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!

How to Play With Your Child and Actually Have Fun!

from ICNS Sept 2012 newsletter...

Dear Families,
September really flew by didn’t it? It seems the lazy days of summer came to a screeching halt and were replaced by the fast paced world of school schedules, work demands and the ever present stress of what’s for dinner? And yet my volunteer days at ICNS have been a welcome reprieve. I find myself in a zen state as I watch the children play, discover, and enjoy one another. It’s peaceful and calming, kind of therapeutic in fact. Even when there is discord, there is a willingness to forgive, followed by rebuilding and sharing. If this can happen with 20 kids, why can’t I keep that magic alive at home with 2? 
At home, there is a large portion of the day dedicated to fussing, crying and begging for TV or me to play with them-mostly in the afternoon. I oscillate between feeling guilty for not "playing" with my kids enough and being overwhelmed with the dishes and laundry piling up. So in an attempt to enjoy and find peace in my home life as much as my time at ICNS, I’m going to put into practice the 3 obvious things the preschool has that I don’t: (1) volunteers who have set everything else aside for a block of time, (2) purposeful play (think child decorated invitations from school), and (3) fabulous and inviting displays and areas for discovery, like the pizzeria or the fish tank. The first one I thought would be the hardest. But it turns out that unplugging (setting aside the phone, computer and all outside demands) for a block of time each day made my work time more productive and focused my "family time" on enjoying one another. Now this doesn’t mean I become the sole entertainment but we do things that are fun for all of us and the boys have my full attention. Today we played "monster" (Finns choice),Taboo (Cks choice) and flipped thru this months family fun magazine together (my choice). Next, I am trying to make household chores more play based. Yesterday we had an epic sock bomb battle as I finally sorted and matched a years worth of "missing" socks, launching them at the boys as I rolled them together. Instead of focusing on how much WORK there is to do, I’m concentrating on what would be most fun for all of us.

Lastly, I discovered quite by accident the effectiveness of simply grouping and displaying toys they already have. I set aside all the old baby board books, the ones with one picture/word per page, planning to store them in the garage. I managed to get them in a box but forgot to take them downstairs. The boys "discovered" the box and read them over and over for hours. The same books were completely ignored when they were inches away on a shelf, but there was something "new" about them being regrouped in that box. Same thing with their coloring books. I simply moved them into the kitchen with their markers spread on the table and started making dinner. The boys hunted me down ready to barrage me with requests as they always do in the 5:00 hour and literally stopped mid sentence when they noticed the books. They immediately went to town coloring and we enjoyed each others company as we all worked on our separate activities.
It seems structuring & scheduling our time together like that frees us
to be more carefree. It’s not the whole day, but its turned the hardest hours into something to look forward to. I’d love to have more ideas on fun ways to "play" together.
Send me your ideas at elfwagner@gmail.com
Eva Wagner - President 

BE on Vacation...Forever

Welcome back everyone! I hope you had a wonderful summer full of adventure, relaxation and quality family time. We had the amazing fortune to visit Finn's grandpa in Quebec for a week and then spend a week camping in Yosemite with "grandma". You can probably guess which one was more relaxing!:) But wethering roughing it with the bears or motor-boating on the lake with French-Canadians, one thing was certain--we were on vacation and it was marvelous! But the instant I got back, that laid-back, open-air, love life pace seemed to vanish into thin air. And it made me wonder: what is it that makes vacation so different from every day life and how can I recreate "vacation" without leaving home?
Well I can tell you what it wasn't. It was not fuss free children that remember their please and thankyous without any reminders. It was not independent and adventurous children (or adults) that were up for anything without coaxing (from kale salad to jumping off the dock) simply because we were not at home. It was not fancy dinners and massages (though that would have been a bonus). It was not even being all together-that happens regularly on weekends and weeknights. It was (simply) being present.
 I would love to say this was a thoughtful & purposeful outcome, but it happened mostly because we were out of cell phone/wi-fi range. I'm usually a huge advocate of technology but I cannot deny the life altering experience of being cut off from the world. It was like going back in time, when you had to arrange to meet someone at a certain time somewhere or you would never see each other. That, yes, was a drawback. But without the dings and alerts of people trying to reach me, I had a sense of calm hereto lost in the great age of iPhones. I couldn't freak out about the latest deadline, change in program, or other urgent need/drama. And yet life somehow managed to continue on without me. I also couldn't shop. I couldn't read. I couldn't see where my friends were checking in on Facebook. All I could do was be present in the moment. So... we climbed rocks, Finn pace. We floated down the river as long as we wanted to. We asked questions we couldn't answer (no Google remember). We didn't hurry. We got up with the sun and went to bed with the moon. I let myself be a little bored, and I was content at the end of the day that I had made the most of it. How often do I say that at home? Hmm... never. How can I? At home, when I sit down on the floor to play a game with the boys, I notice I need to vacuum.  At home, I too often say "ok, let me just finish blah blah, then I'll play." At home, I listen to ridiculously long stories about Legos while checking my email. (Don't judge me please!) At home, I am constantly aware of how much there is to do but as of yet I haven't been aware of how much I was missing. I measured my days by how many checks there were on my to do list instead of how many "moments" I had with my loved ones. So how to recapture the peace of mind that allows me "be" when I'm not on vacation. First, I'm putting myself on "airplane mode". (Do you know this also saves battery power-highly metaphorical that one!:) By allowing my actual phone to be "off" for a set time every day, I can hold myself and the world at bay. Yes, this will make some people unhappy, but really when did I advertise a 24hr availability? The world can wait until the boys are in school or bed. Putting my house on airplane mode requires more discipline, but I will remember the quote in my friend's kitchen: "Mom's with sticky counters and dirty floors have happy children." And I will give myself permission to NOT multitask. I will not fold laundry while counting for hide and seek, I will just be present. Whether brushing teeth or waiting for boys to buckle in their seats, I will. Just. Be. I love my time volunteering at ICNS because it is so ingrained there, so natural to just enjoy the time with the children. So my challenge to myself (and any of you who choose to accept it) is to be present, even if just for a small portion of every day; be present, be mindful, and reap all the calming, connecting, loving rewards.:)

Black Bean Dip

Still on my mission to eat more veggies (and get my kids too also), fresh cut veggies and dips never seem to bore me. And while the veggies are easily interchangeable, I've been pretty content with hummus (and all its variations)-until I met this black bean dip. It is rich, creamy, delicious with a hint of smokiness plus all the goodness of black beans. High in folate for the brain, antioxidants and fiber, my 12 Best Foods cookbooks totes it as THE best legume because "eating them helps to lower cholesterol, LDL levels...& reduce cancer risk" and recommends 2 servings a day. This dip is so versatile, you can use it as a sandwich spread or thin it with water for a Mexican salad dressing. Make a double batch (if your blender can handle it) because chances are, most of 1 batch will be eaten with a spoon out of the blender before it even hits the table;)

Black Bean Dip from Eat to Live

1 can black beans (rinsed)

2T water

2T lemon juice (or juice of 1 medium lemon)

2T vegi-zest (I omit this)

2T Tahini

2t Bragg Aminos (or Tamari or low-sodium soy sauce)

1/2t cumin

1/2-1 clove garlic

dash cayenne & paprika (I leave this out for the boys)

Blend all ingredients in a high powered blender until smooth. Serve with carrots, broccoli, zucchini, cumcumber, romaine or steamed asparagus spears. Or thin a bit and mix with lentils and chopped tomatoes for a cold chili.

Classic Creamy Macaroni Salad

I'm not a huge fan of creamy pasta salads, but one search for Fourth of July menus shows they are clearly a classic American dish. I believe there are some parts of the country where you can NOT show up without one of these, so it seemed a must in a holiday cookbook. But I spent so long avoiding them at church potlucks and school picnics, that I'm not sure exactly what they are suppose to taste like. I would LOVE some advice, esp. if you are willing to try the recipe below and tell me your opinion.

It's not that difficult a dish to clean up: white pasta, huge amounts of mayo-sugar based dressing, little to no veggies-it screams makeover and any one of these tips would double its clean value. 

Classic Creamy Macaroni Salad

4 c. cooked pasta

1.5c celery, sliced

2c. shredded carrot, chopped

3-4 radishes, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1/4c pimientos or diced roasted red pepper

1 small sweet or yellow onion, diced

3 scallions (green and white parts), diced

Dressing

1/4c. white wine vinegar

1/4c. mayonnaise

6 oz pureed silken tofu (must be silken)

2T relish

3T dijon mustard

1T honey

1t salt and pepper

2t no salt seasoning like Mrs. Dash

First, a simple swap to whole grain macaroni would add tons of fiber, but I won't lie-this step is not as easy as it seems. First whole wheat shaped noodles (macaroni, rotelle-anything other than spaghetti) just does not taste as good to me. Try going way outside the (blue) box with a quinoa, kamut, or brown rice pasta. And if you don't like one brand, try another because they all have very different tastes. Ronzoni, Barilla, Eden Organic all have many different options. They key to all of them though is not overcook them. Take them off the heat just before you think they are done. As the pasta sits, in the colander draining it will continue to cook. But especially for cold pasta salads, you want to rinse the pasta with cold water both to stop it from cooking and to rinse away the starches that will make it stick together.

Another step towards cleanification would be to increase the amount of veggies to at least equal the amount of pasta. So if you put in 4 cups of pasta make sure you mix it with a total of at least 4 cups of veggies. I also looked at the basic similarities of many recipes and decided this salad could benefit from the addition of veggies like peas, radishes or asparagus, canned chilies, & maybe some sliced olives.

And lastly there is the issue of dressing. Most pasta salad recipes use a ratio of 4-1 mayo to vinegar (I even saw one that was 8-1) and add at least 1/2c. sugar. Mayonnaise in of itself isn't unclean. But if it came from a store, there is litany of additives that appear after the first 5 "whole" ingredients, even if its made with olive oil. But beyond that it is really just a fat, no fiber, no protein, just vitamin & nutrient free fat. And then we go and put it in EVERYTHING!! Dressings, dips, potato salad, macaroni salad, some even put it in cake!

But there are many work arounds for that. I personally like mixing mayo with greek yogurt, silken tofu, cashew butter or pureed cannellini beans. If you are a die hard mayo fan start with a ratio of 3-1 (3/4c. mayo & 1/4c. yogurt to equal 1 c. of mayo in your recipe) and gradually work your way up to 1-3.

Clean Scones

Clean Scones
Serves: 12
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
These scones are ridiculously easy to make, and feel like such a treat. They are so versatile as well, you can dress them up or down, change their shape, keep them simple or chock full of goodies. I'm hoping to experiment with a more savory version using rosemary or lavender with the lemon. But here are the two flavors I tried:
To make Orange Cranberry Scones follow ingredient list below. Add in 1/4 c. dark chocolate chips or sliced almonds for a decadent treat.
Try also Lemon Blueberry by switching the zest to lemon, use lemon juice instead of flavoring and use fresh blueberries. Recipe adapted from the back of the Arrowhead Mills flour packaging.


Ingredients

• 2 cups whole grain pastry flour
• 1-1/2 t citrus zest (orange)
• 2t Baking powder
• 1t Xanthan gum
• 1/3 cup Honey
• 1 large Egg
• 1 teaspoon flavoring extract (almond or orange)
• 1/2 cup Soy milk-unsweetened
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup dried fruit add-ins or 3/4c. fresh fruit (fruit sweetened cranberries)

Instructions

1. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. 
2. Whisk wet ingredients in another bowl and then add to dry. Stir until moist and fold in your fruit. 
3. For rustic (easy) scones, drop large spoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet. Put in 350ºF oven for 15-18 min until toothpick comes out clean. If you choose to make your scones daintier (i.e. smaller so you can eat more:), adjust cooking time (shorter). Alternatively you can put the batter on a floured work surface and press out to 3/4" and use a biscuit cutter (or glass) and make small circles. You may want to dust the top of the batter with flour also if it looks dangerously sticky.

Nutrition Info (per serving)

Calories	110
Total Fat	0.7g
Saturated	0.1g
Polyunsat.	0.2g
Monounsat.	0.2g
Cholesterol	18mg
Sodium	7.7mg
Total Carbs	24g
Dietary Fiber	2.0g
Sugar	11g
Protein	2.9g
Vitamin A	5.9mcg
Vitamin C	0.4mg
Calcium	3.8mg
Iron	0.2mg

Made with MealBuilder Pro for iOS.