Pizza = Vegetable?!?!?

I am not a nutrition nut.  I've never counted a calorie in my life.  However, I am conscious of well-balanced meals and the importance of nutrition--particularly in children's growing bodies.  My children eat fruits and veggies (often from the organic produced delivered to our home each week by a local CSA farmer).  They snack on yogurt vs. more sugary snacks or fat/salt-laden chips.  I am alarmed at what society now thinks is acceptable food choices.  A recent news story alludes to the idea that pizza is now considered a vegetable (Pizza = Vegetable).  This is a little bit of an embellishment--but the average person hears enough to think that because pizza has tomato sauce, school cafeterias consider pizza a vegetable.  If it is good enough for the dietitians at the cafeteria, it should work at home, too.  Right?!?!

Well--I've had this similar disagreement with parents when I worked in preschool.  We state that we prefer healthy snacks for our growing children.  Children will eat healthy if it is provided and their friends are eating it (a positive peer pressure).  The average pre-K is approximately 100 days.  Twenty plus of those days are sugar-laden birthday snacks.  Let's not forget another five or so days for party cupcakes.  Did we mention the three children who brought in sugary snacks for the birth of a brother or sister.  Grandma visited and made cupcakes--sure bring them in.  If we were lucky, only 20% of snacks were cupcakes & cookies. 

But then there were the infamous fruit snacks--my greatest pet-peeve.  ATTENTION--FRUIT SNACKS ARE NOT CONSIDERED A FRUIT.  However, if pizza is a vegetable, then I must be wrong.  My morning coffee comes from beans--is that a veggie?  What about cocoa beans and chocolate?  Maybe I was the one wrong all of the time.

50 Little Things #49--a full pantry

I braved the craziness of Kroger grocery story at 3:00 yesterday afternoon.  I spent a decent amount of money, but now my pantry is full.  I am so blessed that I am able to go to bed each and every night and never worry about when or where my next meal will come.  Watching two different schools filling trucks with canned goods was a sober reminder of just how lucky I am.

50 Little Things #33--Leftovers for Lunch

We had hamburgers on the grill last night (Sunday).  There were two left, so I took one to reheat for my lunch at school.  No waste!  Yummy lunch!  I'm thankful! 

50 Little Things #31--Making & Eating Pancakes

Making banana chocolate chip pancakes with my son.  Family bonding AND good food!

50 Little Things #23--Breakfast

I don't cook weekday breakfast--unless you count heating up water for oatmeal.  However, I get up early enough each morning to eat with all three of my children.  This year--they all three eat at a different time.  Fortunately, the timeframe is only about a half an hour.  I love just sitting with them; most mornings we even talk!

50 Things #5--BOGO

Today the kids and I walked up to the smoothie shop at the end of our subdivision and took advantage of the buy-one-get-one smoothie sale.

Time with the kids and a yummy-n-healthy snack!

Detox Tea

I went to the grocery store over spring break and started laughing as I was unpacking my bags.  I wanted to try some "detox tea."  Do you see anything wrong with my plan for better health?

Yes--that's detox tea to wash down the butter, ice cream, pizza, and potato chips.  The easy mac is for the kids lunch--I DO have SOME standards.

Can You Make E-Z Brownies?

Since our internet, television, and phone was down for 24 hours and since it was raining HARD, I could either clean or bake (we are on Spring Break!).  I chose bake.  I baked three loaves of zucchini bread, a pan of chocolate chip banana bread, and two large cranberry & white chocolate chip scones.  The smells covered last night's bacon odor.  Yum!

My daughter had a friend spend the night.  As I was getting ready to head to bed, she came up and asked me, "Mom, could you make your e-z brownies for us?"  My first reaction was to strangle her--couldn't she see all of the yummy baked goods in our kitchen?!?!  I did relent knowing that there is nothing better for a teenage girl than warm chocolate with icecream on top.  I get brownie points (no pun intended) for my effort, right?

My Daughter Has My Tapeworm!

During my teen years, I was a voracious eater.  To this day, I basically can eat anything and not gain weight.  I've never counted a calorie in my life, and wouldn't know how to begin.  My mother used to serve everyone seconds on the meal, do a "last call," then literally set the skillet in front of me and let me finish what remained.  She claimed I had a tapeworm.

    

My daughter has acquired this tapeworm.  I picked up an eight piece pack of fried chicken from the grocery store.  If I pair it with homemade mashed potatoes and a salad I count this as "home cooking."  When cleaning up dinner, I realized there was nothing left (I had big plans for the leftovers for lunch).  My daughter ate FOUR of the eight pieces!!!  She must have a tapeworm!

Great Spaghetti!

We dine out infrequently (our goal is less than once a week).  Dining out at our home equals a drive thru fast food place or pizza carry out.  Sitting at a restaurant eating is reserved for a once-every-six-weeks thing with my husband sans children. 

Anyway . . . I cook 98% of all meals.  During the week, I cook one or two meals that I can stretch into two nights.  Last night, I made spaghetti.  I don't have a recipe--the base is some can of store-bought spaghetti sauce and I "doctor" it up with meat or green peppers or mushrooms or olives, etc.  I achieved the right combo last night--yum!  I put the leftovers in a bowl for night #2 when the phone rang.  Two hours later, my husband walked into the kitchen and asked, "Hey--does this need to be put in the fridge?"  Darn it--out too long for my comfort zone.  We threw it away.  Now I have to cook tonight!

Tortilla Chip Day

I've been trying hard to keep clutter out of our house.  It makes cleaning easy(er).  I contend I spend less money because I know what I have and I buy only what the family needs.  This being said, I did save part of the newspaper from January 1st.  The newspaper printed an article called "365 reasons to Enjoy 2011."

In my clutter free home (note:  said with sarcasm), I rediscovered this article to learn we should celebrate Tortilla Chip Day.  Guess what the kids and I will be enjoying for an afternoon snack?  I might even whip up a batch of my own homemade ones--yum!

BTW--tomorrow is "Pistol Patent Day."  I don't believe everyone needs nor deserves the right to bear arms, so I'll pass on celebrating.  I may just have a second helping of tortilla chips!

Eating in the Bathroom?

For Valentine's day, my husband brought the family some VERY yummy cupcakes from an expensive "market" (you know it is expensive if it is called a "market" vs. a "grocery store").  These decadent cupcakes were vanilla cake with pink frosting perfectly piled on the top.  Inside had a thick chocolate and raspberry filling.  He bought six for our family of five, and only four of us ate one. 

The next morning he was coming from upstairs with what I thought was pink icing on his hands and heading into the bathroom.  My house is fairly clean; however, I would NEVER eat in anyone's bathroom.  I asked him what he was doing.  He answered that he was shaving.  It wasn't pink frosting on his hands.  He had run out of his own shaving cream and went and borrowed my daughers' pink shaving cream.  Whew!

Agua Samples

Our school cafeteria has been undergoing some wonderful changes lately.  One positive change is that they serve much more fresh fruits and vegetables.  Today, there was a table tent on each lunch table detailing facts about guavas.  Every student was given the opportunity to sample this non-traditional cafeteria fruit.

On the car ride to pick up my daughters, my son and I were discussing his day.  "Hey mom!  Can we get some agua like I had in the cafeteria today."  Good thing I saw (and tasted) the fruit or I would have never been able to decipher that one.

Vegetarian or Barbarian?

My seven-year-old son tends to be fairly sensitive and very empathetic.  He and I were at the grocery store to pick up something for supper.  I thought a rotisserie chicken and veggies would be the cure for a quick meal.  I picked one up, and my son was excited because he likes chicken.

We walked a few steps, and he mentioned he felt sorry for the chicken who was killed.  Later at supper he repeated this sentiment.  I told him if he was that sorry, he could pass on the meat but he had to learn to eat more beans and other protiens.  "No mom.  I like chicken.  I just wish they didn't have to be mean and kill them.  Maybe they can just take chunks out of them without killing them."  After thinking on that for a while, I'm considering becoming a vegetarian--ha! ha!

Dilemma

I have a dilemma.  Last night two of my three children were gone for the evening and my husband was out of the house running a long errand.  I put on a movie for my son to watch while I baked a triple batch of "breakfast cookies." to eat and to freeze.

This recipe is yummy (I really do NOT like raisin cookies).  It contains dried fruit & banana chips, nuts, whole wheat flour, rolled oats, and brown sugar.  I eat them before I run or take them for a hearty snack.  I baked the first half noting that I didn't remember the batter had such a moist consistency.  I was placing the next batch in the oven when I remembered . . . I forgot to add the oats!!! 

Since I forgot the "breakfast" in the breakfast cookies, they are now just cookies.  My dilemma--can I dip them in chocolate?  (BTW--the last half of the cookies I baked had the oats added.  I'm eating one now.)

New Game

Last week on FB I posted "Flower or Weed."  This week's game is "What-Is-This-&-How-Do-I-Eat-It?"  Process of elimination tells me it is kohlrabi, but I need to research to be sure.  Then I need to figure out how to eat it. 

I want to be a healthy eater--I'm hoping these deliveries will give me that added push.  (Plus the adventure of trying new foods).  I'm off to find kohlrabi recipes . . .

Organic Produce Delivery

I just got my second shipment from the local organic farmer.  All these veggies and fruits just makes me want to eat healthy (plus I don't want to waste food . . . especially that for which I paid).  I need to adjust to all of the "greens."  We do eat salad--but now need to eat more.  I think at least once a week I need to make some sort of bean-and-greens soup.  I tried tonight for the first time--it wasn't too bad.  Pair it w/ a salad or a sandwhich and I think I can get most in the family to enjoy.  The toughest critic is the daddy--and he's gone for another nearly 2-week stint.  I have some more time to "perfect" things.

I'm grabbing an apple and heading to bed (I already ate the icecream bar--sssshhhhh!)

A "Rich" Dessert

My sister had a party for her daughter's first communion.  Her husband is a doctor, and she totally believes that entitles her to certain priveledges and responsibilities (when convenient).  We tease her about this.  While sitting eating dessert--a pretty, frosted bundt cake--she told my husband to guess how much she paid for these bundt cakes (she had them shipped to IL from Las Vegas).  Long story shorter, EACH normal-sized bundt cake was $75!!!!!

I posted the picture of this desert on her facebook page.  For less than $1 per person, our family enjoyed pound cake with fresh berries from Sam's Club.  Not as fancy sounding as ordering from Las Vegas.  I assure you it was as tasty as it looked.

Mom-of-the-Year Menu

My husband is out of town.  I was going to grocery shop after teaching this morning, but was asked to stay and subtitute for another teacher.  When I got home, I searched the fridge for something to fix the kids and myslef.  We had several food items that needed to be tossed tomorrow--smorgasboard for supper.  The delicacies included clam & corn chowder, blueberry pancakes, one cheeseburger, and some french bread I toasted.

Wash it down with a glass of milk, and it is a balanced meal . . . if you count the ketchup on the cheeseburger as a vegetable.  Ok--so I wasn't mom-of-the-year.  I was being frugal (didn't want to waste), lazy (too tired for grocery store after work), and avoiding fast food (which only I gave up for Lent) all rolled up in one meal.  I think average moms do this every once in a while.  Right?!?!