Tuesday, December 22, 2009
No Menu Plan Needed
Until I return, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and the best in the New Year!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Menu Plan Monday: November 30th
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Menu Plan Monday: Thanksgiving Week
Friday, November 20, 2009
Fitness Plan Friday: November 20th
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Family trip to the dog park, 1 hour of walking
Monday: Walk to Local Park, 45 minutes of walking
Tuesday: Jillian Michaels Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism
Wednesday: MTV Pilates Mix with Kristin McGee (review to follow) plus Family Walk
Thursday: Kari Anderson's Go Step: Step Workout for Beginners (review to follow)
Friday: Rest or easy walk
Your turn! Do you want to start making your health and fitness a priority? This week I encourage you to link up your own fitness plans with Fitness Plan Friday here at Mom Living Healthy. Don't worry, I'm not asking you to sign up for a marathon in three weeks! I'm simply asking that you give some thought to at least a few times each week during which you and/or your family will participate in physical activity of some sort. Making your fitness plan should be easy and take less than 5 minutes to do!Here are some guidelines:
- Walking counts (as long as it is at a moderate pace or faster for you runners)
- Shoot for 30 minutes of continuous activity per session
- Plan for rest days as well!
- Have fun- mix up your workouts and try something new!
- No Gym, No Problem
- Why I'm Loving My Jillian DVD
- Give Water Aerobics A Try
- Community Education Classes: fun and inexpensive!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Workout Wednesday: Community Education Classes
Here are some things that I like about taking community education classes:
- I have one night out per week: The class met every Tuesday for an hour and for me that was a great chance to have one night per week where I got to do something for myself.
- The class sessions are short: I like that the class only lasted six weeks because I'm likely to get bored with something that goes on for longer periods. This way I can try new classes. If I don't like them, no problem! It will be over in a few weeks and I don't have to repeat the class.
- Classes are inexpensive: I paid $35 for these six sessions. This is WAY cheaper than a month's membership at my local gym!
- There are so many classes to choose from: So far I've only tried the water aerobics class, but there are other swimming classes, yoga, pilates, aerobics, not to mention all of the other educational non-fitness classes.
- Going to class gives me something to look forward to: I enjoy my home workouts, but it can sometimes feel like I'm getting stuck in a rut with my fitness routine. By signing up for the occasional community education class, I add variety to my workouts. This challenges me both mentally and physically, which makes being fit much more enjoyable.
Also, these are some recent Workout Wednesdays: Why I'm Loving My Jillian DVD and No Gym, No Problem!
This post is linked with Works for me Wednesday.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Homemade Pizza Night
Monday, November 16, 2009
Split Pea and Ham Soup
Split Pea and Ham Soup
Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups water
1 1/2 cups dry split peas, rinsed and drained
14 ounces chicken broth
2 cups cubed cooked ham
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
dash black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup chopped carrot (1 medium)
1/2 cup chopped celery (1 stalk)
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
Instructions:
1. In a large saucepan combine water, split peas, broth, ham, marjoram, pepper and bay leaf. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in carrot, celery and onion. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes more or until vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaf.
Crock pot instructions:
1. Combine split pas, ham, marjoram, pepper, bay leaf, carrot, celery and onion. Pour water and chicken broth over all. Cover and cook on low-heat for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat for 4 to 5 hours. Discard bay leaf.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Menu Plan Monday: November 16th
Here's what cooking in our little home this week:
Monday: Zuppa Tuscana (like the Olive Garden soup, review to follow)
Tuesday: Chicken Lasagna, carrots
Wednesday: Split Pea and Ham Soup
Thursday: Yoyo (you're on your own)
Friday: Pizza Night using crust recipe courtesy of Andi from Laundry on the Line
Saturday: Carrot Casserole and Cowboy Caviar (recipe to follow) for family gathering
Sunday: Yoyo
Snacks: Homemade Vanilla Wafers
All right, I have to fess up about that chicken lasagna. It's a pre-packaged version I bought a long time ago and haven't used yet. I know, probably NOT healthy, but I'm purging it from our freezer and will NOT be buying those types of meals again. I'm finding it's way too easy to make double-batches of meals and freezing those for later. There, I spilled the beans :)
What meals are you cooking this week? If you need ideas, head on over to I'm an Organizing Junkie for hundreds of ideas!
I know nutrition is important, but do you also focus on fitness? Is your family active? A major part of Mom Living Healthy is fitness. I like to make a fitness plan to keep on track and I write about the different workouts that work for me. Check them out! If you want to make a fitness plan, I post mine every Friday and you're invited to do so as well.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Fitness Plan Friday: Raking Leaves and Burning Calories
Saturday: Family Trip to Dog Park, 1 hour of walking
Sunday: Rest
Monday: Walk to Local Park, 45 minutes of walking
Tuesday: Jillian Michaels Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism
Wednesday: MTV Pilates Mix with Kristin McGee (review to follow) plus Family Walk
Thursday: Kari Anderson's Go Step: Step Workout for Beginners (review to follow)
Friday: Rest
Your turn!
Do you want to start making your health and fitness a priority? This week I encourage you to link up your own fitness plans with Fitness Plan Friday here at Mom Living Healthy. Don't worry, I'm not asking you to sign up for a marathon in three weeks! I'm simply asking that you give some thought to at least a few times each week during which you and/or your family will participate in physical activity of some sort. Making your fitness plan should be easy and take less than 5 minutes to do!
Here are some guidelines:
- Walking counts (as long as it is at a moderate pace or faster for you runners)
- Shoot for 30 minutes of continuous activity per session
- Plan for rest days as well!
- Have fun- mix up your workouts and try something new!
Go ahead! If you want to use workout planning to help your family stay fit, link up your workout plan here. Just make sure to create a link on your post back to this post on Mom Living Healthy. Also, make sure you link up to your Fitness Plan Friday post, not your homepage. Plus, if you want, feel free to use my Fitness Plan Friday image above on your blog (just click and save, then upload it like you do a normal picture). I can't wait to see what you all have planned!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Workout Wednesday: Water Aerobics
- want to try a new workout
- like the social aspect of group fitness classes
- love the smell of chlorine and jumping into cold swimming pools :)
- enjoy regular aerobics but want something low impact
- want a fun, yet calming workout
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
My Very First Chicken Broth and Soup!
I started making the chicken broth on Saturday afternoon. Making your own broth isn't really difficult, but it is a fairly long process. It suggests allowing the chicken to simmer for 4-24 hours and went somewhere in the middle at about 14 hours. The end result was that I had a huge bowl of chicken broth that will last me for at least 5 soup recipes. I just love that I knew exactly what went into my broth- no MSG, no natural flavorings...just chicken and veggies. Yum! I froze two ice cube trays full of broth to use later and had some more leftover for a soup I'm making this week.
I made two batches of the chicken noodle soup and plan on giving one batch as a gift. I've never made homemade noodles either, so the process of making the egg noodles was new too. They seemed more like small dumplings to me, but I don't care because I still think they are tasty!
Well, those are my notes from this weekend's cooking. Did you try something completely new?
This post is linked with the Moms' 30 Minute Blog Challenge, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Menu Plan Monday- November 9th
Monday: Split Pea and Ham Soup, Wheat Oatmeal Quick Bread
Tuesday: Yoyo (You're on Your Own) with leftover Chicken Noodle Soup
Wednesday: Yoyo with leftover ham and Fresh Herb Spaetzle
Thursday: Meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes with steamed Carrots (recipe to follow)
Friday: Pizza with Andi's homemade pizza crust recipe
Saturday: Tuna sandwiches
Sunday: Sunny Broccoli salad, going to my grandma's for birthday celebration for my son.
I'm also going to be trying this recipe for Homemade Vanilla Wafers.
What recipe has you really excited this week? I'm making bread for the first time AND can't wait to see how those vanilla wafters turn out.
Love meal planning? Check out Org Junkie for lots of menu planning ideas! Now that you have meal planning down, why don't you try fitness planning?! Get your fitness plan ready and post it up on Friday as a way to keep your exercise goals on track.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Fitness Plan Friday: Running with my Crazy Dog!
2. Shoot for 30 minutes of continuous activity per session
3. Plan for rest days as well!
4. Have fun- mix up your workouts and try something new!
Sunday: Family Wii Night, 30 minutes each of Wii Fit
Monday: Walk to Local Park, 45 minutes of walking
Tuesday: Water Aerobics (review to follow)
Wednesday: Jillian Michaels Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism
Thursday: MTV Pilates Mix with Kristin McGee (review to follow)
Friday: Rest
Go ahead! If you want to use workout planning to help your family stay fit, link up your workout plan here. Just make sure to create a link on your post back to this post on Mom Living Healthy. Also, make sure you link up to your Fitness Plan Friday post, not your homepage. Plus, if you want, feel free to use my Fitness Plan Friday image above on your blog (just click and save, then upload it like you do a normal picture). I can't wait to see what you all have planned!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Homemade Whole Wheat Graham Crackers
NOTE: If you've been reading my Fitness Plan Friday posts and want to get your family into an active routine, post up your fitness plan here on Friday!
Workout Wednesday: Why I'm Loving My Jillian DVD
Like I said, I'm loving my collection of workout DVDs. They are inexpensive and I get so much use out of them! One of my current favorites is Jillian Michaels Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism. If you haven't heard of Jillian Michaels before, she is the trainer that consistantly produces winning contestants in the TV show The Biggest Loser. This DVD is done in circuit style using simple, yet challenging exercises. Each circuit is done twice, so you really get to work each area of your body. The workout is 55 minutes long, including the warmup and cooldown.
I love Jillian's teaching style. She really challenges you to push yourself and get the most out of your workout. On days when I want to really sweat, I choose this DVD.
Do you use workout DVDs? If so, which one is your favorite and why?
Stay tuned for more Workout Wednesday posts. I will talk about some of the other ways that my family and I stay healthy. If you missed them, check out my posts on Fitness Plan Friday and on being a Fit Family. Remember, start thinking about your Fitness Plan, because on Friday we'll post them. This will help us stay motivated and keep us accountable to our active family goals.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Update: Fresh Herb Spaetzle
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour (I used half all purpose and half whole wheat)
2 tablespoons Olive oil
3 Eggs
4 tablespoons Butter
1/8 teaspoons Nutmeg
3/4 cups Whole milk
8 oz (1 package) Mushrooms
8 teaspoons Assorted herbs (I used parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme...just like the song!)
1/4 teaspoons White pepper
3/4 cups Broth
1/2 medium onion, chopped
salt and pepper
Instructions:
1.Blend flour, pepper, salt and nutmeg in large bowl. Whisk in milk and eggs, forming soft batter. Mix in half of herbs.
2.Bring large pot of slightly salted water to boil. Butter large bowl. Working with 1/3 cup batter at a time and using a rubber spatula, press batter directly into boiling water through 1/4-inch holes of a strainer, coarse grater, or wide ladle. Stir spaetzle to separate and boil for 2 minutes. Using fine sieve, scoop spaetzle from pot, drain well, and transfer to buttered bowl. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
3.Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms; saut until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add onion; saute until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon oil, and spaetzle. Saut until spaetzle begins to brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add 3/4 cup of broth. Simmer until broth is absorbed, adding more broth if dry. Mix in remaining herbs; season with salt and pepper.
If you want to make this without using a special spaetzle maker, I would recomment using a large ladle or spoon that has holes for draining out water. These aren't supposed to look perfect, so don't worry if they have irregular shapes!
This post is linked with The Grocery Cart Challenge and Fight Back Friday.
NOTE: In unrelated news, if you haven't started planning your fitness routine for the week, I suggest you check out my Fitness Plan Friday post!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Menu Plan Monday: November 2nd
Wednesday: Yoyo (You're on your own...eat those leftovers!)
Thursday: Salad and Sandwiches
Friday: Pizza Night
Saturday: Yoyo
Sunday: Chicken Noodle Soup with homemade chicken stock. (Recipes from SnoWhite at Finding Joy in my Kitchen)
I'm also going to try this homemade granola recipe from Home...With a Purpose.
Yum, it's going to be a tasty week! For more menu planning ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Fitness Plan Friday: October 30th
If you missed them, check out my introduction to Fitness Plan Friday and my Workout Wednesday: No Gym, No Problem posts.
If you are like me and want to create an active family lifestyle, go ahead, plan your workouts this week. If you post this on your blog, feel free to leave me a comment with the link and use my Fitness Plan Friday picture. Or, if you prefer, write your seven day plan starting with Saturday in the comments section.
Week in Review:
Last week went well for me and I really appreciate having this plan because it holds me accountable for my workouts and for our active time as a family. We could have easily skipped our walk on Sunday, but I knew it was part of the plan. As always, life does happen, so even the best plan may not always work out. The woman who watches my son when I work was sick today, so I wasn't able to sneak in my Pilates. Oh well, that's what next week's for, right?!
This week's plan:
Saturday: Halloween! Rest Day
Sunday: Family Walk, 30 minutes
Monday: Family Trip to Dog Park, 1 hour of walking
Tuesday: Kari Anderson's Go Step: Step Workout for Beginners (review to follow)
Wednesday: Pilates for Beginners DVD with Kristin McGee (review to follow)
Thursday: walk/run outside with son, 30 minutes (if it's rainy, then Jillian Michaels DVD)
Friday: Rest
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Healthy Fat Recipe: Fresh Herb Spaetzle
For the last month, our family has been drinking nothing but whole milk. If you think that's crazy, check out what the folks at Experience Life magazine are saying about it. Anyway, as part of a challenge put on by Kitchen Stewardship, I've been looking for a recipe that includes full fat dairy and other healthy fats. Nothing was really standing out to me, until I saw this recipe for Fresh Herb Spaetzle which I found through the Revolution Health website. I have loved spaetzle since I was about five years old, when I lived in southern Germany. Spaetzle with cheese is like the German version of macaroni and cheese, and it is SO tasty! This is what I ate in restaurants when we would eat out EVERY CHANCE I GOT. In fact, every time we go to a German restaurant these days, and I see spaetzle on the menu, I definitely order it.
I have been wanting to make spaetzle for the longest time, and now that I have the chance, I won't let this opportunity pass me by. If you haven't tried it, I do recommend it with cheese and onions. There are many variations, but that is my definite favorite.
I have not made this recipe yet, but plan on incorporating it into our menu next week. Look for my review then :)
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups, Flour
2 tablespoons, Olive oil
3 counts, Eggs
4 tablespoons, Butter
1/8 teaspoons, Nutmeg
3/4 cups, Whole milk
8 fluid ounces, Mushrooms
8 teaspoons, Assorted herbs
1/4 teaspoons, White pepper
3/4 cups, Broth
Instructions
1.Blend flour, pepper, salt and nutmeg in large bowl. Whisk in milk and eggs, forming soft batter. Mix in half of herbs.
2.Bring large pot of slightly salted water to boil. Butter large bowl. Working with 1/3 cup batter at a time and using a rubber spatula, press batter directly into boiling water through 1/4-inch holes of a strainer, coarse grater, or wide ladle. Stir spaetzle to separate and boil for 2 minutes. Using fine sieve, scoop spaetzle from pot, drain well, and transfer to buttered bowl. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
3.Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms; saut until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add onion; saut until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon oil, and spaetzle. Saut until spaetzle begins to brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add 3/4 cup of broth. Simmer until broth is absorbed, adding more broth if dry. Mix in remaining herbs; season with salt and pepper.
Have you made or eaten spaetzle before? What did you think of it?
This is where I found this yummy looking recipe. Visit Kitchen Stewardship for more Healthy Fat Recipes as part of the October Fest Carnival of Super Foods.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Workout Wednesday: No Gym, No Problem!
I do have friends who go to the gym regularly, and this does work for many people. For us though, finding ways to be active together as a family is critical. I want my son to see his mom and dad being active. When I was younger, one of my favorite memories of living with my dad was that we would have family dance nights. We'd put Bon Jovi or the Go Gos on the record player and dance around our living room. It was a blast!
Today, we are trying to create the same active lifestyle in our family. For example, tonight we took a walk with our son and dog to a nearby park. We stopped for a few minutes to push our son on the swing, and then we headed to an open field to let our dog run. To make it fun and to push our dog to really run fast, my husband and I would take turns sprinting around the field, having our dog chase us. My husband held our son who giggled like crazy to be bouncing around with his dad! We had an amazing time and got a pretty good workout in the meantime.
For me, the biggest obstacle I have to being fit is TIME. Working out takes time and going to the gym takes time. I don't want to waste precious time that my husband and I could be spending together with our child, just to make the trip to the gym. What I realize is that by finding things to do together that are also active, I can have the best of both worlds. I can stay in shape AND I can enjoy my family.
Stay tuned for more Workout Wednesday posts. I will talk about some of the other ways that my family and I stay healthy. If you missed them, check out my posts on Fitness Plan Friday and on being a Fit Family.
Your turn! What does your family do to stay fit? Is it a focus in your life? Is this an area that gets neglected?
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
How to Make Your Own Taco Seasoning Mix
This mix is so easy to put together, I don't think I'll ever buy the packets again! Just put the ingredients into a small container, mix them up and they are ready. I found this recipe at cooks.com and just love it! Here's what I put it:
1 T chili powder
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. each ground cumin, garlic powder, paprika, powdered oregano and sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
That's it! This makes 3 tablespoons, which is the equivalent of the store packets. I used this for one pound of beef. Enjoy!
Do you make your own taco seasoning? Do you have any other spices you add to your taco that I didn't list?
Monday, October 26, 2009
Menu Plan Monday: October 26th
Last week's menu was great and I'm LOVING menu planning! We have super leftovers, which deter us from wanting to eat out, and I know exactly what to buy at the supermarket. This week we going out to dinner with friends on Wednesday, so I won't be cooking that night. We're also going to my in-laws' house to stay this weekend, so things are a little more up in the air because of that.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Buttermilk Cornbread Recipe
Grandma's Buttermilk Cornbread
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8 inch square pan.
2. Melt butter in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Delicious Chili Recipe
Wazzu Tailgate Chili
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped, divided
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 habanero pepper, seeded and minced (I actually forgot to pick this up...next time!)
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped green onion (didn't add this)
3 (15 ounce) cans chili beans (I did one can chili beans, one can black beans and one can navy beans)
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 ounce) bottle lager-style beer
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 cup water
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Directions:
1. Cook ground beef and pork in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the meat is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Drain and discard any excess grease.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and green pepper, habanero pepper, jalapeno pepper and garlic. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir the drained meat into the onion mixture along with the green onion, chili beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, beer and water. Sprinkle with the cornmeal, then season with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper.
3. Bring to simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate overnight.
4. Reheat the chili over medium heath until it begins to simmer again. Top individual servings of chili with cheese (and sour cream, like I did!)
What variations do you add to your chili? I'm always looking to improve on my chili recipe. This one was a keeper though :)
I found this chili recipe at allrecipes.com.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Fitness Plan Friday: An Introduction
A Failure to Plan is a Plan to Fail
While I do feel that planning for good nutrition is crucial for nurturing a healthy family, I think that a family's fitness often gets neglected. Now, if you have an 11 month old son who is constantly on the move, you can rest assured that your child is fit. However, what about you and your spouse? What do you do to stay active and keep your body in healthy shape? What about your older children? It would be nice to think that just because children are young that they are also on the move, but childhood obesity in America is a serious problem.
Don't worry, I'm not asking you to sign up for a marathon in three weeks! I'm simply asking that you give some thought to at least a few times each week during which you and/or your family will participate in physical activity of some sort.
By no means is my family perfect right now. We do make it to one walk per week together and I have been working out 2-3 times on my own. As you can see, we have room for improvement as well.
This is where Fitness Plan Friday comes in! I encourage you to add a comment with your fitness plan for the week and I will do so too.
Here are some guidelines:
1. Walking counts (as long as it is at a moderate pace or faster for you runners)
2. Shoot for 30 minutes of continuous activity per session
3. Plan for rest days as well!
4. Have fun- mix up your workouts and try something new!
Since Mom Living Healthy is such a new blog, I will not be doing a Mr. Linky for this event yet. Instead, just post your 7 day fitness plan in a comment. If you do a post about Fitness Plan Friday on your blog, feel free to include a link in your comment and link back to Mom Living Healthy. In future posts, I will discuss different workouts that I find to be quick and inexpensive.
Without further ado, here is my plan for this week:
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Family Trip to the Dog Park, 1 hour of walking
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Water Aerobics class, 50 minutes (class description to follow)
Wednesday: Jillian Michaels Banish Fat Boost Metabolism DVD (review to follow)
Thursday: Pilates for Beginners DVD with Kristin McGee (review to follow)
Friday: Rest
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Healthy Snacking Links
Here's what I found:
- Cheesy Crackers at Joy in My Kitchen
- Whole Wheat Sourdough Crackers at Sarah's Musings
- Whole Wheat Graham Crackers at Heavenly Homemakers
- Homemade Vanilla Wafers at Delementals
Do you have any other cracker/ snack recipes to share?
Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
I am submitting this recipe as a part of Kitchen Stewardship's October Fest Carnival of Super Foods for her Un-processed Foods Edition. Check it out for lots of tasty recipes!
If you're new to Mom Living Healthy, you can find out more about me here and here.
Previously, I have always just made mac and cheese from the box. Lately, I've been tempted to try my hand at a homemade version, partly as an effort to cut out processed foods and partly because my sister in law raves about how delicious the homemade version is! I made this for the guys last night and we all loved it! You should have seen my son gobbling it up. Of course, he does gobble up just about anything, but he really did seem to like it. I felt good that this was a homemade dish and that I knew exactly what went into it.
Macaroni and Cheese V
Ingredients:
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons melted butter
8 ounces macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, minced
1 tablespoon flour
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 1/2 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Now, I did use whole grain bread crumbs, and I had inteded to use whole grain flour and macaroni, but my son was fussy in the grocery store, so I got a little flustered while shopping and didn't remember to grab the whole grain version! I did use whole milk though (for more info on full fat dairy, check out this article).
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish. Place the bread crumbs into a small bowl and mix well with the melted butter; set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, then place into prepared casserole dish.
3. While the pasta is cooking, melt 2 tablspoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the minced onion and cook until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the flour, pepper, salt and dry mustard until incorporated, then pour in the milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring constantly until the milk has thickened, about 10 minutes. Take the milk off the heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese until melted. Pour cheese sauce over the macaroni, then sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs.
5. Bake until the top is golden and bubbly, about 20 minutes.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
What do you put in your homemade macaroni and cheese? Do you have any variations? What do you do to make this dish healthier?
I found this recipe here.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
From Runner Girl to Fit Family
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Menu Plan Monday: October 18th
Thursday, October 15, 2009
My Cloth Diaper Baby
Chicken with Gingered Brown Rice
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice
2 1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons orange juice (I used a little more than that)
1 small onion, finely choppen (1/4 cup)
3 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3/4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons orange marmalade (use a low-sugar version)
1 tablespoon canola oil (I used olive oil)
1. Cook brown rice in water as directed on package
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8-inch square (2 quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 2-quart saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon orange juice to boiling over medium heat. Cook onion in orange juice 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender. Stil in cooked rice, ginger, parsley, thyme and remaining 1 tablespoon orange juice.
3. Spoon rice mixture into baking dish. Place chicken breasts on rice mixture. In small bowl, mix marmalade and oil; brush over chicken.
4. Cover baking dish with foil; bake 25 minutes. Remove cover; bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170 degrees).
Question: In which recipes do you use ginger? I have some left over now and don't want to waste it if possible. Leave a comment if you have any ideas!
PS- I'm posting this recipe on the Kitchen Stewardship blog as a part of her October Fest Carnival of Super Foods. Check it out!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Fresh Tomato Soup
Ryan rated this soup at a 7-8 out of 10...his only complaint was that it wasn't exactly like the Campbell's. I LOVED it! I'd definitely make this again. I did alter the recipe a bit, which I will indicate in red.
Fresh Tomato Soup
Ingredients:
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and quartered (I used 5 tomatoes)
1 1/2 cups water (I used Swanson low-sodium organic chicken broth)
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1/2 cup chopped celery (1 stalk)
1/2 of a 6-ounce can tomato paste
2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon granules (Swanson broth)
1 teaspoon sugar
few dashes bottled hot pepper sauce
1. In a large saucepan combine tomato, broth, onion, celery, tomato paste, cilantro, sugar and hot pepper sauce. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes or until celery and onion are tender. Remove from heat; cool for 10 minutes.
2. Place half of tomato mixture in a blender or food processor (I used the Magic Bullet). Cover and blend or process until smooth. Repeat wiht the remaining mixture. Return all to the saucepan; heat through. If desired, garnish with additional cilantro.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Experience Life Magazine: Skimming the Truth
Experience Life Magazine: Skimming the Truth
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Monday, August 10, 2009
About Me
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
And the Favorite Toy Award Goes To...
For a 6 month old, Nolan sure does have a TON of toys! Most of the time, I have a hard time corralling them and keeping them organized. Some of his toys he won't look at for more than 10 seconds and others he just loves. His absolute favorite toy is the Very Hungry Caterpillar developmental toy.
This toy is guaranteed to keep his chubby little fingers busy during car trips, in restaurants, on long walks, when mom is busy making his banana cereal and just about every other occasion you can think of. It crinkles, has bright colors, has antennae and a green tail for chewing and has a squeaky strawberry. I heard from someone that a good work of art continues to move your focus from one area of the painting to the next, eliciting new thoughts and keeping the viewer interested. Although I bet you don't usually think of squeaky toys as art, this toy sure keeps Nolan interested with new things to look at and play with at every turn. Toy art! Plus, I love that this is the Eric Carle caterpillar. We've been reading this book to Nolan just about every day, and it's nice to have a connection from his book to his toy, even if he doesn't notice the connection himself.
My only complaint is that this toy is supposed to clip onto car seat handles by a plastic hook. Well, Nolan ripped that thing off in the first few days. So, maybe they could have sewn that hook on a little better. Nolan doesn't seem to mind though. He'd much rather hold his caterpillar buddy...how else is he supposed to chew and taste every inch it?!