My mother has an old saying, “Where there’s smoke, there’s supper.” Let’s just say that cooking has never been the forte of the women in my family. But we try, really we do. My sister tells me that she’s even won a pie baking contest or two. Me? Well, I decided that I ought to start cooking healthy meals for my family; I want my kids to eat nutritious foods, I want to eat nutritious foods, and I try too woo my husband with nutritious food (masquerading as something else, hee hee). Anyway, here’s what’s cookings:

Whole roasted tomatoes with fresh thyme from my garden, garlic, olive oil, ground pepper and coarse salt,

served over tomato spinach pasta with parmesan cheese

or over traditional shells

When I cook chicken, turkey or fish for my husband and daughter, I pour my love into it.  As you might remember, I’m a vegetarian, but I love two omnivores . . . so I’m doing my best to give them good foods they like and have some peace too.  I rolled the chicken in olive oil and then lightly seasoned it.  It’s one of Annabelle’s favorites.

And last, but certainly not least, are these sweet peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes.  We substituted 1/4 cup applesauce for butter and oh my, these were so moist and delicious.  Since I didn’t have a frosting, we topped these off with organic creamy peanut butter.  Annabelle gave it two thumbs up.

So, what’s cooking in your kitchen?  Any simple recipes you’d like to share?  I’d love to hear since I’m just learning my way around here . . .

Over the last eight months, my life has changed. Eight and a half months ago, I gave birth to my son Levi; weeks later though, I found myself in a terrible place and I knew that I needed help. Thankfully, so many people and organizations stepped forward to hold my hand and lift me up, one step at a time. Each individual helped me in their own. Neighbors brought meals and watched my daughter so that I could attend my postpartum therapy sessions, Adrienne Griffin, the founder of Postpartum Support Virginia, called, e-mailed, and coached me through my first days back at home with my family after I spent two days in the hospital and then another two days away with my husband while I battled the dark feelings and emptiness I was experiencing. My mom, sister, and mother-in-law came into town, taking time off from work, to take care of Levi and Annabelle, and friends, so many friends, stepped forward and made time for playdates, to talk, and to offer a helping hand when I needed it. We also welcomed a wonderful babysitter into our lives who came several days a week to give me time to sleep, take care of household responsibilities, or simply spend time doing something for myself. As you can see, these angels on earth helped me get through a very hard time.

Meanwhile, I was learning how to take care of myself; depression is an energy sapper; I knew that if I was going to have the energy to heal, care for myself, for my children, and for everyone else in my life, I was going to have to make some changes. My best friend initially introduced me to the idea that food could help my brain combat its imbalances: I could feel better simply by eating. She bought me a bag of flaxseed to mix into foods like oatmeal, cereals, yogurts, and smoothies, and she also brought me a large bag of walnuts. Since I received these awesome gifts of food from her, I have started eating a diet that is rich in nutrients, antioxidants, protein, and Vitamin D. Here is what a typical day of eating looks like for me:

Breakfast

1 cup oatmeal, 3 to 6 tbsp. of flaxseed, sliced strawberries, bananas, or apples, and 1/2 cup of soymilk or Omega 3 organic milk

“Oatmeal is one of the best foods to nourish the central nervous system and help with depression.”

“Flax, says Udo Erasmus, PhD, has a mood boosting ingredient: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that is essential for the proper function of brain cells, yet up to 85% of women aren’t getting enough of it. Early research conducted by Dr. Martha Clare Morris of Chicago’s Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center notes that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids is believed to be important for brain development.”

“Numerous studies connects dietary consumption of omega-3 fatty acids with depression. Countries with high consumption of seafood, high in omega-3 fatty acids, have lower rates of bipolar and unipolar depression, post-partum depression, and seasonal affective disorder.”

Snack

1 oz. almonds, 1/2 cup of dried cherries or cranberries

“Poor diet can have a disastrous effect on memory, co-ordination, concentration, powers of reason, behaviour and mood although this is very rarely recognised or looked into by medical professionals. Mental distress is linked to a deficiency of iron, magnesium and B-complex vitamins. Zinc deficiency can also be a major factor in causing depression and leads to loss of appetite, subsequent poor nutrition, inevitable chronic fatigue and finally, depression. Many people who go to their doctor complaining of fatigue are often wrongly assumed to be suffering from depression and prescribed anti-depressant drugs which doctors often use as a first line of treatment. Unfortunately, many of these drugs can interfere with zinc absorption. Low levels of zinc in the body can not only lead to a loss of appetite and fatigue (which can be exacerbated by anti-depressants) but can also be a factor in the cause of depression itself. It is therefore important to get adequate amounts of zinc in your diet in order to prevent a downward spiral from forming. Sources of zinc include: shellfish, pumpkin seeds, mushrooms, soya beans, wheat products (especially wheatgerm and wheat bran), sesame seeds, cocoa, sunflower seeds, sweetcorn, rice, wholemeal bread, oats, cheeses (especially cheddar and edam), legumes (especially aduki beans), peas, barley, nuts (especially almonds), peanuts and peanut butter, wholegrain flours, buckwheat and brown rice.”

Lunch

2 slices Ezekial bread, avacado, tofu, and pepper slices

1 cup soy milk or hot tea (kava, kava)

Snack

Lara bar (made with real fruit, nuts and no preservatives or additives and is loaded with walnuts, almonds, and cashews)

Dinner

Whole wheat pasta, organic tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, brocolli, and nuts, stir fried tempeh or tofu

“The connection between carbohydrates and mood is linked to the mood-boosting brain chemical, serotonin. We know that eating foods high in carbohydrates (breads, cereal, pasta) raises the level of serotonin in the brain. When serotonin levels rise, we feel a calming effect with less anxiety.

So don’t shun carbs – just make smart choices. Limit sugary foods and opt for smart carbs, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, which all contribute healthy carbs as well as fiber.”

4 oz. of red wine (2 nights a week and not on days when I drink kava kava tea), 1 serving of 85% dark chocolate

* I drink a dry red wine and limit myself to 2 4 oz. servings each week.  When I was first diagnosed with depression, I avoided alcohol and caffeine and have only in the last two months started to incorporated small servings into my diet.  Here is a wonderful article from Yale New Haven Hospital discussing the benefits of red wine for your health.

Eating a healthy diet makes me feel good both physically and mentally.  My favorite part of my day is relaxing at night with my family while I drink a cup of tea or wine and eat a few bites of dark chocolate.

What are your favorite relaxation and feel good foods?

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Chickin Feed giveaway! Also thank you to Leslie Smith Grant for sharing practical nutrition information in her Chickin Feed Primer and in her interview here on Green Mamma. I know that my family and I will make good use of Ms. Grant’s tips and tools in the coming year . . . between prepping healthy meals for my husband and Annabelle and making sure that I eat healthful meals to feed both myself and Levi, I’m certain that our copy of the Primer will be paged through again and again.

Now for the winners of the Chickin Feed Primer and the Chickin Feed Nutrition Tracking Board . . . Congratulations to Emma, who wrote the following about how her family would benefit from the Chickin Feed system:

“Between better food choices for myself (guided by weight watchers to lose weight and better understand portion control, but also by my desire to eat better, healthier, fresher, local foods), joining a CSA, and just including more veg on our plates, I realized I need to eat more like what I’m feeding my kids. It’s funny because I look at waht I’m feeding them & realize if I could keep it to that in my own diet, I’d lose the baby weight quicker!! :) The kids eat 2 or 3 veg & a protein for dinner, typically carbs for snack (lots of on the go), but we also pack up sliced apple & snap peas when we’re out. That said, I want to better understand their portion sizes (what is really appropriate to give 15 month old & 3 1/2 year olds- both can be very “good” – substantial – eaters). Tonight we had some amazing local purple green beans (they turned green after they hit boiling water – amazing surprise science lesson for E!), barley, butternut squash, peas, and a slightly sad protein from our freezer. Anyway, goes to show, as much as I’m trying, we, but as a family, I know still have a whole lot to learn about nutrition. I still have lots of questions (like how much protein do we really need…?)”

I realize this is coming to you all a week late (but better late than never, right?): the winner of Christopher Corr and Fred Penner’s Whole World book and CD, and eco activity workbook by Barefoot Books is Emily of kaolinmommy. Congratulations Emily!

In the coming weeks I have several more Barefoot Book giveaways as well as a few fun kid and baby items too. This week though, I thought I’d share an interview with Leslie Smith Grant, President & Mother Hen of CHICKIN FEED, LLC. Leslie recently released her Chickin Feed Primer, a guide that helps busy families get good nutrition. Over the past weeks, Leslie and I have shared several e-mails and I was lucky to get the following interview. Read on . . . a great giveaway follows, :-)

(Image courtesy of the Rachael Ray Show)

Green Mamma: Congratulations on the publication of The Chickin Feed Primer. I am excited about the Chickin Feed Nutrition Tracking Board too– what you explain as being the inspiration for the Primer. Can you tell me how the idea for the Primer evolved? What healthy eating tips did you hope to share with families in writing the Primer?

Leslie Smith Grant: As soon as I started thinking that we needed a “tool” to help us pay attention to what we were eating it became evident that a resource that could flesh out these important topics would be great. The Primer was roughly conceived on the same day as the Nutrition Tracking Boards back in March 2007. I’m always able to find good information about family health, but it seems to be in 100 different places that my “ADD-mom brain” can’t keep up with. A recipe here, a blog there, a magazine article torn out … you get the picture. So I thought if we had a “guide to healthy habits” that followed along neatly with the board (Nutrition info, Activities and Exercises) it would be a great resource – they could play off of and reinforce each other. I just knew that if we could put all this good info in a simple-to-understand, all-in-one-place, fun book it would be very useful.

The most important healthy eating tip that I wanted to share was that NUTRITION doesn’t have to be so complicated. By putting nutrition into very simple terms that you didn’t have to attend college class to understand, I feel like we are doing a service to the busier-than-ever modern family. By helping folks understand what type of foods there are, why they are important to your body and why you need to get a variety of them each day, we’re raising their Nutritional IQ. The Primer gives parents a useful understanding of the WHY’s so that they can give educated answers [to their children] and not just have to resort to the ever so ineffective “Because I said so!” line of reasoning.

GM: You write that Chickin Feed is on a mission to help busy modern families keep nutrition and fitness a priority in their daily lives; many families however, despite their best efforts, include convenience foods in their diets. What simple tips do you have for those families who can’t seem to get away from a diet filled with convenience eating?

LSG: NOTE: * A lot of this is new info. I’ve incorporated a lot from the book but didn’t stick to it exclusively.

Well, they could fall in love with Michael Pollan :) I read an interesting NYTimes article by him recently that I posted on the Chickin Feed Facebook Page. My favorite line from the very long article was from a fellow Pollan was interviewing: “You want Americans to eat less? I have the diet for you. It’s short, and it’s simple. Here’s my diet plan: Cook it yourself. That’s it. Eat anything you want — just as long as you’re willing to cook it yourself.”

That being said…I think making better, more informed choices when we do Grab & Go makes a HUGE difference (no pun intended).

1. You can eat a Fried or Grilled option at most fast food restaurants now. Go GRILLED! Have you seen the new KGC? (formerly KFC)

2. You can drink a glass or two of water first so you aren’t so hungry when the overstuffed plate of food arrives.

3. You can order smaller sizes – the restaurants have caught onto the fact that we place more value on our money than on our health and they know the way to keep folks coming back is to give them MORE for their MONEY! I really think we all need to be very mindful of the fact that WE need to be making the decisions about how much goes into our bodies – NOT the marketing experts.

4. SHARE! From an early age we are taught that it’s the polite thing to do, yet we are intimidated by sharing in restaurants or somehow think we won’t get enough to eat if we order something and split it!

5. TRY VERY HARD to prepare healthy snacks that are ready for little hands to grab. If we are headed out for a long car ride, I package up carrots, apple slices, sugar snap peas, etc. Things that travel well and won’t bust your gut if the ice pack melts. Having healthier snacks that you can count on is essential to staying away from unhealthy choices.

6. Doggie bag it! If you can’t share with someone else at the table, then share with yourself the next day. Try to take home 1/2.

GM: You emphasize the importance of portion control for good healthy family nutrition. What is one way that families can easily keep track of portions at mealtimes?

LSG: 1. See point 4. above :)

If you are eating at home:

2. Get a great set of portion cups. They should be small (1/2 cup is a great size) and try serving from them or at least dishing out the food with them.

3. Try to pack up your leftovers before you sit at the table. You won’t be coming back for multiple trips if it’s already committed to the next day.

4. Get smaller plates! It seems just like having a bigger purse – no matter the size, you’re going to fill it up! Smaller plates look full with the proper amount of food on them.

5. Mark them up! Get some cheap melamine plates and a sharpie. Mark circles to show your kids the proper outline for a serving size. (This is the premise for Chickinware – still in the Hopper)

6. Don’t serve your children too much and then expect them to expand their bellies to hold it all just because you served it to them.

7. Eating “dense” foods? Rice, pasta, fruit, etc… one adult handful cupped.

8. Eating “fluffy” foods? Cereal, salad…two adult handfuls

9. Juice/Milk – one adult hand clenched! Lot less than that huge bottle they serve soda in, eh?

10. Serving of protein/meat? The palm of an adult hand.

11. Cheese? Two dominos.

GM: Can you describe your family’s relationship with food since introducing the nutrition tracking board?

We are all dramatically more aware of what we need to eat and therefore are making better choices. At the grocery store the cart is filled with many more fresh fruits and vegetables than before. The decision about what to have at each meal is many times influenced by NEEDS rather than WANTS. My “chickins” don’t give me a lot of flack about what they are served and they seem to make pretty healthy choices when they are snacking independently. (Nobody’s perfect though… This morning I caught my son mainlining a sugar packet that he snuck off the coffee table at school orientation!)

On a personal note, I know very well the addictive powers of sugar! I can happily say that my desire for junk foods has gone down since I’ve been eating more of the good foods that I need and since I’ve started a regular walking routine. (In case you were wondering, I am not a hot-bodied fitness & nutrition instructor type, but rather a somewhat “fluffy” 43-year old that is working hard to change old habits.)

The thing I’m most proud of is that I can say with confidence that I’m raising Nutritionally Literate Kids. I firmly believe that educating them at this early age will pay off for a lifetime!

GM: You talk about the importance of teaching children healthy eating manners. What are some ways that you encourage your family to create a healthy and loving feeling at the dinner table?

LSG: Talk, talk, talk. Talk about your mouthfuls, just not with your mouth full! I think that teaching children about “where” food comes from and showing them how it is prepared, and expecting them to participate in the prep, service, meal and cleaning will ultimately raise very well-mannered eaters. I’ve never been one to make squirmy children stay at the table if they have finished. If they are done, they can excuse themselves. An unhappy child at the tables makes for a miserable meal. If they are unhappy – they won’t eat well and will make everyone else unhappy.

GM: You affectionately refer to the folks who work behind the scenes for Chickin Feed as the Chickin Coop. From Michelle Newcome, the Editor Chick to Amy Handler, the Drama Chick, you’ve assembled a knowledgeable and talented team. How did your coop come together?

I immediately consulted a nutritionist about the whole concept – she became our Nutrition Chick Emily – and since I’m not the best cook in the world, I knew I needed to get a chef involved. Soon it became apparent that gathering a group of experts in each field – rather than just trying to blathering on myself about all of these subjects – was a very good idea. I asked our PE Coach at my children’s elementary school if he was interested in helping and he stepped right up. Drama Chick also taught Creative Movement at their school and I knew her to be a wacky brain! I started to try and get the whole thing down on paper and realized I needed some organizational help and talked to my friend Michelle Newcome about helping me Edit the whole thing. She’s amazing and ended up contributing a lot of content as well AND brought in Chef Chick, Sheri Davis. Grassroots to the core!

GM: With the publication of The Chickin Feed Primer, I wonder what you have planned next. Are you currently working on other books or products to add to the Chickin Feed line?

LSG: [I'm currently] Working on licensing the chickin beast! I realize what my love is creating and I’ve acquired a “licensing chick” to help spread the Chickin Feed message to other formats without having to do the manufacturing & publishing directly. I still have Chickinware on my plate of things to launch but firstly we are going to share our “Nutrition Tracking-to-GO!” with the world. It’s a really cool, portable way to keep up with your daily diet! And of course, I’ve expanded way past the “chickin” line into a series called FARM GRUB that includes five other critters all telling tall tales of their life on the farm… Coming soon!

Now for the giveaway . . . Simply leave a comment on this post sharing why you and your family would like to win a free copy of Leslie Smith Grant’s The Chickin Feed Primer and the Chickin Feed Nutrition Tracking Board. Comments will be open until noon, eastern time on September 4. A winner will be announced on September 5.

Coinciding with my and Annabelle’s last “days of you and me,” I received a large shipment of giveaways from the folks over at Barefoot Books.  Among Barefoot Books’ many virtues as publishers of children’s books is an investment in the global community and the environment (which makes my heart feel all sorts of good inside).   Of course, the best part about Barefoot Books are the books themselves: they’re full of bright and colorful illustrations as well as meaningful stories that work with the worlds and imaginations of our children.  Annabelle and I have several BB books on our bookshelves, and well, in the coming years, we hope to add a few more . . .

This week, I’m giving you all the chance to add a Barefoot Book to your home library; in fact, over the coming weeks, I will offer 5 BB giveaways that appeal to a range of ages: books for young environmentalists, kid yogis, vegetarians, and more.

As it turned out, I was searching for an additional “day of you and me” because Annabelle and I had combined a few activities into a day’s worth of fun . . . so, we decided to try out one of the great recipes from the Barefoot Books’ Kids Kitchen (see below).

Simply leave a comment at the end of this post and you’ll be entered to win a free Kids’ Kitchen.

And now, a little bit about our cooking adventures . . .

We made cinnamon-ee sweet baked bananas:

First, I sliced the skin of 4 bananas.

Then Annabelle used a fork to smush up the inside of the banana.

We mixed up brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

While pouring is likely Annabelle’s favorite food prep skill, mixing is another fave.

She scooped her mixture of sugar and cinnamon into the smushed up bananas,

wrapped each banana into a foil pocket,

and voila!  was ready to bake!

We baked our cinnamon-ee sweet bananas at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.  We cooled them for another 5 minutes (which didn’t bother Annabelle in the least since she was performing a dance/yoga/martial arts piece that she put together on the spot), and then,

Ta-dah!  Yummy, sweet, cinnamon-ee baked bananas.  You can eat them like this or for an even tastier adventure, spoon the banana over vanilla yogurt or vanilla ice cream.  Mmm, mmm, yum!  Or at least that’s what my husband and I said of our banana treats . . .

Yeah, after all that, Annabelle wouldn’t touch ‘em, which I suppose doesn’t sound like much of a promotion for the kids’ kitchen, but my 2 1/2 year old takes a bit of coaxing with new foods, so we’ll just have to bake and try try again.  But seriously, the recipe turned out delicious and I bet your older, wiser, and more worldly eaters will eat these up too.

Now that I am pregnant and nursing, I am paying close attention to my diet; getting the right amount of calories, fats, and proteins that will nourish my growing baby, my toddler, and keep me feeling energetic is no easy science.   The first 10 weeks I closely followed the recommended food plans in Skinny Bitch Bun in the Oven, which I  found both hilarious and educational too (believe it or not).  What I found most helpful in this quick read was exposure to new ideas for high protein vegan foods that were carb rich and dense in calories (I am not much of a cook, nor do I aspire to be one so I appreciated the plan’s inspiration and leeway for pre-made veggie foods).  While following the plan, I felt full after each meal and snack, and I have to say that by the end of each day of eating, I almost felt annoyed that I wasn’t hungry to snack on something sweet (though the plan does include sweets during the day).

A few weeks later, a vegetarian friend gave me Your Vegetarian Pregnancy, which helped me learn even more about good dietary guidelines during pregnancy.  At this point, I was searching for new menu options that satisfied my nutritional needs during pregnancy but that would also allow me to build in a nighttime snack.  I started keeping a food journal in which I noted what I ate (including the calories and protein) and my activity level for the day.  Around week 10 my energy levels started to increase and my mood boosted too; I have to wonder if making the decision to pay less attention to a meal plan (which was not the approach I had taken earlier in my pregnancy while reading Skinny Bitch Bun in the Oven) and more attention to my hunger levels and cravings improved my sense of well being.  Whatever the cause, around weeks 10 and 11 I started to feel less nauseous and more passionate about food again.

Meanwhile, another friend who is well read on pregnancy and childbirth suggested that I take a look at the Brewer Diet, which, and I am quoting from the web-site: “help[s] women have healthier pregnancies and healthier babies. In the process of his medical education, and researching the work of Hamlin, Strauss, Burke, and Ferguson–doctors who had worked on this issue in the 40 years previously–he discovered that the cause of pre-eclampsia and some other complications was an abnormal blood volume, caused by malnutrition, or food deficiency. The diet consists of 14 food groups. However, it can be summarized as starting with 4 basic components: 2600 calories, 80-120 grams of protein, salt to taste, and unrestricted weight gain.”  With the Brewer diet, I am learning more about what variety of foods I can eat for healthy levels of calcium, protein, whole grains, Vitamins A & C, fats, and salt (something I need to watch out for since I enjoy so many pre-made veg foods).

One of my favorite pregnancy treats that is calorie dense, full of calcium, protein, and yumminess is a homemade smoothie made with fruit, milk and nut butter.  Below is my recipe for a vegan pregnancy smoothie:

1 1/2 cups soy milk

1 serving soy protein powder

2 bananas

soy nut butter (almond butter and peanut butter taste good too)

ice

*Combine ingredients in a blender or food processor.  Blend.

Each smoothie has about 4oo to 500 calories and has about 15 to 20 grams of protein.

Oh, and I might mention that Annabelle likes it too.  She always steals a sip and sometimes even requests her own smoothie.

Image Courtesy of U.S. Department of Agriculture

Between homeschooling, wrapping Christmas presents, making decorations, spending time here on my blog =), and traveling to see family, I am trying to make time for my application process to become a leader for my local Attachment Parenting group. One of the questions that the liaison has asked me pertains to how my husband and I introduced solid foods to our daughter, who at almost 2 is nursing and going strong!

So I got to thinking about how we introduced foods to Annabelle almost a year and a half ago, and I also thought about what kinds of healthy foods to encourage for her now, especially with the holidays’ traditionally sweet and heavy foods. Here is how I responded regarding the way Annabelle began to eat solids:

I introduced solid foods to Annabelle by following her lead; that is, my husband and I noticed her eyes following our hands/utensils from dish to mouth (and that she seemed eager to try it). It dawned us then that we should offer her some of our food. At first, we introduced soft solids like pureed vegetables, oats, and rice. Over time, we introduced these foods in larger bites and eventually just shared whatever it was that we were eating with her. At most meals, I simply placed her on my lap and let her eat from my plate. She’s always insisted on holding her own spoon or fork, so we’d simply give her what she needed and let her take charge of feeding herself.

Perhaps because food and mealtimes were forced in my childhood home, I have responded as a parent by allowing my daughter to eat when she feels hungry (rather than coercing her into eating something she has no interest or appetite for). We generally have food accessible for her at all times. She now walks into the kitchen and opens the pantry or points to the fridge and tells us what she wants. She has a healthy appetite, although on one day she may eat as much as my husband and on another day she’ll eat very little. I suppose my approach to feeding solids has followed my approach to nursing on demand; that is, we feed her when she is hungry and offer her food at meal and snack times too.

As for finding healthy foods and a healthy diet that is appropriate for a growing toddler, I turned to holiday nutrition and snack tips from fellow mommy bloggers as well as from Dr. Sears. Below are a few resources that I like:

Super Healthy Kids

Amy at Super Healthy Kids has a degree in health education and opportunities galore for showing children how to eat healthfully; she is mom to 3 kids and is the president of Super Healthy Kids! Phew! Anyway, what I like about Amy’s blog is that she shares affordable and healthy recipes and snack ideas for kids, as well as ways to repurpose left over foods for other meals. I am looking forward to trying her homemade oats recipe, especially since Annabelle has a penchant for oats and nut butters (this week).

Family Education.com

Linda Piette, who I presume is an online writer, shares several healthy holiday snack ideas in this article. I am psyched to try, for the first time ever, making homemade roasted chestnuts. Linda also suggests cutting up a variety of fruits into different shapes for the fun of it; I like this idea and may add to it since our Montessori group had a similar food activity planned in which the children use the fruit shapes on a kabob spear to make fruit kabobs that follow a pattern (a great activity for older pre-schoolers).

Kaboose

Bonnie Schiedel, who writes about healthy snack ideas at Kaboose, shares a long list of simple snacks that are easy to prepare. Among my favorites are trail mix, fruit, veggies and dip (Annabelle loves this one), and smoothies. A tip that Schiedel shares for encouraging healthy eating among our candy loving kiddos is to have healthy foods accessible all the time. One way that I provide healthy foods all day long is to keep a plate of crackers, sliced berries and bananas, and carrots on Annabelle’s table set so that she may snack when she feels hungry.

Dr. Sears L.E.A.N. Tips

In this article, Dr. Sears discusses how to enjoy holiday foods without overdoing it. Some of his tips for encouraging healthful holiday eating is to offer at least 3 or 4 veggie based dishes at holiday meals. He also suggests healthy alternatives to traditionally heavy indulgences; for example, he suggests substituting gravy and butter with cranberry sauce and using almond butter in place of peanut butter (this tip becomes even more healthful when parents choose organic almond butter since conventionally grown produce may be treated with pesticides). Another idea that I hope to implement for holiday baking is to substitute some sugar in recipes with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.

What are your favorite healthy foods for your toddler or older children? Have you discovered any tricks for encouraging your children to eat mindfully and healthfully?

These yummy, semi-healthy kids’ cornocopias are easy and fun to make.  An added bonus?  The kids get to make your Thanksgiving dessert.

Materials

Butterknives

Bowls

Spoons

Serving Platter

Oil Cloth for Work Surface

Ingredients

Ice cream cones

Raisins

Dried Fruits (we like banana chips)

icing (a healthy alternative is vanilla yogurt)

M&Ms (and other colorful candies to your taste)

Cheerios

Trail Mix (or nuts and seeds to your taste)

Steps

1. Set-up: Place your cornocopia ingredients in separate bowls.  Children may then scoop ingredients to their taste into their cornocopias.

Cover the table or work surface with an oil cloth for easy clean up.

2. Give each child an ice cream cone, their own bowl of icing or yogurt, and a butterknife.

3. Show children how to smooth icing into the cone.

4. Add cornocopia ingredients to your preference.  Annabelle loves raisins and cheerios, so she chose those for her personal horn of plenty.

5.  When the children are done, place cornocopias on a display platter for your Thanksgiving feast.  After enjoying your main meal, let the kids (old and young) dig in and eat their treats.

As part of my bloggy Oktoberfest week, I thought I’d share a recipe for yummy sugar cookies (that your little ones may beg to help bake and decorate). Since I was (wrongly) under the impression that one of the kiddos in our homeschool playgroup had a gluten allergy, I followed the following gluten free sugar cookie recipe at celiac.com. As it turned out, he has a dairy, egg, and nut allergy, so his mom decided he would sit this one out (sorry!). Now I’m on the lookout for a baking day that includes all of our kids.

To set up for this fun cookie baking and decorating activity, I actually prepared the dough before everyone arrived so that it could cool for a few minutes. I also covered our kitchen table with easy to wipe table cloths because baking, when done well, gets messy. When everyone arrived and was ready to get baking, I sprinkled a bit of the leftover gluten-free flour in front of each child and myself. Then, I distributed a small dough and either a roller or a Mason can (which makes a fine roller in a pinch) to each child. I showed our children how to spread the flour (describing the sensory aspects of feeling the flour), flatten the dough, and roll the dough with their rollers. The other parents assisted their children and modeled how to use cookie cutters to create shapes and fall themed cookies.

We also whipped up our own frosting using powdered sugar (3 cups), melted gluten free butter (1/4 cup), and lemon juice (3 tbsp.). Some of the kids chose to experiment with food coloring, others chose to eat the frosting straight out of the bowl, and everyone else focused on eating their sugar cookies.

Later that day, I used the leftover dough to bake my own sugar cookies and decorate them (hey, I’m a kid at heart). My cookies are pictured in this post. For more photos from our cookie baking with the kids, go here. Scroll down to the boy with the drum; the cookie baking photos begin there.

What a yummy way to combine tofu and chocolate! To create this delicious and cruelty free treat, I first searched for a good recipe. I found this one in my MercyForAnimals.org’s Vegetarian Starter Kit. I used:

1 lb. of firm tofu (though the recipe calls for 1 1/4 lbs. silken tofu)

3/4 cup semisweet vegan chocolate chips, melted

1/2 cup of organic sugar (optional)

To Make

1. First melt the chocolate chips. Set aside.

2. Blend the tofu to a puree.

3. Add melted chocolate to blender. Blend to smooth consistency.

4. Add sugar to taste. I love sweets, so we added a full cup!

5. Either pour the mousse into 6 dessert bowls and chill, or pour mousse into a container (like a quart size yogurt container) and chill.

This is one of my favorite ways to indulge my love affair with chocolate and not feel guilty about it (for sake of the animals and my hips).

Do you have any favorite tofu dessert recipes? If so, I hope you’ll share with the rest of us!