|
Popcorn (12/14/09)
I recently discovered you can pop popcorn kernels in the microwave.
Pour about 1/4 cup kernels in a brown lunch sack, fold over once, and
tape shut. Microwave it for about two minutes or until finished
popping. I love doing this for a few reasons. First, the
kernels are much cheaper than buying microwave popcorn. Second,
you don't have to add any oil or fat to the popcorn. Third, it's
much healthier than the microwave kind because you don't have all the
additives and extras they add to the microwave popcorn. Fourth,
you can top it with whatever you want. You can use real melted
butter, salt, garlic, etc. Fifth, it tastes yummy!
Lunch Choices (08/21/09)
I thought this would be a good post since school is about to start next
week. Last year my daughter started kindergarten. I packed
her lunch each day but she rarely ever ate it. I realized that I
needed to start giving her choices and let her decide what she would
like to pack in her lunch. I made a key ring full of choices.
Each category is a different color. Now, she goes through and
orders her meal each day. She knows she has to pick one blue, one
green, and one yellow. Then, the rest are up to her. This
system worked very well for us. Blue-main dish
Green-vegetable
Red-fruit
Purple-side dish
Brown-dip or sauce
Orange-treat
Yellow-drink You can download the cards and then print
them on paper or cardstock. I printed them on paper and then
laminated them using
Jumbo Card Size 2-15/16" x 4-1/8"
laminating pouches from
www.oregonlam.com.
I punched a hole and put them on a ring.
You can download the cards and the photoshop template here:
Food Choices Cards
Food Choices Cards Photoshop Template
Pop Up Pancakes (09/04/08)
I found a recipe for pop up pancakes on this blog
http://www.makeandtakes.com/. I made them for my kids and they
devoured them in a matter of minutes and begged to make them again soon.
Since then we've made them for breakfast, lunch, and dessert. They
taste a little like crepes and french toast combined. The batter
pops up in the oven. You can see in the photo below how they look
when they come out of the oven. You can top them with anything you
want. Our favorites are syrup with powdered sugar and fruit with
whipped cream or powdered sugar. You could also top them with
chocolate or honey or anything else that sounds good to you. You
can make them in any kind of pan, but muffins are fun. We love
them and they are super easy to make. The recipe I saw was good
but I added a little vanilla and sugar and now the recipe tastes great!
Pop Up Pancakes 1 cup milk
1 cup flour
6 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
dash salt Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Grease 24 muffin cups
Mix all ingredients in a blender then pour into muffin cups
Bake 15 minutes
Muffin Tin Meals (09/04/08)
I read about "Muffin Tin Mondays" on the blog
http://sycamorestirrings.blogspot.com. Each Monday this woman
(and several moms who have joined the trend) serves her children lunch
from a muffin tin. I tried it and my kids love it! I use a
mini muffin tin that holds a dozen muffins. In each spot I put a
different food. In the above photo I have food like peanut butter,
crackers, ham, green peppers, carrots, spinach leaves, cheese, raisons
etc. I also took a cookie cutter and cut a butterfly out of bread.
My kids got to decorate their butterfly and then eat it. They
loved it so much I bought more cookie cutters. We now have a
circle they can make a face from, a girl, a boy, and a bear (build a
bear!). They love it and I do too because I don't have to cook
anything. I just toss in different things from the cabinet and
fridge.
Zip'n Steam Meals (04/14/08)
I finally tried these Zip'n Steam bags and love them! All you do
is throw your food in your bag and microwave. In a matter of
minutes you have a great steamed healthy meal ready to eat. We
like them because we can each have our own individual choice of what we
want to eat. We throw in either a frozen chicken breast or frozen
fish fillet and then our choice of veggies like broccoli, zucchini,
carrots, potatoes, etc. Then we throw in our choice of spices like
garlic and herb Mrs. Dash mix or dry ranch dressing powder etc.
Then we microwave them. The bags even have the microwave time on
them. The best part is there's easy clean up-just throw the bag in
the trash. The kids love it too because they get to pick what they
want to eat and can help make it. I love it because it's quick,
easy, and healthy.
Meal Preparation (12/04/07)
I believe that meal time should be a time to bond and spend time
with your family. It should not be a time to stress over what to
make for dinner, finding time to make it, or dealing with a huge clean
up. With a little extra preparation, meal time can be a lot easier.
Plan your meals out for the week and do the prep work like cutting
veggies, browning ground beef, etc. earlier in the week or earlier in
the day. I love meals that can be fully or partially prepared
earlier in the day when I have some spare time so I can can throw it in
the oven or in the pan quickly before dinner.
In the photo above you can see how I do this. These are all the
veggies, garlic, and ginger cut up ready to be used in a stir-fry for
dinner. I cut them up earlier in the day and had them ready.
I have a large cutting board that I love! I cut up the ingredients
and leave them separated on the board until they're ready to throw in
the pan. You can also see my cookbook and a trash bag. If
you've ever seen a Rachael Ray show, you know she keeps a garbage bowl
beside her work area where she throws all her scraps and trash.
Well, I've always used a plastic grocery bag so I don't have another
bowl to clean. I keep it right by my cutting board and all my
trash goes right in. It's great for cleanup. All you have to
do is dump the bag.
Grocery List (09/25/07)
Something that has made my life a lot easier is my grocery list. I
have it arranged by aisle for my Kroger grocery store. I keep it
on my refrigerator during the week and anytime we use or eat anything,
we mark it on the list to replace. I go to the grocery every two
weeks and it only takes me a few minutes to finish my list because
everything is already marked. It also helps keep my pantry and
food storage stocked and I never run out of anything. I also spend
less time in the store because I am so organized. Since it's in
aisle order I never get to the end of the store and realize I forgot
something in another aisle. The best part is if I have to send my
husband to the grocery. He doesn't go very often but when he does
go it's not that bad because he knows exactly what I need and where it
is. Here's a copy of my grocery list you can use as a
template to make your own grocery list.
Grocery List DOC
Grocery List PDF
Jello/Pudding
Cups (07/07)
My kids love eating jello and pudding. I buy these little gladware
cups with lids and we make our own jello and pudding. They are
about the size of the cups of jello and pudding you would buy at the
store. This is much less expensive and we are able to make them
anytime we want.
Water Bottle (07/07)
It is important for us to drink a lot of water. Throughout the day
I try to drink as much as possible but I can never keep track of how
much I've had. I found these great water bottles at a dollar
store. They hold 70 ounces which is a little more than we need
each day. Now, I fill it up in the morning and drink out of it
throughout the day. I know I need to drink the entire amount and I
don't have to think about it. They're also easy to grab and go.
I take them with me in the car and to work or where ever I go. |
