TRICKS & TIPS PART 2

Last night we had brussel sprouts for dinner.  Luke ate about a dozen baby sized brussel sprouts (which make them sweeter and more tender).  When they were all gone he cried!  It was the only time he ever threw a really big tantrum where it really did not upset me at all.  I felt even a tiny bit of joy knowing that he was longing for my delicious brussel sprouts :)  Truth be told he was so tired that no matter what we had run out of he would have gotten worked up about it, but it is nice that he still enjoys a good brussel sprout.  One of the things we did when he was little was talk about eating veggies A LOT!!  We did not do it in a parent "You must eat your veggies" sort of way but rather we would talk about how much we love each item.  When we were playing store we always asked for broccoli or brussel sprouts or fruit.  If we played with our little men and he was feeding them my man always would request a healthy treat for dinner.  I involve Luke a lot at the grocery store in helping me find the special treats: brussel sprouts, asparagus, etc.  Eating needs to be fun not a chore so the more it becomes part of our play the better we are.  To that end I have noticed that if he helps in cooking in even a small way : cracking an egg, pushing the button on the blender, he is more likely to eat it.  Kids sense your enthusiasm so it has to be authentic!  

2)PROTEIN PACKED FRENCH TOAST

* The key to this is the bread.  Almost all kids enjoy bread but if you introduce them to the white UNHEALTHY kind it is hard to make the switch.  Instead keep a good whole grain bread in your house that does not have any sugar in it.

* We eat sprouted wheat bread that is full of nuts, berries and protein!

* Also this recipe calls for Almond Butter which I recommend over Peanut Butter.  It is much higher in protein, calcium and lower in fat.  If your child is introduced to it instead of peanut butter then to them it is a treat.

1. Take two eggs and and two teaspoons of whole milk and beat together in a shallow dish for dredging.  Add cinnamon and a drop of vanilla extract.

2.  Take two pieces of sprouted bread and spread organic Almond Butter onto one piece

3.  On the second piece of bread drizzle a TINY bit of agave and spread it along the bread

4.  Then slice one banana and place it on top of the agave side of the bread.

5.  Put the two pieces together into a sandwich and cut in half

6.  Dredge the two halves in the egg mixture and then place in a hot pan and cook like french toast.

7.  IF needed serve with St. Dalfour's Jam (all fruit)

8.  Serve with a side of fresh fruit for added fiber.

* this recipe is both kid friendly and yummy.  It is a favorite in my house.

  

TIPS & TRICKS PART 1

    I recently had a girlfriend of mine ask me for a few tips on getting her son to eat more vegetables.  He is two years old and since about a year old has been REFUSING to go green if you know what I mean :)  While I do have a few "tricks" up my sleeve I think part of getting a child to eat well is about modeling behavior..YOURS.  If you and your husband always eat well and include your son or daughter in your meals instead of making a separate more "child-friendly" meal chances are that over time they too will eat your food.  Since my son was born I have been introducing him to a variety of "adult" tastes and did not want him to get a more bland palate.  So he has been having foods with garlic and all sorts of spices since he was born.  That said here are a few of my more child friendly tricks and tips.  This will be an ongoing post.

1) THE SMOOTHIE 

*Be sure to serve your smoothie in an OPAQUE glass so that the added "treats" can't be see

*Use a mixture of both fresh and frozen fruits (frozen is important in making it yummy

*Keep organic frozen mango, strawberries, blueberries and bananas on hand for smoothie

*the banana is a KEY ingredient in hiding other food

*The pureed organic baby foods from Earth's Best are great if you don't have time to pure

*Kale blends up well with a banana and is easily hidden in a smoothie

*Romaine too is virtually without taste and adds extra fiber

*Avocado can be added for thickness but go light as it can make it gloppy

*Can throw in wheat germ, flax meal, oats, etc..

Sample Recipe

1 banana

1/4 cup frozen strawberries

1 /4 cup frozen blueberries

1 large leaf of kale

cup water

1/4 100 percent juice (pomegranite, orange, apple)

BLEND and enjoy!!

Another sample

1/4 cup grapes

1/4 cup frozen mango

1 orange

1 cup water

1/4 cup orange juice

1 jar squash

BLEND and enjoy!!

*** NOTE: I will often put some Greek yogurt in smoothies as well. When doing this it is best to

stick with fruit blends and NOT add the veggies. For some reason it can really heighten the taste of the

veggie and blow your cover :)

THE FLU SHOT

    Yes, here is again another very controversial topic.  But since this is a blog promising not to sugar-coat anything I can not shy away from these important issues particularly with how they pertain to our children's health.  I am not a proponent of the flu shot.  I think it is risky and often very inaccurate.  To me it is just another big business that has gotten out of control.  The intention of helping people with lower immune systems protect themselves in quite wonderful but this article speaks to my greatest belief which is that NO SUGAR is one of the best ways to protect the immune system.  I know that some of the points in this article are not entirely accurate (you can get thimerosol-free flu shots), however its overall point speaks to my belief about this shot.  I can tell you that the one year I got the flu shot I got the worst flu EVER!!

If you are considering the flu shot for yourself or your children please read.

http://www.NaturalNews.com/024624.htlm

FIRETRUCK CAKE CONTINUED

   Cate from Tribeca-Yummy Mummy who's blog I recently discovered commented that she would like to know more about what I tried using for Luke's fabulous firetruck cake.  So here is a follow-up to my earlier post.  I very loosely followed a recipe from the ever so fabulous book "Baking with Agave Nectar" by Ania Catalano.   The cake batter has zucchini in it which I think added to the moistness of the cake.    Here is the recipe as I made it:

4 ounces Wax Orchards Fudge Sauce

3/4 cup canola oil

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons baking powder (non aluminum)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon agave

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt

2 cups coarsely pureed zucchini

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly oil two 9-inch cake pans with oil and flour.

Combine the fudge and 1/4 cup canola oil in a glass bowl and heat in either the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes or in small double boiler.  Stir to combine.  Sift the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl use an electric mixer to beat the rest of the canola oil, and the agave.  Then add the eggs one at a time and beat until mixed.  Add the chocolate and the vanilla extract and then continue to beat.  On a lower sead add teh flour mixture and the yogurt and mix until combined.  Then gently fold in the zucchini puree.  Bake for 30-35 minutes until the center comes out clean.  I RECOMMEND A BIT OF UNDERBAKING FOR INCREASED FUDGINESS.

As for the icing..what I used and what I tried were two different stories.  I used store bought gross sugar laden icing that held toxic food coloring (You can tell I was not thrilled).  What I tried was another agave sweetened recipe that I really did not love.  I think next time I would try an agave sweetened cream cheese frosting.   As for non-toxic food coloring..let me know if any of you other moms out there have found a TRUE firetruck red!!

OUR RIGHT TO CHOOSE

Regardless of how someone feels about the "vaccine" issue the right to choose what you and your family do to your own body should not be taken away!! Health is a huge issue for me having had health challenges in my life. I have often felt pressure to deal with my body in a certain way because of what is considered traditional or normal, however often my body responds better to more alternative treatments. Had I been FORCED to take certain treatments or medicines I can only imagine where I would be today. If there is anything we can do to not let this happen in California then we must do it. We must protect our children's right to take care of their own bodies one day!! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27225500/

ITS A VERY CRITICAL TIME

In past election years I have tried very hard to keep politics out of my friendships, relationships and conversations as I know it can often be a "hot topic" and it is often hard to change people's mind who really have already made their decision. This year somehow feels different. I really feel that this is a very critical time in our nation's history. Maybe it is having a child, maybe it just comes with age, or maybe its that this is my blog and I can say anything I want (probably all three), but whichever it is I just can not bear to keep my mouth shut. Somehow today I came upon this video and I think it is very important to see. My son is getting ready to go to preschool. We live in Los Angeles where there are tons of various types of families, two mommies, two daddies, one mommy, etc.. We have purposely chosen a preschool where he will be exposed to a variety of different people, experiences, etc. I feel quite differently from the people in the video and am truly frightened that the world is so antiquated and afraid that it can not embrace change. While I understand wanting to know what your children are reading in school the idea of needing to shelter them from what is truly going on in the world seems barbaric. So all this said. PLEASE vote NO on Proposition 8!!

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1352578267?bctid=1819819843

NO SOY STRIKES AGAIN

    For some reason lately there have been a lot of articles popping up about why soy is not a great choice for kids (or adults).  If the phytoestrogens are not reason enough this article has quite a few reasons why parents should not encourage their kids to eat soy and in particular soy based formulas.  Someone told me the other day that I was soy paranoid and yes it may be true; but there are enough reasons not to make soy a mainstay of one's diet. 

www.westonaprice.org/soy/infant.html