When Life Gives You Lemons, Add Water!

Happy Chinese New Year

It's Chinese New Year and in honor of that I have been trying out a few new recipes. 

I made a Pinterest recipe the other night that turned out so good! (So very good that we ate it all!)

It was simple, easy, fairly healthy, and if you can get your 5 year old and your husband to both say they liked it, it must be a keeper! I modified it to fit the ingredients I had in my fridge and to fit my gluten free needs.

Ingredients:
6 oz gluten free spaghetti noodles

1/4 cup very hot water
2 tsp low sodium beef bullion
3 Tbsp gluten free soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar

Oil for pan frying beef and veggies in pan (I use olive oil)

1lb beef (I used grass feed beef and a fajita steak cut)
1 large red onion chopped
2 large carrots chopped up into small chunk (I used carrots I grow in the summer the wash chop and freeze in 1 lb bags.)
2 cups (give or take) I like broccoli so i make mine heaping cup fulls :-)
2 Tbsp of diced garlic
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions:
1) Cook spaghetti as directed. (If you can, time it so you will be draining it about the time the meat and veggies are done.)
2) Combine low sodium beef bullion, gluten free soy sauce, and brown sugar the hot water and stir until fully dissolved. Set off to the side.
3) Cook meat with olive oil in pan until almost done. Near the end add the onions, garlic, and sesame oil so they will start to soften and caramelize a bit and the flavors will combine.
4) Add in carrots and broccoli and put on medium low head to warm and soften veggies. Stir often to mix flavors.
5) When veggies are warmed all the way through (I like mine with a little crunch, cook longer if you prefer a more cooked veg)  Add the sauce you set aside earlier, mix to coat everything well.
6) Pour the entire meat, veg, sauce mixture into the drained noodles and toss to coat everything.

Serve and watch it disappear into happy mouths!

 Original recipe from momsdish.com can be found here.

Serving size:

6

servings

• • 8 ounces
  • Thin Spaghetti; broken in half
• • 1 teaspoon
  • Sesame Oil
• • 1/4 cups
  • Hot Boiled Water
• • 1 tablespoon
  • Beef Better Than Bullion
• • 3 tablespoons
  • Soy Sauce
• • 2 tablespoons
  • Brown Sugar
• •  
  • Oil; for frying
• • 1 pound
  • Beef
• • 2
  • large Carrots
• • 2 cups
  • Broccoli
• • 1
  • large Onion
• • 4
  • Garlic Cloves

- See more at: http://momsdish.com/recipe/400/beef-lo-mein-recipe#sthash.uDCZLntN.dpuf

• 8 ounces
• Thin Spaghetti; broken in half

• 1 teaspoon
• Sesame Oil

• 1/4 cups
• Hot Boiled Water

• 1 tablespoon
• Beef Better Than Bullion

• 3 tablespoons
• Soy Sauce

• 2 tablespoons
• Brown Sugar

•  
• Oil; for frying

• 1 pound
• Beef

• 2
• large Carrots

• 2 cups
• Broccoli

• 1
• large Onion

• 4
• Garlic Cloves

- See more at: http://momsdish.com/recipe/400/beef-lo-mein-recipe#sthash.uDCZLntN.dpuf

And after eatting such a great dinner why not continue the fun with a craft?
 Super simple Chinese lanterns from firstpalette.com.

 Materials

• Paper or cardstock (preferably red or yellow)
• Scissors
• Stapler or tape
• Glue
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Things to decorate your lantern with: gift wrap
  paper, ribbons, sequins, stickers, glitter glue,
  small buttons, etc.

Steps

	1.	Start out with an A4, Letter size, or any rectangular sheet of paper or cardstock. Red and yellow are preferred colors for a Chinese-themed lantern, but you can always choose any color you like.
	2.	Cut a 1-inch wide strip off on one short side. Set this aside for the handle.
	3.	Fold the paper in half, lengthwise.
	4.	Draw a horizontal line one inch from the long edge opposite the fold. *This line is just a guide for cutting and may not be necessary for older kids.
	5.	Starting from the folded edge, cut a straight line about an inch from one short edge, all the way up to the horizontal line.
	6.	Continue to cut more straight lines about 1 inch apart until you reach the opposite short edge of the paper. Remember that the horizontal line marks the point where you stop cutting each straight line.
	7.	Unfold the paper. The paper will have several vertical slits along the middle. Erase any pencil marks or re-fold the crease the opposite way to hide the pencil marks at the back.
	8.	Decorating the lantern is optional but if you wish to jazz up yours, here are some ideas you can try: a.) Make a border by painting with any water-based paint or coloring with crayons or oil pastels.
		b.) Create patterns and details with glitter glue, puffy paint, or markers.
		c.) Glue on a strip of gift wrap paper, patterned paper, fabric, lace, washi tape, or a wide ribbon to make a border.
		d.) Add texture by gluing on materials like craft foam or felt shapes, small buttons, beads, sequins, ribbon, lace, etc. Do not glue on materials that are too heavy for your paper though. Take note to leave at least a half-inch of undecorated area on one top corner. This space will allow you to connect the two edges of the paper to form a lantern.
	9.	Form the paper into a tube shape to transform it into a lantern. Overlap the long edges at least a half-inch. Staple or tape the top and bottom corners.
	10.	Glue on the paper handle from Step 2. Decorate the handle if you like. Once the glue dries, hang the paper lantern as a festive Chinese New Year decoration.

More Ideas

	Instead of paper, you can use a length of ribbon, lace or fabric for the handle.
	Cut strips of crepe paper and glue these along the inside of the lantern's bottom edge. These streamers will make the lanterns move gracefully with the wind.
	Besides the typical red and yellow Chinese lanterns, you can make them in your favorite colors or in hues that go with a particular occasion (e.g. orange and black for Halloween).
	You can also decorate the strips in betwen the slits of your lantern. Glue on small paper or fabric shapes, or draw designs with markers or crayons.

Alternative Option: Clean(er) Eating ~Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

The sub zero cold weather is coming again to the Midwest.....  BRRRR!
Why not warm up with a cup of hot chocolate, but lets be clean about it.
Instead of a cup of the processed hot cocoa mix (that I told you about a few weeks ago Link here) how about making your own?

It's so simple and you have most ingredients in the pantry, if not they're easily accessible at the store!

 Homemade Dry Hot Chocolate mix

Makes 5 1/2 cups of dry mix

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 3 cups powdered non-fat milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Fill mug halfway with mix (about a 1/4 cup of mix). Pour in hot water. Mix well.


 Here are a few tips that I've picked up over the years while making this.

• Put the cornstarch and powdered milk in the food processor if you have one. (It gets rid of all the lumps!) Then put it in a large bowl and use a whisk to mix together all the other ingredients. 
• You can play with the flavor a bit and add more or less milk depending on the creaminess you prefer.
•  You can also play with the type of coco you add, dark choc, milk choc, white choc, etc. 
• Finally, if you'd like, add a tiny dash of cayenne pepper will give it a great little flavor. You can also add cinnamon or a variety of there flavoring if you want to jazz it up.

Evaluate Your Options: Homemade Fruit Snacks

My child loves fruit snacks. I don't particularly think they are great but there is something about fruit snacks that kids LOVE.

I have searched for "healthier" options. 

I tend to lean towards Mott's or Annie's when I buy them. Since starting this clean eating change I have held off, not wanting to purchase food full of sugar and corn syrup. 

But... have you ever thought making your own? 

I never had, until I saw a few Pinterest posts about homemade fruit snacks. 

Now I am intrigued. 

The Land of Nod blog really interested me. 

http://blog.landofnod.com/honest-to-nod/2014/08/kelsey-nixon-diy-fruit-snacks.html

Another great recipe is here on Wellness Mama. 

http://wellnessmama.com/8959/homemade-fruit-snacks/

I don't have the little cute shaped molds but I saw a few versions of the recipe that just cut them into tiny squares. That would easily do the trick for me. 

Have any of you made fruit snacks? 

Why Clean(er) Eating?

Okay I didn't think that was cleaning…….. but when I first heard the phrase "Clean Eating" I thought it was a crazy off-the-wall all organic/vegan nutty thing.

Turns out clean eating isn't that at all. Yes, there some far out people who take any movement out to the farther reaches but standard clean eating is just the idea of not eating so much processed food and getting back to a more natural balanced diet. So this February I have decided to embrace a challenge to be "clean(er)" and eat/use less processed products and try to eat/use more natural sources for foods, but in a practical every day budget friendly way.

February Clean(er) Eating Challenge Goals: 

1. Evaluate food items that are used most often. 

2. Find healthier alternatives to some overly processed foods.

3. Try at least one new clean dinner recipe each week.

4. Research and learn more about the contents of the foods we eat. 

Each week in February I will address all four of these items. I will be challenging you to share with me too. What food items did you find? What alternatives did you find? Share a new recipe. What new facts have you learned?

So who's on board for challenging yourself to make a few small changes towards clean(er) eating and a more healthy life?

Would you like some caseinate, phosphate, and diglycerides with that coco?

Ok, its not even February yet, but since this clean(er) eating think clicked in my brain i've become super aware of what is in my food. I made a simple cup of hot coco (well, i mix coco with my coffee to make a "mocha cafe" if i'm feeling so inclined the morning. 

Today while the coffee was brewing I grabbed the packet of X brand hot chocolate and glanced at the back of the box. I thought I was drinking coco, sugar, powdered milk, maybe one or two preservatives……  

WRONG! Check out the list below.  

INGREDIENTS: SUGAR, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, VEGETABLE OIL (PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED COCONUT OR PALM KERNEL AND HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN), DAIRY PRODUCT SOLIDS, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, AND LESS THAN 2% OF CELLULOSE GUM, NONFAT MILK, SALT, SODIUM CASEINATE, SODIUM CITRATE, DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM ALUMINOSILICATE, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, GUAR GUM, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS.

I did some research (90 minutes) to track down and figure out what these things are….. 

SUGAR ~ I expected this one. I'm ok with it. Its a pretty natural ingredient.

CORN SYRUP SOLIDS ~ Really? Do Americans need anymore processed corn syrup in their diets?

VEGETABLE OIL (PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED COCONUT OR PALM KERNEL AND HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN) ~ I couldn't find an easily accessible explanation for what oil would be for in a dry mix.  

DAIRY PRODUCT SOLIDS ~ Assuming this is dry milk, wish it was labeled as that. Dairy product solids makes it sound so….. icky.

COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, ~Cocoa has been treated with alkali going back over 150 years. There are several reasons, the three most common being: It darkens the cocoa, reduces the bitter taste of cocoa, and makes the cocoa powder disperse better in beverages.” (Link to Source)  Honestly, i'm willing to stir my coco a little extra if it means I don't need to ingest this each time I drink hot coco. 

CELLULOSE GUM ~ A polymer with the alternate names of cellulose sodium glycolate and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose. Totally unnatural. A man made item. Cellulose gum is extracted from wood pulp and cotton cellulose. The powder can absorb up to 20 times its starting weight. Only the purest cellulose gum is fit for human consumption; the rest is used in non edible items. In the food world it is typically used to thicken or bind ingredients and also is used to make things sweeter. Cellulose cannot be properly digested by humans. It has neither health benefits or harmful effects  Luckily it is similar to eating paper, it just passes through your system.   (Link to source)  Eating paper, yuck, but at least it isn't toxic!

NONFAT MILK ~ Wondering how this is different that the "dairy product solids" listed above?

SALT~ This is in every recipe and its a small amount. Ok with me. 

SODIUM CASEINATE, A food additive and for industrial purposes. Some people are allergic to sodium caseinate, and it has been linked to some human diseases, mainly autism and gastrointestinal problems. Consult with an allergy specialist if you suspect an allergy or intolerance to any casein-based product. such, caseins are now used primarily in food production, where they add nutrition, flavor and specific consistencies. (Link to source)  Gastrointestinal problems….. possible links to autism…. EEEEK! I'm fine with natural chocolate flavor why do we need to add all this other stuff to "create" the flavor?

SODIUM CITRATE, Also know as Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate is a tart flavoring used in candy, soft drinks, ice cream and sherbet and is often added for its antioxidant properties. Sodium citrate buffers acidity in jams, ice creams and candy. (Link to source)  This is actually an ok ingredient. Not that we all need to ingest tons of it, but it is one of the few additives that isn't on the "bad" list.

DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE,Used as a food additive to lower acid levels in processed foods and act as a stabilizer. Dipotassium Phosphate can act as a skin and eye irritant along with causing vomiting and diarrhea if consumed directly in quantities. Inhaling Dipotassium Phosphate can irritate the lungs and can cause distressed breathing. (Link to source)  How much acid is in basic hot coco? Do we really need this to reduce acid? Also, not feeling great about the fact that is can cause vomiting and diarrhea. 

SODIUM ALUMINOSILICATE, Sodium aluminosilicate is the predominant silicate added to foods in the United States, according to the Food and Drug Administration. As an anticaking agent, it prevents clumping in dairy-based drinks, milk powders, sauce and gravy mixes, soup mixes, salt and seasonings. You may also find this silicate in household products, such as latex paint and laundry detergent. (Link to source)  I can appreciate the idea of non clumped hot chocolate but it wouldn't take much to give it a little stir to break it up or a smash of the packet to unclump it. Is america this lazy?

MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, Monoglycerides and diglycerides are food additives commonly used to combine ingredients containing fats with those containing water, two types of ingredients that don't ordinarily combine well. Food manufacturers typically use them to extend a product's shelf life. Made in part of fatty acids, they are similar to triglycerides, the predominant fat in food according to the Harvard School of Public Health, except they are classified as emulsifiers rather than lipids. (Link to source)

I really don't want any extra fat in my diet. Thank you very much. 

GUAR GUM  ~Made from the guar bean and is used as a thickener. I can appreciate that it is at least a natural source and is used o make my coco creamy.   But just another unnecessary step. 

ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS. ~When you see this you need to run and hide. This could be anything. Anything artificial. They don't even have to tell you what it is. You want to risk ingesting something that has ingredients you aren't privy to? NOT ME!

So what has this taught me!?!

I am throwing away all the hot chocolate mix in the house and making my own natural hot coco mix. 

Best yet, the recipes are all over the web and I already have all the natural ingredients in my pantry!

February Challenge: Love Your Body by Eating Clean(er)

A year ago,  February 2014, I challenged myself and all of you to find something you loved every day. I managed to get 25 out of the 28 days with the chalkboard art graphic of something I loved.

This February I am going to kick off another challenge!

February is a shortest month of the year so why not use it as a trial for healthy living!?!

Last year I did a lot of exercise and I'm feeling great. This year I think it's time to challenge myself to make even more changes, specifically in the everyday foods I eat.

Despite all the exercise I've done and my overall daily healthy eating, haven't lost that last 10 pounds of baby weight that I want to get off of me. (Although I know some of that is gaining muscle and losing fat from running and all that kind of thing…)

But after lots of reading and investigation I've come to a realization that I've crossed that threshold into the mid 30 range and it's not just about exercise our calorie consumption (a.k.a. quantity). I really think it has to do a lot with quality. 

I'm really thinking at this point I need to seriously think about metabolism and hormones and overall healthy body balance. 

I've talked before about feeding our kids good food and organic versus healthy versus junk food I think it's time for me to really step up the game and see how much of a difference clean eating makes.

So here's what I'm going to do. I am going to take the month of February and challenge myself to gradually switch my family over to eating high(er)-quality food thought the entire month of February.

Over the next three weeks I'm going to do a series of posts about healthy eating geared towards moms who cook for kids and families. I will also setup a basic framework for the February healthy eating challenge.

I would love to challenge you to join me. No need to jump on the organic or vegan bandwagon, just make some small steps to making your families eating a little more healthy. 

Let's get together, share some tips, recipes, resources, and most importantly encouragement to love your body by eating cleaner and healthy.

Let's make February the eat healthy and love your body month! ❤️

Fastest way to cut a cantaloupe

It is fresh fruit season and there are all sorts of delicous options out there! 

My daughter is on a cantaloupe kick. I can't deny healthy fruit but cutting cutting up cantaloupe is time consuming. 

I used to cut the melon into wedges, score each wedge, then cut each little section out. Long and messy!

Here is my new quick, easy, and less messy melon cutting method. Works for cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon and more.

First cut the cantaloupe in half and scoop out the seeds.

Then flip it back over and cut off the edges of the rind cutting deep enough to cut off the rind and green but the least amount of fruit. (I keep a bag right next to me and toss the rind in to make clean up fast and easy.) 

Next cut if the top/remaining rind then trim any remaining green areas.

Last cut the melon into slices  (I like one inch slices) and them slicd across the opposite way. 

Then you are left with perfect size cubes. So dive in and start eatting!

Tuna lettuce wraps. A healthy success.

Tried a new excipients tonight. I've Ben testing out new 'healthy' ecru pies for my family and tis one was a hit with the hubby (not do much with the 4 year old.

I made tuna in a lettuce wrap. 

Wish I would've taken pics during the process, but I didn't know trey would be do good. 

I made a healthy tuna salad:

3 cans a tuna (packed in water) drained 

1/4 cup olive oil mayo

Some black pepper 

Some garlic salt

Diced up some leftover green pepper

(Sorry it's so unspecific but I kinda wing it when I make tuna..)

Then scoop the tuna salad onto medium sized lettuce leaves and top them with dices tomatoes.

(The hubby added some hot sauce on top and said it made it just right!)

What heathly recipes have you tried lately?

Roasted Veggies

My me favorite way to eat vegetables is to roast them. It is so quick, so easy, and so delicous!

Step 1: 

Preheat oven by turning the broiler on low (or if you don't have a broiler 350 degrees will also work)

Chop up your select veggies. Some of the veggies that taste good roasted are: broccoli, butternut squash,  potatoes (red, sweet, etc.) carrots, brussel sprouts, peppers, onions, zucchini, and lots more! 

It never hurts to try. 

Step 2

Prep your pan.

I line a jelly roll pan with with foil for easy clean up.

Spray pan with a good coat of olive oil (or cookin spray of your choice)

Step 3

I like to lightly blanch my veggies. It slightly cooks/softens them. I also think the extra moisture helps keep them from burning under the broiler. 

To blanch being a pot of water to a full boil. 

Put the veggies in, the boiling will stop.

As soon as the water comes back to a rolling boil pull out the veggies with a slotted spoon or drain in a colander.

Step 4

Place on treated cookie sheet and season.  Salt and pepper are a must for me, you can add additional specie depending on the veggies you are roasting and your taste preference. 

Garlic, Italian seasoning, and Rosemary are all favorites of mine. 

Finally, give them another generous coat of olive oil spray on top of the veggies.

Step 5

Throw them in the oven and let them roast! (On top shelf under LOW broil)

 

Smaller veggies like broccoli and chopped up brussel sprouts can cook I as a little as 10 minutes. Thicker veggies like potatoes and carrots will take more time. 

Poke test or taste test are great ways to check for 'doneness'.

All you have left to do is eat and enjoy this delicious, high fiber, low calorie, side dish!

Natural VS Organic VS Healthy….. What is a mom to do?

After my little yogurt ordeal in the grocery store the other day I got to thinking about healthy eating and the challenges that moms face when having to provide their children with healthy foods in such a challenging time.

We all want to feed our kids the best. I know when my daughter was born I wanted to give her the most 'organic' and 'natural' foods I could. Especially when first introducing solid foods that first year. When we switched to milk I vowed to buy the good stuff (lets rephrase that, I bought the expensive stuff) so she wouldn't get hormones and all those other "terrible" things that I read about as a new mom…..

Here is a study from Stanford about organic vs regular produce…. I consider Stanford a pretty good source. I was surprised by this study. https://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2012/09/03/research-shows-little-evidence-that-organic-foods-are-more-nutritious-than-conventional-ones/

Fast forward 4 years…. I am still trying to provide healthy foods for all of us but i feel like i am fighting a losing battle. Between living on a budget and the cleverness of the advertising companies along with limited time (I am a full time working mom) and a host of other things in life.

We are not the prime example for organic healthy eating……  However, we are not unhealthy either.

I'd say we fall right in the middle. I decided to do a bit of my own web research and share some tips on how I balance todays mass produced foods with some healthy choices for my family.

1. We decided to purchase our beef locally from a farmer who raises and slaughters his own cattle. The cattle are very well cared for. Raised in small numbers. Hormone free. Feed a primarily grass diet with supplementation of oats, hay, and other healthy materials during the winter months. Let me tell you, I have never liked red meat. This meat is phenomenal!

2. We garden during the summer. We have a 4'x8' raised garden bed and we grown lettuce, tomato, spinach, carrots, strawberries, lots of herbs and more. (we tried beans and peas but I can't seem to win the war against aphids.) Gardening is easy. Gardening is fun. Gardening is a great way to get your little ones outdoors and involved so they see where food comes from.

3. I read nutrition labels carefully at the store.

4. I cook as many meals as I can during the week
To me this means: We don't eat out often and don't microwave or heat up boxed dinners. I don't make everything from scratch, but I find ways to incorporate as many fresh and healthy ingredients as I can while still making it in a doable amount of time.

5. I balance my choices knowing that sometimes life isn't going to be perfect and we will occaisonally eat at a fast food restaurant, occasionally make boxed mac and cheese (see how i make mine a bit more healthy here), and yes, sometimes I will give in and buy a food because my daughter sees the cartoon character and begs for it and at the moment it makes my life easier.

I would love to be super mom and serve only the best but there is no such thing as 'supermom'. There is just me and I know that the decisions I make for my family in the moment are the best I can make at that moment. The older I get and the more life experience I have I realize how hard life is. I try not to judge other moms and I hope other moms don't judge me. If we all look into our hearts and know that we are doing the best we can for our families in the decision we make today then we are doing good.

In todays world, I feel like healthy isn't a place one can be but instead it has to be a goal that we strive for.

What choices do you make that make your families food choices a little healthier each day?

Some other resources for you to check out:

a great blog about a mom and her move from feeding her son all organic and her quest for knowledge about todays pesticides and todays foods. http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/the_kids/2014/01/organic_vs_conventional_produce_for_kids_you_don_t_need_to_fear_pesticides.html

http://www.stonyfield.com/blog/natural-and-organic/

here is a great ABC news piece on how labels can deceive:
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2014/02/natural-vs-organic-how-food-labels-deceive/

In my mind Mayo Clinc is a pretty good place to get healthy and medical information. Here is a piece they wrote about foods:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/organic-food/art-20043880