The Brown Goddess

Please see my new and hopefully improved blog!

Thanks and have a GREAT day!

thebrowngoddess.blogspot.com

Dinner in a Timely Fashion!

My Wednesday!

6:30 am: wake up, coffee's on

6:45 am: pack lunches up, make sure school agenda's are signed

7:00 am: OMG! The kids are up???? Having breakfast with their dad???? what the ?@$!@!??

7:05 am: shower, get ready for work

7:40 am: my turn for breakfast and my second cuppa

8:05 am: leave to drop kids off at school

8:25: kids at school...time for me to go to work!

9:00 am - 2:30 pm: work work work.

2:20: pm...left a bit early to hit the grocery store on the way to pick up kids.

2:30: groceries...lets see..extra lean .ground beef, cheddar cheese..

3:00 pm: pick up one child as the other has band practice til 4:15

3::15 pm: call my friend from the car to get a recipe for supper...

3:30 pm: arrive home, quick pee break, wash hands, grab piano books, and.....

3:40 pm: off again. piano....school to pick up my son at 4:15....then back to pick up from piano

5:15 pm: HOME!!!!!

5:25 pm: assemble my cheeseburger casserole....

ground beef, then cream of mushroom soup, then cheddar cheese soup (note that i did not have this, so i just made a cheese sauce with milk, butter, cheese, flour). The last layer on top was cut up potatoes. Supposed to be French Fries, but i did not have this either....its an experiment!

6:25 pm: the experiment is ready, kids are already complaining.

Was it a success? Well, my daughter loved the potato part, and my son loved the meat part, and my hubby and I liked it all. No leftovers.....so yes, it was a success.

My tip today after all the running around: Even if your day is super busy, thinking about what you are going to cook for dinner helps to avoid unhealthy choices. Think about about what you need and what you have, and think about how much time realistically it will take to prep and cook.

Benefits of Whole Grains

Carbohydrates have had a bad reputation in the past. But like anything else, the key choosing the right carbohydrate. How do you choose the right carbohydrate? The best way is to understand what the benefits are of the Grain Group.

Here are some key points to remember about grains:

1. Whole Grains are an excellent source of B vitamins, complex carbohydrates, and iron (if the product is iron enriched).

2. Whole Grains are important for muscle recovery and digestion

3. Whole Grains are a great way to refuel your muscles after exercise

4. Whole Grains can help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. They can also improve the functioning of our digestive system.

5. Whole Grains complement vegetarian proteins to make a complete protein source.

What's the bottom line? Don't eliminate carbs from your diet! Choose the right carbohydrates to get all the benefits of whole grains!

Battle of the Lunches Part 1: They Ate it!!!!

Two days of school have gone by, and I am so far winning the "Battle of the Lunches"! Two days in a row both kids ate most of their lunch!

This is a true victory for parents!

What worked: freezing the sandwiches; freezing the yogurt tubes; using a mini ice pack, talking about the importance of eating lunch (brainpower, helps you think in the afternoon, helps you not feel "yucky" at the end of the day); talking about food groups; having them be a part of making their lunch.

What did not work: freezing the juice box. This did not work because by lunch time, both the kids said that the juice box was still frozen.

What I am going to try next week: Pea-butter and jam on rye; Chicken Caesar Salad with croutons on the side.

Should be an interesting week!

The First Lunch

School is underway, and the summer went by far to quickly. Back to schedules, hockey, dance, piano, and school lunches. I really don't enjoy making lunches, as last year, there were many times during the week when the lunches would come home, with only the snack eaten. Now that the kids are a bit older, they know about the importance of nutrition and having 3 - 4 of the food groups at a meal. Also, they can really take part in choosing and making their lunches the night before.

So tonight, on the eve before school, we dug deep in our pantry for the lunch boxes, opened them up, and made our first school lunch for the 2009 - 2010 school year.

Before you get started, open up all the lunch boxes, and place them on the counter. Make sure they are clean, and there are no "surprises" in the morning. You can put any non-perishable food items in the lunch box the night before.

Order Up!!

• Ham sandwich on Rye bread --cheddar and mayo for my son, one plain for my daughter. I made the sandwiches and put them in the freezer. My sister-in-law told me she does this to avoid that "warm sandwich taste"
• Side order of sliced pickles in a mini-ziploc for my son's sandwich
• Grapes-- washed, put in a ziploc container
• Blackberries --washed, put in a ziploc container
• 2 Home-Made Cookies each
• Nutrigrain Bar
• Yogurt Tube -- put in the freezer the night before
• Juice Box (100 % juice) -- in the freezer
• Water bottles -- put in the freezer the night before, 1/2 filled with water. In the morning, just fill the rest with water.
• Mini Freezer packs -- 1 pink one, and 1 yellow one. I bought these at Co-op for under 2 dollars each. They really work well to keep things cold, which helps foods taste fresh.

Everyone gets a sandwich, fruit, treat and drink. There are a few extra's, as I know my son is very active and has a bigger appetite than my daughter. In the morning, it's just grab...and GO!

Snacks To Go!

Planning a long trip by car? Traveling by air? Sick of spending money store-bought snacks? This could the blog post you are looking for!

Whether you are planning a trip by car or air, it is important to have yummy and relatively healthy snacks. There is nothing wrong with pulling out the occasional goldfish cracker, but on a long trip, when that food has to sustain you from one meal to the next, it doesn't quite do the job. Here are some things to remember for snacks-to-go ideas!

Healthy Snacks To Go!

1. Aim to include the three macro nutrients, (the BIG nutrients!) protein, carbohydrate and fat. Cheese or any dairy product is a great example that includes all three as long as you are not going completely non-fat. The protein and fat will help sustain you until the next meal. When choosing a carbohydrate, make sure that it has some fiber and protein in it too!

2. Plan ahead for longer trips. Baking ahead of time and freezing food items do take time, but it saves money, and is generally a healthier choice. Make and freeze cookies and/or muffins!

3. Make your own trail mix. Even put in a few M and M's for color and flavor.

4. When you need a snack in a pinch, the rule of thumb is the least processed a food is, the better it is for you. Go for foods with the least amount of ingredients on the label. Use whole foods instead! Its just as easy to pack an apple and some cubed cheese as it is to pack a cereal bar and fish crackers.

4. Have your snacks in an easy to reach place, especially when you are driving. Make sure it is safe to access your snack bag. Kids will always say they are hungry 5 minutes into the drive!

5. Last....remember to pack your water!

Enjoy your trip!

Waffle Time!

Weekends in our house usually means that we have pancakes or waffles for brunch one day. It is a tradition that we have, although sadly we sometimes don't have time to do this every weekend. Today, we were lucky, and my hubby made his awesome waffles. I have tried many times to make them. I am a good cook, and I follow the recipe, as he does. For whatever reason, mine turn out soggy, and not tasting very good. I have no idea why this is. But I have now learned that I can just make pancakes, and he can do the waffles.

He always makes a delicious fruit puree syrup to go with it and uses whatever berries we have on hand (fresh or frozen). We have fresh fruit and even have some bacon or sausage on the side.

This morning was great, as the kids helped him make the waffles, with one kid responsible for the dry ingredients, and the other was responsible for the eggs and milk mixture. My husband is an engineer, so he has a routine when making anything in the kitchen. He likes to use certain bowls, and line them all up for the ingredients, and he LOVES to clean up his mess as he cooks. He has taught our kids this as well. Note that I am still learning this skill.

Waffles, especially when homemade are delicious and nutritious. During the school year, he will often make a double or even triple batch, and we will freeze them, as they make a great quick breakfast before school. And, its important to always think outside of the breakfast box and remember that waffles (and pancakes) are not just a breakfast food. They can be a snack, lunch, or even dinner. If you come home from work, and all you have in the house is flour, eggs, and milk, you can just make waffles (or in my case, pancakes!), add some fruit, and everyone is happy, and you have not needed to order out!