Easy Veggie Breakfasts

Almost all the time breakfast is a meal of sweetness, from oatmeal with cinnamon and raisins to pancakes with syrup and yogurt parfaits with fruit. None of those are bad breakfasts, but breakfast is also a really great (and over-looked) time to start getting those veggies into your day!

You don't have to just toss some veggies into an omelet - although that is Amazing!!

• The Best Breakfast Sandwich  was posted over at Eat Well Utah. You can add lots of delicious veggies to an egg breakfast sandwich

• Mashed Avocado Toast with Veggies -  This new food craze isn't going anywhere anytime soon. With a healthy whole grain bread and some imagination, the sky is the limit (or perhaps the garden is the limit - Hahaha!). Huffington Post wrote a whole article on 16 ways to get all crazy with this basic idea. Get breakfast crazy, People!

• Veggie Breakfast Tacos - There isn't anything that you can't put in a tortilla and not find delicious. Be sure you are adding a whole bunch of veggies with those eggs and lean meats. Yummly has a whole slew of vegetarian breakfast tacos if you are wanting to be inspired.

• Healthy Breakfast Burritos - Anything  you can put in a taco, you can put in a burrito - to make it wildly healthy, instead of a tortilla use a leaf or lettuce or kale. 

• Breakfast Pita Pizza - A whole wheat pizza is a great start to assembling any meal. Add a little cheese and all the veggies of your choice - melt away (in a pan or the microwave) and you're done! For my pita pizzas I prefer to dip in the sauce than to put in inside the pita. You could have BBQ Chicken, Egg with Siracha, Veggies and yogurt sauce. You are only limited by your imagination - and the time you have left in the morning. Here is a recipe for an amazing one from Veggie Girl.

• Sauteed Vegetables Bagel Breakfast Sandwich - The recipe can be found over at Mountain Mama Cooks . Sure, this recipe may call for butter and oil, but research shows that adding fat in moderation to your veggies can help absorb their nutrients better. Plus, it makes them taste even more amazing! Reap all the vitamin C and lycopene of the summer squash and tomatoes with this bagel breakfast—and if bagels are just too heavy for your taste, we’re guessing these veggies would taste good on just about anything else.

• Mexican Breakfast Pasta - This recipe is from Living Well Kitchen, If pizza for breakfast is a thing, why can’t pasta be too? Switch up your morning carbs with a serving of spaghetti (make it whole-wheat for extra fiber) and black beans sautéed in a skillet with a generous few servings of diced veggies. The eggs cracked over the top give the whole thing a protein upgrade along with that breakfast-y vibe.

• Put Those Veggies in a Hash -  When you are mixing up your breakfast hash toss a few veggies in and then toss in a few more. 
• Here is an amazing recipe for a Sweet Potato Hash from Blissful Basil. 
• And one from Inspired Recipes for Hash with Spinach and Carrots. 
• A Roasted Vegetable Skillet that is so good, you'll want to make it for dinner too. 
• Ham & Veggie Breakfast Hash 

Breakfast doesn't always have to be sweet and it doesn't always have to be expected. If you love it, you can eat it for breakfast - what a great way to start the morning... with a whole lot of Good for You and a little rebellion. 

Ya gotta wash your hands.

One of the first lessons that Food $ense teaches is about Food Safety. If you haven't been able to take a class locally, (by contacting a local agent), you can take the class online. I have a few random thoughts about Food Safety, well not the entire realm of Food Safety, but Hand Washing in particular.

This last week we had people on both sides of our extended family come down with the stomach flu. With all the business of the summer, I was desperate that none of our immediate family come down with the dreaded sickness. So I started preaching and became really vigilant about hand washing. I was shocked at how little of it went on in our home. I even noticed that I wasn't washing my hands as much as I should have been. Thankfully, I think we escaped the dreaded germs.

Here is some Great information on Food Safety basic practices. If you follow these all the time, you will be in the clear when it comes to food borne illness, but I bet as you read through them, there are some that you aren't doing. I was breaking quite a few of the rules.

CBS News ran a report a little while ago and they reported that 95% of people are washing their hands wrong. Say WHAT?!?! Am I living around all these people? Is everyone using those cleaning wipes at the grocery store to clean their carts and forgetting how to use soap and water to wash their hands? The CDC says Handwashing Saves Lives, I am sure that it does, but it can save you a lot of other things too, like discomfort, sick kids and dirty laundry. A healthy family is a happier family. I know we are going to be much better about keeping our hands clean.

Summer Fun Ideas

We are almost a full month into summer here are our house. How is your summer going, have you heard the dreaded words, "MOM!, I am so boooored!"?  I thought today I would share some ideas that I have collected and some that we do here at our house to burn off that summer energy and to keep from hearing the most annoying kid complaint of the summer.

* I make my kids read everyday. We do it right after lunch during the heat of the day (and before we head out to classes / errands or to the pool).  Take advantage of your local library and any summer reading programs they might have.  If you think you don't have a reader, you just haven't found what they might be interested in yet. I had a son who hated to read and we explored some different types of books until we found something he really likes. Now that he is getting better at it, he really enjoys it.  If you have an e-reader (like a kindle or a nook or a tablet / ipad) let your kids use those to read a book, or better yet, find an audible program that would read a classic to them. Do you remember having those read-along books when we were kids? You can still get those from the library if you have the equipment to use them.

* We wouldn't survive a day in the summer without water. Water always equals fun! If you have to water your lawn and run the sprinkler, let the kids run through it. Let them play with the hose and stay in the area of the grass that needs to be watered.  We go to the pool a lot, if you are able to buy a punch pass it is usually cheaper and here where we live there is an awesome outdoor community pool, and that makes the indoor pool much much cheaper. (and I don't have to worry about sunburn).  And nothing burns off energy like kids swimming. We picked up some super cheap water toys like pool noodles and dive toys at our local dollar store, as well as a pair of goggles and flip flops for everybody.  We keep it all in a giant mesh bag and we are always ready to grab and go. It is a special treat after working hard in the yard or when they are especially energetic and need to burn off their wildness. Look for specials with groups that you are a member of, - bank customer appreciation night, school sponsored nights, or coupons in the local paper.

* Do some crafts if you need quiet time and engaging activities. The internet is chock full of ideas for free, fun frugal crafts for kids of all levels. We don't have too many crafters here at our house. It usually ends up just being a big mess that I get to clean up after it has dissolved into a fight. But if you have crafters, I suggest you spend some time on the internet because there are a bazillion ideas out there.

* Check out local free events in your area! The big home improvement stores have free workshops for kids.
One  of the major craft stores has free kids classes, and another has them for half price with the coupon available on their website. I mentioned the library reading program but there are other reading programs like This one from Barnes and Noble, This one from Think Stretch, and This one from Scholastic where kids can read for the world record! Visit your city's official website and see what they have planned for local parks, zoos, museums and other local attractions.

* If you are looking for some things at home to just burn off bursts of energy, I recommend a mini trampoline. We couldn't live without ours. We bought it locally off a classified site for 15$ and there isn't a day that goes by that my kids don't use it.  I have the little ones jump on it while they try and count to 100, I have the big ones jump on it and listen to their ipods. It gets used in all the obstacle courses that they make. I think we need another one. :)

* Lastly, put your kids to work in the kitchen, I mean.... Let your kids help in the kitchen. Teach them how to make macaroni and cheese or pancakes. Let them experiment with recipes that they think they might want to try. This will end up being one of the greatest things you ever teach your kids. It will help you both out.

What motivates real change?

There has been pretty reliable basic nutrition information available to most of us for a while. I think most of us know that we need to eat more veggies and less junk food. Drink more water and have less soda. Sure the guidelines are updated and changed and fine-tuned every once in a while.  To give us a more detailed and up to date picture of what is happening in the world of nutrition. But the guidelines that Food $ense follows and are provided by MyPlate have stayed pretty basic and straight forward.

So most of us know some of these things, or have a pretty good idea where to start. But what motivates us to start in the first place? What motivates us to make a dinner at home instead of eating out? Or to add a snack of vegetables to our day instead of some salty chips or a candybar?

I would like to think that the motivation for change at the most basic part is knowledge. Each of us has learned something and then decided that our life would be better in some way if we implemented this knowledge into our lives. First you have to know there is a need for change before you can want to change.

Food $ense and the Snap-Ed programs in general are a really great place to start to gain some knowledge about food and nutrition. There are some great programs that can help you become a nutrition-wonder in your home and family. I think it is presented in a easy to digest and understand way. One of my favorite programs has been the Eat Right When Money is Tight series. It encourages you to be informed and make the small changes that you can. Even one little change is a movement in the right direction.

Another great place to start gaining some knowledge is the Food $ense lessons at home. Or to contact your local county extension agent and ask when local classes are being held.

Learning is what really leads us to change our lives. We all think that we have "heard it all before" and a lot of us probably feel like eating healthy is too hard, too expensive and too yucky. But it isn't any of those things. With a little bit of know-how it can be the exact opposite. Eating and Feeding our families healthy can be easy, we can do it on our budgets and most of all it can be really really delicious!

Drinking in Summer - Ideas for Healthy Beverages

Isn't June grand?! The last month of Spring (and the warmest and sunniest of them all!) With school out and the kids all at home, it feels like it is summer already. Perhaps the clutter of cups, empty soda cans and water bottles all over my house and lawn are making it feel that way. - Or like I had some huge party over the weekend and no one stayed around to help clean up.

If your house is like mine, you have a lot of thirsty little bodies that are constantly wanting "a drink". Most of my kids can get a drink by themselves, but I have two that are still too little to reach the cups and the water in the fridge. But being able to get themselves a drink of water does not always equate with being able to pick up after themselves. Here are some ideas that we are going to be trying in our house to cut down on sugary beverages, drink more water and cut the waste / clutter of all those cups and water bottles.

We make a pitcher of Crystal Light (or other sugar-free beverage) once a day. Around 2 o'clock or so - the hottest part of the day. Everyone can have a nice tall glass with lots of ice. Other than that, we try and teach them that water is the best choice and that water is what their bodies Really want. I have found that in my kids, they actually want to keep their bodies healthy and treat them right. Knowing how something is good (or something else is bad) for you can really go a long way in helping them make decisions of their own.

We are trying a simple, single cup per person (for water) during the day program.  If someone needs to come in a get a drink of water from the fridge - find the cup that you were using before. (They stack nicely on the little counter next to my fridge, but you can leave them on the edge of the sink or I have heard about moms gluing magnets to theirs and sticking them to the fridge. Since they only have water in them (and they are only being used by one person that don't need to be washed all that often and then everyone is responsible for creating just one dirty dish and saving lots of money and waste in water bottles.

If you have kids (or yourself) that just can't stand to drink plain water try adding just a splash or two of Real fruit juice to a glass of water. Just enough to give it flavor. While 100% fruit juice is good for you, it can add up to a lot of extra calories and sugar if you are consuming it instead of water. It also can end up costing quite a bit because Real fruit juice does not come cheaply. You can also try adding pieces of actual chopped fruit (or veggies) like strawberries, apples, peaches or cucumbers. They flavor water beautifully and you will really enjoy how delicious and refreshing it is. You can also add fresh herbs like mint. Try the herbs and fruit together!

The last piece of advice is to stay way from added sugars, caffeine and added sodium.  These aren't things your body needs in the course of a normal day and it isn't good for you body to start to crave or depend on them. I understand the desire as much as anybody to sit on your porch at night and drink an icy cold Coke, but don't confuse the "treat" that you are having with something you are trying to supply your body with to survive (and be the healthiest it can be) Sure it is coming into the summer season and we all want to kick back and live a little bit. But we also have to actually Live these next few months and we all will be happier parents and kids and families if we are the healthiest we can be.

Menu Planning - Theme Nights

For those of you that are members of Instagram you are familiar with some of the fun things that go on over there like Man Crush Monday (#mcm) or Woman Crush Wednesday (#wcw) or Throwback Thursday (#tbt).

When I first started learning about Food $ense, one of the first things that we focused on was Menu Planning.  It has been the one thing that I have tried to really incorporate in my life and it is one of the things that can make the biggest difference in your life too.

If you are having a hard time beginning menu planning, or starting to make menu plan, something that you can do to help kickstart your planning is have Theme Nights. Food Sense taught me this trick, and I think they learned it from the Food Nanny. (She is Amazing, check her out!)

Some ideas that are really popular are:

Meatless Monday: Make the first day of the week easy on your budget and go meatless. You don't have to make a specifically vegetarian dish (although you can do that!) make it a pasta dish, focus on beans, make a seasonal veggie your star.  If you have someway to narrow down all the choices that are available sometimes it is easier to make a plan.

Taco Tuesday: Make soft tacos, or crisp taco, heck! make some fish tacos. You can vary your toppings - one week have salsa and corn, the next week try olives and fresh tomatoes. You know you can wrap just about anything in a tortilla, have breakfast burritos for dinner.

Or check your schedule and plan what works for YOU. If monday is busy for you with lessons and sports and family events make Monday your Crock Pot or Slow Cooker Night. Plan a dinner that you get prep and have ready in the morning (or even Sunday night) and then just turn the cooker on in the morning and get your busy day done.

Plan to have a Leftover Night. With summer here, we are eating lots of leftovers for lunches. But it is a good idea to plan a night to eat all that food you spent all your time and energy making. Teach your family to love leftovers and your life will get a whole lot easier.

If you are interested in trying new recipes plan a night during the week to Pinterest Recipe Night. Or if you are people who crave the old stand by have a Family Favorite Night, and eat something that you made before that everyone loved.

I am fortunate enough that my kids are older and can help in the kitchen, sometimes we will each take a night and have it be Chef's Choice. Each of my kids get to be head chef for the night and choose what is for dinner and have my help making it. My sister does something similar to this and her kids have specific nights where they are in charge of planning the menu and making dinner. Her teenagers are a little bit older, but you will never regret teaching your children how to cook and care for themselves in a healthy way.

The possibilities are only as limited as your mind. If you have craving for ethnic food plan a night around that. Plan a night that is soup in the winter and salads in the summer.  Have a sandwich night, Have a breakfast night, Have a pizza night! The ideas are endless. And remember these are your "rules" so you should feel free to break them anytime!

A Few Kitchen Shortcuts!

Quick Kitchen Tips from the Weber Food $ense Program. 

1. Strawberry Tip: Wash freshly picked strawberries & then take a wide plastic straw and insert it at the bottom of a strawberry–then push the stem out. This was previously published as a feature tip on Tipnut for Ask Your Neighbor – Helpful Household Tips.
2. Measuring Tip: Rinse measuring cup in hot water before using syrup, oil, etc. Will pour out clean and not stick to cup. This was also mentioned in the 45 Cooking & Baking Tips – A Collection Of Timeless Wisdom tip list.
   
3. Sugar In Fruit Pies: When making pie, sprinkle the sugar under the fruit instead of on top. This prevents pie from boiling over.
4. Baking Fruit Pies: Cut four small slits into top pie crust and stand one piece of tubed pasta into each slit (choose pasta at least 2 or 3 inches long–cannelloni and cut ziti work well). The juices will bubble up the pasta ‘pipe’ and back down into the pie–instead of running all over your oven. Once pie has finished baking, remove pasta.
5. Pie Dough Rolling: Try rolling pie dough between two sheets of waxed paper, the dough is easier to manage and doesn’t stick to the table or your rolling pin. Once the dough is in the desired shape and thickness, peel off the waxed paper and place directly in the pie plate. Cut off the excess. This was also included on the 45 Cooking & Baking Tips – A Collection Of Timeless Wisdom page of tips.
6. Bigger Cakes From Mixes: To make a bigger cake from a mix, add 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp. baking powder. *Found on loose page from an old cookbook. This was also included on the 43 Cake Baking Tips & Tricks page.
7. Icing Cakes: For one layer cakes, turn the cake upside down before icing so that the top is perfectly flat and even. When icing two cake rounds or squares, place a layer of frosting on the top of one round, then place the other round upside down on top for a perfectly flat top. If the cake rose high and uneven in the middle when baking, you may need to slice a bit off across the top to lay it flat. This was also included on the 43 Cake Baking Tips & Trickspage.
8. Neatly Cut Fudge: Use a pizza cutter to easily slice through flats of fudge and candy squares. Make sure the baking has been chilled or thoroughly set before cutting. The process is fast and easy and the result is nice, neat squares.
9. Freeze Cookie Dough: Try preparing a few batches of cookie dough at once and freezing the extra that you won’t be baking that day. You can roll the dough in logs first before freezing (wrap the dough really well) and then just slice off and bake what you need whenever you crave freshly baked cookies.
10. Soften Butter: A few different methods for speeding up the process of getting soft butter right from the fridge (without melting it): Grate the butter into a bowl–comes down to room temperature faster; Microwave for a few seconds at a time–watch closely because you don’t want to zap it too long; Cut butter into squares and put them into a bowl, insert bowl in a pan of warm–not hot–water.
11. Remove Dough Quickly From Hands: Keep a small bowl of cornmeal nearby while kneading and working with dough. If you need to quickly answer the phone, the door, or rescue a runaway toddler while your hands are full of sticky dough, rub dry cornmeal on your hands. This removes dough faster than washing your hands in soap and water.
    
12. Mashed Potato Warmer: Is there ever enough stove top space when preparing large meals (like at Christmas or Thanksgiving)? Here’s a way to get the mashed potatoes done early and out of the way: Prepare your mashed potatoes an hour or two before serving the meal and store them in the slow cooker (on low heat). Serve with the rest of the meal and they’re still hot and tasty :).
13. Fluff Up Mashed Potatoes: Try adding a healthy pinch of baking powder to the potatoes when mashing them. For fluffier mashed potatoes, use an electric mixer to whip air into them. Any other additions? Me, I’m a real butter and splash of milk potato masher-er ;).
14. Mixing Raw Hamburger: If you can’t stand mixing raw hamburger by hand and the wooden spoon just won’t do, try covering each of your hands in a clean plastic bag (or baggy) and dig in. The plastic bags will still give your hands and fingers free movement, yet keep them free from raw meat contamination. Did you know: Meatloaf aficionados declare that the ingredients must be mixed by hand or the meatloaf is doomed? Check out these favorite tasty meatloaf tips.
15. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches: Try slathering mayonnaise on the outer sides of the bread instead of butter when making grilled cheese sandwiches. Makes a nice and crispy sandwich as well as tastes delicious. Another favorite addition of mine is chopped green onions melted in the sandwich with the cheese. Sweet, at least the green onions are healthy! If you have a favorite twist to Grilled Cheese sandwiches, please share and add them below. I’m officially hungry now ;).
16. Cabbage Salad Kicker: To take a cabbage salad “out of this world” add chunks of banana just before serving. *Found on a loose page from an old cookbook. Cabbage Salad would be Coleslaw I believe. My mother-in-law always made hers with slivers of apple mixed in with the coleslaw (delish!). Bananas? I’m hesitant to try this lol. If you do, please let me know how it turns out.
17. Greaseless Griddle Cake: When making griddle cake grease the pan for the first cake. After that rub a piece of raw potato over hot griddle instead of greasing. The cakes brown nicely and there will be no smoke. *Found on loose page of from an old cookbook.
18. Slicing Meat Thin: If you need really thin sliced meat when cooking stir-fry recipes or other dishes, try partially freezing the meat before making your cuts. This will make the meat easier to slice very thin since it will hold firm while slicing, no more uneven cuts from the raw meat mushing underneath the knife blade.
19. Stop Meat Edges From Curling: When grilling steaks or frying up pork chops, sometimes the edges can curl and the meat no longer sits flat in the pan or on the grill. To help prevent that, just cut a slit in the fat along the edge of the meat every inch or so before cooking.
    
20. Baking Soda Meat Tenderizer: You can use baking soda as a meat tenderizer. Two different ways to do this: Sprinkle baking soda all over the meat, rub it in a bit and then let sit (refrigerated) for several hours. You could also make a baking soda/water paste and slather it over the meat. Let it marinate for several hours. Rinse meat before cooking to remove all the baking soda.
21. Baking Soda Test: Do you have an old box of baking soda in the pantry and you’re not sure whether or not it’s still good? Fill a small cup half full with vinegar and drop a teaspoon of baking soda in it. If things start fizzing, the baking soda is active.
22. Fresh Fruit & Veggies Washing Tip: Sprinkle wet fruit and veggies with baking soda then gently scrub and rinse. This cleaning method safely removes dirt and residue off produce. This was part of Tipnut’s Arm & Hammer week.
23. Prevent Bacon Spatters: Bacon can be quite a messy item to prepare, try lightly dusting the bacon with flour before frying. This helps prevent the spatters and meat shrinkage.
    
24. Veggie Roasting Racks: Try roasting a chicken or roast on top of long slices of celery or carrot sticks. The vegetables act like a roasting rack plus add flavor to the meat. You can eat the vegetables too, yum! Not only do the veggies work well as a roasting rack, there’s one less item to wash ;).
25. Potato Flakes Thickener: Add dried instant potato flakes to homemade soups and sauces to thicken the consistency. This won’t change the flavor at all and is a sure trick when a dish sauce turns out too watery or thin.
26. Natural Peanut Butter Storage: Here’s a tip sent in by reader Beth: Regarding natural peanut butter, the type that separates after it sits for a while. Store the unopened jars in the cabinet upside down. The oil will want to rise to the top again and will pass through the solid part to do so, basically stirring itself! Great tip! Thanks for sharing that Beth :)!
27. Flour Bugs: Keep a couple bay leaves in the flour canister to help deter the bugs (flour Weevils) congregating in their favorite hangout. You can toss the leaves loose in the flour or make a rough pouch out of one layer of cheesecloth to keep the leaves separated from the flour. Another tip is to tape the bay leaves to the inside of the lid. Always try to keep flour and other grains in air tight containers, this will help keep pantry pests out.
28. Squeezing Lemons For Juice: For those who suffer from arthritis or hand pain, use a nutcracker to mangle and squeeze wedges of lemons to juice them. Otherwise jab a fork into the fruit flesh, squeeze both ends of the wedge together (towards the fork) and then twist the fork every which way. Lots of juice!
29. Herb & Spice Storage: To help preserve flavor, herbs and spices are best stored in airtight containers, out of sunlight and away from heat sources. Store the jars and containers in the pantry or a cupboard. Keeping spices and dried herbs in cute glass jars over top of the stove is a popular practice, but it does negatively affect the flavor of your spice collection.
30. Make Your Own Celery Flakes: Instead of cutting off the leafy tops of celery and tossing away, try making your own celery flakes. Simply wash and dry the leaves well, place in oven at 180° F. until crispy dried (a few hours), crumble and store in an air tight container. Use the celery flakes in cooking dishes such as soups, stews, stuffing and anything else you’d like to add a little flavor.
    
31. Crystalized Honey Fix: If your honey has crystalized, place the bottle or container in a pot full of hot water and let it sit for about 1/2 hour or until the honey is melted. Stir the honey well and the crystals will be gone.
32. Soften Marshmallows: Slice open the top of a marshmallow bag then place in a large ziploc freezer bag. Freeze. Remove the amount of frozen marshmallows you need as you need them. Thaw and they’re soft and ready to use. If you have hard marshmallows in the pantry, try tossing a piece or two of sliced bread in the bag. Seal, then check after a few days. The marshmallows should be soft again.
33. How to Keep Cookies Soft: Keep cookies moist and chewy by throwing a few slices of apple in your cookie jar to keep cookies soft. Don’t do this if you like crispy or crunchy cookies ;).
34. Lunch Box Notes: When packing lunch for your child, include a little note just for them to brighten their day while they’re at school. I learned this tip from my son, when he was younger he let me know his friend had nice notes from her mom in her lunch every day–I’d say kids look forward to getting them ;).
35. Use A Pastry Brush To Butter Baking Pans: Use soft butter and a pastry brush to grease decorative cake pans, bundt pans and muffin tins. The brush makes it much easier to get into all the grooves. Martha’s Good Things for the Kitchen booklet also suggests to butter the top of muffin pans between the cups as it helps remove the baked muffins easier. This was also included on the 43 Cake Baking Tips & Tricks
36. Reuse Butter Paper Wrapping: Save the paper or foil wrap from blocks or squares of butter and use them to grease baking pans. Keep the paper refrigerated in a separate baggy. Not only do they do an effective job buttering the pans, it also puts to good use something we often toss freely.
37. Muffin Tin Use: After stuffing peppers and tomatoes, arrange in a muffin tin before sticking them in the oven. They’ll stay upright and keep their shape perfectly! You could also do this with baked apples or other round or stuffed items.
38. Fill Empty Muffin Tins With Water: If your muffin or cupcake recipe doesn’t fill all the spots in your muffin pan, fill the empty places 3/4 full with water. This will help protect those slots from darkening or getting scorched.
39. Easily Color Shredded Coconut: If you’d like to color shredded coconut for toppings on cakes and desserts, simply put the coconut in a clean jar (only one half jar full at a time), add a few drops of food coloring in your choice of color, then cap the jar and shake it until all the coconut is evenly tinted. This was also mentioned on the 45 Cooking & Baking Tips – A Collection Of Timeless Wisdom page.
40. Add Flavor To Cooked Vegetables: Toss in a bouillon cube or two to the boiling water instead of salt when cooking vegetables. Adds a delicious flavor to the veggies. Another alternative is to add a couple roughly halved cloves of garlic to the boiling water, then lightly tossing veggies in butter once cooked. This was also mentioned in the 45 Cooking & Baking Tips – A Collection Of Timeless Wisdom page of tips.
41. DIY Non-Slip Bowls: No need to buy expensive mixing bowls with rubber bottoms–just set a bowl on top of a damp cloth and no more worries about it sliding around while you’re mixing something.
42. Cheesecloth In A Pinch: If you’re out of cheesecloth you can use a sheet of paper towel or a coffee filter to line a colander or strainer and then strain liquid. Single use only and you may have to do in batches.
43. Open Tight Lid Jars: If tapping around the lid with a knife won’t loosen a jar lid, try putting on a pair of latex gloves then twisting the lid off. This gives a good grip that won’t slip. Another helper: cut a square of leftover nonslip shelf liner and keep that on hand to unscrew lid.
44. Separate Eggs With A Funnel: If you don’t have an egg separator and need just an egg white or yolk for a recipe, you can use a small kitchen funnel. Crack the egg gently then break into the funnel. The white of the egg will flow through the funnel leaving the yolk behind. No funnel? You could also clip a corner off a ziploc bag and use that as a funnel. Make sure to place the funnel inside a glass so the egg white is contained ;).
45. Reuse Nylon Mesh Bags: If you buy veggies that are bagged in nylon mesh, you can use that mesh for various cleaning jobs around the house and yard. Just wad up the bag and use it as a scrubber.
46. Finding Broken Glass Under Soapy Water: If you break glass in soapy water while doing dishes, to prevent cutting yourself while looking for it you can use a tall clear drinking glass or a wide clear glass bowl–keeping the top part above the bubbles, push the glass into the water and use it as a lens to look around and find the broken pieces.
47. Protect Cookbooks & Recipes: Recipe cards and cookbooks getting a little grungy and marked with goop? To prevent this from happening or the damage from getting worse, place the cards and cookbooks in a clear plastic bag first before using them to prepare a dish. This will keep them from getting smudged up with gooey fingers, yet still be perfectly readable when doing a quick check on a measurement or instruction.
48. Extra Oven Rack: Take out the extra oven rack when baking and you can use it for the cooling rack. Works for cakes, cookies, hors douvres, whatever you like. If you’re baking smaller items that might fall through, simply cover the rack with tinfoil first (fold foil tightly over the edges). Works like a charm!
49. Put Out A Stove Top Grease Fire: Douse the fire heavily with salt or baking soda. Turn off the heat as soon as it’s safe to do so without being burned. This is a great way to use expired baking soda or the boxes you just replaced in the fridge, keep those in the cupboard beside your stove. Teach children how to do this as soon as they’re old enough to start cooking.
50. Repair Rusty Dishwasher Racks: A co-worker found a way to fix up her dishwasher rack by using vinyl caps. You can buy repair kits that contain both liquid vinyl repair paint and vinyl tine caps or ends. They come in a few different colors too so you can match with what you have. Search Amazon for Dishwasher Rack Repair and you’ll find a few options. Prices range from $10 to $30 so it’s not expensive at all to get your dishwasher rack fixed up.
51. Easy Jello Mold Release: Cover the open side of the mold with a plate and then flip. Let it sit at room temperature until the Jello drops out itself (about 45 to 60 minutes before serving). Just cover with plastic wrap and re-chill if you prefer serving jello molds cold. Tip #2: Dip the mold in hot water right up to the top of the rim (but not seeping over into the Jello) for about a minute and then cover the open side of the mold with a plate, flip over. If the jello doesn’t pop out onto the plate easily, dip the mold in warm water again and repeat.
52. Remember to keep the handles of cookware turned in so they are completely over the stove top and they are not protruding over the edge of the stove at all. It’s far too easy for young children to reach up and pull a hot pot down on themselves or to bump into the handle and set a pan with hot grease flying when rushing around preparing a meal.

Active Moms Means Active Kids

I read a really interesting article the other day on my local news website. It talks about how even increasing your activity level as a mom just a little can increase the activity level in your kids. This is great news for anyone wanting to help their kids be a little bit healthier. It isn't "new" news to anybody that being active is better for you than sitting around all day. But it is exciting news that being more active ourselves actually helps our kids be more active. Another great reason to move a little bit more.

Let's Move, is a Great place to start if you are looking for ways to be more active. They have great ideas for seasonal activities and also can help you find parks, playgrounds and things to do outside. There is even a fantastic section for Parents that can help you get started being more active.

When it comes to the internet there is no shortage of information and people willing to share ideas with you. If you don't know where to start try searching "easy ways to be active" or "simple ways to boost activity". But it all really just starts with you wanting to make a little bit of a change or improvement.

Breakfast - the meal of champions!

I am thinking about breakfast today, not specifically breakfast foods, although that does happen, but I am thinking about breakfast in general.

Here is what brought me to it; my parents watched the kids last night so my husband and I could go out on a date. My dad brought by a huge box of donuts for the kids that he gets delivered to his shop each morning. If he knows he is going to come and see the kids he will put away the "free donuts" a little early and save them for the boys. Sorry hungry plumbers.

We have no school today because of trimester break and so instead of having breakfast at school, I am in charge of making breakfast. Usually Daddy makes the breakfast on the weekends, it is kinda his thing and I really appreciate it. And so, with a box full of day old donuts and kids home from school, I have been thinking about breakfast. 

There was a tweet the other day about breakfast that made me think.

I asked my son about his breakfast at school. He loves it. And after the research that I did today, I feel really good that he is getting a really nutritious meal. I know some of that can be overwhelming as far as information goes. But here is the easiest thing to do, make a trip to your child's school, and talk to the secretary. They will be able to help you fill out the form to find out if you qualify.

At our school here locally breakfast is free for everyone. My son contributed the information that there is a giant sign that says, "free breakfast for all kids". How Great is THAT!? As a mommy (or daddy), that just leaves us with the job to remind them, "eat breakfast when you get to school" and to ask them when they get home "how was breakfast this morning?" or "what did you have to eat this morning".  I have a son who isn't much of a share-r, I get the no information answers from him quite a bit, "nothing", "I don't know" - stuff like that. So I ask him specific questions, "what kind of juice did you choose this morning?", "what piece of fruit did you choose?". This has not only opened him up to actually talking to me, but I have discovered things about him that I probably wouldn't have guessed otherwise. He prefers peanut butter on his pancakes instead of syrup (he did not learn that trick here in our house), and he will always choose regular milk over chocolate. Who IS this kid?! 

Breakfast here today was nutritionally a bust, but I blame that on my father. But I am feeling thankful today for this awesome program that helps our family out a ton. I know my kids are getting a great breakfast, trying things that they might not be offered here at home, and it makes for a nice morning when I am not having to scream at them to "finish that cereal!" 

The First Steps to Cutting Out Processed Food

 There is lots and lots of talk out there in the food world right now about "Clean Eating"  I don't know if you agree with the theories behind it or not - ( I don't wholly subscribe to how out of control it can get), but I really believe that eating any food as close to its most natural state as possible.

What are Processed Foods?

They are convenient, attractively packaged, and for some individuals, completely irresistible. However, some processed foods’ unhealthy ingredients can turn a healthy body into a pit of disease. Unfortunately, the consequences of constantly eating processed foods are not evident immediately, but they will appear. This is why cutting these “non-foods” right out of your diet is one of the best moves you can make for your health.

The desire to cut out processed foods and actually doing so are two different things. Processed food ingredients like salt and sugar, are designed to make you crave them more and more. They entice the taste buds to make you eat them regardless of how bad they are for you! In spite of this, if you are like the thousands, perhaps millions, who wish to cut the processed food cord, you are not alone. It can be done.

Processed foods are foods that have been changed from their natural state. If you’ve heard the term “Frankenstein food,” this is a good description of the transformation that takes place – for example, the ever-lasting “Twinkie” or fast food burger. Has it ever crossed your mind why this “food” stays fresh for months when the exact same food or ingredients would last only a few days in it’s natural state? It’s because food manufacturers use artificial ingredients to extend a product’s shelf life. While not all artificial ingredients are harmful, some are. Processed foods may have a longer shelf life, but the life of the person consistently eating this type of food may not last very long at all.

5 Tips to Take Processed Food Out of Your Diet

1. Educate yourself.

Think about how processed foods may be affecting your body. Take the time to read about natural foods vs. processed foods. Become aware of key processed food ingredients and additives that are disastrous to your health, such as food coloring, sodium and trans fat..


2. Read labels carefully.

It is not necessary to spend two hours making your favorite spaghetti sauce from scratch. Believe it or not, you can find some “real processed foods” in your local grocery store if you read labels carefully. Just avoid so-called “foods” with preservatives, and artificial flavors and colors.

3. Savor what’s on your plate.

Instead of gulping down your meal in front of the TV or computer, take the time to really “taste” your food. Really enjoy your avocado salad. Try eating without distractions. This makes you more aware of the various smells, textures, and colors of your food, eventually causing you to turn away from junk food and appreciate home-made food.

4. Discourage yourself from eating added sugar and salt.

The less you eat of these additives, the less you will crave them.  Instead choose fresh, single-ingredient foods (like an apple, egg or almonds!) that will nourish your body.

5. Give yourself time.

Even though it may be tough initially, skip the noontime candy bar or fast-food sandwich. Eventually, your taste buds change and you will acquire the taste for healthier foods. Be patient. With enough willpower you will forget all about “Frankenstein food” and enjoy the taste of wholesome, natural flavors.

A Few Secrets for Healthy Family Dinners

I am learning that one of the really important things about food is that it not only feeds our bodies, but it feeds our souls as well. It makes a huge difference in the lives of families and the people that we love to share a meal together.

Food $ense teaches some amazing basics of Family Meal Time. Believe me, I know that it isn't always easy (and sometimes it isn't even really "fun") but it can make a huge difference in our lives and the lives of our spouses and our children - the people who we love.

Here are some of the benefits that you will have if you make family meal time a priority.  There is even an awesome group called The Family Dinner Project and they list a whole slew of really cool benefits.  Basically there are improvements in every aspect of their lives (and consequently yours too)

Since we already know that it is pretty important and can make some big differences in the lives of the people we love, let's get to how to make this a little bit easier on us. (and get our kids to eat what we actually make!)

• a Great place to start for some ideas is (of course) Food $ense.   There are a few things we are already doing - of course, we already have a meal planned - that leaves out lots of stress when dinner time rolls around. There is no shortage in the world of quick and healthy recipes, the broken piece of this chain is people willing to do the planning. Plan ahead, make sure you have your ingredients on hand, pre-prep what you can, and make sure everyone knows what is on the menu (leading to lots less arguments at 5:59 of.... "I don't like that!"

• Get everyone involved in the prep and the clean-up.   Here is a link to the list we have used before from Snap-Ed  If you need some ideas about what kids can do to help, here are some suggestions: 

At 2 years:

• Wipe tables
• Hand items to adult to put away (such as after grocery shopping)
• Place things in trash
• Tear lettuce or greens
• Help “read” a cookbook by turning the pages
• Make “faces” out of pieces of fruits and vegetables
• Rinse vegetables or fruits
• Snap green beans

At 3 years:

All that a 2 year old can do, plus:

• Add ingredients
• Talk about cooking
• Scoop or mash potatoes
• Squeeze citrus fruits
• Stir pancake batter
• Knead and shape dough
• Name and count foods
• Help assemble a pizza

At 4 years:

All that a 3 year old can do, plus:

• Peel eggs and some fruits, such as oranges and bananas
• Set the table
• Crack eggs
• Help measure dry ingredients
• Help make sandwiches and tossed salads

At 5 years:

All that a 4 year old can do, plus:

• Measure liquids
• Cut soft fruits with a dull knife
• Use an egg beater

It takes a little time and some extra effort at first to teach in the kitchen, but it is worth the work for the help (and together time) later on. Plus, you can't raise adults that don't know how to chop an onion!  If you do, they might end up on a national cooking show confessing that they never were taught to chop and onion and you will feel nothing but shame - save yourself the shame. Teach your kids. 

• Last tip, Focus on the relationships - focus on the soul that you are trying to feed and not just the body. Yes, it takes extra patience (a LOT of it), and you need to let go of your perfectionist expectations.  Let your helpers choose ingredients, spices and sauces. Experiment and make gentle suggestions. Teach them to learn to be brave in the kitchen and if things don't turn out exactly like then planned sometimes that means they have turned out even better!