for many years to come.

My other favorite box that many children bring to school is a simple metal box with two compartments. It is not safe to heat in, or large enough for an entire meal, but can be recycled. One student at the center brings one of these with a sandwich wrapped in one of these: (ignore the phone)

Yogurt
Ty is in a yogurt phase. Ok, if it lasts for this long, it is probably an obsession. He loves yogurt in milk, on cereal, and for lunch. Here again is a dilemma. Almost EVERY yogurt you find in the grocery is low fat (we are still serving him full fat foods), full of sugar, chemicals, artificial sweeteners/colors/flavors, and is just crap. So, from the beginning, we have flavored our own yogurt.

Flavoring your own yogurt:
This is entirely done by sight. Put in enough fruit to flavor, but now overpower, the yogurt.
-For this I prefer to use frozen fruit. By the time it is lunch time it has thawed and the juice from the frozen fruit flavors the entire bowl of yogurt. If you do not use frozen fruit I would suggest cooking the fruit or letting some of the juices soak out of it, first. If you are using bananas just mash them up. All fruit should be mashed before putting it in the yogurt.
-Mix one batch at a time (I prefer this because the fresh fruit can get nasty)
-Add in a little vanilla extract, cinnamon, cocoa, or even a little honey (if you need to sweeten up the fruit) to make the yogurt a little extra special.
-You can add chopped almonds a little brown sugar for a crunchy treat.
-For apple pie yogurt use cooked apples, a little brown sugar, and top with cinnamon.
-Jam makes a quick flavoring. Use your favorite unsweetened to make it healthier
-Peanut butter can be added with pear or apple slices for a fun dipping sauce!
-Make sure you stir before eating!

Sometime in the near future I will be trying to make my own yogurt for Ty. Once I do this I will post my thoughts/recipe on homemade yogurt.

Sources:
Lunch Box:http://www.amazon.com/Laptop-Lunch-Bento-Set-2-0/dp/B002Q0X54K/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1282086309&sr=8-4

Lunch Bags:http://www.amazon.com/Unknown-Eco-Ditty-Sandwich-Bag/dp/B003M6H4PI/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282087678&sr=8-1-fkmr1

Pictures of yogurt to come (tomorrow, when I make some yogurt for Ty!)

Rice Treats!

2009-12-15T15:56:00.001-08:00

Fruity Rice Pudding
Feel free to mix up the dried fruit in this recipe. You can also add more!

¾ c uncooked rice
2c milk
1 1/2c water
¼ white sugar
2T brown sugar
1 egg
2T butter
1t vanilla extract
2/3c dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, apples…)
Dash of salt

Boil water and add rice. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20min.
Combine rice, 1 1/2c milk, sugar, and salt in a pan. Cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 min until mixture starts to thicken. Make sure it does not burn.
Stir in remaining milk, beaten egg and dried fruit. Cook for a few more min, stirring constantly, until everything is warmed through.
Remove from heat
Serve or pop into 350 degree oven for a few min until the top gets crunch

For a tropical twist use dried papaya, mango, coconut flakes, or other dried tropical fruit. Don’t use banana chips though. They are too crunchy for this dish.

For a chocolate treat add in some chocolate chips instead of fruit after cooking. You can also add in 2T of cocoa powder.

For a maple treat replace sugar with 1/4c of maple syrup and use dried apples.

For a citrus pudding add in 2T or orange zest, and replace ½ c water with ½ c of citrus juice.

Brown rice crispy treats!

These are better for you than the traditional rice crispy treat. Although still a treat, it is a yummy snack for kids. This recipe is based on one by Alton Brown

6 c of puffed brown rice. You can find this in the organic section of your grocery store or at a Whole Foods type store
3T flax seed oil
4 c mini marshmallows
3/4c unsalted sunflower seeds (optional) in the Alton brown recipe he uses slivered almonds. The children I watch though they were too big and brought too much of a “health flavor” to this treat. The sunflower seeds blend in better and have less taste.
1/2c dried berries (cranberries, cherries, blueberries)

Heat oven to 425 F
Coat large glass baking dish with oil (when I used flax seed oil as in the Alton Brown recipe it added a lot of flavor that the children I watch do not enjoy).
Toast rice cereal in oven for 4min, make sure it does not burn
Heat oil, honey and marshmallows in microwave, 30sec at a time on medium heat. Stir after each 30sec interval and continue to cook until marshmallows are melted.
Mix mixture into rice, seeds and fruit.
Spread mixture in pan and cool.

Super Easy Rice Casseroles!

2009-12-13T18:52:00.000-08:00

Rice Casseroles!

These dishes are SUPER quick! One dish required for baking (you may need a few things to prep, like a cutting board or a bowl for tossing ingredients). Make sure you spray your dish with EVOO for easy clean up. For all of these recipes use brown rice (organic!) if you can. Stay away from “perfumed” rice such as basmati and jasmine. In these dishes the delicate flavors will be lost.

Spicy Rice and Chicken Casserole

Notes: If you are a vegetarian feel free to leave out the chicken. If you don’t like super spicy food cut down on the chilies or leave them out entirely.

Ingredients:
4 whole chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
16oz canned and diced tomatoes
1c uncooked white rice
1 green pepper, diced
1 or 2 jalapenos or other spicy pepper, minced (see notes below)
½ pack of your favorite taco seasoning
1T butter
3T all purpose flour
3/4c low sodium chicken broth
½ c milk (low fat or fat free)
Salt and pepper to taste

In large oven safe rectangle casserole dish lay out cleaned chicken breasts (see notes below on cleaning chicken breasts)
In a separate bowl beat butter, flour, broth, taco seasoning, and milk
Add in tomatoes, peppers and rice
Add salt and pepper
Pour mixture over chicken
Cook in a 350 degree oven, covered, for 45min or until rice is tender.

Sausage Casserole
This is an updated version of sausage casserole that my mother used to serve to us when we were children. My mother’s version was a cream of mushroom soup, veggies, sausage and rice. This one is a little different and healthier.

Ingredients
1lb sausage (I prefer a mild Italian turkey or chicken sausage in this but feel free to use any savory sausage including a bratwurst or your favorite sausage in or out of casing. Make sure your sausage is cooked and the fat is drained.
1 chopped medium onion
3 stalks celery, chopped
2c broccoli florets chopped
½ c mushrooms, diced (optional)
1/2c uncooked rice
2c chicken or beef stock, low sodium
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Dump it all in a casserole dish, mix and cook (covered) at 350 for 90min.

Vegetarian Rice Casserole
Feel free to change around which veggies you use but keep the same total amount of veggies in the dish.

Ingredients
1c rice (uncooked)
1 ¼ cup finely chopped vegetables (choose any! mushrooms, peas, greenbeans, broccoli, carrots, bell pepper, zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes)
1/4c chopped onion
2 1/2c veggie stock (low sodium)
1/4t of each dried thyme, rosemary, dill, and paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix in a 9/13 baking dish, cover, bake for 30 min or until rice is cooked through

Cleaning chicken breasts: No matter what brand of chicken breast you buy it will probably have fat, tendons, or even bones attached to it. When cleaning a chicken breast lay out on your favorite RAW MEAT cutting board (should be a separate cutting board from the cooked/veggie board). Pull up the fat, tendons, bone piece with your fingers and slice away as close as you can with a sharp knife. Make sure you cut away from yourself. Throw fat in trash (do not put down the disposal). After cutting off as much junk as you can wash the breast and pat dry with a paper towel. Make sure you wash everything, including your hands, thoroughly.
Hot pepper tips: The only way you are going to know what your heat level is on peppers is to try some. The link below is a good started guide though. When preparing hot peppers cut the top entirely off. Cut the pepper down the middle and remove all of the seeds and white part with a sharp, small, knife. Throw those parts away. Make sure you wash your hands before touching your eyes, nose, uh….other body parts or children!

Pepper hotness link! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scoville_scale

Cold Rice Salads!

2009-12-09T18:18:00.001-08:00

Cold Rice Dishes

Perfect for lunches, side dishes, or pot luck dishes cold rice salads can rock! Use leftover rice or cook your rice the night before. Make sure you use a long grain rice and don’t use too much water! Feel free to use wild rice or brown rice! Rice cooked in chicken or vegetable stock will add a lot of flavor but make sure you use low sodium and add salt to taste later.

These can be made a day or two ahead of time. Just add dressing right before serving.

Cold Rice Salad W/lots of Veggies!

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups cooked rice
1c Broccoli
½ c Peas (fresh or frozen)
1/2c Corn (fresh or frozen)
1c raw tomatoes, seeded and cut into bite sized pieces
1c pea pods or snow peas
2T EVOO
1T of your favorite vinegar (apple cider or balsamic work really well in this)
Dash of garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper (to taste)
Handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Blanch peas, corn, pea pods, and broccoli (Boil water, dump veggies in until they start to just get soft, no more than a min or two, strain and stick in an ice bath)
Combine everything in a big bowl, toss and season to taste!

Citrus and Fruit Rice Salad
Ingredients
2 ½ c Wild rice (cooked)
½ c red seedless grapes chopped into fourths
½ c apples chopped very fine

Dressing Ingredients:
2T fresh lemon juice
3T fresh orange juice
2T EVOO
2t honey (optional, if you don’t use this add a little orange juice for sweetness)
½ t of both lemon and orange zest (the outside of the peel chopped very fine, don’t use the white part!)
1/4t died or fresh tarragon
Salt to taste

Dressing:
Combine juices in a blender and turn on high
Drizzle in EVOO and honey
Slow down blender and add zest, tarragon, and salt to taste
Add Dressing to rest of ingredients!

Rice and Beans- the cold way!

Don’t give up on this one yet, it is great on summer nights or as a side that you can make a few days ahead of time for taco night!

Ingredients
3c Cooked rice
16oz Black beans (from a can or pre-cooked)
1c (1 medium) bell pepper (your choice of colors) chopped
1/4c finely chopped raw onions OR 1/2c sautéed onions (for a more mild flavor)

Dressing Ingredients
2T Canola oil
1 LARGE clove of garlic minced
Juice of 1 large or 2 small limes
1/2t lime zest
1T Cumin
2T cilantro (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine juice, zest, garlic and spices in blender
Drizzle in oil
Add dressing to rest of ingredients
Top with grilled chicken breast, sour cream, or eat as a side dish!

Rice!

2009-12-07T06:17:00.000-08:00

Rice!

This week I am going to explore rice!

Baby: One of a child’s first foods is rice. This comes through the form of “rice cereal” that is usually placed in a bottle or fed with a spoon around 6 months old (some earlier, some later).
When picking your baby’s first cereal make sure you go with organic. You should also look for BROWN rice (see more below) and make sure it is iron enriched! Rice cereal should be made to package directions, but can also be made into other foods (like Ty’s favorite pancakes, which he is eating right now!).
Rice cereal should be fed rice cereal until around 18 months old to make sure they are getting enough iron.

Toddler: Rice is perfect for toddlers because you don’t need to cut it up or do anything special for them to eat it! Just make sure it is cool enough to feed them and be ready for a mess if you let them feed themselves!

Organics!?!?!?!?

Just a side note on the organics before I start…I know that there are many studies being done on the possible benefits of eating organic products. Many people believe that organic foods do not offer any nutritional difference and that the chemicals in the foods do not hurt you when they are eaten.
Even if the end product that you eat may not be “healthier,” and time will tell on this one, many of the chemicals used to kill pests and weeds have been proven to be very toxic to humans, groundwater systems, and wildlife! So even if you are not eating the chemicals they are leaching into the ground water system and you are consuming them as a byproduct.

Organic vs. Non-Organic rice
Recent studies including one done by PANNA (Pesticide Action Network North America) found that there are over forty pesticides used in growing rice many of these (around 15) have been found to negatively effect humans and water systems.
Rice is cheap. Seriously, cheap. The best part is, there is little difference between the price of organic and non organic rice. (I recently found rice for .88 for a pound of white rice and 1.14 for a one pound bag of white rice)

Brown vs. White rice
To make brown rice the rice is run through a husker to remove the outer tough husks that protect the rice on the plant. White rice is made by removing the rice bran (inner husk) by polishing by using glucose or talc.
White rice was eaten in Asia for many reasons. Brown rice spoils quicker, you have to chew brown rice a little more, and white/polished rice was seen as a food eaten by those who were better off because of the extra processing.
Nutrition wise brown rice has more fiber, vitamin E, potassium and well, just about everything else that is good for you. It also has more flavor and is fine to use in most foods!
Although I like brown rice just fine, there are some foods I prefer white rice with (including most Chinese food!). This week I hope to provide everyone with recipes that use brown rice in creative and delicious ways!

For more on rice nutrition: http://web.tri-isys.com/greenhearts/orgbrown.htm

Coming up this week!
Cold rice dishes
Rice casseroles
Rice deserts
Gourmet rice dishes (without the work!)

Work Food update

2009-12-03T19:40:00.000-08:00

Work food:
As you all know, I bring Tyler to work. Although I was out of work recovering from my surgery I recently went back. I try to bring most of Ty’s food and supplement only a little with their food (usually a few crackers, some left over fruit, or milk). Here is what I usually pack for Tyler each day.

Breakfast: granola balls, pancake, toast, sandwich, fruit, cereal…the usual stuff. When I get to work Ty immediately is put in his little travel chair (don’t worry, I got a new one Jen!) and I give him food while I set up his little cage and start my work. He usually eats some and then gets out of his chair and eats a little more throughout the morning.

Shopping or organizing: Smoothie prepared the night before.

Lunch: Usual stuff with some crackers, fruit, or vegetables if we have been shopping. If Tyler sees me putting them away he ALWAYS asks for some (and he now says “please” which sounds like “peas”)

Nap: If we stay all day, which we usually do not, Ty has a smoothie for his nap.

Snack: Is usually whatever I have left over

Packing food tips:
Don’t pack anything that goes bad quickly, that way it can be reused the next day.
Don’t use anything that gets soggy over night. I always pack the night before because I have to leave the house before 6:30.
Drinks, drinks, drinks! Bring them all with you and bring extras.
Use an insulated reusable lunch bag.
Use containers instead of bags for less waste.
Use fruit that can be re-used. Bananas stay good if kept in peels and you can serve half at a time. Oranges stay good for days even when segmented. When cutting up apples/pears cut in half. Save the uneaten half in the peel and cut away browned parts the next day.

Juice and Jello

2009-11-30T14:10:00.000-08:00

Juice!

Tyler was “prescribed” juice by his doctor on a few occasions. When he was little it was for constipation and a SMALL amount of apple juice or stewed prune juice (made by me, see recipe below) was used.

Now that Ty is older he NEVER gets normal juice. Your typical juice from a bottle is nothing more than sugar water. Even if you are getting “100% fruit juice” it is still the sugars and flavoring cooked out of the fruit with very little of the good stuff left over.

We do however give Tyler “juice” which is a fruit puree watered down to 1/3 strength. This is made by taking soft fruit (melon, berries, whatever we have laying around) and blending the entire fruit (peel and all, unless it is an un-eatable rind) with water. Tomatoes also work well in this kind of juice. This is then strained, frozen and watered down when he needs a little treat.

We used juice a lot when I had my surgery and Ty was grumpy. We also use it when he is teething, has intestinal problems, and when we just want to spoil him a little. By serving “juice” in this way we keep the fiber, vitamins, and “good” stuff in the juice but take out the fake and processed crap.

Jello!

Tyler recently had his first experience with “Jello.” Now I will be honest, this was pretty much junk food. I realize that I could have made it healthier, and I plan to next time, but this was kind of a spur of the moment idea on my part.

I did not use regular Jello when I made Ty’s gelatin treat. I did not want the fake flavor, chemicals and tons of sugar/fake sugar in the Jello so I bought WHITE grape juice, boiled it and followed the directions on a pack of PLAIN gelatin. I made a denser Jello and cooled it in an ice cube tray. I then cut the chunks into smaller pieces and let Ty play with it.

Plain gelatin comes from cows unless you get a Kosher gelatin, in which case it comes from fish. I have yet to find a “good” vegetarian Jello (I used to be a vegetarian and tried a few types) because they all seemed too soft or had an odd flavor.

Next time I will use Ty’s fruit puree and water to make the Jello. I will also probably put in a few berries or chunks to make it a little more fun!

Picture from: http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PFWRSQPAL._AA280_.jpg

Seriously, I am back!

2009-11-30T14:04:00.001-08:00

The blog is back for real this time! After a request from my cousin and a friend I am starting it back up. It was down while I was recovering from my surgery, but since I am feeling much better I am going to start it back up again. So this week is pretty much going to be a catch up week and then I will resume normal entries (themed).

The Tyler Food Update:

Tyler is still eating many of the same foods as he had been before. Below is a typical day for Ty. Much of this information is what I gave my family as a guideline during my recent surgery.

Pre-Breakfast

½ a sippy cup of milk when he wakes up.

Tyler does not really have a "comfort" object (like a blanket or a binkie). Instead he likes to have a sippy cup around for whenever he wants a drink. We provide him with milk or water throughout the entire day.

Breakfast

Ty eats a bread, protein, fruit (1 handful or ½ a banana, no more), sometimes dairy, and sometimes vegetable. He always gets water along with his milk with breakfast.

Favorite breakfast foods:

Tyler’s French toast (bread soaked in egg and cinnamon cooked in a little EVOO)
Ty’s pancake (baby cereal, important up to 18 months, egg, and cinnamon)
Cereal: Toddler cereal, iron enriched and organic, served dry
Granola balls (cream cheese with baby safe homemade granola around it)
Toast (whole wheat (ww) or sprouted grain (sg) and organic) with sunflower butter or cream cheese and cinnamon
Egg, hardboiled and cut up or scrambled
Egg with cheese and vegetables

Typical meals

· ½ pancake or French toast, handful of fruit, cream cheese pieces

· Handful of cereal, ½ banana, cheese cubes (1/2 a cheese stick), handful of frozen peas

· Hardboiled egg, thawed carrots (carrots cooked and then frozen), cream cheese, handful of cut fruit.

Lunch

Please give Ty a bread, protein, vegetable, fruit, and if he seems really hungry dairy

Typical Foods

· ½ tortilla (ww or sg and organic) or 1 piece of bread with melted cheese, tofu, and tomato

· ½ tortilla or 1 piece of bread with sunflower butter

· Leftover breakfast

· Steamed peas, broccoli, carrots, other veggie with a little salt and pepper or some cheese

· Tofu cubes with tofu seasoning (cinnamon, stevia, ginger)

· ½ an organic cheese stick in cubes

· Granola balls

· Frozen peas (still frozen), he loves this when he is teething

· ½ Serving (or more) of a casserole from the freezer warmed up to just above room temp

· ½ banana

· ½ small apple cut into pea sized chunks

· handful of strawberries cut up into small pieces or other berries

· small serving of plain yogurt (with smashed fruit) or cottage cheese

· pasta with parmesan cheese and EVOO

· Cut up chicken with BBQ spice

· Crackers (broken up into small pieces)

Dinner

For dinner we serve Ty similar to what he eats for lunch or he eats what we are eating. Ty usually does not eat a lot of food for dinner, reserving his larger meals for earlier in the day.

Snacks (2 per day)

· Smoothie (berries, bananas, tofu, spinach, broccoli…..)

· Cheese, crackers, fruit

· Fruit, cheese, vegetables

· Leftovers from meals

Foods we are not yet serving Tyler

Peanut butter, nut pieces, popcorn, hot dogs, processed meats

Juice-See more information on juice in the next blog

Non organic and non whole milk.

We try to give Ty only organic dairy products.

We also try to stick to organic bread and WHOLE wheat or grain products or sprouted grain. It is important to read labels when picking out bread products.

Eggplant for babies and Ratatouille

2009-09-14T14:55:00.001-07:00

Eggplant for babies

Ty LOVED and still loves eggplant from an early age. For baby food I would not cut and salt the eggplant, instead I would jut slice it and steam it. After cool I would puree it and wahlah! Babyfood! For first finger food stage I would cut it into little cubes and steam it. Although it would turn a pretty nasty color, and really have no taste, Ty would scarf down the soft little cubes in no time flat.

Garden Vegetable and Turkey Ratatouille

This is not really Ratatouille (a vegetable stew), well the top is, but come on, what kid does not eating it after watching one of the best animated films ever made? This is great food for toddlers and adults! Feel free to change up the vegetables to your favorites as well as the meat choice (or you can leave the meat out vegetarians).

1 medium summer squash
1 large zucchini
1 medium eggplant
1 large onion
2 large tomatoes
1lg green/red/yellow pepper, sliced
(All the above should be sliced into very thin rounds)
1lb cooked ground turkey
2c cooked brown rice (you can use brown rice pasta if you would like or any of your other favorite rice/pasta) cooked in your favorite sodium free broth
handful of fresh or dried herbs (think Italian herbs, rosemary, basil, oregano)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 jar of your favorite tomato based pasta sauce
salt and pepper to taste
EVOO

Put a thin layer of pasta sauce on bottom of large glass oven safe pan and top with rice
Top with turkey, salted and peppered, mix garlic in to turkey first
Top turkey with more pasta sauce
Take all your vegetables and put them in a large bowl.
Salt, pepper, and toss vegetables with a little EVOO and mix in herbs
Place vegetables on top of meat in an even layer
Bake at 350 until vegetables are soft!

I am back- The wonderful world of EGGPLANT

2009-09-13T05:03:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I have not been posting. But I am back and ready to pick up the normal pace.

This week is going to focus on the delicious eggplant (make sure you check back for dishes that use eggplant). Yep, you read that right, delicious EGGPLANT. Ok, so eggplant is not that delicious and pretty much tastes like what ever you cook it with, but if you have been afraid of eggplant in the past (mostly because everyone says “yuck”) or if you have had some bad eggplant dish that turned you off, it is time to give it another try. Trust me, eggplant can rock if you cook it right.

Eggplant nutrition
Eggplant is a low calorie food that is great source of fiber. It is also a great source of vitamins K and B6 as well as Thiamin, Folate, Potassium and Manganese.
You can fatten up your eggplant in a hurry with many traditional fried recipes or those full of cheese so this week I will try to show you how to make those recipes still delicious but also healthier for you!

Picking out an eggplant at the grocery
Look for eggplants that are size appropriate (for their kind, like a mini eggplant should be small). Don’t buy the huge ones because they will be tough and have lots of seeds. Make sure it is firm and still has a little bit of stem on it (leaves are good too).

Eggplant prep
Wash outside of eggplant well (you are eating the skin here so try to buy organic if you can)
Cut off the stem, top of eggplant, and bottom (just to make it flat) and then slice the plant in slices 1/2 to 1 inch rounds. You can also go with long slices, but make sure they are still 1/2 to 1 inch thick.
Sprinkle the eggplant with kosher salt and leave in a strainer for at least 20min to draw out the moisture. Eggplant will turn brown if not salted, and still may turn brown, don't worry about it!
Blot eggplant with a paper towel (or better yet a clean lint free towel) and remove any excess salt.
Cook!

Growing an eggplant
We grew them this year because I got some plants for free. We only got one eggplant per plant (probably because of where I placed them) but they were great! It takes about 75 days for an eggplant to mature and bear fruit. You want to pick them when they are firm and not at all spongy (poke it with your finger, you should not leave an imprint and if it does the skin should bounce back right away). The skin should be taunt and not turning brown (if it is brown, you need to pick it ASAP). Don’t wait for your eggplant to get huge or you are going to end up with some crunchy seeds in your food. When you pick your eggplant use garden shears and leave a little stem on it. They will keep in the fridge for a week or so.

I'm Back!

2009-08-29T04:35:00.000-07:00

I am a little behind because I am still catching up at work from vacation (as well as around the house). Here are some thoughts on feeding Ty on the road and our trip.

We took a 2 hour plane flight to Boston (from Ohio) to start our journey. Before we left I gave Ty a big breakfast/snack/smoothie to keep him full for the car ride to the airport (about an hour) and in the airport until we could get through security. After getting through security I bought Ty some milk at Starbucks. Now I know though that you can bring more than three ounces of milk through security without a problem, so next time we will bring our own organic milk.

The best thing I brought for the trip (which Ty consumed on the plane and throughout the car rides, etc.) was baby trail mix. This was a combination of organic Teddy Puffs, organic banana toddler cereal, organic raisins, and organic cheerios. I also brought along two different kinds of Mum Mum crackers (rice husk dissolving crackers). Ty ate these on the plane and was pretty well satisfied.

I also packed Ty a few meals of peas (he likes them raw and cold), steamed carrots, cucumber, banana, pear, Ty’s French toast, sunflower butter sandwich and cheese. He ate this at the airport in Boston, on the plane, and at the beginning of the car ride.

After landing in Boston we drove a few hours to Concord, NH. Thank goodness Ty slept most of the time. Once arriving in Concord and meeting SJ’s parents we ate at Panera. Ty shared my pepper sandwich and enjoyed pickles, onions, bread, and part of his lunch.

On the road to Beecher Falls, VT (which took at least 400 hours), Ty mostly ate his trail mix, although I am sure most of it ended up on the floor.

At SJ’s parent’s house Ty ate mostly bread (as a cheese sandwich, French toast, with tofu and cheese, or plain), fruit (a few cups everyday because his grandma likes to spoil him), tomatoes, raw green beans (he wont eat them cooked!), cinnamon tofu, and parts of what ever we were eating. I tried not to push new foods on him because he was already acting a little unsure of where he was.

We did manage to find (after going for a drive and going to a few stores) organic tofu, milk, cream cheese (not organic though) and smoothie making materials. Along with the organic baby oatmeal cereal that I brought along Ty had enough smoothies and food to last him the first week of the trip.

After another 600 hour drive to Lake Shore Farm Inn (check it out! Link below) Ty actually ate the food they served there. My guess is because it has a very high sodium content. Ty enjoyed everything from eggs to a giant slice of watermelon to a concoction of cream of celery soup, beef, vegetables and rice. Ty also tried a number of desserts, his first time, other than is birthday, of having sweets. With the smoothies I had brought from Vermont (and stored in leftover water bottles) Ty ate well!

The trip home was easy. We brought our own milk, Ty ate some muffin and bagel that was purchased at the airport and plenty of trail mix.
Once home Ty had a little rebellion, probably because he had much less grandma time, and would only eat frozen peas and smoothies for 3 days. But now things are back to normal and I am about to go poach him an egg for breakfast!

http://lakeshorefarm.com/

See you in 2 weeks!

2009-08-11T05:51:00.000-07:00

I am off to Vermont and New Hampshire :)

Growing Our Food

2009-08-10T16:24:00.000-07:00

Past:

Growing up we had a vegetable garden. When my parents moved into their current house they inherited a garden from the previous owners. Although I have little memory of this vegetable garden I know it had asparagus for a year, some very low producing grapes, and some other vegetables that they planted. They also had an entire hedge of raspberries!

This garden was pushed aside for a few tomato plants when their deck was built, and gardening was pushed to the side. The berries still existed but the gardening time was replaced by raising kids and other duties of running a family and household.

When I was in my early teen years I asked my parents if I could dig up a patch of the lawn and plant some vegetables. They funded everything! I dug up an “L” shaped plot and planted a few veggies with the help of my brother. I have no idea what we planted but I remember the joy of having my family eat the produce I had grown.

Present:

My father is now OBSESSED with his vegetable garden. I find myself on the phone with him frequently talking about pests, disease, and the newest techniques. As a family we talk about preserving, drying, and recipes when ever we are together.

I have my own vegetable garden. With the help of my husband we put in a raised box garden the first summer we lived in our house. We buried a few posts, used some wood, and created a box that contains a pretty large amount of food (see pics below).

Steve carried over a ton of soil to the back yard and I have spent countless hours researching what to grow, when to plant it, and how to make it as organic as possible. In this garden we place our herbs, because it is close to our patio, for easy access, along with tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumbers, eggplant, zucchini, and a number of other items.

This year we created another garden, which will be expanded a bit next spring, along the back of our patio. I have found that this garden is great for squash of all kinds and lettuce/spinach in the spring. I do have a “dead zone” in this garden where the dogs run through. I also have planted cabbage in this garden recently to grow in the fall and will be putting in my second crop of lettuce/spinach soon!

Click pics to see larger versions!

This is our main box garden. This is from earlier in the year when we had lettuce growing
Cabbage (ok cauliflower) patch baby
Jackson eating tomatoes, he picks them himself

This is our new garden this year and Cameron

Future?:

I love my vegetable gardens but have recently come to the realization that gardening is one of the biggest things that brings joy to my life. To grow and provide my family with healthy, organic, and someday cost effective food (there is so cost in building a garden) that gives me pride unlike I have known before.

My husband and I have talked about buying some land in the past but recently with friends buying a small farm and enjoying the taste of absolutely fresh produce that we know is organically grown, we have started talking seriously about this.

I would love to have a garden like the one you see below. A completely boxed “lasagna” garden (more on this to come, but google it if you want to know now!). This kind of gardening has few weeds, upkeep, and pests. I would love to have a small orchard, berry bushes, strawberry patch, a few chickens (layers and fryers), possibly some meat rabbits (for sale), and a steer.

I know those of you who have known me in the past will find some of those ideas to be odd, after all I was a vegetarian for over 15 years, but this would allow our family to pretty much stop eating overly processed, chemical/antibiotic, food which has been shipped thousands of miles.

The truth is, we will always buy some food: flour, sugar, bananas, citrus, and other staples. I would love to bake all our bread, make our pasta, and make most of our food, I realize that it is not realistic to be making everything

Obviously this homestead is in a different part of the country but the way it is laid out is wonderful!

Pic from http://susty.com/path-to-freedom-dot-com-urban-homestead-farm-internet/

Tyler's Menu Update

2009-08-09T05:57:00.000-07:00

Because I stopped posting every little thing that Ty eats I thought I would update you on his typical day. Again Ty has water available to him all day (unless the dog has eaten all his cups…again). Tyler is now 13 months old!

Tyler’s Breakfast
These are Ty's foods that he usually eats. For breakfast I serve a combo of a few of these

Whole grain tortilla with sunflower butter
Ty’s French toast (egg and cinnamon with whole grain bread)
One egg (scrambled, boiled, poached, sunny side up cooked in water)
Baby oatmeal pancake with rolled oats
Omelet (cheese and veggies)
Whole grain tortilla with cream cheese and fruit
Blueberries
Watermelon
Raisins
Bananas
Tomatoes
Other fresh fruit
Peas
Green beans
Broccoli
Cucumber
Other veggies
Edemame
Milk
Cheddar cheese
Cottage cheese
Cream Cheese
Bread (whole grain)
Tortilla (wg)
Whole oat “cheerios”

Morning Snack
Usually leftovers from breakfast and some fruit and/or cheese

Lunch
I serve him some combo of these

Barley casserole
Pasta with veggies and tomato sauce
Tofu
Stir fry (really poached)
Edamame
Peas
Broccoli
Spinach
Beef/broccoli or spinach/cream cheese on wg (whole grain) bread/tortilla
Tofu, tomato, cheddar on wg bread/tortilla

Afternoon snack
Vegetable, dairy, fruit, protein

Dinner
We are still trying to get the whole family dinner together but usually Ty eats what we are having (protein, vegetable, starch) with some dairy or fruit. Sometimes he has something similar to what he would be having for lunch. If Tyler is cranky that night and not wanting to eat (usually because of teething) Tyler also has a fruit/tofu/veggie smoothie after dinner.

Turkey Bacon Bean Dip, wrap up

2009-08-07T04:30:00.000-07:00

And now for something totally different!

Turkey Bacon Bean Dip

Eat this with some chips, on a tortilla, on vegetable sticks, or on a taco!

1 can of refried black beans (use organic, no fat added, lard free)
½ can of black beans
1 pack of taco spice (reduced sodium)
6 strips of turkey bacon
1 jalapeno (minced small) use less if needed
1/3 c red onion, diced very small
1/3c green pepper, diced very small
1/2c fat free sour cream
Black pepper
Salt
Handful of cheddar cheese

Heat pan non stick pan to medium
Cut up turkey bacon into small squares
Cook turkey bacon until crispy, this should only take a few min.
Cool turkey bacon on a paper towel
Mix up beans, spice, pepper, onion, jalapeno, salt and sour cream
Fold in turkey bacon
Top with cheese, enjoy!

Turkey Bacon

Turkey bacon would be good if they did not call it bacon. I have yet to find a turkey bacon that has the texture and crispness of pork bacon. The reason: Turkey bacon does not have all that yummy fat. It is a little tougher than normal bacon and has a slight flavor of turkey jerky.

When buying turkey bacon make sure you look for the usual: organic/free range/no antibiotics, and nitrate/nitrite free!

Wrap up

Sick of beef, want something new, go turkey! Cook turkey breast cutlets like you would chicken. Replace ground beef with turkey. Just substitute turkey in for your regular meats. Super lean and full of vitamins (and cheap!) turkey is a great choice for changing things up in the kitchen.

My Weight Loss:

Down again this week! I lost the exact amount of weight that I wanted to!

I will be out of town for the next two weeks starting on Thursday. I am not sure how many posts I will have next week but I will be back!

Turkey Sausage Meatballs and another turkey tip!

2009-08-06T18:45:00.000-07:00

Turkey Sausage Meatballs

Add this to your favorite pasta and tomato sauce, serve as an appetizer, or form into patties for breakfast! I would use dried herbs in this, or cut down the amounts if you use fresh.

Ingredients

1lb ground turkey
1t each of sage, fennel seed, thyme, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt
1 egg
1c of bread crumbs
1/3c Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 350
Heat a non stick skillet to medium high with 1T EVOO into pan
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and form into 1in balls
Cook in pan a few at a time until brown on the outside
Place in glass cook pan (one layer) and bake until cooked through
Enjoy!

Turkey Tip
You can use turkey in place of pretty much any ground meat there is only one kicker: it is dry as heck! So when using ground turkey make sure you are using it you add some sort of sauce or extra fat (turkey is very lean, so sometimes adding fat helps).

When making turkey meatloaf add some bbq sauce and a few slices of bacon on top
Turkey is excellent in chili because of the sauce
Turkey is great with pasta sauce. Cook it up in a pan and add your favorite jar sauce
Turkey sausage from the store is good because it has fairly fatty turkey meat in it and the juices are kept in the casing. If you can find "free" or uncased turkey sausage it tastes great in lasagna. You can also remove the turkey from the casing before cooking!
Turkey is great in shepherds pie! Put it on the bottom of the pot so the juices from the vegetables coat it
Make sure you season turkey well or it turns out very bland!

Zesty Turkey

2009-08-05T05:07:00.000-07:00

Zesty Turkey (with mushrooms, optional)

1 ½ lbs turkey breast, chunked
1/4c chicken broth (see notes on broth below)
1 red pepper, cut into strips
1/3c apple cider vinegar (I would actually use this type of vinegar in this recipe)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, cut into thin strips
Dash of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
1 lg pack of white button mushrooms, sliced (optional)

Heat up a non stick skillet on medium-high heat
Cook turkey in broth until cooked through
Add mushrooms, pepper, vinegar, onion, garlic, salt, pepper until peppers reach your preferred softness
Serve!

Mushroom Preparation

I know that you are just supposed to lightly brush the dirt/poop off the top of the mushrooms before you cook them but I have issues eating poop. Instead I very quickly wash them off just before I chop and cook them. Because they are not sitting around in water or sitting wet they don’t have a lot of time to soak up all the extra water.

I also don’t really like the woody stems of mushrooms. It is your choice when cooking with mushrooms if you want to use them or not.

Don’t like mushrooms? Give them another try! Cook them long and slow to get rid of the raw mushroom texture (something else I don’t like!).

Apple cider vinegar

Don’t buy into the old folk tales of this “cure all.” Apple cider vinegar is probably just another food. Although some studies have show that acv can actually lower glucose levels, control hunger, and decrease some cancer risks, other medicines and products work better in every case. Acv in large doses has actually been shown to increase certain cancers (as does everything, so don’t knock it out of your diet yet). The truth with this product (as of now), is that it is a food. Use in moderation to add flavor and a zesty kick to salads or recipes.

Broth

I am so sick of hearing professional chefs on tv telling me to make my own broth because it freezes and does not take that long. The truth is, it takes all day, requires many ingredients, and honestly can be replicated with a high quality broth or bouillon.

I suggest using organic when ever possible and either freezing or using the rest of it within a week. Many stores, such as Trader Joe’s, now offer a more condensed form of stock in order to save on bulky packaging.

My absolute favorite broth is Better Than Bouillon. It is condensed, comes in a recyclable jar, and tastes great!

http://www.mothernature.com/shop/detail.cfm/sku/37552

Turkey, Dijon Turkey, and some bonus recipies!

2009-08-04T15:07:00.000-07:00

The wonderful world of Turkey

This week I want to explore the wonderful world of Turkey. It’s not just for Thanksgiving anymore! Turkey is an inexpensive way to get your protein and B vitamins without eating a lot of fat.

Turkey Parts and what they are good for!

The whole enchilada: I really only like whole turkey once or twice a year at the holidays. I find preparing and cooking a whole turkey to be time consuming, and unless your brother and husband deep fry it, dry and tasteless (except with gravy).

Breast: At the grocery you will probably find turkey breast or turkey breast cutlets without a problem. These are white meat, so healthier, and easy to manage and cook with if they are cut to a reasonable size.

Drumsticks: Giant and hard to find, just pass

Ground Turkey: A wonderful and healthy alternative to ground beef and many times cheaper than ground chicken

Deli Turkey: Unless you are buying actual sliced breast, with no preservatives, nitrates, nitrites, antibiotics, ect. stay away from deli meat. It is surprisingly high in sodium and fat and can be highly processed. That said, I love real sliced turkey breast and so does Ty. He eats if for lunch by itself or rolled around a little cream cheese and vegetables.

Sausage: Turkey sausage is almost always lower in fat then pork sausage and can be spiced just the same. It is great by itself or in pasta!

Just a note to my vegetarian reader :) I will be putting up at least one vegetarian recipe every week and there WILL be a vegetarian week coming up (as well as tofu!).

Dijon Turkey Breast

Easy and simple this is a great light recipe for any time of the year! Serve with a green veggie and your choice of healthy starch!

4 Turkey breast slices/cutlets (found in your meat case at the grocery)
4T of your favorite Dijon mustard (honey Dijon is great on this!)
2T fresh parsley (or dried)
2 cloves of garlic, mashed
1c bread crumbs (watch out for hydrogenated fat in these, making your own is easy too…see note below)
Chicken broth
Salt and pepper

Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat
Dredge cutlets in mustard of parsley, mustard, garlic, salt, pepper
Coat in bread crumbs (use some chicken broth or more mustard to get them to stick)
Cook over medium heat until done, about 3 min per side

Bread crumbs

Because many store brand bread crumbs are not really bread crumbs and instead are very fine crap filled with hydrogenated oils, make your own!

Toast up your favorite ww bread, put it in a food processor and go to town. You can also put it in a plastic bag (ONCE COOL) and mash it up! Make sure you toast them low and slow!

Bonus Recipes!

I made my husband a welcome home meal. After much thought, and way too much produce being produced in our garden, I figured I should make something with zucchini, squash and tomatoes.

Vegetable Chicken Soup (leave out the chicken if you are a vegetarian!)

Ingredients (remember to use organic where you can!)

2 cans tomato sauce, no salt (or use your own!)
2 cans chicken broth, one salt, one without salt
1 can of kidney beans (use fresh soaked if you are cooking all day, I only used one can but you could easily put in 2 or 3)
4 large carrots (sliced)
1 large onion (diced)
2 medium sized zucchinis (Diced)
2 medium sized yellow squash (diced)
4 large tomatoes (diced)
1/2c barley (pearled)
Handful of fresh basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary (chopped)
3c of fresh spinach
2 large chicken breasts (I would add more next time)

To cook (just like everything from last week)

Brown chicken in pot
Add sauce, broth, beans, carrots, onions
Cook for a long time, until chicken is cooked
Add everything else, cook until barley is cooked and soft (about 45min)
Add more water, spice, salt, pepper as needed

Tomato Tart (take out the bacon if you are a vegetarian)

2lbs tomatoes sliced and cored (meaning scoop out the seeds and take of the stem)
handful of fresh basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme chopped
1T cornsctarch
1c flour
1c cornmeal
1 1/2t baking powder
1/4t baking soda
3T cold butter cut into small pieces
1 egg
½ c buttermilk, plus more for kneeding
6 slices bacon cooked and broken into pieces
Handful of cheese (I did not use this but I should have!)
1 clove garlic mashed
Salt and pepper

Prepare tomatoes, mix in all your herbs and garlic (reserve about 2T)
Toss in bowl with cornstarch, salt and pepper
In another bowl mix cornmeal, baking powder/soda
Place butter in bowl, and working quickly smash butter with fingers into flour. Do not heat up the butter too much. If you do place bowl back in fridge.
Mix in egg, buttermilk, cheese, rest of herbs and garlic, a little salt and pepper. Add more buttermilk if dough is not sticking together
Mix bacon into tomatoes
Place tomatoes into greased deep dish pie plate
Top with spoonful of biscuit dough (make sure there are air holes)
Cook at 375 until golden on top and bubbling on the bottom
Place on a cookie sheet if you want to avoid a mess in your oven!

Vegetable Soup and Wrap Up

2009-07-31T04:02:00.000-07:00

Lauren’s Veggie Soup
This is a vegetable packed soup that freezes well. I use a giant pot and cook a ton, freeze half in pint containers and enjoy for months!

1small bag of carrots, peeled (optional) and sliced
1 bunch of celery, chunked
2 medium onions, chunked
1 small head of cabbage
1 15oz can of low sodium normal diced tomatoes
8c of vegetable stock
3/4c barley, 1c of lentils and/or egg noodles (whole wheat ones are yummy)
Spices (throw in some dill, parsley, rosemary, oregano, thyme, whatever! A store brand "zesty" blend is also REALLY good in this)

Chop veggies (except cabbage)
Place everything but cabbage and barley/lentils/egg noodles in pot
Bring to a boil
Reduce to simmer, cover, cook all day
1 hr before you want to eat cut cabbage into 1 in strips and add to soup
30-45min before you want to eat add in barley and/or lentils
If you want noodles pre cook and add in before eating

Wrap up
This week has been about basics. Those homemade recipes that fill you up on a cool day or that you want when you are feeling ill. Although easy, the foods in the past week have layers of flavor and can be changed and added too easily.

When feeding any of these to a baby or toddler make sure to decrease the salt, cut up and/or puree the food, and let it cool down. I would skip the broth unless your child is a bit older.

Ty loves beef, but only if it is tender, has a lot of flavor, and cold. I usually cook a dish like the ones listed above, take out some beef and veggies an hour before, chop the bits really small and then cool it in the refrigerator. Although Ty has tried broth I never give it to him because of the mess :)

My Weight Loss
This week I lost more than my goal (which is 2lbs a week). Last week I lost, but not as much as I wanted to :( I think it was because we went out to dinner and ordered out (for our anniversary) and had a lot of yummy leftovers which lasted for a while. I am finding it easy to snack at this time of year because of all the fruit available. The farmers market, as well as larger grocery chains, have so much local fruit that tastes wonderful!

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

2009-07-30T13:43:00.001-07:00

Yet another prep in minutes cook for hours recipe. This is a basic in any household and a good dish for cold days or when you are feeling sick. It freezes well too! Add in cooked noodles, barley, matzo balls, or rice at the end if you want some starch! A from scratch chicken soup recipe will appear at a later date.

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts, diced
3c diced carrot
2c diced celery
1 large diced onion
1T or more of: dill, parsley (I use a lot more), rosemary, thyme, bay leaf
2 cloves diced garlic
EVOO
8c chicken broth (you may need less)
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown chicken breasts in EVOO in a large heavy bottomed pot
Add in veggies, onion, herbs, garlic, and pepper.
Sautee until fragrant
Cover everything with broth and then add about 1 inch more
Bring to boil
Cover, reduce to simmer, and cook for a loooooong time!

Beef Stew

2009-07-29T15:15:00.000-07:00

Beef Stew

This recipe is easy peasy and freezes well. It is another takes minutes to prepare but cooks all day recipe.

You will need:

1lb (or more) of stew meat cut into 1cm cubes (or larger if you like)
1lb carrots peeled (optional) and sliced
1 bunch of celery sliced
1lg onion diced
2lg potatoes, peeled and diced (add more if you would like)
4c beef broth
1 bay leaf
Any desired spices (garlic, black pepper, rosemary, thyme, oregano, bay leaf)
EVOO
Cornstarch and water

Directions

Heat EVOO to medium high in a heavy bottomed pan
Add meat and brown evenly on both sides
Add veggies and spices
Add broth, bring to boil
Reduce to simmer, cover, and cook all day
Add more broth if it dry out add more broth
Once dinner time rolls around add mixture of cornstarch and water to thicken (take out the bay leaf!)
Serve with warm rolls, rice, noodles or barley!

Other tips:

You can also add 1/2 c of sour cream for a little fo- stroganoff flavor. Put on top of egg noodles for a little more!

Make sure you decrease the liquid if you are cooking in a slow cooker

Add more broth and barley for beef soup!

Product of the day:

The Ergo Baby Carrier

This product is why I can bring Ty to work with me. Since he was 9lbs I have strapped him in this to sleep, look over my shoulder while I work, and shop. Now at over 22lbs Ty is still easy to carry and I can do almost anything with him being held close to my back, side or front. The ergonomic design makes it easy to carry Ty even though I have lower back problems. This carrier is worth the extra cost and will not wear out quickly.

Pic from: http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/

Beef with Adobo Peppers

2009-07-28T12:17:00.000-07:00

Beef with Adobo Peppers-The easiest slow cooking recipe on the planet.

This recipe is great. If you can use a can-opener you can make this. It is delicious, SUPER FAST, and leftovers can be shredded and used in any Mexican themed dish. To cook faster keep meat at a low boil throughout the day adding more broth if needed.

Ingredients:

Giant hunk of beef-use a shoulder roast or another roast beef. You can use cheap beef in this because it cooks for so long
1 can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (look in the international section at your grocery or in the Mexican section). Don't be afraid to use the whole can (small can). They smell very spicy (and can be) but mellow throughout the day.
4c beef broth
EVOO
Salt, pepper (any other spices you want to use, such as cumin)

Super easy cooking:

Heat enough EVOO to cover a heavy bottomed large pot to medium high
Brown beef
Add in broth, peppers (chop peppers if you want), and spices
Bring to boil
Lower to simmer, cover, and cook forever (or until you test the meat for your desired temp)

Pic from: http://www.mexcart.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1_26

Product of the day:
Aladdin Snack Holder- This handy snack holder has two compartments for easy snacking. For dry snacks only this container easily pops open and shut. It holds a decent amount too!
Pic from:http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=9224756&sourceid=1500000000000003260370&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=9224756

Meals that take all day to cook, but only minutes to prepare!

2009-07-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

All of the dinners I will be posting recipes for can be prepared in minutes, the catch is, they need to cook all day. Although you could speed up these dishes by cooking at a hotter temperature, letting them cook for hours will bring out the full range of flavors.

Tips for speeding up cooking:
Follow this order when you are prepping your food

Start with the meat!

Start heating up your pan/pot and oil right away.
Prep your meat (wash, dry, chop, whatever)
Season meat
Start cooking meat in a slightly smoking pot (to sear)

Veggies!

Wash everything
Peel everything that needs to be peeled
Chop onions and garlic, most of the time these go in the pan/pot first
Chop hard veggies (carrots, potatoes, celery), keep everything separate
Chop soft veggies (tomatoes squash), keep everything separate
Wash and chop all herbs right before putting them in the pot.

More tips for speeding up prep time!

Carrots do not have to be peeled. If you let unpeeled carrots cook all day the skin becomes just as soft as the rest of the carrot and lends some texture to the dish.
Only thick skinned (usually brown) potatoes need to be peeled. Even these can be left unpeeled if they are scrubbed very well and if they cook long enough.
Get a sideways vegetable peeler. If you have one you know that these speed up peeling time.
Get a GOOD knife and keep it sharp. We only own one good knife. It cost us around $50 at Bed Bath and Beyond. It does need to be sharpened every few times that we use it and it can not be put through the dishwasher or even left on the rack to dry.
Use the right knife for the right job. Use a larger knife for chopping hard vegetables and meats. Use a smaller knife for trimming small amounts of fat or soft veggies. Chop your tomatoes with a tomato knife, or a steak knife. It cuts right through the skin and does not smoosh your food!

A few more tips!

Fresh herbs are great if you grow them, but cost a lot in the store to buy. If you do end up buying them (or at the end of your growing season) wash them well, de-stem, and dry them, then freeze herbs in freezer bags in individual portions. This brings a fresh taste to your soups and stews.
Have 2 cutting boards. One for meat, one for veggies.
Have a bowl for scraps. An empty produce bag also works well.

Feeding babies and toddlers from a slow cooker

Cool down all food
cut into bite sized pieces, or puree for the little ones
skip the broth!
Don't over salt food when it is in the slow cooker. Instead flavor once it is on your plate

Stove vs. slow cooking

If I am going to be in the house ALL day I use the stove. It is easy to regulate the temperature and easy to cook it faster or slower. But it is not safe to leave the stove on unattended.
For slow cooking reduce the amount of liquid you use (check your owners manual) and make sure you bring it up to temp (especially if you prepare the night before and put it in the slow cooker in the morning) on high and then turn down to a lower setting.
Every slow cooker is different. For the first use, at least, be around the house to see how high it cooks on each setting and how well the lid seals and keeps in liquid.
If using a slow cooker you don’t have to brown the meat before cooking it, but the color and texture of the meat will be better if you do.

Check back frequently this week for delicious recipes!

Product of the day!
Sideways vegetable peeler!

Pic from: http://www.alwaysbrilliant.com/aa/aspx-products/1-7110/2-57490/SC-Froogle/kw-103281/bb/Ceramic-Potato-Peelers.htm

Shepherd's Pie, Rice pudding for breakfast, Teddy Puffs

2009-07-18T05:55:00.000-07:00

Recipes

Spicing up Shepherd’s Pie

I love shepherd’s pie. This is a dish that might take a little time to make but can be made ahead, baked right before eating, and frozen.

A favorite of mine growing up, shepherd’s pie can actually be REALLY bad for you. Load up those potatoes with butter/cream/milk, only use corn, and use a high fat beef and you are talking an extremely starchy dinner full of fat. Here are some alternatives you can use.

Meat:

Ground turkey-this can get dry so make sure you put it on the bottom
Vegetable protein “beef” style- This stuff is great IN dishes (not really by itself). Try this with traditional shepherd’s pie spices or a little catsup mixed in.
Ground chicken
Very low fat beef
Ground lamb- a little more expensive and a tad gamey lamb is lean and healthy

Corn:

Using a small layer of corn is ok, but Shepherd’s pie does not really offer much in the way of vegetables
Mix in celery
Put in a layer of peas, green beans, roasted peppers, broccoli, or just about any other vegetable.
Mix in spinach with what ever you put in for a little more green to your pie

Potatoes:

Mashed potatoes with no butter and skim milk, add garlic for a little more flavor
Brown rice
Mashed cauliflower/potatoes (see previous blog for recipe)
Sweet potatoes
Thinner layer of traditional mashed potatoes

I am taking some liberties on what shep. Pie really is in this next section :)

Mixin’ it up, different spice and food combos:

Asian: Ground chicken with a little stir fry sauce, green beans, bean sprouts, pea pods topped with thin rice noodles also with a little stir fry sauce
Tex Mex: Throw a taco seasoning packet in with your choice of meat, roasted red peppers, corn, onions, black beans, top with potatoes
Indian: Lamb with curry spices, apple, onion, string beans, summer squash, any other veggies that are mixed with a little curry, brown rice, top with a little chutney
The vegetarian: Vegetable protein mixed with a little catsup, green beans, ketchup, peas, mashed cauliflower
Italian: Mix up your meat with a little pasta sauce, summer squash, zucchini, brown rice, parmesan cheese.

Ty’s Breakfast Rice Pudding

This is what Ty had for breakfast this morning, it was pretty good.

Ingredients:

1 egg
1/4 to 1/3c cooked brown rice (we had leftovers)
dash of cinnamon
Dash of sugar (ty’s did not have it)
Diced fruit

Scramble egg with cinnamon (and sugar) and place into hot non stick pan
Let it cook for a few seconds and add in rice
Take off stove and add in favorite fruit
(Ty’s also had peas in it)
Cool and enjoy

This can also be made with quick oats. I have done this at work. Instead of scrambling the egg and then adding the oats, you do it all in the same bowl. You then cook it like a pancake!

Product of the day:

Healthy Times Teddy Puffs

http://www.healthytimes.com/htteddypuffs.htm

These are a totally whole grain (no wheat or soy) product. Although I would classify these as not super healthy, they are easier to grab and more fun than cheerios. All organic, iron enriched, and sugar is way down on the list of ingredients these are a fun and quick snack when you are on the go!

Picture from website above

Blueberry Bonanza, Baby/Toddler chicken, My Fat Butt

2009-07-17T06:41:00.001-07:00

Blueberry Bonanza!

My aunt recently posted on face book that she was looking for some fresh blueberry recipes. Here are the ones I sent her, along with the ideas I gave her, in addition to a tart recipe (which I made last night!). Anyone who wants a recipe for something not listed on here, just leave a comment and I will put it in a future post!

Sweet ideas!
-Put some whipped cream on them (or even better blueberry shortcake!)
-Blueberry crumble
-Blueberry pudding
-PIE (you can even use store bought crust and make it super easy)... Read More
-Blueberry French toast
-Fruit Salad
-Make your own blueberry yogurt

Savory Ideas
-Put them on a salad
-Blueberry soup
-Make some sauce for chicken, fish or steak
-Blueberry salsa

Drinks-
-Blueberry cocktail (gin, sour mix, blueberry puree)
-Blueberry lemonade
-Smoothie (yogurt, milk, tofu)

Recipes:

Blueberry soup-

1lb of blue berries
½ c water
1/4c dry red wine
1/4c sugar
3/4c low fat plain yogurt
squeeze of lemon juice
1t cinnamon
pinch of cardamom
pinch of allspice
1/3 c sour cream

In a small pot boil sugar, lemon, and spices with water and blueberries
Boil for 5 min stirring constantly
remove and put in blender to puree
Cool in refrigerator
Stir in wine and yogurt garnish with small spoonful of sour cream (or more yogurt)

French toast
I would actually make blueberry syrup by combining blueberries, sugar to taste, squeeze of lemon, and small amount of vanilla in a sauce pan. Cook and reduce. You can also add this to cream cheese for an awesome bagel spread.

Salsa
Combine

2 c whole blueberries
1 1/2 c chopped blueberries
Jalapeno pepper, minced!
1 red pepper diced
1 small red onion diced
cilantro to taste (I hate cilantro so I leave it out)
salt to taste
1 large lemon, juiced (you could also use 1 lime instead)

Fish Sauce

Combine in a pot

1/3 c chicken stalk
¼ cup OJ
¼ c balsamic vinegar

2. Bring to a boil

3.Add rue (1T cornstarch in water) cook until thicker
4. Stir in 1c fresh blueberries
5. Pour on fish or chicken

Lemonade (yum, yum)
2 variations
1) puree in blender-3 c blueberries, 2/3c sugar, 2c fresh lemon juice. Stir into 3c cold water and ice!
2) This one is the kind the kids I watch LOVE- mix together 3c water, 3/4c lemon juice, 2T cream of coconut, 1c frozen blueberries, 1 sliced star fruit, 1/3 c sugar (or more to taste), ice!

Vinaigrette
Puree 1/2c blueberries, 1 clove garlic, 1/4c red onion, 2T champaign vinegar (you can use white or white balsamic but make sure it is high quality), 1/2t sugar, and olive oil until you get the consistency you like!
I also like to add in parsley, chives, and a dash of cinnamon

Blueberry Tarts

These can be simple or complicated, depending on how much time you want to put into them.

Tart shell

Heat oven to 350 (if using store bought cookie dough follow pkg directions)
Grease a muffin pan VERY well
Cut COLD sugar cookie dough into rounds that are larger than the bottom of the muffin pan
Place rounds in pan and push down so the dough has a lip
Cook until golden brown
Cool
Remove from pan

Pudding

Make your favorite vanilla pudding (homemade is not that hard to make!)
Put in a dash of ginger
Cool in fridge

Blue Berries

Take berries and mix with a few tablespoons of apricot jam
Refrigerate

Putting it all together

RIGHT BEFORE SERVING (these will get soggy)
Place a spoonful of pudding into tart shell
Top with blueberries
You can also top with a little candied ginger if you want!

Freezing Cooked Chicken-from baby food to toddler chunks

By far the healthiest way to cook meat is to steam or poach it. I prefer to poach because I don’t have to worry about it drying out or being undercooked (you can leave it in forever). Although some meats are harder to poach, poaching chicken is quick and easy.

To poach chicken cut off any fat on the chicken breast and dump it in a pot of boiling water. Let it cook until no pink remains in the middle of the chicken and you are done! Add your favorite seasonings and you have your firs meal of poached chicken.

Chicken for beginning eaters- you can make baby chicken out of ground chicken that you sauté, but I prefer to poach and then food process the meat. When you put the chicken in the food processor make sure that it is already cut into chunks.

When you prepare chicken this way it does not get a slimy texture. Instead it becomes little granules. You can then take the chicken put it on a cookie sheet and freeze it, making chicken “sand.” I like to prepare it this way because you can then just scoop out as much of this sand as you want, add broth or what ever else you want to, and there you go! You have easy baby food. This way you also don’t have to use a set amount (such as if you froze it in an ice cube tray).

Toddler chunks- Instead of cutting the chicken, poaching it, and then freezing it, I like to poach entire breasts and then shred it. This makes the texture of the chicken more natural and a bit stringy. It is very easy to freeze this way and breaks apart well when you want to thaw.

Ty’s favorite ways to eat quick thawed chicken

When he was a baby Ty liked his chicken

-Mixed with plain whole milk (organic) yogurt

-Mixed in with a little cheddar cheese

-Rolled in with cream cheese

-With a little pepper, paprika, and garlic

Now Ty likes his chicken

-With taco seasoning

-Spicy!

-With stir fry sauce

-Mixed in with squash

My own struggle with weight loss:

If you know me you know I am not a thin woman. Recently Ty and my husband have inspired me to lose weight. I don’t want him to have an out of shape mom who eats a lot of junk food but forces the good stuff into him!

While I was breast feeding I was unable to lose a lot of weight. Each time the pounds started to come off my supply was reduced and Ty would not get enough food. So I kept myself at a constant weight.

Now that I am done breast feeding I plan on becoming a healthy weight with the help of my husband (who has recently become a healthy weight). Each week (on Fridays) I plan to weight myself and see if I dropped weight, met my goal, and evaluate my progress.

You should be happy to know that this week I dropped more weight than my goal! Yeah for me!

Italian Stuffed Chicken, Bread Types, Veggies

2009-07-10T17:26:00.001-07:00

Date: Thursday, July 9th, 2009

Tyler is: 12 months old

I have decided to leave out Ty’s menu from now on. It was a little too much work and I am sure that the only one who was interested was hi grandma :)

Recipe:
Italian Stuffed chicken breasts
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

4 small chicken breasts with fat removed
1c frozen spinach (or 1 and 1/2c fresh finely chopped)
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/4c finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (re constituted in water)
1/4 c of both parmesan and mozzarella cheese
Canned or jarred pasta sauce
Fresh or dried basil, oregano, rosemary, black pepper and salt

Pre heat oven to 400F

In a bowl combine tomatoes, garlic, spinach and herbs/salt to taste.
Stir in parm. cheese
Cut a slit in the chicken breasts to be able to stuff them
Stuff veg. mixture into chicken breasts
Top chicken breasts with canned sauce and mozzarella cheese
Bake in oven until chicken is cooked (use a meat thermometer in the un-sliced thick part of the chicken to know if the temp is right.

Feel free to serve with a side of ww pasta, salad, or steamed green beans with garlic!

Other Information:
Buying bread for all ages:
As you can probably tell from reading my blog I am not a "no" carb. person. Carbs are part of my life, our culture, and are an easy way to incorporate many ingredients into one meal.

I have two rules for bread: 1 use whole grains (sprouted, whole wheat, ect.) and 2 keep it in moderation!

Bread products come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Each one can be cut down for the little ones, topped with foods for the older ones, cut into fun shapes and cooked with.

Mix up your shape and kind of bread to change up those boring lunches!

Try:

Pita
Tortillas (big and small, rolled, flat, or baked till crispy!
Thin wraps
Naan bread
Sandwich bread (cut in different shapes, use a cookie cutter)
Bread pockets (like Pita but thinner)
Bagels
English muffins
Dosa (like a crepe)
Chapatti (great for scooping up foods)
Chinese steamed bread or dumplings
Buns
Rolls
Bread bowls
Crisp bread
Crackers
Matzo

Vegetables at every meal
Many Americans do not consume nearly enough vegetables a day. Children and adults should be eating between 3 to 5 servings, AT LEAST, a day. Meaning vegetables should be consumed at every meal and/or snack if possible.

Let’s be honest though, most vegetables are consumed at dinner in a larger quantity, which is fine. Having a salad and a large portion of broccoli can equal at least 3 servings of vegetables if not more.

Adding in vegetables for a snack or some at lunch is an easy way to push you up to that limit.

Vegetables can be consumed for every meal though. Having them on the side, the main part of a meal (such as a big salad), or combined with your food is a great way to eat them. Breakfast is probably the hardest time to incorporate vegetables so here are a few ideas.

Smoothies: Spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, celery, and pumpkin all make great compliments to your morning smoothie. Most of these can be “covered up” with banana or peaches or even pineapple.

Eggs: Spinach, onions, mushrooms, broccoli, tomatoes, and all colors and kinds of peppers are traditional. You can even go a little crazy and make a south western omelet with salsa, corn, and chicken (I know not a vegetable). Or you can try a little crazier and go with green beans, tomatoes, and onions combined with a little mozzarella with a little pasta sauce for an Italian twist.
Try an egg sandwich with vegetables for those meals to eat on the go (perfect for driving if you use a pita!)

Breakfast salad: Chop up tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumbers. Top with a hard or medium boiled egg and some fresh chunks of mozzarella cheese.

Vegetable soup: Have something warm during those winter months for breakfast. Have a little side of toast and enjoy on those cold mornings. Soup can be frozen in portions in your freezer for quick thawing.

Go non-traditional- No one said you have to eat cereal and toast for breakfast. Eat your favorite leftovers from the night before; warmed up or cold (I love cold leftovers).

Not hiding vegetables (all the time)
There has been a growing trend (brought on by numerous books) to hide vegetables in a child's food. I disagree with this when you are talking about the larger picture. Although adding pureed vegetables is a great way to add EVEN more of that veggie goodness to a child’s meal, they need to learn what a vegetable tastes like.

From their first bites of food children need to learn to enjoy and appreciate the taste of vegetables. Ty’s first food was (after baby cereal) sweet potatoes, then peas, then green beans. We then moved on to some fruits. To this day Ty continues to have vegetables, plain or with a light topping, on the side of almost every meal.

My mother often tells people that my favorite snack growing up was a cucumber. Even in high school and college I would chow down on a whole fresh picked cucumber as a snack (skin and all!). Even today a fresh tomato, cucumber, sliced bell pepper or carrot makes my mouth water.

Keep cheese on vegetables to a light sprinkle, dip to a minimum, sauce light and dressing lighter. Add a little squeeze of lemon juice, a sprinkle of salt and pepper or some fresh herbs. Remember, keep the topping as a compliment to the food, and don’t cover it.

Pumpkin balls, Taco Lasagna, the first 6 months

2009-07-09T16:06:00.000-07:00

Date: Thursday, July 9^th, 2009

Tyler is: 12 months old
Today is: A day off with a play date!

Pre-Breakfast: Milk

Breakfast: Pumpkin and granola balls, scrambled egg, blueberries

Morning Snack: Carrots, pears, salmon

Lunch: Packed lunch- Cold marinated tofu, trail mix (baby safe granola, raisins, cheerios), carrots, pear

Afternoon Snack: Blueberries, cheerios

Dinner: Roasted Chicken, carrots, onions, potatoes, watermelon, cream cheese, smoothie

Recipes:

Pumpkin balls

Mix equal parts pureed pumpkin (from a can or prepared from a pie pumpkin, feel free to add in any spices that you would in a pumpkin pie including ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon) and cream cheese (softened or room temp)

Refrigerate until cool

Roll blobs of pumpkin mixture in baby safe granola (use your own recipe or use mine when I post it!) and/or plain quick oats!

This travels well if kept cool!

Work Recipe:

Taco Lasagna

Ingredients:

6 mini tortillas (whole wheat or whole flax are excellent in this), cut into 1in strips

1 jar of salsa (your favorite will do)

1 can of black beans

1c of cheese (low fat, something sharp like cheddar)

1lb cooked taco meat (chicken, beef, turkey with a low sodium taco spice pack added)

3 Large tomatoes sliced

Sautéed or grilled green peppers and onions (optional, but really good for you)

Pre-heat oven to 350F

Spread a light layer of salsa over the base of a large glass baking dish
Place a layer of tortilla noodles on salsa and top with 1/2 of the meat, 1/3 of the cheese, 1 sliced tomato, 1/2 of the black beans, and 1/2 of the pepper and onions mixture

Cover with salsa and another layer of tortilla noodles

Place rest of meat, peppers, another tomato, the rest of the beans, and 1/3 of the cheese on tortillas

Cover last layer of tortillas with cheese, last tomato, and a thin layer of cheese

Cook until the cheese is nice and melted and the lasagna is heated through!

Other Information:

Tyler’s First 6 months

Tyler was a breast fed baby. For the first 6 months of his life he had mommy milk from the source or pumped (with a Medela pump,see more below).

In the hospital Tyler was diagnosed with Jaundice. A common new born ailment that in Tyler’s case probably resulted from trauma during birth and bruising after. The nurses in the hospital recommended that we give Ty formula if his bilirubin levels continued to become elevated. The answer I gave them was “no.” I did not want to give my child formula unless it was absolutely necessary to his health.

We were lucky and my decision turned out to be right. After time in a UV light box, close monitoring of his bilirubin levels and time napping in a sunny spot in our house once he came home, Ty was healthy and never needed formula.

During his first month Ty would often nurse for an hour or more at a time. We found out from his pediatrician that this was because the frenulum on the bottom of his tongue was attaching his tongue to the base of his mouth near his gums. I had this small piece of skin cut when I was in elementary school and because it was traumatic for me, and because this skin was interfering with Ty’s feeding, we decided to have it cut.

The pediatrician cut it for us in less than 10 seconds. Tyler only cried while the Dr’s hands were in his mouth and there were only a few drops of blood. We gave him some Tylenol and within a few days he was nursing in 20min or less!

Tyler nursed, or had pumped breast milk, exclusively for almost the entire first 6 months. Right before he turned 6 months we tried rice cereal (iron enriched!) and he was absolutely ready. He never spit any out, he had no reflex to get it out of his mouth, and he loved it. We then slowly moved on to other foods.

Tyler nursed/had mommy milk until one day before his first birthday. I let Ty wean himself. He slowly gave up one feeding at a time, the last being the morning feeding when he woke up. I never stopped feeding him, I just never forced him to nurse.

Why we chose breastfeeding:

4 main reasons

1) COST- formula is expensive

2) Health- Breastfeeding for the first year is healthier for the infant as well as for the mom (new studies show that your risk of breast cancer is reduced)

3) Convenient- I always had food on me and I had a good pump to get food for when we wanted to go out.

4) I wanted to connect with my baby by breastfeeding

Now look, I am a huge fan of breastfeeding but I realize that some women can’t, and there are those who “can’t” (meaning it is not a medical reason but a life choice that they have made). I think every mother and family needs to decide what they can afford, what is best for their child, and what is healthiest for everyone involved.

Product of the day:

Medela Breast Pumps
http://www.medela.com/ISBD/countries.php

Smoothies, Eggs, Caulilflower

2009-07-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

Date: Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Tyler is: 12 months old
Today is: a day at home :)

Meals

Pre breakfast: Leftover smoothie (blueberry, banana, watermelon, milk, tofu, rice cereal, spinach). Ty is teething I think so last night he did not want a lot of solids. I made him a smoothie (see notes below) and he had the rest before breakfast today!

Breakfast: Blueberries, 03 organic scrambled egg with organic cream cheese (makes it have a very smooth texture), onions, tomato and organic spinach.

Morning Snack: Wild caught salmon, organic flax tortilla with sunflower butter

Lunch: Left over ground beef with organic cream cheese, steamed organic asparagus (had previously been cooked and thawed), tomatoes, organic pear

Afternoon Snack: Organic oat cereal, organic cheese, organic pear

Dinner: Smoothie (it has been a tough teething day), sprouted grain bread with cheese and tofu, edamame, organic asparagus

Adult Dinner: Steve and I had dinner after Ty went to bed tonight (many reasons, most of which centered around Mr. Cranky pants getting a tooth). We ended up having a whole roasted chicken with roasted vegetables and a light red wine reduction sauce. I know it sounds difficult and time consuming but whole chickens need minimum preparation to prepare as do roasted vegetables. The only hard part is waiting for over an hour for it to roast! Wine reduction sauce is also incredibly easy and if you make it light, kids will not mind it.

I will be posting recipes, tips and more on roasted chicken at a later date so for now you will just have to do with a photo of my yummy dinner ;)

Recipes:

Smoothies:

Smoothies are especially good for those meals on the go (if you strain them they can be put in a sippy cup or drunk with a straw), for quick breakfasts, and for when your little one is teething.

When making a smoothie

Fruits for smoothies:

Any fruit can be used but these are great for covering up other flavors. Using frozen is very convenient
Cherries
Bananas (peel and freeze old bananas)
Strawberries
Blueberries
Pineapple

Vegetables for smoothies:

Spinach (cooked or not cooked is fine
Carrot (pre steamed)
Sweet potato (pre-steamed)
Tomato
Celery
Pumpkin

Other things for smoothies:

Honey (for those tart smoothies and only when the child is old enough)
Protein powder (for older children and adults)
Mint (for a yummy chocolate mint smoothie)
Milk
Yogurt
Tofu (silky or soft)
Infant rice cereal or oatmeal
Ice
Chocolate milk mix (in small doses. Look for low sugar/low cal ones)
Cinnamon, nutmeg, other spices

Work Recipe:

Mashed "potatoes" Cauliflower

The children I watch are mashed potato fiends. They would eat them all the time if they could and their mom asked me to make them some that were healthier than the usual potatoes, cream/milk, butter, and salt. So this is what I came up with

1 small head of cauliflower steamed
1 large potato (or 2 small) boiled
Small pat of butter
Salt
Skim milk
Fat free or reduced fat mozzarella cheese
Garlic powder

Combine potatoes, butter, and small amount of milk in a food processor.
Process them TOO much (they will be come thick like a paste)
Add in cauliflower and process until smooth adding more milk if necessary
To thicken the mixture a little add a small amount of the cheese in (all ingredients should still be hot in order for the cheese to melt)
Add in the garlic powder to taste as well as salt!

Other Information:

Eggs:

Know your super food. Eggs are awesome sources of protein, vitamins and minerals! But which eggs do you buy? A dozen eggs can cost anywhere from a buck to just under 5. As long as your eggs are kept in moderation (just like everything else) you do not have to worry about gaining too much cholesterol from them.

Standard-Standard eggs are the “normal” kind of egg you see in the store. The chickens are kept in cramped cages and are given a diet that includes antibiotics and chemicals. These are the cheapest eggs.

Free range-These chickens are kept in a large barn and are allowed outside access (although the chickens rarely go outside…more on that in the future).

Vegetarian fed chickens- Are not necessarily free range chickens but are not given meat byproduct to eat.

Omega3 enriched eggs- These chickens are given oils and flax in order to increase the amount of Omega3s in the eggs.

Brown vs. White eggs- This has nothing to do with the nutritional content. It is just the breed of chicken.

Organic-These chickens are free range, but are given a diet of only organically grown grain. They are not given anything (including meat byproducts) to make them grow larger.

So, what do you buy? Well that depends on your price and budget. For Ty we buy Organic, free range, omega3 eggs. We also eat these eggs most of the time but for baking or other projects that need lots of eggs we go with the cheaper standard egg.

Product of the day:

Mini Strainer (Picture from Amazon.com)

This is perfect to place over a sippy cup to strain smoothies!

Barley, Toast, Tofu, Tex/Mex Chicken Bake

2009-07-07T13:55:00.000-07:00

Date: Tuesday, July 7th, 2009
Tyler is: 12months old
Today is: a 1/2 work day

Menu
Breakfast: French toast, tomato, lettuce, raw onion (Ty loves it!), cream cheese, blueberries (Ty totally flipped out when he saw the blueberries in the fridge), organic whole milk

Morning Snack: Grapes, steamed peas, cheddar cheese, ww crackers

Lunch: Barley Casserole (see recipe below), edamame (we had some left over from yesterday), banana, whole milk

Afternoon Snack: Cold marinated tofu (don’t pass on this one yet, see notes below!), fresh broccoli, a very small piece of cheddar cheese left over from lunch.

Dinner: Burger (no bun), tomato, banana (Ty is in need of a little banana today), raw bell pepper, fruit mixed with cottage cheese/baby oatmeal/frozen fruit.

Recipes:

French Toast
This is an easy and quick way to get some whole grains and protein into your child’s diet.
Ingredients:

1 piece of bread (we use sprouted grain bread)
1 whole egg (we use organic omega 3 enriched eggs)
A sprinkle of cinnamon

Scramble the egg with the cinnamon in a flat bottom bowl.
Soak the bread in the bowl until all, or most of, the egg is absorbed
Place toast in a pan pre-heated to medium with a light spray of EVOO
Cook toast until the egg is cooked through and it is golden brown.

You do NOT need to add syrup, sugar, or sweets to this toast. If you start off by feeding it plain, kids will not expect it. If you want you can serve with a dollop of plain yogurt and/or some fresh fruit smashed up on top.

For young children you can keep half for a later meal.

Barley or Brown Rice Casserole:
Amounts listed below are estimates, just make this to taste. It depends what you have around the house and how much you can freeze.

3-4c cooked pearled barley or brown rice (follow pkg directions)
2c raw ground turkey or chicken (can use more!)
1/2c shredded cheddar cheese (or other fairly strong cheese of choice)
1/2 to 1 c frozen spinach
1/2 to 1c of small summer squash and/or zucchini (I use pre cooked and frozen)
Handful of mushrooms (optional)
1/4 to 1/2 of a small onion grated or pureed (again I use my pre cooked and frozen onions)
1/2 c tomato sauce (pasta sauce is fine)
Dash of rosemary, thyme, parsley, black pepper, oregano

Cook meat in a pan sprayed with a little bit of EVOO till done. There should be no more pink color to the meat. Pour out any fat if there is any left in the pan. Chop meat as you cook.
Add all vegetables into pan along with sauce and enough water to make it look soupy.
Let the sauce simmer on med-low until water is evaporated and the vegetables fall apart (you may have to mash them a little bit with the back of a wooden spoon). Add more water if necessary.
Add to barley, stir in cheese.
Eat!

How to make this grown up friendly: Trust me on this one tastes great just the way it is and you are going to want to eat some. To make it a bit more adult friendly, put aside your child’s portion and spice it up with more freshly ground black pepper and some salt. I also like to use Kroger brand Zesty Blend seasoning. It is sodium free and brings a little kick to your food.

How to freeze: Let it cool down to room temp (putting hot things in your freezer is not a great idea) and spread on a cookie pan. Before you place it in the freezer score it with a butter knife to portion it out. When you take the pan out of the freezer you may have to let it sit for a minute to release from the pan. Then take each portion out, put them in a zip bag, and they can be thawed at any time.

(Ty with his afternoon snack!)

Cold Marinated Tofu (extra firm)
Don’t pass on this one because it is tofu. Tofu is very inexpensive (even the organic kind. I think we pay under $2 a pound), tastes like what ever you put on it, and can be cooked just about any way!
Tofu can be eaten raw and is great that way on a hot day. Marinade tofu in your choice of sauce or seasonings for a few hours or over night. Today Ty’s had cinnamon and soy sauce on it. After our bike ride he was very hot and he scarffed it all down within a few min. The dogs did not get a single bite.

Cold tofu is also great plain with grated ginger and soy on it. This kind needs no marinating at all.

Work recipe!
Tex/Mex Chicken Bake
Easy, simple, and Steve is sure to comment about how I did not bring any home!

Ingredients:

(For 5 people)
5 small chicken breasts, thawed, cut into slices
1 cup brown rice
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 pkg of low sodium taco spice
1 small jar of mild salsa
1 can of black beans, washed
1/2 c cheddar cheese

Pre-heat oven to 350F

Rice mixture:
Cook brown rice in chicken broth until rice is soft and broth is absorbed. Use pkg directions
Add a little bit of water and pour in spice package and black beans.
Stir over medium heat until sauce is absorbed.

Chicken:
Heat a large pan over medium high heat
Cook chicken strips, using a little bit of EVOO so it does not stick, until they are cooked through (no pink should remain in middle)
Once chicken is completely cooked add 3/4 of your salsa
Stir chicken and salsa until the salsa thickens a little and sticks to the chicken. This should only take a few min.

Putting it together:
Place rice moisture in the bottom of a large glass baking dish.
Top with chicken, the rest of the salsa, and sprinkle on the cheese.
Bake for about 10min until the cheese melts and starts to turn a little brown on top.

Other options:
Make a homemade salsa instead of a canned one
Add in grilled or sautéed peppers and/or onions
Add corn into the rice mixture
Use low fat cheese on top or omit it completely
Top with flax tortilla chips
Feel free to salt and pepper to taste

Grilled Zucchini Salad

2 large grilled zucchinis cut into bite sized pieces (can also be steamed or sautéed)
1T each of these fresh or dried herbs: Parsley, chives (optional, best if used fresh), oregano (hot and spicy is yummy in this)
1/4 c EVOO
1/8 c Champagne vinegar (see note on vinegars below)
Salt and pepper to taste

After zucchini is grilled combine with rest of ingredients. This recipe can be served hot, room temp, or cold (my favorite!). You can also add red pepper flakes and a BUNCH of black pepper for a kick!

This dish can be a little bland. To kick it up top with a little fresh grated parm. or add in a bunch of fresh tomatoes. You can even add olives (kalamata are salty but great), pine nuts, walnuts, or roasted bell peppers.

The dressing can be used on any variety of steamed or cooked vegetables. Just keep the ratio of oil to vinegar the same 2:1.
Other Information:

Vinegar:
Choice of vinegar: Anytime I use a vinegar in a recipe feel free to replace it with your favorite vinegar. I would avoid using white vegetable vinegar in most recopies because of the extremely strong flavor. Apple cider vinegar is very healthy and can be substituted into just about anything!
Champaign vinegar is a fairly mild and can be inexpensive. It often has a slight hint of vanilla in it and is fairly fruity. It is used to make dressings, vinaigrettes, and marinades

What kind of grains to use?
Once you start exploring the world of “non-white” grains you are going to read a lot of stuff. As with most of our choices in feeding our child, we are using what is best for our little one and our family.

We stayed away from wheat for many months, as is suggested by the AAP and just about any parenting book you read. Instead we used whole flax tortillas or wheat-less sprouted grain bread, such as Ezekiel 4:19.

Flax is packed with Omega-3 fatty acids which is essential to the growing brain (among other things) in babies. If you are breastfeeding and taking a DHA and/or an O3 supplement your child benefits from your elevated levels of O3’s.

Sprouted grain is referred to as a “live-food.” It is made from legumes and whole grains that are not highly processed like wheat flower is. Because the grains are allowed to sprout they have a higher vitamin and nutrient content than those that are in their hibernated state when processed.

Just a note: Sprouted grain bread needs to be refrigerated or frozen until use. I always kept it frozen until the night before when I would break off a slice to use the next day.

Tyler did have some brown rice pasta, rice crackers, and later whole grain crackers that contained whole wheat. Now that he is a year we are trying to stick to the whole grain diet but there are exceptions (that will be discussed in a later blog).

Again, the choice needs to be one that fits into your family. Some of these products are expensive, which is why we mostly just fed them to Ty and did not eat them ourselves.

Product of the day:

Book
How to Cook Everything, By Mark Bittman

This book is a great reference for new cooks, those who “can’t” cook, and experienced cooks alike. It has everything from information on how to buy every food imaginable to how to simply prepare new dishes.

Picture from Amazon.com

Salmon, WW pasta dish, Soy beans!

2009-07-06T10:42:00.000-07:00

Date: Monday, July 6th, 2009

Tyler is: 12months old
Today is: a 1/2 work day

Drive to work: Organic whole milk

Breakfast: I forgot Ty's breakfast at home today, so I had to go on the fly at work. For breakfast Tyler had a handful of organic green grapes cut up, some organic mozzarella cheese (from a cheese stick), a handful of Trader Joe's Fiber O's, tomato chunks, cucumber chunks

Morning Snack: Organic multi grain crackers, organic mozzarella cheese, more tomato (the kid is a tomato fiend!), organic whole milk

Lunch:

Salmon (recipe below), edamame beans (recipe below), organic flax tortilla with sunflower butter, organic pear slices, Water (see note on water below). After lunch Ty had some frozen watermelon in a food teether.

(sorry my pics are so washed out, I am taking them with my camera phone. The food above has a lot more color to it!)

Afternoon Snack: Leftovers from lunch :) I made too much. I also gave Ty a few very well washed blueberries

Dinner: Family Dinner! Whole wheat pasta dish (see recipe below), cream cheese (Ty's favorite right now), pear, watermelon (just a little of the fruit), cottage cheese with iron enriched rice cereal (important to feed 'til at least 18 months). Organic whole milk.

Recipes and other information:

Not liking food:
Many children and infants (and adults) do not like new foods. I feel it is important to keep trying these foods even if they have been flat out rejected in previous attempts. I have read before that it takes a minimum of 8 tries before kids learn to like new foods.
My advice is to try a food 5 or 6 days in a row (which can easily be done by freezing food and thawing it for meals), take a few days off, and then try again. Try different preparations, spices, and methods of cooking. Be sure not to completely cover the taste with cheese or sauces!

Edamame beans:
These are a great quick snack, teether, vegetable for a meal and all around super food. I like to buy these organic because they are not that much more expensive than regular edamame beans. You have to be careful because they can be pre-prepared with salt.
To prepare these I steam (more on steaming in a later post) as many bags as I can fit in my giant steamer. Once they start to soften drain them well, put them in a freezer safe container and freeze. After frozen they easily break apart and can be stored in freezer bags.
To thaw and prepare just put them in the fridge over night, or take them out about an hour before eating. You can add any spices, sauces, or cheese (a favorite of Tyler is parmesan or soy on his beans), leave them plain, or even put them in a food teether (see link below) as a fun way to cool down.

Salmon:

Today I did not pre-thaw any salmon, nor was I in the mood to eat a bunch. I made Ty's fish today (more on fish in a future post) with WILD CAUGHT, no salt added, water packed, salmon from Trader Joe's. I simply used extra virgin olive oil, to brown it a little and added Ty's favorite spice blend (which happens to be Emeril's original spice blend). It took under 5min to prepare once the pan was heated up!

Whole wheat pasta dish:

Cooked ww pasta
Chopped up zucchini, tomato, broccoli, onions (sauteed in olive oil with some garlic and black pepper)
A tiny piece of bacon (Ty's first!)
Crushed pine-nuts
Grated Parmesan cheese

This dish was fast to make except the prep took a while as did cooking the bacon. Steve and I had the same thing but ours had salt and more bacon in it. I think Steve spent 13min putting it all together after everything was chopped and the bacon was cooked. If you do the prep earlier in the day you would cut down your time making this dinner.

Whole wheat:

If you have not switched your processed wheat products to whole wheat/sprouted grain/ brown rice/flax, DO IT NOW. There is no reason to be eating white bread products. I know it may not taste as good at first (I hated it) but your tastes will adjust soon. Do not buy into the “white” whole wheat products either. Check the labels and compare, ww is much better for you. If you introduce these products early kids will enjoy the taste and will accept these foods.

Organic:

I am only going to touch on organics today. Tyler ate almost 100% organic during his first year. Since we have loosened up a little and will continue to do so. Dairy is the one thing that we will probably continue to feed almost exclusively for his entire childhood. We are also trying to stick to organic or well washed fruit that has skins (fruit skins being an important part of the diet because of their fiber and nutritional content).

Water:

We use filtered water that comes out of our fridge. The important thing here is that Ty ALWAYS has water available to him when he is awake. We have at least one sippy cup of water or ice water on hot days around the house, there is always one at work, and we put one in the car when we go out. WARNING: Be careful about sippy cups in the car during the summer. The water can get dangerously hot. You must bring it inside with you when you leave the car for any amount of time.

We are currently a juice free house. Ty has only had juice a few times as a “cure” for constipation and once when he had a cold, both times prescribed by his pediatrician. Ty did have a mixture of pureed squash and fruit the few times he had to come to physical therapy with me (sorry, but it kept him busy and quiet!).

The reason we are currently juice free (and will remain so as long as possible, and then switch to a diluted juice family) is because there is little nutritional content in juice and lots of sugar (even in the no sugar added and natural juices). All the nutritional benefits of juice can easily be obtained with fresh or frozen fruit.

Product of the day:

Any food teether or baby popsicle holder is great for a healthy safe snack!
http://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-Fresh-Food-Feeder-Pack/dp/B000GK5XY2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1246902986&sr=8-1

Feeding Tyler

I am back-School Lunches Part One: Containers and Yogurt

Rice Treats!

Super Easy Rice Casseroles!

Cold Rice Salads!

Rice!

Work Food update

Juice and Jello

Seriously, I am back!

Eggplant for babies and Ratatouille

I am back- The wonderful world of EGGPLANT

I'm Back!

See you in 2 weeks!

Growing Our Food

Tyler's Menu Update

Turkey Bacon Bean Dip, wrap up

Turkey Sausage Meatballs and another turkey tip!

Zesty Turkey

Turkey, Dijon Turkey, and some bonus recipies!

Vegetable Soup and Wrap Up

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

Beef Stew

Beef with Adobo Peppers

Meals that take all day to cook, but only minutes to prepare!

More posts coming!

Shepherd's Pie, Rice pudding for breakfast, Teddy Puffs

Blueberry Bonanza, Baby/Toddler chicken, My Fat Butt

Italian Stuffed Chicken, Bread Types, Veggies

Pumpkin balls, Taco Lasagna, the first 6 months

Smoothies, Eggs, Caulilflower

Barley, Toast, Tofu, Tex/Mex Chicken Bake

Salmon, WW pasta dish, Soy beans!