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Packing A Punch

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Amazing what a handful, or even just a teaspoon, of herbs can do to a dish.  Put a tablespoon of fresh chopped thyme with chicken and it adds such a magnificent dimension of flavor.  Whether that chicken is roasting whole or sautéing pieces with cream and wine; mmm…yum.  Throw some cilantro into Asian or Mexican style chow and it can intensify the already fantastic flavors.

 

I lifted a fairly plain salad to another level by adding chopped mint, parsley, dill and cilantro.  Just a little of each so as not to overpower the other or anything else.  It was so delicious and fresh tasting; so summery. 

One herb that I’ve had wonderful success growing in my garden is basil but unbelievably I’d never made pesto before… someone else has always done it, until now.  We’d gotten some in our CSA bin plus I have some growing outside so I thought I’d give it a try.

I looked up a recipe in The New Elegant But Easy Cookbook and then adapted it for the amount I had on hand and my tastes.  (I had a block of Reggiano Parmesan that I grated from myself but you can find some pre-grated in the cheese section of supermarket or Trader Joe’s.  I can’t recommend enough to not use the canister of powdered Parmesan cheese, it’s not going to give you the quality results.)

 

Pesto

In the Cuisinart I chopped together

  • about 5 cups of basil
  • 1/2 cup of toasted pignoli (pine) nuts
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmegiano Reggiano
  • salt & pepper to taste

Once blended to a choppy paste, while Cuisinart was on, I poured into top opening between 1/2- 3/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil until its consistency was right.  You don’t want it too oily. 

 

It was perfect for us.  We had the pesto on Rigatoni pasta. The boys really enjoyed it.  Initially they only wanted plain pasta with butter and salt, until they saw it— they wanted to taste it.  Once they tasted it, they asked for their pasta with it. I had mine with chopped tomatoes, the boys just pesto.  I didn’t put it on too thickly for them, so they could get used to the flavor.  It can be a little intense if it’s heavily sauced. 

 

Pesto is great with chicken and shrimp; in a grilled vegetable sandwich with fresh mozzarella; even on dollop on top of a grilled rib eye steak. 

Supposedly those herbs are healthy too.  Packed full of nutrients.  I know that they make foods taste great and my kids love those foods. 

 

© 2010 mykidsreallyeatthis.com

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I’m Not Superwoman

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If only I could feed my clients as well as my children (literally and figuratively).  I met a client for a business breakfast and she ordered egg white omelet with bacon and cheddar.  My thoughts ranged from how misinformed so many people are about egg yolks to if this client thinks he is getting the benefits of less cholesterol by ordering an egg white omelet, he’s just negated any by adding bacon… and cheddar.  Eat the yolks, they’re actually good for you.  Enjoy the bacon and cheddar, just don’t eat bacon too often.  But, I kept it all to myself because I manage their investments and financial situation, not their food and health.  I guess it can all go hand-in-hand- financial health and personal health; but I don’t think my clients want to hear food and nutrition advice from their investment advisor.  I’ve got the qualifications to advise them on investments, not nutrition.  

I began working from home a few years ago so that I could spend the first few years of my children’s lives with them— nurturing, playing, breastfeeding, just being with them.  I tried a couple of hours twice a week without kids to concentrate on my clients portfolios. I also took clients’ calls whenever they called and met them whenever they wanted.  Unfortunately my youngest has been battling a fever syndrome since he was just months old.  He gets a fever that can go up past 105F every 10 days to 3 weeks apart and can last as long as 9 days.  Any daycare/school situation I tried doesn’t allow a child during a fever.  He had his tonsils and adenoids out last week in the hopes that it will alleviate the fevers.

And I’ve now found out the hard way that some clients don’t want to deal with an advisor whose fever-stricken toddler is crying in the background.  And, even when my youngest doesn’t have a fever, when any of them are at home, it seems the phone signals the moment the kids want to ask me a question, cry or fight with one another— it’s Murphy’s Law.   I’ve always looked after the clients’ needs and am good at what I do (some clients keep telling me they wished I’d met them years earlier), but the impression of a distracted mother doesn’t seem like a good investment advisor to some.  No matter how I fed them, the appearance spoke louder.

This week I lost a big client.  He wanted someone who dedicated all his/her time to clients.  I didn’t bother to tell him that I probably spent as much time and effort as the other person, because, as I said, the impression that a child crying while on the phone with said client can never be overcome. There are the times I dedicate to the work but I also have kids and boy do they take a lot of time and effort.  Throw in one with a chronic fever syndrome and another with Asperger’s and wow, it can be overwhelming at times.  Ironic that the client long ago said to me that when I’m older I’ll never wish I spent more time in the office instead of being with my children.  And in my business I need more money to get more money—especially money for childcare so I can dedicate time to woo new clients.

I am a good mother and advisor, but not a very good house keeper.  Really, something’s gotta give.  My house is clean but hardly ever tidy.  I have too much clutter that I know needs my attention, but my priorities are the kids and clients before house.  I know that feeding my children well is more important for their long term health than having a tidy house.  There’s only so much I can juggle. 

How does anyone do it all?  How do we give our children what they need and have a business that demands our attention and have a clean and tidy house?  There’s never enough time in a day.  For now, my children will eat as well as I can feed them and when the youngest is in school I can dedicate more time to acquisition… which will maybe be enough so I can hire a cleaning person so that my house will also be tidy.

Hopefully in the meantime, I can continue to feed my other clients’ needs as well as my children’s.   

© 2010 mykidsreallyeatthis.com

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Two Outta Three Ain’t Bad

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Tonight we came home fairly late from a day at the lake.  It’s been swelteringly hot lately and the last thing I wanted to do was cook dinner, especially this late.  But the boys had been eating so much pizza lately at birthday parties and 4th of July events, that I just couldn’t not cook.  Plus I had picked up my favorite fish, Red Snapper, today and I wanted to eat it right away; the fresher the better.   We’d gotten our CSA bin on the way home from the beach and inside was another purple kohlrabi, some gorgeous rainbow chard and new potatoes that I knew I would cook up with the Snapper. I put the potatoes on to boil in their jackets, cut up and steamed the chard and tried to figure out the best way to handle the kohlrabi. 

My German father had loved kohlrabi and we had it occasionally when I was a child.  I think he even grew it.  But, I don’t recall liking it very much. My family usually added it to a family favorite stew-like cabbage and beef soup called Eintopf. I ran into a German au pair the other day and I asked her if she ever made kohlrabi.  She did.  She said she usually “cooked” it and served it with Hollandaise.  Hollandaise sauce is not going to happen in my kitchen in the summer unless it’s going over an egg, ham and English muffin for brunch.  And that would normally be served to me, not me cooking it.  Anyway, “How do you normally “cook” it, do you boil it, bake it, roast it…?” She said, “Boil it.”  So I did.  I put them (two bulbs) on to boil with the skin on but cut it in half to speed up the cooking time; it was late, remember?

On to the next step.  Mango Salsa.  The mango wasn’t the best, ripest one ever, but the best the store had to offer.  I defrosted some I had in freezer for smoothies and added it to it, so it ended up just fine.   

Finally got to the Snapper.  I ran my finger tips along the filet and noticed it had a few bones it so I pulled them out using a bone puller (kind of like tweezers). Then I scored the skin with a sharp knife. That way, when you flip over the fish onto its skin side, it won’t curl so much.  In a hot pan with minimal canola oil I put the flesh side down first.  When it was nice and golden brown, I flipped it over and put the pan into the preheated oven (350F).  (It only takes a few more minutes in there until it’s done.)

I could then finish off the potatoes, chard and kohlrabi.  I used the already-melted-from-the-stifling-heat butter and put them with all of them and a little sea salt and pepper.  Less is more or if you find something that works stick with it, I guess.  I took the outer layer of skin off the kohlrabi and cut them into smaller pieces before adding the butter and heating them.

And we were sitting down to eat just over 35 minutes after I started. The kids loved it!  Well, my two eldest loved the kohlrabi and the youngest at first refused to try it and when he did he said, “Yuck.”  I can’t win them all.  My middle son said the kohlrabi tasted like cauliflower, one of his favorite veggies.  All did love the Snapper (although theirs was sans salsa), chard and potatoes.  I’m glad I made it, because I loved it too and my boys tried a new vegetable with fairly good results. 

 © 2010 mykidsreallyeatthis.com

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Snack time

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Recently while in Whole Foods, my three year old exclaimed “Ola!” and my five year old wheeled the cart over to where they could select their favorite, Ola! Vanilla Almond, granola. There are so many awful snack foods out there; this isn’t one of them.  Actually it’s more of a cereal but it hardly ever makes it home to meet the milk.   Ola! is one of those snacks I prefer to give the kids.  It’s made with real stuff— oats, maple syrup, vanilla, almonds or pecans, cranberries, sea salt.  Simple, tasty, good for you.  I also love it because it’s not too sweet (I’ve found so many cereals and snacks are sickly sweet). A friend makes it and it’s found in the Northeast in places like Whole Foods and Stew Leonard’s.  You can also buy it online here.  When it does make it home it’s perfect with yogurt!

We’ve been packing their lunch/snack bags for camp but they can’t have nuts.  So, what other snacks to give them that aren’t too bad for them?  Lately I’ve really been trying to get away from the package processed snacks.  Especially those conveniently packaged ones that just helppollute the environment.  My youngest loves the fresh sugar snap peas that come in our CSA bin.  He eats them as though they were candy. 

Some other snacks I give my kids:

organic baby carrots

celery sticks

chunks of fresh watermelon

slices of bell peppers (cut up several different colors for a great vibrant plate)

apple slices (soaked in lemon juice and water if they’re eating them later)

Stonyfield yogurt tubes (frozen) or smoothies

Lundberg brown rice cakes with nori and wasabi

hummus with pita chips

slices of cheddar cheese with crackers

sliced pears

nectarines

a whole banana

organic grapes

organic strawberries

seaweed salad (most grocery sushi bars sell it)

One that needs to be eaten right away- fresh bread with smashed avocado, salt and pepper.  Yum!

And their favorite snack at home— smoothies.  Any combination of frozen organic blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, mangos, cherries, and/or blackberries.  (Trader Joe’s has a great selection at great prices)  In a blender mix about 1/2 pound frozen fruit with 2 ripe bananas, 1/2 cup juice of choice, 1/2-3/4 cup yogurt, spoonful of local honey.  Blend until smooth.  If it’s too thick add more juice as needed.   

I don’t believe kids need to snack continuously, especially if they’re eating enough at mealtimes, but a small healthy snack to tide them over should be fine. 

© 2010 mykidsreallyeatthis.com

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Conciliation

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Question/Comment from kimber-leigh:

I take pride in feeding my kids the best possible food, but don’t completely exclude all of the junk but for some reason it’s hard for my family to understand. We usually get some comment on how mean it is or how we should enjoy it now “because it will never last” which is so annoying! (It’s the healthy food options that they tend to make comments about.)  We make our own baby food (what a great savings and huge variety) and make sure our oldest (he’s two) eats well, and he loves fruits and veggies! Anytime we have family gatherings we always try to bring something healthy so that we know we’ll have a good option, and then the family will go out of their way to give them junk.  And anytime we praise our kids for eating well it’s always the same comment, “it won’t last” and that’s the worst.  I just wish they could be supportive.The kids are young enough now not to understand what the family is saying, but got any tips on how to handle those comments later when the kids are old enough to understand?


My Kids Really Eat This:

Yes, this is a time that they’d like it but it is not good for them, especially too much.  If you look at the average American we are too big and that’s bad —this isn’t about aesthetics, but health.  I’ve heard that they predict our kids’ generation will have a shorter life span because of the way they are being fed.  I want my children to have a long, healthy life without complications from diabetes, heart issues, cancer, bone problems and social issues.

Ask them to keep their unsolicited comments to a time when the kids aren’t within earshot.  And then if you agree on what they can offer and how much before you get there you’ll both probably be happier.  (Like just one treat per visit.)
Also see if there’s compromise…like if they can serve sparkling apple juice instead of soda or all natural ice cream for desserts. 

Good luck!  Let me know if it works!

 

(conversation slightly edited)

I completely understand.  I have some relatives who I feel are constantly pushing candies, soda and other junk foods when we go over.  I bring some healthy things but also let them have one or two things that are maybe not the worst things they offer.  An occasional treat isn’t going to do much either, I believe.
But you need to remind them (when the kids aren’t around or when they are asleep) that you are the parent, not them, and ask them, “Please let me raise my
children in the way I want— eating healthful foods.  I would prefer it if you could please limit the amount of junk you offer them.” 

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Hi, just wanted to say I really like your blog! I have a very similar philosophy on how/what to eat, and feed my kids/family. However, my kids are 1 and 2 years old, and I struggle every day to get them to eat the “healthy” stuff I cook for them. Some days are much better than others, and I am still experimenting. I was wondering, did your kids always eat this well, or was it a learning process? What did they eat when they were 1 or 2 yrs old? Any tips for feeding picky toddlers? Thanks! Teresa (mamatree.tumblr.com)

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Thank you! 

They didn’t like everything the first time.  I remember each and every one hated green beans when they first tasted them as pureed baby food.  They all spit it out.  Just have them try it— one bite per year of age.  If they absolutely refuse, don’t press, just try again next time.  If they don’t like it, at least they’ve tried it… they may like it the next time as tastes change. 

If you continue to eat with them that will help.  Often kids need to try  things many times over before they actually like them. 

Turn off the TV during dinner— it only distracts.  (We do have special dinner and a movie nights but those are special treats.) 

We had a special trick for our eldest when he was a toddler and didn’t want to eat his green beans— The Green Bean Dance.  Dance in seat chomping beans into mouth. It’s become a family tradition! The kids now even add break dancing moves (they get a little carried away).

Try not to give them too many snacks especially sweet ones before dinner.  Don’t give them dessert or other foods when they’ve refused to eat dinner (especially if they’re over 3 when they’re just trying to get you to give them what they want over what they need). 

Don’t over-cook the veggies.  By losing the vibrant color you lose flavor and nutrients.  Make sure they get some raw fruits and vegetables too.  Mix up the colors to make a bright meal and one that satisfies different nutritional needs/tastes.

Hope this helps.  Good luck!

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From here or over there

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A good friend and neighbor got some local lamb and is now proud to be called a “locavore”.  I am so excited for her; I am always touting the benefits of buying local — environmental, health, supporting local economy.   Anytime you have the opportunity, grab it!

I do realize it can be tough for some people due to location and what’s available.  It made me remember some articles I read from Otago University Magazine and the New York Times about NZ lamb and it’s carbon footprint or foodmiles.  So if you can’t buy any local grass fed lamb, don’t fret, get some NZ lamb.  Same goes with NZ beef, if you can get it in the Northern Hemisphere.  With NZ and Australian (I’m pretty sure they also grass feed their sheep/lamb) lamb available in places like Trader Joe’s and Costco, you too can have grass fed, low carbon footprint, delicious lamb. 

A friend in NZ, where it is winter right now, commented on my seasonal slant of my blog.  The following lamb rack recipe is for any season, but you probably don’t want the oven on in swelteringly hot summer days.

Rack of Lamb

Preheat oven to 400F.  Trim excess fat off bone, leaving some.  Get a pan really hot with a tsp of oil.  With tongs hold the rack (careful not to burn yourself) and sear the outside of the meat on all sides that you can.  You’re not really cooking it, just searing the outside to seal in juices, it should still be cold on inside.  Put in fridge. 

Make breadcrumbs. In Cuisinart blend:

·         approximately 2 cups of bread

·         Tbsp fresh parsley

·         salt and pepper to taste 

·         optional—clove Garlic, Tbsp fresh rosemary and/or parmesan

Chop/mix together and add olive oil through top until consistency is moist enough to hold together when you press them with your fingers. 

Take rack out of refrigerator and spread sides with dijon mustard— enough to that breadcrumbs have something to stick to.  Press crumbs onto rack top and sides.  Cook at 400F for 25 minutes.  Internal temperature should be 125F for med-rare.  Take out and let rest while you finish vegetables, etc.  Cut in between bones.  And scoop any fallen breadcrumbs onto plate- they’re crisp and yummy!

My kids love grabbing the bones and eating them like you would drumsticks. 

© 2010 mykidsreallyeatthis.com

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