Thursday, December 17, 2009

hey mambo mambo italiano

My daughter loves that song. She was introduced to it when hubby popped in the soundtrack to Mad Men into the car. She loves that and pretty much all types of music. She is in love with Frank Sinatra's music and tries to imitate his style of singing.
Last night I made something easy and quick.

Fettuccini Alfredo

3 quarts water
about 4 3/4 tsps fine sea salt
8 ozs whole wheat or brown rice fettuccini
1/4 cup refined coconut oil
1/2 cup vegan creamer
1/4 cup vegan Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups fresh peas, cooked, or frozen peas, thawed (optional) but please throw them in anyway. I used sweet peas to make the natives happy.

in a 4-6 quart stockpot over high heat, combine the water with about 1 1/2 tbsp salt. bring the water to a boil, add the fettuccini, about 7 minutes.
meanwhile, in a 1-2 quart saucepan over medium heat, melt the coconut oil. When it's almost melted, whisk in the creamer, increase the heat to medium high, and bring to a simmer. whisk in the Parmesan, pepper, and the remaining 1/4 tsp of salt. cover and set aside.
when the pasta is done, drain it. return the pasta to the pot and stir in the sauce (re-whisk if it separated) and peas. if it seems too dry, add 1/4 to 1/2 of water.
enjoy!
My kids liked it very much.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

getting very busy..........

I try not to sweat the small stuff but sometimes there is nothing else but to do that. Moving is such a lengthy and difficult process. Trashing stuff you don't want to take w/ you. Finding stuff you forgot you had. Two days in a row I was just too tired to cook much. Monday I had a bag of whole wheat ravioli stuffed with soy cheese and spinach. I did make the red sauce from scratch.

2 tbsps refined coconut oil
1 onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
8 - 10 cloves garlic, minced
2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1/4 cup fruity red wine (optional) I didn't use this.
2 tbsps finely chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp salt
1/8 tsp hot sauce like tabasco (optional) I didn't use this either.
1 tbsp agave nectar (optional) I DID use this.

heat the coconut oil in a 4 - 6 quart stockpot over medium-low heat. add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 - 8 minutes (adjust the heat, if necessary, to avoid browning). add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. remove from the heat and stir in the wine, if using, along with the basil oregano, salt, and hot sauce (if using). taste, and if the sauce is too acidic, stir in the agave. use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months.

The sauce was very good. I only used a bit for our dinner and bagged and froze the rest. I did divide the sauce and put in separate bags since it is alot. Very good on those days when you have no time but to boil water. You can defrost on the stove top while cooking your pasta. Great when you have only 15 minutes of patience left for the day. You can also add any veggies you like to make it more wholesome and stretch the sauce.

Last night was even more tiring.
I made quesadillas with spinach. It was good and perfect since I had no more patience and was super tired.
Yes.
Once again I was so tired that when I got out of the shower and snuggled into my robe I forgot to turn off the shower. Thank God one of the kids just walked in to say good night to turn off the water and the lights.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Hurry the Curry

I love the smell of curry.  There is an Indian family a couple of doors down and it smells like curry almost everyday.  I want to live there.

Potato and Pumpkin Curry w/ Brown Basmati Rice
1 1/2 cups brown basmati rice (or whatever rice you have at hand.  I used regular brown rice)
2 1/2 cups water
3/4 tsp fine sea salt
2 tbsps refined coconut oil
1 onion cut into 3/4 chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (all I had was the diced tomatoes with green chili.  I still used it and it was still very good)
1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cayenne (I used chili powder)
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 lb red potatoes cut int o 3/4 inch chunks
3 cups 3/4 inch chunks pumpkin (ok I did cheat.  I used butternut squash because they were already cut into big chunks and whole foods.  sue me.)
1 1/2 tbsps lemon juice (I was a bit distracted and didn't add.  It was still so yummy)
1 tsps chopped fresh cilantro or italian parsley.

In a 2 quart saucepan over high heat, combine the rice, water, and 1/4 tsp of the salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 30 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let the rice stand, covered, at least 10 minutes.
While the rice is standing, make the curry.  Heat the coconut oil is a 10-12 skillet over medium high.
Side note:  I had to transfer everything towards the end to a pot because my skillet wasn't large enough.
Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost tender, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.  Add the tomatoes, stock, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Bring to a boil and add the potatoes and pumpkin.  Return to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the portato and pumpkin are tender, about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
Serve over rice sprinkled with cilantro.

I loved it.  It was a bit spicy for the kids.  For the littlest she had a tiny bit and just ate her brown rice.  The middle kid loved the potatoes and curry but wasn't thrilled with the squash.  Hubby.  sigh.  He is still not on board with eating healthy.  He eats a tiny bit and then just makes cereal.  Which is just fine with me.  I am putting myself first.  I really do feel the need to eat better for my health and teach my kids the same.  They might not be thrilled but understands what I am doing and why I am doing it.  Coming from a family living with heart diseases and diabetes, it is my duty to break away from it and live better and healthier.  I am not there yet.  Baby steps for sure.  I have thyroid disease and with it cholestrol is very high.  When I started eating better for me my good cholestrol was very high and the bad cholestrol was borderline.  My doctor was thrilled and said because of the good cholestrol being so high he feels the bad cholestrol is normal.  He did ask what kind of changes have I been making.  I told him eating no meat and more vegetables and switching from white bread/pasta/rice to brown bread/pasta/rice.  He told me not to stop and wish his patients with extremely high cholestrol, heart disease, type 2 diabetes would all follow suit. Being vegetarian is not easy.  It takes work and dedication and support.  PETA has a wonderful starter kit you can order free online and you can easily pick up many vegetarian or vegan cookbooks at your local library.  Many of the ingredients can be found in any supermarket or farmer's market you enter.

Please forgive any spelling errors.  I seem to have lost my spellcheck.....
1

Thursday, December 10, 2009

testing #1 on twitter and facebook

hoping this works

I'm Just Sayin'.......

It isn't easy preparing meals and cooking meals daily. Whether you are a SAHM or work outside of your home or have no kids at home or too many kids you can do it. It takes a bit of planning and shopping ahead of time to make it all come together. A really good idea is planning your meals one week at a time. I bought this really cute magnetic pad that has one side the days of the week where you write each dish per day and on the other side the shopping list. I picked one up at Michaels and there are 30 sheets per pad. That's 30 weeks! Take that shopping list and buy everything you need. I like to buy in bulk so diced tomatoes, tomato paste, commonly used seasonings, etc. I buy at Smart and Final. It is just like Costco except it is smaller, no membership fees, and they only sell things you use in your kitchen and cleaning supplies. So you are not tempted by all the extra stuff you don't REALLY need. The rest of my shopping list I go to Whole Foods. It isn't really all that expensive. I do not buy name brands unless I have no choice. Sticking to their brand is the way to go. They also sell some veggies already diced and minced for you which, let's be honest, when you are busy and don't want to spend alot of time in the kitchen, saves alot of time. For example, I picked up chunks of butternut squash for dinner to be used today. Easy and convenient and although it is cheating, you are still saving money in the long run because you are not eating out. Lots of the veggies you can prepare on the weekends and keep refrigerated and when you are ready to begin dinner you just take out of the refrigerator and are almost done! You can also make sauces over the weekend and refrigerate or freeze until you need it.
At the end, you will have yummy meals for you and your family. It doesn't have to be difficult. Just delicious.

konnichiha!

Be warned. Although this was a very good and hearty meal, those who are not willing to try new things might not like the taste of buckwheat soba noodles.

Japanese Soba Noodles w/ Steamed Vegetables and Tofu

2 tbsps mirin (it is a Japanese rice wine used for cooking. I bought mine at whole foods but you might be able to find it in other stores or look for an Asian market)
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
2 tsps sesame oil
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar (use lite less sugar and salt)
1/2 lbs globe eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch cubes or Chinese or Japanese eggplant cut into 1/4 inch slices
about 4 3/4 tsps fine sea salt
8 ozs firm or extra firm tofu cut into 1/4 inch cubes (I actually used the whole container of tofu for more protein
1 cut cut into matchsticks ( I used a peeler)
8 ozs buckwheat soba noodles (I had no problem finding this in the Asian section of whole foods)
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp gomasio (this is a seasoning w/ seaweed and sea salt and sesame seeds. it is very good and it does complete the meal so don't skip it. also found in the Asian section.

in a large bowl, whisk together the mirin, ginger, tamari or soy sauce, and 1 tsp of the sesame oil. set aside.
in a pot fitted with a steamer insert, bring 1 inch of water and 2 tbsps of the rice vinegar to a boil. arrange the eggplant in the insert, sprinkle w/ 1/4 tsp salt, cover, and steam for 7 minutes. add the carrot and steam for 5-8 minutes. add the tofu and steam for 3 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the tofu is heated through.
meanwhile in a 4-6 quart stockpot, combine 3 quarts of water with about 1 1/2 tbsps salt. bring to a boil over high heat, add the noodles and cook according to package directions. drain, rinse, in cold water, drain again and return the noodles to the pot. toss with the remaining 1 tsp of sesame oil and cover. when the vegetable mixture is cooked, add it to the bowl with the mirin mixture tossing gently.
to serve place the noodles on plates or a platter and top w/ the vegetable mixture, scallions and gomasio.
or to save time and space I just mixed everything in the pot where I cooked the noodles and mixed everything except the gomasio. You should add that to your liking.



Wednesday, December 9, 2009

I am the International Bitch

I think I was Greek and Italian in another life. I love Greek and Italian cuisine and really try to make it at home as often as possible.

Falafel

1 can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 onion, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons panko or whole wheat bread crumbs
2 tbsps chickpea (garbanzo) flour
2 tbsps coursely chopped italian parsley
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp pepper
4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
about 2 tbsps refined coconut oil melted
1 lemon
6 tbsps tahini
1/4 cup water
3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp paprika
6 pita breads (I use whole wheat because it is healthier but grab what you want)
1/4 head inceberg, romaine, green leaf, or red leaf lettuce, coarsely shredded (I actually use spinach cause I need dark green and more nutritional value than others)
1/2 cucumber, cut into 1/4 inch slices
12 - 18 slices dill pickles (I did not use pickles because it is just so yucky It was yummy w/o)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
in a food processor (if you don't have one go get one or ask for one on craigslist or freecycle) combine the garbanzo beans, onion, panko, flour, parsley, cumin, coriander, pepper, 2 cloves of the garlic, and 1/2 tsp of the salt. Pulse, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary, to form a course paste. shape the paste into 12 golf ball sized rounds. flatten the balls to about 3/4 inch thick and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. brush both sides of each ball with the coconut oil and bake for 45 minutes, turning halfway through, until nicely browned. set aside to cool. meanwhile, juice the lemon. in a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, water, olive oil, paprika, lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp salt (if using unsalted tahini). press or finely mince the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and whisk into the tahini sauce. set aside until ready to serve or refrigerate for up to a week. to assemble the sandwiches, cut about 1 inch off the top of each pita, forming a pocket. add falafel, spinach or lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and pickle, dividing evenly. drizzle each sandwich with about a tbsp of tahini.

It is so delicious. I even assembled one for lunch today. You can make your own hummus and add on to it. Better to make your own because after having my homemade hummus, the store brought kind isn't so good.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

toot toot

Have been so busy packing and throwing things away. We are finally moving to a bigger place but I still found time to cook a full meal. I am going to start posting recipes and hopefully I don't get into trouble. BTW, persistance works! My picky eater now likes brown rice. Yay mom!!!!!
Last night I made this yummy chili. I did make a small portion w/o the spices because my picky eater cannot handle it.
Cha Cha Chile (serves 6-8) good to freeze some or leftover lunch or weekends

2 cups dry red kidney beans (I used black beans more fiber) you can use canned beans but I buy dry beans because it is much cheaper buying a 5lb bag and storing it in an air tight container.
1 tablespoon refined coconut oil
2 onions, cut into 1/4 in. dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chili powder
1/2 tbsp fine sea slt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
pinch cayenne pepper
1 (14 oz can) diced tomatoes
1/2 cup medium-grain brown rice
1 red, green or yellow bell pepper cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 carrot shredded
chopped red onion
shredded vegan cheddar cheese (I omitted this because I didn't have any block cheese and it was still yummilicious)
vegan sour cream (also omitted because I just didn't have any and again no reason. it doesn't make the meal)

In a 4 or 6 quart stockpot, combine the beans and enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
drain the beans, return them to the stockpot and cover w/ water by 1 inch. place the pot over high heat, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
meanwhile, in an 8-10 inch skillet over medium, heat the oil. add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. add the garlic, chili powder, salt, pepper, oregano, sage, cumin, and cayenne and cook for 1 minute. add the onion mixture to the beans, alon with the tomatoes and rice. cook for 30 minutes.
add the bell pepper and cook for 15 minutes. add the carrot and cook about 5 minutes until the beans and rice are tender.
serve w/ red onions, shredded cheese and sour cream, if desired.

You can make some corn bread to go w/ this. My father used to make chili and pour it in a pan and in a mixing bowl he mixed together boxed cornbread and pour it on top of the chili. It was enough to cover the chili a bit and baked in the oven until it was golden brown.

The recipe was taken from the cookbook Skinny Bitch in the Kitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

the things you discover when you read the ingredients

worchestire (sp?) sauce has corn syrup and anchovies!!!!!!!!!!!

dinner last night

was a success. Why? Because even the little one loved it. The beans looked meaty that my husband liked it. He is also another picky eater. Kinda. He doesn't like the vegan meals unless it looks like it has meat. I have tricked him on several occasions.
Tonight will be corn on the cob, mashed potatoes w/ country gravy. Going to rehydrate some TVP and season it with lots of seasonings to make it taste beefy.

Monday, October 26, 2009

taking responsibility

is something I am having a hard time dealing with. No not me directly. One of my kids, God bless her, is getting on my nerves. Example 1: The portable pencil sharpener fell and all the shavings came out of the small compartment...
Me: Girl, you know you better pick every bit of those shavings up. I just vacuumed!
Her: But, Ma, it's not my fault!
Me: Really? didn't you just have it in your hands?
Her: Yeah but she broke it!
Me: Really? When did it break?
Her: Two months ago.
Me: But it just fell out of YOUR hands. Regardless of whether it was broken or not. It fell out of YOUR hands. Should someone who broke it 2 MONTHS ago be held responsible for something you did TODAY?
Her: I think she should be the one picking it up. It is hers.
Me: Girl, if you don't pick it up and I'm a gonna......

Yes this is my regular day.

Nevertheless it was picked up.
Nothing to do with food but this is the kinda shit I gotta go through.

Anywho......
I went to the store and p/u whole wheat tortillas and avocados. When I get home after gymnastics I am going to put half of the beans I soaked and cooked last night into the food processor and make some 'refried' beans using olive oil. Dice up some tomatoes and onions,smash the avocados and call it dinner.
That is my easiest dinner.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

oh and I had my veggie patty with these slim whole wheat sandwich buns and spinach and tomatoes. wanted to squeeze in an avocado but with all the spinach and tomatoes there was no room!

I NEED MORE HOURS

Between schooling the kids, trying to keep this place tidy and doing outside activities, I feel like I cannot breathe. Today we had a quick breakfast of waffles with whipped cream cheese and grape jam. Lunch was garlic onion french fries and a veggie burger. Kids had cinnamon apple sauce. Dinner will be simple. Spaghetti with real parmesan cheese and TVP (texturized vegetable protein). TVP is so good. It doesn't have the added fat and cholestrol that ground beef has and it tastes like it with the right seasonings. Sometimes I just season it with salt and mix it with the spaghetti sauce. No one can tell the difference.
Have you noticed when you go to a supermarket (not health food store) that they are stocking up more organic foods? I was shocked to find an organic chai tea latte!

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

breakfast of champions and our busy life and I think it is time to crank up the crockpot

Whole wheat waffles, whipped cream cheese and strawberry jam

Need to find a specific time to work on this blog. Between gymnastics, AWANA, the gym and soon cheerleading class, I am having a really hard time sitting in front of the computer. I do some writing on the go on my phone but that is mostly on twitter and facebook.
Also my time cooking is being cut since I cook most of our meals from scratch. Next week I am going to start crockpot cooking. Squash is now in season so will take advantage of that!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

how to get as much fruits and vegetables in you

Seriously.
Every time you sit down and eat anything include just one fruit or 1/2 cup of fruit and 1/2 cup of veggies.
That's it!

Thursday, September 24, 2009

dinner at home

Is always nice. Kids talking about a new story they are writing. New adventures they would like to go on. I love my kids.
Today I might dinner pretty quick. My leg is killing me! Mashed potatoes (with pureed cauliflower), super sweet corn, and chicken free chicken. I used a short cut with the potatoes. I like the ones that use just add water, soy milk, sweetened butter. Much easier and faster when you are busy. The chicken free chicken is from Follow Your Heart. You should be able to find it at your health food store (whole foods). I cut it up into strips and fried it in olive oil. OMG

Let the Games Begin

Yesterday was a busy day here. School in the morning, gymnastics in the afternoon and AWANA in the evening. I think this will be our busiest day of the week. We picked up a quick dinner at Subways. The best place to go for the money and diet. My kids had the ham and cheese on Italian bread with spinach and American cheese. I had the Veggie Delite. That is all the veggies on the tray except jalapenos and lettuce NAKED. Meaning no mayo or other things they would like to squirt on there (LMAO I SAID SQUIRT).
Today I am going to let my leg rest and for the next two days. I ruptures my plantaris muscle and it feels like I was whipped on my calf and thigh. The good thing is that the pain will go away in less than a month. The bad thing is that it will eventually happen to my other leg. Other bad thing is that I can't go to the gym. Doctor's orders.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

the best damn pizza evah!!!!

Yesterday for dinner I wanted something quick and easy that everyone will enjoy. I turned on the oven on 400 degrees and took out of the refrigerator whole wheat pitas, vegan mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce, and pureed spinach. I spread about 2 tablespoons of the spinach on the pita bread, spread the pizza sauce and 2 slices of the vegan cheese on top of the sauce and oven baked for about 5-10 minutes. Check often that the cheese doesn't burn. Placed the pita pizzas on the plate for about 5 minutes (if you have picky eaters, best you do this so that the cheese is settled and doesn't slide off to reveal the spinach) and shazam!
Pita Pizza!
My 11 year old ate 2 and loved it. My 9 year old picked at it. I am still working on her. She goes through phases where she will eat everything and other times she just picks at her food and eats what she feels like it.
The 11 year old afterwards had a Soy Delicious Peanut Butter and Chocolate ice cream. We love this ice cream. It is so creamy and so(y) delicious.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

time time where can I find the time

Running around with the kids and doing my own kind of running around (lifting weights, running, speed walking) and it has taken a toll on my little self. Seems that I have ruptured a muscle which according to the doctor isn't necessary and it is the size of an eraser. Very difficult to walk so I need to keep my feet up and keep it bandaged for 2-3 weeks.
Yeah right!
Who will get my kids where they need to go?
Anyway back to food. I have to confess I have not been following my own reason for blogging which was to cook for the kids recipes from Deceptively Delicious and Sneaky Chef and for myself Skinny Bitch.
I did make a yummy snack yesterday!
Kids loved it and it has calcium and protein.
I took a flour tortilla and spread peanut butter (I used 365 brand. Ingredients is peanuts and salt) and spread semi-sweet chocolate chips. Roll it away and walaa (is that how you spell it)! The kids loved it! Hurray for me! I also sliced some apples and spready peanut butter on that too. Yummilicious ya'll

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Horrible Mom Right Here

Yesterday we spent the day at Disneyland and I was feeling especially generous. Blame it on getting to the park before it opened. Blame it on my kids reciting the rules without any prompting.
We went on the Grizzly River Run. For those who have never been on the ride it is a very wet ride where you ride on a raft with approximately 6-7 other people and go up and down the trecherous river. Ok man-made river but in all it's Disney glory, it is a phenomenal ride.
I let the kids talk me into letting them ride THREE TIMES!!!!!!!!!!
While on the ride you pass a bridge where some people take pictures of the beautiful waterfall and get drenched when one of the rafters pass by. My kids thought it was cool and wanted to hang there,
Now here is the horrible mom part. I left them wearing their wet socks and sneakers for the remainder of the night until the littlest one told me that her feet felt a little weird when I realized that 1. I forgot that they would be drenched and 2. I forgot to pack their sandals just in case something like this would happen.
I wish I wasn't so tired that I would have remembered to take a picture of their feet. It looks like how your feet would look like after sitting in a bucket of water for too many hours. Pale pasty white, wrinkly and it stunk! Not that you would tell the last part with a picture. I am not,by far, a Disney Imagineer.
Fast forward to this morning. They look a bit better but according to one of the Princesses 'it feels like I walking on metal. except I am not walking'.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

challenges

I am not going to lie to you. It is a supreme challenge getting my younger children to eat healthy. So many distractions. This summer since papi was home we ate out too much and then we went to the fair. OMG I couldn't believe what was being fried all around me. Fried frog legs, fried twinkies, fried oreos, deep fried coke, chocolate covered bacon....
I thought I was going to die! Not because I ate it. I was a good girl. For linner I ate cornbread, beans and garlic fries.
Until we were on our way out of the fair. One half hour before the fair was about to close, hubby yelled FUNNEL CAKE!!!!!!!! That did me in. I had a sundae funnel cake and ate the whole thing. Now for those who do not know I have thyroid disease. I have to take this special little pill everyday for the rest of my life. My metabolism is almost nil. I get tired and sluggish very easily. Normal peeps feel energized after a good workout. I, on the other hand, am ready for a nap. Like 2-3 hours long. Also I am lactose intolerant. Eating or drinking any dairy makes me bloated and sick to the stomach sometimes for days.
So.
Ice cream and cheese is my weakness.
I have no control over myself when I am near these 2 foods.
I had a funnel cake sundae.

See full size image
I suck!

Monday, September 14, 2009

quick dinner....sorta

On Saturday I was cleaning and noticed the rest of the fam were due home in about an hour. So I took out my Bob Red Mills vegetable soup mix and added 2 cups of the mix and 8 cups of vegetable broth into my big pot and let it cook for an hour. As soon as they arrived I popped into the oven whole wheat bread buttered with a slice of swiss cheese for a few minutes and TADA! soup and sandwich. So nutritious and so good and oh so filling!

Friday, September 11, 2009

Thursday, September 3, 2009

my blah day

We did absoultely nothing but read and enjoy each other's company. Dinner was easy and quick. Mac and cheese from a box. I know ewww and so not like you Maria, but seriously it is so convenient when you have a blah day or need something quick and you feeling a bit lazy. To make it more healthy-like I mix in a 1/4 cup of pureed sweet potatoes (you can puree carrots or butternut squash if you like). Kids have no idea and they think they are getting a break from veggies.
It is the beginning of September and what is in season is pomegranates, grapes, pumpkin. I think there is a few more. Oh yes persimmons!!!! They are in season and it is a bit cheaper compared to any other time of the year.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

busy busy busy

school and gymnastics kept us busy but I did make time to make our healthy dinner. Brown basmati rice with curried pumpkin and potatoes. It was delish! This is also came from the book Skinny Bitch in the Kitch. Dinner was a little late but worth the wait!

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Japanese Soba w/ steamed veggies and tofu

OMG
that was so good.
Just preparing it and mixing the mixed ginger and soy sauce and oh the smell of green onions. It was so good.
The kids did not like the eggplant but did not have any trouble with the buckwheat soba noodles, carrots and tofu.

Cannot wait until the fire is all gone and the air quality is better. Being on the go is tiring but not being so is a strange feeling to me.

September already

Summer is almost over! Still time to go to the beach and enjoy the summer weather. Fire season started early here although I do believe it is more year round than a season. Here in the North East section of Glendale it is smokey and yucky out. We have not been able to enjoy our walks in the mall or our regular one mile walks to the Y or the library. Today I am making for dinner Japanese Soba w/ tofu and steamed vegetables. It is quite yummy. I will give more info and recipe later on. Or you can go ahead and look it up. It is a recipe I snatched from my Skinny Bitch in the Kitch cookbook. One of my faves.

Monday, August 24, 2009

tweeter

not to be confused with tweeker. I am mamimaria on twitter. That will be more up to date with random stuff

intro

Hey this is Maria and I will have some thoughts of life as a homeschooler mom and getting my kids to eating more healthy. I will cuss because to be honest, when the kids are not around I will cuss and this is not for their eyes or any children out there. Most of the recipes I use come from cookbooks like Skinny Bitch (because I am so not!), Sneaky Chef and others I cannot remember. Officially start on or around September 1 or whenever I have something thoughtful to say.

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