Start Your Day Right!

I have always been a breakfast lover, and so has my husband.  We very rarely leave our house without sitting down for a quick bowl of cereal or a piece of toast.  Since becoming a Mommy, I am even more aware of how important it is to have a healthy, hearty breakfast.  Especially when we are talking about my energetic 18 month old!  As we began to suspect that our little one may have food sensitivities, I had the opportunity to meet with Taiha Wagner of Just One Bite (read her profile here; "Like" Just One Bite on Facebook).  She was an awesome resource for us when it came to dietary suggestions, not just for kids with food sensitivities but for all of us.  Her suggestions for breakfast (and all meals!) helped to boost our immune systems and keep us functioning at our best. 

On top of the breakfast suggestions below, Taiha also recommended that we give our little guy a fish oil supplement in the morning or mid-day.  I tell EVERY mom I can about this - I cannot tell you how strongly I believe in providing this supplement to your children - not only for immunity, but for brain development, skin health, etc. (do your research, you will be a believer!)  You can buy Barlean's Omega Swirl at any health food store - take two teaspoons per day.  They have wonderful flavors - our little guy loves it and we have seen such positive results from it!

The biggest thing I have learned from Taiha and my own "mommy research" is that boxed cereal and toast are not going to cut it - my son burned through that type of breakfast way too quickly, and so do I!

Breakfast ideas for your kids (and for you!):

• Plain oatmeal mixed with milk instead of water (for a fast breakfast, we microwave milk and instant oatmeal and mix a tsp. of agave nectar into it, then I add frozen blueberries or raspberries to cool it down and add more flavor - a huge hit with my little guy!)  tip:  for an extra affordable route, you can buy the plain oatmeal in bulk and separate it into individual servings, add a 1/2 tablespoon of brown sugar and some raisins to each serving and it will be ready to go when you need it!
• Lean turkey roll-ups and cheese with whole grain or gluten free/allergen free crackers (it sounds a little weird, but kids don't know the difference between breakfast and lunch - if they like it, they'll eat it!  Spread a little hummus on the turkey before you roll it for extra protein and fiber!)
• Super Smoothie - when we are trying to get out the door to work and day care, we use our personal blender (this is the one that we have - love it!) to make our little one a "super smoothie."  Recipe:  One-half of a banana, 1/4 cup of frozen blueberries (if you choose to, you can add 1/4 cup of another frozen fruit (mango, peaches, etc.), 3/4 cup of baby spinach leaves (I pull the little stems off), 2 tsp. Omega Swirl Fish Oil and a blend of whole milk and water (enough liquid to blend, I eyeball it).  Put it in a no leak straw sippee cup - our little guy LOVES them!  (He actually drinks one of these every day!)  Make one for yourself while you are at it! :)
• Another on-the go idea:  Cut up grapes or a half of a banana, string cheese and a few crackers (you can't go wrong!)
• Pancakes made with quinoa flour and fresh berries:  A weekend treat.  Sub in quinoa flour for great, nutty flavor and an awesome punch of protein and fiber.  Totally guilt free!

I would LOVE to hear some of your healthy breakfast ideas - send them my way via email or the comments!

Menu Plan Week of April 4th

Happy Spring!  I cannot tell you how happy I am to see April come around - whew!  It has been a long, long winter.

I am swapping a couple of recipes from last week to this week due to some changes in last week's schedule.  I was disappointed not to try the chicken kabob recipe last week, but it looks like the weather will be great for grilling mid-week so we'll give it a try then!  The dinner highlight from last week was the Mexican Lasagna!  The little guy is not a fan of cauliflower and he gobbled it up - it softens up in the crock pot to the point that it has a "meaty" texture.  Even the hubby loved it.  Definitely give it a try (one that you can put together the night before)!

Look forward to a couple of posts this week from me, including quick and easy breakfast ideas and shortcuts and a kitchen update!!

Monday:  Slow cooker pork tenderloin with squash and green beans
tip: prepare crock the night before; make 2 lbs. of pork for the sake of leftovers!!

Tuesday:  Pork Sandwiches (leftover) with brown rice and veggies

Wednesday:  Chicken and Veggie Kabobs (see link from last week) with white bean salad
tip: cut/marinate chicken and prepare veggies the night before

Thursday:  Pasta, chickpeas and ground turkey (or beef!)
(this is a variation on this recipe from last week by Mark Bittman - he suggests subbing 3/4 lb. browned turkey/beef for the prosciutto; spinach for the cabbage; and chick peas for the cannelini beans - figured while I am on that vein I'd give it a try!)
tip: if you will be on a tight schedule at dinner time, prepare sauce the night before or at least brown the beef; otherwise this recipe comes together very quickly!

Friday:  Pizza night (crusts from the grocery store, make our own from there - easy and fun.  We use an allergy friendly pizza crust recipe for Ben or tortillas as crusts!)
tip:  if it's nice out, we love to grill our pizza!!

Saturday:  Grill steaks (from Von Hanson's - yum!) with Pasta and Asparagus (really easy pasta recipe, I sub in brown rice noodles)

Sunday:  Grill out with friends!  Brats, hot dogs, fruit and potato salad (Sensing the grilling theme this week?!  I am SO ready for it!) 

Check out this week's Orgjunkie post for more menu inspiration!

Italian Stuffed Peppers (Slow Cooker!)

This morning, I put together what is looking to be a tasty slow cooker Italian Stuffed Pepper recipe in the making!  It is gluten/allergen free and really healthy - I even snuck some extra veggies into the meat mixture!  To make this especially quick and easy, put together the meat mixture and cut and clean the peppers the evening before,  then throw it all in the crock pot in the morning.  Check it out and give it a try!

Recipe:

3-4 Bell Peppers (depending on size)
1.25 lbs. ground turkey  (I buy it at Trader Joe's - best deal!)
2 14 oz cans (or one large can) crushed tomatoes with basil
1 tsp. kosher salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs (OR gluten free breadcrumbs with addl. 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup brown or white rice, uncooked
1 zucchini, grated
1/2 cup of water or vegetable/chicken broth
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown turkey, add salt, pepper, 1 can crushed tomatoes, vinegar and seasoning.  Simmer for 3-4 minutes.  Turn heat off, add breadcrumbs, cheese, rice and zucchini to meat mixture.

Add 1/2 of second can of tomatoes to bottom of slow cooker along with water or broth.  Place peppers, cut in half and hollowed out, into slow cooker.  Fill with meat mixture, top with the remaining tomatoes (and an additional drizzle of balsamic if you would like!)  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Add mozzarella cheese approx. 15 minutes before serving.  Serve with additional Parmesan for topping.

Menu Plan Monday - Week of March 28

We made it home today from a wonderful adult-only getaway to Mexico.  It was great, but we are so happy to be back at home with our little guy and I am looking forward to getting back to some normalcy after a very busy March - with our kitchen remodel and our trip, we were barely home! 

Usually I plan my meals based on what is on special at the grocery store but menu planning is more critical for my family than coupon cutting... so this week, due to my vacation, I am planning without looking at the ads and cutting coupons, back to that next week! 

I was inspired by a recipe I found in Parents Magazine April 2011 issue (Mark Bittman, one of my favorite food writers, now writes a column every month - love that!)  The Parents Magazine website has tons of quick and easy recipes, I'd highly recommend taking a look for some inspiration!  I also love the site good life(eats) and enjoyed checking out some new recipes there tonight, as well! 

I hope to be more active on my blog with some new healthy, allergy friendly recipes in April.  With grilling season upon us, I am starting to yearn for easy grill dinners and adding farmers market fare to my plan...  it will hopefully be here sooner than later!

For more menu planning inspiration, check out Menu Plan Monday at Orgjunkie's site!

Monday:  Super Sloppy Joes,  Potato Wedges, Green Beans

Tuesday:  Pasta, Greens and Beans (Click the link, it is number 1/6)
Wednesday:  Slow Cooker Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna (sub in corn tortillas!)
*tip: prepare on Tuesday night!
Thursday:  Leftovers
Friday:  Italian Stuffed Peppers
Saturday:  Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans
Sunday:  Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken Kabobs with Chickpea and Rosted Red Pepper Salad
*tip: marinate chicken the night before!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 3/14

After a couple of weeks living with my hubby's parents, we are finally back in our house with much of our kitchen complete - very exciting!  It is so fun to cook with the layout being more open and beautiful granite counter tops!  I will post pictures this week.  My hubby and I are lucky enough to have a vacation to Mexico coming up in one week, so it will be a little crazy getting ready for that this week, as we are leaving the little one home with his grandparents!

Some of my menu from last week will be shifted into this week because we did not move back into our house as planned.  I would love to hear your feedback or any recipe suggestions!  I am always looking to switch things up!

Monday:  Pizza night! (Allergen free pizza crust for the little guy, recipe to come soon!)

Tuesday:  Vegetable Beef Soup (from last week, sub in fresh veggies and gluten free beef stock)
tip: prepare crock pot the night before!

Wednesday:  Turkey burgers with potato crisps and green beans
*Potato Crisps - thinly slice yukon golds, toss in olive oil, salt and pepper and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, flipping them after 7-8 minutes

Thursday:  Leftover Vegetable Beef Soup with Grilled Cheese (bread or corn tortilla for the little guy)

Friday:  Beef and Veggie Quesadillas with Black Beans
tip: stir fry veggies (peppers, onions, etc.) the night before!

Saturday:  Baked Chicken Parmesan*, pasta, broccoli
*chicken breasts dipped in olive oil, breaded with gluten free bread crumbs and baked at 375 for 20-30 minutes, melt cheese on top during baking

Sunday:  Crock Pot Sweet Potato Chili (vegan!) with Cornbread (gluten free corn bread recipe to come!)

Investing In Reusable Food Storage

As I am reorganizing our home after our kitchen renovation, I decided that it is time to invest in reusable storage and drink containers for my family.  I cannot tell you how many ziploc baggies we go through, and I really do not like using them - not good for the environment or for our health!  If you have a child with food intolerances or allergies (or you have them yourself), you know that food storage is a critical component of your day to day - I pack food for each and every meal that we are not home for.  Also, having a little one has impacted the way I look at everything.  With every decision I make, I think about how that might effect my little guy's future.  This is one way that I know can make a difference.

With this being said, I logged on to my favorite website for this type of need, reuseit.com, to purchase reusable storage bags (buy 4 or more and you get a discount!), a reusable stainless steel tipee cup and a stainless steel food jar that keeps food warm for up to 6 hours (this will be especially great for packing warm meals for my little guy to eat when we go out to restaurants for dinner!)  As an added bonus, reuseit had 50% off their Workhorse Original reusable bag that holds up to 25lbs of groceries, etc!  So I added one of those to my order (you have to use the promo code REVIEWS to get the discount through tomorrow, 3/11/11). 

It is a little painful to spend the money on these items upfront, but if you take care of them they will last a long time and you will see the return on investment in the long run (and so will planet Earth)!  If this post influences at least one other person to pick up some reusable storage, it was more than worth writing about!  I believe that these little decisions can make a big difference! 

Back to Menu Planning! Week of March 7th

I have been on a "blog hiatus" for a couple of weeks now - it has been a whirlwind as we have torn apart our kitchen, painted walls and cabinets and prepared for countertops to be installed tomorrow!  My menu planning has been a bit more random than normal as a result.  I plan to get back at it next week, but will be going on vacation the week after that, so March is a bit of a crazy month. 

Since I don't know exactly when I will be back in my house, my menu plan is a bit random again this week.  Here is a general idea of what we have in store:

Monday:  Crock pot pulled chicken (2 ingredients!  1 cup of salsa for every 1 lb. of chicken breasts, cook 8 hours and pull the chicken right in the crock before eating!) with corn tortillas, fixings and black beans.

Tuesday:  Take out (counters installed, putting kitchen back together!)

Wednesday:  Slow Cooker Beef Vegetable Soup (I will sub in fresh veggies and gluten bree beef stock for this recipe!)

Thursday:  Leftovers!

Friday:  Whole Roasted Chicken with potatoes and carrots

Saturday:  Leftovers

Sunday:  Slow Cooker Caramel Pork with Slaw