USA Inspired Party Pleasers

As many people prepare for company this weekend, it is time to share my favorite USA inspired snacks that I have come across. Inspirations that will take us all the way through Labor Day.

We can all do the red, white and blue fruit kabobs, and while always a favorite, this haute mom goes for savvy, smart and creative. Of course, it doesn't hurt that they are about as simple as boiling water.

A Sweet and Patriotic Treat

This idea is pure genius and sure to be enjoyed by everyone. Blog Room to Inspire hit the jackpot with some Red Vines and a bit of patriotic scrapbook paper.

• Cut the paper in strips
• Wrap the strips around a bundle of Red Vines
• Secure with double stick place. 

Easy even for a kitchen rookie like me!




Red and Blue With Flavor

This is at the top of my list because it involves, you guessed it, no cooking what so ever!

Note: This can also be mixed up with regular chips (hello blue potato and regular chips) as well as probably a hundred other yummy possibilities.

• Purchase patriotic paper cones or make some with scrapbook paper. 
• Toss in red and blue tortilla chips, colored potato chips or any other colorful combo of snack items!

The other thing that makes this straight from the smarty pants brain is that it cuts down on cooties. Nobody likes all those hands in the community chip bowl.

Patriotic Sugar Wafers

You had me at wafer. Everyone loves a little something sweet and is it just me or are cakes and cupcakes a little over done? Besides, none of us moms want our kids chowing down on that..I mean, hellooooo...can you say HYPER? I think these are the perfect size, simple to make (way more than baking) and who doesn't love a wafer?

You will need:

1. 1 package each of colored chocolate candy melts (found in the cake decorating aisle)

2. 1 package vanilla sugar wafers

3. Assorted sprinkles

• Melt half the colored candy melts according to instructions
• Lay out a sheet of parchment paper and dip each wafer into the chocolate
• Place the dipped wafers onto the paper and cover with sprinkles
• Allow to dry

Place in an airtight container so they don't go stale!

What a fun dessert thanks to Southern Made Simple! Perfect for kids to help with!

Here is to a great weekend of family, friends and love as many gather together in honor and thanks to those that have served and are serving our country.

My Kids Live on Goldfish - Barriers to Being a Healthy Chef

Every mother dreams of being able to prepare and deliver amazing, healthy meals to their families. Visions of plates full of fresh fruits and vegetables and roasted (skinless, of course) chicken dance through all of our heads. And we watch with pride as our children gobble it up and politely ask for seconds.

Ha! As if! 

Please tell me why nobody pulls us aside when our kids begin eating solid foods to tell us the reality of what feeding our littles is like. Even IF we had the time to prepare those yummy meals, would they even eat it? You all know the answer to that.

The truth is, for me, that my kids live on Goldfish crackers. Well, Goldfish crackers and chicken nuggets with some apple slices thrown in here or there. Do they eat ANYTHING healthy? Of course! With some serious crying, whining, threatening and bribing that may or may not take place.

If I am being honest here, being that role model chef, is not all that it's cut out to be, is it?

There are many barriers that us moms face when preparing meals for our families. And those barriers alone are enough for most of us to throw in the oven mitt and pull out the hot dogs.

Common barriers that all moms face:

Time - Who HAS the time? Most families have erratic schedules. Whether you work outside of the home or are a stay at home mom, it is nearly impossible to have set meal times. Between your and your spouse's work schedules, kids' homework, practices and lessons and meal preparation, who can get dinner on the table by a decent time?

Budget - Fresh fruits and vegetables and trendy "health" foods like quinoa and coconut oil are expensive! The most budget friendly foods we can find include those that are canned, frozen or come out of a box. While not the poster children for healthy foods, these types of food answer a lot of our prayers, cheap, kid-friendly and easy to prep.

Lack of Resources - Coupon clipping, recipes, the ins-and-outs of meal prep and all things every mom wants. But a lot of us don't have these tools! Yes, Pinterest is awesome, but who has the time? Yes, I would love to make steel cut oats for breakfast, but how do you make them? Meal prepping on Sundays would save so much time during the week but how is it done? Do we have to eat the same thing every night because ain't no child in my house is going for that unless it's fries and chicken fingers.

These barriers are the exact reason why we find ourselves buying the same four things as the grocery store or inventing family nights like "Pizza Tuesday" and "Mac 'n Cheese Monday". But it DOESN'T have to be this way. No it doesn't!! Stay tuned for the solutions to these common mom problems and let's get our family food habits back in track!

In the meantime, share YOUR biggest barrier!

Making Healthy Food A Part Of Your Family

While choosing to eat healthy is the first step, getting the rest of the family to follow suit, may be a challenge. I can eat as healthy as I choose, for Stella (3 ½ years-old) and Carter (18 months) this is a whole other story.

I know the importance of ensuring that my little ones develop good eating habits at an early age. I am not sure if it is my fault (tracing back to my pregnancy cravings), but they both have quite the sweet tooth. But habits should be formed now because as they get older, they will be harder to break.

Here are some things that I have tried that have proved to have some success with keeping the kids’ eating habits on track:

·        Offer healthy choices – If the snack choice consists of chips or rice cakes, it is no surprise that the kids will choose chip.    I mean, come on, wouldn’t you? Both of my little ones are  old enough to make choices (even if Carter does this simply by pointing and shaking his head). When I allow them to  open the pantry for a snack, they find the least healthy item   in there. Instead, I will select two things to choose from, like applesauce or a banana, that way, I am happy with whatever they choose. If the kids don’t want either? Then they must  not be that hungry

Crab legs! Who knew the kids would love them!

·        Re-write the kids’ menu – Who says that kids have to have traditional “kid-friendly” food. As soon as mine had teeth, they were eating what hubby and I were eating. They now gobble up things like tofu and salmon and turn their noses up at peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The best part? Mom    or dad only has to cook one meal!

 

·        Be the captain of your ship – Who does the grocery shopping in the house? If there is a lot of junk food – it didn’t get there by accident. I remind myself when at the grocery store that if I buy a box of cookies, someone will eat them. The less junk food I buy, the less tempted everyone is to indulge.

·        Don’t make the kids “clean their plate” – While this strategy may have been used by our parents, it is not the best practice. Forcing kids to “clean their plate” only makes eating a chore. It also forces kids to eat when they may no longer be hungry. All that teaches them is too overeat and not listen to their bodies.

·        Remember that food is not love – I really had to struggle with this one. I am guilty of passing out cookies, baking brownies, or going out for ice cream when Stella has done something good. It is embarrassing because, sometimes, she asks if she has been good and I know that this is a code for wanting a sweet treat. Instead, I have to find other ways to reward her for things. Perhaps it is an extra book before bed or allowing her to choose a game for us to play. Maybe I print out some free pages for her to color or paint. It is hard because a sweet treat is so much less time consuming than the other options but I know, in the end, this is the healthier choice.

If being a parent wasn’t hard enough, taking extra steps to ensure you are raising health-conscious eaters makes it harder. It takes time and planning (as if you didn’t have enough to do). But with the startling rates of childhood obesity and type-2 diabetes, this is not something that we can ignore. Lowering our kids’ risks of these nutrition-related diseases is easier than dealing with a chronically ill one.

Stay Haute During the Holidays

The holidays are a time of joy, laughter, and festivities. Festivities mean parties and parties mean food. The holiday times usually mean chaos for the family schedule and eating.

I really try to celebrate the holidays without allowing all the unhealthy food and sweets to throw my family off track. This is important to me since I run frequently and am always trying to eat smart for my next half marathon adventure. Being a health educator, I also know the importance of keeping my little ones from going off the junk food deep end.
These are some things I do to model healthy holidays around the house:

Substitute Low Fat/Low Calorie Ingredients
• I often use two egg whites in the place of one egg. I've learned this can reduce the cholesterol and produce the same result.
• Try to substitute applesauce for oil, margarine or butter in muffins, breads and sweets. I try substituting a small amount at first; the more I substitute, the more the texture of the finished product changes. My family never notices the difference!
• For dips, sauces, dressings and pie toppings, I use fat-free ingredients. Fat-free yogurt, sour cream and whipped topping have the same effect without the extra fat.
• Choose reduced-fat or low-fat cheeses for salads and casseroles. This is easier on the waist and the kids’ tummies.

Party Smart
• I try to start the day with a healthy breakfast. Low-fat yogurt with granola and berries, eggs with whole wheat toast and tomatoes, or toast with peanut butter and bananas. Eating a hearty breakfast makes the whole family less likely to indulge in holiday goodies throughout the day, wherever they may be.
• I choose carefully between foods you definitely will eat, those you will sample and those to skip. I talk to Stella, my 3-year-old, about what to avoid before the party, and we stick with that plan. For example, we will plan to eat dinner with some vegetables BEFORE we get dessert.
• I don’t rush to eat. Socialize and settle into the festivities before eating.
• Moving the socializing away from the buffet or appetizer tray is something that always keeps me out of trouble. It's my secret to minimizing unconscious nibbling.
• I fill the family’s plate with fruits, vegetables, and other healthy choices. This makes less room for those high calorie/fatty foods.

Stay On The Move
• I try to schedule outside time even if it means only heading out for 20-30 minutes before it gets dark. This keeps the family moving and off the couch.
• I encourage my family and guests to join me on walks or runs. If I have visitors, I ask them to come along. If they don’t run, I take them for a nice walk.
• I like to join in holiday and family-friendly events this time of year. There are so many fun walking/running events through the holiday season. Events such as the Holiday Half in Pomona have family fun expos all the way to half marathons that welcome costumes and strollers! That’s where we will be this weekend!

A Bore in the Kitchen

For those of you have gotten to know me, you know that I'm no Betty Crocker. In fact, I wouldn't even feel comfortable saying I'm Chef Boyardee. Nevertheless, I have been trying to sharpen my skills in the kitchen so that I can make Stella good, healthy meals. Well that and the fact that her daycare provider is like a gourmet chef. She makes homeade pizza for Pete's sake. I can't have her making me look bad.

I have my go-to recipes that I make for Stellas. They aren't very many but she seems to enjoys them and they are nutritious. I've been feeling like maybe I need to branch out and find some new things to try. Apparently Stella feels that as well. The other day, she was enjoying her ravioli, peas, and milk. This is a meal I make fairly often, which she usually gobbles up. Well this time she fell asleep. That's right. FELL ASLEEP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MEAL! I think she was trying to tell me something about my cooking. Anyone have any recipes they can share? This haute mom needs a little spice in her dishes it seems!

My mom's cooking is a snoooze!

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