Kids & Health Kids & their Community Tortilla Zander Kids Help Kids!
Zander's Zen Kitchen Garden
Zander & I are building a garden behind our kitchen - partly because he is doing a Garden Merit Badge for Boy Scouts, partly so we can have lovely produce at the tip of our fingers, but mostly for fun. Please check out our facebook photo album to see how we are doing! We will update it as we progress & through the summer.
(in photo on left: We went to Touchstone Farm in Amissville, VA to get sheep manure to mix with our soil. Z is shoveling the manure!)
(in photo on left: We went to Touchstone Farm in Amissville, VA to get sheep manure to mix with our soil. Z is shoveling the manure!)
Zander's Garden of Wonder
Zander planted a garden for his boy scout merit badge. As his chef-mom, I have really enjoyed our gardening efforts together! Also, he is expanding his culinary boundaries now that he is growing our daily salad ingredients. What a yummy family activity!
An Alternative to Burger King & McDonalds
Zander is happy with his organic 'fast food' dinner!
Zander really, REALLY, REALLY wanted some Burger King for dinner. You can imagine my response to that request! Instead, for dinner I had: an organic veggie burger with romaine & kale salad with some watered down blackberry juice (as fake wine). Zander had: organic baked chicken tenders with tater tots, an apple and some milk. I offered to make him a milkshake, but instead he wanted a dash of vanilla in 2% milk.
Our dinner was quick & easy to make (everything in the oven at once) and fun to eat together. Less money spent and greater health value gained, we had a wonderful and fun time dining tonight! The best part is how well, nourished & energized we feel after our meal.
Bon appetite everyone!
Our dinner was quick & easy to make (everything in the oven at once) and fun to eat together. Less money spent and greater health value gained, we had a wonderful and fun time dining tonight! The best part is how well, nourished & energized we feel after our meal.
Bon appetite everyone!
Cheeseburger Fun
Last night Zander informed me he was going to have a cheeseburger for dinner and NO WAY could I get him to eat any vegetables... so I made him a veggie cheeseburger w/ bacon on top with sliced apple on the side. He didn't mind the lettuce & tomato plus he thinks of apples as "that thing he has with every meal" so Z ate it all. He will be so mad when he realizes what happened... Bwahahahahahahahahahahahaha! (that's my evil "nourishment sneaking" mom laugh)
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Spicy Quesadilla
Today for lunch we had lean smoked pork, chipotle & black bean quesadilla (with kale & quinoa hidden in there) wrapped in a multi-grain & flax seed tortilla. We garnished it with a smokey peach & pineapple sage salsa.
A high fiber & protein dish - we now feel super energized! On top of that, this nourishing lunch is easy to digest. We enjoyed this as a robust meal but it is not at all heavy on our systems. Also, I don't think we will be hungry again for hours! |
Breakfast with a Tween...
July 26, 2011: This week Zander is in Inner Quest Day Camp. Yesterday he did rock climbing & rappelling. Today he is canoeing. So you would think he would want to fuel his body before adventuring forth. Right?
Maybe not so much...
This morning he woke up early and played a Wii game before I was awake. Notnormally our permitted program, so he turned off the electronics and accepted his added chore for the evening as consequence. He boldly stated that he should stay home & play Wii games for a few hours then I could drive him to the canoe put in location. I declined and suggested he join his group at the expected meeting place at 8 AM and I go to work. He was not happy with this resolution.
Breakfast time: I made scrambled cheesy eggs, cinnamon toast and warm vanilla scented milk. Z stared at his food for 10 minutes. Then he took to minutes to nibble the corner of some toast. He moaned statements the whole time: "I'm TRYING to eat Mom! But every time my jaw moves it makes my head feel funny!" or "I think I have to belch." or "You don't know what it feels like to be tired and not able to do what you want to do!" hmmm... I am going to LOVE the next few years.
BTW - Eventually he ate enough that I could smile again. I also packed his lunch box with a lot of healthful snacks. I am sure he will have a wonderful day!
(in photo: Standard 11 year old boy: He seems sweet, but don't go near him in the morning!)
Maybe not so much...
This morning he woke up early and played a Wii game before I was awake. Notnormally our permitted program, so he turned off the electronics and accepted his added chore for the evening as consequence. He boldly stated that he should stay home & play Wii games for a few hours then I could drive him to the canoe put in location. I declined and suggested he join his group at the expected meeting place at 8 AM and I go to work. He was not happy with this resolution.
Breakfast time: I made scrambled cheesy eggs, cinnamon toast and warm vanilla scented milk. Z stared at his food for 10 minutes. Then he took to minutes to nibble the corner of some toast. He moaned statements the whole time: "I'm TRYING to eat Mom! But every time my jaw moves it makes my head feel funny!" or "I think I have to belch." or "You don't know what it feels like to be tired and not able to do what you want to do!" hmmm... I am going to LOVE the next few years.
BTW - Eventually he ate enough that I could smile again. I also packed his lunch box with a lot of healthful snacks. I am sure he will have a wonderful day!
(in photo: Standard 11 year old boy: He seems sweet, but don't go near him in the morning!)
The adventures of Stinky Foot Boy
Peculiar thought for the day:
I was wondering what smelled like a dead animal gone bad when I found Zander's sandals... 1 soapy scrubbing, bleaching then soaking in rose water & witch hazel later... the now nice smelling shoes should dry soon in this heat. Do all 11 year old boys have such stinky feet?
I was wondering what smelled like a dead animal gone bad when I found Zander's sandals... 1 soapy scrubbing, bleaching then soaking in rose water & witch hazel later... the now nice smelling shoes should dry soon in this heat. Do all 11 year old boys have such stinky feet?
A fun day with our community
Scouts selling popcorn to unsuspecting shoppers
Today Zander spoke the fateful words "I'm bored!" so I grabbed some trash bags and we did a little neighborhood cleaning. When will he learn? Then we helped our cub scout pack sell popcorn. Over 70% of the sales go to financing our scout pack's activities and community service projects. Those crafty kids set up a table of yummily irresistible popcorn in front of our local Giant grocery store on the biggest snack purchase day of the year: the day before Super Bowl Sunday! I was impressed with their for thought and planning.
Tonight we have a house full of boys for Zander's dinner & movie night. Tonight's menu: fresh baked pretzels, oven fried chicken & mozzarella sticks, sliced apples, several gallons of 2% milk, & caramel popcorn. The boys were thrilled to learn how easy it is to make a healthful (and better tasting) version of their favorite treats.
And the feature film? Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure. I get to introduce a new generation to "Excellent!" & George Carlin. Falls Church City may never be the same after this...
The best part? The boys learned (again) that helping their community and working together to prepare a fun dinner can be a most excellent experience!
Tonight we have a house full of boys for Zander's dinner & movie night. Tonight's menu: fresh baked pretzels, oven fried chicken & mozzarella sticks, sliced apples, several gallons of 2% milk, & caramel popcorn. The boys were thrilled to learn how easy it is to make a healthful (and better tasting) version of their favorite treats.
And the feature film? Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure. I get to introduce a new generation to "Excellent!" & George Carlin. Falls Church City may never be the same after this...
The best part? The boys learned (again) that helping their community and working together to prepare a fun dinner can be a most excellent experience!
How do you get a kid to eat?????
Read the tale of
Tortilla Zander
See below (on the bottom of this page) for details!
Also...
"Eating Well with Institutional Food" and "Kids Help Kids"
in Food Politics section
our cub scout den meeting during a snow storm - January 26, 2011
click on picture to go to facebook photo album
My home is overflowing with cub scouts! Questions to ponder: Is it possible for me to make snacks quickly enough to keep up with the tween boy metabolism? When I fall behind, how quickly do they go from adorable boys to terrifying beasts of fury? Will my kitchen be completely empty before the den meeting ends? All this and more awaits you in... The Story of the Snowy Afternoon Den Meeting!
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Following last night's dramatic Thunder Storm, today was the best possible snow day! The sun was bright & warm, the snow was slippery & wet. It compacted perfectly for a day of snowballs and forts. (Click on the picture to go to facebook photo album)
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How to spend a cold winter afternoon? ...with Chess & Pizza.
The weather outside is definitely frightful! The cold winds doth blow, etc... Here in Casa Woods, we have a full spectrum light setting the living room aglow and some sort of Kid Bop CD playing. The boys are merry with playful delight (when they are not throwing chess pieces at each other, shouting "No fair!") Today some of the middle school chess club members are here for a party. We made gluten free pizza (see recipe on our Gluten Free Recipes page) and we are really having a great time. Why gluten free? No wheat or gluten allergies here today, but this crust is healthier than the wheat alternative. Healthful pizza?!? Now that is my kind of meal! The boys surprised me by asking for olives and broccoli toppings. They also had sliced apples and orange scented hummus with fresh corn chips on the side. Yay boys!
Sweet dreams are good for kids!
Zander & I were goofing around before bed time. We put the catnip mouse on Maddy's head. Maddy was not as thrilled as we were... but he didn't mind so long as we petted him. You don't want to excite children before bed, but quiet fun with a loving parent can give your child a sense of calm joy and bliss. A short time later, I checked on them. Both were relaxed and wrapped in happy dreams. That is how we should all go to sleep!
Fun + Friends + Health = A Good Time!
One great way to enjoy good health? Play in the woods! Zander & I regularly go hiking with friends. The combination of beautiful weather, cardio work out in a constantly changing scenic environment & socializing with friends makes for a perfect few hours. Last Sunday we hiked in Prince William Forest with our cub scout pack.
The Continuing Tales of Tortilla Zander
The Tale of Tortilla Zander 10/23/2010Zander made us cheese quesadillas on his panini press! It was a really good lunch. If you want to get kids to eat healthier, encourage them to cook with or for you. It really helps & it is fun! We pretended that we were actually doing science experiments that we had to eat... While eating, we had the best discussion of what the imaginary outcome of the experiments were... Very creative stories ensued, then... before we knew it... Z had eaten all his healthful food! Without me nagging at all!!!!! Also, Z is very proud that his quesadillas did not need added oil like my sauteed version do. Now that is a competitive attitude that I appreciate!
Further Tales of Tortilla Zander 10/25/2010One of Zander's favorite dinners is chicken tenders with the works. Z is so proud when he gets this! He thinks he is pulling a culinary con on me. So tonight I told him that if he did all his homework & chores without me having to nag him, this would be his reward. Yipee! It worked like a charm. The menu: Baked (organic, free range) chicken tenders with home made ketchup, Bhutanese red rice, sliced (locally farmed) apple, carrot sticks and a chocolate milk shake (with whey based protein powder and food based nutrient powder added). My actual effort for the meal: 10 minutes. Along with all this - we had such a fun evening!
Further Tales of Tortilla Zander 10/25/2010One of Zander's favorite dinners is chicken tenders with the works. Z is so proud when he gets this! He thinks he is pulling a culinary con on me. So tonight I told him that if he did all his homework & chores without me having to nag him, this would be his reward. Yipee! It worked like a charm. The menu: Baked (organic, free range) chicken tenders with home made ketchup, Bhutanese red rice, sliced (locally farmed) apple, carrot sticks and a chocolate milk shake (with whey based protein powder and food based nutrient powder added). My actual effort for the meal: 10 minutes. Along with all this - we had such a fun evening!