Slightly Indoctrinated

At least that's what my husband would say. I've been on this healthy food kick for a couple of weeks now and changing lots of things. This second documentary, Forks Over Knives, I loved!! It doesn't use scare tactics, it uses hard scientific research studies to back up healthy eating. I highly recommend it! My husband watched it and loved it as well! So ha! He's indoctrinated too.

And ever since he watched it we've both been regularly eating huge salads for lunch together, more fruits and veggies and nothing processed. We feel great!

The documentary follows one scientist and one doctor on their research journeys that they started decades ago. It pretty much proves without a doubt that the Word of Wisdom (don't know what that is? Follow the link!) is completely inspired. A whole foods plant based diet is the best thing for you! They do cut out all meat and dairy...Ry and I just can't be that extreme. Not yet.

The coolest thing about the documentary is that by eating a whole foods plant based diet people are reversing their health problems!! Not just halting, reversing!

So this is what we're doing - limited dairy. I love my milk and cheese. So I try to only have one small dairy serving a day. Lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Avoid processed foods all together. And meat. Well, we've decided small healthy cuts of meat twice a week is good for us. And no overeating!

Sounds extreme I know - but watch the show! It is amazing! And on netflix. =) So now begins my hunt for some vegetarian recipes for the other 5 days of the week.

Another thing we do is try to find the healthiest version of whatever it is we want to eat. On Saturday we wanted waffles - so we searched for a healthy recipe...then changed some things to fit our needs.

This is what we came up with and it was delicious! We will definitely be making them again!

Oatmeal Wheat Waffles
(adapted from allrecipes.com)

1 cup white flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cups milled flaxseed
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
4 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp brown sugar

In large mixing bowl, stir together flour, oats, flaxseed, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; set aside. In small mixing bowl, stir together eggs, milk, butter and brown sugar. Add to flour mixture; stir until blended. Pour batter on to grids of preheated, lightly greased waffle iron (amount will vary with size of waffle iron). Close lid quickly; do not open during baking. Use fork to remove baked waffle. Top with fresh fruit and yogurt. 


Super yummy!! And you can feel good serving it to your family!

Mother of all Grains

Quinoa - where have you been all my life?! Seriously, as far as nutritional value - the Incas were right in calling it the 'mother of all grains'...

"Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, secondary only to the potato, and was followed in importance by maize. In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (18%). Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), and like oats, quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it a complete protein source. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration human occupied spaceflights." - Wikipedia


Incorporating Quinoa into our diet is one of the healthy changes I am making. You can replace the rice in most of your recipes with quinoa - but rinse it first to remove the bitterness. My kids love it! 


Our favorite quinoa recipe so far is from this lovely site I just found, Iowa Girl Eats. Mr Man could not get enough!

Mini Ham & Cheese Quinoa Cups

Makes 28 mini cups

Adapted from So Very Blessed

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked quinoa (about 3/4 cup uncooked)

2 eggs

2 egg whites

1 cup zucchini, shredded

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup diced ham

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese

2 green onions, sliced

salt & pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine. Liberally spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick spray and spoon mixture to the top of each cup. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges of the cups are golden brown. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from the mini muffin tin.

That's all we had for dinner one night + some fresh fruit and we were all full and satisfied, but we didn't feel heavy. I didn't have parsley, so I used spinach instead.

Have any kid friendly quinoa recipes you'd like to pass on? Please do!

Cinco de Mayo Menu - revisited

This year...

Beef Nacho Casserole and Fried Ice Cream

Okay - so the beef nacho casserole isn't super authentic and maybe is a cop-out - but it does have spicy flavors. And it's super easy to throw together! Which is why it's my pick for this year...and Fried Ice Cream. Yum! It's my first time making it. So...I'll let you know how it goes. And I'll post pictures later. Meanwhile - here are the recipes...

Beef Nacho Casserole - a recipe from my childhood

• 1 lb ground beef
• 12 oz salsa
• 1 cup corn
• 3/4 cup miracle whip
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• Spicy Nacho Doritos
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Sour Cream

Brown beef, drain. Add salsa, corn, miracle whip, & chili powder. Place 1/2 meat mixture in 9x13. Cover with layer of doritos. Layer of cheese. Repeat layer of meat, chips, and cheese. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, & sour cream.

Fried Ice Cream - courtesy of allrecipes.com

• 1 quart vanilla ice cream
• 3 cups crushed cornflakes
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 egg whites
• Frying oil

Scoop ice cream into 8 - 1/2 cup sized balls. Place on baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

In a shallow dish, combine cornflakes and cinnamon. In another dish, beat egg whites until foamy. Roll ice cream balls in egg whites, then in cornflakes, covering ice cream completely. Repeat if necessary. Freeze again until firm, 3 hours.

In deep fryer or large, heavy saucepan, heat oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Using a basket or slotted spoon, fry ice cream balls 1 or 2 at a time, for 10 to 15 seconds, until golden. Drain quickly on paper towels and serve immediately.


Click Here for Last Years Menu...

Mint {Green} Oreo Cupcakes

This is the perfect St. Patrick's Day treat for the chocolate lover, the mint lover, the oreo lover....the lover of pretty food. My husband always teases me because I am slightly obsessed with food being appealing to the eye (I've watched food network one too many times). I love garnishing. Even just for the 2 of us. Anyway - this is also the perfect treat to make with kids!

Don't they look pretty? It get's better...

First start with some mint oreos - remove the tops and place cookie side down in a muffin tin lined with paper cups.

My new favorite cake mix is this butter recipe - it uses butter instead of oil and is so much better! Thick and creamy. Love it. One box of cake mix will yield about 28 cupcakes. Make according to box directions and cover up your naked oreos about 3/4 of the way full.

After baking - they'll look like this on the bottom.

...and this on the inside...

No cupcake is complete until frosted. First you'll need one cube butter and one 8 oz cream cheese - both room temperature. Beat together with a mixer until fluffy.

Next add 1 Tablespoon vanilla.

And about 1 lb powdered sugar - a cup at a time. About 4 cups. I think I added a little more to get the thicker consistency I wanted for piping on the frosting...

That's about thick enough...

And of course it has to be green for St Patrick's Day!

And done.

Make sure you have someone to help you lick the beaters - like a cute little girl still in her pajamas...whoever said cream cheese frosting wasn't good for breakfast?!

I used the largest cake decorating tip I had and piped on the frosting in swirling peaks.

But something was missing...oh yes. A dusting of fine oreo crumbs that I made out of the tops I took off originally. Placed in a food processor and voila. Beautiful and tasty!

Happy St Patricks Day!! Have fun with your kids!

Homemade Steamers

If you haven't had a steamer - you need to! I love them with all of my little girl heart. It's a great alternative to hot chocolate for a warm drink during the cold months (or all year round if you're like me). You can get them at coffee shops for about $3-4, so yummy. But kind of on the pricey side for me.

And if you don't drink caffeinated drinks, no worries - steamers are only milk with flavoring - no caffeine.

I decided I didn't want to pay the high price anymore - my homemade price for steamers is 43 cents/cup compared to the $3-4 I usually pay. Yep, good savings! And look at that frothy goodness...the only thing missing is the beatnik ambiance of the coffee shop....

Here's what you'll need...

Torani syrup flavoring. You can find it by the coffee filters and creamers in your local grocery store. There are tons of flavors - my favorites are Irish Cream, Hazlenut, and Amaretto. You can also use Torani syrups to flavor hot chocolate, milk shakes, lots of things! I even used 1/2 tsp in my bowl of cream of wheat the other morning - delicious!

Heat up on med-low 1 cup milk. To make sure it doesn't scald, and that it is nice and frothy at the end I use my handy mixer, love this thing...

...The milk will be far to hot to drink if you let it simmer - so just keep an eye on it and when you see the first light steam come off of the milk, turn it off. Then add 2 Tbsp your choice Torani syrup - mix again. And voila - homemade steamers! Tastes just like what you buy at the coffee shop!

Cookie Salad

If your New Year's Resolution is to lose weight...maybe ignore this one. Or, you can make yourself feel better and justify eating this because it has fruit in it. =) Either way it is delicious and I couldn't help posting it!

Cookie Salad (not really a salad...)

• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 large box instant vanilla pudding
• 8 oz pineapple tidbits, drained
• 11 oz mandarin oranges, drained & cut up
• 12 oz cool whip, thawed
• 24 fudge stripe cookies, crushed

In a large bowl, whisk buttermilk and pudding until smooth, mix well. Stir in pineapple and mandarin oranges, distribute evenly. Fold in cool whip. Chill. When ready to serve, stir in cookies.

*I personally think this is better when the cookies have been in it. So I always add them right away and chill - then serve. The cookies get soft, and so yummy! This is a great recipe you can make ahead - just as good after sitting in the fridge overnight!

Peppermint Bark

This recipe is so easy and so good! All you need is...

• 1 lb white chocolate
• 1/2 tsp peppermint oil/extract (to taste)
• Crushed peppermint candy (I usually do 2 regular size candy canes)

Melt the chocolate, stir everything else in - then spread thinly onto a wax paper covered cookie sheet and cool. Once it's cool you break it up into these random jagged pieces.

Last week while making it I had a stroke of genius and thought - why not have a thin layer of milk or dark chocolate underneath?! So I did it. And boy do I love it! We didn't have any dark, so I used milk chocolate - but next time I would for sure do dark. I love my dark chocolate.

I melted the chocolate, spread it thin, and placed the cookie sheet in the freezer to do a flash chill. Once it was solid I very carefully spread the hot white chocolate on top. Then flash chilled again. So tasty! I'm too impatient to wait for it to cool on the counter.

The easiest way to crush the candy canes - place them in a thick freezer Ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to hammer them down. Don't use a regular sandwich bag - it'll break open and you'll have peppermint powder everywhere!

Enjoy!

Homemade Fruit Leather

Nothing beats homemade. Cheaper, healthier, and tastes better - no matter what you're talking about. This time I gave homemade fruit leather a try and it was a hit! Not too mention my house smelled amazing all day!

I started by peeling and slicing some apples - then they got steamed.

After they were steamed I threw them into my food processor with a little bit of cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. When they were smooth, I lined a cookie sheet with enough plastic wrap to go over the edges, sprayed the plastic wrap lightly with nonstick cooking spray, and then spread my apple paste into a smooth thin layer.

I baked this concoction at 150 degrees for around 4-6 hours until golden brown.

I just kept checking on it and when the fruit leather peeled away nicely from the plastic wrap I knew it was done.

Instead of cutting it up or storing it in a jar - I just kept it rolled up in the same plastic wrap it was baked on and we pulled pieces off all week. It didn't last very long. So tasty! Can't wait to try some other fruits.

Sweet Potato Pecan Pie

LOVE this recipe! I'm slightly a pie fanatic. I've made our thanksgiving pies since I was 11 and show a lot of self restraint when I limit myself to only 6 pies (which I have made when there were only 6 people in attendance). I love making them & I love eating them. I've even been known to give out a Pie of the Month gift for Christmas.

So...needless to say I've tried my fair share of pies and this one...oh, this one...it's up at the top of my list! SO good!! And so worth adding to your Thanksgiving menu. It screams harvest season!

Sweet Potato Pecan Pie

• 1 lb sweet potatoes, baked & peeled
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp orange peel zest
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• Graham Crust
• Pecan Topping (see below)

Beat hot sweet potatoes and butter until smooth. Add sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, orange zest, vanilla, nutmeg, salt, and egg. Mix well. Pour into crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Meanwhile prepare pecan topping (below).

Remove from oven, reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Spoon pecan topping on pie. Bake 25 minutes longer or until set. Serve warm or cool*. Garnish with orange zest & cool whip. *I actually thought it was better the next day served straight from the fridge.

Pecan Topping

• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp dark corn syrup
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp melted butter
• 1/2 tsp maple flavoring
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Beat first 5 ingredients together, then stir in pecans.

{sidenote: I actually added everything to the batter except the egg and gave that a taste...SO good! All warm...I really think it could be served just like that as Warm Sweet Potato Pudding. I know I'd eat it!}

Click here for last year's Thanksgiving Pie recipes!

Homemade Cream Cheese Spread

I love cream cheese. I love the flavored spreads too - but I don't love how you pay $2+ for a tiny little tub of it. I'm one who likes a thick layer on my bagels - so those tubs don't last me very long. It occurred to me the other day...why don't I just make some!? So I did.

I softened an 8 oz pkg of regular cream cheese, which I got on sale for $1. Then I blended in about 4oz of pureed strawberries and about 1/4 to 1/3 cup powdered sugar. That's it! It tasted almost exactly like what you buy in the store! And keeps in the fridge in a Tupperware forever. It also stays spreadable.


Love it. I'm never buying it again. Now I just have to figure out how to do the "weird" ones (as my husband would say)...garden vegetable and such.


You could substitute any pureed fruit of your choice in the above recipe, just adjust the powdered sugar to your liking and depending on the tartness of the fruit. Have fun!

Give Thanks

Here are some fun activities to do with your kids this Thanksgiving season.

• Write thank you notes to someone (family member, friend, teacher, etc) for something they have done. I usually try to dictate exactly what my 3-year old is saying so that the card sounds more personal. Then I have her sign her name and draw or color a picture on the front. You can find free printable cards online, or make your own by printing some Thanksgiving clipart.
• What is Thanksgiving without the traditional handprint turkey? Trace your child’s hand, then let them draw a face, feet, and feathers.

• Make a turkey headband to wear. Just attach a turkey head to the front of a strip of brown paper, and feathers to the back, and voila! (we were out of brown paper at our house, so we had to improvise)

• Have your child write their own recipe for how to cook a turkey. It is hilarious the things they will say — especially if they’ve had experience cooking with you. For younger kids, have them dictate to you. You could also have them write how to make pumpkin pie. Please don’t follow these recipes…I’m pretty sure a turkey will not be fully cooked when heated at 200 degrees for 20 minutes.
• Make a thankful turkey. After coloring a turkey body, trace your child’s foot on colored paper and cut out. Then have them write something they are thankful for on the feather and add it to the turkey’s tail. You can have them do as many feathers as you want, or have them add one each day. Or you could do this as a family activity and have everyone help make feathers. At the end, you’ll have a turkey full of things you are thankful for.

• Make a book about the 1st Thanksgiving. I found a good one here.

• Decorate a cornucopia. Use any medium you want to make this horn of plenty.You can find some templates here.

• Make Thanksgiving snacks together. Some examples are cornbread, turkey sandwiches (use a turkey-shaped cookie cutter to make it a festive shape!), and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Here’s my favorite recipe for the aforementioned cookies:

Mix 1 can pumpkin with 1 box spice cake mix powder. Then add 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips and you’re done. Really. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-13 minutes. Yummy and easy for kids to help make. 

• And as the holiday gets closer, here’s how you can involve your kids with thanksgiving dinner:
• Teach them how to set the table and discuss where each piece goes. Use play dishes or the real thing. Make it a matching game by tracing plates, cups and silverware onto a piece of paper, then having them place the correct item on its outline. Then when the big day arrives, let them set the table.

• Make a pumpkin pie together.
• Have them make place cards for Thanksgiving dinner. I found this idea using fingerprints at Family Fun. I only had big googly eyes, but I think they are kind of cute!

Happy Thanksgiving!
________________________________________________________________

Marie is a stay at home mom of two adorable kiddos who keep her super busy! She has a dual degree in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education and continues to use her degree everyday of her mommy career!

Marie is one of my good friends and someone I look up to very much as a mommy. She has tons of fun ideas for things to do with your kids - so keep an eye out for her future guest posts.

Egg Carton Spiders + Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Another easy craft - this we did last year and the spiders are hanging up again this year!

You'll need an egg carton, black paint, black pipe cleaner, googly eyes, glue, scissors, and some string.

This is a great craft to do even with little ones - Little Miss was only 18 months old at the time and was practicing her fine motor skills while painting. But just to be sure things didn't get too crazy, she was only in a diaper.

And lastly - roasted pumpkin seeds. Delicious! I tried a couple of different recipes this year, but only one of them is worth passing on...


Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

• 3 cups pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp seasoned salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, coat evenly. Spread into even layer on baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes.

I love easy recipes like this because Little Miss can stand on a chair next to me and dump in ingredients as I give them to her. Can't really mess it up too bad. Super fast and yummy!