What usually shows up in the baskets on Easter morning is chocolate of course. (If you know me at all you know why I say ‘of course’.)  I’ve been known to help E.B. out and make some dark chocolate suckers with molds & sticks I found online.  One year it was so funny-frustrating because I made suckers with a favorite Endangered Species chocolate bar that my kids love, just melting and remolding it into the bunny molds.  Lucas later told me that he didn’t like the taste of sucker that E.B. brought that year.  Huh?  Okay.

Usually there’s also some non-artificially colored & flavored jelly beans.  And, books.  Always books. Maybe an iTune gift card.  A pair of summer flip flops.

Just because it’s a holiday there’s no reason to fall into the mindset that we have let go of feeding your kids REAL & bridging food and fill those baskets with fake candy or even too much REAL or bridging candy.  I mean sugar is sugar.  Every 4 grams is a packet.  (Sorry the wellness coach in me has to point that out.)  So don’t go over board even with the better stuff – which is what I remind myself each year too.  If you’re a parent of an itty-bitty one you can start off on the right foot.  You don’t actually have to put any candy in.  Just think about what traditions you want to keep going year after year and start those now before you start one you later regret and want to change.  If you’ve got an older child who can’t wait for his annual basket loaded with Peeps and artificially flavored & colored jelly beans, it’s never too late to crowd some of that out with better candy or non-candy stuff.

The Easter Bunny also has a tradition of leaving a trail of eggs from the bedrooms to the baskets.  My kids still get excited to wake up and find the trail leading down the stairs.  Even if my kids roll their eyes with that skeptical smile and think I’m ‘corny’, which they pretty much do now, I know that I can still promote a sense of wonder and joy in them by modeling that myself.  I figure that’s as an important a gift to give them as anything in their baskets.

Also, remember that your dollar is your vote.  Vote for fair trade chocolate whenever you can so that no child slavery is involved in getting the chocolate to your child’s Easter basket.  It’s not a topic we want to think about but we need to.  Our choices matter – other people – including children – in the world suffer when we buy chocolate that isn’t fairly traded.  We don’t have to be perfect, even choosing fair trade some of the time can make a difference.

In case you’re last minute like me, here are some Chocolate and Easter Candy Resources:

1.  Dagoba
2.  Divine Chocolate
3.  Endangered Species
4.  Indie Candy
5.  UNREAL Candy
6.  Sjaacks
7.  Sweet Gem Confections
8.  Yummy Earth

The good news is there’s no shortage of REAL chocolate and Easter candy.  Make sure to get Grandma and Grandpa on board with only giving your child the REAL stuff too.  It’s totally fine to set boundaries with them when it comes to what they can give your child.  You can even buy the REAL stuff and hand it to them in a bag to make it easy for them to have the treats that are okay for your child to have.

Angelle Batten, MEd, is a family wellness coach and co-founder of get REAL for kids.  She’s passionate about helping moms get their kids to eat REAL food and create a healthy, happy family life.  You can also find her blogging at angellebatten.com.

Toss Out Fake Ingredients that Trick Taste Buds!

But it’s challenging to retrain those taste buds if they are also being trained to eat lots of fake foods on a regular basis.

This week we want you to make sure you start systematically tossing out fake food ingredients.

Which ones? You get to choose.

Check out our Toss It Out section on get REAL for kids.  See which of these ingredients your family is eating and drinking way too much of.  That’s where you start.

Getting REAL isn’t about perfection. It’s about starting where you are and making simple changes – to help your child live his best life!

Let us know on Facebook how your family did with this get REAL Challenge.  Share your success. Share your trials and tribulations. We want to hear it all.

Thank you for being a part of the get REAL Revolution.  Together we will turn millions of children around to health and happiness.

Thank you to Marla from Mama Makes from Scratch for this guests blog post!

The last week has been a perfect little snow globe world. The light, fluffy snow has been steadily coming down, and has been such a wonderful sight.  I absolutely love winter and snow, so anytime we have such a steady go of it, I am as happy as can be.  And what is better in the snow, than a steaming mug of hot chocolate?  And what is even better than that, but homemade marshmallows in a steaming mug of hot chocolate… 

Ahhhh, winter…..

I wanted to make marshmallows with no corn syrup and low processed sugar, and coconut palm sugar was an excellent choice.  It is low glycemic, full of nutrients, and is not highly processed.  Sounds pretty great.  It also has a rich, deep, caramel flavor that pairs so nicely in many different applications.  It is great in pancakes, with chicken, salmon, coffee, hot chocolate..  GREAT in hot chocolate!

 I actually did a blind taste test for my family.  I made two batches of hot chocolate; one with brown sugar, and one with coconut sugar.  Every family member chose the coconut sugar.  One hundred percent isn’t too bad!

Hot chocolate

4 cups vanilla almond milk
6 oz enjoy life chocolate chunks
3-4 Tbs. coconut palm sugar

For an even warmer kick, add a pinch of cinnamon, cayenne, or chili powder.

Heat milk in a saucepan over medium low heat.  When the milk gets hot, but is not boiling, add the chocolate and stir occasionally until melted.  Then add the sugar.  Continue to cook for about 5 minutes.

Homemade Marshmallows

2 packets gelatin
1/2 cup water
1 c. coconut palm sugar
1/4 c. water
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
scant 1/4 c water
1/4 c. confectioners’ sugar
2 tbs potato starch

Mix to combine the gelatin and 1/2 c. water in a bowl and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the coconut sugar and 1/4 c. water.  Over medium heat, cook until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Don’t let it come to a full boil, just a slight boil, keeping the boil to the edge of the pan.  Stir every so often to keep from burning the sugar.  This doesn’t take too long, maybe 5 minutes.

Stir the soaked gelatin into the pan and heat over medium heat.  Bring to the point of the start of a boil, stir, and take off the heat.  Add the vanilla and salt and stir to combine.  Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer and let it cool for a minute.  With a whisk attachment, start to mix.  I like to drape a dish towel over the mixer to control the splatter.  Mix on high for about 10 minutes, until the marshmallow becomes light and fluffy.  And don’t fret, it won’t start to get to that stage until about minute 7 or 8.  After 10 minutes, with the mixer still on high speed, I like to add about 1/4 cup of water, V E R Y slowly, about a couple of teaspoons at a time, making sure it is fully incorporated between each addition.  Mix for another 5 minutes or so.

While the marshmallow is mixing, combine the potato starch and confectioners’ sugar in a bowl, and sift it onto a baking sheet or baking dish.  I usually use an 8×8″ glass baking dish.

When the marshmallow is all mixed, scoop it out of the bowl, and using a spatula, smooth it into the prepared dish.  Sift more of the sugar/starch mixture on top, and let rest for at least 4 hours.

 When fully cooled, cut the marshmallow into whatever shapes you like and enjoy!

A few years ago my family decided to make a big change.  After lots of thought, discussion, soul searching and praying, we decided to leave the religion both Mike and I were raised in, which meant we were going to be doing some ‘church shopping’.

Many church visits later, we did find just the right church for us.  One of the things that made it just right for me was that the pastor was open to my questions.  I was clearly on a spiritual journey and he was completely fine with that.  In fact he welcomed my BIG questions about all things God, church and spiritual growth.  Boy was that refreshing.  Instead of him telling me what I should think and believe he was completely open.  No sense of fear or threat on his part if I asked questions about his beliefs.  I came out on the other end of this decision feeling more energized about my spiritual life than ever.

This same pastor, during this same process, also encouraged my kids, then just 9, 7 & 7, to fully participate in discussions – asking their own BIG questions.  I watched and listened as he responded to my young children in the same respectful way he responded to my husband and me.  And, most importantly I watched my kids blossom in their own thinking about God, spirituality and religion.  It was such a gift.

Which leads me to this week’s get REAL challenge.

Let us know on Facebook how your family did with this get REAL Challenge.  Share your success. Share your trials and tribulations. We want to hear it all.

Thank you for being a part of the get REAL Revolution. Together we will turn millions of children around to health and happiness.

Angelle Batten, MEd. is a Family Wellness Coach and co-founder of get REAL for kids™ She teaches moms how to create a healthy, happy family life they love every day (well, almost every day!)  She can also be found at AngelleBatten.com.

Who would have thought that an ordinary day at the movies could turn into an extraordinary experience?

My children and I had just returned from watching Madagascar 3 in 3D at the theater and I was busy getting dinner ready for some very hungry children. My girls, ages 5 and 6, decided it would be a perfect time to start a craft…a complete mess on the dinner table right before I was ready to serve. After about a half an hour, I entered the dining room to a disaster that was about to become the best learning experience ever!

My girls had taken the 3-D glasses from the movie, popped out the lenses and designed them with several bedazzled stick-on jewels! They were beautiful! They loved them so much that they wore them for a week straight. Everywhere we went, people were commenting on their lovely invention, young and old. After several compliments, Melia (my 6 year old) decided that she should start a business and sell these glasses to children everywhere. Absolutely a genius idea!

Right away we began calling movie theaters to see if they would graciously donate glasses to help these young entrepreneurs initiate a business and they did! My 8 year old son was also on board as he began designing “spy-like” glasses for boys.

So now that we had a collection of glasses and had the designs down, we needed a name for this business, which I have to say was the most difficult part of the entire process. We wanted a name that, first of all, wasn’t already taken. This single criterion knocked our listed down significantly. Secondly, we wanted to appeal to both girls and boys alike, so names like Sassy Specs were ruled out. Finally, we wanted a name that wouldn’t pigeon hole us into selling only glasses. After several days, they FINALLY decided to combine all of their nicknames and use Nooloos as their business name. Although we never did anything with it, we did purchased the url nooloosglasses.com!

The kids designed a sign on the computer, decided on a price and were ready to sell. I developed a ledger for my son in a spiral bound notebook. He was in charge of recording all the expenses, sales and income. This was definitely more up his alley! He was also in charge of determining what the cost was to make a pair of glasses and calculating an ideal price point.

The kids were now ready for the fun to begin! They began selling to family and friends. They also set up a lemonade stand in the neighborhood where they sold their merchandise. Even Tracy, an employee at Joanne Fabrics, bought two pairs! In three short weeks, they made $124 and were thrilled!

The excitement was starting to dissipate when we we realized that our gems were starting to fall off of the glasses. We made yet another trip to Joanne’s and purchased many different types of glues, ones that we researched to be the strongest with use of plastics. We did find that Epoxy was the strongest. However, after I finished gluing only one pair of glasses, the odor was so strong which prompted me to read the label. Warning signs indicated severe health effects. That was immediately discarded as I was completely unwilling to sell a toxic product to children!

My husband finally found a product that seemed to hold up pretty well. Sales to family, friends and neighbors were no longer options so we needed to explore other avenues. We had seen people selling merchandise in front of our local Kroger’s store so we started there. We sent in an application and a couple weeks later received our first denial letter. The kids were bummed, but they weren’t stopping there. Next, we called the Birmingham City Chamber of Commerce and as I was on the phone in mid-conversation, I gave my children the thumbs-up signal and they were beyond excited! The City of Birmingham gave us the approval under one condition, we needed to donate a portion of the proceeds to a charity. The experience was getting even better – the children were able to gain another opportunity to give back. Our choice in charities was an easy decision – Get Real For Kids! To be able to support an organization that fights for everything we believe in was a perfect match.

We spent the next couple of weeks stocking up on inventory, purchasing packaging, printing warning labels and marketing, by emailing and posting our sale dates to everyone we knew. Our first date was a hit! Thanks to all of our supporters, in six hours, they made an additional $95. Much to our surprise, we even had adults buying them! Sales decreased the following two market dates. The total sales from the market were $170! After selling at the market, my 6 year old daughter asked, “When do we get to sell at Target?” I just love those ambitious minds!

Unfortunately, we started to have trouble again with the quality of our product. The gems began falling off again and after calling art supply stores and jewelers, and trying nine different types of glues, none were successful long-term. This sadly brought the sales of Nooloos to an end.

The children all decided that they wanted to save the money they raised to take a trip to Disney! We priced out what a trip to Disney would cost (airfare, park passes, hotel and spending) and my son replied, “Wow, we have to sell a lot more glasses!” Secretly, the profit they made was deposited in their bank accounts and hopefully soon, we will be taking a trip to Disney!

Despite the bumps we encountered, the journey was all worthwhile. The learning opportunities the children gained from this experience was invaluable. They learned about product development, building a brand, income, expenses and net profit. They learned about long days and hard work. They learned about the value of money. They learned that sometimes we get rejected, but that doesn’t mean we give up. They learned about reciprocation with giving back – people donated products to us and we, in turn, donated back to the community.

Every experience can be a missed opportunity or a lesson learned to impact a life. Which road will you take?

Bio:  Leena Hosler is a mother of three and a Speech Language Pathologist.  She has been working in the public school system for over 12 years with students between the ages of 3 and 18.  Leena has obtained specialized training in Autism.   She has been trained in Lovaas (a behavioral therapy approach) and has earned over 100 clock hours in Autism training.  In addition to working in the public school system, Leena has been working for years providing private therapy to clients of all ages with varying diagnoses.  She earned her Bachelors degree in Education and Masters in Communication Disorders and Sciences from Wayne State University.  During her studies, she trained at a rehabilitation hospital treating primarily stroke and head injured patients.  Leena is currently on the development team for Autismcompass.com, which is a comprehensive resource for parents, educators and physicians.   She has a passion for children and helping others.  That, in conjunction, with her knowledge, has lead to her success in healing her own children.

Questions and comments are welcome and can be posted or emailed to leenahosler@yahoo.com.

1.  Fats keep you more satisfied and fuller for longer periods of time so you eat less overall.

2.  As you eat more fats and fewer carbs your body goes into a more efficient and preferred way of burning stored fat for energy.

It might seem weird at first when you are faced with a decision of whether or not to have a small snack bag of pretzels vs. an apple with 2 tablespoons of almond butter.   We need to look at the quality of food instead of focusing so much on calories. The snack bag of pretzels most likely has around 100 calories and 0 fat grams.  The apple and almond butter has approximately 250 calories and 16 grams of fat.  The difference is your body recognizes the apple and almond butter as REAL food and starts to get to work.  When the pretzels are eaten the body takes on a different response almost as to “what is this?”  and tries to process the fake food.

When you eat fat as part of your meal, they actually slow down your food absorption so that you can go longer without feeling hungry.  So if you ate the bag of pretzels it got digested, spiked your blood sugar, had pretty much zero nutrients and now your hungry again 1 hr later.  The apple and almond butter is probably still digesting, full of nutrients, fiber, and fats and will keep you full so you don’t need another snack.  In the long run you actually will end up eating fewer calories throughout the day.

Fats are fulfilling, hearty, and satisfying and your body really craves and needs good fats.  These fats include the fatty acid conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), found in grass-fed beef and full-fat dairy products from grass-fed cows (butter, milk, cheese, etc.). Omega 3 fats found in flax seed, hemp, nuts, and fish. Even saturated fats found in meat, dairy, certain oils, and coconut are used as a source of fuel during energy expenditure. Be careful there are certain fats to avoid and may hurt weight loss efforts and these are corn oil, canola oil, soy oil, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats, margarine, and shortening.

As you eat more fat and less carbs from breads, crackers, cereals and processed foods your body gets more efficient at using up fat and stored fat for fuel.

According to Mark Sisson at Marks Daily Apple human metabolism is pre-programmed by evolution to be primarily fat-based (the real preferred fuel). In other words, our genes expect us to function optimally when we consume fats and can easily access our stored fat.

So here is how you can put your plan into action.  At each meal you can try to replace a grain carbohydrate with a fat.  For example for breakfast you can make coconut flour pancakes instead of white flour for the kids or scramble your eggs in some grass-fed butter and eat some quality sausage in place of toast.  You will notice you stay fuller longer and may not need to even snack.  Lunch options can be tuna salad mixed with olive oil and lemon over greens instead of sandwich bread or a large greens salad with hard-boiled egg, bacon, and grated raw milk cheese with homemade dressing instead of a BLT sandwich.  Once you start doing this it becomes easier and effortless.  Most children can easily adjust to this way of eating especially if their parents are leading the way!   Eating good quality fats in place of processed carbs will also keep little tummies fuller longer which leads to less snacking.  If you have a child who is struggling with their weight this simple switch can jump start the body to burn fat.

Lastly I have to get to working out in the winter.  Many times people hesitate to get outside because of the cold.  This year make a change! Invest in some good snow gear and get your family outdoors as much as you can.  I insist my kids go out and play in the snow.  Once they have on their snowsuits and they get out they are good to go!  Between snowmen, snow forts, and snowball fights they keep busy and its good exercise!  Try putting your kids on the sled and pulling them around the yard to burn off some extra calories!  If you like to go for walks, go for it! Get the snow cleats you can put right on your tennis shoes so you don’t slip on snow or ice.  Another option is to use your cross-country skis right outside your front door.  Every year it never fails when we have a good snowfall I see my mother-in-law working up a sweat cross country skiing down our street!  Need more ideas? Go ice skating, sledding (walking up and down hills and pulling kids is a great workout), play hockey, or snowshoeing.   Whatever you do, DO SOMETHING!  Don’t let the cold or winter be an excuse to forget about exercise!   Eating more good fat and less grain carbs plus exercise will switch your body into a fat burning machine even in the winter!

BIO: Susie is a mother of three beautiful girls, part-time dance instructor, runner, Pilates enthusiast, and natural health advocate/blogger. She enjoys writing on topics surrounding good food choices, quality and types of exercise, and spirituality. Susie’s Get Real wake-up call was 7 years ago when she was facing how to treat her daughter’s severe eczema.  After Dr. Sue’s regimen of homeopathic cream, fish oil supplement, dietary changes and probiotics her daughters skin improved dramatically.  From then on Susie has made it her mission to dig deeper and study holistic medicine and REAL whole foods and nutrition.       To ask her a question or request she cover a blog topic, please email her at sdrahaim@aol.com

It’s kind of like that for us with Chef Jackie.

We’ve been working with Chef Jackie White for a number of years and she’s helped us learn how to get REAL food on the table every day REAL fast.  You may very well know that Chef Jackie is the author of the recipes in our 20 eCookbooks.  What you may not know is that she’s also the author of her very own blog, Prep Like a Chef, where she teaches all of us non-chef types the trade secrets of getting REAL food to the table REAL fast.  And her recipes are always delicious.  My kids actually start salivating when they either see Chef Jackie walking up to the house with food or if I bring something home that she’s prepared.  She’s that good.

This week she’s helping us all be prepared for T-Day.  With Thanksgiving just around the corner Jackie will make sure we’ve got our i’s dotted and our t’s crossed for what is my favorite holiday of the year.

So, trot on over to Prep Like a Chef right now – before you forget – and read her post like I just did.  I always learn something new & helpful and I know you will too.

Angelle Batten, MEd. is a Family Wellness Coach and co-founder of get REAL for kids™ She teaches parents how to feed their children REAL food and parent in a more connected way every day – so despite a crazy busy life they can raise healthier, happier children who make the world a better place.

It’s one variation of a question I’ve heard over and over from moms.  They normally ask it with a little bit of uncertainty in their voice.  It’s more like a question they are wondering for themselves.  If…if they decided to set boundaries around what their child can and cannot eat…if they decided to stop serving certain favorite fake foods at home…if they said no to pop at parties…”will she go crazy in the other direction and eat and drink everything I’m saying no to?  Will she have an eating disorder?”

So they look to me to see if I’m worried about that very same thing.  To see if my 12, 10 & 10 year olds are rebelling at all.  I get it.

Of course the thoughts have crossed my mind.

This is the thing though.  I know too much about fake food and how it hurts our kids.  18 years of eating fake food – giving them junk that their bodies have no idea what to do with and contributes to illness and not giving them REAL food that nourishes their bodies, minds & spirits – is not something I can do.

So we set boundaries around food.  It’s not unlike the boundaries we set or will set around TV or internet usage or  smoking or drinking alcohol or taking drugs or having teenage sex.  They are all parenting issues that involve teaching, learning, bottom-lines and doing our very best as conscientious parents.

Of course my kids sneak candy sometimes.  Of course they love their ‘party’ foods and would eat more of them if we didn’t set boundaries.  Maybe they’ll even go hog-wild crazy in high school or college.  Just like they may try cigarettes, drinking or another risky behavior that we have boundaries around.  That doesn’t mean we’re not going to set some boundaries.

And, on the other side of the coin, there are thousands…millions…of people who eat unhealthy as adults or have eating disorders that had parents who never set boundaries around food.  Who’s or what’s behind those people’s unhealthy relationship with eating?

Food is just more in our face from the moment our kids are born.  Food is nourishment.  Food is love.  Food is so many different things to different people.  Which means I may have to parent each of my 3 kids differently around our food boundaries.  One may need more room to negotiate with us about what he can eat in order to feel like he fits in a little more often.  One may need more education about why we choose to do what we do when it comes to food.  The other may need to be more involved in cooking and just enjoying REAL food with me.  Responsive parenting is the best I can do.

It’s a bit daunting to know some people are ‘watching and waiting’ to see how my kids continue to respond to our boundaries around food.  But I’m not going to worry about that.  I’m going to continue to do the best I can given what I currently know.  I’m going to give them the best foundation I can in all areas, including food & health. 

My suggestion for you   – don’t wait.  Don’t wait to set boundaries for your own child because you are worried about how they will respond or how you will be consistent or because of what anyone else thinks.  Do your best given what you know about your own child and about food.

Hold your child in an image of light and love always, praying for guidance and strength to help him live his best life.

Angelle Batten, MEd. is a Family Wellness Coach and co-founder of get REAL for kids™ She teaches moms how to create a healthy, happy family life they love every day (well, almost every day!)  She can also be found at AngelleBatten.com.