Exactly where did the summer go?  I read all of the magazines that give wonderful ideas of preparing your children for school.  You know the ones, get your family back into a routine, bed times and so on.  Well, I would love to tell you I am that mom, the one that eases everyone into the routine, the one that has her act together with everything fine tuned down to the food and getting back into the swing of things.  Nope!  Each summer, it seems I loose track because I am having perhaps more fun than the kids are having!

First things first, to pack lunch or not?  Whatever you decide, don't beat up on yourself! We tried this last year, we got the fancy lunch boxes, experimented with different ideas and this year, we are back to school lunches.  One thing to keep in mind, we seem to be getting on a good track as far as nutrition and our school lunch menus.  The challenge for our children is that due to being careful of portion sizes and the fact that schools still serve processed food (which in turn reduces the amount of the entree on your child's plate) my kids tend to feel they are not getting enough to eat.  I am easing into this and will make plans to add a healthy take along, non-refrigeration needed item to add to the lunch.  When looking at this option, take into account your child's level of activity and their age as well.  My kids are in middle school, and one is participating in football, so it is a good guess that he will be in need of a quick pick me up at the end of the school day.  So this is item number one on my list of things to plan for.  I am going back into my memory to think of some healthy and easily transported things to pack for my kids.  Granola is one that comes to mind.  Here is a recipe that I plan to try:  http://www.chow.com/recipes/30062-basic-granola  This one looks simple, no extra things that are not already on my pantry list and I can be creative to fit the individual tastes my kids have!  The website with this recipe showed the process step by step, that is always a plus for me if I am stepping out of my comfort zone and trying something new!

If you decide to pack lunches, there are a lot of websites out there with helpful ideas, here is one from NBC that actually had a menu:http://www.nbcnews.com/id/8913826/ns/health-childrens_health/t/home-packed-lunches-your-kids-will-eat/#.UhPRTH_hdPc

Ok, I have solved that dilemma.  What about dinner?  So far, we have not had dinner before 8pm, so, I better get things in gear.  The first item on the agenda, go back through my huge notebook of easy items and look at things to try.  I am getting used to the fact that we are now on a schedule, so I no longer will be able to be home before 6pm,  I am the designated pick up person for the football player.  This means, I need quick, easy and healthy meals to prepare when I get home.  One skillet dishes have always been a favorite.  Sunday evening, I looked at our schedule for the week.  I noticed that Tuesday was going to be quite a challenge.  I work a bit later on Tuesdays and then I will be picking up the foot ball player.  Then, we are in route for home, we need a quick meal and then it is time for the middle school open house, back to school by 6:30pm.  I found a new recipe that called for a prepared sauce, of course, I altered things a bit, I used whole grain rotini.  Also, instead of the rotisserie chicken, I sauteed flash frozen chicken breasts seasoned with a bit of chile and cumin.  I mixed all of this together while on my lunch break,  sprayed my slow cooker with non-stick spray and put everything in the slow cooker on low.  As soon as I get home, I will add the taco seasoned cheddar cheese, and wha la, dinner will be served! http://progresso.com/recipes/cheesy-southwest-chicken-skillet/dcde5d91-7ffa-4dc1-a53a-90c94407d92a  Next on my to do list is that when preparing my shopping list the next time I do a major shopping trip, I will add to it things that will assist me in making quick and easy meals.  Sometimes I need to be reminded that when you are going to have a day that it will be difficult at best to cook, a convenience item is acceptable.

Last on my list of things I want to include in my kitchen is to have some of my own prepared seasoning mixes such as ranch dressing mix.  here is a recipe for making your own ranch dressing mix:

Ranch Style Dressing Mix

 Makes 1¼ cups of mix (Enough for 5 batches)

1   c. non-fat dry milk                                            2   tsp. dry mustard

4   tsp. dried basil, crushed                                    1   tsp. garlic powder                             

½  tsp. salt                                                                2   T. dried minced onion

1.  In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients.  Stir well.

2.  Store at room temperature in a dry, closed container for up to 6 months. 1/4 Cup mix is equal to one packet of dried prepared ranch mix.

   Recently, I found this online and I plan to use the above mix in place of the packet of ranch dressing mix :

1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 packet hidden valley ranch mix
1/2 cup 1% milk.

Making things from scratch is not only economical, but you can control the salt, fat and sugar as well as you are not adding additional preservatives.  Anytime a recipe calls for sour cream, you can use low-fat plain yogurt, to prevent others from whining, this is your little secret!  It is healthier and I would have to say more economical than a tub of sour cream.


By having the mix on your shelf, there are endless dishes you can use it for, here is a spinach dip recipe:

Spinach Dip

1   (1 ounce) packet dry ranch salad dressing mix

1   (16 ounces) container sour cream

1   (10 ounces) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained

1   (8 ounces) can water chestnuts, rinsed, drained and chopped

1   round loaf French bread

Fresh vegetable sticks

1.    Stir together dressing mix, sour cream, spinach, and water chestnuts. Chill 30 minutes or until just before serving.

2.    Cut top off the bread and remove center (using firm bread pieces as dippers). Fill bread bowl with dip. Serve with cubed bread and vegetables.

And one last one for Cucumber Dip:

Ranch Cucumber Dip

½    cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

½    tsp. dried dill weed

¼    c. Ranch Style Dressing Mix

2     c. sour cream

       chips or sliced vegetables

1.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Mix well.  Best if chilled overnight.  Serve with chips or sliced vegetables. 
Are you catching a theme here?  I need organization and planning!  First up is to be creative, find some new recipes on-line, in blogs, those that have been tucked away in my large three ring binder and taken out and dusted off.  I work on finding recipes that are easy, ingredients that are those found typically in my pantry and above all, dishes that are healthy.  If you try a recipe, be sure to make notes if you have altered it.  If you try a recipe and you do not like it, throw it out!  Give yourself permission to do this, it lessons the amount of recipes and can help you in making a good sound decision.

I hope you and your family are easing into the back-to-school routine and working your busy schedule into a habit of it including healthy meals.   Remember, the basic habit of sitting at the table, conversing with one another, and working hard on including food from each one of the food groups is what is necessary.  Do not expect yourself to be a gourmet chef all the time.  Do the best you can with the time you have and your family will have great memories of the food on the table and the great conversation! 

Cooking is like this!  You can make a great dinner out of very simple easy to fix food, if you make it into an occasion that include your family and great conversation, you have succeeded!

They say you are what you eat.  I love to remind myself of this when the garden Harvest begins!  I also reflect on all the great lessons Mr. Rogers taught me as a child.  Before we talk about what to do with all of that garden produce, lets take a listen to Mr. Rogers

I have mixed feelings when the garden begins to be fruitful.  Part of it is excitement and then a feeling of being overwhelmed.  What am I going to do with all this food?  Right now, we have lettuce, tomatoes, raspberries, zucchinis and yellow squash.  I am doing my best to be creative and plan my menus around those items so that nothing goes to waste.  I will have so much squash, chances are I will be sharing with friends and neighbors.  As a matter of fact, did you know there is a National Zucchini Day?  It is on August 8, so if you find a brown paper bag with a zucchini on your porch, well if you are in my neighborhood, it may be from me!

Lettuce, this is a lovely thing to grow in your garden.  You will have an abundance of salads from your garden.  My given on the menu this time of year is lettuce salad with of course tomatoes.  You can change this up and have Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwiches, try a wrap with chicken salad and fruit and wrap it up in the lettuce leaf in place of the bread or tortilla you may have used for a wrap.  The key is to find creative ways to use the produce and keep it simple.  The following are a couple of ideas that I have found on various social media sites.

Zucchini Parmesan Fries 



Ingredients

• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• ½ cup grated parmesan
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons hot paprika
• 2-3 medium zucchini, cut into thick thick matchsticks
• 2 eggs
• Vegetable or olive oil spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray or oil.
2. Put panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan, salt and paprika in a shallow bowl and mix to combine.
3. In a separate shallow bowl, whisk eggs with 2 Tbs. Milk.
4. Dip each zucchini piece in egg then breadcrumb mixture and put on prepared baking sheet.
5. Lightly spray the tops of the zucchini fries with the cooking spray.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until crispy on all sides.
7. Remove from the oven and serve.

I have used both zucchini and yellow squash and they turn out very good.  You could serve these with marinara sauce or low fat ranch style dressing.

Here are some great ideas for lettuce wraps.  My butter crunch lettuce leaves are small, so I would take any of these recipes and simply turn them into a snack size wrap, sort of the concept of sliders.  Use your creativity, that is truly the passion in my kitchen is looking at ideas and trying them with my family.  I love to add fruit to salads, not only does it give it a marvelous taste but adds to the nutrition too.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/04/lettuce-wraps-chicken-recipe_n_3378980.html

Today, I also stumbled across a great idea from Rachael Ray.  Since my garden is producing huge amounts of zucchini and yellow squash, I plan to use them in place of the egg plant.  Here is a video from Rachael Ray.  Another side note, I would greatly reduce the amount of Mozzarella cheese to reduce the fat content.  I would use shredded low fat mozzarella and may even choose an Italian Blend cheese. 

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/whole-roast-eggplant-parmigiana/

I tried this recipe, but used zucchini and yellow squash instead of eggplant.  Also, I thought the amount of mozarella cheese used in the actual recipe was way too much.  I used shredded Italian blend cheese and used about 1/2 cup and then sprinkled a little over the top for the finishing touch.   Here is how mine turned out:                                          

To avoid cutting clear through, place table knife on side.

           

Zucchini and Yellow Squash

Cover with Foil, Bake 20 to 30 minutes at400 degrees Fahrenheit

Ready to bake                               

               

Ready to Eat!

Zucchini can be shredded, it is easiest to do this with a food processor, and frozen for later use, it makes wonderful Zucchini bread.  I also like to dice the zucchini and freeze it for use in soups when it is winter time.  Zucchini is high in water content, so soups and the bread work well but it does not work well to put the zucchini into a casserole dish.    

Zucchini Bread :  http://food.unl.edu/web/fnh/zucchini-bread  This recipe has been road tested by UNL and would make a great item for breakfast or for a snack, best of all, you are using your garden produce! 
                                                    

As for my Raspberries, this is a daily task to pick them, clean them and I have been freezing them for this winter.  Right now, I am getting a small bowl full everyday, but I do not want any waste.  If you choose to can things such as salsa, jams or jellies, be sure to utilize accurate recipe guides such as Ball or Kerr, you will find the books near your canning supplies.  It is important to follow the recipe guidelines to keep your food safe.  Things such as salsa need to have a certain amount of acidity in order for them to be properly preserved.  For more information on this, visit http://food.unl.edu/web/preservation/home

How does your garden grow?  If you do not have one, check out your local farmer's market, you will be glad you did!  There is nothing more delightful than a home grown tomato or fresh berries.

Fresh garden produce makes me want to have a Garden Party......



Pop, Soda, Diet, Regular, Sweet Tea, Juice, Milk:  Is Your Drink Healthy?

I find it interesting how those catchy songs from my past can be recited but history or really important things, well; they escape my knowledge base somehow!  Take this song:

 

 

I could sing this flawlessly back in the day and today!  Then again, my drink of choice:  COKE!  Not anymore thanks to a whole host of things that hit our porch with a vengeance!  Have you thought about why you choose what you choose to drink?  Is it a cool catchy song, is it “I have to have caffeine to function?”  Or, have you thought about it much?

Our learning curve was dental health issues.  We like clockwork get our teeth cleaned, but….one of us had huge problems with teeth, irreversible, not fun, costly problems!  I love to say, “gee I would rather have a root canal than do…..”  I had no idea how much a root canal is!  It is $1500 and even with insurance, you will have to pay for a portion, ours will pay 50%.  Now, when I get down to it, I would rather have a nice something for $500, like…an iPad, or…maybe a new piece of furniture, but a root canal is not on my current wish list.

So, what is a good drink of choice?  What does your body need? 

Water is not filled with vitamins and minerals but it is a key component to moving nutrition where it needs to be.  Have you had your recommended 8 to 12 glasses of water today?  Before answering, you cannot count any beverage that is caffeinated.  Caffeine actually acts as a dehydrator. 

 

 

 

 

Next up:  Got Milk?

 

Adults need 3 cups of low-fat or non-fat dairy on a daily basis.  From ages 1 year to 2 years, toddlers need 2 cups of whole milk, from age 2 until age 9, children need 2 cups of low-fat or  non-fat dairy.  Toddlers are growing so rapidly that they need to boost their intake of fat in order for proper brain development to happen.

 

So, why do we need milk?  Milk is a good source of calcium and Vitamin D and that helps to build strong bones and teeth.  Both of them work together, Vitamin D helps your body absorb the calcium.  Recent studies have shown that if you choose to drink carbonated beverages, that the carbonation pulls calcium from the body.

What about juice?  Juice does have some of the same benefits of eating fruit but it has natural sugar that can also cause dental tooth decay.  Sugar is the same molecular structure whether it is natural or synthetically made.  It is better to eat the whole fruit as you get a lot of benefit from the peeling and the pulp of the fruit that has been taken out with juice.  The recommendation is to only have 4 to 6 ounces of juice on a daily basis.  Juice is better than some choice but you still need to remember it contains sugar.   Also, you want to read your labels to be sure that you are selecting 100% juice, the others will have water and added sugar at the top of the ingredient list. 

 

Well, it is summer and hot, what about a sports drink?  We need those for energy and so we don’t dehydrate, right?  Not so fast!  The answer is a bit complex.  Sports drinks were developed for athletes to prevent dehydration.  Water does work well, but if you are in a very strenuous hot situation then during the event, it is fine to have an occasional sports drink.  Pay attention to serving size and when the event is over, water is a much better choice.

 Doctors will also suggest sports drinks if you have a child who is ill with flu like symptoms again, to prevent dehydration.  Sports drinks can tend to be over used as a drink of choice, consumers need to know that they are high in sodium; this is to give us a sensation of thirst.   They are also high in sugar along with other chemicals that you do not want to over load your body with.

Now you are saying, so?  I have information and maybe some that I already know.  The next step is to decide if you drink too many of the sugary drinks.  Are you willing to reduce the amount you drink to prevent health issues?  Good news, if you are interested, I am currently studying this issue and I have developed a learn-at-home lesson to help families to reduce their intake of sugary drinks.  If you and your family would like to look at it and give me feedback, I would really like to hear from you!  You can email me at saynotopop@gmail.com and I would be happy to email the lesson to you and give you the opportunity to complete a survey to help me make this lesson available to our community.  Pop consumption has a huge correlation with obesity that is one of the factors that causes chronic disease.  Until next time, is your drink healthy?  If not, why not? 

 

Check out this recipe for healthy flavored water:

Cucumber-Melon Water

1 large cucumber, sliced

1/4 honeydew melon, cubed

1/4 cantaloupe, cubed

1 half-gallon water

Place cucumber and melons in a glass pitcher and add water.  Refrigerate for 2 hours.  Serve over ice.  Garnish with melon balls skewered on a swizzle stick.

The best part about this recipe is that the cucumber, honeydew and cantaloupe are all in season!  Enjoy!