Togetherness

"What every child craves is something every parent can give - togetherness.  We spend so much time worrying about things - from a clean house, to a manicured lawn, to the list of things to do tomorrow that we didn't get done today.  With all the distractions, we often lose track of our child's needs. 

Yet, there is only one thing needed.  It's the good part - the sitting together to make eye contact and to listen.  The part where we hear what a child's heart has to say in simple, honest, I-need-you words. The moments when they feel alone or neglected... when they're hurting... when they reach for us, and we can show them how God loves.  He knows the distractions.  He pays attention.  He makes us all feel incredibly valuable and loved.

Together time, no matter when or where it happens, is time to heap love on our children and show them they're a God-given good part of our day. It is a way of living that says to a child, "you are priceless."  By Bonnie Jensen, The Simple Joys of Motherhood

 

Healthy Eating. Healthy Living.

Let's face it, getting back into those pre-pregnancy jeans can be a struggle.  It's also one of the most dominating thoughts in a new mother's mind.  Even if you're not a new mom, or have never given birth, your weight has probably been one of your dominating thoughts.  For this reason, I want to share with you some of my tips on healthy eating. 

Dieting is never fun! When I've looked at diets, I've noticed they all have something in common - eliminating something from your plate, or in other words - your palate. Every time I've tried to eliminate something whether it was sweets, starches, or fat I found myself craving that one thing even more. If you follow these tips below, you'll still be able to eat a diverse diet and stay in control of your health.

I've picked up these ideas from the following: Weight Watchers, Curves, Food Network, Bobby Deen, Rachael Ray, Vegetarians, etc.

Grocery Shopping

When you select ground beef, ALWAYS get 93% lean or the leanest you can find

Try substituting ground turkey instead of ground beef for a meal, it cuts the calories and fat and most of the time you can't even tell the difference!

Buy 1% or Skim Milk.  Remember you may also cook with milk, so whatever fat is in the milk is going into your mashed potatoes or soups.

If you buy less processed and canned foods - you'll eat less of processed and canned foods.  Now that I've started making my own homemade soups, I can't stand seeing, smelling, or even tasting canned soups!  No matter if they're organic, yuck!  I'll share with you some homemade soup recipes in the future.  They're amazing! 

If you have a big sweet tooth, buy the "fun size" candies and eat one or two.  If you buy a large candy bar - you will eat it!  I promise!

Buy whole grain pasta.  Yeah, yeah - we've all heard this, right?  It's true!   If you buy a pasta that says "whole grain" then you're adding more protein into your meal which is great! 

Pay special attention to breads.  Even whole grain breads are packed full of sugar!  Look on your label.  I mean, come on!  If I want to eat sugar, I'd rather have an M&M.  I don't want to eat it in my bread.  Personally, I buy Nature's Own "sugar free" Whole Wheat Bread.

Restaurants

Limit your drive thru experiences. Do not make it a daily or every other day habit. Make it a treat, not a routine.

Watch the bread as appetizers at restaurants. A lot of restaurants offer bread for free as your "appetizer" and you'll find yourself filling up on bread before your meal even arrives.

Ask for dressing on the side and dip your fork into it before each bite.  You'll still get that wonderful taste of your favorite dressing, but you'll be amazed at how many calories you'll leave behind.

Order water with lemon instead of a sugary beverage.  You'll be saving your waistline and your wallet.

Every Day Eating

Find your favorite recipes on Bobby Deen's Website and learn how to make it with less fat and calories, but still with all the flavor!

Eating soup or salad before a meal will fill your belly and make you less hungry to eat so many starches or sweets.

When cooking, replace your vegetable oil with olive oil.  It's sooo much better for you!

Stay hydrated.  You may not have to drink 8 glasses of water per day to stay hydrated, every body is different.  However, drinking tons of sugary beverages or aspartame packed beverages isn't good for your body. 

Meat does not, I repeat does NOT, have to be the center of your meal or the dominating figure on your plate. Eating large amounts of meat is hard on your digestive system, and it also adds a lot of fat into your meal.

Eat a healthy protein in the morning, like a scrambled egg. Protein gets your metabolism going and started off right for the day.

Portion control!!  Try changing your plate size. (see below) For some reason, our plates are HUGE! Possibly way too big for our bodies if you ask me.  Look at the difference in the size of these two plates.  Think for a moment... What if it were true that your stomach could only hold the amount of food on the left plate? But, you're forcing it to digest all the food on the right plate??

Trust me, I am not perfect when it comes to eating.  I don't always follow these tips 100% of the time.  I'm human!  However, I do like to follow Bobby Deen's advice.  He says, "What I try to achieve is just a balance, and I go by about an 80/20 rule. 80 percent of the time I’m really strict on myself, and 20 percent of the time, you know, you’ve gotta live. You’ve only got one life, so enjoy it!"

Daddy is not the babysitter

Don't ever let Dad be called the babysitter. I've heard some Dads say that they are "babysitting" their children, or someone will call him a babysitter.  Let's think for a moment about Webster's definition of babysit.

:to care for children usually during a short absence of the parents; to give care <babysit for a neighbor's pets>

A babysitter watches over childrent for a short period of time until the parents return.  If you apply this same definition to Dad, then that means he's only giving care for a short period of time until Mom - the parent - returns.  This is clearly not the case.

Moms and Dads should both be given the same title as parent and their roles should be equally so.  Both parents bring something different to the table for the child, and both should be highly esteemed.  Daddy is not the babysitter, he is the parent. :-)

Nursing Positions & Latching

I learned in my breastfeeding class that women learn how to breastfeed by watching other moms.  Well, sometimes it's difficult to get together with other moms and watch them.  I learned a lot from videos.  It helps to see what latching looks like and how the baby is suppose to respond.  This one has great information!

Week Night Shepherd's Pie

Wondering what to make for dinner when you've used up all your go-to's and want something new? Try my version of Shepherd's Pie. It is made with a homemade gravy - no canned soups! And... it's topped with ranch flavored mashed potatoes. Yum!!

 

 

Drizzle of olive oil

1/2 cup minced onion

2 gloves minced garlic

1/2 cup chopped carrot (I use julienned)

1 lb 93% lean ground beef

1 can green beans

Salt & Pepper to taste

 

For Gravy:

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour 

1-2 cups beef broth (eye ball it)

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp of worcestershire sauce

Few dashes of McCormick Montreal Steak Grill Mates Seasoning

(secret ingredient... 1 tsp bacon grease - optional)

Mashed Potato Topping:
4 large russett potatoes, boiled to fork tender
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2-1 cup milk
2 tbsp of ranch dressing mix

Heat oven to 350 degrees. 

Start of pot of water boiling for the potatoes.  Peel the potatoes and chop into cubes.  Also, chop the carrots into bite sized pieces.  Boil the potatoes until fork tender.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet add the olive oil, onion, garlic, and carrots together and cook until soft.  Add the ground beef and cook thoroughly.  Salt & pepper to taste.  Add the green beans. 

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour to make a roux.  Gently wisk in the beef broth to make a gravy.  When the gravy forms, wisk in the tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, and grill seasoning.  Add the gravy to the beef mixture and combine well (you may need to add more broth).  Add mixture to baking dish.

Drain the potatoes and add them back to the pan.  Mash together with the butter, milk, sour cream, ranch dressing mix, and salt liberally.  Top the beef mixture with the mashed potatoes (as seen in the picture).  Bake the dish until the potatoes are brown, approximately 20-30 minutes.

For a yummy touch, serve with Pillsbury Crescent Rolls :-)

A mom's job is never done

It's so true!  A mom's job is never done.  Another meal to cook.  Another diaper to change.  And... laundry, laundry, laundry!  It is easy to get caught in the never ending tasks.  How do we cope as mothers?

I invite you to see the video below.  Erin Davis has written a book titled "Beyond Bath Time" which illustrates the sacred calling of motherhood.  In her book, she is brutally honest and shares all angles - the good, bad, and ugly.  I encourage you to read Erin's book.

 

Toddler/Baby Food Recipe

Here's a great recipe for Toddlers.  I discovered this pasta called Ditalini.  It's in the perfect shape for little eaters.  Easy to pick up.  Easy to chew and swallow.

Here's my homemade recipe:

2 cooked chicken breasts, cut in small pieces
2 cups of uncooked Ditalini pasta
1 small can of peas & carrots

For cheese sauce:
1 cup milk
1/2 cup of blended shredded cheese
1/4 cup of parmesan
2 slices of muenster
2 slices of american

Cook the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.  Cut the chicken into very small pieces.  Cook the pasta in boiling water for 10-15 minutes.  Make sure the pasta is cooked well.  While the pasta in draining in the colander, melt all of the cheeses with the milk in the pan.  Add the pasta, chicken, and vegetables.  Add salt and pepper to taste and mix well. 

Yields: 2 ice cube trays for freezing