Minecraft Party

There are no shortage of ideas out there to celebrate Minecraft style. Here's my contribution to the crafting scene and some of the better ideas I gleaned, without going crazy on the sugar. We celebrated Clark's 7th bday with just a few friends, so 6 kids total. But I think all the activities are very scalable.
Diamond Time!
We had the kids "earn" their diamonds by 1) mining them using little shovels and pails filled with stones I got at the dollar store. The diamond was at the bottom. I got a pack of diamonds that came with tissue paper grass for my table but I'm sure you could get them separate. 2) They had to go thru an obstacle course to the safe house at the end. My boys helped me create pitfalls made of chalk (yellow holes you could fall in, red lava with stepping stones to assist you, a tunnel to avoid it completely, and water with "floating" wood bridge. If you stepped into the chalk you had to start over. There was a secret code at the house that they had to come tell me to retrieve their diamond. And 3) they had to explode a creeper, which were green balloons blown up (no helium) with black paper squares and electrical tape to make the creeper face. They were hidden around the yard. This was a great activity to start (and outside) cause they arrived bouncing off the walls with excitement.

Pin the Tail on a Piggie
Pretty self explanatory. Made from pink construction paper. We used a minecraft Steve head (on backwards) as the blindfold.

Make a Minecraft Mask
I had tons of paper squares (1.5") cut out. Yellow, 3 different browns, 2 blues, white, black, 3 peachy/flesh colored.

Make a Potion
Using kool-aide type powders I found at the dollar store, kids mixed them in water bottles. I only listed potions for the primary colors, thinking they would naturally experiment and make other colors, but nobody did. So maybe have a added bonus for orange, purple and green like enchantment or extension.

And of course we played minecraft, had cake and other yummies.

Banilla shakes

A family adventure to the new Lyfe cafe at spectrum found us enjoying a new spin on our favorite clean dairy free version of a shake. I've hesitated trying this place a few times since from the outside, it seems a bit stark and cafeteria like, but when you actually get inside, its full of hip unique furniture and eating spaces. BTW, they have an amazing 3 story terrarium type herb garden that is simply inspiring.

Frozen bananas(2-3)
almond milk(1c)
dates(6 sliced)
and the addition of vanilla (1.4t)
all pureed (add bananas last).

 I whipped one up after our soccer game and it hit the spot:) Notice, I didn't manage a picture before everyone had gobbled theirs down;)

Ss Week: Scones and Spider Pizzas

So I started my after school cooking class with 3 of my favorite students and it was a blast. I will have to manage my time a little more, but the idea is to fit 2 seasonal, healthy recipes into a 30 minute "class" using a blender and toaster oven. Besides all the food/health talk, there are plenty of opportunities for math skills: problem solving, patterning, counting, number recognition, etc. and fine motor skills (pinching, rolling, stirring, kneading, etc.) This week was Ss week so we celebrated with Scones and Spider Pizzas. Try it with your child and let me know how it works.

Scones are a wonderful fancy finger food a la tea parties, but they are really so easy to make (and versatile) that you can make them any time. I love making them because it reminds me of playing with playdoh- except with a much yummier outcome! The secret is to keeping the butter and cream cold. Try not to work the dough too much as warm hands will melt the butter. A plastic glove (or makeshift ziploc baggie glove) will help insulate the dough as well as make clean up a breeze. If you can, pop the baking sheet with cut scones into the fridge for a few minutes before baking to chill.
Scones (makes 8 small scones)                           

1c. whole wheat pastry flour                                
3T sugar in the raw                                              
1t. baking powder                                              
pinch of salt                                                        

3 T cold butter, cut into small cubes                  
1/2c. heavy cream                                              
1/2c. fruit sweetened dried berries  ( I love Eden brand cranberries)

1 beaten egg to brush on top                              
Sugar for sprinkling                                              

    Directions
1. Preheat toaster oven to 350F. If you cover your tray with foil and really smooth it out.

2. Mix all dry ingredients together.

3. Add butter and squish it (with your fingers) into the flour mixture, until it looks like sand.

4. Stir in the cream and dried fruit as best you can, 1/2c. fruit sweetened dried berries                       then switch to kneading it with your hands to get all the little dry bits to stick together in one big ball.

5. Spread a little flour on a sheet of parchment paper. Flatten the dough ball so it's about 1/2inch

thick. Sprinkle some flour on top (if it's really wet and sticky) and spread it around. Cut the dough in   1/2 from top to bottom and then again from side to side, making 4 wedges. Brush the tops with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar. Move the scones on to the baking sheet.

6. Bake 20min until golden brown. Move to a wire rack to cool for 10 min.

I think everyone has made an English Muffin pizza at one time or another, so no big fancy recipe here. But a fun and playful way to decorate your pizza just in time for Halloween. Consider doing your spider with a green olive or a bigger version with bell pepper. I realized I have no "finished" picture, they some how keep getting eaten before I get the chance;)

Spider Pizzas
1 Whole Wheat English Muffin split

1 string cheese
2 T tomato sauce
Dried Basil
Garlic Powder

4 Black Olives

Directions: For each 1/2 of English Muffin...

1. Spread on 1T tomato sauce with the back of the spoon. Sprinkle lightly with garlic powder and generously with basil.
2. Peel 4 long pieces of string cheese and place them in a plus and X shape on top, to make an asterick. (see top muffin)
3. Peel smaller pieces of string cheese to make a 2 rings around the muffin connecting the asterick making it look like a spider web. (see bottom muffin) The skinnier the strips the more web like it will look.

 

4. Cut 1 olive length wise (this will be the body) and 1 olive in 1/2 the short way (for the head). Arrange on the web. Cut the left over halves into 8 legs and put 4 on each side.

5. Toast in the oven to melt the cheese (about 5 min) and broil for 30 secs. until bubbly.

What I learned from Brussel Sprouts

Brussel Sprouts are not very many people's favorite food. They certainly weren't mine. Growing up, on the few occasions my father was in charge of dinner, his go to meal was boiled hot dogs and brussel sprouts, of he which he was HUGE fan. Despite his enthusiasm, I couldn't bring myself to swallow them, even if it meant no dessert. They were bitter and soggy and I continued to steer clear of them for most of my adult life. Until, on a food/wine tour, I had some roasted with pancetta and onions.What a difference a cooking method made! They were tender not soggy and not a hint of bitterness (roasting brings out the sweetness of many veggies). So they made it off the "never try again" list, but I still didn't cook them on my own. And then I had the "burnt" brussel sprouts at Cucina Enoteca. They roast and char them in their pizza oven until they are literally black and bathe them in a spicy red sauce and they are better than french fries. Suddenly I find myself craving them so much that I was compelled to find a way to make them at home. I think if I had given up on them, I would have missed the zero to hero moment that brings me such culinary pleasure now. (I've since gone on to enjoy shaved brussel sprout salad.) Its important to share these moments with your children too; to let them know, that tastes change, your tongue grows up- never give up on a healthy food. My son has his own way of enjoying brussel sprouts (with peanut butter) that he discovered from reading Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. You never know when culinary genius may strike, the key is be open to trying it. That goes for cooks and diners alike. I often hear moms say, "oh I don't think my child will eat that" and that's the end of the discussion. I said those words once and almost had my oldest miss his gateway to salads moment (kale of all things).  You just never know. Lucky for me, he spoke up and said, "I'd like to try that." Of course also ready in his vocabulary is "I don't care for that" or "please never ever make that again". But that's empowering for him. And that's what we really want, right? Not a child that eats his veggies cause he's told to, but because he's fearless, adventurous and enjoys them. I hope to share some of my family's "successful" healthy whole food recipes with you- please share some of yours with me too!

"Burnt" Brussel Sprouts
Roast halved brussel sprouts tossed with a little olive oil, salt and pepper on a shallow baking dish at 400ºF for 15-20 min. You should be able to pierce them with a fork. Then move the rack to the broil position and broil for 5-10 min. Stirring to turn, once or twice, if you think you have burned them they need 3 more minutes;) Really! Let them get crispy and black. Meanwhile puree jarred roasted red peppers and a add a few drops of hot sauce to taste. Pour the sauce into a shallow bowl or plate and nestle the sprouts on top. Enjoy!

Aguas Frescas

I was introduced to aguas frescas on a backpacking trip I took through Costa Rica just out of college. Literally, meaning fresh waters, this drink will revive anyone after a sweltering trek in the jungle. Even if your not working quite that hard, you can enjoy this refreshing drink, when summer fruits are at their ripest, guilt free because its sweetened only by nature. In Latino countries they will offer you a choice: con agua o leche. For safety reasons I choose milk during my stay, but I think I prefer it anyway. It's more like a creamy milkshake, but the water version is lighter and just as tasty. You can squeeze a lime in it if you'd like, but I'm a purist- and please don't add sugar. If it doesn't taste sweet to you, your fruit wasn't ripe enough or you need to reset your taste buds. I think the best time to make agua frescas is when your cut fruit is just starting to get mushy and watery. It hasn't gone bad yet, but the texture just isn't as appetizing as it was day 1. Since I tend to be seduced at the farmer's market by melons and stone fruits, and I end up buying more than a family of 4 could ever eat, this happens often. We tend to have 2-3 c. of cubed fruit left at the end of the week and I puree each fruit separately and we all pick our favorite flavors. And I of course top it with a splash of creamy milk, both cow and almond are great. For a larger amount, using fresher fruit, I would add 2-3 c. of water per 5c. of fruit, unless you are using watermelon, which is such a high water content you may not to need any extra water at all. But the drink should have a thin water like consistency. If it seems like a smoothie its way to thick.

Watermelon, honeydew, and strawberry are classic flavors, but pineapple, mango, peach, and cantaloupe work well also. It can be paired with basil, mint or vanilla, but again I'm a purist. Of course, if you were to spike it with prosecco or vodka, I probably wouldn't complain. Experiment and see what your favorites are.

Agua Fresca: Sandía (makes 4-6 servings)
6c. chopped watermelon
Optional: Juice of 1 lime
Handful of mint leaves, divided
1/4c. milk

Puree 6 c. chopped watermelon. If desired, muddle 1/4 juice of lime and mint leaves in the bottom of each glass. Fill with ice. Pour the watermelon puree over the ice and top with a splash of milk if desired.

White Bean Hummus with Thyme and Basil

This dip is not just a sublime upgrade from the traditional chickpea hummus, but is so creamy and delicious you can't help but be inspired to put it on...everything. Try it smothered between bread and grilled veggies or rolled in a tortilla. But the real genius is using it in place of mayo, especially for potato or egg salad. De-vine! This recipe comes from the 21 Day Kickstart Meal Plan which I highly recommend for anyone seeking new ways to enjoy more veggies. I play with herbs based on what I have in my fridge. Today I used a basil dijon from TJ's and it was perfect!

White Bean Hummus with Thyme and Basil (makes 2.5c)
2 c. canellini beans (or 1 can rinsed and drained)
1T lemon juice
2T tahini
1 clove sliced garlic (less for kids, its gets spicy)
2T red wine vinegar
1/2t. dijon mustard
1/2t. salt
ground black pepper
1-2T water (to thin to desired consistency)
2.5-3t fresh chopped thyme
1/4c basil, torn

Puree all ingredients except fresh herbs until smooth. Add herbs. Chill

Layer Dips

Gearing up for Cinco de Mayo, not that I ever need an excuse to eat Mexican food, I assembled a quick vegan layer dip today that the boys gobbled up, even though they usually shy away from food touching other food. Cleaning up layer dips is a necessity because I could never just eat the 2T that most commercial dips claim as a 150 cal serving. My layer dips never have the same amount of layers because I make them based on what I have on hand-which means they never get old. You also don't have to eat them as a dip. I piled 1/2c on top of a bowl of mixed greens and arugula. Go chopped romaine if you want a tostada feel. You could also serve this as fancy finger food in a butter lettuce wrap, or serve it disassembled along with tortillas and let people make their own tacos/burritos. (I told you it never gets old!) I remembered that I used to make a Greek layer dip in college that was well loved and decided to catalog this party food matrix style; what else could you layer?

Daring Greatly

I recently had the amazing opportunity to travel to Costa Rica for a week's stay with a women's surf camp retreat. I had been to Costa Rica after graduating college 18yrs ago and have wanted to return ever since. I had initial reservations: I'd never been away from the boys that long, I'd never traveled that far by myself, in fact I hadn't traveled without my husband since we got married, I'd also never surfed before. But for all my fears, I had confidence in the safety of the area and my ability to speak the language, I also had a friend who would be at the camp also. I didn't want to turn down the opportunity I had been waiting for for nearly 2 decades because it was out of my comfort zone. When I voiced my concerns to my husband he supported the idea that I had to prove to myself that I could do it. It was so affirming to have someone believe in me that way. I then felt proud that I was modeling for my children being vulnerable and open to new experiences. I knew this trip would give me plenty to talk about during our grateful cheers at many dinners to come. I didn't realize the trip would help me understand how having a supportive and loving family that regularly practices gratitude can make or break the vulnerability experience. My Kindergartener picked up right away on the true risk factor involved when he asked me, "Mommy, aren't you worried that you won't have any friends?" At first I was tempted to laugh his response off as cute and childish but I realized this was an existential question that cut right to the heart of our purpose of being human: connection and love. (Yes I love any reason for a metaphor!) I panicked for a moment and then reminded myself (and him), that I can make new friends and at least I had one friend already going. I had experience that helped me belief that. He seemed relieved and said "Oh yeah, like when I didn't know anyone on the first day of school and I met Jayden and he is my best friend." I was so grateful that Clark counted that memory as one of his life lessons. Indeed we have often used it to coax him into new situations that he is reluctant and shy about. Without that one struggle he might never have found the courage to throw himself in the "arena" again. And I think that by retelling it gives him courage to make more of those memories. When we make a purpose to relive the vulnerable experiences through retelling and grateful cheers, we remember their place in the balance of life. For some reason it is easier to remember the times people have hurt or disappointed us even if they happen with less frequency than our positive experiences. But if we let those memories dictate our past we feel less sure of facing unknown situations like making a new friend or trying something challenging. And what about our little ones that just haven't had that much experience yet. Finn is stuck there right now. He keeps telling us about the harrassments of one individual (most of which happened in the past) at the expense of even remembering the other positive experiences he had that day. I've been at my wits end trying to counsel him, but the Costa Rica trip reminded me that there are only 2 things that help you move on from a bad experience. Remember & share (often) the good experiences and be courageous. I had success on my surf board because I was confident that I could learn a new skill (thanks to my recent attempts at yoga, hiking and aerial fitness) and I was courageous- at the moment before I stood up and the board wobbled, I refused to listen to the fear that said "you're gonna fall in" and said to myself (sometimes audibly), "You can do this." I've realized that with such little experience Finn sometimes needs me to be his inner voice. When he screams in frustration from the back seat, "I can never do this buckle". I confirm, it is a tricky buckle and so frustrating, but you've done it lots of times. Sometimes when you try it works and sometimes it doesn't. But you always try and that's the important part. Click! "I did it Mommy!" I've realized that making the struggles and disappointments less difficult is neither impossible nor desirable, because we won't have those stories that remind us, yeah we managed to be happy/successful anyway. I love this thought from Brene Brown in her book Daring Greatly, "Who we are and how we engage with the world are much stronger predictors of how our children will do than what we know about parenting."She encourages us to share our failures as well as your successes with our kids. Talk about the feelings and fears that you dealt with when you were their age so they can have "the courage to be imperfect, vulnerable, and creative." And above all honor their efforts to try something new, taste something new, know someone new. If you forget what this feels like, come with me to an aerial fitness class;)

Lean Habits from Canada

We had the extraordinary fortune to visit my husband's dad and stepmom in Quebec, Canada last week. It was the first time my kids had met Grandpa & Grannie and the first time they had been out of the country. It was beautiful verdant forests and lakes all with French flair. We had an amazing lazy yet adventure filled 5 day family vacay. But a surprising benefit was that I lost 5lbs! I immediately started thinking how did this happen and how can I replicate it here. My suspicion was that I simply ate less, because I was never really "full" and always a little hungry, but never too hungry. Still how did I manage that there when it is so hard for me here. Plus, I enjoyed dessert almost every night (bonjour glace!), including wine,  and even a sweet and sour fried chicken dish-totally unclean;) So what gives? My conclusion is that being bad can actually be good for you. And there are a few small tweaks to make in my kitchen.

First of all, Grannie Bar has some amazing seasonal cooking and eating habits that I must encorporate at home. For breakfast every day, she made us a bowl of fruit (fresh strawberries, blueberries, mango) and had an array of cereals available with almond milk. My particular favorite was called Vector, a Kellogg meal replacement product made specifically for Canadians (and not sold in the US, but I found a site that will ship for free.) It is basically a high protein vitamin fortified cereal (way more sugar than I would normally eat). So this breakfast is deceptively similar to what I eat at home, Kashi cereals with blueberries, but the BIG difference is BOWL SIZE. As I write this my empty cereal bowl is sitting next to me with a large spoon resting most of the way inside the bowl. At Grannie's house the spoons are smaller, the bowls look kid size, and your entire spoon handle would stick out. Also instead of topping the cereal with fruit, we ate a separate and equal sized bowl of fruit & cereal that dramatically changed the ratio of whole to processed foods.

For dinner and lunch, she made a variety of grain/pasta & veggie salads that she pulled out of fridge, ready to go. Through out the week, there was shredded raw beets with lemon juice, pasta spirals with pesto, lentil salad, wild rice salad, potato salad, and (my favorite) bean salad which was a simple store bought salad to which she add more beans from her garden because it was so overdressed. She also had a box of mixed greens to which I topped with the bean salad for some variety. We also made avocado tomato sandwiches & pb&j for the boys of which I had a half. Delicious and inspiring, but I do make a lot of that at home too, so what was different? The way she ran her immaculate kitchen. First for lunches, I noticed she never put the food on the table. It was left on the counter, so if you wanted seconds it was a.) more work to get up and go get it and b.) more conspicuous (probably only something I would worry about). But I felt myself wanting to mirror the actions of the healthy and trim almost 70 year old across from me. And so it cut down on mindlessly refilling my plate. Secondly, as the plates were cleared, she immediately rinsed everything and put it in the dishwasher and wrapped up all the food and put it away. The only thing on her counter (ever) was a cutting board. Even while she cooked there was only one food item and one tool out at a time. My kitchen is cluttered with oils and spices, tools and contraptions. And when I cook, it's an explosion (of creativity, I tell myself). But there was a zen like rhythm to her style that did not detract from efficiency or creativity. And the added benefit was that in between meals, the kitchen looked closed, so there was no snacking. Of course we would have been welcome to anything we wanted, but when its not your house your less likely to go foraging through the cabinets, mindlessly searching for..."what am I feeling like?". We snackaholics brought our own snacks, but they were very limited in both choice and quantity, so we ate them sparingly. So strangely having less choice and less "calling to you" availabity, made for more satisfying days. To achieve this at home, I'm going to try (gulp) buying less snacks at one time. We really don't need pirate booty, pita chips, pretzels & tortilla chips all in the cupboard at once. Nuts and raisins will always be a standby, but when I go to the store at least once a week, I can let go of this fear I will run out.

So the dessert thing though...I try to be so good at home, but at the end of the day I succumb to my wine and dark chocolate-but that's healthy right? Maybe not. Maybe doing something "bad" (guilt free cause its vacation) actually helps you be good more of the time. I had Canadian ice cream twice! I haven't had "real" ice cream in probably a year, but I think I over eat when I indulge in my "fake" treats. (It has dates instead of sugar, so I can have a second helping right?) It was easier to eat just a little of the "bad" stuff and know when to stop and feel satisfied. And I know I over eat anything and everything, when I have wine. I was thinking I would have none on this trip since the Grandparents don't drink, so I when I was offered a glass at a restaurant and again from a cousin, I viewed it as an indulgence to be savored instead of a reward that I had earned after a hard day. Physically these are small changes of habit, but they were big change in perspective which led to a big change on the scale.

Hiking with Preschoolers

It's the absolute best time of year. Even though January came with some crazy hot day curve balls, the cool weather and bright sunshine is perfect for enjoying the amazing wilderness, (literally in our backyard) which at this time of year is green and verdant with flowers and wildlife. I've always enjoyed trail hiking as both a meditative and physical exercise. Initially, I was put off by the halting snail pace that my toddlers made me endure. But fortunately, I soon stopped waiting for my kids to be able to keep up with me and started enjoying the trails at their pace and discovered a whole new wonderous world. Hiking, besides the obvious benefits of fresh air, physical activity, and quality family time, gives the children opportunities to practice patience, self discipline and the delicate and almost forgotten art of self entertainment. It takes patience to navigate a path that you've never been on before, not knowing when you'll get to the end or having to wait your turn to be leader of the trail. It takes self discipline to keep going even though you really want mommy or daddy to carry you. We practice goal setting-("Make it to that next tree then I'll carry you.") and delaying gratification. All these skills carry over into our everyday lives away from the trails and help us see every task in life as an adventure. But the greatest joy for me has been providing my boys with an escape from the modern world- even if its only for 30 min. There are few areas in the world we can practice having fun while being unplugged. Wifi was one of Finn's first sight words and he was quick to enthusiastically let us know which restaurant ,coffee shop or grocery store had it. Even though you can access the internet on the trails in Irvine/Laguna, and we often take advantage of GPS mapping (runkeeper is a great app for that), we make it a point to be otherwise unplugged. We set the purpose of enjoying God's creation and each other. This gives them the chance to rely on their own powers of observation, the chance to enjoy their environment through all their senses, and to find ways to connect to the world on their terms. Not even monkey bars and slides for entertainment out there- its all it all comes from you. What can you discover? At first you may need to model and point these things out to them to keep your child occupied on the trail. There's the obvious observations you can make about plant and wildlife; we learn the names of plants (monkey bush and CA everlasting are easy flowers to identify) and animals; we look at the tracks; we look at the scat; we find funny faces in the rocks. BTW, sage and licorice and great sensory plants to both touch and feel, even as an adult I can't help petting them as I walk by. We have also found it a great adventure to identify the letters on the posts that outline the path. Do you know what happens after you get to the letter Z? You can find out on the Dilley trail. Drive down Laguna Canyon Road (133) and there are 4 or 5 parks with hundreds of trails the whole family can enjoy. We recently celebrated completing a 2+mile loop, about an 1.5hour hike. I never thought my 6 and 4 year old would be able to do that, but after 2 years of just getting out there we slowly and deliberately built up to it. So where to start? Small loops with a nature center are the best. We loved Mary's trail at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. And while you're there sign up for their newletter and grab a calendar. They have fun tot walks with a ranger as a guide every month. Irvine Regional has 2 small loops and then you can stay and enjoy the train (Feb 22-23 are $2 rides) or the amazing zoo. Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary has an amazing nature center and small hike, worth the drive. When you are ready for a straight hike, I recommend Laurel Canyon Trail; we call it Tunnelly hike. There are fun natural markers that you can steadily work your way up to reaching: The caves,(500ft in) the fault line,(1/4m) the giant tree (1/2m), minecraft monster rock(3/4m) and recently we discovered fossils (1m)- just don't forget you have to walk back. You need nothing more than water, snack and a hat. Get an annual pass, you can use it everywhere from Mason Park to Crystal Cove to Aliso and Wood Canyons. ocparks.com is a good resource too, but don't spend too much time overthinking it. Just get out there! See you on the trails;)

The Ritz(ish) Creamed Corn

Thanksgiving is definitely my Aunt's domain. She consistently puts out an amazing spread for an unthinkable amount of people. So I considered it a bit of a rite of passage when I was asked to make the creamed corn. She gave me an amazing and rich recipe full of cream, whole milk, butter, and even some sugar, so naturally I had to try my hand at cleaning it up. Any fruit/veggie recipe that calls for sugar is simply asking for the season's peak crop, so buy selectively and taste before sweetening. I use frozen baby sweet corn (yellow and white) and just a touch of honey. I sub in EVOO for the butter and instead of cream, I use evaporated milk.  Although this year, I will be trying a vegan version using coconut milk. The Parmesan on top is must, there is no substitute, but if you can't do cheese, I would suggest trying breadcrumbs or finely chopped walnuts.

2 packages frozen corn (approx. 20 oz)
8 oz. whole milk
1 can (12 oz) low fat evaporated milk
1 t. salt
3 T honey (or to taste)
dash of white pepper
2T EVOO
2T whole wheat flour
2T freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Combine all but last 3 ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a low boil. Simmer 5-10 minutes or until thickened. In a separate pan mix oil and flour over a low flame until smooth and no lumps. Add to corn mixture. Mix well over low heat until even more thickened. Pour contents into a heatproof baking dish. (It will continue to thicken as it sits). Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Place in a broiler for a few minutes until the top is golden brown.

Note on transporting corn: If you are traveling with this dish, I suggest waiting to add cheese until you arrive, if possible. It has a tendency to slide around in the pan (at the least the way I drive) and the cheese can disappear. It only takes a few minutes to brown the top, but make sure your corn comes to the top of your pan so it can get nice and close to the heat.

Clean Eating With Kids- ICNS Speaker Handout

Clean Eating with Kids

What is Clean Eating? Eating food at its most natural state or as close to it as possible

10 Commandments of Clean Eating

1. Balance your meals/snack: fruit, veggie, protein, & complex carbohydrate (like a whole grain or starchy vegetable)
2. Eat regularly, 4-6 meals a day within portion sizes.
3. Buy Organic: making meat, dairy, eggs & Dirty Dozen priorities (ewg.org/foodnews)
1. celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, domestic blueberries, nectarines, sweet bell peppers, spinach, kale and collard greens, cherries, potatoes, imported grapes, lettuce (leafy green veggies)
4. Get label savvy.* Look for less than 3 ingredients. (On the 4-5 digit bar code on fruits and veggies 3 or 4= conventionally grown, 9= organic, 8=GMO)
5. Avoid processed, fried & refined foods by sticking to whole grains.
6. Drink plenty of water in reusable canteen. Limit red wine (juice) to 1 glass a day.
7. Eat healthy fats (walnuts, avocados, flax).
8. Eat local and humane.
9. Slow down.
10. Do it as a family.

Make a Health Goal:____________________________________________________________

Predict Obstacles: Strategies for Success:

1.__________________________________               1.________________________________

2.__________________________________               2.________________________________

3.__________________________________               3.________________________________

“Kids expect to grow up with their eating the same as with every other activity… You can’t really make hard and fast rules about what do do with kids eating, because there are always ex- ceptions. Instead...pay attention to your child and keep track of what works and what doesn’t. ” -Ellyn Satter

“You are in charge of what your child’s food education”- Karen Le Billon

Strategies to Encourage Good Eating Habits

1-Build trust. Honor your child’s tastes, but don’t cater to them.

• Teach how to politely express opinions.
• Allow to taste and take it out.
• Involve kids in meal planning (Eat a rainbow challenge)

2 -Plan snacks like meals at regular times (no handouts, eating while standing at the fridge)

4-Don’t reward with food. It teaches kids to value the food.

5- Adventure together. (“You don’t have to eat, but come to the table and keep us company.”)

Use positive reinforcement, praise and demonstration of family taste preference.

Eat the diet you want for your child-only permit healthy food in your home.

3- Understand your child’s development and set up for success by building in support.

You decide what your child eats, they decide how much.

Serve small portions & let your child ask for more.

(AHA) limit added sugar to 12-16g (for 4-5, & 3 yr. olds respectively)

Treat eating as the social skill it is. No nagging, bribing, or hovering.

Don’t call your child picky, fussy or difficult in regards to eating. And don’t compare!

Strategies to Get It Done!

• Getting the family on board: Make simple swaps. (Label Game) There are no bad foods, just less nutritious. Allow for repeated exposure. Ensure success. Remove competition.

• No time- Use precooked grains, prechopped veggies, flavored vinegars .         
• Eating Out- Sustainable Responsible Restaurants; Order off Menu; Talk to the waiter. Don’t order kids meals-they make it easy to eat unhealthfully.

• The Table is a classroom-Model, Model, Model! Foster positive food associations-no nagging! Use resources away from the table.

• Parties- Pre Eat the Healthy Stuff; Offer to bring a veggie/fruit tray

• Dessert: Mostly fruit (switch it up with dark chocolate, yogurt or cereal)

• Get Kids involved: Eat (Drink) A Rainbow, check at store, Individual sized treats, Meal Planning

• 90-10 rule- Remember this is a process, expect to have ups and downs. Work on 1-2 goals over several weeks.

Handouts

Healthy Eating Chart (http://www.avivaallen.com/Kids-Nutrition/healthy-eating-chart.html)

Nutrition Detectives-5 Clues for Reading Labels (http://goo.gl/Y2OQdY)

Eat The Rainbow (http://vitalityinternational.info/eat-the-rainbow/)

I Tried a New Food Chart (http://www.todayiatearainbow.com/resources/free-downloads/)

Green Smoothie Chart: This is not the one I gave at the meeting, but I gave away my original;) (http://goodcleanhealth.com/blog/recipes/good_clean_health_superfood_green_smoothie_guide/

Resources for Kids

-SuperWhy video: Hansel and Gretel- A Healthy Adventure (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwHXRim0UoE)

Red eats too much sugar and doesn’t have energy to play.

- Fizzy’s lunch lab- Games, videos, recipes, songs

(http://pbskids.org/lunchlab/#/videos)

-Brain Pop- Videos and Science lessons (http://www.brainpop.com/health/)

-Eat Healthy, Feel Great by William Sears, MD.- Stop Light System to catagorize foods

-I Will Never Not Ever Eat A Tomato by Lauren Child- Charlie uses his imagination to get Lola to try some foods on her “never eat” list.

Resources for Parents

How to Get Your Kid to Eat...but not too much by Ellyn Satter

Disease Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right by Joel Fuhrman, MD.

Fearless Feeding by Jill Castle and Maryann Jacobsen

French Kids Eat Everything by Karen Le Billon

Healthy Eating Charts

http://www.avivaallen.com/Kids-Nutrition/healthy-eating-chart.html

Healthy Fall

Fall is in the air! My body is already craving warm soups, roasted root veggies, and pie:) And although I'm eager to welcome a new season of eating, I was feeling a little anxiety about re-introducing these foods to the boys. In the past its taken a few weeks of extra patience as dinnertime is met with a barrage of refusals until they finally declare "Oh yeah! I remember, I love soup!" (Do you know it can take up to 15 tastes before a child likes a new food!) But after 3.5 yrs I feel like our routine is finally paying off. Visiting the farmers market together, tasting and hand picking goes along way to prepare the boys for when it gets to their plate. Eating healthy together takes as much effort, planning & diligence as character development. And I whole heartedly believe it is just as important. I recently read a book (Disease Proof Your Child by Joel Fuhrman) that claimed that eating healthy is most important between the ages of 5-10. Not just because the relationship children build with food will follow them throughout their life but because of the intense growth during this time, the food they ingest becomes the building material for everything from bones to brain cells. We are (very literally) what we eat. And on an immediate level it shapes their personality, how they experience and react to the world. I have a student this year who was having trouble with classroom behavior expectations. He would have regular meltdowns if he didn't get to do what he wanted, refused to follow directions and acted like we hated him when we asked him to change his behavior. We noticed this was worse after snack which we realized was a daily dose of chocolate pudding, granola bar and chocolate milk. We asked mom to go easy on the sugar and literally the next day he was a changed person. Snack is now just a granola bar and water and now he can function! And he is so much happier too. What power!
And to harness that power at this age mostly it's about how and what you offer. Positive, encouraging opportunities to try new foods at all meals through out the day. Don't get me wrong, its not a free for all. Mealtime is just as structured as bedtime. You would never tell your child, "hey there's the bed- use when you feel like it." We provide training (stay in your bed ALL night) and so too at dinnertime, (eat the other things on your plate before you have a second helping). And once they experience success, we slowly start adding independence at the table. I start by having 2 green veggies to choose from or letting them serve themselves a portion of the meal. So by building choice within the structure of a healthy balanced meal, you can start to train children to make healthy choices. At this age, they are having at least one snack/meal 2-3X a week out of our presence. We are not there to say yay or nay. 
But while they are with us...we model and encourage and train. Two tips that have worked well for my family:
1-Encourage self monitoring with a chart (like you may have with potty training). And don't be afraid to eat before you go to a party. 2-We load up on healthy snacks (veggies and dips, fruit and nuts)- we call it pre-partying;)-right before we walk out the door, that way the kids will be too full for the junk or even if they eat it, we don't feel guilty because we know they got their nutritional quota for the day.

Honey vs. Maple Syrup

I read an interesting article on the benefits of these two natural sweeteners. First it may surprise people to know that there is not a huge caloric difference between these and granular sugar. But we all know that calories are NOT all equal. White refined sugar has been stripped of any vitamins and minerals and is nutritionally void, not to mention that it raises your blood sugar level much more sharply which besides being hard on your liver (as it tries to process all the insulin being made) leaves you wanting more...and more... and more.  Maple syrup, according to Healthy Eating, is primarily sucrose, a complex sugar that is broken down by your body into glucose and fructose, simpler sugars. Honey is mostly fructose. Maple syrup also is 10 calories less per teaspoon, a bigger deal in cooking when your using a lot.  Honey has vitamins (esp. B6) and Maple syrup has minerals. Both have antioxidants. So my conclusion... Use maple syrup in cooking and use honey to drizzle on breads or pancakes, that way you get the best of both worlds. But remember just because these are healthIER sugars doesn't make them healthy, enjoy in moderation;)

While I'm at it, just a reminder for how much is too much. There is a great article at Livestrong that states 25g for women, 37g for men, preschoolers 16g, but "Children ages 4 to 8 should consume less sugar—about 12.5 g per day, because they have greater nutritional needs and have fewer discretionary calories in their daily diets". Important to note this is about added sugars, NOT natural sugars in fruit.

Healthy Choices

from ICNS Nov 2012 newsletter...

We are celebrating Healthy Choices this week in my Kindergarten class (it’s the elementary version of Red Ribbon week) and I’m reminded that I am not alone in the nutrition battle, especially at dinner. There seems to be an evening mania where kids meltdown after a long day, everyone’s hungry, and you are racking your brain to answer what’s for dinner. And even if you plan ahead for those eventualities, there is the problem of getting the kids to eat what’s on their plate. My boys have always seemed particularly disinterested in DINNER. Lunch and snacks are no biggie, but dinner? I thought it was because at dinner there is the pressure to eat your veggies. So I experimented. I tried serving foods they usually scarf down at snack time, only to have them turn their noses up at it for dinner. (Ok well at least its not my cooking then.) And I realized, I’m putting way too much pressure on everyone, if dinner is the only opportunity to eat veggies. If I served vegetables throughout the day, I wouldn’t be so stressed about their nutrition. Now we have carrot sticks with our PBnJ and hummus and bell peppers for an afternoon snack.

So the pressure is off, but there is still the disinterest in dinner. The other night, I set Clark’s food in front of him and he said, “That’s NOT what I ordered mom.” As a cry for help, I continued looking for more revelations online, & I came across a few good tips/reminders at buildhealthykids.com. (Not that I would let the government dictate what’s healthy for you, but they’re on the right track). Here’s some of the gems.

-Serve small portions of veggies so that your child can feel success at finishing them. -Understand serving sizes for kids. 5 pieces of broccoli is a serving, but work your way up to it.

-Serve smaller portions of the rest of meal, so kids don’t fill up on carbs/meat first, then when the veggies have been eaten offer as much 2nds of the other foods as they want.

-Offer dessert only if veggies are eaten, but make it a fruit based dessert most nights. And don’t feel guilty about it.:) This is not a bribe, but teaching your child a healthy habit.

Thinking about about mealtimes as a chance to educate not just feed is empowering to me. There is great book called Eat Healthy, Feel Great that uses the stoplight system for judging what to eat. Red light foods (marshmellows, hotdogs) really stops your body from working well; green light foods (fruit & veggies) keeping your body going. When we grocery stop, Clark is allowed to choose one item, but we read the label together-mostly just to make sure there is not high fructose corn syrup in it. Using that one guideline will keep the worst items out of your cart. And showing restraint at the store is the best bet for limiting battles at home. They can’t ask (whine, complain, nag and haggle for) junk food, if its not in the cupboard. Which reminds me...if you are looking for a way to make your Halloween candy disappear, I have a bunch of coupons for a free kids meal at Wahoo’s if you bring in your candy. Look for it in Clark Wagner’s file:)

Errands are too much like Trick or Treating

from ICNS October 2013 newsletter...

Our flying rubber bats are hung. Pumpkins painted Angry Bird style. Costume dress rehearsals daily- we are ready for Halloween. But it surprised me the other day to find running errands was a lot like trick-or-treating. From samples at Costco, to the lollipop at the bank, & stickers at TJs...it seemed every where we went it was a barrage of sweets and treats. And I'll admit it made the errands easier to run, but it was a little lonely. How can you carry on a conversation with a sucker in your mouth, or get someone's attention when he's busy applying 20+stickers to your sweater? And don't get me started on the sugar high I had to contend with afterwards. Why do we feel the need to distract our children, instead of engage them, in order for them to behave? There are so many life lessons to be learned while running errands from socializing (prompting them to wish the cashier a nice day) to healthy habits (we are have one treat in the cart, another is too much) to actual math & language arts concepts (we need 3 pennies-help me count or does that say "organic":) All of this is missed if we just focus on our To Do list. Last year I read a book called French Kids Eat Everything and it offered a different perspective on snacks. Not only do French kids not snack, they never eat on the go, standing up or in the car. At the time the thought of piling the kids in the stroller without a yogurt or cereal bar was terrorizing to me. I used food as a life line to save me from incessant whining and fussing. But I could see the benefits of eating only around a table, a way to slow down, enjoy each other, enjoy the food. And once I broke myself of the habit, the kids quickly got on board & actually ate more of their meal (go figure!). So this month I encourage all of you to resist at least some of the handouts or bring them home and put them in a trick or treat bowl and save them for Oct. 31st. 

Pumpkin Hummus 

2T Tahini (or any nut butter)

2T lemon juice

1t cumin

1/2t ea. Salt & Pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

15oz canned pumpkin

Blend in food processor. Tastes divine on cherry tomatoes.

Pumpkin Pie Dip

1/2 c. pumpkin (canned)

2T maple syrup

2 wedges lite laughing cow cheese

1/2t ea cinnamon & pumpkin pie spice

Beat together. Dip apple slices in this and its close to a caramel apple taste.

Would also be great spread on bread or mixed into oatmeal! Enjoy!