Archive for kids

Pineapple Delight!

February 8, 2012 · Filed under Fruit, Kid Tip, kids, Shake It Up!!! · Tagged ,

We are big pineapple fans!!!  If ever there was a food that can instantly transport a person to a place and time, it has to be this one!  Pineapple=Hawaii!  An instant burst of sunshine, a tropical breeze, and hula music playing in the background!  ALOHA!!! 

I love it when they are ripe and in season because they are CHEAP!  $2 or $3 for so much deliciousness!  It must be that time of year because they are popping up in all the stores!  I also love how easy it is to tell if a pineapple is ripe.  You want to look for a golden-yellow color that has started at the bottom and is making its way up towards the top.  Then, of course, smell it…it should smell sweet!  I have always pulled on the leaves at the top.  If you tug and it slips right out your pineapple is ready to eat.  However someone told me this is a myth…I don’t know, it seems to work for me!

Pineapples are such a nice break from apples, bananas, and oranges this time of year.  Remember they have a thick skin so no need to buy organic or worry about any of that.

1 Cup of Pineapple has 80 calories, 2g of fiber and 1 g of protein, not bad for such a sweet treat.  There is 16g of sugar, but all natural from the fruit! And check it out-ALL the Vit C you need in one day in one serving!  Not bad, especially during cold & flu season!

Nutrients in Pineapple
1.00 cup (165.00 grams)
Nutrient%Daily Value
vitamin C 131.4%/manganese 76.5%/dietary fiber 9.2%/vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) 9%/copper 9%/vitamin B1 (thiamin) 8.6%/folate 7.4%

The “Pineapple Boat” is a favorite treat in our home!

Served with awesome chopsticks for easy picking!  Throw a few frozen berries on top and VOILA!

Now if I can do this, anyone can.  I use an ice-cream scooper to get the extra’s out after I cut some of the bigger chunks out.  Here is the best part.  Any of the stuff scooped out, or any pieces that don’t look so great at the end…DON”T toss them!  Put them in a ziplock for the next night! You can also use the other half to fill it all the way up.

So two nights ago was the “Pineapple Boat” and last night was the:  

“Hawaiian Breeze Milkshake”

1/2 cup raspberry Kiefer (any flavor or just plain will work), 1 cup almond milk, and the leftover pineapple.  I have to admit it was pretty darn good!  All good stuff, healthy, fun, kid food and two THRILLED kiddos!

Kids chopsticks.  These make eating everything way more fun!!!  Click on the picture and you can see them on the Amazon site.  We received them as a gift-great gift by the way!

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Happy Hearts

February 3, 2012 · Filed under Fruit, Kid Tip, kids, Veggies · Tagged , , ,

I LOVE Valentine’s Day!  I love all things red, pink and heart-shaped!  This is a holiday that took on a whole new meaning for me when I had kids.  They get so excited about all the hearts, all the love…and I get a whole month of spoiling them with all things heart-shaped!  The down side of all this love is it has, like every other holiday, become all about the candy and cupcakes…which is great, in moderation, but sometimes I start to feel overwhelmed…my 90/10 philosophy starts to feel a little more like 50/50 as the sugar creeps in.

But healthy can still be fun, and if anything it shows even more love as we watch out for their little hearts and minds.  Today I made some heart-shaped fun for four little ones and honestly you would have thought I had served pink cupcakes with extra sprinkles…they were thrilled and the plate was cleared in under 5 minutes!  I think we sometimes under-estimate what will put smiles on their little faces!

Ingredients:  Fruit & veggies, cheese, pretzels

I used watermelon, strawberries (cut in half already look like hearts), & cucumbers

Tools:  Heart-shaped cookie cutters (you can get a set of all sizes at Michael’s for under $5) & an apple corer

 
Also try coring an apple, slicing it and filling it with cheese.
 
Or just stick to plain old crackers & cheese.
 

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Matcha Smoothie

February 1, 2012 · Filed under Costco, Kid Tip, kids, Products I can't live without, Shake It Up!!!, Vegetarian · Tagged , , , , ,

Think Green!!!

I LOVE Matcha Green Tea.  I am an addict!  My previous post on Matcha lists all the great reasons to drink it, Matcha? You Betcha!

I find around 3:30 to 4pm I need a little pick me up and this has been my go-to snack as of late. 

Matcha Smoothie

1 cup ice

1 cup Almond Milk

2 teaspoons Matcha Green Tea powder

(I mix it up with a little hot water from the microwave before dumping in the blender)

Blend and serve!   

If you don’t like the taste of Matcha…add 4 to 5 drops of agave nectar or stevia to the mixture while it is blending.  I grab a handful of pistachios (about 1/4 a cup) and I am golden!

This afternoon pick me up weighs in at 200 calories, 17 g of fat (heart-healthy fats from nuts, remember these fats do not make you fat), 7g of protein, 4g Fiber, along with Vit A, Vit C, Calcium, Iron, Vit D, Vit E, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Thiamin, Copper, & Vit B6-hard to beat this combo! (Just the smoothie is 40 calories).

And takes less than 5 minutes to make!  Easy!

The kids?  No, I don’t have them on Matcha tea…YET!  But they join me with the pistachios and sliced up pear…still green…still easy…and so GOOD for them!

We love to shell pistachios in our house, but you can also buy them shelled.  Costco sells “Wonderful Pistachios“, just make sure you measure out the 1/4 of a cup…1/2 a cup becomes closer to a meal, than a snack.

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Apple Sandwich

January 28, 2012 · Filed under Kid Tip, kids, Snacks, Sweet Treats · Tagged , , , , , , ,

Above is an apple corer.  If you do not have one, you need one.  You can get them at Safeway, or any kitchen store.  If I was handed one more wet, slopped-on, slurped-on apple core “Here Mom, I am done with this” I think my head would have exploded.  My husband brought this home a couple of months ago and it is my new favorite kitchen accessory!

So the apple corer, led to the apple sandwich, the new “Favorite” snack at our house!

1)  Core and slice apples, not too thin

2) Add peanut butter, or whatever nut butter your kids like

3) Add toppings (dried cherries, cranberries, jelly, chocolate chips, granola, sunflower seeds, whatever they will eat) I added some chocolate syrup on this one.  Listen…health food?  No.  But you have to keep it real, and fun.  A serving of chocolate syrup is 1 tbl, there is not even 1/2 a tablespoon used here…I can live with that, and it makes them feel like they got an extra somethin’ somethin’!

4) Add the top and serve

Another fun, healthy snack we all can live with!

Now that, is Good Stuff!

Chocolate Hazelnut

 

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Do Better

January 19, 2012 · Filed under 411, Baked Goods, kids, Organics, Recipes · Tagged , , , , , ,

A friend and I say this all the time. Usually laughing at some idiotic, dumb, or senseless thing someone has done…we will look at each other and just say “Come on, DO BETTER!” That is really my motto with the way we eat now, I am just trying to “Do Better”! I am not trying to take the fun out of eating…I am simply trying to just make what we eat real food…instead of everything being packaged, processed…over refined.

We are on our third snow day here in the Seattle area and that means lots of sledding and cozying up by the fire! It also means fun things like baking cookies and making hot cocoa! Yes, we still bake cookies and drink hot cocoa…I promise, I am fun!

Though I realized it would be a bit of experiment when I went to get the ingredients to make the cookies. The recipe would be the same…right off the bag of chips, but the quality of ingredients had changed. Would the end product be the same? Would the kids be able to tell? What the heck…we are snowed in and this is all I got!

Guess what…I think they were better! Could it be? Healthier, better ingredients=a better cookie??? YEP! And my four little helpers showed nothing but complete and utter satisfaction as they gobbled them up! I had to laugh when they asked for milk…apparently you can dip a cookie in Almond Milk and be just as happy!!!

Almond Milk and Power Flour Protein Cookies…nothing but empty glasses, happy kids, and lots of crumbs…Good Food=Good Memories=Good Stuff!

Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • 2 1/4 cups unsifted flour (so the only flour I had was a batch of protein power flour I keep ready for baking (usually muffins). Based on my results I would say any type of flour…other than white and refined, would be “Doing Better” and work just fine. Try a combo of whole wheat, almond flour…whatever! Bob’s Red Mill makes tons and they are sold pretty much everywhere now!”
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup butter, softened (we use earthbalance when we need butter, worked great. 100% natural, no GMO’s, no transfats, no hydrogenated oils, or artificial ingredients of any kind)
  • 3/4 cup sugar (Whole Foods Brand, Vegan Cane Sugar…thicker granules, but didn’t seem to be an issue)
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed (Private Selection, Organic is what I had in the pantry…a Safeway or Kroger Brand I believe)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract (we just buy the kind w/o alcohol in it)
  • 2 eggs (always get them with omega 3′s added)
  • 2 cups Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
  • 1 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)

Directions are on the Ghirardelli Bag! Yummy!

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Added Bonus…I get to say Rappleberry!

November 11, 2011 · Filed under Brands I Love, Eat this - Not that, grains, Kid Tip, kids, Organics, Products I can't live without, Snacks, Vegetarian · Tagged , , , ,

Not much of a bagel fan.  Never have been.  400 calories of enriched flour settling into my blood stream just makes me tired!  But my family LOVES bagels!!!  My Husband is from New York and he makes it his mission to locate the best bagel no matter where in the world we may be.  He and the kids go to bagels every Saturday morning, a tradition they all look forward to. 

About a month ago I stumbled onto a pretty reddish/pink bag in the bread aisle at the PCC that said “Rappleberry” on it!  Intrigued to see they were actually bagels I brought them home and served them (sprouted and all) to the pickiest bagel eaters I know and wouldn’t you know it…they LOVED THEM!

I love them because I can get a fabulous, fiber-filled, hi-protein breakfast into my kids in a hurry on school days and know they will make it to lunch without crashing and burning into a sleepy funk.  It is hard to believe these bagels are THIS good, given they are full of healthy stuff and really they are Sprouted Wheat, but TRUST me, they are DELISH!  I do wish they came sliced, but I just slice them when I buy them, place them back in the bag and keep them in the freezer.  They go straight into the toaster and do not get chewy or stale tasting like a regular bagel can.

I have to say all these fabulous new products sure do make clean eating a whole lot easier, and a whole lot more fun!  Who isn’t going to love saying “Rappleberry”?

Rappleberry Bagel

Noah’s Plain Bagel

260 Calories

350 Calories

Total Fat 1.5g

Total Fat 1g

Cholesterol 0mg

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 290mg

Sodium 700mg

Total Carbs 49g

Total Carbs 77g

Sugar 13g (naturally occuring from fruit)

Sugar 5g

Protein 15g

Protein 12g

Fiber 10g

Fiber 2g

Potassium 270mg

Potassium 0mg

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Justin’s Nut Butter

September 23, 2011 · Filed under Brands I Love, Kid Tip, kids · Tagged , ,

I love Justin’s Nut Butters, my personal favorite being Chocolate Hazelnut.  I am not claiming this is “health food” but it is certainly a better alternative than a lot of snack foods that line our shelves!  2Tbl has 3 g fiber and 5g protein, and Justin’s is free trade, prepares their nut butters from the freshest ingredients, and in small batches.  It is just a fun, yummy product!

I always microwave peanut butter (not in the jar, nor in plastic folks) for about 10 seconds so it will smooth onto the bread easier.  Well, oops the other day I hit 1 minute, and then got distracted.  BEST mistake EVER!

So the kids and I started dipping into our melted yumminess…apple slices and then some pretzels , when a brilliant, if I don’t say so myself, idea struck!

We dipped, then froze our concoction and they are simply divine!

Melt, dip, lay on wax paper on a plate or tray.  Place in freezer and that is it!

About three hours later when we checked them.

Throw in a bag, back in freezer and a great high protein/fiber snack that the kids had fun making, an is actually pretty healthy!

I buy Newman’s Own because I try to avoid the white flour most pretzels are made from.  They have Spelt, Whole Wheat, & High protein.  They are not inexpensive, but kind of like buying organic fruit…we don’t waste them.  So instead of throwing the bag on the counter and letting the kids eat them until they feel sick, they get a portion in a bowl…and that is that.  20 pretzels runs about 100 calories, 4g of fiber and 5 g of protein.  We used two tablespoons of Justin’s to cover a whole tray of pretzles…so like I said, not too high in calories and lots of good stuff snuck in!

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mason jars, the perfect container

September 6, 2011 · Filed under Kid Tip, kids, Products I can't live without, Snacks · Tagged

I LOVE mason jars.  I love to put flowers in them, serve iced tea in them, use them for pens, pencils and paint brushes.  This summer I started using them to store snacks in.  Here’s why:

I am a visual person and I eat what I see.  One of the easiest things I did in cleaning up my eating was getting the JUNK out of my house.  I was never the type of unhealthy eater that walked around thinking about what kind of crud I was going to inflict bodily harm upon myself with next.  However when I was hungry and I opened that pantry door…if I SAW it, I ATE it!

I know I have said it a million times and I will not stop preaching that preparation is 99% of the arsenal you need to win the battle against junk-food!  It is when we surround ourselves with garbage, or venture out into the world hungry that almost all of the damage is done.

So I noticed this to be true with my kids.  Neither of them have any weight issues to date.  So far they know and use food as fuel, energy that keeps them going.  But what I was finding was when they were rummaging through the pantry I had no idea how much of the food in there they were eating at a time.  It wasn’t until they would hand me an empty bag or box that I knew an item was gone.  I also realized early on that when a child is hungry and you provide the snack they eat it, even if EXTREMELY healthy!  However if you tell them to help themselves they will choose the easy, fast options…crackers, bars, goldfish.

I can’t always be standing by to prepare a healthy snack.  And honestly at the rate these two eat (all day long) I don’t even want to try…I would do nothing else.  So I have taken to placing the options I am happy with in Mason jars on the counter.  Here they get choices, I get an idea of how much they are eating, and all the snacks stay fresh!  Plus I know when I need to buy more, verses finding the empty package on the floor of the pantry when I go to make lunches!

When I can make it I do.

When I can’t they can help themselves!

WHY MASON JARS?
1. Dishwasher safe
2. Re-usable
3. Not plastic (though hard to break)
4. Clear
5. Stain-proof
6. Make food look delicious
7. Stackable and packable
8. Lids and jars can be purchased separately
9. Help control portions
10. Inexpensive

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Banana Banna Bo Fanna

July 29, 2011 · Filed under Fruit, kids, Sweet Treats · Tagged , ,

A few weeks ago my Sister tells me she has a new nighttime addiction. Frozen bananas. Hmmmm. She said in one of her magazines she read that if you peel a banana, slice it, freeze it and then throw the frozen banana chunks into the blender with a few blueberries or a squeeze of lime you have a pretty satisfying dessert. I am really not a banana fan (me personally, my family goes through about 6 a day), but thought it was worth a try.

So it took me a while to get this blended because the first night I went to try it the phone rang. When I came back the bananas had defrosted just enough that when I stuck one in my mouth and bit down I thought I had died and gone to heaven. What the heck? How did I not know that frozen bananas were so DEVINE! So I started just eating frozen banana slices. I put them on oatmeal, in with my greek yogurt, and just have been noshing on them plain. They take a while to eat, and leave you feeling like you had a little somethin’ somethin’.

Alas I made the concoction and she was right, really yummy, and the kids loved it!

One Banana…

Healthy Snack: Frozen Banana with Dry Roasted, Sliced Almonds

Need a fat-free creamy snack that will keep you out of the ice cream aisle? Aside from being loaded with potassium and vitamin C, bananas also freeze smooth. Grab a frozen banana toss it in a food processor, pulse it a few times, sprinkle with sliced almonds and dig in with the biggest spoon around. (Whole Living)

Calories: 189

Two Banana…

Whipped Sorbet

Ingredients

Serves 2

  • 3 bananas, peeled and frozen
  • 1 cup frozen berries

Directions

  1. Puree ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Serve immediately.

Three Banana…

Magic Banana Ice Cream

Magic Banana Ice Cream

One ripe banana per person; the riper the banana is, the sweeter the “ice cream” will be.

1. Peel and slice the bananas, place on baking sheet and freeze

2. Remove from freezer and slightly thaw enough to remove from baking sheet

3. Place frozen bananas in a strong blender/food processor or juicer with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. It comes out creamy and delicious. Sprinkle to your liking with nutmeg or cinnamon and sliced berries.

This works equally well with frozen mangoes or frozen berries or a combination of fruit. Experiment to see what you like. If using a blender, it may be necessary to thaw the frozen bananas a little longer than in a juicer. This recipe is from Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn’s book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.

My finished product!

Just banana's nothing else!

Four,

So this got me thinking. You know what I did love back in the day? Banana pudding, DELISH! The cook in our Sorority (yes I did a brief stint) made the most amazing banana pudding. I shudder to even think about how fattening that dish was, and how much of it I ate. I found this photo online and it looks about right!

I am not going to post THIS recipe because I am pretty sure it could be classified as “bodily harm”. But here are just a few of the ingredients: cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla pudding mix, whole milk, frozen whipped topping; vanilla wafers (oh ya, and 3 bananas). I gained weight just TYPING that out.

So the hunt was on, there had to be a healthier version! Sure enough it wasn’t even hard to find. Is it the same, no….thank Goodness. But pretty darn good and fun for the kids!

Banana Chocolate-Chip Delish!

(The website I found this on called it “Greek Yogurt Surprise” The word “Surprise” when Mommy cooks, no longer goes over well with my Children. S0 I have renamed the dish!)

Ingredients:

  • 8 -4 oz cups Non-Fat Honey Greek Yogurt
  • 2-Boxes Madagascar Vanilla Wafers
  • 8-Large Bananas
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

  • Open yogurt containers and mix yogurt in a bowl.
  • Cut all bananas into small slices.
  • Pour wafers into a bowl and smash them until crushed.
  • Get a clear large bowl for the layering process. Start with the cookies on the bottom, then yogurt, then bananas, repeat three about three times. End with cookies on top. Then sprinkle chocolate chips on the very top!
  • Cover and refrigerate for a couple hours.

Four Bananas make a bunch
and so do many more.
Over hill and highway
the banana buggies go.
Comin’ on to bring you
The Banana Splits Show

Makin’ up a mess of fun
Makin’ up a mess of fun
Lots of fun for everyone

Tra-La-La, La-La-La-La
Tra-La-La, La-La-La-La
Tra-La-La, La-La-La-La
Tra-La-La, La-La-La-La

Four banana, three banana
two banana, one.
All bananas playing
in the bright warm sun.

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Oprah Recipe – Sautéed Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes

May 23, 2011 · Filed under Chicken, kids, Quick Dinner Ideas · Tagged , , , ,

Oprah is off the air this week, so it seems fitting to post an easy, healthy, and delicious find from her O Magazine.  Credit for this one goes to Linda, who over drinks mentioned her family LOVED it!  Well you all know I immediately asked for the 411!!!

I made the dish last night, and it is great!  You also know what a fan of “One Pan” meals I am and this is as close as it gets.  I can’t officially label it “One Pan” because you have to boil noodles in a separate one!

This could also be served over greens or brown rice.  I used whole grain noodles and we all gave it the thumbs up! 

 

Sautéed Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes

Servings: Serves 6
Ingredients
 
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 pounds)
  • 4 cloves garlic , smashed and coarsely chopped
  • 6 shallots , peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes , rinsed and drained
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 3/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt , plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound spinach angel hair pasta , cooked according to package directions
Directions
In a 12-inch skillet, a Dutch oven or a lidded casserole, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken, and cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes total, turning midway through cooking time. Remove with tongs and brown remaining chicken breasts. Set aside.Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic and shallots, and sauté until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add cherry tomatoes, oregano, white wine, salt and pepper, and sauté until wine reduces by a third, about 4 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time. Return chicken to pan, cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve chicken over angel hair pasta.
 
(Because I was making this primarily for the kids as we were headed out to see a show, I added the noodles back to the pan, and diced it all up, more of a “kid prep”.  I find it is always easier to get kids to eat, and try new things when the food is easy to eat)
 
The original presentation looked more like this:
 
 

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