Banana Poppers for the Finicky Baby

My 10 month old little boy, Micah is just barely cutting his first tooth, yet he seems to think he is too big for baby food. We have tried every which way to get him to eat baby food and he flat out refuses. I have been pretty creative when it comes to giving him regular food - baby style.

Here is a quick and easy recipe for any baby:

Banana Poppers



Take 1/3 cup of cereal (I use Annie's Organic Cinna Bunnies Cereal)
Place it in a ziploc baggie
Using a large wooden spoon, crush the cereal into fine crumbs
Slice a banana into small chunks, and place inside baggie
Seal baggie and shake until banana chunks are covered in crumbs

Serve and watch your baby scarf these suckers down! Micah normally feeds his food to our dogs, but the dogs go hungry when I serve him this for breakfast!

Micah Likes It!



You can also use softened peaches, cooked apple, softened pears, whatever you wish! I have also done this with soft frozen yogurt. Most cereals are packed with vitamins and whole grains so you can feel good about serving this to your baby!

I admit, I sneak a few off his plate - they really are tasty!

Great Alternative to Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It's in Fall which is my favorite season and it's a holiday to celebrate everything you are thankful for. A time to reflect on what is important in your life and spend time with good friends and family.

One of the greatest perks of Thanksgiving is EATING! It's the only time when it is a-ok to stuff yourself full and roll over to the couch for a nap...only to get up an hour later and stuff your face again!

Here is a great Pumpkin Bar Recipe! Of course I tweaked it to make this special. Never follow a recipe to the letter - make it your own and have fun!

Pumpkin Bars With Egg Nog Frosting

Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients

4 eggs
1 cup Brown Sugar
2/3 cup Turbinado Sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
15-ounce can pumpkin puree
2 cups unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugars, oil, applesauce and pumpkin until texture is light and well mixed. Stir together the flour, baking powder, spices, salt and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until the batter is smooth. Spread into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes.

Let cool completely before you add frosting.

Egg Nog Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tbsp egg nog
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Directions
Whisk together sugar and butter until well blended or use a mixer and mix on medium speed for approx 3 minutes.

Add vanilla and egg nog and continue mix until light and fluffy, adding more egg nog if needed depending on your preference. Sprinkle in nutmeg and stir well.

Spread over cooled pumpkin bars and add a pinch of turbinado sugar to the top of each bar if desired.


Hope your Thanksgiving is filled with family, food fun and Blessings!

Homemade Coffee Creamer

If you are like me and the millions of other folks affected by the slow economy, then I bet you have shaved some of your day to day luxuries. I used to treat myself to Starbucks coffee once or more a week. Then it changed to drinking coffee at home, to no coffee at all. Now that the weather is cold I am craving a nice warm cup 'o joe in the mornings. The funny thing is I hate the actual taste of coffee. I love the smell of it brewing but I could never drink the stuff plain. I laden it with creamer and not just plain creamer but the flavored stuff.

My two favorites are Coffee Mate Chocolate Raspberry and Pumpkin Pie Spice. It costs about $3.50 for a large container of this stuff.

Recently, I had an idea. Why not make my own creamer? I have a bunch of sweetened condensed milk in my pantry for desserts and I thought I would play around a bit.

I got out one of my Mason jars and emptied the sweetened condensed milk into it. I like the fat free version of SC milk, it makes me feel less guilty! Then I used half a tsp of pumpkin pie spice and poured 1.5 cups of 2% milk into the jar. I took some half & half, about 1/2 cup's worth and poured that in. Last, I put 1/3 cup of pumpkin puree in the jar. I took a spoon and stirred in to loosen the condensed milk a bit. Put the lid on and I shook it real well. The SC milk was still stuck to the bottom so I ran some warm water over the bottom portion for about 2 minutes and shook it until the SC milk was mixed thoroughly with the rest of the ingredients.

Creamer holds up well in the jar. Chill in the fridge for up to two weeks.

This turned out even better than the Coffee Mate stuff! I'll have to play around a bit for some fun flavors, like my beloved Chocolate Raspberry. Plus it was a lot cheaper than going to the store and buying the Coffee Mate.

The best part is Coffee Mate is full of saturated fats and it has partially hydrogenated oil in it. Now I can drink my cream with a little coffee and not feel like I am giving myself a slow death by ingesting all that ickiness!

For all the eco friendly folks out there, by making your own creamer in a mason jar you save another plastic container from ending up in a landfill. Every little bit counts, right?

Try this! Let me know if you come up with any tasty variations of this coffee creamer!

Micah Feeding Daddy

Spaghetti Squash: Great for babies!

I took the above video of Micah and Dad eating. It's cute because he is feeding Dad but Dad has no manners and he spoiled my cute video, lol!

We made spaghetti squash the other night and my 10 month old refuses to eat his baby food now because he wants to be like everyone else and eat big people food. My baby is all gums! Not one tooth! So finding something good for him to eat that won't choke him up can be complicated.

I steamed it and put sauce on top. I saved some plain squash for Micah to try and I made sure it was very tender and easy to cut. A tip I learned for cutting spaghetti noodles is to take a small cup and using the rim you can press it into the noodles and cut them a lot faster than with a knife. So I cut up the squash the same way into tiny pieces for him.

He absolutely loved it! He had two helpings and I had to give him a bath afterwards he was such a mess!

Is it Friday Already?

Wow. I've neglected my DD blog! My OTHER blog is taking up my posting time! I need to learn to give equal attention to both!

I've also started working evenings and weekends and I think that has a lot to do with my poor blog management skills.

So hopefully you will forgive me...

In the meantime I have a dilemma. I have to make a main course for like 20 people. We are in brokesville right now and I am at a loss as to what to make. Yes, me...lost in my own kitchen!

I need a budget friendly giant recipe to feed a small army! I am turning to you for help! I have to cook this on Monday. It can't be a stew, chili or lasagna since that has already been served recently.

I am pondering making pulled pork sandwiches since I have a bunch of pork in my freezer...but I like having a few options to choose from!

I'm depending on you fellow bloggers to come up with something CHEAP & YUMMY!! - Tried & True recipes are even more Fabulous! Please don't let me down!!

It's Not Delivery!

It's faster than delivery. It's cheaper than delivery. It's even HEALTHIER than delivery!!

Who knew homemade pizza could be so easy! For those of you who don't know your way around the kitchen I'll tell you right now it does not involve using Bisquick!

I made pizza frm scratch tonight and it seriously took me less than a half hour! My whole family loved it! I can honestly say I do not think I will ever order another pizza again!

Here is the recipe! If you try it I would love to hear your feedback!

I just made pizza tonight and it was SO easy!

Pizza Dough: (Picture to come soon)

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp italian seasoning (oregano, basil, etc)
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 tablespoons olive or grapeseed oil
1 cup warm water

Pizza toppings:

2 tbsp olive oil
Pizza or tomato sauce
diced tomatoes
turkey pepperoni
olives
mushrooms
mozzerella cheese
marble cheddar cheese
green & red peppers

Anything your heart desires just throw it on!



Combine flour, salt, sugar, seasoning, garlic powder and yeast in a large bowl. Mix in oil and warm water. Spread out in a thin layer on a large non-insulated greased pizza pan.

Pour olive oil in a dipping bowl and using a marinating brush lightly spread olive oil around edge of crust. Spread 1/4 cup of sauce all over crust leaving about 1 inch for the crust. then add diced tomatoes.

Top remaining with whatever you desire!

Bake at 375 degrees C (190 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes. Watch for the edges of the crust to turn golden and cheese is bubbly.

Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

Dinner in 30 minutes or less and everyone loves Pizza! There will be no leftovers stewing in the fridge after this meal!!

Leftover Challenge

Today is cleaning day for me, which means I should be cleaning right now instead of blogging! I had to take a break after doing the dishes because I am frustrated right now. We have been so hard to save money and I just threw a ton of it down my garbage disposal.

I try and make home cooked meals every night. Sometimes if we are out and about we may stop for something but most of the time we dine at home, which saves us a ton of money. Lately I have been trying to cook portions the right size for my family because we are terrible at eating leftovers. Still, I find we have tupperware containers all over the fridge full of food no one wants to eat.

What is the big deal about leftovers anyway? Why do people avoid them like the plague? I honestly look forward to some leftovers. Like if I make pasta, chili, soup or anything like that it tastes even better after a day or two of sitting in it's juices. Last night my husband made garlic cheesy potatoes and I could not wait to eat the leftovers for breakfast.

I have a 5 day rule on my leftovers. Anything after 5 days gets tossed. So today was tossing day and I threw out pasta noodles, baked beans, veggies, baked potatoes, and some chicken. I feel disgusted every time I throw food away, not just because of the money going down the drain but because there are people in this world who go hungry each day and the idea of throwing food away just makes me feel so guilty.

So with that being said, I am going to challenge myself to get these leftovers eaten all week. come Monday, I don't want to throw food down the sink. My plan is simple, if I cook something and there is food left over, I will pack what I can for my husband's lunch at work and if there is more leftover, I will either eat it the next day or serve it to my family along with whatever else I make for dinner that night.

I am not sure how well this will go since we are good about eating leftovers already. Though I have never tried serving them with dinner the next evening so we will see if that works.

This whole situation has got me curious...

Do YOU eat your leftovers? What do YOU do about them?

Food That Warms The Belly!

All summer long I have been excited for Fall. I love when the weather has a nice crispness in the air and the trees make that rustling sound as the wind blows them down our sidewalk.

What I don't like is when Fall turns into Winter and it gets so cold your nose and toes feel like they are going to fall off!

It is times like this when a nice big bowl of chili is perfect!

Here is a recipe I made last night. The Pumpkin adds a nice rish texture to the base of the chili, plus it is chock full of nutrients so eat it up!

Pumpkin Chili

1 lb ground turkey breast
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 clove chopped garlic
1/2 onion chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can pumpkin puree
1 can Great Northern Beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can Butter Beans (rinsed and drained)
1 small can of tomato paste

Brown the turkey, add onions, garlic, green pepper and spices cook approx 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, pumpkin and tomato paste and simmer for 20 minutes on low heat. Add beans and continue simmering for 1 hour stirring as needed.

Serve garnished with cheese.

For truly good chili never follow recipes perfect. Each person has their own unique taste so if you want to add other veggies or spices go for it!

Great chili is even better when paired with Corn Fritters. These are not exactly fat free but they sure taste good! I found a great recipe here:
Corn Fritters

I had a foster mom who made these every time she made a big pot of chili. I remember fondly the tradition in her home for Christmas. On Chistmas Eve she would whip up a pot of chili and make these delicious fritters. We all sat at the table together to enjoy this warm comfort food. After dinner we would all go in a back room and read Twas The Night Before Christmas as her son "Santa" would stomp on the roof and ring a chain of bells. We all would grin with anticipation until we got the go ahead to come out and see all the presents he left during his visit. She was awesome because we got to open not one, not two...but ALL our gifts on Christmas Eve!!

Every time I eat fritters I think of that moment. Which gets me wondering...what foods trigger fond memories for you? I'd love to know!!

Proud To Vote!

I posted more about my thoughts on voting today on my other blog: Mad Boastings of a Cheapskate Mom

Catsup

Or Ketchup? Well I meant to say Catch Up, lol!

I think the nasty strep has left our home. Finally. My two older boys are still on antibiotics but they both are playing and going to school again so Mommy gets a break and I can come here and play again!

When I was sick my hubby did the shopping and he bought like 10 kiwi's from the grocery store. I have no idea what to do with kiwi fruit so when they started to turn I decided to get creative. Don't be afraid to think outside the box when it comes to food. I love using other people's tried and true recipes especially on Allrecipes but sometimes you can have more fun being creative.

One morning last weekend I was pondering what to do with my kiwi fruit when my 5 year old asked me to make pancakes. Ah-ha! I will make kiwi pancakes! So I pulled a basic pancake recipe from allrecipes: Good Old Fashioned Pancakes and doctored it to add the kiwi. I used 4 kiwis and 1/3 cup of applesauce, put that in the food processor and added it to the pancake batter. I used whole wheat flour and turbinado sugar. I also like to use the free range brown eggs with omega 3's.

I sliced up 3 more kiwis and garnished the pankcakes by spooning some reserved kiwi puree and adding slices to the top. I served with 100% Pure Maple Syrup (from Wisconsin!) and a pat of butter.

Here are my Kiwi Pancakes!



Another view - yummy I am getting hungry!



Speaking of Catsup or Ketchup I am so pleased to announce that Heinz has made Organic Ketchup!



I bought two big containers of it at Cosco. It is really tasty. It is made with all organic ingredients. The only question I have is that it says "Organic certified" and one of the ingredients is Natural Flavoring which I doubt is organic. So I wonder if this will be the new trend saying "Organic Cerified" but maybe there is some room for frankenfood ingredients...who knows? In the meantime this ketchup is awesome!

Enjoy your Monday!

Strep-o-Caca

Our family has an unwanted visitor that is lingering around and refusing to leave. It's Strep. No matter how many vitamins we take, or how clean our home is, this little booger keeps attacking my family and taking them down one by one.

First it was my husband. The day after we got back from Wisconsin he woke up with it. Then my oldest son got it this weekend. I got it the day after he did. Fortunately I got treated right away before it got too bad.

Last night I was on the computer and I heard a weird noise. It sounded like someone was peeing but missing the toilet. I went upstairs to find my 5 year old sound asleep standing on his bed and peeing on the floor! I tried to wake him up and he would not. I had to clean up the mess and he slept through all of the commotion. When all was as it should be, I went to bed with the thought that something wasn't right with him.

Sure enough he woke up at 5AM crying. He had thrown up and was running a fever. Strep has hit him, I am sure. Out of all of us, he has got it the worst. I hope my 9 month old does not get it.

So, I have had my hands full lately dealing with this rude visitor. Once we get back from the Dr. I will be scouring and scrubbing and sanitizing today to kick this mo-fo out of my house for good.

As far as food goes, I may have to make something warm and comforting in my crock pot today...

The Supermarket Tour

I uncovered this gem online earlier today. I am in the process of reading this and feel it is worth sharing. There is a lot of valuable information regarding how supermarkets lure you to buy foods that are not good for you. It goes into great detail to explain how produce is altered with many chemicals and processes before we put it in our baskets. I always thought apples were safe to buy non-organic because of their hard skin, and I was WRONG!

I love how it refers to genetically altered foods as Frankenfoods, lol!

Take a look!

The Super Market Tour (Adobe Document)

Sunday Shocker

My 11 year old has strep throat. It seems to be making it's way around my family and I am knocking on wood, avoiding cracks in the sidewalk and throwing salt over my left shoulder in hopes of steering clear of getting strep!

My husband had it last week and he bought some sore throat drops. He gave them to my son to ease the discomfort. Austin, being the savvy label reader he is came downstairs to show us the cough drops have Hydrogenated palm kernal oil and hydrogenated coconut oil in them!!

I never fathomed this stuff would be in sore throat lozenges of all things! I'd rather chew on eucalyptus leaves than put that stuff in my body!



It is really scary. You really do have to read the ingredients on everything nowadays!!

Knowledge is power!

No Fuss Breakfast

It's hard to eat healthy on the go. With my boys I often find myself pulling my hair out trying to get them presentable and packed up for school. It can be extra hard to prepare a quick wholesome breakfast for them to take on the go.

That is where these breakfast sandwiches come in handy. I'm not talking about those greasy Jimmy Dean Microwaveable sandwiches! If you have eaten those you should take a peek at the ingredients, they are loaded with chemicals and saturated fats!

I prefer to make my own and believe it or not you can make these warm breakfast sandwiches in 5 minutes!

All you need is:

1 English Muffin
1 Egg
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp butter or spread
1 slice cheese of your choice (I used swiss)
dash of salt and pepper

Get a small bowl and spray the bottom with cooking spray
Add egg and milk and beat slightly - just enough to mix and break the yolk
season with salt and pepper if desired
Place in microwave and cook for 1 minute
While cooking pop muffin in toaster
Egg should be ready after 1 minute but microwave cooking times vary so you may need to add 30 seconds if egg is not firm
Spread butter on muffin
Add cheese to bottom half
Get a fork and separate egg from bowl - Egg should look like this:



Place egg on top of cheese. Leaving the top off, put muffin in microwave for 15 seconds just to melt the cheese. Remove and place top on sandwich. Enjoy while hot!



This holds up well in the car on the way to school. Especially on chilly days like it was for us this morning! It makes for a nice car ride when both my boys can't argue because they are enjoying their breakfast! ;)

Picture Share!

Here are some pictures from our cuisine yesterday.

My son wanted pizza for lunch so I grabbed the bag of Pita Pockets and did not cut them in half. We brushed olive oil seeasoned with herbs on the crust, then tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese and chose our toppings. I chose green olives and Zach chose Bologna and green olives! Yeah - he's 5 so it seems everything he eats has either bologna or a hot dog in it! We topped our individual Pitzas with more cheese and herbs, popped them in the oven and broiled them for about 5 minutes.

We sprinkled some fresh parmesian cheese (from Wisconsin!) on them and Viola! Lunch is served within 10 minutes time!

Here are some pictures of our Pitzas:

My Green Olive Pitza





Zach's Bologna & Olive Pizza
(It actually looks pretty good!)



Later that afternoon it was super rainy so we made Orange Almond Pumpkin Cookies.

I used a basic Pumpkin Cookie recipe and added the Orange and Almonds at the last minute and they turned out Yummy!


(Pumpkin)

Here is the recipe:

1 stick of butter (I used Smart Balance 50/50 unsalted)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 small can organic pumpkin puree
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tsp orange extract
2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I used Pumpkin Pie Spice)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped Almonds


DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, cream together butter, applesauce, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and white sugar. Mix in pumpkin, egg, orange extract and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; mix into the creamed mixture. Stir in almonds. Drop dough by small spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool on wire racks.

Zach & I frosted the cookies like pumpkins. Here is the frosting recipe:

Orange Maple Butter Frosting

2 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 tsp orange extract
1/2 teaspoon maple flavored extract
(I used 1 tbsp of pure maple syrup - Also from WI!)
Food Coloring to desired color(s)

Beat the butter or margarine, confectioner's sugar, milk, orange and maple flavorings in a bowl until smooth. Add more milk or confectioner's sugar as need.

Divide the frosting in two bowls, add green food coloring to one for the pumpkin stems and add yellow and red food coloring to the other for orange!

Frost and enjoy! These are DELICIOUS...and that's NO Lie!!!!!

Finally here are the Photos for my Smothered Burrito Recipe. I took them last night during dinner. They turned out so yummy! I did not have black beans on hand so I used white great northern beans and it was a hit with the whole family - except my picky 5 year old who ate another Pitza! Grrrr


(Burrito)


(Burrito)

Enjoy your Hump Day!!!

Tuesday Tidbits

Nothing says lovin' like comfort food! You don't have to skimp on quality ingredients to make a nice warm filling dinner your whole family will love!

Tonight I am making Smothered Burritos. I replaced the white flour tortillas with Whole wheat tortillas. Be sure to read the ingredients because I've been fooled by "Whole Wheat" tortillas in the past. They bleach out the wheat flour and use hydrogentated oils. Always read the ingredients!! No matter what the front of the package says. I cannot stress that enough! I use Tyson boneless skinless breasts, and natural cheese. We loaded up on locally made Wisconsin cheese during our visit. What a difference in taste!

My recipe for Smothered Burritos is actually compiled of two recipes. You can make the Sour Cream Salsa Chicken as a main entree or shred it and use it for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, whatever you like!

Smothered Chicken Burritos

(Serves 4-6)

Start with Sour Cream Salsa Chicken in Crockpot Recipe:

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 package reduced-sodium taco seasoning mix
1 cup salsa
1/4 cup light sour cream

Spray the crockpot with cooking spray. Add the chicken breasts. Sprinkle with Taco Seasoning. Top with salsa. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. When ready to serve, remove the chicken from the pot. Stir in 1/4 cup of sour cream into the salsa mixture.

Now for the Burrito part!

6 whole wheat flour tortillas
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
1/4 cup diced green onions
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 small cans of Green chili enchilada sauce. (Check label on this too! Some have MSG and lots of corn syrup in them!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Shred the chicken breasts top with sauce mixture. Place in pan and simmer on low heat. Add beans, onion, 1/2 can of the diced tomatoes, and cilantro. Add seasonings and stir. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle in 1 cup of cheese.

Pour 1 can enchilada sauce on bottom of prepared casserole dish. Stuff tortillas with mixture from pan and roll. Place Burritos in pan side by side and pour remaining can of sauce on top. Add remaining half can of diced tomatoes on top and place in oven for 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbling. Remove from oven and add remaining cup of cheese on top. Place in oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve with spanish rice and a nice green leafy salad.

I also wanted to share with you that my friend Grocery Mama is selling our Church cookbooks for a good cause. Our church, The Orchard Church is selling cook books to help send 12 people on a missions trip to the Philippines this week. They are leaving October 24th and will be back November 2nd!

To raise funds for the trip, the team is selling cookbooks. The cookbooks are $12 each and include 160 recipes from members of our church. I have to say that I have eaten a lot of food from my fellow church members and we are blessed to have AMAZING cooks at our church!

Best of all if you order a cook book - Grocery Mama will pay the shipping & handling!

Check out the details HERE

This week I will be posting for my You Are What You Eat: Fridge Edition! This will be my 2nd contest so I hope to see a lot of action here! Details to come!

Hodge Podge

Ok so I made the Squash Stew last night and it was really good. I boiled down the squash so the soup was a nice creamy texture and then added all the veggies. I forgot to add the diced tomatoes and it still tasted great but I think the tomatoes would have added even more to the dish. I do plan to add this to my recipe box and make again. I plan to post a picture once I get all my vacation photos downloaded!

In the meantime here is a recipe of my own I am sharing! I hope you like it!!

Tamara's Spaghetti Squash Toss

1 medium spaghetti squash
2 tsp olive oil (I also use grapeseed oil)
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup diced green onion
1 can diced tomatoes - drained
1 cup diced mushrooms
2 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper (or to taste)*
1/4 cup of parmesian and/or romano cheese
*For a spicier option toss in 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Optional - garnish with chopped fresh herbs and toasted pine nuts

To prepare spaghetti squash, Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Use a sharp knife, cut the squash in half lengthwise and place, cut side down, in a baking dish.

Add enough water to come 1/2-inch up the sides of the baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 45 minutes, until the squash is easily pierced with a paring knife. Turn squash over and cover with foil again and continue to cook another 15 minutes, until the squash is very tender.

Remove from the oven, uncover, and allow to cool slightly. Using a spoon, remove the seeds and discard. Using a fork, gently pull the strands of squash away from the peel and place the squash strands into a mixing bowl.

Warm large skillet on stove. Add olive oil and heat. Add garlic and cook stirring contantly for about 30 seconds. Add diced mushrooms and green onion and cook until juices run from mushrooms and they are glazed.

Add cooked spaghetti squash and stir to mix mushrooms and onions. Add diced tomatoes and spices. Toss as you cook so everything is mixed thoroughly.

Serve immediately and top with shredded cheese and garnish (if desired)

Lastly - since my kindergartner is home from school today I have been scouring the internet for some fun Halloween crafts. Here are a couple I plan to do with him today. I specifically was looking for crafts with items I already have around the house!

Horr-edible Hands found on Familyfun.com



These shiver-invoking popcorn treats make great Halloween hand-outs.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Clear plastic gloves (available at beauty supply stores)
Candy corn
Cold popcorn
Yarn

1. Stick one candy corn at the tip of each finger inside the glove, pointy side up, for fingernails.

2. Fill the glove with popcorn and use a piece of yarn to tie a bow at the wrist.


Salt Dough Ghosts



This craft project is one your kids will quickly get into the spirit of: shaping a batch of mini sprites to use as party decorations or favors. For an even spookier effect, add these easy-to-make Paper Bag Trees

CRAFT MATERIALS:
1 cup flour
1 cup salt
1/2 cup water
Bowl
Wooden spoon
Fine-point permanent black marker

1. Combine the flour, salt, and water in a bowl. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth.

2. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and shape each into a ghost, flattening the base so it will stand up.

3. Microwave the ghosts on a plate one or two at a time for 20- to 30-second intervals until the dough is fairly firm (about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes in total). Let the ghosts cool (they can get quite hot).

4. Use a fine-point permanent black marker to draw on eyes and a mouth.

So if you find yourself at home with a young one try these fun & cheap Halloween crafts!

I'm thinking of adding some food coloring to my salt ghosts and making salt pumpkins and bats too!

Happy Friday Everyone!!

Superb Squash!!

I love fall for many reasons. Dressing in layers makes me feel thinner, watching the leaves change colors, getting ready for the holidays, and squash is bountiful and cheap!

I love making new and exciting recipes using all kinds of squash. For the next few days I will be posting great Squash Recipes.

Tonight I am having Chicken with Acorn Squash Stew. It is starting to get chilly here in the evenings and we have a ton of Acorn squash so I am tweaking a recipe I found to suit what my family likes.

Here it is:

Creamy Chicken & Acorn Squash Stew
Serves 6

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 chicken breasts (boneless skinless) cubed

1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 1/3 cups chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
4 cups acorn squash diced & peeled
2 cups cubed & peeled potatoes
1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth (you can use vegetable stock too)
1 cup evaporated milk (I use fat free)
1 (14 1/2- to 16-ounce) can diced tomatoes with liquid
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons parsley (or for extra kick add fresh cilantro)

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in large pan. Season with salt and pepper the brown diced chicken and transfer to a plate.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in same pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic; sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add curry powder, cumin, and cinnamon; & nutmeg stir 1 minute. Return chicken to pot.

Add squash, potatoes, broth and tomatoes. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Uncover and simmer until chicken and potatoes are cooked through and liquid is almost absorbed, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.


I'll let you know how it turns out!!

Ooooooh I found something FUN!!!

My friend Grocery Mama has a link to a Blog called The Secret is in the Sauce and they are having a Blog-a-thon today!! I have never heard of a blog-a-thon but when I popped over there I saw they are giving out super cool prizes like every hour!

Come join the fun here!



It's a great chance to explore new and exciting blogs!! I love making new friends in the blogging world!! Since my blog is new - I always welcome new friends!!!

- Happy Treasure Hunting!!!

Grocery Mama's blog can be found here!



I need to make myself a neat photo linky thingy soon!! Any idea how I can make one??

OK so I have been blog hunting and I found so many awesome blogs - I cannot list them all here but here are a few unique and inspiring bloggers!!

Some of the SITS Bloggers I Discovered are:

Jenn's Pen


Pennies In My Pocket



Something to Blog About

Diamonds Fur & Laundry

Whew! Home from Wisconsin

Road trips are always an adventure. In the past part of our adventure was the places we would stop to eat. All of them were fast food grease pits that left us groaning in pain because we would all stuff our faces then climb back in the car and sit for long periods of time.

Packing all healthy alternatives in a couple of coolers this time around was GREAT! We ate sandwiches and pretzels and veggies and fruit. We were not bloated and having to stop every couple of hours. We had lots of food left over to bring on the trip home. I plan to travel by packing good healthy meals for our trips from now on. We did stop once on the way back and had a burger because my husband wanted hot food. It was ok but I preferred the sandwiches over that burger any day!

Our eating habits slipped a little. We stayed with my mother in law and the kids get spoiled by Grandma. Wisconsin is known for Friday night Fish Fry and we went out for that. I got a bad case of heartburn after eating a couple pieces of fried fish. The following Friday I opted for baked fish tacos which was much healthier! My husband loves these potato chips they only have in the Midwest called Old Dutch Potato Chips - his favorite flavor is Dill Pickle.



I tried these chips for the first time and they are soooooooo good. They are vinegary with salt and real dill. I was happily munching on these chips when I thought to look at the ingredients. I know chips are not healthy but I allow myself to enjoy some things in moderation. I was bummed when I saw that these chips have MSG in them. I bet they could be just as good without that darned MSG! Grrrrrrrr.

Another Wisconsin tradition is to drink. Not really for any special reason they just like to drink and be merry. My favorite beverage is the Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet. You can get it sour too. I like it both ways but had it sweet more often. No one here in Denver knows how to make it right so I love going there to drink it. I had to look up a recipe for it and found one here: http://wisconsinology.blogspot.com/2007/11/real-state-drinkis-not-beer.html

I noticed people in Wisconsin like to pickle everything. It took me a few trips to really get used to some of the things they eat. I finally got the nerve to try pickled brussel sprouts and now I can't get enough of them! The put everything they pickle in their drinks and I have to admit these Old Fashioned drinks are not the same without a pickled brussel or mushroom on top!

Another huge activity out there is hunting. Deer seems to be the big game out there. I have eaten deer in the past, as my Father in law is a big hunter. I am not a fan of deer meat unless it is the tenderloin and it is wrapped in bacon. I don't particularly like the mealy taste of deer meat. This time he made elk and it took me a while to get up the nerve to try it (can you tell I am not the adventurous type?) I have to admit I really liked elk meat. Apparently it is really lean and just as good for you as chicken breast. I have also heard this about Buffalo meat.

All in all I really enjoy going to Wisconsin. It is like a different world out there. People actually take time to stop and smell the flowers. The trees are amazingly beautiful this time of year as they turn their fall hues. Everywhere you look yards are brightly decorated with pumpkins and lights celebrating the arrival of fall and Halloween. People actually listen and dance to Polka music. The wedding we went to was Catholic/Polish and it was so fun to watch them get out there and dance to the Polka Band all night. My husband's whole family is living in the heart of Wisconsin and someday when we can get out from under our home we hope to join them out there. Sure it is damn cold in the winters and there are ticks and monster sized mosquitos in the summer but I can put up with those things to give my family the gift of getting out in the woods and sharing traditions. Enjoying their Grandparents and taking in life at a slower pace where all that matters is gathering around a campfire and rocking out to polka tunes.

Road Trip!!!

My family is going on a road trip tomorrow. We are driving from Colorado to Wisconsin. I have 3 boys ages, 11, 5, & 8 months and I only hope we all make it there with our sanity intact!

In the past we ate on the road. Good ol' gas station hot dogs and Culver's Drive thru. Burger King, McDonald's. We ate so much junk and loaded up on coffee and energy drinks. It's no wonder we all gained weight each time we went on vacation!!

So this time around I have a game plan. We are going to avoid eating fast food and I am packing our meals for the road trip. Here is our bounty of travel food:

For breakfast we are making whole grain waffles with peanut butter or egg muffins. For snack I am cutting up strawberries and apples. I am also preparing grape tomatoes, celery with peanut butter and raisins, and baby carrots with ranch.

For lunch we are making roast beef pita sandwiches with cheese and sprouts. or PB&J depending on their preference. String cheese, Kashi crackers, beef jerky, & goldfish crackers. All of these options are healthy and road trip friendly.

I am using gladware containers so I can portion size the meals and hand them out while driving. We are packing a cooler for the perishable items and I am freezing several water bottles to keep the water cool and cooler cold!

I found some extra special goodies for when we have a sweet tooth!

I was initially looking for Fig Newtons but was very disappointed by their ingredients so I was ecstatic to find these! Fig Newmans, lol! First I want to say the Paul Newman will be deeply missed. What an amazing man!

I love all his products but I never heard of the Fig Newmans until now! They are all organic and I just love the picture of Paul & his daughter on the front!

Oreos are chock full of hydrogenated oils so these are a great alternative. When the kiddos (or mom!) want a sweet treat I have no problem handing these out!!

I also plan to hard boil some eggs and pack those. They are chock full of protein and a great snack. The Puffins cereal is really good! I plan to use those for a sweet snack too.

Clif bars are great for eating on the go. These are a meal in themselves and for protein bars they are delicious!!

I even found a treat for my baby!

They are called Baby Mum Mum and they are made with all natural ingredients. These rusks dissolve in their mouth (my wee one has no teeth yet! My nipples are so pleased! haha) and they are a tasty snack. I gave them to my little guy yesterday and he just loved this treat!

So hopefully with all these options we can avoid those greasy hot dogs and fatty fast food places!

I will not be able to post from Wisconsin since we are going to a small ho-dank town that cannot get high speed internet.

I will see ya'll in a couple of weeks!!!

Take care and make HEALTHY choices! There is always a way!!!!

And the Winner is....

blueviolet!

I chose my winner from random.org - here is the link: http://random.org/lists/

I'll be sending you an email soon to get your mailing address. Congrats!!!

Thanks for your participation!

I was so excited to see so many entries to my giveaway! I had fun reading each of your responses. Believe it or not there were 3 people who got the answers right. Some of these foods are tricky. I will explain some of the most common wrong answers below:

Wrong Healthy Answers:

Breton Crackers - These have coconut oils and shortening in them! They sure look healthy though!

Bear Creek Soup Mix: To my surprise this has a three striker: Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Oils, and MSG!!!

Wrong Unhealthy Answers:

Pasta Sides, These are the whole grain variety. They do not contain artifical ingredients and first ingredient is enriched whole wheat pasta) You add the butter and milk which can make it bad for you but I use organic skim milk and a dash of olive oil in place of butter.

Honey Bunches of Oats - Actually these are not bad. First ingredient is Whole Grain Wheat. They use high oleic oils (which I posted about in an earlier entry) None of the icky processed artificial stuff. They do "fortify" with vitamins which adds ingredients most of us cannot pronounce - overall they get a healthy from me.

Pasta Roni - The kind in there is Nature's Way and it is made with all natural ingredients, no processed items. It can easily be unhealthy depending how you prepare it but what you put in it is up to you and there are always healthy options!

Surprisingly there were two items mentioned by Blueviolet that tricked me! The Hunt's Pasta Sauce and the Zatarain's. The Pasta Sauce is so plain I never considered it would have CORN SYRUP in it! The Zatarain's has MSG. I love Zatarain's but I will have to pay more attention!!

Because you can't see the Whole Grain on the Knorr Pasta sides I will add the 4 people who got all the other answers right to the drawing. So there are a total of 7 people in the running!!

I will announce the winner later today!!

Pantry Raid: My Very First Give-Away!!!!

Welcome to my Pantry Raid - You Are What You Eat Style!



I promised pictures of my pantry and fridge to see just what exactly I am eating and feeding to my family. I have to say my cupboards are looking a little bare as we are getting ready to go out of town in a week and we did not go grocery shopping this weekend like we usually do.

I took the liberty of sharing my pantry one shelf at a time. I'll let you take a looksie and let me know what you think is healthy and what you think is unhealthy.

Healthy items would be all natural and/or minimally processed with the first ingredient being whole grains, for instance.

Unhealthy items would be processed and have added chemicals. They would contain a lot of sugars like high fructose corn syrups, salts, MSG and may even contain hydrogenated oils.

The challenge is to find 7 items that are healthy and good for you and find 7 items that are not very healthy for you - given the descriptions I gave.

I will randomly pick one person with the right answers to win a box of Kashi Granola Bars. Kashi has a ton of awesome flavors for their granola bars. My personal favorite are the Pumpkin Spice Flax - Crunchy Bars. Mmmmmmmm I'll even let you pick out your favorite! (You can go to kashi.com if you are not familiar with their granola bars.)

Here are the pictures of my shelves in my pantry: (click on them to enlarge)

So get to guessing! You have up to September 30th to enter your answers. I will pick a winner by the end of the day!!

I also plan to have another giveaway for peering into my refrigerator - You Are What You Eat style! So keep checking back!!

You Are What You Eat

I am addicted to BBCA's You Are What You Eat show! Holistic nutritionist Gillian McKeith is just brutal when she confronts people who are over-eating and unhealthy. My favorite part is when she is raiding their cupboards and fridge. Which makes me wonder what she would not like about my own pantry and items in my refrigerator. So as soon as I uncover my digital camera (it's hiding in my desk area somewhere - either that or my 5 year old ran off with it again!) I plan to post pictures of what is in my fridge and pantry. Perhaps you will join me? I think it is fun to poke around other people's cupboards too!

*Update* I finally found my camera - it appears my 5 year old thought he was an abstract photographer and I am in the process of deleting like 188 pictures....if you are a mother you know that completing any task is hard with one child tugging at you and I have 3 so it may be a little while! I promise to update soon (soon being on kid time so bear with me!!)

It's even in my Bread Crumbs!

Nothing makes chicken or pork taste better or look prettier than dressing it up in a thin layer of fine bread crumbs. Especially when you are eating healthy. You want to feel like you are eating comfort food now and again and baking a nice crispy chicken breast makes for a tasty dinner.

Imagine my surprise when I saw that Progresso Bread Crumbs have partially hydrogenated oil in their ingredients!! In fact the first four ingredients are Bread Crumbs, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup (yes in addition to high fructose corn syrup they add more corn syrup!), Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil...



Tsk! Tsk! I never dreamed that poison would be in my bread crumbs. I always assumed bread crumbs were made out of....well....bread!

I bought a large tub of this stuff at Cosco. I am not sure what I am going to do with it now...maybe feed the birds.

I do have a great solution on hand. My Great Grandma was Jewish and she made the best Matzo Ball Soup. Oh goodness, I really miss her. I tried to make the soup like she did but it just wasn't the same. So I had the Matzo Meal crumbs in my cupboard and used those to bread my meat. It turned out so much better than the Progresso Bread Crumbs!

The Matzo Meal looks like this:



You can find this in almost any grocery store, usually in the specialty food isle shared with the Asian and Mexican foods. There are literally 2 ingredients: Enriched Unbleached Wheat Flour & Water. Plus it is Kosher! You can never go wrong with Kosher!

These crumbs come in handy for just about anything. You can season them as you wish or leave them plain and they still taste wonderful. The best part is there are none of those icky corn syrups or nasty hydrogentated oils so you aren't poisening your body when you want to dress up your meat!

On a side note - if anyone has a good authentic Matzo Ball Soup recipe please share it with me! It is the best for colds (I have a nasty one right now) and I really do believe Chicken Soup is good for the body & soul! Especially Kosher Matzo Ball Soup!!

Catch Up

A bit off topic but Thanks to my lovely friends at Qwest my internet went down after I switched my phone service from Qwest to T-Mobile VOIP service. We did the math and realized that paying over $50.00 a month for a home phone was crazy when we could pay $10.00 a month for T-Mobile at home since I already had a T-Mobile cell. This includes unlimited local and long distance so we jumped on board! Problem is Qwest doesn't know their head from their bum and they not only disconnected my phone but they also disconnected my internet. I was miserable for 3 days without my handy world wide webosphere of anything I can possibly want or dream up. I let those folks have it. I love talking to the Indian customer service people. I have to admit they are pretty friendly even when they are being shouted at they seem to take it in stride.

Anyway I am glad that is behind me. So moving on....

My Lemon Cake:



This is what I ended up making for our get togther. It was really good! It is a lemon raspberry cake. I used the boxed lemon cake mix. It was the first time I used an Organic cake mix. I have to say it was almost as much work as making a cake from scratch. I may just skip the boxed stuff altogether because the mix was really dry so I added some vanilla pudding I had on hand to the mix and it made the cake nice and moist but took most of the lemon flavor out. I bought some natural raspberry preserves and slathered that between two cakes right down the middle. I almost had it completely frosted before I remembered to take a photo:



For the frosting I used Horizon Organic whipping cream and I put 1/3 cup of the raspberry preserves after I whipped the cream into peaks. I did not have to add any sugar as this was sweetened perfectly with the preserves. It was fantastic. I had to control myself not to lick the bowl but I do admit to having a lick or two of the mixing sticks before I stuck them in the washer!

Progress on the Pita Diet

Well believe it or not I have lost 6 pounds since last Tuesday!

I am so damned happy I could seriously climb onto my rooftop and shout it out to my neighbors but then they would think I was a bit off my rocker, so I will kindly share it with you instead!

Seriously all I have been doing is eating like this each day:

Breakfast: 1 whole pita with bananas and peanut butter topped with honey (or a half pita with egg, cheese and salsa and a cup of yogurt)

Snack: Granola bar or yogurt cup

Lunch: Pita sandwich or Cheese & Pepperoni Pitza! (photo)



Snack: Apple or Pear with a handful of peanuts or raisins

Dinner: Whatever I am cooking I eat one serving and I try to keep it the size of a pita on my plate.

Dessert: (a couple times a week is ok!) Mango ice cream (I am still enjoying tha batch I made last week!)

Tips: I have given up Diet soda completely and have been sticking to water most of the time. I have had some iced tea and a cup of milk usually with breakfast. I also have given up my morning cup of cream laden coffee. Also I ate the last of my creamy ice cream about a week ago.

I am excited to see if I will lose any more weight over this next week! I will keep you posted!

In the meantime here is the recipe for the pitza in the picture above!

Cheese & Pepperoni Pitza Recipe:

1 whole wheat pita
1 tbsp Olive or Grapeseed Oil
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp tomato or pizza sauce
2 tbsp diced tomatoes
1/4 cup of shredded cheese
4 slices turkey pepperoni
(additional toppings of your choice)
dash of italian seasoning (oregano, basil, parsley)

Preheat oven to 400
place pita shell on a plate
place oil in a small bowl and sprinkle garlic powder in oil
use a marinating brush and brush seasoned oil on your pita shell paying extra attention to the edges
with a spoon spread the tomato or pizza sauce over the oil
add tomatoes, then pepperoni, then cheese
sprinkle seasoning on top

Place in oven approx 10 minutes or remove when cheese is bubbly and edges are crispy

This is so good you wouldn't even guess it was a pita!!!

Enjoy!!

I'm Awake...Wow

I gave up diet soda and coffee a week ago and let me tell you I was a caffiene junky! I had 3-4 sodas a day and I enjoyed a good cup or two of coffee each morning.

Recently I discovered how bad diet soda was when I heard it can weaken your bones. Well now that I am over 30 I can't ignore the strength of my bones so buh-bye soda-pop! I figured since I was giving up soda I might as well cut way back on my coffee. I'll still enjoy a good cup on a chilly day or at a coffee house with friends. But my home brewer is going to be a little neglected for a while!

I survived this first week and made it through each day without having to nap or snapping at random things so I guess I never needed the stuff to begin with!

It's nice to have one habit kicked, now for the 213 other bad habits I have....

Oh & I am still working on my lemon dessert!

What to do with a plain box of Lemon Cake Mix?

Every Monday I get together with other parents from our church and we fellowship and enjoy home baked goods. Tomorrow I am signed up to bring dessert. I bought a box of organic lemon cake mix last time I was at Whole Foods and now I am trying to figure out how to turn this boxed mix into something fabulous that all the other ladies will oooh and ahhh over -- well that is a little self indulgent but anyone who cooks absolutely loves when they hear "This is delicious! I MUST have this recipe!" It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when I make people happy through baked treats!

Sooooooo as you can see I am pondering fantastic things for this little box right now...



I'll let ya know what I come up with!

Amazing Deliciousness Enticing My Tastebuds!

In one of my last posts I confessed that I have a love affair with ice cream. When I think of ice cream in a healthy good for you form, yogurt is the next best thing. I am picky when it comes to yogurt because the wrong kind can look downright nasty. It is a total turn off when I open the lid to a yogurt only to discover a huge ring of water separated from chunky curds of unappealing sliminess. I have thrown away full containers strictly because it looked disgusting.

So for the most part I enjoy Yoplait fat free yogurt. I know it is loaded with aspartame and it is not the best choice. So I started eating Yoplait light and it is pretty good.

BUT....wait there is something new.......!

Today I ate yogurt so good my tastebuds are still dancing with joy 20 minutes after the fact. There is this brand called Rachel's and the packaging is clever and pleasing to my eye with artsy black labels and colorful images that pop off the container. They use buzz words like "Blissfully Blended" and "Wickedly Delicious"





They offer two"Lines" of yogurt such as "Essence" with flavor titles that sound like day spa lingo & "Exotic" with lots of tantalizing fruit blends. Here is the description from their website:

The Essence line offers blissfully blended mood-inspiring yogurt. The essence of scrumptious satisfaction.

Vitality - Pomegranate Açai (this is the flavor I just devoured!)
Revive - Peach Green Tea
Glow - Berry Jasmine
Relax - Vanilla Chai
Calm - Plum Honey Lavender
Refresh - Pink Grapefruit Lychee

The Exotic line offers luscious blended yogurt inspired by the planet's most alluring fruits and flavors.

Orange Strawberry Mango
Pomegranate Blueberry
Mango Pineapple Passion Fruit
Kiwi Passion Fruit Lime
Cherry Black Currant
Marionberry Guava

On their site you can print a coupon for buy one get one free. I found this yogurt at King Soopers (Kroger) and right now they are 5 for $5.00 AND they are now on sale for buy one get one free so we got 10 of these little cups of natural happiness for $5.00!!

I love that they are all natural and they are made locally (in my area) in Broomfield, Colorado. On their site they mention they are made in Wisconsin but my cup says Broomfield, CO! They use milk that is hormone free and they have Omega-3 DHA which supports brain, heart and eye functions. So not only is this stuff amazingly delicious, but it is actually good for you!

I would still treat this yogurt as a snack between meals or a nice light dessert.

One serving has 160 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat, 10mg cholesterol, 26 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fiber and 8 grams of protein. As far as vitamins go there is 8% Vitamin C and 30% Calcium.

Looking at the ingredients they use cream and I bet that is where the saturated fat/cholesterol comes from. Which is why I would not eat more than one per day.

If you can find it - try it and tell me what you think!! Poor Yoplait doesn't stand a chance next to Rachel's!!

Great Day!

I started my morning by getting on the scale and to my surprise I had lost 2 more lbs! That is a total of 5 lbs in 3 days! I think it is water weight and I am sure the weight loss will slow down soon - but in the meantime I am very impressed with this Pocket Diet! I am eating healthy and light and I feel better throughout my day. I am also sneaking in some pocket meals for my family. I am dedicating this post to the food I have been eating and I am going to share a couple recipes with you!

So in the morning I have a whole wheat pita half stuffed with banana, peanut butter and honey. It is sticky and sweet and makes me feel naughty! Perfect!

Sticky Breakfast Pita:



1 tbsp natural peanut butter
1/2 large banana
1 tbsp (approx) honey
1/2 Whole wheat pita pocket

Warm the pocket in the microwave about 10 second. Spread 1 tbsp peanut butter inside. Slice banana amd place in pocket. Top with honey and welcome to breakfast heaven! Mmmmm

We had Turkey Burgers one night so I used the leftovers to make a pita:

Turkey Pita Burger



1 Turkey burger patty - grilled or broiled
1 slice colby or swiss cheese (add to patty while cooking)
1/2 Whole Wheat Pita Shell
2 slices tomato
2 leaves green lettuce
ketchup & mustard
1 tbsp light mayo

Warm the pita bread in microwave approx 10 seconds
spread light mayo inside
cut the patty in half
Stuff inside the pita
add tomato & lettuce
top with mustard and ketchup

I added baby carrots and sliced avocado to complete the meal.

Lastly, trying to get my 5 year old to eat anything is a challenge! He loves the pita bread and called it "Honey Bread" He eats the peanut butter and banana pitas like crazy! Today he wanted honey bread for lunch but we were out of bananas so I decided to make him a fruit pizza. We don't have a lot of fresh fruit as it is the end of the week so I compromised a bit. Here is the recipe:

Nutty Fruity Pitza



1 whole wheat pita pocket
1 tbsp whipped berry cream cheese
(you can also substitute any flavor yogurt!)
about 7 grapes
half a small green apple sliced into small chunks
2 tbsp raisins
2 tbsp honey roasted peanuts

Warm the shell in microwave about 10 seconds
spread cream cheese on shell
top with toppings and serve!

Any type of Pizza even a Pitza = Happy boy!



And he is EATING!! :)

My Name is Tamara and I am an Ice Cream-a-holic

Since I am confessing my bad habits I thought I would toss this one into the mix! I seriously live for ice cream. After a long day of chasing my boys around and taking care of my home, I feel I deserve a reward. Once the kiddos are all tucked in bed I make a beeline for the freezer and my long awaited moment with creamy deliciousness.

I justify my love affair with ice cream because I buy the slow churned half the fat kind. It is light and because it is only around 120 calories per serving with 2-3 grams of fat I tell myself it is ok to indulge a little - because I have earned it.

Well, first and foremost I have to stop rewarding myself with food. That is a work in progress but in the meantime I have found a great subsititute for my guilty pleasure!

Here is the recipe:

Mangolicious Sorbet

2 Large Mangoes (you can use frozen mango too)
1 large peach
2 tbsp lemon juice (fresh)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup of cold water
1/3 cup of sugar
(I prefer organic ingredients)

Peel and slice mango
peel skin off peach and slice
combine items in a food processor
Add cold water
Set on high for approx 1 minute
stir and add sugar, vanilla and lemon juice
process on high for 1 minute
Add to ice cream container (if you don't have one a good storage container or even a ziploc baggy will work. Freeze one hour then stir with fork and freeze one more hour.

Makes 8 servings of sorbet

I still had some vanilla light ice cream left last night so I used 1/4 cup vanilla ice cream and topped it with 1/4 cup of the mango sorbet Yummmmmmmmmm!



Hopefully I can kick my ice cream habit and start enjoying fresh fruit sorbet!

Don't forget the best food is made with love from your kitchen! (It's cheaper too!!)

The recipe was inspired by one I found on allrecipes.com here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mango-Lemon-Sorbet/Detail.aspx?prop31=2

I omitted a lot of the sugar, added vanilla, and the peach.

Enjoy!!

Confessions that need Correcting

I didn't try the Pita Diet yesterday. I was just not ready to be creative. I felt bad at the end of the day (After my Root Beer float!) so today is a new day and I really am in the mindset to go for it - with one exception - I cook dinner every night for my family. Good wholesome yummy nutritious meals so I cannot sit at the table and eat my 3rd pita of the day while they are all gobbling down the dinner I worked so hard on!

So my plan is to eat 2 pitas a day. I really got inspired by a few people that lost over 10 lbs in less than a month. There is a forum with message boards of people discussing recipes and weight loss. I am a lurker right now and it is quite interesting.

I woke up ready to get creative with breakfast. I scrambled one egg and added a little milk and garlic salt to it. Threw in a pinch of mozzerella cheese and tossed the egg into a warm half pita. I added sliced tomatoes and two leaves of romaine lettuce. Topped it with salsa and added a sliced green apple. It was really good.

Here is a photo - What do you think?

I also am *trying* to stop drinking coffee and diet soda. That is a secret bad habit of mine. I know how bad it is for me and I still find myself pulling diet soda out of my fridge. I love the carbonation and how cold it is. They syrupy sweetness that is processed so it does not add calories to my daily intake. I am QUITE aware that it is poison and I should steer clear of it but I have always givin in to temptation.

A bottle of water is just so boring to me. It has no taste and it is just blah. It is hard for me to drink and yet I know I need to. So I am replacing my morning cup of coffee with water. This will be a great choice because my coffee creamer is laden with hydrogentated oils and fats. I love Coffee Mate Raspberry Chocolate creamer I use well more than the allotted 2 tbsp. Definately an example of tasty to my lips but straight to my hips! With my knowledge of hydrogenated oils and how bad they are for your body - I have decided to kick this habit for good! I tried to think of an alternative like green tea but I know I will want to add milk and sugar to it so I am going to wean myself off the warm beverages. If I really want something warm on a cold day I may opt for Apple Cider because although it has sugars in it, if you buy the organic kind it is natural and loaded with vitamin C.

It is almost lunchtime and I have to admit it is a challenge to not snack. I barely have time to eat because my little ones keep me so busy. Grab and go snacks have been so convenient for me and giving them up for fresher healthier snacks has left me at times avoiding my fridge because something as handy as an apple or a pear has not appealed to me as much as a granola bar. I ran out of my Kashi Pumkin Flax bars - those were delicious! Looks like I may have to make a run for the store and soon! Another great snack on the go is a small handful of toasted almonds from the Natural Grocer. They filled me up and almonds are packed with protien and essential oils. I think I'll add them to my grocery list!

I am looking forward to my Turkey Burger Pita. I'll post a photo and let you know if it was satisfying as well as share the recipe. I have some avocado I need to cut up so I'll add that to my lunch too. Mmmmmmm ok I better eat now that I am salivating on my keyboard!