The Nutty Monkey

It's a rare night when we have nothing going on and we get to stay home and enjoy a leisurly dinner. Tuesday night was one of those nights and I can't tell you how thankful I am when I get them. We grilled some adobo chicken I marinated and had some Spanish rice with it along with a nice fresh salad. Of course I had my hubby grill up some steak so we could enjoy that for dinner on Wednesday. I am always thinking ahead.

On these nights when we have no where to be and nothing to do I get a hankering to make dessert. It just seems like the thing to do. I don't like to give the kids a lot of sugar and junky desserts though so I decided to whip up a dessert with fruit and natural ingredients that the kids would love...and they did!

Nutty Monkey

Serves 4

4 Tablespoons butter (organic)

4 bananas sliced in rounds

3 Tablespoons peanut butter (organic)

1 Tablespoon honey (raw and local if you can get it)

1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the bananas and cook for a few minutes.
2. Remove the bananas with a slotted spoon and put in serving dish.
3. Turn the heat to low and add the peanut butter and honey to the butter in the skillet.
4. Cook and continue to stir to make a sauce.
5. Pour over the bananas and serve.

Note: If you want to go dairy free use coconut oil or ghee in place of the butter. You could sprinkle with chopped nuts, coconut, or even a teeny tiny bit of mini chocolate chips. The portion is small but a little goes a long way!

Forgive the picture. I know it doesn't do the recipe justice.

Simply Rhubarb

When I was a kid I remember taking a bus trip with my grandma from Chicago to Rockford to visit one of her friends. I don't remember too much about the trip but I have one vivid memory and that was seeing rhubarb growing in the garden for the first time.

You see, I've always been a color freak. I love color and seeing those deep red stalks (my favorite color) peeking out from behind those large green leaves took my breath away. I had to know what that was.

Sensing my intrigue, my grandma and her friend let me cut the stalks, chop them up and put them into a pot with some sugar. Let me tell you, I was in heaven! I've been a fan ever since.

Rhubarb is actually in season now and I found it in the store yesterday. I really didn't know what I could do with it since I am on a pretty strict elimination diet right now...no grains, no sugar, no nuts etc. But I didn't let that stop me. I bought 4 stalks and a bunch of strawberries and headed home excited at the prospect tasting that distinct combination.

I cut everything up, threw it in a pot with some water and stevia and let it cook. By the time the kids got home it was a beautiful sauce and they were lined up to dig their spoons in. We just ate it like that. Nothing else. And it was beautiful.

Simplicity at its best!

Sugar Free Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce

4 stalks rhubarb

1 pint strawberries

10 drops stevia*

1/4 cup water

Put everything into a saucepan and stir. Cover and cook over medium high heat until strawberries and rhubarb are soft.

You can serve this over some ice cream for a refreshing spring treat.

*I used liquid stevia. The sweetness varies with each individual brand and type of stevia so experiement with the amount needed to give you your desired sweetness.

Inspire Your Kids Creativity With Food

It's funny how life takes over sometimes. We are so busy running here and running there that we are often going through the motions, getting things done. That's how it is around here with getting food on the table.


I must confess, I am not in love with cooking. I grew up in a restaurant family. We ate out every day. There wasn't a lot of cooking going on in our house. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that we ate dinner at home on Christmas and Thanksgiving, maybe Easter. That's it.


Now that I have 5 kids, that is simply not an option so I cook dinner most nights and I make lunches most days so my kids can have healthier foods. I tend to go for what is quick and easy and I do most of it myself because it is just easier that way.


I do let the kids get their own snacks. We always have fruit and veggies available and some healthy chips etc. Most of the time they grab an apple but sometimes they will get creative and make a smoothie.

The other day they really impressed me with their creativity when they came up with this snack idea. They cut up their apples and bananas. Spread some peanut butter on the apple slices, topped them with the banana and sprinkled some ground flax seed and cinnamon on top.

They loved eating the snack and it was amazing to see the pride in having come up with it all on their own. I think they enjoyed it even more.


This incident has got me thinking about taking time out of the day and giving them the materials to create their own meals. They can take ownership of what they are eating and it will help them to think outside the box.


I am thinking about giving them a challenge with different ingredients and giving them a time limit to create their own special dish. What fun that would be. I will keep you posted.

Seaweed for Dessert?

I know it sounds CRAZY but I am telling you, this is good stuff. It's like jello without the connective tissue (if you didn't know that's what they make jello out of...sorry). Honest engine, every single person in my family loved this and the best part is that is good for you!

So what is it you ask? It's called Kanten in Japan where it originated or agar agar here in the US. It is basically a flake or powdered seaweed. It is tasteless, has zero calories, zero carbs, zero fat and over 80% fiber. Because if its high fiber content and its ability to absorb water it keeps our tummies feeling fuller for longer. In fact, it is being touted as the weight loss secret of the Japanese.

You can buy it your local natural health food store. I got mine at Whole Foods. It is also available online at Amazon.com if you like to click and buy. Be sure to ask for it by its American name agar agar. You will find it in the Asian aisle by the seaweed.

This recipe is adapted from one I got from Andrea Beaman. You can change out the fruit and the juice but this combination seems especially good for Thanksgiving. Don't be scared! I promise it doesn't taste like fish or even seaweed for that matter. It just tastes like fruit jello. Yum!

The Green Monkey

"Is this green?" asks the 7 year old.
"It kinda looks yellow." replies the 9 year old.
"Nope, it's green. Look at it. It's green." insists the 7 year old.
"Yes it's The Green Monkey!" announces the oh so smart Mama!
"The Green what? I'm gonna try it." says the 7 year old... "This is AMAZING Liam! You HAVE to try it!"
A triumphant smile comes over the Mama's face. What a great way to start the day!

The Green Monkey arrived one morning when I was making the usual peanut butter and banana smoothie that my kids enjoy. I decided to add a bit of spinach to it and sneak some vitamins and minerals in. I started with just a bit...no need to freak 'em out too much. Once they were on board with the green color I added more and more and now it is a nice, rich green color.

Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

The Green Monkey
1 banana
1 Tbl natural peanut butter
1 Tbl ground flax seed
milk of choice (I use rice milk or almond milk)

Add everything into the blender and blend away. Add as much or as little milk to get the desired consistency. You can double it or triple it to feed more little ones (or big ones).

Breakfast When You're Not a Morning Person

I confess! I am not a morning person. I don't jump out of bed with a smile on my face and head off on my merry way. My mom is like that...it always drove me crazy when I was a kid. Of course now that I am a mom, I am sure I seem that way to my children because I make a special point to be as happy and loving as I can as they awake. I want their day to start off great.

But the truth is, it takes me about 30 minutes and sometimes even an hour to get myself moving. Now this is not the best scenario for a mom of hungry boys! They want food! What's a mom to do?

Here are some things I do to make it a bit easier for me to give my kids healthy breakfasts while I am sleep walking:

1. Hard boiled eggs are my friend- Each Monday as I am unpacking my groceries I boil up a big pot of eggs. This way all I have to do is peel them and hand them out. Add a piece of fruit and they are good to go.

2. I cook more than I need- When I make oatmeal I make a double or even triple batch. I add my chopped fruit, dried fruit, nuts, and cinnamon while I am cooking it. It keeps in the refrigerator so all I have to do is heat it up, add some ground flax seed and viola, a warm and hearty breakfast. I do this with other warm cereals like brown rice cereal or quinoa flake cereal too.

3. I keep bananas in my freezer- I slice them up, throw them in a ziploc and freeze them. This makes it so easy to make smoothies in the morning. I don't have cut anything and I don't have to add ice. I just throw the stuff in the blender, flip the switch and breakfast is served.

4. I buy it ready to go- I used to only buy whole flax seeds and grind them to order everytime I used them. That got old so when I saw a bag of ground flax seed I decided to try it out. Now I know that it may lose some of its potency because it is pre-ground but I also know that it is better than no flax seed so I compromise.

5. I made granola in the crockpot- It was so easy to do and I have a big bag of it ready to go. It can be sprinkled over yogurt (I buy the coconut milk yogurt. It's dairy free), or sliced bananas. You can find the recipe for it here.

So there you go. Breakfast for the morning brain dead. What kinds of things do you eat for breakfast? If they're fast and easy, hook me up!

Eating on the Run

So far my summer has been flying by quickly because of all the things we have going on. Keeping my family fed on the run has been a real challenge. Here are some quick tips that might help you out during your busy times.

Cook Once, Eat Twice

When we get our grill going we cook up loads of food. We double or sometimes even triple our chicken, fish, or other meat. We use the extras to throw in salads and wraps. We also make quesadillas, tacos, or fajitas with it. I also cook up a large pot of pasta or rice as a base for easy side dishes or light main dishes.

Cut Once, Eat Twice

Same goes for chopping. When I start cutting up veggies for dinner, I keep on cutting so I have extras to add into pasta dishes, salads, or those yummy fajitas. When it is easily accessible, it is more likely we will eat it.

Take Advantage of Mother Nature

There are so many quick and easy snacks that we can just grab and go. I make sure to stock up on a variety of fruits and veggies that don't need too much preparation. A quick wash and maybe a rough chop and we are out the door.

Be Ready For a Snack Attack

Having portion sized snacks read to go makes it easy to pack and run. I like to make up a trail mix and divide it up into serving sizes. I love adding Goji Berries and Inca Berries for a Superfood boost. I also bring along small containers of hummus to dip our veggies in. I love the garlic flavored hummus I get at Costco. Yum!

Got any fast and easy tips you would like to share?

5 Minute Lunch

I was looking for a fast and easy salad I could make for lunch and I came up with this recipe. It was really delicious and I enjoyed every mouthful!

Spinach Raspberry Salad
Spinach Leaves
Canned Wild Salmon
Pecans, Chopped
Red Onions, sliced
Feta Cheese Crumbles
Raspberries

Dressing- I combined a pomegranate vinegar with olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh minced garlic. You could use a raspberry vinegar too.

Kiwi Love

Kiwi is a fantastic fruit to enjoy during the fresh days of spring. The vibrant green flesh practically screams spring. Kiwi is originally from China where it was known as the Chinese Gooseberry. It was introduced to New Zealand around 1906 where it picked up its current name. Today, California actually provides 95% of the US supply of kiwi.


What's So Good About a Kiwi?

They are loaded with Vitamin C and also offer folate, potassium, fiber, carotenoids, polyphenols, chlorophyll, glutathione, and pectin. They even contain Vitamin E which is usually found in nuts and oils. Another great thing about the kiwi is that it is low on the glycemic index.


How to Find the Perfect Kiwi

There are several different types of kiwi including gold kiwis, and baby kiwis. The most common variety is the Hayward which has the classic brown fuzzy skin covering the green flesh. When shopping for kiwis look for plump fruits that yield slightly to the touch. Avoid fruits that are shriveled, moldy or have soft spots.


If your kiwifruits aren't quite ripe yet, you can leave them at room temperature for a few days before eating. If you simply can't wait that long you can put them in a paper bag with an apple or a banana and that will speed up the ripening process.


Kiwi in the Kitchen

Believe it or not, you can eat the skin of a kiwi. Simply rub off the fuzz and dig it. Like most fruits and vegetables there are a lot of nutrients to be found in the skin. You can of course peel the kiwi as well. When I first started getting kiwis I used to dread having to peel them. It seemed to take so long and with 5 boys I had a lot of kiwis to peel. And the I found the secret to peeling a kiwi. It is so simple and it changed my life.

1. Cut off both ends of the fruit
2. Take a spoon and insert into the fruit along the edge of the skin with the curve following the natural curve of the spoon. The back of the spoon with be facing the outside of the fruit.
3. Glide the spoon along the edge of the skin all the way around the fruit until the flesh is free from the skin.
4. Pop out the flesh and enjoy.

How to Add Kiwis to Your Diet

• Add some chopped kiwi to your salad
• Throw into your smoothie.
• Mix into a fruit salad
• Use in a tuna or chicken salad in place of grapes
• Add to salsa
  

Spring Has Sprung!

In my area of the country it is beginning to feel like spring. The weather has warmed up, the sun is out, the birds are chirping and people have begun to emerge from there hibernation in their modern day caves.

The amazing thing about spring is how almost instantly our desires for food change. After a long winter of heavy foods, more meat, and less activity we begin to want to clean out our system and lighten up with salads, fruits and vegetables.

While we have access to a plethora of produce from all over the world, people have begun to get back to their roots and buy local. That means we eat what is in season. The best way to do that is to hit your local farmers market. If you are looking for one in your area check out the Local Harvest website.

It may be a bit early in the season just yet but let's take a look at some of the fruits and vegetables that we are lucky enough to enjoy in the spring season.

Apricots
Artichokes
Asparagus
Arugula
Baby Lettuce Mixes
Blueberries
Boysenberries
Broccoli
Broccoli Raab
Carrots
Celeriac Root
Chard
Cherries
Chives
Collards
Dandelion Greens
Fava Beans
Fennel
Fiddlehead Ferns
Garden Peas
Garlic
Green Onions
Lemons
Loganberries
Mangoes
Morels
Mustard Greens
New Potatoes
Pineapple
Plums
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Snow Peas
Sorrel
Spinach
Turnips
Watercress
Strawberries
Sugar Snap Peas