I am more consciously aware of my body and fighting back. I am a rebel at times and will not be defeated (at least not without a struggle). I am eating healthier and exercising more often.

Vegetables are great and filling. You cannot go wrong there, so eat away vegetable lovers!  Fruit is excellent for you as well. For those of you with a sweet tooth you can even pretend that fruit is like candy. (Okay, maybe not like candy, but sweeter than vegetables.)

I was never a huge fan of yogurt, but could eat it happily for a few days out of the week. About two months ago, at the urging of my niece, I decided to try a popular fast food restaurants yogurt parfait and let me tell you, it was delicious and only 160 calories. I am sold on this and whenever I need something sweet I grab one of these healthy, but sweet treats!

photo credit: Siege N. Gin

Not too long ago, maybe about a year now, I have become quite fond of another hot beverage. To say that this hot, delicious beverage is good is an understatement. It is way past good, even shooting for the super fantastic category. French vanilla cappuccinos are in a league all of their own. There is one particular food chain that surpasses all others in my book. I am sure that I do not even have to mention names, but if you have not tried one of theirs, you must.

While looking for a recipe that will squelch my thirst for one of these things when I cannot get out I found this (http://www.recipezaar.com/French-Vanilla-Cappuccino-264750) recipe. I cannot vouch for this myself as I have not tried it yet, but I will. From all of the rave reviews that I am seeing, however, I am getting anxious to make one.

photo credit: Ewan-M

There’s hope and help for you yet. Here are 7 back-to-school lunch tips. Hey, I can’t come over and make your kids’ lunches for you, but these tips will surely make it much easier:

1. Make dinner do double-duty

You’re already in the kitchen preparing your family’s dinner, why not use that time to get a head-start on the next day’s brown bag lunches?

Make a double batch of meals that taste just as good “the morning after,” you know, like fried chicken. Or cook dishes that can be transformed into something “new”, such as pasta sauce that’s just as yummy as pizza topping (on ready-made crust of course).

To make meal planning easier, take a look at Dine Without Whine. It’s a monthly service for planning your family’s meals and grocery shopping.

2. Include lunches when meal planning

To do tip #1, you need to be more organized. This means including your kids’ lunches when planning your family dinners.

3. Let the kids participate

Lighten your load and teach your children some important life skills at the same time. Even small children can help prepare their lunches.

If morning is too stressful, then make this an after-dinner activity – which brings us to…

4. Make advance preparations

Do whatever you can do ahead of time. For example, cook in batches on the weekend, or put leftovers in packable containers the night before.

5. DIY fast food

Commercial packed lunches are attractive but unhealthy. But who says you can’t make your own? Buy your own colorful and attractive lunch boxes, such as a bento-style lunchbox.

Fill it up with a variety of healthy food. Think of mixing up foods with different textures and colors. And cut them up into small pieces so they’re easy and fast to eat.

6. Soup it Up

Soup makes a quick and healthy lunch. You can cook a large pot in the weekend and pack it in a thermos for a warm and satisfying lunch. Serve with whole wheat bread and some fresh fruit and you’ve got a complete meal!

7. Sprinkle in some fun

Sneak a little surprise into your child’s lunchbox once in a while. It could be a little chocolate treat, stickers, or a sweet note from you. Getting something unexpected makes lunch fun.

With planning and creativity, your children can have healthy, delicious lunches without too much work for you.

For meal planning help, go to Dine Without Whine. It makes meal planning a breeze, while helping you save time and money.

Then you’ll have time and energy for those school lunches.

photo credit: metatron1

It’s still possible to have pleasant family mealtimes even after school has begun. Check out these back-to-school dinner tips for busy Moms:

1. Have a meal plan.

The most important key to having relaxed family dinners even on school nights is having a meal plan. This will simplify both food shopping and meal preparation, and help you save money to boot.

If you need help, check out Dine Without Whine’s meal and grocery planning service.

2. Try freezer meals.

Cut down on cooking time by cooking large batches and then freezing them for future use.

3. Simplify your schedule.

With school comes extracurricular activities that could have you running – or driving around – like a headless chicken. Keep things to a minimum. Overloading children with too many after-school activities is not good for them. They need downtime too.

4. Get the kids involved in cooking.

Get some help by mobilizing your own troops – your husband and children – as your kitchen helpers. Cooking is an important life skill and now it’s bonding time as well.

5. Have an emergency plan.

No matter how well you plan in advance, something always comes up. Plan for that as well. Always have emergency supplies in the pantry so you can throw together a home-cooked meal at a moment’s notice.

It could be a frozen dinner you prepared during the weekend. Mine is pasta, a can of tomato sauce and whatever vegetables are in the refrigerator.

6. Post your family schedule.

Keep a large calendar on the wall where you can see every family member’s schedule at a glance. It will also help you plan activities around your family dinner times.

7. Set a routine.

Decide on an earlier dinner time, bedtime and wake up time and start following them a few days before school officially begins. This way, everybody’s adjusted when the real thing comes.

8. Stay flexible.

Sometimes you just can’t afford disruptions to your meal times. An occasional missed family dinner is no big deal – when you know you’ll have more throughout the week.

9. Consider school schedules.

Take note of school events and other activities in your family calendar – so you can plan your family dinners with them in mind.

10. Cook once, eat twice.

Every so often, cook a double batch of meals that can easily be transformed into another entree or side dish. For example, roast 2 chickens. Have one for tonight’s dinner. Chop up the other for chicken salad for later in the week.

11. Organize your kitchen.

If you haven’t done so yet, now’s the time to take stock of your kitchen. Make sure the items you use most often are accessible from your food prep area. Replace the tools that are broken, and get those gadgets that will help you get dinner ready faster.

12. Have a special meal.

Make Friday night Teen’s night – which means they plan and prepare the meal. That is, if you have teens or any child old enough to prepare meals. They’ll learn how to cook, you get the night off (from cooking), and everybody has fun. The only condition is: everybody has to eat what’s prepared.

13. Make it educational.

This idea is for preschool-age kids. Make or buy a special placemat with letter or numbers. Laminate it with Con-Tact paper so it becomes a wipe-off board. Use it only for dinnertimes.

14. More mealtime learning opportunities.

Plan some meals to coincide with specific topics your child is studying in school. For example, on the night after a field trip to a pioneer town, have a pioneer-style meal.

15. Celebrate school successes at dinner.

Celebrate school successes with a special family meal. Prepare the child’s favorite meal and prepare a nice dessert. It’s more important to have a meal that’s relaxed and delicious, than one that tool hours to prepare.

16. Nurture school relationships.

Get to know your children’s closest school friends by inviting them to dinner once in a while.

Follow these tips to make family mealtimes simpler, easier and more fun. For meal planning and grocery shopping help, go to Dine Without Whine.

Your monthly subscription includes a weekly meal plan with recipes for main dishes, side dishes, 2 desserts and 2 brunches.

You’ll also get a weekly grocery shopping list of everything you need to create the recipes. The list is categorized according to grocery sections, so your shopping will be easier and faster.

For a limited time, you can try Dine Without Whine for a penny. Click here to find out how.

The Forest Service and the Ad Council created a microsite for the campaign where you can find local parks and pick up ideas on what to do on an outdoor adventure (leaf rubs, tracking animals, learning to use a compass). It’s so important that our kids learn about, understand and spend time in nature. With a healthy and curious relationship with the world around them, our children are more likely to feel responsible for its well-being.

Visit Discover the Forest and have some fun with your family!

#1 You Don’t Need 2 of Everything Just because you are having 2 children at the same time does not mean you need 2 of everything. I got 2 bassinets (which you only use for the first few months), 2 pack and plays, 2 bath tubs, 2 diaper pails, etc. I did not need 2 of any of these things. If I would do it over again I would not even use a bassinet rather I would put my twins together in a crib. I also would not purchase a diaper pail again since I didn’t think it worked and it is just as easy to throw it away in an outside garbage. So what do you need 2 of? You need 2 cribs and 2 car seats.

#2 Twin Discounts If you do purchase 2 of the same item, always ask for a twin discount. Toys R Us and Babies R Us both offer 10% off for 2 of the same item purchased at the same time. Some companies such as Enfamil, Pampers and Huggies have twin programs which offers either free products or coupons. I received a month of free formula and a coupon for free diapers. I also always ask about twin discounts for any classes they enroll (i.e. soccer, music, and preschool).

#3 Ask Friends and Family for Unwanted Items If you need specific baby equipment or you are willing to accept any free kid/baby things, inform everyone you know. Most kid/baby objects are large and take up a lot of space. Some people are only too happy to pass along their things to someone else especially if they are able to get much needed storage space back. I have received lots of free toys and clothes from my sister’s friend, a person I have never even met!

#4 Go To Yard Sales Check your local paper to find out when and where the yard sales are being held. Sometimes home day cares also have yard sales. Many yard sales are filled with kid or baby items. One time I got a Cozy Coupe Car for $1 in like new condition. The regular retail price is $50!

#5 Sign Up for Coupons You can sign up through the company’s websites (i.e. Pampers) to receive coupons for formula and diapers. If you combine the coupons with sales and rebates (Huggies has a rebate program though The Caregivers Marketplace and Rite Aid has their own rebate program) you can get these items for half price and then stock up.

#6 Use the Library Instead of purchasing books, magazines, DVD’s and CD’s borrow these items from the library. Many of these items your children will outgrow and the library offers all of these items for free. Most libraries also offer children programs or activities. We started going to the free library story time when my twins were only 6 months old and they loved it. My library also has a play room with tons of toys. When we used this play room I often met other mothers. The room was also a great place to meet for plate dates. Besides being able to play with new toys, I could contain my twins by closing the door which I could not do at a playground.

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Not many people cook oily fish, because they don’t know about this fun and exciting way to spice it up. Check back often for more exciting fish recipes. My favorite way to make grilled fish is to baste it with a sauce made of soy sauce, garlic paste, ginger paste, and a small amount of ground cayenne. I place the fish in foil and grill the fish till it is browned. At the same time, I grilled onions, garlic, potatoes, as well as ripe mangoes.

I cooked those till they trun brown which was followed by serving of fish in the middle of viggies and fruits and ginger soy sauce mainly on the top. The choice of fish is your decision, although keep in mind that a milder fish will help to enhance the vegetables and fruits. While cookong this grilled fish dish is easy and makes a person feel like a gourmet chef, the better choice would be the fish with the stronger robust taste. Serve this with a light, fruity white wine! My husband and several of his boating buddies have a fishing tournament every year.

They fish on Lake Erie and try to get perch and/or pickerel. A winner is declared after the fish is counted, but I don’t think there is ever a prize. Those people are having a fish fry at someone’s house where a large gathering of people will be invited. However, I believe that they are having this fish fry so that they can show it off later on. All of the participants come and bring their families. Everyone brings along a side dish of some kind. Then, some of the guys fire up their deep fryers and make deep fried fish and some onion rings and French fries, too. Fried fish taste great, but it may not be the best thing for most people to eat, in the middle of the summertime because of the heat.

And copious amounts of beer are flowing too, which can be a little too much for some folks to stomach. Not having an iron constitution myself, I opt for just a little piece of fried fish and just go crazy trying all the different side dishes!

Chicago Homeschool Expo is new and affordable! Kids are free!

Mommies Magazine Columnist, Cheryl Moeller, will be featured in several workshops at the Chicago Homeschool Expo, Schaumburg Convention Center, Schaumburg, IL.
The Expo will be August 7-8, with pre-conference workshops on the 6th. Check out the website
at www.chicagohomeschoolexpo.com
to view all the workshops and exhibits, that will be your’s to choose from, for one price. Thursday’s workshops, are offered at a separate price.

One word could sum up this expo – affordable. Kids are free and there will be tons to see, learn, and do.

See you there.

Moving out a simple search on the internet will bring to you several fruit salad recipe. Incorporating the most common of the ingredients in them, these fruit salad recipes go a long way in providing that your body with the needed nutrients. The best part regarding these fruit salad recipes is that you can come up with an inconceivable number of variations with them and exclude fruits which are obtainable easily in the season. Also they go with approximately all kinds of dressings therefore making them all the more fun to make!

Fruit salad recipes are surely the ideal way to introduce the healthy nutrients of fruits into your body. This healthy as well as a tasty treat of fruit salad recipes are something that you absolutely must try out in your kitchen! garlic salad dressing is an old most wanted in the salad bowl. It provides significant health benefits and an array of delicious uses beyond the salad bowl. Garlic is a powerhouse of nutrients, and helps to keep off a number of diseases . There are a great a lot of dishes that may be improved with the use of that garlic salad dressing recipes. Garlic is also a natural antibiotic and by adding a single clove of garlic to your diet everyday you can end up lessening your cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

Packed with vitamins B6 and C, garlic also contains significant amounts of selenium, a trace mineral which helps control weight. It is also an outstanding tonic for the heart and cardiovascular function and is useful in reducing the inflammation of arthritis. Plenty of deviation can be done to the garlic salad dressing recipe to suit the salad element it will be used in. The garlic salad recipes therefore qualifies as an incredibly healthy salad dressing!

There are some of us who are responsive to wheat gluten and therefore find it a struggle to find gluten free recipe items. With time this problem too is not so big a question as there is present now several shops catering to gluten free products thereby take back to you the joy of eating tasty food! Gluten free food too has its own incredible variety and will aid you keep off your allergy symptoms by consuming this gluten free food!

If you want to reap the benefits of eating naturally-grown food but are running low on money, purchase organic varieties of only the most contaminated food, not everything on your grocery list. Known as the “Dirty Dozen” by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), these items contain the highest amounts of chemical residues: peaches, strawberries, apples, bell peppers, nectarines, celery, cherries, potatoes, pears, imported grapes, lettuce and spinach.

Conversely, the foods with the least risk of chemical residue are onions, asparagus, avocado, frozen corn, papaya, pineapples, mango, frozen sweet peas, cabbage, bananas, kiwi fruit and broccoli. You’re probably safe buying conventional versions of these foods.

If you’re able to buy everything organic, go for it. Organic food is much better for the environment in every possible way. During the summer you might be able to afford buying all organic produce via your local farmers market or community-supported agriculture (CSA) program. CSAs are farms that allow shareholders to buy a portion of their produce. Shareholders pick up their produce weekly and receive a much better deal than buying their veggies in stores. Some CSAs even have programs to assist low-income families.

Don’t let the prices get you down. There are plenty of ways to purchase organic food while having money to spare.

photo credit: Sbocaj