Two for Two

I made a second recipe out of Kristin Cavallari's new book "Balancing in Heels" and it was just as delicious as the first so I wanted to share.  Kristin if you reading this I'm voting next book is a cook book!

Hunter is allergic to peanut butter so when I saw almond butter in the recipe I got super excited!  Here's some of the ingredients in the book...you can buy the whole cookbook here to get the full recipe!  It's well worth it.....craving the minty green smoothie recipes she has in their at THIS moment!

Almond Butter Sugar Cookies 

1 stick butter (she recommends grass-fed butter, softened)

1 cup coconut sugar

1/2 cup almond butter

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups oat flour (I had to buy this on amazon did find it in our regular grocery store)

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon pink himalayan salt

If you give a girl a book

I sort of laugh with the title of this post because that's how it happened.  Here my husband Hunter was browsing amazon and he came across Kristin Cavallari's new book "Balancing in Heels"  It got good reviews, and it had a little bit of everything in it from recipes, to wardrobe tips, to her work he thought I would like it so he ordered it for me.

Well the first few pages in the book talks about how when Kristin got pregnant she became very aware of what she was putting in her body and changed to eating only good quality food "real" food.  But she goes on to talk about avoiding GMO's, the worst chemicals in foods that you will NEVER find in her home and gives ideas on what to swap out white flour and other processed ingredients for.  It struck me.

Now, I've always had an interest in controversial ingredients and how they could possibly lead to cancer.  I mean, when Hunter was born I was BPA paranoid and used glass bottles.  Then I couldn't find a nipple that he would take to with the glass bottles so that was that.  But I kept seeing BPA free on everything plastic which made me feel better.  Then I was a working mom with one kid, and then two kids, and well eating healthy for the past few years has just meant eating your vegetables.   Side Note:  In chatting with a girlfriend about my new found interest she informed me that some reports have shown that sure plastics are mostly BPA free now but they are doing tests because there's likely a chance that what they replaced BPA with is just as bad!!! Geez la weez.

Back to the book.  So Kristin's book really opened my eyes again and led me to do a little internet research myself.  I started googling things like synthetic dyes, sodium nitrates.  I had known to avoid high fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners but HELLO...where was I with the synthetic dyes one.  I regret to inform ya'll that for probably a year now my child has had a popsicle after dinner every night and yes it has blue, green, and yellow artificial colors (insert sad face emoji).

Okay I'll cut to the chase.  I'm not about to throw away everything in our pantry and reality stays that I'm a working mom who doesn't have time to make her child a quality "real" food meal every morning and night...the freezer is my friend people.  BUT.... I found this website www.fooducate.com and its allowing me to make more informed decisions.  Just search for a food and it will give you rating A to D- and tell you WHY it has that rating.  It's states what ingredients are in the food that are controversial and will give you better alternatives.  For example, my kids LOVE Eggos. They eat waffles and pancakes two or three times a week.  Well if you look up Eggos on fooducate.com it will tell you that its rated a C because it contains controversial artificial colors, controversial additive TBHQ and is highly processed.  I love that most that it tells you WHY these things are controversial like below:

 Contains controversial artificial colors 

Once upon a time, there were no food colorings.

Then folks figured out that food looks better and sells more when it can be enlivened through dyes. For most of food history, the dyes were from natural sources – beet juice for red, turmeric for yellow,etc…

However, in the quest to increase color intensity and lower manufacturing costs, cheap artificial dyes were introduced to market.

Unfortunately they pose a risk for hyperactivity in children, cancer, and allergic reactions.

Then over to the right it show's some better alternatives like the Van's brand of frozen waffles.  Or how easy is it to just whip up a batch on Sunday for the week, freeze them then pop them in the toaster like so.  That still takes time on Sunday, that is sometimes not there, so I will always have a need for already prepared convenience.  And just like the better alternatives for Eggos there are actually popsicles that don't have synthetic dyes too... I just didn't KNOW.

Needless to say I have done a search on every food that is a regular in our home and made sure it is a B or higher rating and has none of the major controversial ingredients.  I'm not ready to go all no processed foods yet...maybe i'll get there, maybe i won't but I feel much better just being educated and aware about the ingredients going into my kids body.

Now, back to the book... again.  Here's where the if you give a girl a book comes into play :) If you give a girl a book, she'll read about healthy food, reading about healthy food will make her want to only buy healthy food.  Only buying healthy food will make her bank account go lower and make her husband wish he didn't buy her the book.   Hehe..Hunter regretting his purchase a little.  No really he is pretty on board with this and secretly likes that I'm keeping our kids healthy but not so secretly reminds me that I am not married to Jay Cutler like Kristin Cavallari is and that he does not make 15million dollars a year.  (pretty sure I knew that).

Here are the things I have purchased and am trying to swap out at Kristin's recommendations:

White flour - instead use spelt flour, brown rice flour or oat flower (I found the spelt flour at Harris Teeter pretty easily. I had to order the oat flour on amazon although I'm sure they have it at whole foods)

White sugar - use coconut sugar instead.  (apparently i'm late to the party on this one because when i purchased coconut sugar the other day it was the last bag on the shelf.  plenty of white sugar...no coconut sugar left)

White table salt - pink himalayan salt or celtic sea salt ( i got the pink salt - duh) :)

Canola oil instead use coconut oil or olive oils (most have jumped on this band wagon i feel like. We've been using coconut oil for a while now and really love it.  My favorite brand is actually from wild tree.  www.wildtree.com 

I've also purchased flax seeds, chia seeds, cacoa powder, spirlina powder, maca powder, and cacoa nibs.  Mostly to try out her smoothie recipes but also for her recipe for oat balls and overnight chia-oat cups.  I tried her green banana muffin recipe today and to say I'm hooked is an understatement.  They have 4 cups of spinach in them and are the most delicious healthy muffin I've ever had.  You'll likely have to make a grocery store run before you make them for spelt flour, spinach, and flax seed to name a few but it will be well worth it, James ate 3!!

GREEN BANANA MUFFINS

2 cups spelt flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 bag (6 ounces baby spinach) about 4 cups - remember its part of dirty dozen so buy organic!
3/4 cup REAL maple syrup
1/2 cup plain unsweetened almond milk
1 flax egg*  (vegan recipe bonus!)
1/4 cup applesauce
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups mashed banana (3 small or 2 large)

Pick up Kristin's book here for the full recipe!!  

Holidays 2015: What we ate, wore, and gifted

I know most of us are over 2015 and have moved on to the bigger and better of 2016 but we just bid farewell to our last house guest on monday and well.....It's taken me all week to write this post.  And by gosh I still want to blog about the whirlwind we just experienced the past 2.5 weeks J   It’s a shot in the dark but just maybe next year when you need a holiday appetizer idea, outfit idea, or gift idea you can come back here to this post and get you some ideas J  

Alright – our first house guest (my mom) arrived on Friday Dec. 18^th so that she could so graciously babysit mine and my brothers  kids on Saturday the 19^th during our Christmas Party.   Next year we have GOT to work on the menu.  This year we wanted it to be easy.  The party started at 8 so we figured most people wouldn’t be hungry until around 10ish.  We tried to figure out food that was easy to pop in the oven (since it would be during the party) yet also maybe still good while cold.   So we served…

Antipasti platter with meats and cheeses

Trader Joe’s appetizer pizzas – if you all havne’t tried these – go get them they are DELICIOUS (except I kept burning them – damn wine!)

Proscuitto cups with pears

Meatballs

Crabcake bites (frozen costco)

Deli Spirals (these are great for parties because you just place them on a platter frozen and by the time people are ready to eat them they are defrosted)

Layered Greek dip with Pita chips (I replaced the greek yogurt with store bought taziki)

And for our Christmas party I wore this adorable number with these sparkly shoes. It’s even cuter on!! Can’t WAIT to have an excuse to wear it again on a date night (echem - Hunter are you reading?)

Moving on to the week of Christmas...

Monday daycare was still open so Mom and I shipped the kids off and enjoyed a glorious mother/daughter day of last minute xmas shopping. 

Tuesday we baked.  Two batches of my grandmothers cut-outs.  These are a true tradition in our house. I    LOVE hearing my mom’s stories about what a great baker my grandmother was and about how my grandpa would eat a whole tray of these cookies and no gain a pound.  They are seriously delicious!  We did once batch with the kids and since those typically turn out barely edible we did another batch sans kids to give cookies trays to our neighbors.   

Wednesday we ventured out with the kiddos and took them to see the singing bears in uptown Charlotte. Every year Hunter V is less and less scared of this adorable yet frightening moving bears.  James – as long as his buddy Henry is around he’s golden.  

Thursday we were hosting Christmas Eve at our house with my parents, my brother and his family, and my father in law.  So we prepped food and cleaned that morning and hosted that evening.  My parents managed to sneak away to the front porch for a rare quiet moment...I caught em red handed and quickly put them back to work ;) (kidding) (maybe)

I personally (for xmas eve) was super excited to wear my new red pants from j.crew that mom and I picked up that Monday before.  I wore them with a jean shirt and these cute silver banana republic shoes.  

Side note:  I swear new years resolution: take more pictures of myself and Hunter before parties.  I’m super bummed we didn’t get one picture together before our xmas party, xmas eve, xmas day, or on new years eve.   

We LOVE doing heavy apps on Christmas Eve.  This way people can socialize, drink, nosh and be merry all night.  Some we're repeats from the our Christmas party because we had extra.  

On the menu was:

Grape Jelly & Chili sauce crockpot meatballs

Frozen crabcake bites from Costco

Pork tenderloin sliders with horseradish spread (Hunter cooked the pork tenderloin on the grill)

Layered Greek dip with Pita chips

Veggie Tray

Cheese and Meat Tray

I claim him as my bother - my sister in law (his wife) is a "professional" food blogger. #jobenvy So he's clearly comfortable being in pictures :)

 After we drank, chatted and noshed we let the kids open presents from Nana and Papa.  The boys go the cutest train and spider man sleeping bags from Potterybarn.  Crazy James rode his like a horse.

And we sent the kids off to bed with a reading of Twas the Night Before Christmas

After everyone was sleeping...I had a santa spotting ;) 

Santa left Hunter V just what he asked for "Lots of toy story toys, a Mr. Potato head, and a super why costume.  James got a balance bike, blocks and wagon, and a lawn mower! 

The kids woke up usual time around 7:30am and the madness ensued. Hunter V really understood this year and made it A LOT of fun!! James thought not different than any other morning and just cried for my iPhone. LOL. 

Santa (I mean Papa) got some bread grooming goods since it seems to be here to stay despite my Mom's demise. 

Hunter and I got my mom a robe from Anthro and some Tatcha dewy mist spray. And Dad received his first set of corn hole boards - that we all enjoyed breaking in Christmas day at my brothers house!

Saturday after Christmas my Aunt/Uncle and cousins came into town for a quick day visit.  Sunday Mom and Dad headed home.  New years week I shipped the kids off to daycare, took down Christmas decor, and prepped for our next guests to arrive.  

Our friends the Wilson's (a college friend of Hunter's) and their two sweet girls came for a visit from northern Virginia.


New Years Eve my brother and sister-in-law joined us as well. I'll admit we didn't leave the house so I didn't wear the heels with this outfit...but wouldn't have been cute if i did ;)

 

6 adults, 6 kids with make your own pizza night and sparklers fun was had by all!! 

We did our traditional New Years day meal of hawgs jowl, black eyed peas and collard greens. The wilson's left Saturday and I had exactly 2 hours to turnover Hotel Lunsford before my Uncle and Cousins came for three days.  

 Everyone's gone now, and we have one week of back to the grind under our belt.  I'm looking forward to some quality family fun (just the four of us) in the month of January! Happy New Year Everyone!

The Rotation

I remember before I was a parent always wondering "why do parents only feed their kids chicken nuggets and mac n cheese?"  Well, now I know!  Because its all they will eat.  Hunter V used to be the best eater and he's still fairly good in the vegetable department...BUT if you put something in front of him that does not look familiar I guarantee the first words you will hear are "I dont like that" and then the next thing you will hear is me saying "You haven't even tired it"  Sound familiar?

The worst thing about being a working mom (out of the home) other than the fact that I never see my kids, is dinners!!  M-F I rush out of work, pick up the kids from daycare and rush home to get food in front of them before 6:30pm.  Some evenings that only leaves me with 15minutes to throw something together.  And there is nothing more defeating than working hard on preparing a dinner to have your toddler prefer dinosaur chicken nuggets over it.  So,  I surrender, he wins. It's all a phase and its not worth it.  Maybe once a week we will try to get them to eat what we eat in a once again epic fail but most of the time here's the rotation.  Quick, easy, toddlers are happy, mommy is happy and they are mostly healthy (at least not going to kill them).

The Rotation: (editors note: I serve all of these with either a steam fresh veggie of some variety, a microwave sweet potato, or sweet potato tator tots)

1. Trader Joes Fish Nuggets:  There are certain items I ONLY get from Traders Joes!  Fish sticks is one of the them.  The Gordons brand at the grocery store seem to be all breading and barely any fish. These beauties and Fish nuggets with lots of fish.

2. Trader Joes Individual Bella Napola Pizza:  Confession...my kid eats pizza twice a week.  Nothing goes to waste because we can pop one of these individual pizzas in the oven for 10 mins. I feel ok about this.

3.  Trader Joes Individual Spinach Lasagna:  This ones a bit of a fight these days but they'll still choke it down.  Read the nutrition value on this guy...tons of Vit A, C, Iron. Microwaves at 50% power for 9 minutes and comes out tasting homemade.  This one I feel REALLY good about!

4.  Organic Mac n Cheese:  Because its organic its good for them right?  Let's try not to think about the powdered cheese.  Im starting to have to make two boxes because my 1 year old will eat a whole box by himself.  sigh!   We keep white cheese shells, and the yellow farm one in stock and Hunter LOVES picking out the kind he wants.  "Mom I want the white one"  "ok, buddy you can have the white one"  We mix in peas with their mac and cheese.  Hunter V will eat them, James Penn has mastered working the mac and cheese around in his mouth in order to separate out the peas.  He swallows the mac n cheese and then spits out the pea.  Its quite impressive actually.

5. Dinosaur (Dino) nuggets: Hunter has been eating these since he was born.  (not really) but close to it.  Probably have bought 100 boxes of these in the past 3 years (ok thats an exaggeration too) but you get the drift.  The only brand of nuggets I will buy and of course we serve with a veggie. Hunter V get's "dip" with his (BBQ) is his "dip" of choice.

5a.  I've even gotten really crazy the past couple weeks and bought the Dino chicken patties and made BBQ chicken sandwiches for them.  A good little variation to the typical nugget.

Ok, so I don't ONLY feed my kids frozen food...I promise.  I think I have mentioned it before but I love this cook book for kids.  The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet.  It goes up to 18months and one of my favorite recipes in here is a Toddler's Shepherd's Pie made with ground turkey, mixed veggies, mash potatoes and cheddar cheese.  I'll make about 4 in little ramekins and freeze to just pop out and cook in the oven when I get home.

And these veggie pizza pin wheels are a new favorite.  I LOVE that she purees veggies into her pasta sauce.  I never serve plan pasta sauce EVER anymore.  I always make a batch with pureed veggies in it and keep it handy in the fridge or freezer.   But fore warning...dont add too much spinach or it will turn your sauce green.  oops.

Lastly, steam fresh veggies or the like.  How did our parents survive without these??  Target just started making a variety pack of individual servings...made was it a good day when I found this out.

Alright friends...spill it!!  I'm always looking to add a new easy recipe into the dreaded rotation.  xo

Last Night’s dinner: Spicy Shrimp and Brussels Sprouts Stir Fry

When I cook dinner it’s a casserole or a pasta dish (not very healthy). Thankfully, when Hunter cooks it’s fairly healthy or we might weigh 500 pounds each. He tried this recipe a while back and it quickly became a go to in our house. Last time, Hunter made it, he played around a bit by adding some snow peas and cooked kale. And don’t be afraid if you don’t like Brussels sprouts, they are chopped up in the recipe and nothing but pure crunchy delight. Trust me!!

Here’s the original Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart:

Ingredients

•2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
•1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and shredded
•Salt and pepper
•1 cup bean sprouts
•2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
•1 small green chile, such as Thai, thinly sliced
•3 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
•1 pound medium shrimp (41 to 50), peeled and deveined (tails left on)
•2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
•Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

1.In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium-high. In 2 batches, saute brussels sprouts until tender, 5 minutes total; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter. Add bean sprouts to pan and cook until heated through, 1 minute; add to platter.
2.Wipe out pan, add remaining tablespoon vegetable oil, and return to heat. Add garlic, chile, and scallion whites and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and saute until opaque throughout, about 4 minutes. Add to platter, drizzle with sesame oil, top with scallion greens, and toss. Serve with lime wedges.

And here you can see where Hunter added some snow peas, kale, and we always top it off with some red pepper flakes and soy sauce!

Bon Appétit, Guilt Fee!!

Celebrate the end of Summer...

With a hot dog with bacon. Or a BLT with a hotdog. Either way you look it, it was delicious. When Hunter told me this was what was for dinner the other night, I'll admit I turned my nose up a bit. BUT after one mayonnaisey bite in I was sold...mmmmmmmmm. i want one now.

What's for dinner?

In case your in need of a little mouth watering inspiration here's some dinners the hubs has cooked up recently....

Chicken Sammy

Swiss Chard ontop of Salmon on top of Orzo and Rice....dont ask me but it was yummy!

Shrimp Cobb salad. So easy and so delish. Just lots of chopping.  Green peppers, red onion, hard boiled eggs, corn, tomatoe, avocado, blackbeans, cucumbers. Anything your heart desires.

Salmon Burger.  I felt like a healthy burger on this night so we went with Salmon burgers...a recipe off of the food network.  It turned out great!

Happy Eating this weekend.  And sorry about the terrible iphone pics...its all time allows for these days.  This Mama started a new job this week!