Smoothies!!!

I visited with a dietitian this week to discuss healthy eating, and as part of my cardiologist's plan. We talked a lot about things I already knew- broccoli has less calories per cup than gummy bears- WOW!!  Who'd have thought, right?  But we also had a talk about probiotics!  

She explained to me there are bacteria all throughout our bodies that help us absorb the nutrients from what we eat.  From our mouths to our lower intestines, these tiny bacteria break down our food so we can take advantage of all the iron, potassium, and minerals our bodies need!  The absence of these bacteria can lead to a host of issues including depression, weight plateau, headaches and anemia!  Not to mention the myriad of benefits probiotics have for children!!  (http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/27-probiotic-benefits-children).  Just one problem.  I hate yogurt.  Like really hate it.  SO, she recommended I put it into a smoothie for a morning breakfast- something I usually skip anyway.  

On day 3, my smoothie included kale, something I'll go into depth about at a later time!  It was DELICIOUS.  I couldn't taste my yogurt OR the leafy greens I threw in!  It was so good, my kids have started eating these health packed "milk shakes" for breakfast every morning too!  I'm including two recipes on this post I've tried and loved.  Feel free to experiment.  I've been buying frozen fruits, but I'm also using whatever I can find at the farmers market and freezing what we don't eat day one.  My rule of thumb to avoid bitterness is two fruits per veggie I add.


Kale and Strawberry Smoothie (pictured)

1/2 cup organic greek yogurt -live cultures- that's important
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 handfuls frozen strawberries
1/2 banana
1/4 frozen peach
2 leaves kale

Blend until mixed well.  Enjoy!


Banana and Almond Smoothie
1/2 cup organic greek yogurt with live cultures
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 banana
8 dry raw almonds
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 frozen peach
handful organic baby spinach

This one was a less sweet than the strawberry version, but it had a nice robust nutty flavor!

No matter what you decide to blend, just remember to throw in a dark leafy green!  The darker, the better!  And in the cases of spinach and kale, fresh beats frozen for nutritional content!

ENJOY!!

Easy Sauteed Chicken

Easiest meal born out of necessity! I forgot to eat after a long day and was about to order pizza, when I decided to stick with my clean eating plan, closed the window and walked into the kitchen. After all, I could eat sooner and healthier if I made something instead! I had a chicken breast and several veggies to work with. I chose mushrooms and squash because they are softer veggies, so they'd cook fast. It turned out to be SO good and is one of my favorite meals now! Necessity is the mother of invention!!

Ingredients:
3 oz chicken breast
1 small yellow squash
4 mushrooms washed

Put about 1 tsp grapeseed (or olive) oil in a pan over medium high heat. Chop chicken into bite size pieces and throw in the pan. I recommend letting them brown before you flip them. During that time, chop your veggies. You can use whatever you have on hand. Toss veggies into the pan with the chicken. Now is about the time to flip your chicken. I then used a vegetable boullion I got from a Wildtree rep, although I imagine you can use any clean version from the grocery store. Stir the boullion in and add 1/2 cup of water and put the lid on. This should create a large amount of steam that helps flash cook your veggies. When veggies are soft and cooked, allow to sit for 3-4 minutes with no heat or lid. The water should create a yummy veggie "gravy" for your meal. Enjoy! You can add rice or noodles, but this was plenty for me without the extra carbs!

Homemade White Sandwich Bread- Bread Maker Version

Ok, I'm just warning you.  This bread is ADDICTIVE.  It's soft and chewy on the inside, light and flaky on the outside: all in all, the perfect homemade bread.  What I love about this bread is you most likely have the ingredients already, it's remarkably easy to make, and it's sturdy enough to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on.  I know, because I've already had two.  It also freezes well and for the first time, I didn't have my husband ask me to "please just buy our bread."

I went with a bread machine version because, let's face it, no one has 48 hours to make homemade bread.  This recipe takes 4 hours (depending on your machine) and does all the work for you with a bread machine.  Andrew bought me a WONDERFUL bread machine. (this one here: http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-SD-YD250-Automatic-Bread-Dispenser/dp/B00005QFL0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380062841&sr=8-1&keywords=panasonic+bread+machine) and I can't say enough amazing things about it.  So far, I've made pizza crusts and bread, but there's the options to make cakes, dessert breads and even french bread.  With this machine, I have the option to select an XL loaf- which I do- and then I cut it in half and I have two loaves to slice for sandwich bread.  So really, each loaf comes out to costing around $.30.  WAY better than the $1.49 minimum for bread at the grocery store PLUS I know all the ingredients.  Which in my book, is still better although it's white bread.  I'll be trying this out with white wheat flour to see if it works as well.

Note:  This bread contains no preservatives, so it doesn't last on your shelf as long as a store bought loaf would.  I'm using what we didn't get to to make bread crumbs and bread pudding, but I recommend freezing what you won't use in 2-3 days.  It defrosts well, so there's no point in not freezing it anyway! :)

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbsp WHITE sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 cup luke warm water (I try to keep it between 105-110*)
2 1/2 tsp active yeast

Put all ingredients in machine as instructions dictate.  (This usually means dry ingredients first).
Use sandwich setting.  Allow to cool completely before slicing.

I recommend slicing it BEFORE you freeze it.  Just makes it easier when it's time to defrost and you're in a hurry!  I even made a sandwich for my daughter with frozen bread that thawed by the time lunch rolled around!  I don't like chancing things like that, but it turned out just fine! :)  Enjoy!!!


*Update!  Made this same recipe but subbed white wheat (wheat pastry) flour in for the all purpose and it is AMAZING!!  Try it with a healthier flour on your next batch!!

Fruit Roll Ups

My kids are always asking me for fruit snacks and fruit roll ups.  They're shiny, sugary, and basically a shot of red food dye.  There's a ton of research linking food dyes to hyperactivity in kids.  This article from WebMD lines out the most famous.  http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/childhood-adhd/food-dye-adhd.  Kids snack foods are full of these potentially harmful dyes, so I wanted to produce an alternative.

My challenge was I have no food dehydrator.  My kids LOVE fruit.  Bananas, apples, grapes.  None of these do they like dehydrated.  Since we don't really eat jerky either, I couldn't justify paying for a food dehydrator for the occasional fruit roll up.  If you have one, this will be worlds easier for you.  Either way, it's good to know it's possible.

All measurements are approximate!  I just added until it tasted good to me! I also used frozen strawberries thawed since they were less expensive than fresh.

Ingredients:
2- 8 oz bags of frozen strawberries
1/8 cup sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice.

Start by lining a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Puree strawberries until smooth.  You can't have any chunks.  Transfer the strawberries to a pot on the stove.  Preheat your oven to 170*.  Add the sugar and the lemon juice to your strawberry mixture in the saucepan.  Stir well and heat.  I used medium high heat.  Cook about 12 minutes until your mixture resembles a jam.  Stir as you heat to keep it from scalding.  When the mixture is jammish, transfer it to the parchment lined pan.  Cook in the oven at 170* for six hours.  Check it after 3-4 hours.  If the consistency is right, you can pull it out.  It took 6 hours for mine to be right.  Cut in strips, roll up and store in an airtight jar.

When they're in the oven, they'll look like this!

I hope you enjoy these!  They're not exactly like the store bought ones since they're more fruit leather than sugar roll up, but they're delicious all the same!  Enjoy!!

Pizza Crust

This is actually the first post I have no photo for.  The reason:  it was eaten so quickly I didn't get a chance to photograph it!  I'll try to remedy the situation when I make it again!  What I love about this crust recipe is that you make it to your family's taste, it's easily frozen and makes for a quick meal even your husband can make!

I made four different crusts using my bread machine.  I froze all four and two days later defrosted one to use for pizza.  My husband told me it was the best pizza he'd had in a long time.  That's saying something because as a former employee of Pizza Hut, Andrew is hard to please pizza-wise. This will ensure you'll never spend money on a Pillsbury pizza crust again!  You can have homemade crust for less than .50/pizza that tastes better and has less artificial ingredients!

Get creative and clean out that fridge.  For the crust, do you prefer a garlic taste or an Italian Herb?  Toppings can be anything you have left over- from peppers and mushrooms to breakfast sausage or spinach.  Try making it with whole wheat flour, or spread cornmeal on the bottom before it's baked!  It's so easy, even a husband can do it! ;)

Dough Ingredients: Makes two 9x13" pizzas
1 1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp dried garlic, garlic powder or 2 cloves minced finely.
1 packet active dry yeast (or 2 1/2 tsp)

Add all ingredients to bread machine in the order given.  Use crust setting on machine. Add water if the dough is too dry.  When finished, divide the dough in 1/2 and wrap each ball in a piece of wax paper.  Seal inside a gallon ziploc freezer bag.  To use: thaw, roll onto pizza stone and top with favorites.  Bake until crust and cheese are lightly browning.  For a crisper crust, bake crust alone approx 8 minutes before topping and returning to the oven.

Enjoy!

Applesauce

You'd be surprised what's in commercial apple sauce.  Apples are naturally sweet.  Why add additional sweeteners?  The recipe I have is so easy, you'll be amazed.  If it's not sweet enough for you, feel free to add a bit of brown sugar- but try to steer clear of white sugar which is more processed.

Ingredients:
4-6 apples (I use Granny Smith for a more tart flavor, Braeburns for a more sweet taste)
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1 cup water or natural apple juice (I use water)

Simmer apples, cinnamon and water on your stove top.  Don't be alarmed that your apples aren't covered- the apples release juices as they cook.  When the water is fully heated- just shy of boiling- turn the heat down to low.  Stir occasionally until apples are soft.  Transfer the mixture to your food processor and puree to desired consistency.  You can add more water or applesauce if needed.  Taste and add sugar if needed.  Can or place in fridge.  Use within 7-10 days unless canned or frozen. :)

Enjoy!

Chicken Stock/Soup

I love homemade chicken stock.  Nothing tastes quite as good- and I hate spending $2.50 or more for a few cups of the stuff Swanson makes.  But that's mostly because I'm cheap. :)  A pot of chicken stock helps you stretch your dollar!  You use all stuff you'd likely throw out anyway to make a savory broth that fills your house with delicious smells and your freezer with usable chicken stock!  Once I explain this, you'll never go back to buying store bought again!  Unless of course, it's in a stock emergency. ;)  I make stock the day after I roast a chicken, but if you don't have time to do the two things sequentially, just freeze your bones until you're ready. :)

Ingredients:

Chicken bones from a roast chicken

2 carrots

2 onions

1 tomato

handful of fresh parsley

thyme, fennel, celery seed and garlic to taste

2 peppercorns.

Throw everything in the pot and add water til you are about 5-6 inches from the top.  No need to peel the carrots.  Just slice the tomatoes and onions before tossing them in.  The tomato's real purpose here is to give the broth a beautiful color.  Bring the water to a boil over medium high heat. Once boiling, turn down the heat and allow to simmer on the lowest setting for 6 hours.  If you're freezing the broth, you can allow it to cool and then transfer to a freezer safe bag or can.  If you're canning it, pour the hot broth into the jars and use a water bath to seal.  (Thanks to Bonnie for explaining that for me!)  To use stock as a soup, simply add noodles when heating to serve.  This will keep the noodles from becoming mushy and denigrating.  

Enjoy!

Roast Chicken

Now that I seem to have my kids on board with the more natural approach to our diet, I'm tacking a far more formidable foe:  my husband.  He was great at first.  Thought the switch to a more homemade lifestyle was admirable, exciting.  Now he's realized it isn't going anywhere.  He's lamenting the loss of his Kraft Mac and Cheese, his Hamburger Helper, and his microwave popcorn.  I'm guessing he thought I'd give up on this all by now.  He told me the other day, "there's nothing to eat here but ingredients."  And in a way, he's right.

The downside to a more natural, homemade diet is that it is more time consuming.  It is harder to bake a loaf of bread than to buy one.  It takes five hours to bake a loaf in my bread maker, so I have to plan ahead and make sure it's ready when he needs it.  I hadn't considered how this lifestyle shift would affect his ability to snack!  So, this week, I will be focusing on what I call "convenience" meals.  We'll be focusing on items that can freeze easily and just be heated up when needed!  (This could also be a celebration of my new deep freezer!!)  From frozen pizzas to soups, I'll show you how to make items that easily double- or triple- so the leftovers can be stored for those days when you'd rather order a pizza than make dinner.  

Tonight, we'll start with my basic crock pot roast chicken.  I'm starting here, because the roast chicken is one of the most under-appreciated meals in my opinion.  It's inexpensive, resourceful (for other recipes) and impressive when plated.  

Ingredients:
One whole roaster chicken

12 oz bottle beer

6 oz pineapple juice

Put the chicken in your crockpot and cover with the beer.  Add pineapple juice.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Serve with rice/couscous. To make gravy, simply scoop the amount of liquid from the bottom of your crock pot you want, and add a little cornstarch mixed with water.  Bring it to a boil while stirring.  Then, turn the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. It's that simple!  Now, save those bones and additional fluids!  You'll need them for the chicken stock we'll make tomorrow!  Any chicken you don't eat for dinner, can be pulled off the bones (this will be easy as the chicken will basically melt off the bones anyway) and used for chicken caesar salads, chicken noodle soup, etc.  If you don't want to use them immediately, store them in a gallon ziploc bag and toss it in your freezer.  I'll teach you how to make chicken noodle soup from scratch later this week and you'll need that chicken!!!! :)

Enjoy! 

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

What kid doesn't love chocolate chip pancakes?  It's the best breakfast to wake up to on a Saturday morning.  Even my husband loves these!  My quest for a new recipe started as I was making pancakes one day and while waiting to flip, I read the ingredient list.  There were hydrogenated oils in my dry mix and WAY too many items I couldn't pronounce.  Because my children want pancakes at least once a week, this item moved up on my list of foods I had to find a cleaner version of.  There are TONS of recipes on the internet for homemade pancake mix.  It's easier to make than you'd think!                     

I believe clean living means knowing exactly what's in the food you are offering your family.  It means keeping those food sources close to their natural state.  Sometimes, I'll use white flour or white sugar, but although these are allowed in a clean lifestyle, I prefer to use brown sugar and wheat flour whenever possible.  They take longer for the body to break down, and help reduce sugar crashes. I found a pretty good pancake recipe online, but with a few substitutions, managed to clean it up even more!  

Never be afraid to sub a healthier option in a recipe!!  I find my recipe inspirations the same places you likely do:  Pinterest.  I simply pick a recipe that looks good and try to figure which substitutes will still work, but make it a cleaner, healthier option!  Not going to lie, sometimes they don't come out well. LOL  But that's what experimentation is all about!  In this case, it worked!!  I used white wheat flour, brown sugar and threw in some wheat germ for an even more healthy kick. :) Note:  you can make the dry mix ahead of time (and multiply as much as you want) and put it in storage for later!  :)

Ingredients:

Dry Mix-

1 1/2 cups white wheat flour

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

Wet ingredients-

2 eggs

1 1/4 cup coconut milk

Mix Ins-  This is just what I used, but you can use anything!!  

1/3 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup wheat germ

Mix together dry ingredients.  You may have to use your hands to break up the brown sugar and make sure it gets mixed all the way through.  Start your griddle warming.  I used a paper towel to spread some grape seed oil on my griddle for greasing purposes.  Add eggs and milk to the pancake mix.  You can add more or less milk depending on how thick you like your pancakes.  (more liquid equals thinner pancakes).  Add chocolate chips.  If you mix the chocolate chips with about 1 Tbsp wheat flour they won't sink to the bottom of your batter bowl.  I use a 1/4c measuring cup to put the batter on the griddle.  Then sprinkle some wheat germ on the pancake as it cooks.  Flip when ready.  

I don't use syrup on these since they have chocolate in them and they're pretty sweet anyway.  If you do use syrup, I recommend pure maple syrup since it's a "clean" option. 

Enjoy!

Chicken Nuggets

If your child is anything like mine, he will love chicken nuggets.  Not in a "I love my new pair of heels" sort of way.  In a live, die, NCAA team loyalty kind of way.  Jacob will ask for chicken nuggets EVERY day.  He asks for them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, I didn't cry at preschool, literally EVERY chance he gets.  And he only bought the argument McDonalds was closed once.  It's my fault.  I introduced him to that process, mechanically separated mistress.  I practically threw them at him.  And now I pay the price with a child who not only demands chicken nuggets, but every recipe I'd tried wasn't up to snuff.  After attempting four different methods for making chicken nuggets, I stopped researching on the internet, and turned to the experts.  I called my Uncle Mike, who works in the food industry and I called in the biggest gun I could think of:  my mom.  By piecing together their advice, with a little know how of my own, I FINALLY pieced together a recipe that works!  Jacob ate the nuggets not only in a huge quantity, he never once pointed out they weren't from McDonalds.  He even asked me to make more for dinner within an hour!  SO, I'm going to share with you what took me over a week to get right:  a great homemade chicken nugget recipe.

Ingredients:
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs
3 Tbsp almond milk

Chop the chicken up into bite size pieces.  Size depends on your preference.  Mix crumbs with sugar until blended.  Whisk egg with almond milk as the basting for your nuggets. Prep your cookie sheet with parchment paper to make clean up a breeze.  Dip chicken in egg mixture and then roll in bread crumbs.  Place the nuggets on your cookie sheet.  If you like a more crunchy coating, dip chicken first in crumbs, then place in the egg mixture and coat a second time with crumbs.  We tried both methods and Jacob preferred the one coating although I enjoyed the double coating.  Bake at 350* until chicken is 160* at the thickest point.  Time will differ based on size of nuggets.
These nuggets really were great!  The sugar adds a touch of sweetness I had never thought would be so good!  The panko crumbs are thicker and crunchier than the regular bread crumbs, although you can sub those if that's all you have.  I haven't tried freezing these yet, but if you try it, let me know how it works!  Enjoy!

Oatmeal Breakfast Bread

I'm a big fan of french toast.  Like a HUGE fan!!!  I love the warmth, the sweetness, the texture...all of it.  I hate the calorie content, the sugar rush and worse- the energy collapse two hours later.  I came across a recipe for an oatmeal bread from the Lemon Bowl and I decided to make some small adjustments- clean it up further and see if it could be used to make a good bread that would double as a base for french toast.  It came out WONDERFULLY.  Jacob is the pickiest eater, and with his sensory issues he's a HUGE texture snob.  So, the fact he wolfed down two slices (and this is very filling mind you) is a huge accomplishment.

Feel free to experiment.  Add fruit chunks, pureed banana, whatever you like.  I like the classic version, although I'll be making a blueberry one next.  These also freeze nicely, so make a double batch and freeze a loaf for when you're feeling hungry, but don't want a lot of work for a wonderful breakfast!!  This one will be the yummy in your tummy!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup white wheat flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cup clean greek yogurt.  I like Fage
1/3 cup grapeseed oil (Wildtree Foods)
2 large eggs
2 tsp real vanilla

Preheat oven to 350* and grease your favorite loaf pan.  Whisk together all your dry ingredients- entire list down to yogurt.  Take a hand mixer and combine yogurt, oil, eggs and vanilla.  Use a medium-medium low speed.  Slowly add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  I added 1/4 of the dry mixture at a time.  Pour the batter into your loaf pan and bake 50 minutes.  Very important that you allow it to cool completely before you store or sample.  This is a VERY moist bread and will crumble even easier when warm.

When I made french toast, I just whisked two large eggs with a dash of almond milk, soaked the bread for a minute and then grilled on a griddle each side.  It was EPIC.  Best part:  I was full for hours!  It's a very filling meal without the sugar crash- thanks mostly to the wheat germ.  Enjoy!!!

The Pop Tart- AKA Dessert As Breakfast

I am a firm hater of the Pop Tart.  All it took was one exposure to this item that can only be described as sugar, dye and icing rolled into a "breakfast pastry" to get my kids hooked.  Jacob especially is obsessed with them.  If you decide to be "healthier" and get the fruit filled ones with no icing, you're still looking at 2-4 food dyes, corn syrup as the third ingredient, and more artificial fruit flavorings than real fruit.  And by the way, were you aware the artificial raspberry filling and vanilla flavorings are made with dried beaver testicles!!!  YUCK.  But, these little sugar bombs are utilized by a lot of moms who are looking to get the most important meal of the day into their child quickly and sometimes even mobile.  These are the primary reasons I had to develop a homemade version.  There needed to be a way to simplify these pop tarts so they were still mobile, still yummy but at least cleaner.

I am not going to advocate for the serving of these pastries as a breakfast.  If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, look for items with more complex grains, energy inducing ingredients.  For example, I'll have a recipe for a sweet oat bread this week that will knock their socks off- AND make you feel good based off the ingredients.  However, if your child is BEGGING for pop tarts, here's a recipe you can feel better about.  I recommend using these babies as desserts and treats rather than a main course. :)

Ingredients:

Crust
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup butter (unsalted)
1 tsp salt.

Assembly
1 egg beat with 1 tsp water
Filling of choice: homemade jelly or jam, nutella, etc

Cut butter into 1 inch blocks and drop in mixer bowl.  Add flour and toss the butter to coat it as much as possible.  Pop mixer bowl into the freezer.  Next, mix the salt into the apple cider vinegar.  Stir enough to make the salt dissolve.  Move the cider to the freezer also.  Chill for 10 minutes.  Next, move the mixer bowl back to your stand mixer and turn it on low.  Let it mix into a crumbly mixture (approx 30 seconds) and add the vinegar/salt mixture.  It will be about 30-50 seconds before this becomes a recognizable dough.  Move the dough to a floured surface and press together.  Divide it into two sections and place each in a piece of wax paper.  Wrap each piece and squish it to a disc.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours- up to 3 days.

When the dough has chilled properly, roll it out on your floured counter with a rolling pin.  You can choose to make any shape tart you want.  I like circles because they're smaller that way and are easily mobile.  Use a cookie cutter or butter knife to cut out what you're wanting your shape to be. Put one down and brush lightly with egg mixture.  Put a small amount (1 tsp approx) of filling in center of dough and place another piece of dough on top.  Press edges together.  I like to seal mine with a fork.  Brush tart with the egg mixture again.  Place on parchment paper coated pan.  When finished filling pan, bake at 350* for 20 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before serving.
Warning****Filling will still be hot when the outside is cool to the touch.


I'm not sure how long these last because they didn't survive a full 24 hours in my house.  We went to the commissary the other day, and Jacob didn't even ask for Poptarts for the first time I can remember. And that, is what I call a win!

Mac and Cheese- A Kid Necessity

All kids love mac and cheese.  It's written in their DNA.  It can be hard to compete with the little blue box.  Kraft loves to remind us our kids love their cheesy goodness.  But that's not REALLY cheese.   It's filled with delicious things like artificial dyes, preservatives, and ingredients that are only a few steps away from being plastic. It takes an entire stick of butter or margarine based on directions.  Not to mention, the current controversy over Kraft's use of GMO products.  Even one of these reasons is enough to want a better mac and cheese for your little one.  All of them combined pretty much demand it.  I played around with a few recipes, but this is the best one I've found so far!  My kids loved it AND used their homemade bread to sop up every last bit of the cheesy goodness!!

Ingredients:

2 cups clean pasta- I found some great egg noodles in the German import section of our commissary!  Two ingredients: Eggs and whole wheat durem.  :)

2 cups almond milk-unsweetened

2 cups clean cheddar cheese (I like Boar's Head) 

Simmer your pasta in the almond milk.  It's important here you don't boil.  You don't want to scald the milk and leave the sauce with a burnt flavor.  Simmer until the pasta is cooked through.  Add the two cups cheddar cheese and stir as it melts.  This will produce a delicious cheese sauce coating the noodles.  Let it sit 2-3 minutes so the cheese thickens slightly.  ENJOY!

Homemade Granola Bars

In an effort to clean up our lifestyle, I realized one of the first things that needed cleaned were the kids' items. My husband will eat what I put in front of him.  He will listen to reason.  For the most part.  I occasionally find cheeseburger wrappers when he borrows my car, but that's getting more and more rare!  The kids are a different story.  Lauren will try anything, but she does point out her friends at school have the "yummy food" she used to take.  Jacob is an outright, stubborn mule of a child.  He will turn his nose up at food, refuse to eat until his pediatrician even caves and says feed him what he'll eat before he loses any more weight.  He's not a negotiator.  He's a tyrant.  I knew if I could get Jacob to eat it, it was an amazing recipe.  This week, I'm dedicating my blog entries to those of you with tiny overlords (underlords?) dictating your menus.  This week, I will feature recipes designed to win over your kids to clean eating.  From mac and cheese to fruit roll ups, from cereal choices to spaghetti- I will walk you through kid friendly menu staples that can turn your battles into blissful binges. And I'm going to start with foods we usually buy at the supermarket as an afterthought.  

Granola bars are a mom staple.  They're an easy way to get an energy boost into kids, especially ones who are picky eaters; they are easily portable, and they're usually DELICIOUS.  But the next time you're in the grocery store about to grab a box, check out the label. Read the ingredients.  There are SO many chemicals I have no clue where to start!  There are hydrogenated oils, multiple forms of sugars, artificial flavors and even artificial colors.  Even brands we assume are healthy: Nature's Best, Kashi- use fillers and preservatives to lengthen the shelf lives of their product.

When determining a good recipe for a granola bar, my criteria were as follows:
no processed sugar (marshmellows)

no processed ingredients (unclean cereals or candy pieces)

easy and fast to make

The first two are hard enough to find or determine substitutes for- while still producing a chewy, delicious granola bar.  The third was the death knell of most recipes.  There's no point in talking you out of purchasing that cheap box of Quaker granola bars and giving you a recipe that took 4 hours to make.  Most moms would laugh at me, label me a zealot (or crazy woman) and move on.  The recipe I've developed for you, took 30 minutes- INCLUDING bake time.  30 minutes for your family to have healthy, delicious, car safe snacks.  You're gonna love these!  They have my family's seal of approval for taste and mine for convenience! :)

Granola Bars

2 1/2 cups Old Fashioned Oats

1/2 cup clean rice cereal.  (we used Nature's Path Envirokids Koala crisps)

3/4 cup clean chocolate chips (Nestle is usually clean)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup softened butter (don't sub margerine here.  Margerine is gross anyway! ;) )

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1/4 cup local honey

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350* and grease a 9x9 brownie pan.  Mix all the ingredients together and press into the pan.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Edges will be slightly browned.  Cut lightly- you don't need to cut all the way through yet- when you pull them out the oven.  This will enable you to cut them easily later.  Let cool, wrap in wax paper and store on counter top! :)  They won't last long enough to worry about how long they'll last!

Just a tip:  Remember to include your kids as much as possible in the process!  From operating your stand mixer to executive ingredient pouring manager- the more your kids do, the more excited they'll be to try out their work!

Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkin Butter

My pumpkin butter is something I'm particularly proud of.  It started out as a fun recipe I tweaked til it tasted like "pumpkin pie in a jar."  I even sold it for a while to make extra money when we lived in DC.  It fills the entire house with the unmistakable smell of Fall.  Cinnamon, pumpkin and nutmeg are all crucial ingredients in both my favorite season and my most popular jam!  Spoon a little on a slice of homemade wheat bread, pancakes, or just enjoy with a spoon!  Keep in mind that due to the lack of preservatives and additives, this is best kept in your fridge and enjoyed within 3 weeks!

Ingredients:
29 oz canned pumpkin
1 Tbsp cinnamon
3/4 cup clear juice (think white grape or apple)
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Combine all ingredients in large pot and cook over med high heat until it starts to boil.  Then, lower heat to the lowest possible setting.  Simmer for 40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so.  Let it cool down a bit and then put in a jar or other refrigerated container for up to 3 weeks.

Fish Tacos

We eat a lot of fish in our house.  For one, it's a great source of lean protein and fatty acid; but also, tilapia is a less fishy tasting fish, so it is always a hit with the kids.  We aim to eat fish at least once a week.  If you've been following my recipes, you have my basic lemon/pepper tilapia recipe already.  To try to spice things up, I tried a new recipe today-I made the tilapia fillets into fish tacos.  I have personally never tried a fish taco, so keep in mind, this may be very different than your definition of the food.  But the husband and I agreed, this one is a winner!

Tilapia Fish Tacos

Ingredients

1 1/2 tsp grapeseed oil

3 tilapia fillets

2 Tbsp Wildtree Cilantro Lime Rub

7 whole grain corn tortillas

1 cup corn kernels (I used leftover from Labor Day BBQ)

1 ripe avocado

2-3 cups chopped iceberg lettuce (organic if possible)

1/4 white onion diced

2 small green peppers chopped/diced

1 clove garlic

1 cup homemade salsa 

Juice of two limes

Instructions

1.  Heat grapeseed oil over med-med high heat.

2.  Sprinkle tilapia fillets with cilantro lime rub to taste (actual amount determined by personal preference)

3.  When heated, add fillets to oil in pan and top with lime juice.  Cook 3-4 minutes each side until dark and crisping

4.  In another pan, add a small amount of oil med high heat and add garlic, onion and peppers.  Saute until the veggies start to darken and onion becomes translucent.  Toss corn in to warm.  

5.  Assemble tacos with one corn tortilla, lettuce and a slice of avocado.  Add fish, corn mixture and top with salsa.

Enjoy!  

Setting Up

It's been brought to my attention I'm posting way to often on Facebook!  So I'm moving our journey to clean living onto blog form.  First of all, let me take just a minute to explain my motivations.  My family has always relied on edible convenience.  My shopping carts were filled with frozen pizzas, Kraft Mac and Cheese and Hamburger Helper.  Everyone was happy with the way things were.  Recently though, I began to question our food intakes.

Two years ago, my father was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer.  Last November, my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 renal cell cancer.  Both are genetically linked.  Both have been passed in my genetic code and therefore in my children's.  As my father's oncologist reminded us in his recovery room to make sure we got our colonoscopies starting at 35, it occurred to me- genetically, I'm screwed.

But it wasn't until recently, when visiting home, I heard from a funeral director, body preservation these days isn't even necessary.  Children especially, growing up eating processed and preserved foods, are ingesting so many chemicals it's changing the way our cells degrade.  We're surrounded by children entering puberty far earlier than we did.  People are getting larger- in every sense of the word.  For me, this was the turning point.  If my children and I are to have a fighting chance to grow old healthy and happy, a change had to occur.  Ironically, I found myself like a prodigal son!

There is nothing new about the way I'm choosing to feed my family:  it was my mother's way.  In a family of seven children, my parent's managed our food budget by growing a massive garden.  We were actually known for it.  People would say to me in school when I gave directions to my house, "oh, you're the one with the garden."  The garden I hated!  I had to weed beans before I could go swimming.  I have PTSD related to the shucking of SO much corn.  But my family was fed all year long by what my parents could harvest and preserve.  My mother made our bread, jams and spaghetti sauces- not because it was the vogue thing to do- but because it was the most inexpensive.

So as I go about changing my family's lifestyle, I'm reverting to what my Mama and Daddy did for years.  Which brings me to my blog title: Mama Knows Best.  I'm taking my family back to what my Mama knew all along- what's best for your family is what you make yourself.  I know life is busy.  Life is hectic.  That's why I'm sharing all I learn- when I get it right of course.  I hope to help find a way to feed my family clean, natural foods as inexpensively and easy as possible.  Welcome to our journey.  Enjoy the ride.

My Family