When your child swallows a foreign object.

Caleb swallowed a quarter yesterday.  At first I did not believe him.  I've never been worried about quarters.  We have them in the cup holder in our car.  I occasionally let Caleb look at the pictures on them. I always told him not to put them in his mouth.  Kids put everything in their mouths! You can't trust them. 

Make your Own Laundry Soap

GOT LAUNDRY SOAP?

I know this is all over the internet.  I avoided doing it myself because I couldn't find a definitive 1 right way to do it.  I moved around a lot in the last couple years and I figured it's just one more thing I don't have time for.  The fact is, I do.  It is not time consuming.  It's like making a batch of cookies once every couple months.
READ TO THE END FOR MY LATEST UPDATE!!

Are you Hungry for Change?

So, I know it's that time of year when we evaluate our life and try to take better care of ourselves.

I recently watched a documentary called "Hungry For Change"  (it's available on netflix).

 http://www.hungryforchange.tv/

  Do you ever feel like you can eat all day long and still be starving?  Processed foods are high in calories and low in nutrients.  They leave our bodies overfed and yet starving for what it really needs.

Pasta with Broccoli in Creamy Mozarella Sauce

I made this for dinner tonight. I know it's from a vegetarian website, but I added some leftover turkey.

The Thoughtful Vegetarian: Pasta and Broccoli in Creamy Mozzarella sauce

 

I used Ronzoni's Healthy Harvest Whole Grain Penne Rigate  very tasty tender noodles.  I love whole grain pasta it feels so good in my tummy.

Also: I substituted whole milk for half and half, and for the seasoning blend I added a pinch of basil and oregano, a dash of garlic powder and onion salt to taste.

Toddler, preschooler and husband each had second or third helpings.

Served with water and apple slices on the side.

Recipe for Leftover Turkey/ Make your own Curry

Mmmmm leftover turkey anyone?  Try my favorite post T-day recipe.

Curried Turkey Salad :if you don't have chutney use mince meat or apricot jam or apple sauce. Substitute whatever you have to... it's a salad and it's leftovers.

I've also decided I'd start making my own curry since I love the Mccormick kind but it's expensive (can't buy it in bulk) and the bulk curry I've been buying is a little too spicy (plus I'm at my in-laws and she doesn't have curry).

Here is the recipe I came up with (from what's in the cupboard and referencing 3 different websites).

SWEET CURRY SPICE MIX (combine all of these ground spices)
2 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp turmeric
1/2 Tbsp cardamom
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp mustard
dash of pepper.
(if I had coriander I would have added 1 Tbsp...maybe next time)

Making Thanksgiving a little more Wholesome

This was our feast last year, I know my rolls were white (cheated and used Rhodes and they didn't have w.w. at the store)

I know that Thanksgiving is a feast and I'm all about pigging out on occasion.  I'm trying to focus on the quality of the food versus the quantity this year.  Here are some of my suggestions for a more wholesome feast.

Leave the skins on in your mashed spuds.  Generally I dice the spuds nice and small so the skins are not long and stringy.  Boil the potatoes until tender and then I drain (saving the liquid).  I use my hand-held mixer to mash them up in a big bowl without adding liquid first. Then I add some of the hot liquid back and some warm milk.  Don't really need to add butter especially if you are having gravy.

Healthier Pies. Make pumpkin pie or open top pies with my Hybrid Pie Crust to add some whole grains to your desserts (this also makes them more filling :o).  I'm also leaving out 1/4 of the sugar from my pumpkin pie recipe so it is less sweet and more pumpkin- nee.  I'm also making a blackberry (berries have so much wholesome fiber and anti-oxidants) pie that I'm going to use white whole wheat flour (extra-fine ground whole wheat) for the crust and add a minimum amount of sugar.

Whole-Grain Rolls or multi-grain.  A nice warm roll doesn't really need extra butter on it either...

A Veggie/Relish tray.  My mom always has one of these sitting out for us to snack on while we wait for the big feast.  Pickles, carrots, olives, celery, broccoli, cauliflower... all good.  This is also a good way to give your digestive track a jump start for what's to come.

Drink water.  No need to add extra calories with beverages.  Drinking water helps clear your palate to taste all of the wonderful foods and drinking periodically will help you feel fuller faster and help everything go down smoother.


Enjoy your Thanksgiving Holiday!

What healthy ideas are you involving in your Thanksgiving Feast?

Is Sugar Poison?

So I've been trying to eat healthier for a while. Last fall I started adding more complex carbohydrates (whole grains etc.) to our diet and trying to replace all of the refined foods. I also have been balancing our meals better with more fruits and vegetables (larger portions and eating more proportionately in relation to the grains and proteins in our diets.)  I worked on it throughout the holidays but when the new year began I resolved to do even better.  I find that making lifestyle changes are difficult and I try to do it gradually for my sake and for the sake of my family (don't want to put them in shock).