Kid Tested Mother Approved

This was a big hit.  I think it helped I whipped up some fry sauce with canola oil mayonnaise and ketchup.  The kids loved it.  Genevieve was asking for more "hamburgers".  Yummy and Guilt Free.  

"Naked" Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:
Turkey Burger:
1 lb. extra lean ground turkey
1 egg white
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
2 tsp. Dijon mustard

How to Prepare
1 Fire up the grill!!
2 Combine all ingredients for turkey burgers together in a large bowl. Mix well using your hands – yes, your hands! Divide the mixture into 4 even parts and shape into 4 patties

Sweet Potato Fries

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Makes: 6 Servings
Serving size:4 or 5 wedges

You'll Need:

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 small)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut each sweet potato in half lengthwise, and place it flat side down on a cutting board. Cut the potato halves into 1-inch-wide wedges.
2. In a small bowl, combine the oil, chili powder, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Place the potatoes on a roasting pan and brush with the oil mixture. Lay the potatoes flesh side down on the pan and put the pan in the oven.
3. Cook until potatoes, turning once, until soft, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and season with remaining1/2 teaspoon salt. Let the wedges cool for a bit, and serve warm.

For dunking, ketchup always works (at 15 calories per tablespoon), or try a squeeze of fresh lime juice for a British chips-and-vinegar effect.

Nutrition Information (per serving): Calories 171, Carbs 30g, Fiber 5g, Protein 2g, Total Fat 5g, Saturated Fat 1g

Artichoke Lemon Pesto Chicken Pasta

Yummy recipe I tried last night.  Thought I'd share. Enjoy.

Artichoke Lemon Pesto Chicken Pasta

Prep time:  35 mins

Cook time:  20 mins

Total time:  55 mins

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients

1. 1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed (or chicken thighs if you prefer)
2. 1 large spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise (get a BIG one)
3. 12-15 artichoke hearts, cut in half (I used jarred artichokes that were in olive oil for more flavor)
4. ⅓ cup walnuts
5. 4-5 tablespoons olive oil
6. 4-5 tablespoons vegetable broth
7. 2 garlic cloves, minced
8. ½ cup fresh parsley
9. ½ cup fresh basil
10. juice of 1 lemon
11. salt and pepper, to taste
12. 3-5 cups of spinach (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 405 degrees (not 450, stop questioning me)
2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes or until squash gives when you poke the outside of it.
3. Use a spoon to remove the excess seeds then a fork to thread the strings from the squash. To make spaghetti, duh.
4. But while the squash is baking, make the pesto and chicken.
5. Place a large pan over medium-high heat, add a splash of fat and 1 minced garlic clove. As soon as the garlic becomes fragrant, add the halved artichokes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and let cook until slightly browned and tender on all sides.
6. Once artichokes are browned, add them to a food processor along with the walnuts, olive oil, vegetable broth, and second garlic clove. Puree until smooth.
7. Then add the parsley, basil, lemon, and salt and pepper. Puree once more until smooth. Taste and add more lemon and salt and pepper to your preference.
8. Once pesto is done pureeing, add the chicken to the same pan that you sautéed the artichokes in.
9. Cook chicken over medium-high heat until browned on all sides. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.
10. Once chicken is cooked through, add in about ¼ of a cup of the pesto to the chicken along with the spinach, in the pan and mix well to coat. Cover and let cook for 2-4 minutes or until spinach is wilted.
11. Then add the threads of spaghetti squash to the pan (or a large mixing bowl if you need more room). Mix spaghetti squash, pesto, and chicken all together.
12. Serve with some fresh basil on top.
13. Love pesto in a new way!

Got Oatmeal

Remember my oatmeal recipe from yesterday? My good friend/"pen pal" Lauren, who has two cute boys and is striving to create a healthy life style for her family too put some of the ingredients to good use and created a cookie recipe. I'm excited to try them.  Here is what she writes:

You will need:

- Two ripe bananas   – 1 cup rolled oats   – 1/4 cup flaxseed  - 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter

Mush all the ingredients together and scoop out onto lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Yes, I cheated a little here and added chocolate chips but these would be good without them.  You could also add cinnamon and raisins for more of an oatmeal cookie flavoring.

My husband was in love with these.   He described them as “Cliff bars but so much better” (and WAY better for you!).  These were incredibly simple to make, and an awesome breakfast on the go!  Looking forward to discovering more simple solutions to eating cleaner and healthier!  

HAPPY EATING

Green Smoothies

If your kids are anything like my kids its torture to try and get them to eat ENOUGH veggies and fruit. Of course they will down a clementine here and there, an apple or banana but veggies are the hardest.  I'll admit I'm kind of the same way.  If it isn't drenched in ranch I'm not a huge fan unless its cooked.  So I started looking into green smoothies.  What better way to entice them into eating something healthy if it is also a "milk shake", right?  I started my search on Pinterest, where else. I was a bit leery about spinach and kale but I gave it go and it was quite yummy.  Here is our first green smoothie attempt.  The "immune booster" because boy could we use some immune boosting in these parts.

GREEN SMOOTHIES: NATURAL IMMUNITY BOOSTER

Boosting your immune system is a great way to stay healthy, especially during cold/flu season. The stronger your body is, the faster you get back on your feet. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables contain immune-boosting antioxidants. On top of that, you can add probiotics, olive leaf extract, and elderberry extract to keep you in fighting shape all winter long.  This smoothie is so easy, there is no room for excuses. Let’s get our families healthy right now!

IMMUNE BOOSTER SMOOTHIE

2 cups spinach
1/4 cup carrots
1 banana
1/2 cups orange juice
1 cup water
2 cups frozen strawberries (I defrost them first because the flavor is more intense)
1/2 cup frozen blueberries

Additional immune boosters: powdered probiotics, olive leaf extract and elderberry extract (amount varies depending on how many people are drinking the smoothie)

http://familysponge.com/simple-green-smoothies/blending-natural-immunity-booster/

I found the children's acidophilus at whole foods in the freezer section and the extracts from Harmons.  I'm sure Whole Foods has them too, I just wasn't in the market for extracts when I was at Whole Foods purchasing the acidophilus.   

So, there you have it... a salad in a cup. Yum.

Clean Eating

I started a goal of loosing ALOT of weight this November and to start eliminating sugar and dairy from mine and the kids diet and eating clean.  Its been HARD. Especially over the holidays.  But after loosing 20 lbs (30 more to go) and the kids getting so so sick I have a renewed commitment to my goal of going CLEAN.

There are some who are curious just about what we have been eating and where we started.  I started by eliminating all dairy.  My kids were having huge bowls of yogurt in the morning, cottage cheese for lunch and milk throughout the day.  So my first move was to incorporate this awesome oatmeal recipe into their mornings.  It was given to me from my aunt who is a nurse and incredibly knowledgable about nutrition and the harmful effects sugar has on our bodies.

It must be eaten 4 times a week for the effects to be noticeable.  People who use it regularly notice and enhanced immune response and fewer allergic reactions, as well as improved digestion.  They often report increased energy and stabilized blood sugars.  It also is instrumental in lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels.  High fiber diets have been demonstrated to reduce the risk of colon cancer.  Most of the ingredients are found at Smiths.

·      4 cups rolled organic oats

·      2 cups oat bran     

·      1 cup sunflower seeds

·      1 cup raw unsalted nuts, chopped  ( I use the almond slivers)

·      1 cup lecithin granules (I have never been able to find this)

·      1 cup ground flaxseeds

Mix all the ingredients well and grind in a blender.  I add a little cinnamon as I'm grinding the ingredients together.  I use un-sweetend 30 cal. almond milk and Agave Nectar before microwaving it for one minute.

  I have very picky eaters and my kids love love it!  Finn can eat more then me and Genevieve combined.  

If you are like Joe and are worried about the kids or yourself not getting enough calcium without dairy.  Here are some other sources of calcium:

·      Spinach                            245mg/cup

·      Turnip greens                  198mg/cup

·      Broccoli                           42mg/cup    

·      Almonds                          251 mg/cup 

·      Brazil nut                          213mg/cup  

·      Salmon                             181 mg/3 oz

·      Almond Milk                   450mg/cup  Silk Pure Brand

Thought for the Day:

Refined sugar was introduced to Japan after the U.S. Civil War, and the Japanese used it as a medicine.  By 1906, 45,000 acres of sugar cane were cultivated in Japan.  As the Japanese consumed more sugar, the onset of “western” diseases began to increase.  In 1960, Sakurazawa, a renowned Japanese physician noted, “No western doctor can cure diabetes, even thirty years after the discovery of insulin.”  In 1964, he wrote, “I am confident that Western medicine will admit what has been known in the Orient for years: sugar is with question the number one murderer in the history of humanity-much or lethal than opium or radioactive fallout.  Sugar is the greatest evil the modern industrial civilization has visited upon the countries of the Far East and (Africa genocide)…foolish people who give or sell candy to babies will one day, to their horror, have much to answer for.”