Healthy Kid-Friendly Foods

We all have the best intentions!  We intend to feed our families only the healthiest, most nutritious foods possible, but then life happens.  We run out of time, or in some cases, clean dishes.  We forget about that appointment that was scheduled for 1:30 this afternoon, so we grab some kind of junk food on the way out the door.  Or, worse yet, we grab fast food on the way to the appointmet.  We tell ourselves and the children that this won't happen again for a very long time...like 2 whole days....but we feel better about it because...you know....

Here are some fun, super easy meals to fix for your children when you're running short on time:

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Eggs!  You can do so much with them and they are SOO good for you.  There's nothing better than fresh, free range, eggs!  {I'm soo going to have a few chickens of my own some day...!!!}  Until then, I get eggs from a friend for $2.00 a dozen.  You can boil them and have them ready...just in case.  Ever had a sunny-side-up egg on a baked potato or a fried egg on a hamburger??  For a hurry up and grab it mean, you can make egg burritos and flash freeze them for later.  

Peanut Butter and Honey Wraps!  Smear some all natural peanut butter on a tortilla, drizzle some honey and roll it up.  If you're feeling SUPER domesticated, you can grab a banana and roll it in the center!  My kids love it!

Fresh Veggies with Ranch!  I cut, clean and store them in certain locations in the fridge.  When a child is hungry, or we need lunch in a hurry, we grab the veggies and the ranch and there you have it.... 

Celery {or sliced apples} with peanut butter and raisins!  This makes a great snack or lunch.  And, you happen to have a child that chokes on celery, as does one of mine, you can replace the celery with sliced apple wedges!  So simple!  And so quick!

Avocado Dip!   It's fun, filling, fast and healthy!!  You can't go wrong!  You can eat it with tortilla chips, whole wheat crackers, or veggies.

Chicken Quesadillas!!  YuM!!  We love them.  So simple and quick! You can eat them with sour cream and salsa, or you can grab them when you need a quick on-the-go meal. 

Tuna Salad!  Can be eaten as a salad, on bread, pita wraps, wheat crackers, or tortilla shells!  So many options and very healthy!  Keep some on hand in the fridge and you can make a quick, healthy sandwich in no time!

Homemade Pizzas or Pizza pockets!  Whole wheat crust, homemade sauce, cheese and veggies.  Freeze a few a head of time and grab them when you need them! 

 
Whole Wheat Banana Bread Sandwiches.  Slice the bread and put a thin layer of cream cheese in the center!  Great for breakfast or snacks.  You can freeze these and take them along with you.  We actually like them better half frozen.  So much better for you than giving into the McDonald's temptation!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches!   Peanut butter, homemade jam or raw honey, and whole wheat bread is a great way to go.  Kids love it because it's sweet.  Mom loves it because it's healthy and everyone loves that it fills them up so quickly.

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Freezing Corn

I tried planting a late batch of corn this year, but it's been so hot and dry that only a grand total of THREE stalks have made an appearance.  Rather than worrying about it all, I went and bought some organic sweet corn from a local farmer.  {Thankful for good friends who find and share good deals with me!!}  $15 is not a bad deal for a bushel of local sweet corn!  I'd say it's pretty thrifty!  Who says eating healthy is expensive??

I bought 2 1/2 bushels of corn and came out with about 40 quarts of frozen corn {plus some caned corn}. ~ Not too bad!!

Directions:

A corn husking party!!  The first step is husking the corn, which is why we have children!!  Hand them the bags or boxes of corn and tell them they can play in the sprinkler or pool when the job is done - and done RIGHT - and you'll be surprised at how quickly that corn gets husked!!  Oh, and you might want to do it all outside...not a fan of silks all over the kitchen.

Blanching the corn:  Clean the corn and put it in boiling water for about 7 - 10 minutes. Cooking at high temperatures kills bacteria.  Remove corn from boiling water and put in a big bucket of ice water to stop the cooking quickly.  Be sure you use plenty of ice to keep the water cold and bring down the temperature of the corn as quickly as possible.

Freezing the corn:  At this point you can freeze the corn on the cob, which is the easiest way to do it.  All you do is put the cold, cooked ears of corn in your freezer container - I used gallon sized zip lock bags - remove the air and seal the containers.

~ Frozen corn on the cob ~

I try to put 6 ears in one bag since that's what it would take to feed my family.

Or, you can cut the corn off the cob.  My husband prefers it this way because it doesn't get stuck in his teeth.  :)   I believe they actually make corn cutters that will help you cut the kernels of corn off the cob in even pieces, but since I don't have one of those, I use my electric knife.  Sorry, no pictures of this step because my hands were corny {kinda like my jokes} and I really didn't think about it. 

Once the kernels are cut off the cob, we scoop them up and put them in quart sized zip lock bags according to how much we would use per meal.

We make a few bags with less for things like soup or chicken pot pie.  Be sure you put only what you plan on using for one meal per bag.  You want to use it all once you've thawed it out.  Below are some of the smaller bags for meals that don't require as much.

Spread bags of corn out flat on shelves to freeze.  Don't stack them on top of each other before they're frozen.  This way you can be sure they all freeze quickly and thoroughly.  Once they are frozen, you can stack them neatly in the freezer to save space.  {Mine will be moved to the big, deep freezer as soon as I get it cleaned out and organized.}  Don't forget to date the bags so you can keep up with how old it is! 

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Preservative Free Me

I was talking to a friend from Bible College recently about starting the "Preservative Free Journey".  We were talking about how expensive it can be - especially when you're living on a limited income. And, believe it or not, living without preservatives can actually be less expensive than not.....

Here are 10 things that helped me as I started my quest for a preservative free life style:

 

First ~ stop buying sodas, and fake juices that are only partly juice and partly sugar, and other preservatives.  This will save you tons of money and it will save your health!! 

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Cereal ~  The "organic section" at Kroger/Fry's is a great place to start!  You can get the "Mom's BEST Naturals" brand for $2.00 a box!!  That's cheaper than the sugary brands.  They use natural sweeteners, and they do NOT use: artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.  They also don't use hydrogenated oil, or high fructose corn syrup.  They do use whole grains, however, they are not organic.

Cheese-Its!!  {and other crackers and chips} ~ You can find more natural brands in the Kroger/Fry's "organic section" as well!  And if these are still too expensive for you - good ole' Aldi has chips without MSG and other preservatives in them too!  Can't beat that!

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Mac & Cheese ~  My kids love Annie's Organic's brand, so  I always stock up when they are $1.00 a box.  Still more expensive than Kraft, but no artificial anything!   And, they have options for you -LOTS of options! 

Make your own spice blends!!  Have you ever read the ingredients on the back of those spice packets?  Before it was nothing for me to grab a few of those taco seasoning mixes.  They were cheap and easy and I had no idea that they were packing more than spices!!

Hamburger Helper ~ Make your own using "Annie's Mac & Cheese, your own spice blends, a few veggies, and your imagine.  They taste great and are fun to make! 

Salad dressings ~ my kids eat plenty of fresh veggies with ranch.  They always have, but I didn't realize until about 3 years ago that ranch is LOADED with MSG and other preservatives.  So, all those healthy meals really weren't as healthy as I thought they'd been.  Making your own dressings is a quick and easy fix, and in the long run it costs less too.

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Organic is a great way to go and I go that way as often as I can, but as I said, we're talking limited budget here. There are only 2 items that I try to never buy if they're not organic...apples and potatoes!  Both are LOADED down with chemicals if not organic - more than most of the other produce.  If you can't afford to get these things organic either, you can wash them well and peel them before you cook/eat them.

If you're worried about GMO you can check the stickers on your produce...they actually do mean something to you and not just to the people that work in the grocery store.  Who know, right??

Garden ~ If you're still worried, or you simply want to take it a step farther - you can grow your own food!  I strongly recommend this route.  It's so much fun for the kids, and educational too.

Don't be overwhelmed....

 

Remember, it's best to ease into it.  Don't try to do it all at once, or you may end up stressing yourself out and that's not good for your health either.  Just pick one and start there.  I started with the homemade ranch dressing. And from there, I discovered the Mac & Cheese and then the cereal.

It's a journey, not a race.  No one has arrived and certainly no one should be trying to "beat you to it".  :)  And, since we're all on this journey together, I'd love it if you would leave a message with your favorite ways to cut back on preservatives and additives in your food!   I can't wait to hear from you!

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Healthy 2day Wednesdays

Is True Love Blind?

They say, "love is blind", but is it really?

In those first weeks of a dating relationship it may be.  You spend as much time together as you can.  You overlook the flaws, or the bad points because the good points out weigh the bad.  In fact, sometimes you don't see the bad points at all.  Not because there aren't any.  You just aren't seeing them because you're in "love".  This is the kind of love that's blind.  This is also NOT genuine love.  This love is short lived and won't last.

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Married life is grand and glorious for a grand total of 3 weeks...maybe.  And then it hits.  Life.  You should have known it was coming.  But you didn't.  You thought he was perfect.  He thought you were perfect.  You're left to wonder what happened and where things went wrong.  As Elizabeth Elliott said, they went wrong back in the garden of Eden.  You are both children of Adam.  Sinners.  What did you expect?
My husband is a preacher.  We've heard it said so many times:

•  "I just don't feel loved" 
• "I don't feel any love for him"
• "It just doesn't feel right any more."
• "We've grown apart"

There's 2 things wrong with each of these statements.

#1 ~ Love isn't a feeling.  True love is a decision to give yourself completely and totally for the good of the other person.  It's  doing right toward the other person when you don't feel like it.  When it's not easy.  When it's not deserved.

True love is not blind.  It's quite the opposite.  True love is knowing the sins and flaws of your husband better than anyone and turning a blind eye.  Loving him anyway.  Encouraging him because you know you're a sinner as well and in need of encouragement.  Forgiving him the way you, yourself would want to be forgiven.  And possibly encouraging, forgiving, and loving even though you know it won't be returned.  That's True Love.  This is the love Jesus had for us when He died on the cross. 

#2 ~ All of these statements revolve around the wrong person.  Who are you in this thing for?  Is it about you, or your husband?  I understand that we all need to feel loved, but True Love is not about you.  It's about the other person. True love is a willingness to give up a few things to make the other person happy and then you'll find that you are a happier person and more fulfilled in your role as wife.

True love is not about you.  True love is not about receiving, but giving.  It's doing.  Love is a decision.  An action.  Hard work.  

True love is not a feeling.  It's not something that we can find or fall into.  It's something that must be worked at, and built up every day.  True love is not blind.  It just knows how to turn a blind eye to the things that are not that important in the long run, focuses on the good rather than the flaws, and is determined to raise the object of affection to a higher position than ever before.

  TRUE LOVE:  Romans 5:8  But God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

 

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Protect Your Children. Obey Their Father.

Children understand early that dad is {or should be} in charge of the family.  They watch how you, as their mother, handle being told what to do.  Don't be surprised one day when your daughter treats her husband as you have treated her daddy.

So many times the father will wisely warn against his children wanting to spend time with this person or that.  He doesn't want his children going here or doing that with a certain person or group of persons.  The mother, however, feels sorry for her children because they feel that they are being denied fun.

Mom wants them to have great memories of their younger years - especially if she feels she missed out during hers.  She talks her husband into allowing it, or worse, allows her children to do what they want behind dad's back.   ~ It's a bad deal and a fantastic way to set your kids up for failure. ~  You are teaching them, by example, to be rebellious and go against their God given authority.

I've known mothers that sincerely thought their children would love them more for letting them do certain things that their husband and father disapproved of.  They thought it would show the kids they were fun-loving and cool.

My son, (or daughter) give me thine heart and let thine eyes observe my ways.  ~ Proverbs 23:26

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One mother, in particular, said to me, "she isn't going to do anything.  He {referring to her husband} just worries too much."  I honestly think this mother was under the impression that if she allowed her daughter to do most of what she wanted, the daughter would think twice when the mother finally decided to say "no".  After all, she did usually say, "yes", so surely  she would stop and consider why mom said "no" to this particular activity when she had so eagerly said "yes" to all of the others.  In this particular situation, the mother was very disappointed, and to this day is blaming everyone but herself for the way her child has turned out.   Mother, if you didn't value your husband's opinion, why should your child(ren) value yours?

My children are far too important to me.  I'm not the perfect wife and mother.  I don't always agree with him.  But for the sake of my children, I always back him up.

I have told them I don't understand the "why" of it all, but then I explained that we don't always need to know the "why", we simply need to trust that God is God and He has given us our daddy to protect us. 

Your husband is a man and he understands things in a way that his children, and yes, even you, his wife, does not.  He's not as emotional.  Neither is he worried about the fact that your child may have a bad day/attitude as a result of his decision.  He simply understands that something or someone at the activity could be harmful or simply not in his child's best interest.  Dad says no, because he's looking out for the welfare of his family.

You may not understand the "why" behind the "no", but you can teach your child to be happy anyway by being happy anyway.  You may feel sorry for your child because they are missing out on something - don't let your child know this.  Be thankful that they are home, safe and sound.  Know that, in the long run, you are teaching your child to love, obey and be respectful by being these things yourself.

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Recycling Old Towels

OK, guys, I'm not always the smartest cookie in the jar, and I can prove it!  A couple of weeks ago I made a few Chicken Enchilada Bakes to feed some of the teenagers at church.  Since none of my pans have lids - at least none of the big ones - and I didn't have any foil, {because of the aluminum} I decided to wrap them each in a nice big bath towel, load them in a laundry basket, and take them that way.  Either my towel idea was a bad one, or my driving is crazy, but by the time I got to the church the towels were cheesy and the enchiladas were not!!  :( 

I threw one of the towels away at church because there was no hope for it.  I tried to wash the other 2 and was successful with one.  The other was nearly successful, but there were still a few cheesy spots that didn't smell so good.  Nothing like getting out of the shower and drying off with a smelly old 'cheese cloth'.  :)

So, quite simply, I made "Paper Towels" out of my bath towel.  We already don't buy napkins because it saves us money to use cloth napkins.  Now, we have big huge, very absorbent, paper towels.

This saves money in several ways:

• I didn't throw away a towel that was still 99% usable.
• We don't have to buy paper towels at the grocery store.
• The kids won't have to use my nice dish towels when they spill something, which keeps my dish towels nicer.
• I won't have to replace those nasty rags I clean the bathroom with {they were getting kinda gross}.  

 

All I did:

Fold the towel in half and cut.  Then, fold the halves in half and cut.  Cut each of these pieces in half and cut.  You should have 8 very nice size rags to replace your paper towels!!

By using something I already had, I saved myself money and time!!  Maybe this will help me feel better about being so 'cheesy'.

Maybe.....???

How do you save money recycling things you already have??

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My Funny Pregnant Story...

This seriously happened to me.  I promise, I couldn't make this one up if I tried!  It's gross, but it's also hysterical.  If you don't laugh at life, you'll cry...so you might as well enjoy what you can - even if it's at my expense!

Warning: This story is not for the faint of heart.  If you can't take disgusting or gross, don't read this story! 

My son was born in June of 2006.  We were thrilled.  He was our third child, and our first boy.  Not to mention, I don't do well when I'm pregnant, so I was just thrilled to be 'normal' again.

Then, in September, I discovered that I as expecting again.  I wasn't happy.  In fact, I was miserable!  Not that I didn't want another child, but it's very hard to care for the children you have and a husband when you are sick around the clock.  

Around 20 weeks, I started having what I thought were contractions.  I became very fearful because I had not wanted to be pregnant again so soon due to the age of my son and the fact that I was still so tired of being sick and tired all the time.  I was afraid that God was going to take the baby because I had not been thankful.

I began to pray.

By the next morning the contractions were worse.  It was a Sunday Morning.  I told my husband that I would not be going to church that morning.  He called me between Sunday School and Church to check in.  I told him I wanted to go to the ER.  Things had not improved.  He found places for the older girls to go that afternoon and took us - me, my son, and our unborn daughter - to the ER. 

After several years, I mean hours, in the ER we were sent home with the diagnoses of "bladder infection".  I had never had a bladder infection before and was relieved that that's all it was!!

All I had to do was take a couple of different pills.  One was to relieve the infection and the other was to help me keep my food down.  I couldn't even brush my teeth or swallow water the wrong way without loosing my dinner - how on earth was I supposed to take a pill and keep it down long enough for it to do any good??  And how do you keep a pill down when you can't keep your food down - even one designed to help you keep things down??

And the kicker - I had to eat before I could take the pill!!  Double whammy!!

So, we stopped and got some dinner and took it home.  People don't generally appreciate pregnant women running back and forth to the bathroom every time they take a bite, and most restaurants don't allow you to eat in the bathroom - which would have been a tad awkward for my husband anyway, so taking it home seemed to be the best option for us that day.

We got home, and I took a bite, then another.  Actually, I took THREE bites and decided that would have to be enough.  I swallowed the pill as fast as I could and lay back on the couch telling myself that it would be ok.  I could do this.  I could do this.

I could not do this...

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I jumped up and ran to the bathroom.  It was only a brief 20 foot run, but I didn't quite make it.  I 'baptized' my husband's new, 37 inch, TV - (he's still bitter!  You should hear him tell this story!!  You'd think I did it on purpose and had a blast in the process!!)  Then, I got to the tile, and, well, I slipped in my own - you know - and fell down - flat on my back!!

So now I was lying on my back, covered in yuck, looking up at the ceiling.  The entire hallway, including the bottom 3/4 of the walls, was covered too.  My arm and my head hurt so bad, I forgot I was sick!  I was lying there thinking, "I'm going to have to go back to the ER with a broken arm and covered in this!!"

I was trying to think of a way to change my clothes without moving my arm when my husband started demanding that I tell him what was going on.  He doesn't do well with disgusting smells or sights and didn't want to risk coming over to where he might would definitely be subject to something disgusting.   So, he stayed in his recliner and demanded that I tell him what was going on.

Meanwhile, I was still trying to figure out how to move my arm, clean the house and myself and....well, the whole situation was pretty bad.  When I didn't answer, my brave husband decided to venture out of his comfort zone and come to my aid.  One glance from him and he was depositing his lunch right next to mine!

By this time I was sitting up watching him in disbelief.  Didn't he know I already had too much to clean up??    I very calmly informed him that the toilet was only a few short feet away, and could he please feel free to use it?  So, he made his way to the bathroom and I burst into laughter.

He totally missed the humor in this situation and demanded that I stop laughing which only made me laugh even more!  He kept asking me what my problem was and why I as laughing when, obviously, NOTHING was funny!

Honestly, I didn't know what else to do at that point, so laughing seemed a good idea...I mean, seriously, who would believe such a story??

I was able to get up and clean the house and take a shower.  I didn't try the pills again that day and I didn't go back to the ER.  We also didn't go to church that night as my husband was sure I was losing my mind and felt the need to stay with me.  I think he just wanted to make sure I didn't go near his TV again.

The moral of this story - Don't get a bladder infection when you're pregnant!!!

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This post is linked up with:

Your Thriving Family 
Loving Your Children Tuesdays