Watermelon Raspberry and Lime Pops

You know those times when you buy a watermelon and it just isn't as good as you want it to be.  You don't want to waste it, but it isn't going to be delicious to just eat.  I have a solution for you - add some raspberries and lime and make popsicles!

It's a genius idea, refreshing and cold it is everything a summer treat could need to be!

The perfect way to enjoy that watermelon that you swore was going to be perfect and then turned out to be a little bit less than. 

The Very Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Once I made this, I was just going to claim that they were the best pumpkin chocolate chip muffins in the world, but that was before my family ate the entire batch before I was able to take pictures for the blog. 

I made a second batch a few days later, with the determined intent to get some good pictures of these amazing muffins for the blog. It turns out that it was a cloudy overcast kind of day and so as I was waiting for some sunshine to come around - and having neglected to put the pieces together that all my children were out of school for fall break and each had at least one friend over. 

--  The second batch of muffins were gone as well, before I could take any pictures. 

It really was silly. And yes, the muffins, really really ARE that good!

So here's the third batch of them, I was fighting off the muffin eaters as fast as I could snap pictures. 

Ingredients:

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 15 oz. can pumpkin

1 cup cooking oil

1/2 cup applesauce

3 cups flour, substitute whole grain flour if you like

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon table salt

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 cups (1 bag) chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray your muffin tins with non-stick spray (or add liners) and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer. Mix in sugar, pumpkin, oil, and applesauce. 

In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. 

Blend into pumpkin mixture until just combined. Add chocolate chips and mix. 

Scoop into muffin tins. 

Bake 15-20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Cool slightly in pans then transfer to wire racks.

Pumpkin Cranberry Granola Bars - No Bake

I love making my own granola bars, they are so darn easy.  I can put a lot less sugar in them than the ones that you buy in the store and I can make all sorts of wonderful flavors. 

They store great in the fridge, and I wrap them up in plastic wrap so they are a great grab and go breakfast or snack. 

You'll love the fresh fall flavors of these, seriously who can't get enough pumpkin nowadays! and I think the dried cranberries add the perfect about of sweetness, but you can add mini chocolate chips as well, and they'll be just as fantastic!

 Ingredients
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
⅓ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup nut or seed butter of choice
3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
¼ cup chopped pecans (substitute pepitas or sunflower seeds)
¼ cup craisins

Directions

In a food process or blender, combine the oats, pumpkin puree, nut or seed butter, syrup, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract. Process on low for a few seconds. Scrap sides as needed. Process just until mixed well (note: some of the oats will remain whole).

Transfer mixture to bowl. Fold in pecans and craisins.

Line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with plastic wrap or parchment.

Transfer mixture to loaf pan, spread out and press down firmly (very firmly - this is important).

Place in freezer for 30 minutes before slicing into 8 bars or 10 squares.

Bars hold up best if stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

I can't think of a single thing in the whole world that isn't more delicious with pumpkin added. If you consider the healthy benefits of adding pumpkin, I can't think of a single reason not to add pumpkin to everything that comes out of the kitchen. 

Ingredients

Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats
1 and 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 and 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree

Glaze
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 and 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 Tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the oats, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together in a medium bowl.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large bowl. Whisk in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until combined. Whisk in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until combined, then whisk in the pumpkin.

Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. The cookie dough will be thick and sticky.

Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough into balls (about 2 heaping Tbsp of dough each) and place 3 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Slightly flatten the balls out since the cookies won't spread much unless you help out.

Bake for 14-15 minutes or until lightly browned and set on the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet before icing.

Make the icing: Whisk together the icing ingredients until smooth. Dip the top of each cookie into the icing.

10 Tips for Better Family Meals

Eating meals as a family takes a little work in today’s hectic world.  But it’s worth it! 

Families that eat together tend to eat better, like eating more fruits and vegetables.  Plus family meals get everyone sharing and talking - something kids need. Follow these tips to get your family making meals and memories together.  It’s a lesson they’ll use for life.

1. Set a realistic goal.  
You may not be able to eat together every day. And that’s OK! Set a goal to add just one more family meal to the week. As that becomes a habit, add another family meal.

2. Plan when you’ll eat together.
Mark those dates on your calendar. You’ll be more likely to stick to it if you’ve got a clear plan in place.

3. Be flexible with the time and place. 
Eating together may mean preparing something ahead of time and having a picnic before or after your child’s soccer game. It’s OK to get creative!

4. Cook it fast on busy nights. 
Do some tasks the night before if you can. Wash and cut fruits, veggies, and herbs. Store them in the fridge until ready to use.  Try some of our 30-minute meals like Asian Noodles with Peanut Butter Sauce, Peanut Butter and Banana Pockets, or Tuna Boats.

5. Get everyone involved. 
Give all family members a job to do before, during, and after the meal. Kids will enjoy being a part of it, especially if you give them a “special” role they enjoy.

6. Focus on each other. 
Turn off the TV, video games, and cell phones. It may seem weird at first, but it will help set the tone that mealtime is family time.

7. Talk about things that everyone can enjoy. 
Try to make meals a stress-free time. Ask fun questions like: What made you laugh today? What is something nice you did for someone else today? What are you looking forward to about tomorrow?  

8. Set some ground rules. 
Choose rules that promote respect. For instance, “let others finish talking before you talk.” Or, “don’t make negative comments about food.” Help kids understand it’s ok if they don’t like a food but they should let others feel free to enjoy it!

9. Make mealtime a learning time. 
With younger kids, talk about the colors or shapes of the foods. With older kids, ask what animals or plants your foods come from. Discuss eating traditions in other cultures. If nobody knows, look it up as a family.  

10. Share the adventure. 
Make a point to try new foods together at family meals. Talk about the look, feel, and taste of the new food. Look up other ways you could prepare it for a future meal. Do this once a week, once a month, or whenever you can fit it in.



Thanks to Cooking Matters for sharing this with us!

How to Have a (Mostly) Pleasant Meal with Your Family

It was not too long ago in my life, where I dreaded family meals like none other. 

I would actually prepare the food and then leave and go into another room and let Joseph feed them in shifts or attempt to have a meal with them. It was at times, very unpleasant. 

I'm not suggesting by any means that it is always sunshine and smiles now, but I have learned a few trips that help me not to shoot myself in the foot while I am trying to implement this important family necessity. 

* Make sure no one is starving - low blood sugar, blind hunger rage, and kids (and adults) that can't remember the last time they ate are not pleasant people.  If dinner is going to be a while, have a snack. You aren't going to ruin your dinner, you might actually just save it. 

* Be a family.  - tell them why you are trying so hard to do this, tell them how much it means to you. Look each person in the eye across the table and say, I am so glad we are here together. 

* Try to make a very special meal. Make up a reason if you have to, but do something new, something fresh every so often.  And I don't mean steak and lobster. Have a picnic, use fancy napkins. Make the tuna noodle casserole you surviced on through college and swore you'd never make again.  Make connections with food. 

* Everyone Helps. Cook & Clean Up. Nobody is too little, to busy or too tired. Many hands make like work, and the more everyone in the family makes the experience happen, the more they each want it to be a success. 

* Keep the energy positive! Focus on having a wonderful family experience rather than worrying about correcting everyone’s behavior. Enjoy the time – make it pleasant to be together!

September is Family Mealtime Month - Before We Begin

I can be a little hit and miss about my desires to eat healthy.  It still takes me more effort to get off the couch and be active than it does to tell myself to sit down and take a break.  Most days, I would be willing to bet that we are pretty much exactly the same when it comes to those kinds of things. 

I also would be willing to guess that your family means just as much to you as mine does to me.  These hooligans than I claim - they are my whole world!! And I would do anything and everything - frankly there just isn't a single thing that I wouldn't try to have be a part of their lives if I thought that it would make their lives better. 

I bet you feel the exact same way about your hooligans. 

 

I have learned a lot of life changing things here at Food $ense and without a doubt the biggest one for our family has been Family Mealtime. 

I am wanting to share with you some old posts that I have written that talk about why eating together as a family has become so important to me. 

I want to share an article with you that was written by USU Extension that talks about why I am so happy being able to do what I am do here.  (*enjoy my picture of me pregnant with Charlie) 

This post is called Let's Talk Seriously About Family Mealtime

It is a great place to get started knowing just the basics of what this crazy stuff is I keep rambling on about it, and exactly why it is so darn important. 

 Here is a post that I wrote on how simple having dinner as a family (or actually ANY meal as a family) can be -- It doesn't have to be something that is out of control. 

The article that I wrote here talks about it absolutely is a hard thing to do, almost nothing goes according to plan and it happens at a really tiring stressful time of day.  Here's how I deal with those. 

This post that I wrote contains a list of tips and hacks that can make having family dinner easier. Ways to plan a bit better and even ways to make having dinner with your children pleasant when they might not want to be there. 

 This article is the recap after last year's successful Family Mealtime Month.  It was our first time as a Food $ense program really getting behind it and there were some amazing helps created. You'll find not only a free cookbook, but mealtime conversation starters, tips, tricks. 4 weeks of free menu plans, just about anything and everything that you could use to make having meals with your family something to get started. 

And while All this information is great and amazing and motivating - it might also be over-whelming and you might think --  wow! it takes ALL That to have dinner as a family, no thanks! 

But the truth is --  all you have to do is sit down at the table together. That's It!  And that is all that y you need to be able to begin, you just sit down at the table together.  (and you don't even Need a Table!!) 

 This post outlines the Food $ense Family Mealtime Mission  I know this is a lot (a LOT) of information, but if you are curious, start here, if you think that this might be something that you are ready to do for the people that you love. Start here. 

When Kids Eat Healthy, So Do Parents

I would be willing to bet that almost every parent has uttered the phrase, " I am not running a restaurant" - I would be willing to bet that even the parents who actually run a restaurant, do not feed their kids that way.  It is impossible to run a family and cook each person a different breakfast, a different lunch and a different dinner. 

" You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit" probably originated at the dinner table. 

But studies are finding that children who eat better have parents who eat better.  On this journey to love a healthier life, I have been the one lagging behind, I am the one with doubts, the one with weird food hang-ups and the one who resists change the most. It is probably because I have had my bad habits the longest. 

Our kids are open to trying new things, they are brave and adventurous and if we didn't put all our anxiety on them, they'd lead us the way into healthy lifestyles.  Kids love to play, when did we as adults stop playing? When I take my kids to the farmer's market, they want to discover everything, they want to feel it and smell it and taste it. I am the one thinking, " I have heard that ____ is really bad / strange / yucky" 

Not only are our children great examples to us, but they inspire us.  I want my children to leave long lives, full of health that allows them to be anything they want to be.  By choosing to provide them food that is unhealthy, I am not only depriving their bodies of nutrition that they need, but I am planting the seeds for bad habits that will last a lifetime. 

I struggle still in my quest to be a healthier person. I struggle with being active and having a piece for fruit instead of an ice cream. But I am motivated for my children. There are lots of things I won't do for myself, but I will do for my children. These choices aren't easy ones, and I am certainly not always perfect, but the people that I am doing it for are the most important people in the world and they are helping me to be a better person for myself and them. 

Watermelon Frozen Yogurt Bark

I love fun food. I guess to my brain, food that looks cute just tastes better. 

I don't know if that is really true, but it is awfully fun to make, and I love being the mom that says, Who wants Frozen Yogurt and then bringing this outside and letting them be amazed at all the colors and textures and tastes. 

Food should be fun, don't you think?

You'll want to make this the day before you want to serve it. Depending on how cold your freezer is and how thin you make the bark, you might be able to get away with making it in the morning to serve in the afternoon, but I wouldn't risk it the first time.  I always like my first time making something to be a low-key test without too much pressure - otherwise if it fails, I am really crushed emotionally. 

Here are the ingredients that you'll need - parchment paper or non-stick foil (something that you can lift out),  a round pan (a cake pan or a pie pan work great), yogurt in a flavor you like, I used vanilla and colored it with food coloring, so you'll need food coloring, 2 plastic zip bags and mini chocolate chips. 

Color your yogurt and put it into 2 separate plastic bags.

Use your green first, snip off a corner of the bag and pipe around the edge of your circle. 

Then snip off the corner of the pink bag and pipe that into the center of the green. 

I am a terrible mess maker and so then I needed to go back with a small spatula and smooth out my messy piping job. It looked much nice after that. 

 After that, sprinkle some mini chocolate chips in the center and then put it in your freezer - laying it as flat as you can. 

When you are ready to serve it, take it out about 5 minutes before you are wanting to serve. Remove the foil or parchment from the pan and let it sit on your counter. 

When you are ready to serve it, cut it into watermelon slices. 

Fair Warning - this is pretty messy.  My 14 year old said, "this is like holding a scoop of ice cream in your hand"  I served it outside on a hot day while we were playing in the sprinkler. So the mess didn't bother anyone at all. And the heat may have had a lot to do with how fast it was melting. 

But how fun is this? Icy frozen treats, shaped like a watermelon, that taste like vanilla and has chocolate chips "seeds" I love everything about this.