The Slow Cook Has Got Me Thinking

If you read my blog post from a few days ago called How to Create Healthy Recipes You'll Love, you know that I've gleaned a fair amount of inspiration in the kitchen over the past few years from an article written by Ed Bruske, a personal chef and Washington Post food columnist. So I was tickled to discover this same writer had mentioned my post on his blog a few days later in an article called The Spreadsheet Diet. He was even kind enough to include some of his recipes I wasn't able to find on the internet.

While his article answered some questions, it also presented some new ones for me....

First of all, what is this "slow food" movement I've been hearing about? I want to learn more.

Second, Bruske says in his article: "I don’t eat grains or legumes or other starchy carbs any more if I can help it. But I recognize that many people consider these foods extremely healthful, and I  agree: if you are going to eat carbohydrates, focus on whole grains and legumes with lots of fiber, Avoid sugar, refined grains and other starchy foods (french fries!) at all costs"

Really? No grains or legumes? Well, that certainly piqued my attention. I'd like to know more about that.

It looks like I still have something to learn from Ed Bruske. I look forward to reading more on his blog. In the meantime, anyone care to share what they know about these topics?

On a separate note, a very thoughtful reader was able to find the links from Bruske's original Washington Post article. So, here they are:

Recipes That Top the Charts 
Spreadsheet Categories
How it Works (about 3/4 of the way down)
The Spreadsheet Diet

I love this kind of exchange of information. Thanks for taking the time to share your comments and ideas. I always appreciate it.

Use Books to Wet Your Child's Appetite for Healthy Food

Good food and good books are two important components of childhood. Isn’t it great when they work together as a team? Books help me combat one the biggest roadblocks I face with my children - reluctance to try new foods. Sometimes certain stories will generate interest in a new food. Other times, books simply make mealtime more fun. 

One of our favorite games is to read a book and take a bite when we hear a certain word. For example, we'll read Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type and take a bite each time the word “cow” is uttered (or uddered as the case may be). We work on literacy skills and my boys eat a good meal - win win!

The possibilities are endless, but here are some of my favorite ways to use books to encourage good nutrition:

• Green Eggs and Ham. I’m so grateful for all the spinach omelets my boys have eaten because of this book. I put fresh spinach (aka “magic green”) in the mini-food processor, mix it with cheese and eggs, and voila.... green eggs! 
• The Lorax. I convinced my sons that mangoes were truffula fruits. That got them to try something new. Now they realize how delicious mangoes really are! 
• Ten Apples Up on Top. This book inspired a yummy and healthy dish of whole grain biscuits with baked apples “up on top”. The baked apples are good even without the biscuits. To make them, simply slice granny smith apples, coat in olive oil and cinnamon, and bake in the oven until nice and mushy. For some extra fun, you can count the apples as you make them and maybe even balance them on your head!
• Berenstain Bear’s: Mama’s Day Surprise. This book is centered around a special breakfast of honeyed french toast with fresh blueberries. My boys salivated over the pictures, so we made it one day and they happily cleaned their plates. 
• Berenstain Bear's: Too Much Junk Food. One of my personal favorites with a great message about healthy eating. My kids are more likely to eat carrot sticks after we've read this.
• The Little Red Hen. My oldest is fascinated with the idea that you can start with a grain of wheat, plant it, and eventually make bread out of it. I’m working on ways to capitalize on his new interest. I'm not sure I'm capable of growing wheat!
• Richard Scarry’s books are packed full of yummy looking food.

How to Create Healthy Recipes You'll Love

 

Have you resolved to eat better, but you're having a hard time finding healthy recipes you actually like? Perhaps you are veteran healthy eater who is in a bit of a rut. Here is a simple method that may be the jump start you're seeking. It certainly helped me expand my horizons and create delicious meals tailor-made to suit my palette.

I learned about the method a few years ago from a good friend. She gave me a copy of an article from The Washington Post called The Spreadsheet Diet written by Ed Bruske, personal chef and food columnist. The article struck a chord with me. I keep it in my recipe book and read it every so often for inspiration.

The article itself is worth reading, but unfortunately the original links to all the recipes and how-to details are no longer there. However, Bruske was kind enough to write a post on his blog in response to an email I sent him. Wasn't that nice? Click HERE to read the post, which includes several full-length recipes. Thanks Ed!

In any case, I'll do my best to explain the method as I have used it. Basically, Bruske's spreadsheet contained the column categories shown below in all caps. The rows contain your favorites in each of those categories (the ingredients listed here are just a few of the many possibilities). To create a recipe, you pick one or two favorites from each column. The result is a well-balanced, healthy meal using foods you love!

• WHOLE GRAINS: barley, bulgur, brown rice, couscous, quinoa, spelt, wheat berries, wild rice
• ALLIUMS: onions, shallots, scallions, chives
• NUTS: walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, cashews
• HERBS: parsley, cilantro, mint, dill, basil, hyssop, lemon balm
• TOMATOES: diced, cherry, grape, sun-dried, roasted
• LEGUMES: peas, chickpeas, lentils, fava beans
• DRIED FRUITS: raisins, apricots, cherries, cranberries, blueberries, currants, pomegranetes
• PRESERVED GOODS: olives, marinated artichokes, roasted red peppers
• VINEGARS: red wine, white wine, sherry, apple cider vinegar, rice wine, lemon juice
• VEGETABLES: red peppers, carrots, cauliflower, celery, fennel, broccoli
• GREENS: arugula, spinach, radicchio, endive
• EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

The key is to pick all the things you love the most.  I know it sounds kind of obvious to say that, but it's not something I thought to try until I read the article. First I followed some of the recipes written by Bruske, then I felt confident enough to experiement. Now I always keep my favorite ingredients on hand, and when things get too busy for proper meal planning, I know I have something healthy I can whip together.

My personal favorites are:

• mushrooms (either sauteed or made into a mushroom gravy)
• roasted red peppers
• roasted tomatoes
• olives (I'm in love with the Lindsay Naturals at the moment - click HERE for coupons)
• shallots
• roasted garlic
• toasted pecans
• scallions (the organic ones are exceptionally good)
• dried cranberries (Whole Foods carries ones that are nice and plump and contain no high-fructose corn syrup)
• Lundberg Wild Rice is expensive, but excellent, and mixing it with quinoa adds a nice amount of protein

Click HERE to view some of the full-length recipes on Bruske's blog. Also, here are some his basic ideas to get you started. The first one is my very favorite (shown in the picture).

• Wild Rice and Quinoa Pilaf With Toasted Pecans and Dried Cranberries: 2 from grains, 1 from nuts (pecans), 1 from dried fruits (cranberries), 1 from alliums (scallions), 1 from herbs (parsley), 1 vinegar (cider), 1 olive oil. 
• Hulled Barley With Carrots, Raisins and Walnuts: 1 from grains, 2 vegetables (carrots, celery), 2 dried fruits (dark and golden raisins), 2 alliums (shallots, scallions), 2 herbs (parsley, hyssop), 1 from nuts (walnuts), 1 vinegar (white wine vinegar), 1 olive oil.
• Brown Rice Pilaf With Roasted Cauliflower, Dried Fruits and Cashews: 1 from grains, 1 vegetable (cauliflower), 2 dried fruits (raisins, apricots), 2 herbs (cilantro, mint), 1 from nuts (cashews), 1 vinegar (lemon juice is considered part of this category), 1 olive oil.
• Wheat Berry and Chickpea Salad With Olives and Feta Cheese: 1 from grains, 1 from legumes (chickpeas), 1 feta cheese (a category in itself), 3 preserved goods (marinated olives, artichokes, roasted red peppers), 1 from tomatoes, 2 greens (radicchio, arugula), 1 vinegar (lemon juice), 1 olive oil.
• Bulgur and Lentil Pilaf With Fava Beans: 1 from grains, 2 from legumes (lentils and fava beans), 1 from tomatoes, 1 from alliums (red onion), 1 from vegetables (fennel), 3 from herbs (parsley, mint and dill), 1 vinegar (rice wine), 1 olive oil.

Here of some additional tips that might help. Have fun getting creative in the kitchen! I'd love to hear about the recipes you come up with.

• Use vegetable broth to cook grains. This adds a lot of flavor to the finished product. Swanson has an organic vegetable broth that is very reasonably priced. I can often find sales and coupons.
• Use a nice quality olive oil. I like to keep two types of olive oil on hand. One bottle of cheaper light olive oil for cooking and one bottle of more exspensive extra virgin olive oil to use on non-cooked dishes where the flavor of the oil can really shine. My favorite brand is Filipppo Berio Extra Virgin... delicioso! Click HERE for a coupon.
• Don't be afraid to try new things. Sometimes unfamiliar foods can be intimidating, especially when they come from the produce isle or the bulk bins and have no instructions. The good news is that you can find instructions for anything on the internet. Just look it up. You may have found your new favorite food! 
• Ready rice is actually pretty good in a pinch.  Yes, yes... whole grains are very important. But sometimes we just can't be bothered to wait 30 to 50 min for the rice to cook. I've found that Uncle Ben's Ready Rice (wild rice or brown rice) is actually pretty good. Sales and coupons abound (click HERE for a coupon). Minute Rice also has a good Ready to Serve rice in single serve containers (click HERE for a coupon).
  
• Roasting vegetables properly makes all the difference in the world. The first time I achieved that marvelous caramelized glaze on my roasted vegetables, I never settled for anything less. Click HERE for a helpful guide to achieving flavorful roasted vegetables. 
• Toasted nuts take the dish from good to great. Unfortunately, toasting takes away some of the nutrients found in raw nuts, but it certainly makes for an outstanding flavor. If that makes eating healthy more enjoyable, I'd say it's worth it!

By the way, one of Ed Bruske's blogs is called Better D.C. School Food. He's like the American Jamie Oliver! Nice work Ed! He also has one called The Slow Cook that contains lots of helpful information about food, nutrition, gardening, and environmental issues.

Read the follow-up post: The Slow Cook Has Got Me Thinking

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Coupons for Honest Drinks

Click HERE for coupons on various Honest teas & juice drinks. The Honest Kids drink pouches are a huge improvement over some of the more popular brands. They are organic, contain no high-fructose corn syrup and the sugar is relatively low.

Another reason I like these drink pouches is that you can freeze them to keep the rest of your packed food cold. Then when they thaw, you can drink them!

If you buy a lot of Honest Kids drink pouches, consider clicking HERE to sign up for their rewards program. I haven't used it yet, but it looks like there are a lot of practical rewards, such as coupons for free Happy Baby products and gift certificates to Publix and Target.

Thanks to Thrifty Mama!

Free Family Film Festival

See movies for FREE this summer at Regal Entertainment Group theaters as part of the Free Family Film Festival. The festival runs on select weekdays at 10AM from June 15 to August 12. There is a choice of a G and a PG movie on each show date. Click HERE to find a participating theater near you.

If you live in Tampa, the theater at Citrus Park Mall is an option. The showings are on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 10AM. Click HERE for the details and show schedule. Also, if you join the Westfield WFamily club (membership is FREE), you can get special discounts for food after the show.

Get a Refund for Recalled Tylenol & Motrin

You've probably heard about the recall on certain medication for children including Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec, and Benadryl. Click HERE to get a refund or a coupon on any McNeil products you might have on hand.

Kids Eat Free at IKEA this Weekend

 




They are having the kids-eat-free deal at IKEA again this weekend. Kids 12 and younger eat free Friday, May 14 to Sunday, May 16. No adult purchase required. This is a $2.99 value. You pick three child items to make a meal.

In case your kids aren't hungry while you're at the store, just pick some of the pre-packaged items (i.e., yogurt, applesauce, carrot sticks, milk, or juice) and save it for later! They even have some organic choices.

Great Price on Sprig Toys at Tuesday Morning

I was so excited to find Sprig toys at Tuesday Morning. The prices were great. The blue car above was only $7.99 (retails for $24.99) and the larger orange truck was only $19.99 (retails for $59.99). I've had my eye on these toys for ages, but I've always found them to be too expensive.

These eco-friendly toys are made from recycled material. They do all sorts of neat things, but they don't require batteries! That's green and frugal!

Excellent Prices on Organic Baby Clothes from Happy Green Bee

Happy Green Bee has some outstanding prices in the clearance section right now. These pants are only $5. There are also onesies, hats, blankets, and some adorable dresses at equally low prices. And it's all organic!

Shipping is FREE for orders of $35 or more, and $5.95 for orders less than $35.

I love the clothes from Happy Green Bee! These were my favorite pants to put on my boys when they were babies. They are so soft and comfy and look great with a white onesie.

This is a great time to stock up on baby gifts. Be aware that the pants run big. 

Happy Green Bee is a wonderful company to support. Click HERE to read more about the owner's amazing story.

Thanks Thrify Mama for the heads up on this.

The Quest for a Healthy, Green & Frugal Easter

Easter is here, and again I am facing that persistent old dilemma - how do I remain healthy, green and frugal without depriving my children of simple holiday pleasures?  Here are a few ideas I've gathered over the past few years. I'd love to hear your ideas - please share!

• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. I rarely buy any holiday materials. Rather than buy new baskets each year, I just pull from my mother's extensive basket collection. I use the same paper grass and plastic eggs year after year. If I don't have it already, I probably don't need it anyway.

• Candy: Quality versus Quantity. Rather than getting loads of "value" candy, I take the same amount of money and buy just a few pieces of high quality candy. When shopping for candy and treats, I avoid high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils. Organic is always a plus. When shopping for chocolate, I look for high cocoa content (or at least make sure sugar is not the first ingredient). Some of my favorite brands are Yummy Earth organic candy, Green & Black Organic Chocolate, Lindt chocolate, Newman's, Own chocolate, and Annie's bunny cookies and crackers (these are great for putting inside the plastic eggs). 

• Fresh Food Treats. Why not? There are plenty of healthy delicacies that might be just as exciting to receive as candy and sweets, if presented the right way.  
• Carrots. I have a vision of a beautiful Easter basket full of fresh carrots with the green cascading from the tops, as if they had just been picked from the garden by the Easter bunny.
• Fruit. My children love raspberries and mangoes, but we don't get them too often because they are expensive. What a lovely (and nutritious) treat for them!
• Hard-Boiled Eggs. Rather than candy eggs or plastic eggs filled with candy, why not the real thing!

• A Basket Full of Junky Toys? Although it's tempting to fill the Easter basket with all those cute little trinkets from the dollar isle, it might be more economical (and green) in the end to actually buy a select few higher-quality toys. When I'm feeling especially tempted by shiny trinkets, I just imagine the flimsy piece of plastic in a landfill a month after Easter is over. That usually does the trick.

Here are some of my favorite Easter basket toys:

• Seed Packets. Planting flowers or vegetables with your children - what a fun spring project!
• Matchbox Cars. You can get pastel colors to keep with the Easter theme.
• Sidewalk Chalk. Get the best value by shopping in the non-holiday isle.
• Books. There are tons of great Easter-themed kid's books.
• Audubon Plush Birds. They offer a full line of stuffed animals modeled after specific species of birds. The birds even make the correct call when you squeeze them! We got the Pileated Woodpecker for our son's first Easter because we have them in our backyard. It's a great way to engage children in birdwatching. It's certainly more educational than the run-of-the mill stuffed bunny. 
• Schleich Animals. We have quite a collection of these toy animals, and our children love them. It's a great non-electronic, durable toy that inspires imagination. The animals are very realistic, which makes them great learning tools for students of all ages.

 Of course, the best gift we can give our children is time. If you are looking for ideas for Easter-related crafts, activities, songs, and literature, visit Earth's Kids. One of the more interesting projects on the site is the live grass Easter Basket shown above.

Have a Happy Easter!