Cooking Should NOT Be a Household Chore

Cooking is a huge aspect of our lives in this house. My husband loves to cook, I love to cook, and my oldest daughter loves to cook. The middle daughter makes a great sous chef, and the little one is constantly in the mix. We enjoy cooking, so we put love and attention into our cooking and it shows.

Not to sound like I am bragging, but it is possible for anyone to be a great cook. Now, I am not going to be giving Chef Ramsey a run for his money any time soon, but knowing some basic cooking techniques can make for a great repertoire in the kitchen.

Also, when kids participate in the cooking of a meal, they are more apt to give new foods a try. The rule in my house is that you have to give any new food a good try, a bite or two. If you legitimately do not like it, you do not have to eat it. Now, it may come back in a few months, and you should try it then too, but if you still don't like it, I don't push it after that. I just make sure to have enough other options to replace it. Not, cooking two dinners, but other side item options that I KNOW the child likes....or sometimes the adult.

When cooking is done as a family activity it leads to communication of daily activities, fun stories, sharing, and caring. It really bonds a family very closely. It gives us a chance to really come together for the goal of continuing our family communication at the dinner table.

So whether or not you think you are a great cook, or you loathe the idea, give family meal prep a shot. Give everyone a job to do, and let the good times roll!!!

Take a Page from Popeye's Book....

I'm strong to the finach, cause I eats me spinach....lol....having flashbacks yet?  If you have been following my food porn lately, then you will have noticed that I have posted a great deal of meals that contain spinach. It may not be the favorite vegetable of everyone, but I am here to tell everyone why spinach should be incorporated into everyone's diet.

Spinach, according to WebMD, is loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. It ranks third in nutritional value, behind kale and garlic. Spinach has been shown to fight against osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, and arthritis. It is an incredible food that can be eaten steamed, sauteed, fresh, frozen, or a host of other ways.

The World's Healthiest Foods, lists spinach as high in Vitamins K, A, C, B2, calcium, folate, manganese, and iron.

If you are a picky eater, or your child is a picky eater, spinach can be hidden very easily in things like smoothies. This way, the benefits are there, but the stigma of spinach is hidden.

Spinach is also very easy to flavor and cook. Baby spinach, with just a touch of olive oil, sea salt and pepper, has a sweetness to it, that makes it much more palatable than plain spinach. Also, mixing it in with tomato based sauces, hides any bitterness.

The fact is, spinach is really healthy, and an important part in any healthy eater's diet.

Scrambled Eggs and Scone

This was my breakfast this morning. I found some organic cranberry, orange, raisin scones, at the local grocery store.

I scrambled up a couple eggs, heated the scone and brushed it with a little butter over top.

This was delicious, and really, I was satisfied for quite some time.

I know a lot of people are low-carb nowadays, but I am still breastfeeding, and I get seriously hungry. So I eat carbs, but I try and eat healthier ones.

This was quick, easy, and totally delicious!!!

MANGIA MANGIA!!!

Going Green

Today's dinner was a quick throw together. I boiled some gluten-free spinach angel hair pasta. Then, I sauteed one zuccini with olive oil and added one cup of fresh baby spinach. sprinkle with some sea salt, pepper, and a little sprinkle of parmesan, and MANGIA MANGIA!!!

When I sat down to eat, I had to laugh, because I thought, "Hmmm, is it St. Patrick's Day?!?!"  This was a really great meal, had a little sweetness to it, because of the zucchini.  This is a great way to get some really important vitamins from the spinach and zucchini.

Fried Egg Sammy with Veggies

This sammy was so delicious, my hubby asked me to make him one after he took a bite of mine. I am all about a good egg sammy...as we call it in our house. Being vegetarian, we have to look for protein sources in places other than meat. So eggs, and green leafy veggies are a great option. 

This sandwich has the fried egg, which I like crispy on the edges, whole wheat toast, 1/4 cup baby spinach, 1/2 slice pepper jack cheese, 2 tablespoons of the leftover Banh Mi veggies, 2 tablespoons banana peppers. 

I could go for one right now...LOL! 

I recommend using sandwiches as a way to work in extra vegetables whenever possible. A handful of spinach adds flavor, crunch, and tons of vitamins.  

Stuffed Tomato

Another successful dinner creation tonight. I made stuffed tomatoes! I cut the top off the tomatoes, cleaned out the insides and stuffed them with a rice and veggie mixture I will post below. Then I broiled the tomatoes for 15 minutes, and MMMMMMMM.....Sprinkle with fresh herbs, like basil, and cilantro. The stuffing for the tomatoes is:

one zuccini
one Italian pepper
one yellow onion
6 radishes
1 cup mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon coriander

These were all chopped, and sauteed in 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Then, I mixed the veggies in with 1 1/2 cup steamed rice, and stuffed the mixture in the tomatoes. I placed the tops back on the tomatoes, and then broiled. I served the tomato on a small bed of the mixture, and sprinkled basil and cilantro on top. The result is pictured below.....mmmmmmmmmm.....

Got Kiwi?

 Kiwi are a great little fruit. They are sweet, delicious, and packed full of Vitamin C. One kiwi has more vitamin C than the same amount of orange!

With their vibrant color and sweet, juicy taste, kiwis are a kid favorite! I packed 1 1/2 kiwis each for my kids this morning in their lunches.

Along with vitamin C, kiwi has fiber and potassium benefits as well.

For more on the kiwi, check out this site,

World's Healthiest Foods

A kiwi a day can keep the doctor away!