Water Water Everywhere

but do I drink it? not so much.

I used to be really good about drinking water. Now, not so much. and I am not sure why I don't. What I am sure of, is that I am going to work on including more water throughout my day. I actually decided that last week. But this week... I am actually doing it.

This weekend in the hotel lobby were 2 large elegant water coolers. Each one filled with different fruit. Each day the fruit changed. and every day I had to taste both coolers. The water was refreshingly cold and had just a hint of cherry or limon. So I have decided that I am borrowing this fabulous idea.

Maybe adding some excitement and diversity will get me back on the water bandwagon. We will see.

Healthy eating!

Small Quick Tip

For faster meals, chop up your veggies and meat into smaller pieces. They will cook up faster!

and faster is important in our family in the month of May. We sure do alot of running around this month.

Just another quick tip for healthier eating.

Wishing you Health and Happiness!~

Plan to Fail

Most people don't start out planning to fail.

When you first resolve to eat healthier, you are optimistic that you will succeed. But as time goes on, obstacles pop up. and you either overcome these obstacles, or they become roadblocks to your success.

For me, my biggest obstacle is inconvenience.

I have made an argument that convenience usually leads to some bad choices for me. a bag of chips and a can of soda is no real meal. So I try my best to ward off temptation by planning ahead. It does not have to be overly complicated. I try to make sure I have some backups for the week. An Apple. Icy water. Cut up melons. I keep a small ziploc of couscous and a bag of cream of wheat for real emergencies. The main point is that I plan for these little emergencies.

Failing to plan (for me) is planning to fail. So I do my best to make sure I have a stockpile of healthy options as to not fall into the vending machine temptations.

Every choice you make is a choice towards your goal, or a choice that defeats your goal.



So, what is your biggest challenge in eating healthy?

Color

I love color!

Color on your plate is visually appetizing.

Color usually equates to lots of yummy vitamins and nutrients.

This week try adding more color to each meal and snack. Add spinach to your turkey sandwich. Toss in some beautiful red peppers to your chicken dish. Add some jazz and pizazz to your dishes.

Pretty simple. It doesn't have to complicated to work.

Back on the Wagon!

I am back on the blogging wagon. Fortunately, I did not fall off the healthy eating wagon.
Real life just pulled me away from the trusty computer. I am sure you understand.

We have been busy planting our victory garden and herb garden. We have begun an earthworm farm and added to our composting.

On Sundays, we have begun the tradition of "Your Choice Sundays."
In the morning, smoothies. Lunchtime, egg white omelets, and dinner is personal pizzas.
The children (and hubby) were complaining of not having a choice on what they eat.
My solution was Your Choice Sundays. Meals made to order.
Each family member has his/her own bowl they fill with their "order."
Easy for me. Fun for them.

Healthy Eating

Now Is the Time

to start eating healthier. With this lack of confidence in our economy, rising costs and such we all need to be as healthy as possible. Eating healthy can help keep you from low moods.

When I go grocery shopping, I am as prepared as a soldier into battle. I have a plan of attack and take my task seriously. Good value nutritionally and financially are important to me.

So, what I want to say is that it is a great time to start. A great time to re-evaluate the norm. You can do it!

I was very encouraged in the past few days to hear that so many people are talking about eating healthier.

In fact my neighbor and I take turns cooking and sharing a meal on Wednesdays. Tonight she did all veggies. and it was delicious. She made jasmine rice, field peas with green snap peas. wasabi squash. grilled pineapple with balsamic vinegar dressing. and we all enjoyed it! So the pressure is on me for next week. ack! ;)

Super Snack

Put 1/4 to 1/2 cup low-fat, vanilla yogurt in a bowl. (we use vanilla soy)
Top with:
- Half of a banana (chopped)
- Half of a peach (chopped)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- Small handful of walnuts

a perfect snack. Protein, Healthy fiber, and essential (and good for you) fat. Very satisfying and delicious. Simple. Healthy. Quick. Affordable. and the kids give it a thumbs up.

Quick Little 411

We usually do a Bento-esque lunch a few times a week. Now that fall is coming and the temperature is dropping, I have brought out the thermos. It is great for cold lunches like gazpacho (yumm!) ; or for hot soups. We even use it to keep veggie nuggets (tastes like chicken) warm.

but there is a thermos trick!
for cold items, prior to loading with lunch fill up thermos with ice water. then drain and dry. This keeps the metal very cold all day.
For hot items, fill up thermos with really hot water. then drain and dry. Fill up with lunch. Keeps the metal hot.
Try it. It really works well.

My sister says she did not know this tip, so I thought I would pass it along to you.

A Favorite Brown Bag

One of my very favorite treats is a chicken or turkey sandwich. I love using cranberry sauce for my condiment instead of Mayo or mustard. sometime I add some crunchy spinach, watercress or waterchestnuts. Yummo!

It is good with sliced or diced chicken. and good in a wrap or pita pocket. Try to opt for whole wheat! ;)

Healthy eating! the healthy express way.

My New Trick for An Old Bag

Simple. and very convenient.

My healthier version of Beanie Weinees.

Vegetarian (no-pork and) beans. with cut up smart dogs http://www.lightlife.com/product_detail.jsp?p=smartdogs. No nitrates. Lower fat. High fiber and nutritional value. My kids eat them room temperature. but of course they can go in the thermos. A two thumbs up lunch.

Lunch Quickie

Tomorrow:
Egg salad with Nayonnaise. Whole grain crackers. Frozen red grapes.
Carrot juice with apple juice. Whole wheat graham crackers with nut butter and sunflower seeds.

First day of School

and all is well.

Snack. mix made by 2nd grader with water
Lunch. guac sushi. whole grain tortilla wrapped with guacamole, carrot shreds, diced chicken. rolled and cut to resemble sushi. apple fries. carrot/apple juice.
after school. pluot

Back to School Panic

This is the time of year that I begin to panic.
What will the kids eat for school lunches and snacks? What will be healthy and easy for dinner?

as if we have not eaten all summer. LOL but still, every year at this time, the anxiety sneaks in.

So, this week I will post my strategies and recipes for back to school dinners. They will feature my no-one-knows-if-or-when-we-will-eat-at-the-same-time dilema. Pete and Repeat menus. Pantry to the rescue. and much more.

So don't change that dial!

Pantry Dilema!

Girls, I love my pantry. It is an integral part of my kitchen. and I'll tell you why...
I love to look like I have it all together. although that is pretty far from the truth, you know? but when there is a change in our schedule or unexpected company or one of the kids is going through a growth spurt and goes from eating like a big to more like a teenager; well the pantry is my friend. Everything in the pantry is accessible, easy to fix, inexpensive, and always healthy.

The middle of the summertime is when I use down my pantry and use my "saved" money for fun things like waterpark. Then the end of July, I gradually restock. This is when pantry item coupons and sales are abundant. Plus, with hurricane season right around the corner, I like to have a well-stocked pantry.

Here is the dilema: my well-meaning husband put moth balls in my fully stocked pantry. The odor has penetrated the boxes and plastic wrap and seeped into my pasta, crackers, cereals, and sadly more. Is there any salvaging my groceries?

Thanks.

Omelettes for a Crowd

I saw this idea on Paula Dean. I've done something similar before. Now I do egg whites and lots of good veggies. But after seeing Food network, I tried this when we had a sleep over and it was big hit. Very little clean up. and fun!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_36990,00.html

6 large eggs Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 re-sealable plastic freezer bags
Add-Ins (all are optional): Shredded Cheddar Crumbled feta Shredded mozzarella Cooked and crumbled bacon Cooked and crumbled sausage Diced ham Chopped bell peppers Chopped spinach Diced red onion Diced tomatoes Sauteed sliced mushrooms Sliced black olives

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together eggs, salt, pepper and any of the desired add-ins. Divide and pour the egg mixture into re-sealable plastic bags.

Boil a large pot of water and drop in the sealed omelette bags. Simmer the bags for 5 to 8 minutes. Remove bags from the water with tongs and drain them on a paper towel lined plate.
Allow to cool slightly before handling. Open the bags and pour the cooked omelet out onto a plate.

Fresh salad

I just had to share this delicious salad that I "invented."

Yep. We are living off the land. We really are excited when we eat from our little garden. We had some beautiful heirloom tomatoes that are thriving and a bumper crop of Cucumbers. So we took 4 big ears of corn. 2 tomatoes. and one cuke. Sliced adn Diced. Our dressing was basil, balsamic vinegar, a little splash of oil oil, fresh ground sea salt and black pepper. Threw them in a bowl. Gave them a little stir. and voila! Salad. Very colorful and mighty tasty.

Other variations could be with red onion, peppers, black beans, or whatever else you dream up!

On the road

Is it possible to eat healthy on the road?

That has been our family's challenge lately. We do well on short all day trips. But eating out for a long time, ack! I start feeling really sluggish. and I do believe that too many Happy Meals make the children quite the opposite (of happy).

So to make everyone's time more enjoyable, I try to limit the amount of sugar when the kids (and we) are trapped in the car for long periods of time.

We also try to schedule some stops to burn up some energy. 15 minutes of jumping rope at a rest area is 15 minutes well spent, I assure you.

I try to pack little snacks that are healthy and boost energy. For long trips I let the kids make their own creations of munchies. I set up a little buffet of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, pretzels, and other munchies. Then each child fills their containers with their own unique and ultimate snack. You know what would happen if I fixed it? "Mom! you know I don't like raisins!" *rolling eyes* <==I recently mastered this art from my 6 year old. she is very talented.

I would love to hear tips from other people about how they try to avoid too much junk while on vacation.

REthink

Thanks so much for the encouraging feedback! I am glad that you are enjoying the site and getting some ideas.

I wanted to remind our faithful friends and our new acquaintances that the purpose of this blog is not to be extreme ultra 100% top-level healthy. The name should be "healthier" express. I just want to get you think (re-thinking) about the choices you and your family make about food. That is all. and to make that fast, simple, and fun!

Remember when your mama said you are what you eat? that very well may be true.

Happy and healthy eating.

Healthy express

Couscous! whole grain couscous. fast. good value. I make mine with veggie broth.

There are so many combinations.
The last time I made it was with diced cukes, garbanzo beans, shrimp and green onions. good eating.

You cannot get any more "express" thank with couscous. and I always love a good pantry recipe in my bag of tricks.

Gardening

The big buzz lately is gardening. My dentist, Real Simple magazine, my mommy friends, all cannot stop talking about gardens. Everyone seems to be trying it this summer.



There is a great article in Real Simple magazine about good gardens for containers. Tomatoes, peppers, herbs. I tend to have good luck with these in containers. My only downfall is that I over "love" and coddle my plants. :b I am trying to ignore them a bit more.