A Valentine' s Day Blog Just in Time for Mother's Day

You know the drill. Valentine's day. Class list. Candy. Spongebob Squarepants cut out cards. Etc, etc. I looked it over and thought, "Time to get crafty" 
But, as demonstrated by my two month delayed blog post, I am a wee bit short on time these days. Here is a quick and dirty craft idea that soothes the craft beast without being a time suck.

Bookmark Valentines

 

 A couple of old manilla folders

Some crafty scrapbook paper

Yarn

Glue stick

Hole punch

Optional but incredibly helpful

paper cutter

Stamp Set

Here we go.....

 Cut your manilla folders and craft paper to the desired bookmark size. A paper cutter makes quick work of this.

Kid time: glue the craft paper to the cut folder strips

Then punch a hole in the center of each glued bookmark.

 

 Pull the yarn through the hole and tie.

Fairy band-aid optional

On the back she stamped "to" and "from" and wrote all her friends names.

 It took about two hours and she was so proud to give them out. A fun craft project even when it's not Valentine's Day. 

All my supplies, including the paper cutter, were purchased at the local thrift store and cost under $10 for the everything!

Quick and Easy Sushi rolls

Ask my daughter what she wants to eat and it's usually one of two things: mac and cheese or sushi. I have solved this problem by not asking her what she wants, but occasionally I like to indulge her. However, I tire of spending the money taking her out to the DC Sushi bars. That's when I came up with the following:

Sushi Assembly Line all laid out

Pack of Seaweed wrappers: snack size ($.99)

One avocado ($.99)

One cucumber ($.89)

Scallions ($.50)

Smoked Salmon (ranges in price, used about $3 in rolls)

Microwave sushi rice bowl- making boiled rice is cheaper($2.99)

Soy Sauce for dipping

 Grab a wrapper, stuff it full of whatever you want, stick in your mouth. Easiest recipe I have ever come up with, but so fun that we sat at the table eating for over an hour. 

 

This is simply my take on the assembly line. The options are literally endless. The point is that it is a) cheap, b) easy c) kid friendly fun and d) super healthy

The bowls you see in the pictures are some tofu ochazuke I made that was cast aside for sushi construction.

Breaking News: Working Mom has no time to blog.

I know, I know. It's lame. Ever since I went back to working full time my blog has gone from everyday updates to quarterly postings. My deepest apologies. I am putting it back at the top of my to do list.

Revisiting the blog, I noticed in my intro I clearly state that I will write about other things besides what Zoe eats. Today is that day.

Thought #1: What I eat for breakfast.

I am hungry all the time. And when I don't eat enough, hungry turns into famished. So for those of you that don't need a big breakfast, this is going to sound disgusting. But for those of you who eat a bowl of cereal and still have growling stomachs an hour later. I offer you this:

MY DAILY BREAKFAST

Saute Dr Praegers Gluten Free Veggie Burger

(no oil needed, just toss and brown)

When both sides are browned,

put a sprinkle of shredded cheese on one side and then a big handful of fresh spinach

Flip it over so the spinach is pan side down

Let cook one minute, until spinach is all cooked down.

Addendum:

When I am starving I fry an egg at the same time and throw that on top for extra protein

And to drink I waver between:

V-8 (cause I looooove sodium)

Herbal tea (if the stress is high)

or my new favorite discovery: water spiked with chlorophyll

Thought #2- ChlorOxygen. I am a fan.

I first bought ChlorOxygen because I was having headaches and was always tired. Whenever I told my husband, he would say maybe it was barometric pressure. Men.

Anyway, I was reading about natural cures for altitude sickness one day (that's totally normal light reading for me) and it mentioned chlorophyll. The more I read about Chlorophyll the more I wanted to add it to the regiment.

Here are its highlights:

With a good source of iron, helps to build red blood cells

Increases red blood cells ability to carry oxygen

ie. more energy

Internal deodorizer (esp. good for stubborn funk mouth)

Safe for pregnant ones and little ones

Great for altitude sickness

Tasty

I like the one from Herbs, etc because its made from nettles

I give it to my daughter when she has a headache, I drink it while I workout, I drink it when I crave coffee and my stomach says no coffee. I think you get the idea. Enjoy. OK, next thought....

Thought #3- Something you can't eat

As my daughter gets older, her life is less about what I want and more about who she is. Amazing, really. Every once in a while our desires align and it is sweet. Lately, there is one thing we can agree on- a love of all things fashion.

I recently purchased the following:

These books are crazy fun. For me and her. A rare treat. When I am feeling low key and need to chill, we pull out our books and some fancy colored pencils, throw some Project Runway repeats on Hulu (be forewarned: language is awful on that show) and bond. Highly recommended.

So there you have it. The blog is back up and running. See you all real soon!

For the love of Pho

If it is possible for mammals to occasionally be cold blooded then I am going to go out on a limb and say I am one of those anomalies. I have heard that some moles have trouble maintaining proper body temps. All I know is I need a terrarium and a heat lamp. But since human terrariums are hard to come by, I will settle for Pho. For those of you virgin to the pho scene, consult Wikipedia.

So when I am cold or feeling gross (which is Nov-March) I love me some pho. This week I was really in the mood but not feeling like sitting in a restaurant (okay didn't feel like taking off pajamas) so I embarked on a homemade pho alternative. I didn't want to cook broth for hours/days like it should be. I just wanted a quick version to satisfy the craving. Ladies and gentleman I give you quick and easy Faux Pho.

In a larger pot, heat up a box of Pacific Brand Pho Starter Beef
(If you know a better one, use it. I like this one)
Cook Rice Noodles in separate pot. Rinse and set aside.
Stir fry onions and some sort of beef. I used frozen sliced ribeye from Costco and it was perfect.
Throw meat in broth or leave it in a bowl like a topping.
Prepare more toppings how you'd like.
I used chopped cilantro, raw sliced onions, limes, sriracha, and hoisin. The red peppers in the pic are for munching.
Assemble on table and let your kid fill their bowl of broth however they like.
My experience has always been: If they build it, they will eat it.

Green Eggs and Bacon for Dinner

Last night was one of those nights were I needed a nap before cooking dinner, just totally exhausted. When I woke up later then I had hoped, I was forced to create dinner from found objects in the fridge.

Since we always have bacon, I started there. I know what you are thinking. She seemed so health conscious, so holistic and wise. Bacon? Really? Well, when I was little my Nana loved giving me bacon and I loved my Nana so I will always feel happy eating bacon. Everything in moderation.

So with my bacon, naturally I thought of eggs. Now, with two protein sources picked I surveyed the veggie scene. This is what I found: Broccoli, parsley, kale, chives, baby spinach, carrots, celery, jicama, radishes, tomatoes, and cucumber. Clearly I could not use it all so here is what I made:

Green Scrambled Eggs
Finely chop the tops of the broccoli off so you are left with just the little buds
Finely chop chives, parsley and baby spinach
Saute all together in a little butter until soft
Turn pan to medium low
Crack in eggs and scramble into veggies
I like my eggs cooked for about six minutes.
Add a few finely chopped chunks of white cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

I served mine with a side of bacon and multigrain toast.

I was honestly surprised at how tasty they were. I think the key was making sure the veggies were chopped very fine so that they incorporated into the eggs smoothly. The kid devoured them which is always rewarding. They looked pretty, were quick to prepare and made for a somewhat nutritionally sound meal.
Thus, they got promoted to blog status.

Trick or Treat? Sounds like I lose either way.

After an extended hiatus I am back to the blogging.

Summer was a whirlwind of activity and the first month of school was a blur. All of the sudden, I realized I was getting bombarded with Halloween costumes and Thanksgiving invites. Welcome to fall.

With my daughter in kindergarten this year I have taken on the role of room parent for her class and now find myself staring down the barrel of a halloween party. Cupcakes and cookies smeared high with icing, cups of brightly colored drinks, and piles of candy: this is not going to work for me.

But, I'd hate to start of the first party of the year as "mommy killjoy" as my friends (with no kids) have nicknamed me. Thus begins the inspiration.....

How do you appease the frothing mouthes of the five year olds while avoiding the brightly colored faux food of the past?

1. Witches Broomsticks: Insert a pretzel rod into a piece of cheddar cheese. You can use precut cubes or cut thick slices off a large block. Simple and clean, courtesy of my mom.

2. Gingersnap cookies and Pumpkin Dip: Okay there is sugar in here but no artificial colors and pumpkin has nutritional value.

Pumpkin Dip

(Vitamin A, Fiber, Vitamin C, Iron and minimal sugar)

1 package of cream cheese, softened

1 can of pumpkin

Fall spices to taste (nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, etc)

Maple syrup to taste

Mix together until creamy.

If you aren't going to bake your own cookies I really like Trader Joe's Triple Ginger Snap.

3. Greek yogurt and Apple Slices: As is, delicious. Or you could get fancy and stir a little bit or honey and cinnamon into the yogurt to bring in the fall flavors.

4. Blood Red Hibiscus Tea: Kids love bright colors? No problem. Steep dried hibiscus flowers into a fabulous berry flavored brew. Delicious hot or cold. Amazing with fresh oranges floating on top. Add honey if it seems too tart.

So there you have it. A small reprieve from the horrors of the Halloween Sugarfest.

Hemp Pro 50 wins over my heart and stomach

I have bought a lot of protein powders. Rice, soy, oat, whey, vanilla, chocolate, chai, berry. Some have been manageable, others went right in the trash. I keep buying more in the hopes of finding one that I look forward to drinking because I love the concept. Quick, healthy, easy on the gut. This is how I want to start the day. So when my local health food store had free samples of a new powder I was all about it.
Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you: Manitoba Harvest Hemp Pro.

Now I bought the Hemp Pro 50 for two reasons.

1. It was less expensive.

2. More omega 3s

As you can see from the pic the 70 has more protein, less omegas.

This protein powder is so smooth I can drink it with no fruit blended in.

Yesterday's breakfast:
One cup of sunflower milk
Two tbsp of hemp pro 50
Heaping tbsp of Trader Joes almond butter with roasted flaxseed
Blended until smooth.

Tasty.Would it be more delicious with a banana in there? Yup. But I am on a very restricted diet and fructose is not on it. But for you and your family, go for it.
The hemp powder is not gritty, has no aftertaste, and gives the drink a slightly nutty flavor.

In summation:
Great source of protein
Tons of omega 3s
A little added fiber
Great taste and texture
Website has great recipes
Was on sale with coupon when I bought it making it $14 for the 16oz jar.