Breaking the Fast

 

 

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It breaks the fast (get it breakfast?) our bodies go through while we are sleeping. Typically, that's the longest amount of consecutive time our bodies must fast. We should eat breakfast within one hour of waking. Most families have crazy hectic mornings. Getting ourselves up, getting ready for work, waking our kids, making sure they get ready (if they aren't old enough to do so themselves then that also means we will be getting them ready as well), feeding kids, gathering things for work/school/after school and work activities. On those hectic mornings I can understand (and relate as a mom, wife, and employee) why skipping breakfast or grabbing a fast food one would seem like the thing to do. My words to you: Just say no! Put down that doughnut, throw away that sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit, drive on by that coffee hut with muffins the size of a chihuahua puppy. 

Here I have for you a easy access breakfast that includes little to no preparation and what little it requires is done the night before! Aaaat last! Overnight oats are the solution to your crazy mornings that make it seem like having a healthy and nutritious breakfast unattainable. This specific recipe is my favorite. What can I say except that I am a lover of anything pumpkin. Overnight Pumpkin Walnut Oats are my go to breakfast with school kicking into gear and Carsen running circles around me.

 

Overnight Pumpkin Walnut Oats

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup milk of your choice (I've been using coconut milk recently and love it)

2 tablespoons pumpkin puree

1 tablespoon walnuts

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

 

Just combine all these ingredients into a Tupperware container, cover, and place in your refrigerator overnight. You can eat them either warm or cold.

 

SO easy and nutritious.  I like to warm mine up during the winter months and add a little more coconut milk. And voila! Breakfast to break the fast.

 

 

 

Recipe Redo

Dinner is kind of a big deal in our house. We all sit down at the dinner table which Archie and I feel is an important value to instill in Carsen at a young age. Nothing makes me happier than making my boys a wholesome, well balanced meal that not only taste good, but is good for them too. I also take pride in knowing that they are not ingesting a ton of artificial things like colors or preservatives. I try to keep it as clean as possible and include all of the food groups to keep it balanced.

Tonight, I wish I could say I had the inspiration for this recipe, but I was inspired through other means. I have a confession to make. I am a Pin-aholic. You know, one of those people who pins a ton of stuff to their Pintrest account in hopes that I'll need it one day. Well, I hopped on to see if some inspiration would strike me for dinner tonight. I thought about what I had on hand and set out on my mission. And then, I came across a brilliant idea. Philly cheese steak stuffed pepper. I'm a big fan of peppers. I use them a ton in my cooking. Bell peppers are a super source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and Vitamin B6. They are also a source of Omega 3 fatty acids (the good fats that have been proven to lower bad cholesterol). They were healthy, super delicious, and quick to make. The prep was the only thing that took time. The ingredient list was not outrageously long either!

Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Peppers

8 oz deli sliced roast beef
6 oz sliced mushrooms (I used white)
1 sweet onion sliced
1 tbs minced garlic (I love garlic so I always use a little more)
2 tbs olive oil
2 green bell peppers
8 slices of provolone cheese
salt and pepper to taste

* Pre heat oven to 400*F.

* Slice bell peppers lengthwise and de-rib and remove seeds. Layer one slice of provolone cheese inside the bell pepper.

* Throw sliced mushrooms, sliced onion, minced garlic, and olive oil in frying pan. Saute until the onions and mushrooms are nicely caramelized (about 25-30 minutes). Salt and pepper to taste.

* Slice the roast beef into strips and combine with the mushrooms, onions, and garlic. Cook another 5-10 minutes.

* Fill the bell pepper halves to the point of over flowing and layer the second slice of provolone on top. Cook in pre heated oven for 20-30 minutes, until cheese on top is browned.

Let me tell you. My boys ate this up. Seriously, it was so good. It was simple and easy. And for those of us who are on low carb diets (this dish comes in at about 6 net carbohydrates) this is perfect to reminiscence the traditional Philly Cheese Steak sandwich. Enjoy!

Better Alternatives: Homemade Fruit Snacks Take 2

OK, so sadly my homemade fruit snacks did not set the way that I had hoped they would.
:( Yes, sadness I know. However, being the creative person I try to be I had two thoughts as soon and I got over the fact that my fruit snacks did not turn out. My first thought came to me as I was slicing the frozen fruit mixture (I'd popped the fruit mix into the freezer hoping that it would help them set up the way that I'd wanted them) I thought they would work perfectly as mixers for smoothies! Freeze them, slice them, then bag them and throw them in the freezer (takes up less space) and voila! Just throw the milk of  your choice (I've been diggin the coconut milk by Silk) with a banana into a blender and one or two of the fruit blocks and you've got something quick and easy to take on the go with you for the morning. Not my most creative idea, but I think I was still dwelling.

My second thought struck me early yesterday morning. My son and I are early risers, my husband is up way before dawn and leaves for work. My son and I wake up in his process to get out the door. Its our special time together. We eat breakfast, read some books, color, work on letters and numbers, and sometimes we watch a movie while I drink my coffee. Well, as I was waiting on the skillet to heat up to cook our eggs I was standing there staring at the should be fruit snacks and then it dawned on me. "Duh Jess! Make fruit leather with it!" It also was a super easy thing to make, just simply follow my recipe from here and set your oven temp as low as it can go. That can fall anywhere between 140*F and 170*F. I lined my shallowest baking sheet with saran wrap (I know, that sounds weird because its going in the oven, but trust me!) and spread the fruit mix as evenly as I could in the baking sheet. That part is pretty crucial. If the mix is not spread evenly then you are going to have problems with the dehydration. And then the drying process commenced. This is what it'll look like at this step: 

 Now be prepared.... This occupied my oven all. day. long. I put it in at 0700, and took it out at 1900 (7 pm for anyone who's not familiar with military time). But let me tell you it was sooo worth it. It peeled from the saran wrap easy (and left no clean up! Woot!) and I just used a pizza slicer to cut it up into strips. These are the little gems, and I will be doing this again! (And a side note, they taste even better after sitting in a plastic Ziploc bag overnight. Gives it back a little moisture!) In fact, you could probably eliminate the 1/4 cup of water or juice that was included in the fruit snack recipe to speed up the dehydration process.



So this ends my fruit-snacks-turned-fruit-leather creation extravaganza. For the time being... I'm still on a mission to find a way to recreate fruit snacks made at home in a more holistic, clean eating way! Stay tuned for tonight's dinner (which was DEVOURED) and tomorrow mornings breakfast!









Better Alternatives: Homemade Fruit Snacks!

We've all had these store bought snacks before. You know, the little pouches of gummy imitated fruit flavors in the shapes of cartoon characters like (what's popular now a days?) Captain America, Scooby Doo, or any kind of Disney Princess. Honestly, I think my son would ask me all day, everyday if he can have a fruit snack, but he now knows better because 95% of the time he got no for an answer. Specifically if he'd already had one for the day. But if he could, I truly believe he would eat them all day, everyday. The kid loves them. In fact, I don't know many (make that any) kid who does not love fruit snacks. Carsen loves them, I don't so much love the sugar packed in'em. Or the artificial coloring that's added by the truck load. So, I set out on a mission to find something comparable to make myself. I came across several recipes on the net, but holding true to my philosophy, I modified it to fit my criteria. The specific recipe I initially found called for gelatin, which I felt would make a more "Jello-jigglier" type snack. I wanted an actual gummy snack I could slice up and bag that didn't need refrigeration to keep its shape. In place of the gelatin I substitute low or no sugar pectin. So, without further adiue I give you homemade fruit snacks:

1& 1/2 cups frozen fruit (Any kind really! I chose mixed berries with no added sugar for my first batch)

1/4 cup of water

1/2 cup non-sweetened applesauce

1/2 cup fruit juice (Once again, any kind will do. I used low calorie cranberry juice this time around)

5 teaspoons pectin

In a sauce pan, combine the fruit and water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes until the berries are soft. Transfer to a blender, or use an immersion blender, and puree until smooth. Return berry puree to pot and add applesauce, return to boil and then remove from heat and cover.

In a 8x8 glass dish (or ceramic baking dish) add fruit juice (should just cover the bottom). Sprinkle pectin over the juice and let sit for one minute. Then add hot fruit mixture and stir until pectin is completely dissolved, about 3 to 5 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until firm, this usually takes about 3 hours. Then cut into blocks (or tid bits).

You could even make this extra fun for the kids and use mold shapes to add a little something special (aside from the fact that you just recreated the best kids snack ever, in a more health conscious way).

My son hasn't yet tried these gems, but I assure you, you will get an update. Cross our fingers he likes them!





What would a blog be without an Introduction?

My passion in life is food. Not just any food, but food that properly nourishes us and provides an impact on our life that will last through the years. One that last longer than the impact some choices might have on our taste buds. I have a specific fondness for the family. Probably because I love mine so darn much that I want them to live happy and healthy lives. My focus as a future Dietetic professional centers on the family, from their nutrition to their health and well being.  
First order of business: I do not believe in depriving yourself. I do believe in balance and moderation. Both are key to a long, happy, and healthy life. That is why I’ve created this website, to encourage the occasional indulgence (Hellooo chocolate!…. in moderation of course) all balanced with healthy daily choices. I push for lots of fresh, seasonal produce. You should love what you eat as well as eat what you love. Eating healthy does not have to be boring. You will find that I will never support a “yo-yo/juice/fad-of-the-month-dieting” plan. Only healthy choices for a healthy life.
I am a newlywed, and marired life is bliss. My husband is my rock. He is my best friend, my biggest encourager. He pushes me to be my best and always stands by me. He is my True Believer as I am his. Without him I am missing half of myself.

We have a two year old son who is the gem of my life. He is my “Little Man”, my side kick, and future nutrition guru. I strive to provide him with a well balanced diet full of healthy choices. You’ll be hard pressed to come across a post that won’t include a tid bit about my son.

I began my journey in a Dietetic Technician program in the Fall of 2012.. In May of 2013 I will graduate with my Associates in Dietetic Technology and sit for my boards and will, with a little bit of luck, hard work (and good eats!), become a Dietetic Technician, Registered. If you are interested in more information about the profession of Dietetics, go here. Not only can you find information about becoming a RD or DTR, but it also supplies you with tons of reliable health and nutrition information.

In this blog you will find……

  

• I support local, seasonal produce and food practice. The fresher the food, the better it will taste!
• I believe in culinary practices at home. Cooking does not have to be complicated. I focus on creating healthy, well-balanced recipes that you can follow with ease, and that won’t rob you of your day. (We aren’t all Martha Stewart’s here…)
• Building a healthy relationship with food is key.
• I am NOT here to tell you what you can and can not eat. I will never scorn or chaise you for eating something that might not be the best. I believe in healthy, controlled indulgence. I firmly believe everything has a place in our diet. Even the “sometimes” foods.
• I love nutrition. It is my passion in life to spread the word about the powers of nutrition and its ability to prevent illness. I am often heard saying “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.

We live in a food centered culture, almost everything we do socially involves food. Learning the in’s and out’s of nutrition will prove its value time and time again. Make wise choices, live a little, and enjoy life!