Dinner Together

Dancing in the Kitchen: A Review and Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:28:00 +0000

I recently received a complimentary copy of the children’s music CD, Dancing in the Kitchen: Songs that Celebrate the Joy of Food, from its producer, Melanie Potock of My Munch Bug. My ten-year-old was in the room with me while I was listening to it for the first time, and she loved it. Since then, she’s sought it out purposefully, and put it on to dance. I don’t think 10-year-olds are the target audience for this CD, but my daughter loves music and dancing, and she found the songs on this CD to be fun.

I agree with my daughter that the songs on Dancing in the Kitchen are a lot of fun. New music on this CD are written and performed by Joan Huntsberry Langford. She has a pleasant voice and the songs are very catchy. The music does a great job of bringing to life the CD’s subtitle: celebrating the joy of food. The CD includes a range of musical styles from spirited songs that make you (or at least my daughter) get up and dance, slower lullaby-like songs, and even a silly operetta.

When my kids were younger, we used to listen to children’s music frequently – in the car, in the house, at toddler gym classes, etc. While personally, I’m happy to be beyond that stage in my life, I can definitely see that Dancing in the Kitchen would have made its way into our musical rotation if we had owned it back then. The songs will stay in your head and likely be requested over and over by your kids. My daughter’s favorite songs were “Happy Eating Food” and “Dancing in the Kitchen.” I was partial to “Picnic Under the Jewelberry Tree.”

I especially like the joyful and upbeat attitude that this music brings to food and eating. Just like watching a potty training DVD won’t result in your child becoming toilet trained, listening to this CD will not transform your picky eater or result in your kids loving all foods. It does, however, help create a positive environment about food and it provides a way to communicate with your kids about eating that is likely to be happier and friendlier in tone than typical parent-child food battles. The song lyrics also cover a variety of sensory experiences around food, including the sounds associated with cooking and eating, which can often be overlooked in conversations about kids’ eating.

I would highly recommend Dancing in the Kitchen to parents who want to add a little musical fun to their family life around food. At this time of year, I think it makes a perfect stocking stuffer. You can preview some samples of the songs here.

I am also thrilled to announce that the producer of Dancing in the Kitchen, Melanie Potock will be my guest on the next Kitchen Table Parents teleseminar. Melanie is a certified speech language pathologist who works with treating children with feeding difficulties and educating parents about creating more joyful mealtime experiences. Join me and Melanie on Tuesday December 6, 2011 at 12 noon Eastern for the call-in event, Happy Mealtimes with Happy Kids for the Holidays and Beyond.

We will be discussing how to celebrate each step towards adventurous eating, how to handle the pressures of holiday mealtimes, how to understand the impact of sensory issues on feeding experiences, and much more. To learn more and to sign up for this free event, click here.

If you can’t join us live, please leave your questions or comments below.

Melanie has graciously offered to give away one free copy of Dancing in the Kitchen. To enter, simply leave a comment or question below. You must be 18 years or older and a U.S. resident to enter. One winner will be selected by random number from random.org from all entrants on December 6, 2011 at 10pm Eastern.

I received a free copy of this CD to review. No other compensation was offered or received and the views expressed are my own.

What To Keep Doing After You've Said "I Do!"

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:06:00 +0000

Why discuss marriage on a blog about raising healthy families? Well, in my opinion, the relationship between a child's parents, married or not, is a key component in raising happy, well-adjusted kids. Tomorrow at noon Eastern time I will be joined by Dr. Ann Park for the Kitchen Table Parents teleseminar, What To Keep Doing After You've Said "I Do!". We will be discussing how to grow a healthy marriage as well as some myths that can undermine marriage. This event is free for all Kitchen Table Parents members. For more information and to sign up, please click here. Can't join us live? Please leave any questions or comments below and we'll address them tomorrow. The call will be recorded.

As a preview of some of the information that Dr. Ann will share us tomorrow, she has offered these words of wisdom on conflict in relationships.

The Keys to Conflict

by Dr. Ann Park

When we would go on vacation, early in our marriage, one of the things my husband and I could always look forward to was a brisk, invigorating round of conflict. Our motto seemed to be: “A vacation is a great time to get into an argument!” 

What was happening?

We were stepping into a classic pattern of behavior that’s all too easy to start ... and keep going.

We were putting off our troubles until a little later. Somehow, “a little later” ended up being during our vacations.

Now I confess that this was partly my doing. My difficulty was all the unstructured time that came along with our vacations. Free time meant free associations - I'm a psychiatrist, after all! And suddenly, all (his) crimes and misdemeanors of the preceding few months would stand up and declare that they were ready for their pre-trial hearing.

Needless to say, this was not great for our vacation time. I learned the hard way that I needed to find a better way.

Does this ever happen to you? Have you ever found that the short-term gain of putting off problems leads to a long-term price that is harder to pay?

If so, you’re not alone. Many of us find that it’s unpleasant (at best) or excruciating (at worst) to rock the boat. But I think we need to be motivated by this fact: there are no short cuts. We either pay up now, or we pay later, for emotional accounts that are due. Our hearts have a hard time suppressing our emotions. Feelings don’t get stored up. They ooze out. Usually at the times we would prefer not to ooze. Like on vacation!

In my opinion, Freud said a lot of crazy things but he was also brilliant. He observed that it was impossible for us to stay truly silent. Our eyes, our hands, and our actions give us away. Our true feelings emerge from every pore.

So what can we do to deal with our feelings, with conflict, in a healthy way within our marriages?

1. Be prepared. We can acknowledge ahead of time that it is natural for conflict to arise in marriage. And it will arise repeatedly throughout the course of our marriages. This is the inevitable fact when two imperfect people come together.

2. Be proactive. In a nutshell, don’t wait until vacation rolls around. And don’t wait until you’re ready to blow up like a can of coke that’s been given a good shake. Think the situation through ahead of time. Identify what’s bothering you. Write it out, if that helps. Gather your thoughts so that when you speak to your spouse, it’s thoughtful .

3. Be personable. Do you want to speak to someone who is becoming unhinged before your very eyes? Neither does your spouse! Pick a time and a setting to have a discussion that increases the odds of a great outcome for both of you. Choose a relaxed time, with little outside interruption. Put it on your calendars, so you are both ready. Agree on a defined time to wrap it up. End on a positive note that reinforces your couplehood: go for a walk or bike ride, get dinner together. Repeat as needed.

And save your vacations for relaxing!

Take home: Dealing with conflict is a necessary skill in marriage, and you can get great at it.

Optional journaling exercise: Pick an area that you’d like to discuss with your spouse. Using the three points above, write down three steps you will take this week to begin a healthy discussion with your beloved other.

Sweet Potato Sides

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:42:00 +0000

The other day I signed on to join Grace of eatdinner.org, Bri of Red, Round, or Green, Bettina of The Lunch Tray, and Jeanne of The Jolly Tomato to participate in a virtual Food Day Dinner Party. Bettina started things off on Monday with appetizers, and yesterday Bri supplied two entree recipes. Today Grace and I are bringing the sides. Welcome!

I thought that sweet potatoes would be a natural complement to Bri's lamb dish. These two recipes are regular parts of my repertoire, although the souffle is usually reserved for special occasions and holidays. The Souffled Sweet Potato recipe comes from mother-in-law, and is one of the best things she's added to my life ~ aside from my husband of course! The Sweet Potato Fries recipe was passed along to me from my mom. Try one or both and enjoy!

Also, be sure to check out Grace's recipe for more side dish ideas at her site. Grace and I are offering a Blog for Family Dinner t-shirt and the "Eat Real" recipe booklet from Food Day as a prize. Enter by leaving a comment - or your favorite side dish recipe - here or at the EatDinner.org blog. One winner will be randomly selected from the commenters on this site and Grace's site.

Also be sure to check in with The Jolly Tomato tomorrow for dessert!

Souffled Sweet Potato

6 cups hot cooked sweet potatoes (I peel and boil them til fork tender)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

3 eggs

Place sweet potatoes, sugar, butter, vanilla and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl.
Beat with electric mixer until smooth and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Place in a 2 quart casserole dish.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Sweet Potato Fries

2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into strips

1 1/2 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp onion powder

Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.
Place potato strips on cookie sheet.
Bake about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7 Strategies for Fostering Positive Sibling Relationships

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:00:00 +0000

As part of the Kitchen Table Parents program, I will be offering the teleseminar, “How to Raise Happy Kids Who Care About Each Other” on Tuesday October 25, 2011 at 12pm Eastern. The philosophy behind the Kitchen Table Parents program is that raising a healthy family involves more than just food, and if you have more than one child, chances are that you want them getting along at the family table and everywhere else they may be. Below are some strategies for fostering positive sibling relationships that will last a lifetime. If you can’t join us live for the teleseminar, please feel free to leave any questions in the comments below.

1. Rivalry and conflict between siblings is normal. If you have siblings yourself, take a moment to reflect back on the history of your relationship. We often present our “worst selves” to our family and have the opportunity to work at social skills in the safety of family relationships. While I believe that parents need to develop a comfort level with a certain level of conflict between their children, I also believe that there is much that parents can do to promote a positive relationship between their children.

2. Think before you intervene. If someone is getting hurt (physically or emotionally), I would recommend that a parent intervenes. Otherwise, I would recommend that parents pause to consider whether or not they think their intervention will likely help or escalate the problem or possibly lead to future conflicts behind the parent’s back. Also, think about whether their conflict is bothering you because of your own “stuff” (e.g., history with your own sibling, personality, etc.) or if your children are upset for their own reasons.

3. Coach rather than directly intervene when possible. Parents have a powerful role in helping their children learn how to work things out. One of my pet peeves is when adults tell toddlers to “work it out” between themselves because toddlers really don’t have the skills yet to be able to do this. Preschool age children might have some rudimentary skills to be able to work things out between themselves but might need some suggestions or guidance. Older children have had more opportunities and experiences in managing conflicts and negotiations, but may still need some suggestions and guidance. Often this type of guidance is best received when it is delivered in the form of a question rather than a direct command (e.g., “What do you think would happen if…”)

4. House rules vs. individual behavior. Try to minimize any targeting of an individual child’s behavior. What I mean by that is to say something along the lines of, “We all get the chance to be first sometime in this family,” or “Everyone in this family can have a treat at snack time,” rather than saying something like, “Why do you always have to bully your sister?”

5. Family meetings. Even young children can benefit from family meetings. Family meals can serve as a setting for family discussions or times separate from meals when all family members are available to discuss plans or matters related to family functioning.

6. Fair is not equal. Parents’ interactions with their children should focus on meeting each child’s individual needs rather than on making sure each child is treated exactly the same. For example, your older daughter might have a stronger need for attention than your younger daughter. Try to find ways to meet this need of hers that do not undermine your younger’s daughter’s needs.

7. Notice the positive. Make sure you catch your kids “doing good” and getting along with each other. And make sure that they know that you’ve noticed.

More tips on promoting positive sibling relationships and behavior is available in my downloadable e-workbook, Empowered Parenting: A Workbook for Parents of Toddlers and Preschoolers, Helping You Become the Parent You Want to Be.

Mindless or Mindful? Must One Choose?

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 19:33:00 +0000

While reading the article, "How to Eat Better - Mindlessly" and watching its accompanying video with Dr. Brian Wansink (click on red arrow at bottom right of article for video), I found myself thinking, "I guess I'm really not a dogma girl." Dr. Wansink, author of the book, "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think," has been involved with a large body of research that shows that how much we eat and how we evaluate what we eat is heavily influenced by factors in our environment such as setting, word choice for descriptions of food, plate size, and placement and presentation of food. I find his research fascinating, and have experienced with my own family how simple environmental changes influence eating patterns. For example, if I put whole pieces of fruit in a bowl that is easily accessible to my family, it largely goes uneaten. If, however, I cut up pieces of fruit and put it on the table, it almost always gets eaten entirely.

Dr. Wansink states that the solution to mindless eating is not mindful eating for the vast majority of people because our stomachs are "a terrible gauge of how full (we) are." He is referring to a number of similar, yet distinct, approaches to eating which involve tuning into your body awareness about your sense of hunger and fullness. I value these approaches, including Ellyn Satter's model of eating competence, Michelle May's Am I Hungry program, and Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch's intuitive eating approach, because they all acknowledge the failure of traditional diets in maintaining a healthy weight and body image over time, and they all acknowledge that there is an emotional component to food and eating that needs to be addressed for longterm healthy eating patterns.

Must one really choose between an approach to food and eating that is mindful/intuitive/competent versus one that acknowledges the importance of environmental cues on our eating behaviors? As I said above, I guess I'm not really one to hold tightly to one particular model. In parenting my own children and in my work helping other parents, I value both the use of behavioral plans and of insightful understanding of psychodynamics and attachment relationships: two camps in psychology with a long history of division. I think each has its place and and utility. In my approach to raising children who are successful eaters, I believe it is important for parents to get out of the way and not interfere with most children's natural ability to eat according to their own internal cues of hunger and fullness. I also believe, however, that parents can positively influence their children's eating behaviors by using some anti-mindless environmental cues such as descriptive word choice, setting, and presentation with regard to food and meals.

What do you think? Am I the only one who finds the division between these two models to be unnecessary?

Celebrate Family Dinner with #B4FD!

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:34:00 +0000

I wanted to personally invite all Dinner Together blog readers to join me at the Blog for Family Dinner project.

From September 26, 2011 through October 24, 2011, we will be featuring daily blog posts that explore the far-reaching benefits of family dinner. (Learn more about why we chose those dates here.) We've gotten some fantastic written and video posts already, including some personal stories about the challenges involved in making family dinners happen, recipes, and helpful tips and tools, and we can't wait to start publishing! We still have a few slots open and would welcome your submission. You can also help us spread the word to let others know about this project. We even have some sample Facebook and Twitter posts already written for you to just copy and paste for use on your own accounts.

My cofounders in this project, Grace Freedman of eatdinner.org and Billy Mawhiney of Time at the Table will be will offering a teleseminar, "Celebrate Family Dinner with #B4FD!" with me on Tuesday September 20, 2011 at 12pm Eastern. We will be discussing why family meals matter, some tips for overcoming obstacles to family meals, recommendations for enhancing family connections at the family table, and more. We will also be discussing the Blog for Family Dinner project and offering you a preview of upcoming posts we have lined up. This event is free for all Kitchen Table Parents members, and Basic Membership is also free. To learn more about this event, click here. If you can't join us live, but have a question or comment, please leave it in the comments below this post. The teleseminar will be recorded.

3 Easy Recipes with Zucchini and Summer Squash

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:27:00 +0000

As I mentioned earlier this summer, my family joined a CSA for the first time this year. During the month of August, we received an abundance of zucchini and summer squash. I was actually a little disappointed when there was none at yesterday's pick up (now we've got an abundance of peppers and tomatoes) because I've been having fun experimenting with some new zucchini recipes. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites below.

Baked Ziti with Zucchini and Summer Squash

Adapted from Cooking Light, July 2011

1 lb ziti

2 Tbs olive oil

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1 medium yellow squash, chopped

1 onion, chopped

3 medium tomatoes, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups (8 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1 egg, slightly beaten

¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

½ tsp dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and return to pot.
Mix together ricotta cheese and egg.
Add ricotta mixture and 1 ½ cups of mozzarella cheese to the cooked pasta and mix well. Salt and pepper to taste.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Saute zucchini, yellow squash, and onion for about 5 minutes.
Add tomato and garlic and cook for about 3 more minutes.
Stir cooked vegetable mixture into pasta mixture.
Add basil and oregano.
Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray.
Transfer pasta mixture to baking dish.
Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.
Bake for 15 minutes.

Serves 10.

Note: This dish freezes very well. Increase the cooking time if baking from frozen.

Slow Cooker Ratatouille

Adapted from The New Creative Crock Pot Cookbook by R.T. Swatt, 2001.

2 medium eggplants, cut into ½-inch thick round slices

salt

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium zucchini, cut into ½-inch slices

1 red pepper, seeded and chopped

1 medium yellow squash, cut into ½-inch pieces

2 medium tomatoes, sliced into wedges

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup chicken broth (or white wine if you have it)

1 Tbs red wine vinegar

grated Parmesan or crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Place the eggplant slices in a large colander and sprinkle with salt to remove excesss water. (I peeled my eggplant first, but that is optional. I know there are lots of nutrients in the skin, but I don’t care for it.)
After 30 minutes, rinse the salt off the eggplant and pat dry.
Cut the eggplant into 2-inch pieces.
In a large skillet, sauté the eggplant, onion, garlic, zucchini, yellow squash, and red pepper for a few minutes.
Transfer to a slow cooker and add the tomatoes, olive oil, chicken broth, and vinegar.
Cover and cook on Low 4 to 6 hours.
Serve with cheese if desired.

Serves 8.

Note: This recipe can also be frozen, but it tastes better fresh; it became a little more watery through the freezing/reheating process.

Summer Squash Ribbons with Lemon and Parmesan

Adapted from RealSimple.com

1 large zucchini

1 large yellow squash

2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

½ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Cut the squash and zucchini into long, thin ribbon strips using a vegetable peeler. Stop peeling when you get to the seeded core.
Place squash in a large bowl.
In a separate small bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, cheese, and salt and pepper.
Pour dressing over squash ribbons and toss gently to combine.

Serves 6.

Get Back-to-School Organized

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:10:00 +0000

As I sit at my parents' kitchen table watching two of my kids play with my dad in the pool, the last thing I want to think about is getting ready for back to school. Yet I know that it will be here soon for me and my family and has already begun for some families in other parts of the country.

Part of me loves back-to-school time. It holds the promise of new beginnings and can be very exciting. Part of me, however, dreads the more intense and busy schedule and the overwhelm in sorting through all the paperwork and establishing new systems.

I am excited to offer the Get Back-to-School Organized! teleseminar with the Kitchen Table Parents program on Tuesday August 23, 2011 at 12noon Eastern/9am Pacific. My guest will be Laura Rolands, Attention & ADHD Coach.

We will be discussing:

the best way to coordinate back to school shopping
how to handle all that back to school paperwork
the best ways to help your students get organized
...and much more

This event is free to all registered members of Kitchen Table Parents - and basic membership is also free. To learn more and to sign up, visit here.

If you cannot join us live, please leave your questions in the comments below. What are your biggest challenges with back-to-school organization? Do you have any tips you'd like to share?

The Top 5 Nutrition Pitfalls in Feeding Children and What Parents Can Do Instead

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 15:56:00 +0000

Last month I was fortunate to have a graduate student intern, Natalia Stasenko. Natalia is a MS and RD candidate at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York. Her professional interests include pediatric nutrition, including food allergies and feeding problems such as picky eating. In her work she combines her knowledge of the science of behavioral nutrition with her experience as a mother to help parents improve their children’s eating habits. She wrote the following article as part of her internship experience.

The Top 5 Nutrition Pitfalls in Feeding Children and What Parents Can Do Instead

By Natalia Stasenko

1. Juice, juice everywhere…..

Made from fresh fruit, fortified with important vitamins and minerals – what can be bad about it? The amount! Children like it because it tastes good and parents are happy to keep pouring because they think it is healthy. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends only 4-6 oz a day of 100% juice for children 1 to 6 years old and up to 12 oz for children 7-18 years old.[i]

What happens when children drink more? Too much juice leads to poor diet quantity, dental caries, diarrhea and BOTH overweight or underweight in children. Children prefer sweet foods to pretty much everything else, and juice can replace other important sources of nutrients in their diet such as milk, whole grains, vegetables and, of course, fruit. Fruits juice is neither superior not equal to real fruit – it lacks fiber and other nutrients found in the fruit skin.

Solution: Avoid juice drinks and offer only 100% juice in recommended amounts. If you choose to water the juice down, do not exceed the limits appropriate for your child’s age and try to the “weaning” technique by adding less and less juice to their water every time.

2. Milk – the more, the better?

“Milk is good for you” – this is what we are used to hearing from our parents and grandparents. And research shows that is definitely is – milk is a major source of important nutrients such as calcium, protein, magnesium, and phosphorus in our diets. However, it is important to keep in mind that children between 2 and 8 need only 2 servings of dairy a day to meet their needs while the rest of us need 3 servings. A serving of dairy is 1 cup of milk or yogurt, 1.5 oz of cheese or 1 ½ cup ice cream. According to the report published in American Family Physician, toddlers drinking more than 24 oz of milk a day are at a higher risk of developing anemia. [ii] There are a few reasons for it. First, cow’s milk is low in iron. Further, calcium found in milk impedes absorption of iron from other foods. Finally, too much milk fills up small tummies and replaces other nutritious foods in the diet.

Solution: Offer 2-3 servings of milk and other dairy products a day, depending on your child’s age. If your child is used to “snacking” with milk throughout the day, switch to fruits, vegetables, wholegrain crackers or popcorn accompanied with a glass of water and serve them at regular times between main meals. If your doctor determined that your child is at risk for anemia, do not serve dairy and iron-rich foods, such as meat, poultry, eggs and dark leafy greens, at the same meals. A good idea would be to wait for 1-2 hours after iron-rich meal before offering a glass of milk. To increase iron absorption from foods, serve them alongside fruits and vegetables, rich in vitamin C.

3. To add fat or not to add fat?

Cheerios for breakfast, pretzels and fruit for snack, turkey sandwich with vegetables for lunch, pasta, peas and chicken for dinner.… What is missing in this seemingly healthy diet? Fat! Parents are often hesitant to include fat in their child’s diet, often out of fear of obesity and overweight. However, fats should cover 30 to 40% of caloric needs for children aged 1 to 3 years old and up to 35% for older children and adolescents. This means that parents can be more liberal with fats, especially when planning meals for younger children.

Solution: Don’t fear including different types of fats into your child’s diet. Starting the day with some nut butter is a good idea as it is full of beneficial polyunsaturated fats. A slice of avocado alongside a few pretzels will boost fiber and provide more energy for an active morning. Some butter melted over vegetables will win over the taste buds of even the pickiest eaters and, of course, fatty fish like salmon and tuna offer the critical Omega-3 fatty acids to fuel the brainpower of the whole family.

4. Fortified vs Whole Foods Meets 500% of vitamin C needs! High in protein! An excellent source of (fill in the gap)! All these nutritional claims are typically found on boxes of processed products, such as some breakfast cereals, granola bars, fruit snacks, chips and crackers. They may make us believe that processed foods fortified with vitamins and minerals or having additional whey protein incorporated into their recipes are somehow superior to natural unprocessed foods such as meat, fish, dairy, grains, fruits and vegetables. The truth is, our children are not very likely to get deficient in the nutrients typically added to processed foods. What their diets typically score low in is a group of nutrients found in whole unprocessed foods: vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and fiber. [iii] It is also important to remember that very often processed foods are made of ingredients with low nutritional value, such as processed grains or fruit juice and alongside with some vitamins and minerals, may be “fortified” with plenty of sugar and salt.

Solution: Unless advised otherwise by your doctor, stop “buying” the nutritional claims on the boxes of processed foods and focus on the food our grand parents would recognize without any problem: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, milk, meat etc. When buying cereals and other packaged foods, read the nutrition labels carefully and choose products with less than 10g of sugar and/or 140mg of sodium per serving.

5. Vegetables – a part of a bigger picture. With the abundance of information on benefits of vegetables for our health it is hardly surprising that we try hard as we can to make sure our children eat enough of them. However, it is also easy to lose the big picture when we worry too much about just one food group. Vegetables are poor competitors to chicken nuggets, chocolate milk, juice and cookies, from the standpoint of the taste buds of an average American toddler. Not surprisingly, research shows that children who eat a lot of sweet, salty and crunchy foods – standard “kids friendly” fare - are less likely to like fruits and vegetables.[iv]

Solution: Look at the diet as a whole and try to reduce amount of highly processed foods by replacing them with whole grains, dairy products and fresh fruits. This will greatly increase the chances that your child will munch on raw carrots, snack with baby tomato and pile up broccoli on his plate at dinner. The change is not likely to happen overnight and patience works better than pressure. Most importantly, enjoy a variety of healthy foods yourself in order to be a good role model for your child and get creative serving harder-to-like vegetables in a variety of ways: raw, stir-fried, steamed, roasted, accompanied by favorite dips or sprinkled with cheese.

[i] Committee on Nutrition, The Use and Misuse of Fruit Juice in Pediatrics (2001) Pediatrics 107: 1210-1213

[ii] Kazal L. Prevention of Iron Deficiency in Infants and Toddlers. Am. Fam. Physician. 2002 Oct 1;66(7):1217-1225.

[iii] Position of the American Dietetic Association: Nutrition guidance for healthy children aged 2 to 11 years. (2008) J Am Diet Assoc. 6:1039-1047

[iv] Cornwell, T. B. and A. R. McAlister. 2011. “Alternative Thinking About Starting Points in Obesity. Development of Child Taste Preferences.” Appetite 56: 428-39.

Trying to Befriend Tofu

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 17:54:00 +0000

Let me say straight up that I am not a tofu lover. I've tried making it for dinner a few times, mostly in stir-fries. It's okay, but I don't love it. I feel that my life is complete without tofu, and I don't believe that healthy eating requires tofu. I don't, however, want to give up on it completely because I know lots of other folks who do enjoy it. Also, since we try to eat meatless meals a couple of times per week, I think adding in enjoyable recipes with tofu to my repertoire would expand our possibilities.

Last month I was fortunate to have an intern from a graduate school nutrition program working with me. During a consultation that I supervised her on, she recommended, among other things, to a mother who was concerned about her child's protein intake that she try making smoothies with tofu. Since I had never tried that myself, I asked her to send me a recipe to try. She did, and she also sent a recipe for chocolate mousse with tofu.

I've now made both recipes, and here's my take. I thought the smoothie was okay, but I prefer my smoothies with plain yogurt. My husband tried it too. He is usually extremely open to a variety of foods, but in his words, the smoothie was "disgusting." The chocolate mousse, however, was a hit. Even my picky teenage daughter and her friend liked it. I guess chocolate just makes everything taste better! I think when I make this again I will leave out the lemon and ginger; I don't think they particularly added anything to make it better. I also substituted strawberries for the raspberries because that's what I had on hand.
So give these a try and let me know what you think. And if you have any other tasty tofu recipes for me to try, please let me know! I'm still looking...

Silken Tofu Smoothie

by Natalia Stasenko

This smoothie tastes very refreshing in the morning and can even be served as a light dessert after dinner. It is very high in protein and calcium, minerals that are very important for growing bodies.

½ cup silken tofu

1 cup chopped strawberries

1 teaspoon honey

1 cup crushed ice

2 tablespoons water

Blend everything in a blender.

Serves 1

Nutritional information:

Calories: 104(5%)

Protein: 8 g (16%)

Carbohydrates: 16g (5%)

Fat: 1 g (1%)

Saturated fat: 0g (0%)
Cholesterol: 0mg (0%)

Fiber: 4g (16%)
Calcium: 397mg (40%)

Sodium: 82 mg (3%)

Comments: Calculations are based on 4 servings per recipe. Percent Daily Values are based on 2000 kcal diet for healthy adults.

Silken tofu chocolate mousse

by Natalia Stasenko

8oz silken tofu

¼ cup semi sweet chocolate chips, melted

2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

½ tsp. vanilla extract

¼ cup maple syrup

Juice of 1 lemon

½ tsp. of grated fresh ginger or ¼ tsp. of dried ginger

1 cup fresh raspberries

Place the first 7 ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth

Spoon the mousse into ramekins and decorate with raspberries. Chill before serving.

Serves 4

Nutritional information:

Calories: 92(5%)

Protein: 4g (8%)

Carbohydrates: 18g (6%)

Fat: 1g (1%)

Cholesterol: 0mg (0%)

Saturated fat: 0g (0%)

Fiber: 3g (12%)

Calcium: 211mg (21%)

Sodium: 4mg (2%)

Comments: Calculations are based on 4 servings per recipe. Percent Daily Values are based on 2000 kcal diet for healthy adults.

The Do It Myself Kids' Cookbook: A Review

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 20:37:00 +0000

The other day I received a free copy of The Do It Myself Kids' Cookbook* in the mail from its publisher to review. As I have a bunch of things to do this week, I put it aside and figured I'd get to it sometime next month. My 9 year old daughter, however, saw the book on the counter, started reading it, and was riveted. Since she was so excited to test it out, I felt compelled to review the book sooner than I planned. And I also took the opportunity to enlist my daughter's help in the process. As I've written before, I often look for opportunities for my children to practice their writing skills. My daughter's review is below.

Here is my take on the book. The step-by-step illustrations are excellent and the photographs provide a terrific guide for how the finished products should appear. Some of the recipes require some advance prep work by an adult, but the recipes are written so that once all the ingredients are in place, a child can independently assemble a sandwich, snack, salad, or dessert. As you can see from my daughter's review below, she absolutely loved the feeling of independence and being able to "do it herself." Often when she helps me cook, I give her tasks that are only part of a recipe. She often wants to do the whole thing by herself, but I don't always let her, mostly due to safety issues or time constraints.

This book is designed to encourage kids' autonomy in the kitchen. I remained in the kitchen preparing dinner while my daughter was set up on her own with counter space devoted to dessert-making. The process was interesting and revealed some of the things that you might not think about when teaching someone to follow a recipe. Some of the skills she learned along the way included choosing the appropriate measuring cups to use for liquids and dry goods and deciding when you really need to measure and when you don't (e.g., when spreading a tablespoon of peanut butter on a cracker, I think you can just estimate rather than measuring first).

If you can't tell from the photo above, my daughter was beaming when she presented her creations to the family. She chose to make desserts. The cookbook does include a lot of dessert-like recipes, but there are also several recipes that could be served for lunch or a light supper. I think this cookbook is an excellent choice for an elementary school aged child or an advanced preschooler who wants the challenge of cooking by him- or herself.

My daughter's review:

I really enjoyed using this cookbook. I always like to be independent, and I always love to cook. So when there was a cookbook that let me cook without a parent, I was eager to get my hands on it. I made dessert for my family, and the peanut butter covered fruit and indoor s’mores were a big hit. The pictures were very helpful, and it was very easy to read. I understood what was supposed to happen. I’m very excited to use this cookbook in the future. I love to do it myself!!!!!! :D

The reviewer hard at work.

*The Do It Myself Kids Cookbook by Laurie Goldrich Wolf. Downtown Bookworks, 2010.

Disclosure: I received a free cookbook from Downtown Bookworks for review. No other compensation was received and the opinions expressed are mine and my daughter's.

Lessons in "Cultivating"

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:27:00 +0000

My family recently joined our new local CSA (i.e., Community Supported Agriculture, aka "farm"). Volunteer hours at the farm are part of membership. When my husband and I went to volunteer some time, several people were involved in a project putting large, telephone pole-like stakes into the ground for fencing. It soon became clear that my strengths (or lack thereof) would not be best put to use with this project. So instead I was offered the alternate task of "cultivating."

Not having much farm or gardening experience, I didn't really know what I would be doing when I was sent off to "cultivate," and I was a little curious why a younger, more farm-experienced woman there seemed to be pretty strongly opposed to joining me on this task. Well, it turns out that "cultivating" is just a fancy way to say "weeding." The task has very little glory and a great deal of tedium. It is, however, a very necessary task for growing a healthy garden.

It got me thinking about parenting in a couple of ways. First, much of the day-to-day tasks involved in raising children can have that same sense of tedium and lack of grandeur. In the moment, it may not always feel so important to be packing lunches, helping with homework, and preparing dinner. Yet it is the consistency and repetition of these tedious acts - and more - that compose an environment of stability and security for our children. Stable and secure environments are pretty good insurance for keeping some of the unwanted "weeds" out of our family gardens.

The other parenting lesson I learned from this experience relates to the words we choose. I was much more excited at the prospect of "cultivating" than I would have been if I had just been told to go "weed." It sounded a little exotic and mysterious. The word also had an implied sense of importance to me. I was going to be doing something special to prepare land for growing.

The words we choose to use with our children also have potential to be more or less motivating. In particular, the words we choose to label food can have power with both children and adults. In his classic book, Mindless Eating, Brian Wansink reports several studies that demonstrate when descriptive adjectives are used that evoke emotional, nostalgic, or sensory experiences, the food is rated more favorably in comparison to the exact same food without those descriptions.

So my challenges to you ~

try to find a way to reframe and reword some of the everyday, seemingly little things you do as a parent
and play around with some of your word choices in your interactions with your children
and share your thoughts in the comments below

Do You Have a Self-Care Squad? And Teleseminar Info

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:05:00 +0000

This article is a guest post from Jeannie Spiro, Lifestyle Expert and Coach. I wanted to give you a "taste" of Jeannie because she will be my guest on the upcoming Kitchen Table Parents teleseminar, "7 Essential Steps to Achieve a Stress-Less and Slim Fabulous Lifestyle" on July 12, 2011 at 8pm Eastern. To learn more about this event, click here. If you can't join us live, feel free to leave your questions in the comments below this post.
While my own work does not directly address women's weight loss issues, I clearly see the links among stress, overwhelm, and health. I also see many parents who neglect their own self-care while caught up in the busyness of raising their families. I look forward to sharing ideas with Jeannie on this important topic during our teleseminar. Hope you can join us!

Do You Have a Self-Care Squad?

By Jeannie Spiro

Do you remember when you first learned to ride a bike? You probably didn’t just hop on and start riding it right? It took practice and dedication but once you found your rhythm it just got easier didn’t it? It’s the same thing with self-care. If you haven’t been doing it very well for a while you build on the basics until you’re peddling at a pace that’s right and works for you.
As I see it there are a few reasons why self-care doesn’t happen. You find excuses not to make time for it, you don’t want to change your patterns/habits and or you just can’t put yourself first. But let’s pretend that your only job was to take care of yourself and that nothing else mattered. Could you do it? Would you do it? Could you put everything else aside and clear your path so that you could start improving how you look and feel? Could you dig deep within and find the motivation to get out of the space you’re currently in and envision a place you’d like to be instead? Did you know that you’ll have greater success when you surround yourself with individuals who want to see you succeed? It’s like your own Cheerleading Squad. These individuals will pump you up when you need support and encourage you on your journey. When you don’t know if you can fully commit to making the changes you know you need to make go out and find a team that can support you.
I can’t help to think of a close friend of mine who lost half her body weight in just over a year. She went from 350 pounds to 175 pounds. Our daughters played on the same soccer team and I’ll never forget the first time she exercised during her first week of her new journey. My friend asked me to walk with her during the girl’s practice. It was clear that every step was a struggle for her. But I couldn’t help to feel pride for two reasons, to be asked to be part of her journey and to see someone pull strength from within to want to turn her life around. I knew that she needed encouragement and support and I knew that she was willing herself to get through that workout. I was filled with pride to be there from day one. Of course it wasn’t easy for her but day by day she built upon a foundation of her inner strength, and every day that she worked at taking better care of herself she became more confident that she could keep going and more confident in her looks and body. It was incredible to be part of her transformation and to support her as she turned over a whole new leaf. Do you know what she says motivated her to keep going every day? The support system she created around herself that would allow her to propel forward even when she didn’t feel like she could. She openly shared her doubts and fears with people she knew would support and encourage her. She allowed these individuals to become the voices of motivation within her head, and when she became strong and confident enough she replaced their voices with her own. She learned who to listen to, who to emulate and who to recruit as teammates of her Self-Care Squad. Do you have a team of people in your life that support you? Can you see the value in creating one?
This week’s assignment:
Look at the individuals in your life and look closely at them. Are they building you up or bringing you down? Are they encouraging you to become a healthier, more fit and confident person? Are they people you can call upon to help you with improving your self-care? You don’t have to replace those who aren’t you just need to listen more to those who are helping you on your journey to greater self-care. This week make a list of 5 people who you know are there for you and support you. Write down their names, telephone numbers and emails. Now contact the one who lives closest to you and make a date to exercise together. Put it on the calendar and rain or shine you go. If for some reason your friend can’t make it then you go anyway. Just start building on this. Little by little it will get easier and you’ll gain more confidence in yourself.
Have you got a Self-Care Squad in place? Has it helped when you’ve surrounded yourself with people who support what you're trying to do?

Jeannie Spiro teaches self-employed women and professionals how to overcome overwhelm and stress and achieve the figure they desire so they can be equally as proud and confident in how they look as the work they do. You can get her 3 part Live Smarter Lifestyle Kit at www.jeanniespiro.com.

Some Changes

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:40:00 +0000

I'm happy to announce that I'm making some changes with the Dinner Together blog.

For the past couple of years I have been posting recipes and articles related to feeding a healthy family on this blog while simultaneously posting articles related to parenting in a broader context on my other blog. As I continue to evolve and develop my business, I'm realizing that I can't continue to effectively write two separate blogs and offer two distinct newsletters. So going forward, I will be offering only the Dinner Together blog and newsletter. I firmly believe that feeding is parenting, and my goal is to help parents strengthen their relationships with their children ~ and the family table is a great place to start.

The content offered on this blog will change a bit. In addition to publishing recipes and other helpful, practical information to help you with family meals, I will also publish information to help parents learn strategies and skills for raising healthy, happy children.

Picky Eater Q&A

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:52:00 +0000

I will be hosting a free call-in for parents of picky eaters on June 14, 2011 at 8pm EST/5pm PST. For more information about this event and to register, visit Kitchen Table Parents.

If you can't join us live, please leave your questions in the comments below. A replay recording will be made available to Kitchen Table Parents members.

So what are your most burning questions about feeding your kids successfully? What would you like to know?

What's More Important in a Family Meal: The Food or the Family?

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Mon, 16 May 2011 21:42:00 +0000

Recently I was posed the question, “What’s more important in a family meal: the food or bringing your family together?”

I would argue that both are important, but if I were pressed to choose one, I would say that bringing family members together is the more significant component. I readily admit that background as a psychologist biases me toward that choice. The numerous studies that consistently find a positive relationship between the frequency of family meals and child and adolescent outcome variables (e.g., lower risk for substance use, lower risk of disordered eating, lower risk of mental health problems) focus on the act of the family eating together, not on what food is served at those meals.

The act of bringing your family together is not easy. It encompasses organization, family cohesion, communication, cooperation, and commitment. So it is likely that not only the act of eating together, but also all these other variables that go into making a family meal happen, that benefit our children. Further, when children eat with their families frequently, they have been found to be more likely to eat more nutritious food.

I have sometimes seen parents get overly focused on the food aspect of family meals. I’m not saying that it’s not important, and I personally put a great deal of thought into planning meals with a variety of vegetables, grains, and lean proteins. I don’t, however, plan my meals based on the nutritional analyses of particular recipes or completely avoid serving “bad” foods. When the focus is on getting “good” food “into” a child, and not on helping him learn how to develop a healthy long-term relationship with, success is likely to be very limited. As Brian Wansink and his colleagues said, “No food is nutritious, after all, until it is actually eaten.” Moreover, you may be unintentionally be raising an “orthorexic” or be increasing your child’s anxiety around food.

I’m curious to hear your thoughts on this subject. Please feel free to post your comments.

Whole Family Cooking

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Tue, 03 May 2011 15:38:00 +0000

I am very excited to have the opportunity to host Michelle Stern of WhatsCookingWithKids.com next week for our teleseminar, Whole Family Cooking. Michelle and I will be discussing:

ideas for cooking with kids
how to get your whole family excited about eating healthy meals
how to cook healthy, seasonal, and local food that goods both for your health and the environment
how to involve your family in charitable activities using food and cooking

This teleseminar is free to all Kitchen Table Parents members (and Basic membership is also free!). Learn more and register here. This event will take place on Tuesday May 10, 2011 at 9:00pm Eastern/6:00pm Pacific.

Michelle has also generously offered to giveaway one copy of her new cookbook, The Whole Family Cookbook. To enter to win a copy of this family-friendly and earth-friendly cookbook, you must do two things: 1) be a registered member of Kitchen Table Parents and 2) leave a question or comment here for our teleseminar.

Salade Nicoise

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Mon, 02 May 2011 18:14:00 +0000

Did you know that May is National Mediterranean Diet Month? Neither did I until my friends at Oldways told me. Don't let the word "diet" throw you. I am not one to advocate for dieting, but the Mediterranean way of eating is one that I more or less try to follow myself and with my family - lots of whole grains, fruits, veggies, some dairy, and fish. Best of all, it is a way of eating based on simple, delicious foods and supports enjoying the pleasures of the table with friends and family. To spread the message about the the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet and its lifestyle practices, Oldways and its Mediterranean Foods Alliance are launching an ambitious program to deliver 1 million Med Diet Pyramids to Americans. Get yours here.

In celebration of this month, Oldways has shared this delicious recipe with me and my readers. You can prepare the cooked ingredients in advance and then throw this salad together on a night when you're pressed for time but still want to enjoy a delicious, healthy meal.

Salade Niçoise

Ingredients

1/2 pound potatoes

1/2 pound fresh green beans

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons vinegar

1/2 teaspoon mustard

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 large onion, sliced very thin

1 can (5-6 oz) chunk light tuna, drained

4 hard boiled eggs, quartered 2 large tomatoes, quartered

Preparation

1. Scrub the potatoes and cut into bite-size pieces. Trim the ends off the beans. Bring two saucepans of water to a boil and cook the potatoes and beans until fork-tender but not mushy, approximately 10 minutes for the potatoes and 3 minutes for the beans. Drain immediately. Or, steam each until tender.

2.In a large bowl, combine the olive oil with the vinegar, mustard and garlic, and whisk to make the dressing.

3. Add the onion, potatoes, beans, and tuna to the bowl and toss gently with the dressing.

4. Arrange the vegetables and tuna on a platter and garnish with the egg and tomato quarters.

Makes 4 servings. Photo shows 4 servings.

Option: Drain and rinse 1 can of white beans (cannellini, Great Northern, navy, etc.) and toss with the salad in step 3.

Spring Cleaning: Organize Your Kitchen Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 23:59:00 +0000

After a long, cold winter, spring is finally here. Anyone have any urges to clean and organize?

Recently I was given a complimentary copy of the downloadable e-product, “Organize Your Kitchen in 3 Weeks” by its author, Beverly Coggins. The product consists of a zip file of 21 pdfs with the goal of keeping you on track to transform your kitchen from a cluttered space into an organized, functional workspace. I fully support this goal as I believe that in order for a kitchen to serve its role as “heart of the home,” it needs to be a room that is both inviting as well as safe and efficient for cooking. As Coggins writes, “Clutter drains energy and distracts your focus.” An organized kitchen makes organizing successful family meals much easier.

Coggins’ approach is very systematic, and she neatly breaks down what can feel like an overwhelming task into manageable steps. In my opinion, the strength of this product is in the first several steps, which involve sorting through your existing kitchen contents. I really liked her recommendation to sort items into the categories “keep,” “toss,” “give away,” “sell,” and “doesn’t belong in the kitchen.” The kitchen can easily become a dumping ground for a family’s excess “stuff,” and it’s valuable to take stock from time to time.

I did not find the directions for the later steps in the process to be as clear as the de-cluttering steps. I’m sure this is in part due to the fact that organizing your kitchen is highly dependent on the space available, layout, and unique features of your individual room as well as your individual style. Some specific suggestions for typical kitchen organization as well illustrations and photos of some options would make this product a more useful tool. If you struggle with ideas for where to put things in your kitchen, I'd suggest getting some input and feedback from a trusted friend and/or experimenting with several different ideas and seeing what works best for you.

If you’re experiencing a “spring cleaning” motivational drive right now, I would urge you to seize the moment, and organize your kitchen. Organize Your Kitchen in 3 Weeks can help you tackle this task in a systematic, organized fashion. Beverly has generously offered to give away one free copy of this product to one of my readers. To enter:

Become a member of Kitchen Table Parents. Basic membership is free. If, however, you join at the Premium level, you will also be eligible to win one of five 30-minute individual phone sessions with me.
Enter a comment below which either a) describes one of your biggest kitchen organization obstacles or b) recommends a helpful kitchen organization strategy or tool.
Be sure you include a contact email address either in your comment or through your commenter profile.

I will be randomly selecting one winner from all eligible entrants on April 18, 2011.

50 Best Blogs for Your Children's Nutrition

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:30:00 +0000

Recently NursingSchools.net posted a list of the 50 best blogs for child nutrition on their blog. I'm honored to report that the Dinner Together blog was included in their list, in the Family Focused category.

I encourage you to check out the rest of the list. It includes some of my favorite resources as well as some others I'm looking forward to getting to know more about.

Announcing Kitchen Table Parents!

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 20:58:00 +0000

I'm very excited to tell you about a new program I've developed. For the past couple of years I've been trying to figure out how to offer support and education at an affordable cost to parents who are interested in both providing healthy family meals and raising happy, compassionate kids. I’ve been running Dinner Together and Empowered Parenting side by side, but I think I’ve found a way to bring them together.

My new program offers solutions for parents who know that raising a healthy family involves more than just food; it also involves nourishing our families through our words, interactions, and connections with each other.

You can learn more about the program here:

http://kitchentableparents.com/information/

If you are looking for:

- Guidance on how to stop being a short order cook

- Strategies to help your kids to try new foods and eat vegetables

- Ways to have your kids join the family at the table and be pleasant once they get there

- Tools for positive family communication

- More confidence in your parenting decisions and interactions

- Reassurance about what to expect with regard to your child's development

- Ideas for involving your children with helping others

...then Kitchen Table Parents is where you want to be!

Two membership options to the exclusive new Kitchen Table Parents website are available: a free Basic membershipand a low cost Premium membership.

Premium members will have access to:

Recipes and Meal Plans
A library of articles, audio and video recordings on popular parenting topics, including how to deal with picky eaters and how to manage bedtime battles
An interactive forum which I will moderate
Recommended tools and resources
Monthly telephone conference calls where you can ask your most burning parenting questions
Discounts on my parent coaching packages

Basic members will have access to a limited selection of the recipe and article archives, sample meal plans, and tools and resources for successful family meals and empowered parenting.

You can learn more and register here:

http://kitchentableparents.com/information/

I hope you will join me. I look forward to getting to know you as part of a community of parents supporting and empowering each other to raise healthy families.

If you have any questions about this program, please leave your comments below or email me.

Deliciously Healthy Family Meals: Free Cookbook

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 19:38:00 +0000

I recently received a free copy of a new cookbook published by the National Institute’s of Health’s We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition) Program. This book is available for free yes, I said FREE!) in pdf form and in print.

I would definitely recommend looking through this book. The photographs are fantastic; they truly succeed at making healthy food look mouth-watering. There are a variety of recipes included for dinners, snacks, side dishes, and lunch/brunch. Some of the recipes really appealed to me, and I will definitely be giving them a try, like Spinach and Corn Pancakes, Zesty Tomato Soup and Mexican Lasagna. The recipe that I found most intriguing was for Watermelon and Tomato Salad. Although watermelon is not currently in season where I live, I’m going to include that recipe below as a harbinger of warmer weather to come.

I think this cookbook is especially valuable for beginning cooks. There is a glossary of cooking terms, a guide to common cooking measurements, basic cooking instructions, and photos illustrating cutting terms that many will find helpful. Also included are suggestions for estimated calorie requirements for children based on their age and activity level and a food guide for children. I personally could have done without these materials because I’m not sure how useful they are.

I would recommend this cookbook for anyone who is searching for new recipes to make for their family. You may be inspired to attempt something new…plus you’ve already paid for it with your tax dollars!

Watermelon and Tomato Salad

2 large tomatos, rinsed and cut into slices each

1 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar (or substitute apple cider vinegar)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp fresh basil, rinsed, dried, and chopped (or 1 tsp dried)

4 cups diced watermelon, with seeds removed

¼ tps salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1. Arrange three tomato slices on each of four salad plates.

2. Combine vinegar, oil, and basil in a bowl, and mix well.

3. Add watermelon, and gently toss to coat evenly.

4. Spoon watermelon over the tomatoes.

5. Top with salt and pepper, and serve.

Comfort Foods - Chicken Soup 2 Ways

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 22:31:00 +0000

We've had a little cold virus running through our family this week, and nothing says comfort food more to me than chicken soup - especially when I'm a little sick. Today I'm going to share two chicken soup recipes. The first is my favorite one to make lately and is modified from a recipe I had found in Cooking Light. For the second recipe, I am grateful for this contribution from Jeannie Spiro, a health coach at Healthy Weighs. Thank you Jeannie ~ I can't wait to try this one. I have a weakness for anything served with tortilla chips!

Chicken Orzo Soup

6 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cup uncooked orzo

2 Tbs olive oil

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 to 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 cups water

6 fresh parsley sprigs

2 fresh thyme sprigs

8 cups fresh baby spinach (about half a bag of baby spinach salad mix)

juice of 1 lemon

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

· Cook orzo according to package directions.
· Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.
· Add carrot, celery, onion, and chicken. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
· Stir in broth, water, parsley, and thyme.
· Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
· Discard herb sprigs.
· Add cooked orzo, spinach, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
· Simmer for 1 more minute.

Serves 8.

Note: I use the 32-oz boxes of chicken broth. I store the remainder in the fridge and add it to any leftover soup when I reheat it since the orzo absorbs a lot of the liquid in the soup.

Mexican Tortilla Soup

by Jeannie Spiro

4 split (2 whole) Free range Chicken breasts

Good olive oil

Sea Salt

Pepper

2 cups sweet Vidalia onions (2 onions)

1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)

2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 1⁄2 quarts chicken stock, homemade is best (or choose high quality store bought)

1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed

2-4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander seed

1⁄2 teaspoon oregano

chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Blue Corn Tortilla Chips

Add Ons: Avocado, Plain Yogurt, Organic Cheddar or Goat Cheese (for a little extra fat!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake chicken which has been slightly coated in olive oil and seasoned with a small amount of s&p. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool and then shred with forks to add to soup later.

Meanwhile, heat 3 T. of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add onions, celery and carrots and cook over medium low heat for 10 mins or until onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes and puree, jalapenos and spices. Add sea salt depending on the sodium content of your stock. Add 1 t. of pepper and cilantro.

Bring soup to a boil, then lower and heat for 25 mins. Add chicken and season to taste.

Garnish with: More cilantro, sliced avocado, a spoonful of yogurt or cheese. Serve with blue corn tortilla chips.

Game Day Favorites Recipe Swap - Italian Heroes

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 14:31:00 +0000

I'm taking a brief break from the comfort food series to participate in a Game Day Favorites Recipe Swap with NoelsKitchenTips.com. The recipe below is a super easy and great for large gatherings. I am fortunate to live near a wonderful bakery that makes a large ring-shaped loaf of Italian bread that easily serves 15 people. If you are not so fortunate to have that bread available, simple substitute to regular loaves of Italian bread. And obviously, feel free to substitute any of the deli meats with your favorites.

1 large Italian bread ring
1/4 lb genoa salami
1/4 lb sliced pepperoni
1/3 lb deli ham
1/2 lb sharp provolone cheese
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/3 cup pimento-stuffed olives, chopped fine
1/3 cup pitted black olives, chopped fine
1/3 cup celery, chopped fine
1/4 cup Italian salad dressing

Mix garlic, olives, celery and salad dressing.
Slice the top half of the bread off.
Spread the olive mixture on the bread.
Layer the deli meats.
Replace the top half of the bread.
Slice into sandwich portions.
Enjoy!

Comfort Foods - Mac and Cheese

noreply@blogger.com (Dinner Together, LLC) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:25:00 +0000

In my post last week about comfort foods I received a few recommendations for people's family favorite recipes. One suggestion was something I've never made before - crockpot lasagna. It sounds like a great idea. I found this recipe for slow cooker spinach lasagna over at the Raise Healthy Eaters blog and plan to give a try soon.

But for now, I wanted to share a couple of my favorite recipes for a comfort food classic, Mac and Cheese. I have made my fair share of the blue box mac and cheese over the years, but have happily moved my family away from that ~ although my youngest still gets excited about a monthly treat of Easy Mac (I'll have to write more on that later). Below are two recipes for Mac and Cheese: one that I prefer and one that my kids prefer.

Kids Mac and Cheese
adapted from a recipe in Family Circle
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 cup milk
8 ounces sliced American cheese from the deli (not the cellophane wrapped singles)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar

Prepare macaroni according to package directions.
While pasta is cooking, break American cheese slices into small pieces and shred cheddar if it not already shredded.
After you've drained the pasta, add the milk to that same pot.
With the pot on medium heat, add in the cheeses.
Whisk together the milk and cheeses until the mixture is smooth.
Return the macaroni to the pot and stir to combine.

My Preferred Mac and Cheese

adapted from a recipe from Rachael Ray

1 T olive oil

2 T butter

3 T flour

1 1/2 cups milk

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 t ground nutmeg

1/4 t ground cayenne pepper

1 pound elbow macaroni

Cook pasta according to package directions.
Preheat broiler.
Heat oil and butter in a large skillet at medium heat.
When butter is melted, add flour and whisk together.
Cook for a few minutes until flour mixture is smooth.
Slowly add the milk while continuing to whisk.
Continue to cook until milk thickens a bit.
Add in 2 cups of the cheddar, stirring until smooth.
Add in nutmeg and cayenne.
Stir the cooked pasta into the sauce.
Transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
Place baking dish in broiler. Cook until cheese on top is melted.

Anyone else have any favorite mac and cheese recipes to share?