Menu Plan Monday

Posted on December 14, 2009 by Kelly

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Last week I planned out a new menu for the next four weeks. Mr. Incredible did the grocery shopping for me and so other than basic necessities that will run out before next shopping day, that is one thing we can cross off our list! You will notice in my menu plans that we eat a lot of oatmeal for breakfast. This is mainly because oatmeal is healthy and cheap. My children are not big fans of it and neither am I but I have found that if you dress it up different ways it is more palatable. Our favorite combination is Honeycrisp apples, honey, cinnamon, and pecans.

Lunches are simple. We are at the peanut butter and jelly stage of our family life. Eating peanut butter and jelly so much used to bother me then I realized that it is all part of where we are now. Later on we’ll have time to eat a wider variety of lunch foods.

Monday -

Breakfast – Oatmeal

Lunch – PB&J Sandwiches

Dinner – Cheeseburger Pie

Tuesday -

Breakfast – Banana Muffins

Lunch – Pepperoni Pasta Salad

Dinner – Rodeo Chicken Sandwiches

Wednesday -

Breakfast – Oatmeal

Lunch – Breakfast Tacos (This consists of tortillas filled with scrambled eggs and cheese)

Dinner – Enchiladas

Thursday -

Breakfast – Chocolate Chip Muffins

Lunch – Sandwiches (probably meat and cheese)

Dinner – Beans and Rice bowls

Friday -

Breakfast – Coffee Cake

Lunch – Quesadillas

Dinner – Macaroni and Cheese

Saturday -

Breakfast – Daddy’s French Toast

Lunch – Sandwiches

Dinner – Homemade Pizza

Healthy Thanksgiving Alternatives

Posted on November 14, 2009 by Kelly

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Before we know it Thanksgiving will be here. Our family is beyond excited. This is our favorite holiday. Not only does it happen in our favorite season – fall, of course – but it is a special time to set aside a whole day of giving thanks to our Creator for His many blessings.

And the food. Oh. my. word. The food.

Our family likes to eat. A lot. So this holiday gives us a great excuse to eat. A lot. We dine on the usual dishes such as turkey, stuffing, sweet potato whatever, and the like. However since we are drastically changing our eating habits this could pose a problem to eating the normal Thanksgiving fare.

Notice, I said “could.”

Since I know I am not the only one out there who is working hard to feed her family more healthfully I thought I would share with you some things I am planning on doing this year.

Throw out convenience items

You know the ol’ standby, green bean casserole? One simple way to make that more healthful is by cutting out the canned cream of mushroom. Make your own roux and add the mushrooms. Making white sauce is very easy to do and can be made ahead of time. Use fresh or frozen green beans instead of the canned ones. You could also skip out on the whole green bean casserole thing – I know, I know, I hear loud gasps – and just do a simple green beans steamed dish.

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Also, sweet potato pie/casserole does not have to be made with canned sweet potatoes. Again, this is something you can easily do ahead: wash and poke with a fork some sweet potatoes, leaving skins on. Stick them in the oven at 375 degrees F for about an hour or so. Peel the skins off and mash them. Stick them in the fridge to use for your sweet potato dish.

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Stuffing is a bit trickier for me. I have never made stuffing that was not from a box. This year I will be trying this Homemade Super-Easy Stove Stuffing, substituting the canned chicken broth for homemade. I love making my own croutons as well and since they can be made a head of time this is not much more work then the boxed stuffing.

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Snacks are pretty easy to make a change. Instead of chips or the like just cut up fresh veggies and fruits. Finger sandwiches, nuts, and cheese and crackers will keep those tummies satisfied long enough till the Thanksgiving feast is on the table.

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I am not a big cranberry fan. I have never liked their bitter taste. They are very good in a salad though and so instead of canned jellied cranberry why not add some dried cranberries and pecans to a tossed salad? That way those who insist on cranberries will be satisfied. *Disclaimer: yes, we will be eating canned cranberry as well because that is what my husband likes.

I am still a little behind on figuring out how to make dessert healthier. I was thinking of making an apple pie with honey as substitute for sugar. So far I have not found a recipe where that was done successfully. Mashed potatoes will just have to be unhealthy this year as they just do not taste right without butter, milk, and salt.

What have I forgotten? I know you all have plenty to share with how you make your own traditional feasting foods more nutritious.

Photo credits: Rhett Sutphin, The Delicious Life, Natalie Maynor, VirtualErn, merfam, House of Sims

No More Dinner Stress

Posted on October 6, 2009 by Kelly

It’s 5:30, Daddy is almost home, and you have got two dirty diapers to change, spilled water to mop up, and the phone’s ringing. It’s dinner time. Stress level is super high.

Can you sympathize with that scenario? I know I can. After 7 plus years of marriage and the blessing of four young children I have learned a little bit. I do not want meal times to be stressful. I desire a time of precious conversation amid the crumbs and spaghetti sauce. Samsung and Twitter moms have teamed up encourage bloggers to share their dinner-time secrets and one blogger will even win a super-nifty Samsung French Door Refrigerator!

Prep work and getting dinner ready and on the table before it’s cold enough to chill your lemonade? That’s a feat. But it can be done and I’ll give you some tips on how to do it.

Do any prep work well ahead of time! Any vegetables that need to be washed, cut, and the like can be ready to go after breakfast. Stick them in baggies then pop them in the fridge. At dinner all you have to do is shake them out of the bags and that’s it. I also buy hamburger in bulk, cook it all up when I get home and freeze it in one-pound portions.
Double and freeze. If you are cooking anyways, why not double your recipe and stick the second meal in the freezer? Soups and chowders are especially easy to double. One of our favorite recipes is Black Bean Chowder. I stick the extra in a FoodSaver bag or freezer storage bag. On the day I want to use it for dinner I take it out, thaw it a bit, then stick it in the crock pot on low around lunch time. Make some biscuits or cornbread, a salad, and you have an easy meal.
Think simple. Dinner does not always have to be a four-course gourmet meal. Really. Breathe in, breathe out. Cooking up some eggs, grating cheese, and warming up some yummy tortillas is all it takes to make some filling breakfast tacos. Or cook up some pasta, add some sauce from a jar, and open up a bag of baby carrots.

Why not try some of these tips today? I would like to hear how you have made dinner simple. Care to share? Leave me your ideas in the comment section!

Wanchai Ferry – Review and Giveaway

Posted on October 5, 2009 by Kelly

If you read this blog long enough you will pick up that I am big into healthful cooking. After all, you do not drink spinach smoothies for funsies. And one usually does not purchase 300 pounds of wheat on a whim. How many wheat berries do you see for sale next to the cash registers in the grocery store?

While I normally steer clear of convenience products I am more than happy to allow exceptions. There are times when this tired mama finds it a blessing to just open up a package from the freezer, follow the cooking directions, and have dinner on the table in less time than it takes whip out my recipe card box.

As a member of MyBlogSparkTM I was given to review

Included in the package are:

Chicken breast pieces
Jasmine rice
Veggies
Orange glaze

I took it all out of the package and carefully read the directions. (I have read directions not carefully before. The result was. Um. Yeah.) I got my skillet out and started cooking. It was easy-peasy and mama was happy.

Of course the moment of truth had to come eventually. I keep or throw out a recipe based on whether or not my better half likes it. Thumbs up, the recipe makes its happy home in my recipe collection. Thumbs down and its suddenly having face time with wet paper towels coffee grinds. So I am pretty sure I saw the little chicken pieces shaking nervously a bit as I carried the dish to the table. Would they make the grade with King Wisdom Begun?

Honestly I was expecting some Orange Chicken dish that made you wish you had not put it in your mouth. Like the one at Panda Express that fast-food Asian place. Instead I was pleasantly surprised. It was actually very, very good. While the obvious downside to something like this is that though convenient it won’t feed my entire family, it would be perfect for an at-home date night.

Bottom line?

Yes. I did like this entree. I will probably by this as a treat for that afore-mentioned date night. The dish was tasty, simple to make, and is easy to find at my local grocery store.

Is that all? Didn’t I see something about a giveaway?

Yes, my friends, I am giving you the opportunity to win a Wanchai Ferry Prize pack, which includes two coupons for Wanchai Ferry Frozen Entrees, and some adorable rice bowls, chopsticks, and bamboo place mats.

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How to win?

All you have to do is leave a comment! Yep. That’s it.

For additional entries please leave a seperate comment for each of these:

Tweet this post.
Facebook this entry.

Giveaway ends Monday, October 12, 2009.

You can also go to Wanchai Ferry’s website and print off a coupon for $1.50 off one of their frozen entrees. Be sure to check out their four other flavors: Spicy Garlic Chicken, Sweet & Spicy Shrimp, Sweet & Sour Chicken and Shrimp Lo Mein.

See What My Girl Made?

Posted on April 6, 2009 by Kelly

My oldest daughter, who just turned 6, made this yummy cherry cobbler this afternoon all by herself. Doesn’t it look delicious? I just had to share because this was such an encouragement for me and shows how children can be such a blessing, despite what the world tries to tell us.

In His grace,

You Are What You Eat

Posted on February 20, 2009 by Kelly

You know, something struck me as funny several months back. While rocking one of the kidlets I came to the realization that I protect my children from quite a lot. What they watch, where they go, how they spend their time, etc.

Then it hit me.

I was not protecting them from what they put in their mouths.

Huh? you say?

Quite simply, my kids, as well as my husband and I, ate a lot of junk. What we put into those precious little mouths was not wholesome, or even natural.

Seriously, have you looked at the ingredients of most labels? Do we really know what that stuff is?

As parents we need to be super-duper careful about what we allow our children to eat. I am still trying to wrap my mind around why it took me so long to realize this. We can blame food manufacturers or our government, or even doctors, but when it really comes down to the nitty-gritty, it is us, as parents, who are ultimately responsible for our children’s nutrition.

I know I am not the only one who has been struck by my own lack of foresight. Blogs and websites abound with tips on “how to get your children to eat healthy.” Some even go so far as to hide vegetables in casseroles or smoothies. And while putting vegetables in casseroles and smoothies is not a bad thing, it is ultimately beneficial to teach our children now how good is the stuff that God made.

I have admitted before that I am not big on vegetables. When they are fresh, I do not mind them so much, but they sure are a lot of work to prepare. Not to mention, they are not something I can buy during my twice monthly shopping trips due to the fact that they spoil within days.

This may seem like a meandering post, and I’ll grant you, it pretty much is.

But I just want to encourage my friends and readers, as well as myself, to be more vigilant in what we put in our children’s bodies. Let’s ask ourselves if what our sons and daughters are about to eat is worth the time it takes to chew. After all, we are responsible for those little ones and it is serious business.

How are you making sure your children are eating healthy? What ways are you striving towards in respect to changing their eating habits? I want to hear from you. I have a lot to learn and I sure will appreciate your comments!

What are you learning, Kelly girl?

Posted on February 6, 2009 by Kelly

I think it was my grandpa who used to call me that. Kelly girl.

That girl is learning a lot.

Since January 1 of this year, our family has been on a journey towards healthier living. We started out with the just the plan of eating in a manner the provides us the best health, but have moved on towards improving all aspects of our living. Towards that end, I purchased Sloan Barnett’s Green Goes With Everything. What an eye opener.

One thing this book has brought to my attention is this: chemicals are everywhere, y’all. When I read: “the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found that levels of organic pollutants are two to five times higher inside our homes than outside,” you can be sure it makes me think. And think hard. Everything I have been using in our family’s everyday living has been laden with chemicals. And for a family where 4 out of the 6 of us are asthmatics, that is just not a good thing.

Nope.

I am loving this book big time, so expect a review on it in the near future.

Changing gears here, did my awesome bloggy readers here this about this bit of loveliness?

Report: High Fructose Corn Syrup Contaminated With Mercury

Two new papers look at the presence of mercury in high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). An article in Environmental Health finds mercury in commercial HFCS. An IATP study finds mercury in common foods and beverages.

That just ain’t cool, y’all. You can read the rest of the findings here.

What say you?

Doctors Over-Diagnosing Food Allergies

Posted on February 3, 2009 by Kelly

Due to our four year old daughter’s severe eczema and serious food allergies (right now we only have it pinpointed to lentils) we are going to be doing the elimination and challenge diet with her. Has anyone done this? If so, I would love for you to leave me a comment or email me at wisdombegun at gmail dot com . I need some info and advice.

Anyways, this article in the New York Times from yesterday was especially helpful in affirming our decision to do the elimination and challenge diet, rather than the testing. I hope some of you who find yourselves in the difficult and sometimes scary position of being the parent to a child with food allergies or sensitivites will find it helpful.