Fool proof way to get your kids to eat healthier! Finally!

HaHa April Fools!


We can just file this topic away in our folder with Sasquach, Nessie and Leprechaun gold. It doesn't exist. There are tips and tricks a plenty though. My tip is to never feed them bad food in the first place but of course I didn't do that so what to do now that it is too late for that advice? First off if my Husband and I eat better then the kids will eventually follow somewhat. Wanting them to eat strictly health food with no wiggle room will never work. Ever. Talk about food. We talk about food, the reasons it is bad, etc. Getting them involved is the second most important way (behind parents setting the example)to get them making better choices. Don't expect instant results. My 12 year old would still rather eat out for every meal or eat chips all day. She knows it is bad but she is 12 and invincible. Actually my 3 year old thinks the same way.

There will be mess ups. My husband and I mess up all the time. The kids seeing us mess up is actually a good thing because they see how we cope and try to get better. They learn this is a life long process. Most of us go through life never really thinking about food but in this day and age food is more and more in the limelight. We are all learning that what we eat is an important decision.

Right now my husband and I have given up soft drinks. Let me tell you, soft drinks are a real addiction. Not just the caffeinated ones either. It is the sugar that has us addicted. I would drink between 3-5 cans of Dr. Pepper a day! That was all I would drink. Now I drink water, hot tea and an occasional (decalf) coffee. I am trying to find other drinks that taste good but do not have alot of sugar or use artificial sugar. Its hard. It is a battle everyday. Nothing tastes as good to me as an ice cold Dr. Pepper. As far as the kids go, we have set limits for them. The 3 year old has 2 milks and 2 apple juices a day. The rest of the time she drinks water. If she had her way she would drink apple juice all day and not eat. She is already addicted to the sugar. The oldest gets one carbonated beverage a day, uncaffeinated on school nights. She drinks water or milk the rest of the time, sometimes sweet tea. Drinks are a difficult situation in our house. Pretty much every drink has sugar and a lot of it. My body is so addicted to it I now crave sweets where I rarely did before. My body is trying to get back all that sugar intake I lost since giving up soda. There are days that I crave a Dr. Pepper so bad it gives me a headache and I actually feel sapped of energy and despondent. There are days where I want anything else besides water. Being a former smoker dropping sodas has been just as difficult as dropping cigarettes. That is a scary thing. I would like to cut my sugar from foods as well but I honestly do not know if I can handle the withdraw cravings and headaches. The most disturbing for me is the feeling of weakness and despondency I get when I am craving sugar. A perk of dropping soda is you will lose weight. I don't need to lose weight and I lost seven pounds.

Have you tried or successfully quit a soda or sugar addiction?

Do you have tips for getting your kids off processed and into veggies and fruits? Do you have tips for getting adults off processed and into veggies and fruits? I totally need some tips too!

Make your own Seasonings

Another way to save a little change, cut out on fillers and high amounts of sodium is to make your own seasoning packets.

Spices are another of those ingredients that I have discovered are frequently tampered with. From tasty sawdust to artificial colors our go-to herbs are not safe anymore either. So I recommend researching the websites or calling the companies of widely available herb retailers to make sure they do not use fillers or colorings. It is not enough say "I bought mine at Trader Joe's." and assume it is safe. The best alternative would be to grow them ourselves or buy them local and dry them ourselves. Luckily for my black thumb most herbs are super hardy and can be grown indoors or out. Basil and Parsley are the only plants I have grown instead of murdered. It takes practically no effort to grow a few herbs but the fun you and your little ones will have watching them grow (and grow and grow in the case of Basil) and then cooking with or drying them will be worth it.

On taco night I always used the taco seasoning envelopes. Know why? Right, because I was/am lazy. Not taking the easy way out is a challenge for me. Especially after listening to my three year old run around the house screaming all day. Luckily this project only takes a small amount of time so I really didn’t have a good enough excuse not to do it.


Most of all the mixed envelopes and mixed herbs you buy are full of ingredients you may already have in your pantry. When I set out to make taco seasoning I already had everything I needed. Same with the Creole seasoning. Some of the ingredients in the envelopes you wouldn’t want in your body so making your own is a great way to skip the fillers and the exorbitant amount of salt usually used.

Taco seasoning recipes usually have the same set of ingredients in different amounts. The most common ingredients are :
Chili Powder
Paprika
Oregano
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Cumin
Salt (optional)
Cheyenne pepper (optional)

Basically mix these ingredients together until you have the mix you and your family like. Here are some tips though. What your meat and mix tastes like in the pan will not be what it tastes like when added to your taco with the fixings. Add your water and seasoning mix a little at a time while experimenting so that you can stop when your meat is evenly covered and moist. Record each batch of seasoning and the amount of mix and water you used until you find the right ratio. After you find the right mix the hard part is done! Make up a big batch and store in a jelly jar or saved glass spice jar. Save your recipe and you will never buy the packages again.

The first few I tried I did not care for but I have a recipe now that my family and I like. When I tried it straight from the pan I thought it needed something but when we had it on our tacos we all loved it. What I like most about it was I could control the amount of salt.

My Taco Seasoning:
2 Tbs Chili powder
1 tsp. Smoked paprika (I used smoked because that was what I had)
1 Tbs Cumin
1 Tbs Garlic powder
1 Tbs Onion powder
2 grinds of sea salt
Mix together and use 2 slightly heaping Tbs with between ¼ and ½ cup water.


My previous mixes I added oregano and did not prefer the way it tasted. If you want to use it I recommend grinding it in a mortar and pestle or blender to make it a powder first and using only a very small amount. I also want to try using Mexican oregano. Maybe that will add the right oregano taste.

Taco Soup
½ lb ground beef or chicken
1 can rotel tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn
1 can black or pinto beans
1 can red kidney beans
1-2 heaping Tbs of your taco seasoning
1 heaping Tbs of your Ranch dressing mix (see below)
Cook meat, drain. Add remaining ingredients, simmer 15-20 mins.


Creole Seasoning

This is a spice mix I do not use often so making this one in bulk doesn’t make sense for me but having enough for a few recipes does. This seasoning is high on the salt scale.

1 Tbs Garlic powder
1 Tbs paprika
½-1 Tbs cayenne pepper or to taste
½ Tbs onion powder
½ Tbs oregano, ground
½ Tbs. thyme, ground
2 Tbs salt or to taste
½ Tbs pepper or to taste

Easy Recipe for Creole Seasoning
1 cup cooked rice of choice
1 cup raw shrimp
1/2 smoked sausage cut in chunks
1 cup cooked cubed chicken
1 can rotel tomatoes
Creole seasoning to taste
In large skillet brown sausage. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until heated through and shrimp is pink.


Seasoned Salt

I use seasoned salt all the time. I make French fries the old fashion way. I cut up a potato into slices lengthwise, then slice them into fries. If I have more time I break out the mandolin slicer and we have waffle fries. Yum! Then I fry them and season them with seasoned salt when they are fresh from the fryer. Fries made this way are worlds better than fast food or frozen and is so much cheaper.


1/2 cup Kosher salt
1 Tbs. fresh ground pepper
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. cayenne pepper or to taste

Leftover mash
Roll leftover mashed potatoes in a ball
Roll in seasoned salt
Shake off excess
Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 mins



Ranch Dressing Mix

I love ranch dressing mix. However, I do not like the high price of the little packets so this is a recipe to make it at home. I use the mix alot in recipes so I want the buttermilk already added in. I recommend you try the buttermilk powder because when I cover pancakes and waffles I will be using it again. Buttermilk powder is great to have in your pantry for when a recipe calls for buttermilk and you (like most folks) don't have any. This recipe comes from The Kitchen Whisperer's blog. You can check it out here:

http://www.thekitchenwhisperer.net/2012/07/10/homemade-buttermilk-ranch-seasoning-mix/

1/2 cup dry buttermilk powder
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp dried onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbl dried parsley
2 tsp dried chives
1 1/2 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl or to get it super powdery, put all ingredients in the blender and process. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 1 cup of mix.
Dressing:
1/4 cup seasoning
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
Combine all ingredients together with a whisk and chill for at least 30 minutes to thicken.
Store remaining in refrigerator.
Dip:
1/4 cup seasoning
2 cups sour cream
Combine ingredients in a bowl.
Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving to thicken.
*If you cannot find buttermilk powder in your area you can use the same amount of dried milk powder (powdered milk in some states) and add in 1 1/2 tsp of white vinegar to your mixture (when you add the wet ingredients).

Recipe ideas for Ranch Dressing mix

Use it in your taco soup from above

Sprinkle on potato wedges before baking (or sprinkle your creole seasoning for a spicy kick)


Pinwheel sandwiches:
Soften one 8oz block of cream cheese
Once softened mix in 1 Tbs of seasoning or to taste
Spread a thin layer in a tortilla
Across the center, layer thin sliced deli meat, lettuce and tomato
roll up and slice
I make these a lot for potlucks and parties. They are always a big hit with no leftovers. Sundried tomatoes and spinach leaves are great in place of tomatoes and lettuce.

Veggie Pizzas:
Another good one for potlucks, parties or a picnic.
Soften one 8oz block cream cheese
mix with 1 Tbs mix to taste
Lay one can of crescent rolls flat like a pizza crust
Bake according to the package directions
Once cooled some, spread cream cheese mixture over pizza
Top your pizza with petite diced raw veggies like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, etc.

These are the days of our lives...and it stinks

This blog is not about how fancy I am or how cute and perfect my kids are (though they are pretty cute). It is not about the speed of my camera or how magazine quality my photos are. This blog is designed for the majority of American families who live paycheck to paycheck. Who sometimes have too much month left at the end of the money but still want to find a better, healthier way to feed and groom themselves and their families. For those who appreciate every dime they make and think twice where to spend it. For those who are sick and tired of the food they eat making them feel sick and tired.

Imagine for a minute you were suddenly allergic to chicken.........if everytime you ate it, about 48 hours later you felt terribly ill. Wanting to go to the hospital ill. Yep, that's me. Allergic to chicken. No more chicken marsala or chicken wings for me. No more sesame chicken from China Wok down the street. It stinks but I would rather do without it than feel the way I do when I eat it. After three years of uncertainty I am also glad because my anxiety attacks have stopped now that I know I am not dying. On top of the chicken allergy I am also allergic to fish, have eczema, seasonal allergies, acid reflux and low energy.
I have been seeing trends (you may have as well) where nutritionists, scientists, etc are saying most of the top food allergens are not good for our bodies anyway and should be avoided by everyone. The ones I see most often spoken of is dairy, eggs, wheat and soy (unfermented). I am not saying this is true. I honestly don't know but I feel it is worth a try. So if you have seasonal allergy, tummy, tiredness or skin issues I think it would be a good idea to see if all the junk we are eating is the culprit. Give it a try! I am eliminating all meat, dairy and eggs for a while to see how I feel and then slowly adding them back one at a time to see how my body feels. It will take some time but be well worth it in the end.




Let's explore the days of our lives:

We wake up and brush our teeth with toothpaste with chemicals, artificial flavorings and dyes. Then we hop in the shower and slather our hair and bodies with ‘soap’ that is full of harsh chemicals. We hop out and dry ourselves off with a towel that was washed with detergents that have ingredients in them we can’t pronounce then put on clothes that were also washed in chemical soup.
If you are like most ladies (or a girly man) you then put on lotion, hair chemicals and makeup. Now that you are covered from head to nail polished toe with chemicals on the outside it is time to have breakfast and start filling up your insides with yummy chemical preservatives, artificial flavors and synthetic additives.

Nothing we buy is safe and I am sick of it.

The more I read the more sick I get. I am tired of reading that my morning cup of coffee is full of twigs and sawdust and my afternoon tea may contain grass clippings. Sick of reading that everything I eat is good for me one minute and bad for me the next or shows up on a recall list.

I just read this in my Publix family style magazine:
“Scientists have found pesticides excreted in children’s urine but within five days of the kids’ switching to organic produce, pesticides were reduced to undetectable levels.” If so much is being filtered out, how much is being absorbed? I am sick, sick, sick of it. My eyes are opened and I am now fully awake. I no longer trust a word the FDA says and really it is not their job to make sure everything my family eats and drinks is safe. I should take the reins and research where our food comes from and how I can make it safer and more nutritious for my family. It’s my job and I am ready to be the CEO.

It’s time for a change.

In high school and my early adulthood I was really into herbs (the legal kind). I made soap, vinegar hair rinses (the softest my hair has ever been), homemade lip balm, homemade teas and lots of other things along those lines. It was all for fun and learning back then. Now I am blowing the dust off my old books and reading through my old notes with new eyes and a new purpose.

I, like most Americans, can not afford to say "Ok, only organic everything for me and my family!". If you can thats great. Do it. But if not lets take the reins! Even if we buy only products with 'organic' labels on them that doesn't guarantee it is healthy or really safe. We have to be our own health inspectors. My goal is to make as much myself as possible so that I can afford to buy only local, organic and fully researched meat, produce and other necessaries. It will take time and effort but I believe it will also be fun and rewarding. It is so tempting to say "Why bother?" when it is next to impossible to eliminate all the toxins we are exposed to but it really isn't about us as much as it is our children. By setting these examples for our children they will (hopefully) do the same for theirs. Maybe our great great grandbabies will live in a greener, healthier world. If we all take steps to eat better and preserve instead of toss we might, collectively, save the world. A somewhat cheesy statement but I believe it is possible. Instead of "Why Bother?" how about "We can't afford NOT to bother!".

Over the next several months join me in sticking it to these companies who sacrifice our health and our children’s health to make an extra buck. Let's roll up our sleeves and take the control back!

Now let's pray about it:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Help me on this journey
I want to help myself and my family
Make better choices
Guide me on this path that I am taking
And let it glorify you in everyway possible
In your Son's sweet name I pray
Amen

Making tortillas

I am not going to lie. Making tortillas is alot like work. I certainly will not judge you if you stick with store bought (just don't read the ingredient label)!
When I told my husband I wanted to make homemade tortillas he looked at me like I sprouted a second head. He understands that I want to save our household money and eat healthier but he thought tortillas were taking it too far. Being me, I did it anyway.
Making them from scratch is rewarding when you have that first tortilla fresh and hot from the pan. It is even more rewarding when you realize everything you need to make them you already have in your pantry!

3 cups all purpose flour OR:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oil, I used coconut but you can use whatever you like
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup hot water

Mix flour, salt and baking powder then add oil. Mix with your hands until incorporated and crumbly. With your hands again, mix in hot water to form the dough. My dough was sticky. If yours is also dust lightly with flour as you knead. Knead on a lightly floured surface for a minute or two just until you have a smooth dough ball. Get as much flour dusted off as you can. Wrap with plastic wrap and let dough rest in the fridge for at least thirty minutes. You can make your dough in the morning then pull it out for dinner.

Pinch off a small amount of dough and roll into a ball. Press ball down flat with the palm of your hand then roll, alternating directions to form a 'circle'. I use the term 'circle' loosely here. My batches yield 13 oddly shaped tortillas. I have not mastered the perfect tortilla circle......yet.
Heat a non stick or cast iron skillet to between med and med high heat. Put your masterpiece in the skillet. You know when it is time to turn when bubbles start to form on the top of your tortilla. Flip and cook a minute or two more. Serve immediately.
I used mine to make burritos for the freezer so I let mine cool on wire racks. If you do not have any wire racks , place them in a single layer on a flat surface then flip your tortillas over after they have cooled some to keep them from getting soggybottom syndrome.

You can store your tortillas in a ziplock bag on the counter or in the fridge. Best if used within a few days.

Food Storage Fun!

There are so many uses for canning jars. You can craft with them, create adorable gifts with them and of course preserve food in them. I can barely get on Pinterest without seeing a clever new use for a canning jar. We were recently blessed with about a hundred jars. We have canned in some but being newbies to the canning world most are sitting empty on a shelf. I recently spent some time using some of those jars for food storage. I usually use plastic baggies for food storage and then throw them away. So by using jars not only am I wasting less, I am also saving money. The best part is they look pretty on the pantry shelf, in the fridge and yes, even in the freezer! My canning jars even make my scraps for scrap soup look good.

Tips for freezing in canning jars:
1. Keep your two part canning lids used for the freezer separate from your canning lids used for actual canning.

2. I am not 100% sure this is an issue but I always put room temp or cold food in my glass containers for the freezer. Never hot food. Don’t reheat food in the frozen jar.

3. Leave headspace for your food to expand in the freezer. Not leaving headspace is what causes jars and containers to break.

4. I use dissolvable canning labels on my jars so that when it is time to put something else in them I wash the label right off. On my labels I always put the expiration date of the food I am storing on food for the pantry or the date I packed them on food for the fridge or freezer.

Tips for buying jars:

1. Buying canning jars in canning season is always best if you want new jars. There are always sales and coupons circulating.

2. Check Craigslist or Freecycle. People who do not plan on canning anymore or who have just used the jars for a wedding will sell them cheap or even give them away!

3. Scour those yard sales!

Once you have a good stock of jars you have reusable containers for life. It reduces waste and your family’s exposure to the harmful chemicals in plastic food bags and containers. I am not naïve enough to say I can eliminate plastic from our food because virtually all food packaging is in plastic but I am working to reduce it by making food at home and storing it in glass. One thing I am going to eliminate is heating plastic of any kind in the microwave. Maybe we do not ingest a lot of chemicals by storing or eating out of plastic containers but I feel sure we do when we heat it up.

I read an article recently that suggested using baby food jars for storing single servings of food. I love this idea. Now I just need to find a Mom who will save her jars for me!

I have to say all these baby steps have been so much fun and not a lot of work! I am looking forward to my next project! I hope you are too!

Scrap Magic

Here is some more scrap magic for you. I serve lots of veggies during the week and usually there is only a small amount left so I would just throw it out. No more. I now have a container in the freezer that I put these scraps in. Once my container is full I make Scrap soup. Scrap soup is basically stock or broth of your choosing (use your vegetable stock cubes you made from the previous post)water, salt, pepper and your scrap vegetables. My ratio is around 2 cups broth or stock to 1 cup water. I love the flavor so I like more broth than water. Your ratio should reflect your own tastes. The last time I made scrap soup I added leftover Thanksgiving turkey that I had frozen. You can add whatever meat you like if you do not prefer just vegetable soup. Like the vegetable stock no two scrap soups will be the same. My last batch had spinach, green beans cooked two different ways, corn and carrots.

Some other recipes I plan to try with my scraps are:
Scrap pot pie
Scrap Shepherd's pie
Scrap veggie frittata

Pretty much anything you would use a can of mixed vegetable for substitute with your scraps! Even if all you have left is a tablespoon of peas and carrots it adds up! Getting a meal out of what I would normally waste is a good deal in my book!

Making Vegetable Stock

Do you throw away the tops of celery, potato peelings, carrot tops and peelings and other scraps from cutting vegtables? Well STOP! I used to do the same thing until I read about saving these scraps for stock making! I read how people keep their scraps in the fridge until they make stock. I had a problem with this. I do not like the idea of the scraps decaying in the fridge until I have enough to make stock. So I have a container in the freezer for stock scraps. It is full so today I am making my first batch of stock using frozen vegetable scraps. You can use pretty much any vegetable but I have heard that broccoli overpowers the stock. I always throw away the big woody stalk from my broccoli so if anyone has any suggestions on what to do with it I am all ears! I love the idea of this stock making because it will never taste exactly the same twice! I used all frozen scraps except for two red potatoes that I cut up fresh.

My Vegetable stock: Bottoms and some green parts of green onions 2 red potatoes, quartered Celery tops with leaves Carrot peelings Green beans Basil Parsley Black peppercorns Enough water to cover. Note: The more water you add the weaker your stock. I put about an inch more in mine and I think it is a bit on the weak side so next time I will only do enough to cover the vegetables. Bring all ing. to a boil then simmer for at least an hour. Let cool. Strain through a mesh strainer. Store in the fridge or do like I did and freeze in ice cube trays then put in freezer bag or container to use as needed without worrying about spoilage.

You can use other herbs like bay leaves, thyme, etc. It is all to your taste. Some other vegetables to use are Garlic, bell peppers (any color), corn, peas, mushrooms, etc. I have even heard some fruits are good for stock making like apples. This is something I am going to love experimenting with to get the taste just the way my family likes it.

I am sure the scraps that are left would be great for the compost pile....if I had one. That will be a blog for another day.....