gettin' on my soapbox

I am about to get all judgy and controversial. Maybe you won't like me anymore. This is definitely a hot button issue in some circles, so I understand if you disagree. But, here goes.


Preschool snacks.


I remember a conversation I had with a friend of mine before I had kids. She was upset over what her kids were being fed at school, and I kind of got it, but not really. But now I have a preschooler of my own and I totally get it. We are not crazy health nuts, trust me. We are a family of donut lovers and coffee drinkers (well, not the kids - they need no help in that department). In general, though, I try to make sure everyone gets a well-balanced diet consisting of lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and protein. When the little guy started preschool this year we got a handout explaining the rules of snack - no peanuts and generally healthy. 


"So buddy, what did you have for snack today?"
"Ooooh, it was good, Mama! Chocolate milk and chocolate pudding!"
"Uhhhh, that's it?"
"Oh, and some grapes."


Really, people? Chocolate milk AND chocolate pudding? At 10am? Really?


Those things aren't necessarily bad, but I mean, come on. Let's pace ourselves. And also, I have to deal with that sugar rush right before nap time. Geez.


Anyway, it's our snack week. I did send grapes and juice, even though my kids really never drink juice. It's a treat and it's fun to take something you like to school. I also made breakfast cookies, and I am going to share that recipe one more time, because kids do not even know it's healthy, and I did want my little man to be kind of excited about announcing his snack. 


So here it is!

i am so sporadic

I realize I am totally inconsistent in my posting. I am kind of thinking of giving up the notion that I will be here regularly. I have all these good intentions and take photos of my food, but then I never seem to find the time to get it together enough to post it! So, I wanted to just link you up to my newest recipe , which I posted on Tasty Kitchen. Have you guys been over there yet? It's a fun site and not yet overwhelmingly huge.


Also, I have kept this blog pretty anonymous. I think my mom might be the only reader who knows me in real life (hey Mom!). But I do have a blog that I keep up pretty regularly , full of the adventure I am living with three little dudes at my feet. You all are welcome to pop over any time and check it out!


Thanks for following me and my attempt at healthy living. I will still post here from time to time, and I will be putting recipes up a bit more frequently over at TK. 


All the best!

for all the little sickies

The junk struck our house a few weeks ago - coughing, sniffling, sore throats, headaches... blech. By the time it made its way through all of us, we had spent about 3 weeks wiping noses, sleeping next to humidifiers, and listening to pathetic little coughs from all corners of our house.

I wanted so badly to alleviate that loud, hoarse, sad cough for my little guy. Over-the-counter medication isn't recommended for kids under 4, so apart from a little cherry scented VapoRub, chances of relief looked dismal.

Until mama did a little research. Turns out those OTC meds really only help them sleep, but don't do much for the cough so they weren't really worth pining after anyway.  The more I looked into it, the more I heard that a tablespoon of honey is a natural, quick remedy for a cough. After three nights, we were more than ready, willing and able to test it out. Guess what? It totally worked! Nearly instant relief, and almost a full nights sleep. 

After further research, I also found out that the antioxidants it contains are natural immune boosters. Double bonus!  Since you can't give honey to babies under the age of one, the littlest guys just had to deal, but big brother definitely benefited.

So, if you find yourself stricken with the junk, or you've got sick little cuties hacking the night away, try a spoonful and you'll all sleep a little better.

not so healthy

I am feeling sorry for myself today. Two sick kiddos and one sick mama. It could be worse, though, so I will try to think of some things to be thankful for. Right after I finish this cup of tea.

In the meantime, I am going to share some random tips that have come in handy lately. First, my friends and I started doing that "biggest loser" challenge again this year. I am so glad, because I am not always a huge self motivator. I've lost five pounds! One thing that's helped me is Calorie Count, which is a free online tool where you track your food intake and activity and it calculates everything out for you. I've never been one for counting calories, but it was eye opening, to say the least. They have just about every activity on there from dusting to cooking indian bread on an outside stove (seriously, that is specific). And it motivates me to get moving. Yesterday was my first post-pregnancy run. It wasn't pretty.

If you're looking for a fun and delicious kid project, I am going to direct you to The Ordinary Housewife, who made Alton Brown's homemade marshmallows. We decided to try it and they are GOOD. I don't usually like marshmallows, but these are really great. They make me want hot chocolate every day, so that's the downside. But it's a really delicious downside, no? And if you want to get crazy, you can melt chocolate chips and dip those marshmallows right in, and let your kids go crazy with the sprinkles. It's a fun treat without all the additives, and they make cute gifts.

Lastly, let me tell you my latest way to get moving. Time is short these days, taken up most days by my three little darlings, so I have to be creative. Thankfully, my toddler LOVES dancing. And should I even admit that I let him bust a move to Rihanna? It gets us going together, and I feel a little bit better about those marshmallows. 

a new take on tuna salad

This is so good. I served it with wild rice and sauteed spinach for a nice, light dinner. It was a nice change of pace. And I just set a little tuna aside to make a plain ol' sandwich for my toddler* who probably wouldn't appreciate this particular change of pace. I was inspired by a recipe I saw in Real Simple. Try it, I think you'll like it.

4 large tomatoes

2 cans albacore tuna, drained 

2 tablespoons capers

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 large carrot, grated

juice from 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Hollow out each tomato, and add the pulp to a bowl. Combine with the remaining ingredients and spoon mixture back into the tomatoes. You'll probably have some left over, and it keeps really well. Top mixed greens with it, eat it on crackers - I think you're going to like this one.

Plus, it looks cool.

*mama note: grate a little carrot and cheddar into some tuna, mix with some reduced fat mayo, and make your little one a healthy melt. Mine never noticed the carrot, I promise. If he did, I'd be in trouble. No matter how many times I compare him to a bunny.

my life now

Thanks, Thamesarino, for asking how things are!  I have often thought I need to get back to posting, especially as fall rolls in and my desire to cook takes over.

Life has been busy!  As you all know, we found out we are having a baby next month.  The other news is that we adopted a beautiful baby boy in June, so days have been full as we adjust to having a newborn in the house again.  We are going to be old pros come November!  He is a wonderful, easy baby and we feel truly blessed.  And before too long I am going to be back to pureeing baby food and filling my ice cube trays, so stayed tuned for such excitement.

On the topic of being a healthy mama (though my pregnancy instincts have led me to eat more chocolate and butter than I can really justify), I pulled out my Sneaky Chef cookbook yesterday, as my toddler as developed a very specific palate that needs some expansion.  Stay tuned for that, too!

In the mean time, want to try something that just exudes fall and is absolutely delicious?  It's decadent, I warn you, but since the main ingredient is a vegetable, don't feel bad about the butter - it is soooooo worth it.  Leave it to The Pioneer Woman to do squash right:  Butternut Squash Puree.

I hope you all are staying well this fall season - and I promise to whip up something tasty soon!

a new treat for the boy

If there is one thing that I could get him to eat everyday, it's yogurt.  Up until now, it's been Yo Baby, which he absolutely loves and I feel pretty good about.  It's organic, so that's a plus.  The drawbacks, two years into his yogurt eating, is that it's pretty pricey and has 13 grams of sugar per serving. 

So this week I tried something new.  I bought my favorite yogurt, Nancy's Honey Yogurt.  It's made with whole milk and has less than half of the sugar of other yogurts.  It is not at all sweet, so for my little one, it needs a little doctoring.

I add less than a teaspoon of blue agave syrup (use honey if you'd rather), and 3-4 large strawberries, chopped finely, to about 1/2 cup of yogurt.  You can use any fruit your kiddo prefers.  If they like yogurt, they are going to gobble it up, and it is sweet enough without being overly so, and has half the sugar of any yogurt you'll find on the shelf.

Want to make it a meal or an extra special treat?  Add some plain cheerios (I used the generic Trader Joe's brand).  That is a favorite breakfast around here.

Got any other mix in ideas - let me know!

healthy snacks - preschool edition

I don't know about your kids, but mine has made up his mind about what he likes, and what he doesn't.  He doesn't even need to taste something to know his aversions.  While we encourage him to try new things, it's hard to talk to a two year old logically about the benefits of eating carrots. This can make mealtime frustrating.  Anyone else been there?

I used to stand in front of the fridge and think, "What in the world should I feed him?"  I decided to sit down and make a list of the things I know he likes (it actually was a lot longer than I thought it'd be).  That made mealtime a lot simpler.

But I also needed to get creative.  So I wanted to share some snack ideas that have gone over well, and they are sneakily healthy.  

Smoothies.  He would drink one everyday and they come together in less than 5 minutes.  I start with about 3/4 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of fruit (usually 1/2 of a banana and some frozen berries), one teaspoon of nut butter, a teaspoon of wheat germ and some kind of vegetable.  This week it was 3-4 florets of raw cauliflower.  Sometimes it's a few tablespoons of frozen spinach.  The trick letting it blend for 3-4 minutes so that it is smooth and velvety and no veggies are detected.  

Avocado and cottage cheese.  Protein, vitamins, and calcium.  This is a power pack.  Add a teaspoon of wheat germ for an extra boost.  He won't even try cottage cheese on it's own, but if I mash it up with 1/2 an avocado, it's gone in a flash.  

Monkey Sandwich.  This one is pretty obvious, but the name is what appeals the most to my kiddo.  Whole wheat bread (crusts removed, if need be), organic peanut butter + thinly sliced banana.  Protein, potassium, fiber - and it's a naturally sweet treat!

I have more to share, but first - what works for your kids?  Are they picky or will they eat whatever you put in front of them?  What tricks do you have up your sleeve?

one of our favorite things

Since he was tiny, my kid has loved books.  I don't know if it's the snuggling that accompanies it, the stories, the pictures, our voices... whatever it is, he can sit and listen to four or five books at a time.  We do it everyday before his nap and every evening before he goes to bed.  He is getting to an age where he likes to pick the books out, and has most of them memorized so that he can "read" them to us.  It's little moments like this that completely make my day.

One story in particular is requested almost daily.  It's to the point that he recites parts of it when we're driving because he thinks it's so funny.  And we love it, too.  It is a cute story with great illustrations. 

If you don't already have it, get it.  It is good for toddlers probably through age 5.  

So this is just a time out to remind you to grab some quality time with your kid(s).  They will cherish your undivided attention, and it will bring peace to your day.  Whether it's reading, coloring together, singing, playing a game - give them your all for a little snippet of their day - they'll thank you for it (eventually).