I just came across this fish tip from a NYC chef, Seamus Mullen. I'm a huge fish person and appreciate any new way, especially a fun and creative way, to make it and serve it. One of my specialties when entertaining in the Spring and Summer is to do sea bass in parchment paper. I serve the "packets" like little presents to each guest and they get to un-tie the twine to "open" their meal. The steam and aromas from the fish and the vegetables just flood out. The parchment paper gets this really pretty golden brown hue and the edges really brown. It is so unique looking and I'm always proud of it! It's always a HUGE crowd-pleaser and quite the conversation starter. So when I saw this new presentation when serving fish, I was elated to put it mildly!
Brown-Bagging Fish- Instead of roasting fish in a pan, cook it in a plain brown-paper lunch bag set on a baking sheet. Brush the bag liberally with olive oil and add a well-seasoned piece of fish along with slices of lemon and vegetables. Close the bag, place on the baking sheet and cook at 375 until the fish is opaque; an eight-ounce fillet will take about eight minutes. Cut the bag open, remove the fish and serve. - Seamus Mullen, Boqueria in NYC
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Food and Wine
Obviously you can see from the title of the article this has little to do with feeding your kids. However, it has everything to do with mommy's mental health if you know what I mean.
It is no secret that I am trying to get some baby weight off since have my ten and a half pound son six months ago. He was big. I got big. It is also no secret that I love beer. I don't mean a frat boy kind of love. I mean I really, really enjoy it. That being said, we all know it isn't diet-friendly especially in the problem area that follows two ten-pound children (my stomach). So in my quest to make better choices I have started to really try and develop a pallet and love for wine. I think it actually might be an acquired taste. The other reason for my pursuit of passion for wine is my husband's blood pressure. He has high blood pressure that is hereditary, it has nothing to do with stress or his diet or what kind of shape he's in. If you saw him, you'd know I'm not foolin' around. He's hot (i.e. he eats great and is in shape). Anyway, upon talking to my physician (who happens to be my husband's physician as well) about Brian's blood pressure and things we could be doing differently at home or I could be incorporating into our diets that aid lowering blood pressure, red wine and dark chocolate came up. My doc said that the research backing red wine and it's benefits for the heart and blood pressure is no joke. It is legitimate. As is all the hoop-la surrounding dark chocolate (the REAL stuff, not Hershey's) and the beneficiary, antioxidant punch it has.
Enter my new found love for Pinot Noir. Pinot is the highest antioxidant red wine (or wine period for that matter) that there is. I even made a point to drink it pregnant, obviously in very, very small quantities as research came out stating that red wine during pregnancy (again very low amounts) might benefit the fetus in later IQ studies. I have absolutely no idea if this has been confirmed but I was on board for selfish reasons. Now it is a staple in my home and I have my husband enjoying a glass a night and popping a handful of dark chocolate for dessert after dinner. It's something we look forward to as we try to unwind at the end of the day and according to my doc, it has legitimate health benefits.
Now on the point of my article. Recently I was reading Food and Wine magazine, the October 2009 issue, and came across an article that I found to be most interesting and so worth passing on to my fellow cutie patootie foodies. I think you all, wine people or not, will find it has a place in your kitchen when entertaining especially. It is regarding wine and food pairing. I was so glad to have come across this particularly right before the holidays since I was put in charge of wine for Thanksgiving. "No problem!" I said.
Champagne- Perfect with anything salty. Most dry sparkling wines, such as brut Champagne and Spanish cava, actually have a faint touch of sweetness. That makes them extra-refreshing when served with salty foods.
Sauvignon Blanc- Goes with tart dressing and sauces. Tangy foods won't overwhelm zippy wines like Sauvignon Blanc.
Pinot Grigio- Pairs with light fish dishes. Light seafood dishes seem to take on more flavor when matched with equally delicate white wines such as PG.
Chardonnay- For fatty fish or fish in a rich sauce. Silky wines- for instance, Chardonnays from California, Chile or Australia- are delicious with fish like salmon or any kind of seafood in a lush sauce.
Riesling- Pair nice with sweet and spicy dishes. The slight sweetness of many Rieslings helps tame the heat of spicy Asian and Indian dishes.
Rose Champagne- Is great with dinner not just hors d'oeuvres. Rose sparkling wines, such as rose Champagne, cava and sparkling wine from California, have the depth of flavor and richness to go with a wide range of main courses.
Dry Rose- Great with cheesy dishes. Some cheese go better with white wine, some with red; yet almost all pair well with dry rose, which has the acidity of white wine and the fruit character of red.
Pinot Noir- Great for dishes with earthy flavors. Recipes made with ingredients like mushrooms and truffles taste great with reds like PN which are light-bodied but full of savory depth.
Malbec- Won't be overshadowed by sweet-spicy barbecue sauces. Malbecs and Shiraz are big and bold enough to drink with food brushed with heavily spiced barbecue sauces.
Zinfandel- For pates, mousses and terrines. If you can use the same adjectives to describe a wine and a dish, the pairing will often work. For instance, the words rustic and rich describe Zinfandel as well as chicken-live mousse.
Cabernet Sauvignon- Fabulous with juicy red meat. California Cabernet, Bordeaux and Bordeaux-style blends are terrific with steaks or chops: Their firm tannins refresh the palate after each bite of meat.
Syrah- Match highly spiced dishes. When a meat is heavily seasoned, look for a red wine with lots of spicy notes.
* The above is taken from Food and Wine magazine, October 2009.
It is no secret that I am trying to get some baby weight off since have my ten and a half pound son six months ago. He was big. I got big. It is also no secret that I love beer. I don't mean a frat boy kind of love. I mean I really, really enjoy it. That being said, we all know it isn't diet-friendly especially in the problem area that follows two ten-pound children (my stomach). So in my quest to make better choices I have started to really try and develop a pallet and love for wine. I think it actually might be an acquired taste. The other reason for my pursuit of passion for wine is my husband's blood pressure. He has high blood pressure that is hereditary, it has nothing to do with stress or his diet or what kind of shape he's in. If you saw him, you'd know I'm not foolin' around. He's hot (i.e. he eats great and is in shape). Anyway, upon talking to my physician (who happens to be my husband's physician as well) about Brian's blood pressure and things we could be doing differently at home or I could be incorporating into our diets that aid lowering blood pressure, red wine and dark chocolate came up. My doc said that the research backing red wine and it's benefits for the heart and blood pressure is no joke. It is legitimate. As is all the hoop-la surrounding dark chocolate (the REAL stuff, not Hershey's) and the beneficiary, antioxidant punch it has.
Enter my new found love for Pinot Noir. Pinot is the highest antioxidant red wine (or wine period for that matter) that there is. I even made a point to drink it pregnant, obviously in very, very small quantities as research came out stating that red wine during pregnancy (again very low amounts) might benefit the fetus in later IQ studies. I have absolutely no idea if this has been confirmed but I was on board for selfish reasons. Now it is a staple in my home and I have my husband enjoying a glass a night and popping a handful of dark chocolate for dessert after dinner. It's something we look forward to as we try to unwind at the end of the day and according to my doc, it has legitimate health benefits.
Now on the point of my article. Recently I was reading Food and Wine magazine, the October 2009 issue, and came across an article that I found to be most interesting and so worth passing on to my fellow cutie patootie foodies. I think you all, wine people or not, will find it has a place in your kitchen when entertaining especially. It is regarding wine and food pairing. I was so glad to have come across this particularly right before the holidays since I was put in charge of wine for Thanksgiving. "No problem!" I said.
Champagne- Perfect with anything salty. Most dry sparkling wines, such as brut Champagne and Spanish cava, actually have a faint touch of sweetness. That makes them extra-refreshing when served with salty foods.
Sauvignon Blanc- Goes with tart dressing and sauces. Tangy foods won't overwhelm zippy wines like Sauvignon Blanc.
Pinot Grigio- Pairs with light fish dishes. Light seafood dishes seem to take on more flavor when matched with equally delicate white wines such as PG.
Chardonnay- For fatty fish or fish in a rich sauce. Silky wines- for instance, Chardonnays from California, Chile or Australia- are delicious with fish like salmon or any kind of seafood in a lush sauce.
Riesling- Pair nice with sweet and spicy dishes. The slight sweetness of many Rieslings helps tame the heat of spicy Asian and Indian dishes.
Rose Champagne- Is great with dinner not just hors d'oeuvres. Rose sparkling wines, such as rose Champagne, cava and sparkling wine from California, have the depth of flavor and richness to go with a wide range of main courses.
Dry Rose- Great with cheesy dishes. Some cheese go better with white wine, some with red; yet almost all pair well with dry rose, which has the acidity of white wine and the fruit character of red.
Pinot Noir- Great for dishes with earthy flavors. Recipes made with ingredients like mushrooms and truffles taste great with reds like PN which are light-bodied but full of savory depth.
Malbec- Won't be overshadowed by sweet-spicy barbecue sauces. Malbecs and Shiraz are big and bold enough to drink with food brushed with heavily spiced barbecue sauces.
Zinfandel- For pates, mousses and terrines. If you can use the same adjectives to describe a wine and a dish, the pairing will often work. For instance, the words rustic and rich describe Zinfandel as well as chicken-live mousse.
Cabernet Sauvignon- Fabulous with juicy red meat. California Cabernet, Bordeaux and Bordeaux-style blends are terrific with steaks or chops: Their firm tannins refresh the palate after each bite of meat.
Syrah- Match highly spiced dishes. When a meat is heavily seasoned, look for a red wine with lots of spicy notes.
* The above is taken from Food and Wine magazine, October 2009.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Meal-planning advice...it requires the couch, your jammies and a glass of wine...interested?
Below is an email I got from a girlfriend today. And following is my answer to her question. I hope my advice on meal planning (or at least making the time to do it) will inspire and help some of you!
"Ok so my question is - how in the world do you find the time to do all these things from scratch? How do you organize your weeks - do you plan your meals ahead of time? I think maybe I need some time management advice :) Anyways i would seriously LOVE to hear any advice on how you organize yourself to be so efficient with your meal planning/cooking!Thanks and hope you are doing well! -K"
HA! Don't be too impressed! My BIGGEST struggle is good time-management. I don't feel like I "use my time wisely" at all!
As far as meal-planning goes, it is a Sunday thing for me. I plan for the week, do my grocery shopping, sporadically do a few batches of homemade baby food. Sunday is the day. However, I don't make a bunch of overly complicated things. Fish is a 20-minute meal. A couple of chicken breasts or fillets on the George Forman take such little time, I don't even start until Brian walks in the door. I'm also into making things and freezing them. The pumpkin muffins I posted? Still have them in the freezer. Plus, my oldest loves to help me cook so I make it something she and I can do together. She is so, so very proud of "her" pumpkin muffins. It is also a good time to teach them about temperature, dissolving, measuring, etc. Good, intentional learning time. Plus, it is VERY, VERY important to me that my girls know how to cook. And honestly, it's important to me for my son to know, some-what, how to cook as well. So as he gets older, he'll be helping me too. I also plan on, when the kids are able, to make them plan one meal a week. They have to shop for it, make it and the rest of the family has to clean-up. Good life skills lesson there. Plus a good way to teach them to budget, etc. I can't wait for this day to come. I really just want them to learn to put meals together in a healthy way that is enjoyable as well! If my kids don't feed their kids like I do, I'll feel like a failure! Anyway, I digress, back to your original question. Here's kind of how it goes down for me...
My husband is kind of a baby. He likes me right by his side after the kids are down (he gets this from his grandfather). So when he's watching all his ridiculous shows I could care less about, I sit there "cuddling" and peruse my cookbooks or my recipe box for ideas and I make my grocery list. Even if I don't do the exact recipe, I'll use them to "piggy-back" off of and do my own thing, usually a much easier, low-maintenance version! Honestly, meal-planning and grocery list-making can be seen as a little relaxing down-time! It MAKES me sit still. And it makes me sit there with hubby. A lot of times with a glass of wine or a cup of organic "nighty night" tea. I'll wash my face and get my jammies on and sink down into the couch with my cookbooks, recipe box, spiral and pen and go to town.
I also have a calendar on my fridge that has each day of the week where I write-out what we're eating that night. Some days it notes that my husband will be out of town. Other nights it says soccer or swimming which means we'll pick something up. Other nights, I have meetings and I have to think of something easy for the rest of the fam. But this helps me glance up at the fridge each week and see what's going on.
Back to the freezer. A deep freeze was the best investment my husband and I ever made. If a recipe doubles well or makes a ton and I can get two or three meals of it, score. But if I make muffins or cookies that are healthy, I freeze them and keep them on hand for quick breakfasts and after-school or lunch box treats. Throw them in frozen! That's the best way anyway! They'll be perfect (and fresh) just in time for your kids' lunch hour.
I think there are ALWAYS things to have on-hand that no matter what you can throw an easy, healthy meal together. For me, those things are frozen vegetables, organic spaghetti sauce, a great pasta like Barilla's PLUS pasta and natural hamburger meat that is frozen but you can lay-out that morning. If you forget to lay-out the meat, big deal. Just have a veggie pasta. I know that if I'm low on groceries, I will always be able to throw together a veggie pasta that my kids will eat. And shredded mozzarella freezes (and thaws) great too. I find this to be a great emergency meal. Also great to have on hand, different fish fillets in which the cooking instructions say NOT TO THAW it. You cook it frozen- usually in under 20 minutes. Coat that sucker in olive or coconut oil and roll it in some bread crumbs or crushed nuts and your set! With a generous amount of seasonings of course! Wild grain rice is always a great staple too. Get out the frozen broccoli florets and some cheese and fruit and you've got a perfect meal! It doesn't have to be complicated and the freezer is your friend.
And don't be afraid to get creative with dessert. If my kids eat a great meal of a lean protein and veggies, I have no problem getting out ice cream or frozen yogurt as their dairy for that meal and putting chopped mango, strawberries, blueberries and other fruits on it. I also put the real, organic, dark chocolate chips on sometimes. Don't underestimate it's antioxidant punch. And nuts too. I think dessert is sometimes a great way to get some other things in their diet! My kids LOVE angel food cake with some Reddi Whip and just covered in berries. My next thing is going to be a "brownie sundae" made with the VitaTop's double chocolate muffin top!
So, in conclusion, get creative with your planning for the week and start viewing it as "down time" instead of a chore. Anything that MAKES you sit is a good thing! Start looking at it differently and you'll start actually looking forward to it!
"Ok so my question is - how in the world do you find the time to do all these things from scratch? How do you organize your weeks - do you plan your meals ahead of time? I think maybe I need some time management advice :) Anyways i would seriously LOVE to hear any advice on how you organize yourself to be so efficient with your meal planning/cooking!Thanks and hope you are doing well! -K"
HA! Don't be too impressed! My BIGGEST struggle is good time-management. I don't feel like I "use my time wisely" at all!
As far as meal-planning goes, it is a Sunday thing for me. I plan for the week, do my grocery shopping, sporadically do a few batches of homemade baby food. Sunday is the day. However, I don't make a bunch of overly complicated things. Fish is a 20-minute meal. A couple of chicken breasts or fillets on the George Forman take such little time, I don't even start until Brian walks in the door. I'm also into making things and freezing them. The pumpkin muffins I posted? Still have them in the freezer. Plus, my oldest loves to help me cook so I make it something she and I can do together. She is so, so very proud of "her" pumpkin muffins. It is also a good time to teach them about temperature, dissolving, measuring, etc. Good, intentional learning time. Plus, it is VERY, VERY important to me that my girls know how to cook. And honestly, it's important to me for my son to know, some-what, how to cook as well. So as he gets older, he'll be helping me too. I also plan on, when the kids are able, to make them plan one meal a week. They have to shop for it, make it and the rest of the family has to clean-up. Good life skills lesson there. Plus a good way to teach them to budget, etc. I can't wait for this day to come. I really just want them to learn to put meals together in a healthy way that is enjoyable as well! If my kids don't feed their kids like I do, I'll feel like a failure! Anyway, I digress, back to your original question. Here's kind of how it goes down for me...
My husband is kind of a baby. He likes me right by his side after the kids are down (he gets this from his grandfather). So when he's watching all his ridiculous shows I could care less about, I sit there "cuddling" and peruse my cookbooks or my recipe box for ideas and I make my grocery list. Even if I don't do the exact recipe, I'll use them to "piggy-back" off of and do my own thing, usually a much easier, low-maintenance version! Honestly, meal-planning and grocery list-making can be seen as a little relaxing down-time! It MAKES me sit still. And it makes me sit there with hubby. A lot of times with a glass of wine or a cup of organic "nighty night" tea. I'll wash my face and get my jammies on and sink down into the couch with my cookbooks, recipe box, spiral and pen and go to town.
I also have a calendar on my fridge that has each day of the week where I write-out what we're eating that night. Some days it notes that my husband will be out of town. Other nights it says soccer or swimming which means we'll pick something up. Other nights, I have meetings and I have to think of something easy for the rest of the fam. But this helps me glance up at the fridge each week and see what's going on.
Back to the freezer. A deep freeze was the best investment my husband and I ever made. If a recipe doubles well or makes a ton and I can get two or three meals of it, score. But if I make muffins or cookies that are healthy, I freeze them and keep them on hand for quick breakfasts and after-school or lunch box treats. Throw them in frozen! That's the best way anyway! They'll be perfect (and fresh) just in time for your kids' lunch hour.
I think there are ALWAYS things to have on-hand that no matter what you can throw an easy, healthy meal together. For me, those things are frozen vegetables, organic spaghetti sauce, a great pasta like Barilla's PLUS pasta and natural hamburger meat that is frozen but you can lay-out that morning. If you forget to lay-out the meat, big deal. Just have a veggie pasta. I know that if I'm low on groceries, I will always be able to throw together a veggie pasta that my kids will eat. And shredded mozzarella freezes (and thaws) great too. I find this to be a great emergency meal. Also great to have on hand, different fish fillets in which the cooking instructions say NOT TO THAW it. You cook it frozen- usually in under 20 minutes. Coat that sucker in olive or coconut oil and roll it in some bread crumbs or crushed nuts and your set! With a generous amount of seasonings of course! Wild grain rice is always a great staple too. Get out the frozen broccoli florets and some cheese and fruit and you've got a perfect meal! It doesn't have to be complicated and the freezer is your friend.
And don't be afraid to get creative with dessert. If my kids eat a great meal of a lean protein and veggies, I have no problem getting out ice cream or frozen yogurt as their dairy for that meal and putting chopped mango, strawberries, blueberries and other fruits on it. I also put the real, organic, dark chocolate chips on sometimes. Don't underestimate it's antioxidant punch. And nuts too. I think dessert is sometimes a great way to get some other things in their diet! My kids LOVE angel food cake with some Reddi Whip and just covered in berries. My next thing is going to be a "brownie sundae" made with the VitaTop's double chocolate muffin top!
So, in conclusion, get creative with your planning for the week and start viewing it as "down time" instead of a chore. Anything that MAKES you sit is a good thing! Start looking at it differently and you'll start actually looking forward to it!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
"I am only human"...(humorous confession)....
So my husband and I went to a basketball game last night. Yes, it was date night and I'm the cool wife that will accompany my hubby to sporting events. Anyway, we're sitting in the stands noshing away on concession stand hot dogs, nachos covered in jalapenos and Cokes. Oh, and popcorn. So as I'm mid-bite on my hot dog, I think of you all! I think of my blog! I lean over to my husband, ball-park cheese running down my chin, and say, "If only my bloggees could see me now!" Anyway, I thought it was funny the conviction I felt and needed to repent to my cyber-space friends. This particular meal, the one listed above, it pretty much EVERYTHING I stand against. I would never, ever feed that madness to my kids. However, date night is date night and that's that! And don't think I didn't wash all that down with a beer afterwards. So though I may blog my face off about feeding your kids good, I myself fall into the grips of overly processed, by-product food. I'm only human after all.....wink.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Food for Thought- Mothers, Daughters and Body Image
Below is an email I just received from a good friend of mine. Having two daughters and currently obsessed with losing my baby weight, it somewhat jolted me back to reality and I will be far more careful about comments I make about my own quest to fit into normal jeans again...
“The essence of our findings are that while there are many factors that help determine how a girl feels about herself when she looks in the mirror - everything from the media to peer pressure to perfect body messages - there is one indisputable fact: mothers matter the most to a daughter's developing sense of her body and herself. A mother needs to take a good look at herself and her own ideas about body image because, as her daughter's primary female role model, everything she says and does is absorbed into her daughter's female DNA. Even if she has a different body type, if she's adopted or her parents are of different races, her mother is the main influence on her ability to develop a positive connection to her body. A mother needs to realize that when she is worrying about her three-year-old's chubby thighs, her daughter is hearing her and in ten short years those thighs will become her daughter's her main obsession."
This is from a book I have, “You Have to Say I'm Pretty, You're My Mother" by Stephanie Pierson and Phyllis Cohen.
Here is a link to an article they wrote that may be of interest to you: http://www.feminist.com/resources/artspeech/body/youhaveto.html
Love, K
“The essence of our findings are that while there are many factors that help determine how a girl feels about herself when she looks in the mirror - everything from the media to peer pressure to perfect body messages - there is one indisputable fact: mothers matter the most to a daughter's developing sense of her body and herself. A mother needs to take a good look at herself and her own ideas about body image because, as her daughter's primary female role model, everything she says and does is absorbed into her daughter's female DNA. Even if she has a different body type, if she's adopted or her parents are of different races, her mother is the main influence on her ability to develop a positive connection to her body. A mother needs to realize that when she is worrying about her three-year-old's chubby thighs, her daughter is hearing her and in ten short years those thighs will become her daughter's her main obsession."
This is from a book I have, “You Have to Say I'm Pretty, You're My Mother" by Stephanie Pierson and Phyllis Cohen.
Here is a link to an article they wrote that may be of interest to you: http://www.feminist.com/resources/artspeech/body/youhaveto.html
Love, K
My Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
This oatmeal is a regular occurence at my house. My kids (and my husband) love it and I feel great about the breakfast they just had!
You need:
oatmeal (Quaker works just fine but try and find "steel cut")
coconut oil (which you should have in the pantry anyway)
ground flax seed (which you should have in the pantry anyway)
whole grain blend (which you should have in the pantry anyway)
cinnamon
raw sugar (the brown stuff)
brown sugar
1 apple, peeled and chopped finely (my kids prefer either a fugi or a pink lady but it doesn't matter)
finely chopped walnut (or any nut or an assortment of nuts- but finely chopped or ground)
*black walnuts have the most potent nutritional punch
* some times I throw wheat germ in
Make the oatmeal using directions on package. But right before you add the oatmeal, after a mild simmer/boil, add about a tablespoon of coconut oil, two tablespoons of raw sugar, one tablespoon of brown sugar. Stir quickly then add oats. Stir again. Add chopped apple, one tablespoon of ground flax, one tablespoon of whole grain blend and the nuts. And the wheat germ if you're using it. Add a couple of dashes of cinnamon. Stir. Let simmer mildly for a couple of minutes but don't let it get too mushy. I spoon into bowls and pour just a little heavy cream, half and half or milk on top. Feel free to sprinkle the top with more cinnamon!
The above amounts are really "to taste." I don't even measure. I'm just trying to give you an idea of ABOUT how much I put in! I make it to two servings on the oatmeal package. It makes two good-size bowls.
You noticed I put "should have in your pantry anyway" next to some of the above ingredients! I'm pretty serious about certain things you need to have on hand to "sneak" into recipes. The above items are just a few of them. GET 'EM! Trust me!
This is a quick, hearty and super-healthy breakfast! Enjoy!
You need:
oatmeal (Quaker works just fine but try and find "steel cut")
coconut oil (which you should have in the pantry anyway)
ground flax seed (which you should have in the pantry anyway)
whole grain blend (which you should have in the pantry anyway)
cinnamon
raw sugar (the brown stuff)
brown sugar
1 apple, peeled and chopped finely (my kids prefer either a fugi or a pink lady but it doesn't matter)
finely chopped walnut (or any nut or an assortment of nuts- but finely chopped or ground)
*black walnuts have the most potent nutritional punch
* some times I throw wheat germ in
Make the oatmeal using directions on package. But right before you add the oatmeal, after a mild simmer/boil, add about a tablespoon of coconut oil, two tablespoons of raw sugar, one tablespoon of brown sugar. Stir quickly then add oats. Stir again. Add chopped apple, one tablespoon of ground flax, one tablespoon of whole grain blend and the nuts. And the wheat germ if you're using it. Add a couple of dashes of cinnamon. Stir. Let simmer mildly for a couple of minutes but don't let it get too mushy. I spoon into bowls and pour just a little heavy cream, half and half or milk on top. Feel free to sprinkle the top with more cinnamon!
The above amounts are really "to taste." I don't even measure. I'm just trying to give you an idea of ABOUT how much I put in! I make it to two servings on the oatmeal package. It makes two good-size bowls.
You noticed I put "should have in your pantry anyway" next to some of the above ingredients! I'm pretty serious about certain things you need to have on hand to "sneak" into recipes. The above items are just a few of them. GET 'EM! Trust me!
This is a quick, hearty and super-healthy breakfast! Enjoy!
Milk...Does a body good?
I am not anti-milk at all. I grew-up clearing a gallon of Vitamin D milk a week with my Dad. I love milk. My kids love milk. You just have to understand it's place in your diet and your kids' diets. I'll simplify: Milk should be viewed as a meal, not a form of hydration or a form of dairy with a meal. Ideally, milk is the perfect snack. It's filling, it's full of vitamins and minerals and it does have it's health benefits.
However, know milk's affect on your body. It increases mucus production. It blocks iron absorption and other vital vitamins and minerals. It has been said to cause mild inflammation all throughout your body. It causes constipation. It is NOT hydrating.
Several years ago I congered up the courage to approach one of my good girlfriends to tell her that her son had an iron deficiency. She was stunned at my observation, not offended but just a little thrown off. She asked me how I knew. "I can tell by looking at him." That in addition to me knowing how much milk he drank a day. His skin was also very, very pale and pasty which is the first visible sign of an iron deficiency. I also told her that he was most certainly dehydrated since all he ever drank was milk. I then went on to explain to her that an iron deficiency causes stunting of growth and possibly speeds-up the lingering development of learning disabilities. Sure enough, after an appointment with their pediatrician, she called me in awe that I was right. He not only had an iron deficiency and had to get on iron supplements, but he was severely dehydrated.
For those of you that have the Caring for Your Child book from the American Pediatric Board, you will notice that they are not only very specific about the ounces your child should get, but in a sample diet for a two-year-old it has the two servings of milk as snacks- a morning snack and an afternoon snack. Though they do NOT do a good job of explaining why this is. I am convinced that though the American Pediatric Board is very well versed in how milk is completely over-rated in our children's diets, they won't come out and say it because of what that would do the economy. But that's just my own little conspiracy theory...
Research shows that "milk kids" tend to be "lower" on the growth curve. Is their a correlation? YES. If your kid isn't growing properly and you have any sort of a decent pediatrician, the first question they will ask you is how much milk your kid drinks a day. But sometimes, they don't ask until it's too late...
I also believe with every fiber of my being that the reason young ladies are going through puberty faster now is because they are not only fed improperly (growth hormones and other chemicals in our food) but they are given milk that is not organic. If you are going to spring for one organic item in your home, IT NEEDS TO BE MILK. And then meat but first milk!
Also, many of you were probably told not to take your pre-natal vitamin with milk. Or it might have even been specified on our pre-natal vitamin if they were prescription. The reason? Same explanation as above, it blocks nutrient absorption in the intestines especially iron. And there is a reason they test pregnant women for iron deficiencies (which I've had two of my three pregnancies though both of these kids were 10 pounds or more). I don't give my kids their multi-vitamin on cereal mornings. I wait until lunch or even dinner. Giving it with milk would be null and void. You should not take ANY vitamin with milk. I don't even give my kids any medications within a two-hour window of milk because I am not a "medicine mommy" and so if I do choose to give my kids meds, then there is a reason and I am not going to have it's absorption compromised!
The other night I made this fabulous baked penne pasta with meat sauce. It was incredible. My kids asked for milk with their dinner. NOPE, sorry. Why? Because I will not under any circumstance serve milk with red meat. We don't eat a lot of red meat in my house so when we do I want every single tiny bit of iron to be absorbed and serving red meat with milk is just out of the question. Now do I serve milk with cookies? Sure. Do I serve milk with cake or brownies? Sure. Because what the heck is in those items where I care if anything is blocked? NOTTA.
And I think it important to understand milk's role when it comes to congestion. Several weeks ago I had to once again mention to one of my girlfriends that the reason her kids' noses wouldn't ever dry-up and were constantly running was because she wasn't cutting-back on their milk intake. MILK CAUSES MUCUS PRODUCTION. If your kids are congested and you're giving them milk, guess what? Your just making it worse. And to give milk to a congested kid right before nap or bedtime? Well of course it's going to make their cough worse! You've got to give their bodies a chance to dry-up. Milk is not going to help aid this process. If you have an allergy kid, cut back on the milk or at least be more discerning about when you give it to them.
Research has been done on whether or not milk exacerbates ear infections, again looking at mucus production and then the fluid on the ears. Especially if milk is given right before bedtime and then your child lays flat and the fluid pools in their ears. This made so much sense to me that for my second child, who did have to get tubes, I completely altered her milk diet. I will do the same for my third.
And any dentist will tell you that they see a lot of cavities in "milk kids" because people don't realize the amount of sugar in milk. Kids have it right before bed or even worse, take it to bed with them, and then the sugar sits on their teeth all night. My dentist said you should brush no matter their age if you give milk at bed time or at the very least rinse their mouth with water after their bedtime milk.
In 1992 I broke my femur and my tibia literally in half snow skiing. I still to this day am convinced that the reason they healed so quickly was due to the amount of milk I consumed prior to my break. I wasn't, however, able to drink milk after my break because I became anemic because of blood loss and was put on iron supplements. It had one of those red stickers on the iron supplement bottle stating I couldn't drink milk with them. I didn't understand until years later why I wasn't able to drink milk while taking the iron. Now I know!
For those of you that are a little skeptical about all of the above statements, go drink a glass of milk and then tell me what your throat feels like and how many times you have to clear your throat. You know that nice, mucus-y feeling you've got? Same thing is going on in your stomach and your intestines.
I'm going to laugh when I get sued like Oprah...
However, know milk's affect on your body. It increases mucus production. It blocks iron absorption and other vital vitamins and minerals. It has been said to cause mild inflammation all throughout your body. It causes constipation. It is NOT hydrating.
Several years ago I congered up the courage to approach one of my good girlfriends to tell her that her son had an iron deficiency. She was stunned at my observation, not offended but just a little thrown off. She asked me how I knew. "I can tell by looking at him." That in addition to me knowing how much milk he drank a day. His skin was also very, very pale and pasty which is the first visible sign of an iron deficiency. I also told her that he was most certainly dehydrated since all he ever drank was milk. I then went on to explain to her that an iron deficiency causes stunting of growth and possibly speeds-up the lingering development of learning disabilities. Sure enough, after an appointment with their pediatrician, she called me in awe that I was right. He not only had an iron deficiency and had to get on iron supplements, but he was severely dehydrated.
For those of you that have the Caring for Your Child book from the American Pediatric Board, you will notice that they are not only very specific about the ounces your child should get, but in a sample diet for a two-year-old it has the two servings of milk as snacks- a morning snack and an afternoon snack. Though they do NOT do a good job of explaining why this is. I am convinced that though the American Pediatric Board is very well versed in how milk is completely over-rated in our children's diets, they won't come out and say it because of what that would do the economy. But that's just my own little conspiracy theory...
Research shows that "milk kids" tend to be "lower" on the growth curve. Is their a correlation? YES. If your kid isn't growing properly and you have any sort of a decent pediatrician, the first question they will ask you is how much milk your kid drinks a day. But sometimes, they don't ask until it's too late...
I also believe with every fiber of my being that the reason young ladies are going through puberty faster now is because they are not only fed improperly (growth hormones and other chemicals in our food) but they are given milk that is not organic. If you are going to spring for one organic item in your home, IT NEEDS TO BE MILK. And then meat but first milk!
Also, many of you were probably told not to take your pre-natal vitamin with milk. Or it might have even been specified on our pre-natal vitamin if they were prescription. The reason? Same explanation as above, it blocks nutrient absorption in the intestines especially iron. And there is a reason they test pregnant women for iron deficiencies (which I've had two of my three pregnancies though both of these kids were 10 pounds or more). I don't give my kids their multi-vitamin on cereal mornings. I wait until lunch or even dinner. Giving it with milk would be null and void. You should not take ANY vitamin with milk. I don't even give my kids any medications within a two-hour window of milk because I am not a "medicine mommy" and so if I do choose to give my kids meds, then there is a reason and I am not going to have it's absorption compromised!
The other night I made this fabulous baked penne pasta with meat sauce. It was incredible. My kids asked for milk with their dinner. NOPE, sorry. Why? Because I will not under any circumstance serve milk with red meat. We don't eat a lot of red meat in my house so when we do I want every single tiny bit of iron to be absorbed and serving red meat with milk is just out of the question. Now do I serve milk with cookies? Sure. Do I serve milk with cake or brownies? Sure. Because what the heck is in those items where I care if anything is blocked? NOTTA.
And I think it important to understand milk's role when it comes to congestion. Several weeks ago I had to once again mention to one of my girlfriends that the reason her kids' noses wouldn't ever dry-up and were constantly running was because she wasn't cutting-back on their milk intake. MILK CAUSES MUCUS PRODUCTION. If your kids are congested and you're giving them milk, guess what? Your just making it worse. And to give milk to a congested kid right before nap or bedtime? Well of course it's going to make their cough worse! You've got to give their bodies a chance to dry-up. Milk is not going to help aid this process. If you have an allergy kid, cut back on the milk or at least be more discerning about when you give it to them.
Research has been done on whether or not milk exacerbates ear infections, again looking at mucus production and then the fluid on the ears. Especially if milk is given right before bedtime and then your child lays flat and the fluid pools in their ears. This made so much sense to me that for my second child, who did have to get tubes, I completely altered her milk diet. I will do the same for my third.
And any dentist will tell you that they see a lot of cavities in "milk kids" because people don't realize the amount of sugar in milk. Kids have it right before bed or even worse, take it to bed with them, and then the sugar sits on their teeth all night. My dentist said you should brush no matter their age if you give milk at bed time or at the very least rinse their mouth with water after their bedtime milk.
In 1992 I broke my femur and my tibia literally in half snow skiing. I still to this day am convinced that the reason they healed so quickly was due to the amount of milk I consumed prior to my break. I wasn't, however, able to drink milk after my break because I became anemic because of blood loss and was put on iron supplements. It had one of those red stickers on the iron supplement bottle stating I couldn't drink milk with them. I didn't understand until years later why I wasn't able to drink milk while taking the iron. Now I know!
For those of you that are a little skeptical about all of the above statements, go drink a glass of milk and then tell me what your throat feels like and how many times you have to clear your throat. You know that nice, mucus-y feeling you've got? Same thing is going on in your stomach and your intestines.
I'm going to laugh when I get sued like Oprah...
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