Moms' Idea Factory

Kids Pasta Salad

 

I don't know why it took me so long to get around to making something like this. Given that mealtimes are my own personal hell (foodie mom, picky kids...) I love that I can tailer make this to include whatever it is my kids will eat this week. It travels well and even I don't mind eating it. You can increase the health factor by using whole wheat or "smart" pasta, which is what we do.Use whatever veggies your kids will eat. If they don't like veggies, use grapes and apples. For meat you can use tuna, ham, chopped cooked chicken breast, leftover holiday turkey....you get the picture. This is how we make it:  

2 Tablespoons mayonnaise type dressing

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt & pepper

2 cups cooked, drained pasta

1/3 cup each: chopped red/orange pepper, corn kernels, frozen peas/carrots mix (thawed)

1/4 cup grated old cheddar

1/4 cup cubed queso fresco

1/2 cup cubed cooked ham

Whisk mayo, lemon juice, mustard and salt & pepper together in bottom of largish mixing bowl until it's the consistency of dressing. Add more water if you need to. Stir the vegetables, cheese and meat in. Refrigerate until needed. Keeps, refrigerated for 3-4 days. 

We like to make this when we have a long activity planned in the morning - I make it up the night before and then lunch is ready the second we walk in the door. 

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

I really feel like my biggest challenge in parenting (at least right now) is keeping my kids fed. They are both quite picky from time to time (read: daily) and so it's pretty exasperating for me to try to find something one or both of them will eat at each meal. So, last Sunday I sat down to prepare a list of foods for breakfast, lunch and snacks that I know they will eat with some regularity. I figure that, if I get a good lunch and breakfast into them, and one good snack, if they don't want to eat what the family's having for dinner, then that's okay. 

Top of my list for breakfast is pancakes. They are easy, freeze and reheat well ( I always make a double or triple batch) and the boys LOVE them (for now. Knock on wood.) In order to get a bit more protein and veggie into them I added canned pumpkin and extra egg. These are pretty tasty, I must say, and I can use the leftover pumpkin mush for muffins!

• 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or mixed spice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup whole wheat flour

Fry apple-sized rounds in a hot, oiled pan. Serve with maple syrup or lemon juice & sugar. makes 16-20 small pancakes.

Buying organic veggies

Maybe it's my natural inclination to get my back up whenever I feel someone is trying to tell me what to do. Or possibly, it's that I bristle at what I feel is a "starbucks-ization" of the "organic lifestyle" by organizations such as Planet Organic and Whole Foods (I mean, come on - organic mangoes? Sheesh, since when is flying a fruit halfway around the world sustainable? Oh that's right, Mr. Planet Organic, you don't do it because it's sustainable, you do it so you can charge someone 7 dollars for it.) I just don't seem to be able to force myself to jump on the "I have to buy everything organic" bandwagon. Besides, since I decided to stay at home with the kiddos, it's not like we are exactly rolling in cash. So here I've reproduced for you the "Dirty Dozen" fresh foods that are highest in pesticide use (taken from Dr. Andrew Weil's book, 8 Weeks to Optimum Health).  Choosing to buy organic brands of these 12 most contaminated foods can cut your pesticide consumption in half:

Apples
Strawberries
Spinach
Peaches
Grapes
Red & Green Bell Peppers
Cantaloupes
Cherries
Celery
Apricots
Green Beans
Cucumbers

There are a number of other, non-produce items that ought to go on the list: especially oats, and (especially if you live or shop in the States) meat & dairy.

Ham in Coke

This family main dish is one of our favourites. It's super easy and has 3 ingredients. Oh yeah - it's amazingly cheap too! I usually serve it with a side of mashed or roasted potatoes and cabbage with peas in a mustard white sauce. The whole meal, including those sides, costs somewhere around $2 per person! A. 3.5 Kilo piece will serve 8-10 people.

• 1 x 3.5 kilo Smoked, bone-in pork shoulder (sometimes called picnic shoulder)

• 2 x 2 litre regular (not diet) cola

• 2 x medium onions, peeled, quartered

Place all ingredients into the smallest stock pot they will fit in (probably the biggest one you have!). Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Boil gently for 3 to 3.5 hours. Remove ham from liquid, remove excess fat and carve. Leftovers are fantastic in sandwiches.

Pureed Veggie Soup

 This is a great way to get extra veggies into your toddler, especially if yours is anythign like mine - the only veggies he will eat are peas and cucumber. Everything else gets rejected... unless I hide them. I've made this soup with: broccoli, asparagus, carrot, acorn squash, sweet potato, zucchini, cauliflower...the list goes on. I also puree a little soft tofu for a bit of extra protien for my meat-hater. I have also used blends of veggies: cauliflower & carrot or squash and sweet potato. I add garlic because my kids like it, but if yours doesn't, leave it out. Cumin goes nicely with carrot. Cinnamon is nice with sweet potato.

• 1/2 small onion, diced

• 1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

• 1 Tbsp butter

• 2 cups cubed or sliced veggies (i.e carrot)

• 1/4 cup uncooked white rice

• 4 cups chicken or veggie stock

• 1/2 block soft tofu (optional)

In a large stock pot over medium high heat saute onion (and garlic) in butter until soft and golden, about 3 minutes. Add chopped veggies and rice, cook and stir for one more minute. Add stock, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until veggies are very soft. Remove pot from heat, add tofu, if using, and puree with an immersion blender.

When I make this, even baby Cooper gets some!

Awesome easy lasagne - only 6 ingredients!

This recipe is super tasty and not at all sloppy like some. The first time I made this I worried that leaving out ricotta and other ingredients would be detrimental - but our family like this version much better. Silas (the 2 year-old) LOOOOVES it. He even eats the spinach! This doesn't freeze too well, but if you make it up the night before, you can just pop it in the oven an hour before you want to eat. But honestly, it doesn't take that much time to prepare..less than 1/2 a Sesame Street episode.

• 450 grams (1 lb) ground turkey*

• 1/2 cup diced onion**

• 12 oven ready lasagne noodles

• 800-900 ml tomato sauce (I use a brand that has garlic and onion in it)

• 1 pkg frozen cut spinach, thawed and drained

• 3-4 cups shredded low fat mozzarella***

Brown onion and turkey in a frying pan. Preheat oven to 190C/375F. Cover the bottom of a 9x9 cake pan with sauce. Lay 4 noodles over the sauce - you will probably need to break and inch or two off the ends of the noodles to get them to fit your pan. Top the noodles with all the meat and 1/2 of the sauce. Layer 4 more noodles on top. Top with all the spinach and 1/2 the cheese. Top with 4 more noodles, the rest of the sauce and the remaining cheese. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from overn and allow to cool 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Slices beautifully and is not sloppy!

* I sometimes pre-brown larger batches of ground turkey (or beef) with onions and then package it and freeze it in 1/2 pound packages - then when I want to make tacos, or bolognaise sauce or lasagne - all I need to do is thaw a package of pre-browned meat.

** I keep packages of pre-diced onion in the freezer as almost everything I cook has onions in it. I just take what I need. It makes meal prep waaaaaay easier. You cannot use frozen diced onion where a recipe calls for raw onion, but in cooked recipes it works just fine.

*** another item for the freezer. I always have some on hand for pizzas or lasagne. I find the No Name stuff melts better from frozen than the brand name stuff.