Healthy Eating Habits

Sara Here:

Do as I say, not as I do. Why doesn't that work?

I am a stress-eater. When I am tired, I eat. When I am worried, I eat. When I celebrate, I eat. Food is certainly my drug of choice, and I struggle with it daily.

I have been working very hard on this issue. I recognize it, and I try to name it when I know it is about to happen. I am trying to pay more attention to my body and ask myself "Am I hungry, or is there something else going on that is making that cookie so irresistible?" It is an up-hill battle, but I am climbing and lately, more days, I am winning.

However, the pressure I feel around this issue, beyond weight and health, has increased due to my children. I do not want them to emulate me. I want them to have healthy attitudes around food.

At the table I do not say, "Clean your plate." I say "Feel when your belly is full." I do not make treats a forbidden entity, increasing it's allure. Treats are okay - in moderation. I do not offer them food when they are upset. We talk about feelings. I plan healthy meals, we eat at the table, I encourage them to try new things. And I remember that all kids like junk food. It is natural. I should not panic when they won't eat their fruit but will eat a chocolate bar.

But, I know they watch me. In some ways it is good motivation.

There are so many worries when you are a Mom. This is one that I throw on my heap. But like all of you, I do the best I can, and take comfort in the thought that they will need something to talk about with the therapists in years to come.

The city of St. John's is hosting an awareness session on teaching healthy habits tonight. You need to register is you are interested. http://www.stjohns.ca/csj/EventDetails?id=2966&loc=null&date=30-1-2012

Happy Eating!

Menu plan (Jan 30 - Feb 3rd)

Erika here ~
This is my first solo meal plan and I have a hard act to follow with Sara's great menu last week!
Monday: Chili Con Carne and Cheddar Biscuits
Tuesday: Lime Soup with Tortilla Strips and Chicken
Wednesday: Chicken with Cashews and Pineapple (see recipe below)
Thursday: Easy Pad Thai
Friday: Kitchen Sink Day - (see below)
Here is a link to the Shopping List.
Please read these important tips BEFORE you shop to help make the week go smoothly. I have included some suggestions and substitution ideas, don't worry the shopping list incorporates these too to make it easier:

Weekend/ Monday: Chili Con Carne
Consider making Monday's chili recipe on Sunday. You can either have it for Sunday dinner and eat the leftovers on Monday or just make it for Monday. The biscuits are best if made on the day you intend to eat them, they are easy to make and your kids can help. This is like a fancy version of a Sloppy Joe, you serve the chili over the biscuit. Oh and just a heads-up, my husband always asks me to double the biscuit recipe. If you have little kids, my advice is leave the jalapeños out of the biscuits or do half in and half out. I buy a good quality roast or steaks for this to ensure the meat is nice and tender, but if you have a slow cooker you can probably adapt for that and make any cut of meat tender enough or even use stew meat. For those of you watching your weight, you can sub plain yogurt for the sour cream.
Tuesday - Lime and Chicken Soup
After a big meal of chili and cheddar yesterday, this is a nice light soup. The chicken and tortilla strips make it hearty enough for a meal, but you could throw a few nachos and shredded cheese under the broiler and serve with it if you want. You can use flour tortilla's instead of corn if you find those easier to get at the grocery store.
Wednesday - An Asian taste to shake things up.
This is easy and delicious. Feel free to sub chicken breast for the thighs (but thighs are much more flavourful) and peanuts for the cashews. If you get peanuts you can use them for tomorrow's recipe too.
 

Recipe

2 tbs shredded coconut

1/2 cup cashews (peanuts will work too)

1 onion cut in chunks

4 cloves garlic finely chopped

2 tsps chopped red chili (optional if you think your kids won't like it, but overall this is a sweet dish)

350 g chicken thighs, chopped (boneless / skinless)

1/2 red pepper chopped

1/2 green pepper chopped

2 tblsp oyster sauce

1 tsp sugar

2 cups fresh pineapple chopped

2 green onions chopped.

1 cup Basmati or other rice

Preheat the oven to 300F and toast the coconut on an oven tray for 10 min til golden.

Remove coconut from tray immediately to prevent burning. Increase heat to 350 and roast cashews for 15 min - remove from tray and set aside to cool.

Heat oil in deep frying pan or wok. add onion, garlic, chili and stir fry for 2 min on medium heat. Remove from pan. Add chicken and red and green pepper in two batches stir fry until chicken is light brown. Return onion mixture to wok. add oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and pineapple toss for 2 min. Toss cashews through. arrange on a platter and garnish with coconut and green onion. Serve with rice.

Thursday - Easy Pad Thai
 I have raves about this before. We ate it twice in one week because my husband liked it so much and it is the only time I have ever used tofu and actually enjoyed it. Make sure you start with hot oil to give the tofu a golden and slightly crispy texture. You can sub chicken or shrimp if you have Anti- Tofu Protestors in your house... or you can just lie.... Mwahhh ha ha!!!
Friday - Kitchen Sink Day
I have found that at the end of each week I have a lot of leftover produce and other things from the week's menu. So I decided to call Friday "Kitchen Sink Day" and give you an opportunity to use up whatever is left in your fridge and cupboards. You can make a quiche, omelette, pasta, pizza or stirfry. Just be sure to add the ingredients you need for whatever you choose to the shopping list. If you need to find a basic recipe for any of these things I suggest using Epicurious , but here is a simple quiche recipe you can add anything too and here are some flexible pasta recipes.

Manners Please?

Sara Here:
Eating with three little boys sometimes feels like eating with three Tasmanian devils. Usually there is screaming, random jumping from their chairs to run around the kitchen, spilling/throwing food and hysterical laughter as someone lets out a big burp. I sit there sometimes and daze off into a 1950's dreamland where I have mannerly little boys with British accents saying "Yes Mother, please Mother, supper is delightful Mother."

Then I snap back into reality and vow to improve my wild mealtime adventures.

My Dad was British, and a Captain on ships. I am not sure if these things contributed to his rule of law at the dinner table, but it was strict. Please and thank you; knife and fork; you must be excused from the table; no bodily sounds (even while drinking); no scraping your knife along the plate, thank the chef, and the list went on. When I think back on it, it was actually nice. We ate dinner at the table, and because we were aware of the rules, they just came naturally.

I appreciate these things now when I am out to dinner with colleagues or friends. I know how to behave at the table, thanks to my Dad. He believed that "Manners Maketh Man." Not sure what he would think of dinner with my little cavemen.

Don't get me wrong - I have tried. My Dad's rules come naturally to me, and I find myself trying to implement them like crazy. To be fair, my memories of nice meals with my parents are a time when I was older - my kids are 6 and under. They are excited to be home from daycare, and to be with their parents and each other. They are also tired and cranky and hungry. They want to laugh. They have no tolerance. All in all, not the best time for teaching.

So, one of the things I am trying is to teach them manners at different times. On the weekend, I will set a tea party, and implement the rules. They are having fun, and they are more inclined to learn the rules. Then at supper I remind them of the things they learned at this party.

I also ensure that my husband and I are always following the rules ourselves. We never ask each other, or the kids, for anything without a please and thank you. We thank each other for the meal, we don't complain about what is on our plate, and we try everything.

We also reiterate to them that they are big boys, so using a fork and knife, or not burping at the table is what is expected of them. If they need help, or to be excused from the table, that is fine.

We also try to keep them engaged in conversation of some sort. And when they are finished, we let them be excused for the table.

It is important to keep your expectations at a reasonable place depending on the child. And not to give up. They will get it eventually. Or else we will just make them all eat together.

I found a great web article on this subject. Check it out: http://momsonedge.wordpress.com/2007/11/17/14-table-manners-that-your-child-should-know/ and send us any good tips or articles you have. Happy eating!

Menu for January 23 to 27

This is a big week for us - we are attempting to create the menu and shopping list ourselves. It is a combination of recipes we both use and like, and new ones for both us as well. We have used the weekly flyers to help us develop the menu and shopping list- because money saved on groceries can potentially be spent on shoes! So shopping at DOMINION will bring you the most savings on our list this week. Let us know what you think, and don't forget to send us your favorite recipes to include in future menus.

You can find shopping list here.

Monday: BBQ Chicken with Baked Spuds and Broccoli

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1/3 cup hickory-flavored barbecue sauce
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp grated gingerroot
1/2 tsp chili powder

4 medium potatoes, washed

1 head of Broccoli florets, washed

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a medium casserole dish with cooking spray, or line with foil for easy clean up (The dish should be large enough to hold the chicken breasts in one single layer.) Arrange chicken in dish.

Whisk together remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Spoon sauce over chicken and turn chicken to coat both sides.

Cover potatoes in foil and pierce with a fork.

Put uncovered casserole dish in oven, as well as potatoes. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle. If potatoes still feel hard at this point, finish in microwave.

During last 10 minutes of cooking, steam broccoli.

Serve chicken with sauce spooned over, add sour cream and cheese to potato and broccoli if desired.

*Chicken recipe taken from "Eat, Shrink and Be Merry" by Janet and Greta Podleski


Tuesday: Omelettes

8 eggs
Grated mozzarella cheese
2 bell peppers
1 tbsp milk
Salt and pepper
Cooking spray

Preheat broiler of oven to high. Cut peppers in half and remove seeds and centres. Arrange on a cooking sheet, skin-side up. Broil until skin on peppers begins to blacken and bubble. Remove peppers from oven. Place in a glass dish covered tightly with plastic wrap for about 10 minutes.

Whisk together eggs, milk and salt and pepper. (If you would like a lower-fat version, use only whites for 4 eggs.)

Remove peppers from bowl and peel skin from peppers and discard. Dice remaining peppers.

Spray frying pan with cooking oil and heat. Pour 1/4 of egg mixture into pan. Once egg begins to cook, add some diced peppers and cheese. Flip half of the egg over onto the other half. Once egg has cooked through, remove from pan and serve.
TIP: Serve with toast or fresh fruit on the side.


Wednesday: Butternut Squash Soup

1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into large pieces.
1 large onion, chopped
1 apple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
2 900ml cartons of low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp curry powder
1/2 cup of sour cream

Sourdough or Crusty Bread

Put squash, onion, apple and chicken broth in a large saucepan and set over high. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, until squash is very soft, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Puree soup in batches in a blender or a food processor until smooth. Return to saucepan and stir in curry powder and sour cream until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with bread.
* Soup recipe from "Chatelaine Magazine"


Thursday: Open Chicken Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries

1 package of ground chicken
1 package stove-top stuffing for chicken
Mozzarella cheese
Sourdough or Italian crusty bread
1 bag of frozen sweet potato fries

Cook fries in oven according to package.

Combine ground chicken with stove top stuffing. Form into patties. Heat frying pan with cooking spray, and cook patties until cooked through (turn half-way through). Approximately 10 minutes.

Cut bread into slices. Place patty on a slice of bread, cover with slice of cheese.

Serve with fries and any other toppings you like.


Friday: Pizza Party

Pre-made pizza dough or crust
Pizza Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese
Toppings as you like

Have Fun!

Grocery List - January 23-27


PRODUCE
o Lemon (1)
o Small piece of ginger (1)
o Medium potatoes (4)
o Broccoli (1 bunch)
o Red and Yellow Bell Peppers (1 of each)
o Butternut Squash (1)
o Onion (1)
o Apple (1)
o ______________________________
o ______________________________
o ______________________________
o ______________________________
o ______________________________
o ______________________________
o ______________________________

Bakery
o Sourdough or Crusty Italian Bread (1 loaf)
o _____________________________
o _____________________________
o _____________________________
o _____________________________
o _____________________________
o _____________________________

Meat
o Boneless, skinless chicken breast (4)
o Ground Chicken (1 package)
o Pizza Toppings (as you like)
o _____________________________
o _____________________________
o _____________________________
o _____________________________
o _____________________________
o _____________________________
o _____________________________
o _____________________________
o _____________________________

Dairy
o Eggs
o Mozzarella Cheese
o Sour Cream (1 medium tub)
o Milk
o _____________________________
o _____________________________
o _____________________________
o _____________________________
o _____________________________
o _____________________________
o _____________________________
o _____________________________
o _____________________________
o _____________________________
o _____________________________

Freezer
o Prepared Pizza Dough (if not available get pre-made crust)
o Frozen Sweet Potato Fries (1 Bag)
o _____________________________
o _____________________________
o _____________________________
o _____________________________

Staples
o Pizza Sauce
o Hoisin Sauce
o BBQ Sauce
o Cooking Spray
o Low Sodium Chicken Broth (2 - 900 ml boxes)
o Stove-Top Stuffing for Chicken (1 box)
o Chili Powder
o Curry Powder
o Foil Wrap
o Plastic Wrap
o _____________________________

Rolling with it...

Erika here, This week's meal planning hasn't really gone smoothly for me, but that's okay. Having a meal plan is supposed to be a guide, something to help you out, it isn't supposed to stress you out trying to stick with it. On Monday I had so many leftovers from the weekend I couldn't justify wasting them, so I skipped the meal plan recipe and we ate a smorgasbord of leftovers.

On Tuesday I attempted to make Monday's Tostada Salad, but all my romaine lettuce had turned brown in the centre, so I converted the recipe from salad to nachos and tortillas (thankfully I had flour tortillas and nacho chips in the cupboard). My child ate the nachos and the guacamole, but turned up his nose at the melted cheese. Still, avocado is pretty healthy and we got to sit down for dinner together, which we both enjoyed. Sometimes just timing it so we can be at the table at the same time is difficult. My husband came home late and was able to quickly pull together a chicken fajita from all the left over ingredients from our dinner. He heated it up in the microwave and he was pretty happy with his supper.

As it turns out the ingredients for the Tostada Salad were flexible and versatile enough to make everyone happy with their dinner. This is a variation of something I call a Mexican Salad and it is already on heavy rotation in my house. I use bottled or homemade salsa and Greek Style Yogurt as a topping, which makes a creamy/zesty dressing. My husband often chooses to wrap his salad in a flour tortilla and we add green and red peppers sometimes too. We fry those up with the chicken.

I am skipping the Tuesday Tuna recipe and will use the tuna for sandwiches. Frankly, something about warm tuna just doesn't appeal to me. Tonight I will try to get back on track with the pasta and meatballs.

Sara here, This week began strong with the tostada salad. It was easy to make and I had supper on the table in record time. I really enjoyed it. The rest of my family, however, were less enthusiastic. My oldest said it just looked yuck, and my husband was so/so. They ate the chips, and the tomatoes and chicken - but it was all piece meal, and a little annoying to witness after I had assembled it all. I think this will be a regular lunch for me - but won't go in the rotation for the others.

So last night - I thought we all needed a break. We went out for supper, and all hands were happy, including me. Back to the schedule tonight - pasta. I know this one will go well. Well I think it will. Okay - fingers crossed.



- Posted from my iPad

Picky Eaters

My name is Sara and I live with a picky eater.

Before I had children, people who were picky eaters were one of my pet peeves. I like all food (a bit too much in some cases) and I have very little understanding of why something so yummy could make others want to hurl. Well, like all things, my predjudice has come home to roost, as I live with a four year old who I would argue is the pickiest eater in the world.

I had a clue we would have issues when I first began to feed him cereal. Of course most babies spit it out and wrinkle their noses at the glop we push on them at six months - but with my guy it was different. It was all-out, full-blown urging and possibly even vomit. I had to routinely change-up the cereal, mix it with fruit and stick the sippy cup in this mouth to help him wash it down. Then came the fruits and veggies, and God forbid, the meat. He would have none of it. And my hair began to get grayer by the second.

He has always been a small guy, just four pounds when he was born. We had no trouble breastfeeding, which I am very grateful about. However, once the food wars began, my stress was increased due to his small size. I would cry at night over how worried I was over his nutrition and weight.

Then I was lucky enough to get some help. Due to a non-related medical issue, my son was able to access resources at the Janeway Children's Hospital. We began to see nutritionists and occupational therapists and they gave me some really valuable tips. So - I want to share some with you:

• Take stock of what your child eats. Even though their diet may not be varied, it may be quite balanced.


• Subsitute the food you know they like. If they drink milk, up the fat intake by keeping them on whole. Do they like chocolate milk? Try Carnation Instant Breakfast or Ensure at suppertime to add protein fat and nutrients.


• Build on the food you know they like. If they like chocolate milk, try making a smoothie with chocolate milk and banana. Add some pieces of strawberry to their cereal. Mix in some carrot puree to their spagetti sauce. The more familiar they become with a flavor, the more likely they might try it in his true form.


• Have other kids over for meals and let your child watch what they eat. Peer pressure is good in this case.


• Stop asking your child to just "try" something. Instead, ask them to pick it up and smell it. That is all - just smell. Starting small gets them past their anxiety and takes the pressure off them. After smell you can ask them to lick the food, then maybe even take a bite. Work with stickers and prizes for each step they complete. The people at the Janeway taught me this technique and it has worked wonders.


• Put a time limit on meals, and give the child a visual. Let them know time is running out, and their will be no more food after that. Give them boundaries that are clear.


• Let them have one thing on their plate you know they will eat along with soemthing new. Give them some control, as that is what they are seeking anyway. If they eat only the thing they like, it is fine, but they must keep the food that is offered at supper on their plate in front of them as well.

And the most important - STOP STRESSING! Your child sees it, and it affects how they feel about food. My child got to the point where he would cry when I would say "supper time." That was not helping anything. So I stopped fighting with him at the table. I also remembered that some of this was manipulation on his part and I was playing right into his hands. So I calmed down, relaxed and stopped paying so much attention to him at the table. I have noticed that he tries more things when I am not looking. That says something.

As my Grandmother used to say, "No child ever starved where there is food." I know someday he will be a big burly man eating me out of house and home. Until then, I am trying to keep some dark hair on my head.

Menu for week of January 16th to 20th

We both found the Martha Stewart menu and shopping list to be easy and quick. In fact, it was quite nice to go home every evening with a plan, and all the things we needed to execute that plan in our cupboards and fridge. Because of this, we have decided to use Martha again this week.

This is a buffer, by the way, as our plan is to create our own menus and shopping lists from recipes we love, but we are not quite confident to do this yet. Martha, God love her, is helping us out by letting us begin this experiment with a tried and true menu, while we wrap our heads around how to put all this together ourselves. We are almost there. Then we will start incorporating some new recipes with some of our own best-loved stuff, ensuring that they contain ingredients that are easy to come by, and are generally kid-friendly.

However, for this week we are back to the Queen of all domestic goddesses - Martha. You can find the menu and shopping list on the side tabs.

After scanning the grocery store flyers, seems like Sobey's has the most deals for this week's list. Whole chickens are on sale (in case you want to cook two on Sunday, one for supper, one for next day), as are lemons, tomatos, fresh pasta, solid white tuna and cracker barrel cheese. Here's to saving money!

Pasta with Shrimp and Peppers

Sara here, As I prepared last night's meal I thought about how glad I was to have a plan, and how easy meal prep had been the last week. I also thought about the fact that my family had enjoyed nutritious, unprocessed food all week, and I felt pretty proud of myself.

I thought all my self-congratulations would backfire as my husband looked at the pasta on his plate and groaned. "I hate oily pasta, feel like I need a shower afterward," he moaned. "We have to try new things before we say if we like them or not," I replied as I nodded toward kids in an effort to get him to curb the negativity. So, we ate, and one of my most favorite things happened, he had to apologize. My husband loved the supper, as did my oldest and youngest.

I prepared the pasta according to the recipe except for the banana peppers which I did not have. I also put a little garlic in with the peppers. I was nervous about the salami but went ahead with it anyway - I was glad I did as it was my oldest's favorite part. He and my youngest avoided the shrimp, but loved the dish as a whole. My middle ate toast, no surprise there.

Certainly one of my favorites of the week and I will put in the frequent rotation!

Erika here, I had to run errands on my way home with my child in tow, so he needed some snacks to make sure he didn't lie down screaming like a G20 protestor in the middle of Dominion. That basically ruined any chance I had of tempting him to try this pasta. That being said, my husband and I both enjoyed it, and once I realized my kid wasn't going to try even a bite, I threw in the banana peppers. I had bottled ones we use for nachos and they did add a great spicy hit.

Overall I was pleased with the week's menu like Sara. I enjoyed all the meals. I was able to do dinner in a jiffy. They were healthy and Weight Watchers flexible and I felt the grocery bill was reasonable and I didn't waste a pile of food either. Many of the meals made enough that my work lunches were covered too, a bonus. As we move forward I think these things will be my priorities. Oh, I also learned a new technique - steaming the spinach with the rice!

Warm Spinach Salad with Fried Egg and Potato

Erika here, I loved this recipe and I didn't think I would. The idea of an over easy egg on top of my dinner just doesn't appeal to me that much. I was determined to stick to the menu plan though, so I followed the directions and was happily surprised. This dinner is really like a breakfast salad. The potatoes would make for excellent hash browns and I added bacon which is a traditional ingredient in my favourite spinach salads and I also made toast on the side with a baguette. I ended up forgetting the Parmesan altogether by mistake and I still loved it.

My kid ate a little bit of everything, even one leaf of the baby spinach, I think he would have eaten more had the snow shoveling before supper made him so hungry that I had to give him a pre-dinner snack to keep him happy while I made the meal. My husband really liked it too. It wasn't hard to make this and I could see this as a preferred version of 'breakfast for supper' because of the added value of the spinach. I am having an egg free version of the left-overs for my lunch today. This was also another pretty Weight Watcher friendly dinner as I think a poached egg could work well and the bacon and toast is optional.

Sara here, I was nervous about this recipe as I live with some "meat and potato" kindda guys. I was pleasantly surprised when I started cooking however, as it seemed like there were lots of elements to this meal that my family would like. Like Erika, I added bacon, and toasted some leftover sourdough bread on the side.

I enjoyed the salad and feel quite satisfied after supper (though I did indulge in some leftover Xmas chocolate.) I did find the dressing a little sharp, and as I left the grocery store sans shallot, I think its addition would have been helpful. My husband was a little taken aback by the egg gently resting on the top of his salad, however, he did eat it and enjoyed it for the most part. I scrambled the egg for the kids before putting on their plates. I knew their father's reaction would pale in comparison to the "yuks" I would get if I didn't make that adjustment. My oldest hated "the leaves" but tried them at least, and ate all of the other parts. My youngest ate the egg, bacon and toast, so basically breakfast. My middle ate toast, as normal, but also some bacon.

Overall, we all ate and there was something for everyone with this meal. That being said, don't know that it will go into my favorites list.

Review: Open-face mushroom burger

Erika here: this recipe was delicious, easy, and my husband and I loved it. My child ate some of his as well and because it is so flexible, I was able to adjust his version to his tastes without creating more work for myself, for example I used slider buns for his. I also like all my meals to have a veg on the side so I stir fried some red and green pepper strips to go with our burgers and made some 5 min frozen fries in the oven for my son.

I made some minor tweaks to the recipe itself; having learned from the previous night to trust my instincts on blandness, I added garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce to the burger as well as an egg to help keep it together. I also used cheddar instead of fontina becauseI didn't find fontina after going to three stores. This will go into heavy rotation at our house for its taste and speedy prep time. ~Erika


Sara here: I can categorically say that last night's supper was a success. Clean plates and no leftovers. Perhaps it is because of all of the testosterone in the house - but the meat was a hit.

I found this recipe very quick and easy. Broiling the burgers was so fast, and kept them so juicy. My husband wondered why everyone doesn't cook their burgers like this. I explained to him that not everyone lives with a domestic goddess like he does. I am getting quite cocky after day two:-)

My oldest loved the burger but wanted a top - no problem to accommodate that. He also left off the tomato and the mushrooms and onions, which was fine, but next time I might make some veg to go on the side for him. My youngest ate the meat and the bread separately, but as they say, it is all going to the same place, right? My husband polished off two, and I really enjoyed mine, especially mushrooms and onions with the red wine vinegar. Yum! As for middle guy, he had crackers and yogurt. No surprises there.

I will keep this recipe in the rotation for sure. I did cook some frozen fries for the kids to round it out but since they did not touch the veggie portion of this recipe, I might do sweet potato fries next time. I might also do some variations with cheese, and other toppings.

Tonight: salad. I am nervous about this one!~Sara

So Far, So Good

Sara here:

One meal done, and so far so good. But before I share my experience with the meal, I want to start from the beginning.

The shopping. Besides the fact that there were an INSANE amount of people at the grocery store, the trip was mainly successful. I did not swear at anyone (out loud) and I got the things I needed, for the most part. I am left without a shallots and pepperocini (which I needed to look up as I had no idea what is was - it is a banana pepper.) I was quite proud of finding Fontina cheeses at the deli. I asked for two ounces, but they only do grams, so I had to guess. Good to know for next time. All in all, I walked out of Dominion proudly - like a primitive hunter triumphantly returning to the cave - and let's face it, my family do resemble a tribe of cannibals most days.

One important thing I would like to point out is that you should not be afraid to substitute. Like Erika, I used Basmati rice, as that is what I had at home. If you can not find things on the list, or if you have things you use up at home, just do it! This is about making life easier.

As for the meal, "Chicken with Rasins, Spinach and Olives", I was pleased. I found it easy to make, and especially enjoyed the stress-relief of banging the chicken breasts into cutlets. I think steaming the rice and spinach together is a great idea. I will certainly do that again. As for the meal as a whole, my husband and I thought it was good, but a little bland. This may not have been an entirely bad thing, as my 3 year old enjoyed the chicken with a little sauce, and my 7 year old ate all of his though he did pick the olives out of it. As usual, my 4 year old ate toast. No surprises there. If I make it again I will double the sauce.

I was able to have leftovers for lunch today which were good. My husband turned a leftover cutlet into a chicken burger. No waste.

So, we all ate healthy good food, and I did not rip my hair out. Overall? Success!

Review: Chicken with Olives, raisins and spinach

Erika here, I wanted to share with you my experience with the recipe from last night. Overall I thought it was a pretty good dish. Not so fantastic that I would put it in heavy rotation. I used basmati, because that is what I had in my cupboard. I also substituted apple juice and white wine vinegar for the white wine because I didn't want to open a whole bottle just for this recipe. My favourite thing about the recipe was the idea of steaming the spinach right in the pot with the rice. I will definitely use that technique again. I also liked the fact that this was a very Weight Watcher friendly recipe. It was quick and easy as well. My husband really enjoyed the meal. My kid took one bite of rice and asked for something else. Oh well. It usually takes him a few tries before he will accept a new dish, so I am not discouraged.

If I were to make it again I think I would want to find a way to bump up the flavours or make a richer sauce.

If you made this recipe, let us know what you thought.

A Civilized Meal? Am I Dreaming?

Sara here:
As Erika and I prepare to embark on this new regime of meal planning, I am thinking about supper at my house and how crazy it can be. Most days, I am rushing to prepare the food; the kids are happy to be home from daycare and do not want to leave their toys/television shows to come to the table; and my husband (who works from home) is a little overwhelmed with the noise and chaos that has invaded his quiet space. This all leads to a crescendo of stress at the table as I find myself yelling "Stop saying penis! Eat your carrots!"

One trick I have found helps is giving a countdown to mealtime so the kids know they soon have to stop what they are doing. Also, during supper, asking questions around the table calms things down. Our ritual is "good thing, bad thing". Each person has to tell us the best and worst thing that happened in their day. The kids love it, and we find out some pretty interesting stuff! Most times, it allows for some calmer space for us all to eat.

I found a great article that gives some other suggestions for a stress-free mealtime. Have a gander http://fit.webmd.com/jr/parents/article/parents-family-mealtime-stress and share any ideas with us you have for keeping mealtime sane.
Happy eating!
Sara

Join us for dinner!

We have a New Year’s Resolution and it is simple: to make meal times easier, healthier and cheaper too. We decided to start a blog so that we can share our New Year’s Resolution with other working moms.

We are Erika and Sara. We are working Moms. We are busy people. We both love to cook and we both believe that dinner time is an important part of family life. We also want our children to be adventurous (as we are) with food, but we are realistic and know that sometimes you have to ‘short-order cook’ for your picky eaters.

Sara: I have three boys, aged 7, 4 and 2. Most days my house feels like a zoo with the animals on speed. My oldest child loves food and has a wide array of foods he enjoys. My middles lives on yogurt and cereal and will touch nothing else. My youngest is trying to decide which brother he will model.

Erika: I have one boy, 3. He alternates between being willing to try anything to only wanting Goldfish for supper. My husband works long and unpredictable hours so I am on pick-up duty and solo for supper making every day. Fast and easy meals are a necessity as the time between getting home and bed time is short.

We are going to try various meal planning methods, try to adapt the plans and recipes to suit our families varying needs, and create a blog about it to record what works, what doesn’t, and lessons learned. We are also open to your ideas and advice too.

We hope that because our families are different and our kids have different likes and dislikes that between the two of us, something will be useful for your own families too. And of course we expect you will be creative and adapt things to suit your own family.

The Plan:

Check our blog on Fridays for the menu and shopping list. Each week we will provide a menu and a shopping list.  If you like what you see, follow along – make sure you tell us about your experience!

We would also like you to tell us about any time or money saving tips you have in your meal prep routine. And we too will look at flyers and try to alert you to deals to take advantage of for weeks ahead.

And of course, we are not striving to be super, we just wanna make life easier, so take out meals and restaurant meals will also happen from time to time. We will offer advice on the best kid-friendly joints in town, and we would love to hear your thoughts on that too.

Week One:

So here it goes. Week one. The menu comes from one of Erika’s favourite meal planning resources, Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food magazine. Each issue has a section called ‘Grocery Bag.’ It includes five days of meals and a tear out shopping list. The recipes are easy and fast and I like how if you stick to the five recipes given, you end up trying something new and possibly challenging your taste buds and that of your kids.

This week’s menu can be found here.

The grocery list can be found here.

Follow us on our Facebook page next week to see how we make out and share your thoughts and ideas with us.