Category: Kids

Midweek Mashup

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, eating, family, Health and wellness, Kids, Nutrition, Recipes, summer2 Comments

MIDWEEK MASHUP

It’s Thursday!  The weekend is almost here!  I wanted to tell you about some blogs and links that I think you would enjoy.  I regularly check into these blogs for great information that I feel makes my life better in some way.  I hope you feel the same!

Word Savvy is written by my super talented writer/teacher/mom friend K.C. who has the most interesting take on so many topics.  From literature to child rearing to her pithy observations on life, I think you’ll just love her.  Make sure to sign up for her weekly-ish email  newsletter, too.  I look forward to reading it each time!

Sally at Real Mom Nutrition takes a very realistic approach to nutrition and wellness.  Her philosophies on nutrition and feeding kids is especially helpful for anyone in the thick of raising little humans.  A Registered Dietitian, her sensibilities really align with mine and I think you’ll love her.

And if you’re looking for some easy dinner recipes for the heat of summer, I think you might appreciate The New York Times collection of simple suppers.  I know I will be referring to this collection of recipes throughout the summer during the hottest of days, when I’d prefer to be spending my time having cocktails with neighbors or laying in the hammock with my daughter instead of in the kitchen.

Here’s to a great rest of your week!  As always, I’d love to hear from you, and don’t forget to share!

Speaking of summer and cocktails, you might also like my post with a refreshing martini recipe using herbs straight out of the garden (or grocery shelf — who am I to judge?).  

Herby Vodka Martini

Cruel Summer

On By Cultivate WellnessIn family, Kids, summer2 Comments
trees-countryside-green-chill
WHAT I IMAGINE SUMMER WILL BE LIKE
STRESSFUL SUMMER
HOW I FEEL WHEN I REALIZE OUR CALENDAR IS OUT OF CONTROL

Summer has officially started in our house.  My 11 year old daughter just finished her last day of school on Thursday.  I realized that I’ve noticed a pattern started to emerge these last several years: I tend to overschedule the first couple weeks of summer.  I get so excited about all the options available to us that I say YES! YES! OF COURSE! to just about everything.  I enter this weird mindset which leads me to believe that summer days have infinite hours in them. Last night I looked at next week’s calendar and almost cried.  Golf tournament (hers). Sleepover (hers). Concert (mine). Float-in movie at the pool (ours). Golf match (mine). Golf match (hers). Professional networking night (mine). Not to mention the regular everyday life activities like meetings, swimming, tennis and golf practice, getting my daughter packed for camp and my part time job.  Are you crying along with me yet?

I love my enthusiasm.  I love how active we are as a family. And everything we have planned sounds like so much fun.  And to be fair, summer here in the north is short.  We work hard here to enjoy all those sun soaked days because we know they are numbered. But as soon as I publish this post I am going to write a reminder on my calendar for May 1st of next year that says “Hey there!  Just a gentle reminder that you tend to get a little too excited for all those fun things people will invite you to, and maybe don’t say yes to every single one.”  (What can I say, it sometimes takes me many years to figure stuff out.)

Because when I think of summer, the first thing that comes to mind is long unstructured days of reading, sipping iced tea, naps.  Sure, it’s unrealistic to expect every day to be that way.  Plus I’m pretty sure I’d be bored within a few days minutes. But I’m going to prioritize setting aside plenty of time that isn’t planned.  In fact, studies show kids and families are happier when they have ample time to just “be”.

How do you manage your summer calendar?  What tips do you have to share?  And also, I’d love to hear what summer activities are a “must” for you and your family?  Please comment and share!

As always, if you like reading my blog, I’d be ever so grateful if you’d pass it along or share it on social media. HAPPY SUMMER!

Bikini Body

On By Cultivate WellnessIn body image, Cooking, Kids, wellness6 Comments

I’ve been agitated about something for a couple of weeks now.  Actually, agitated is the wrong word.  It’s not strong enough.  Angry as hell feels better to me.  Let me fill you in: My 11 year old daughter subscribes to Discovery Girls magazine.  It’s a magazine published by National Geographic, and it features stories and articles aimed at girls who love adventure and fun.  Its target audience is 8-12 year olds. Great!  Right?  

One day my daughter brings me a spread from the magazine with photos of bathing suits, and she says “This one is really pretty”.  Innocuous enough, right?  I noticed the title of the story was “What Swimsuit Best Suits You”.  I thought, “Awesome!  This will be an empowering feature on what swimsuit is best for whatever activity you love to do most — diving, swim team, cannonballs”. I’m envisioning sleek, aerodynamic sports suits that will stay put for those epic diving board moments.  

I was wrong.  It was an article on HOW TO DOWNPLAY YOUR FLAWS.  It featured phrases like “If you’re curvy on top, coverage is key!” And “side ties and cut-outs draw the eyes down” (Whose eyes?  They are children.)  “If you’re rounder in the middle, busy geometrics draw the eye inward!” I could keep going but I’m confident you see where this is going. 


I immediately cranked out several tweets to Discovery Girls to express my extreme displeasure.  And then I settled into how I really felt about this.  And what I felt was deep sadness.  My daughter, who still loves to play in the water, who still loves to dive for pennies, who still loves to horse around with her friends, was just told by a magazine I trusted that her body isn’t good enough the way it is.  That it has inherent flaws that she needs to hide. That her job is to create an image that is pleasurable to others. Sure, it won’t be the last time she hears this message.  BUT IT WAS THE FIRST TIME.   So, we had a discussion on what total crap that message is.  We talked about how everyone has different bodies and how each one is absolutely okay exactly how it is.  How she will hear messages like this throughout her life but that they are total bull honkey.  And I sent her off to play. In reality, the loudest voice she hears is mine. So I’m hoping all my positive messages drown out this insanely stupid one. 

Discovery Girls has since quasi-apologized for their misstep.  They received a lot of messages from a cadre of very angry parents. And rightfully so.  They took something from their readers in that feature.  For some girls it’ll sail right over their heads. No harm, no foul.  For others it could be the start of a tumultuous relationship with their bodies.  Only time will tell how each girl will respond to a message like this. But I think we can all agree that we should give our young girls (and boys!) all the time they deserve to be kids who just want to play.

 

BBQ Chicken, Spanish Style

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, eating, health, Health and wellness, Kids, Nutrition, Recipes, wellness4 Comments

Happy New Year!  I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and were able to spend time with people you love and doing things that you enjoy.  I got to go to a northwoods cabin with my family, where we sat by the fire reading, went ice skating, ate yummy food and just enjoyed being together.  I slept in, went to bed early, and didn’t focus on chores or being productive.  It was fantastic.

I focused more on holiday baking the last several weeks than I did on cooking anything unique. When I’m busy and hectic, usually the first thing to go is my creativity in cooking.  I’ll revert back to things that don’t take much thought of effort.

Last night, after feeling sufficiently rested, I got back to cooking recipes from Gwyneth’s cookbook.  I had dogeared a BBQ chicken recipe that looked good, so that’s where I started. The result was pretty great — the marinade was easy enough.

I prepared the marinade in the morning and after smothering the chicken in it, stuck it in the fridge for about 6 hours.

marinade
Super easy marinade for the chicken

That evening, instead of grilling the chicken in 20 degree weather, I opted to bake it and then put it under the broiler at the end for several minutes to get the skin browned and crispy.  The family liked it, although we all agreed it could use a bit more salt.  Next time I will sprinkle flaky sea salt on top before baking (or finishing salt at the end).

I served the chicken with sautéed mushrooms and roasted Brussels sprouts.

We all love Brussels sprouts in this house
Kiddo hates mushrooms, but husband and I love them

I feel comfortable recommending adding this dish to your rotation! It’s easy, flavorful, and a bit different than the usual baked chicken.

BBQ chicken spanish style
BBQ Chicken, Spanish Style

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

Large pinch of coarse sea salt

1 t freshly ground pepper

2 t hot pimentón (I used regular smoked paprika)

One 3-4 lb chicken, cut up (don’t remove skin, it’s the best part!)

METHOD:

Mix everything except the chicken in a bowl. Pour the paste all over the chicken pieces and massage it in, making sure to get it under the skin as well. Let the chicken sit in the marinade for an hour or two, or up to overnight. Bake at 375 for about 25-30 minutes until juices run clear.  Or, if it’s warm where you are, grill over low heat for 20 minutes on one side or until it’s firm to the touch and browned.

Braised Chicken With Green Olives & Garlic

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, diet, eating, health, Health and wellness, Kids, Nutrition, Recipes6 Comments
braised chicken done
Braised Chicken with Olives + Lemon

Oh me oh my.  Gwyneth has gone and done it again.  This time with a braised chicken recipe from her cookbook that I made for dinner last night.  It was supposed to be for the family, but I forgot that my husband had his holiday work party and rather than wait until Sunday when we would all be together at dinner time again, I decided to make it for just me and my girl.  I’m so glad I did.

I keep hoping that Gwyneth will feature a recipe that I can report back and tell you was terrible.  Not because I want to cook bad food, but because little by little she is turning me from a frenemy to a friend.  At least where food is concerned.  I’m uncomfortable with that.  She’s a bazillionaire with a tenuous grasp on reality.  She thinks we all have hot pimentón spice from Spain and are down with the usage of the term “conscious uncoupling”.  I dunno, she just seems a bit untethered.  BUT.  BUT.  Up until now, her recipes are the bomb.  

Last night’s Braised Chicken With Green Olives + Lemon didn’t disappoint.  I was a bit worried about the olives.  I love love love any kind of olive.  The rest of my family not so much.  For this recipe I just kept them whole, but if you have a whole gaggle of olive lovers, I would dice them up.  I followed the recipe almost exactly because it didn’t have any insanely unique ingredients or directions.  Without further ado, I present Braised Chicken With Green Olives + Lemon:

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 chicken, cut up, room temperature (I used about 2 lbs, SKIN ON OR IT DIDN’T HAPPEN)

Coarse sea salt

Black pepper

2 T extra virgin olive oil

3 shallots, sliced into thin rings

1.5 cups chicken stock (I always use Better Than Bouillon)

2 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half (next time I will, like, triple this)

10 large green olives, pitted

Leaves from one sprig of thyme (I just threw the whole sprig in there intact)

Juice of one lemon

METHOD:

Salt and pepper the chicken

Heat the olive oil in a large enameled cast iron pot (like a Dutch oven)

Cook the chicken until deeply browned, about 4-5 minutes. Turn chicken over and do the same thing. They should look like this:

braised chicken 1
Browned Chicken 

Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until they soften, about another 4 minutes.

Add a splash of the chicken broth and scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add remaining chicken stock and scatter the garlic cloves, olives and thyme over the chicken.

Pour the lemon juice over everything and bring to a boil. Then turn the heat down as low as it will go and cover the pot, cooking for about an hour until the chicken is very tender. (If you have less time, be assured that I only cooked the chicken for about 35-40 minutes and it was well cooked and juicy and delicious).

Serve over rice, potatoes, or alongside a piece of bread.  I also served with roasted root vegetables.

This is the plated version which I hesitate to even show you because I put so little effort into it.  To be honest I was so excited to eat.

As always, please let me know what you think by leaving a comment.  I always appreciate a share as well!

braised chicken plated

Chicken Apple Sausage and Sage Pasta!

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, diet, health, Health and wellness, Kids, Nutrition, Recipes, wellness5 Comments
chicken apple sausage pasta
Chicken apple and sage pasta

I love pasta.  Everyone loves pasta.  It’s easy to make and there’s countless variations to keep it interesting and fresh.  I make a pasta dish about once a week for my family.  Many times it’s on Monday when we have a busy after-school schedule and I need something easy but still yummy.

The other day I had some chicken apple sausage in the fridge and some freshly picked sage a friend gave me.  I had garlic and shallots and pasta and frozen peas.  I had freshly shaved parmesan.  I knew I could come up with something with all those delicious ingredients.

As the years have passed and I’ve become more comfortable in the kitchen (a lot more comfortable, in fact), I’ve started creating my own recipes.  I might look up another similar recipe to fine-tune cooking temps and times, but I really have started to enjoy putting together my own ingredients and flavors.  For the most part, it has worked.

So, here I am with all these fabulous, simple ingredients.  The following is the recipe I created that was a pretty big hit for the family.  My 11 year old daughter said she prefers the sausage a bit more crispy on the outside (like when I bake it with veggies).  I might let it sit in the pan a bit longer to caramelize next time. But everyone enjoyed it and went back for more.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tablespoon butter

12 oz chicken apple sausage (or your sausage of choosing)

2 Tablespoons ribboned fresh sage (keep it in the freezer to use all year)

4 garlic cloves, minced

1-2 shallots, sliced

1 lb pasta (we had some fall themed pasta from Cost Plus World Market)

1 cup frozen peas

Salt and pepper to taste

chicken apple sausage
Sizzling chicken apple sausage.

METHOD:

Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet till shimmering

Add sage and fry  until crispy.  Remove from pan for later.

Add shallots and sausage and sauté until shallots are soft, add garlic.

Meanwhile, boil pasta according to package instructions, adding the peas in the last minute of cook time.

Drain pasta/peas and return to the pan with sausage and shallots.  Add crispy sage.

Top with freshly shaved parmesan.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Shallots and Leek Pasta

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, eating, health, Health and wellness, Kids, Nutrition, Recipes, wellness4 Comments

roasted butternut squash pasta

I put together a new fall pasta recipe tonight (with inspiration from a Cooking Light recipe from 2001.)  My fabulous friend Sally dropped off some fresh herbs from her garden yesterday and I was so glad to be able to use some of her sage in here.

I love butternut squash, especially in the fall. And anything in the onion family automatically is one of my favorites.

This recipe comes together quickly. While you roast the vegetables, get the water boiling for the pasta. 20 minutes later dinner will be on the table. Serve with crusty bread and a salad.

This is the kind of recipe where you can use whatever veggies you have around. Herbs, too. My family rated it a “solid 8 out of 10”. I hope you all like the recipe for an easy and filling dish (bonus: it’s vegetarian).

LINGUINE WITH ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH, SHALLOTS AND LEEKS

INGREDIENTS

3 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash 
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise
1 cup leeks, white parts only, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
12 oz fettuccine (I love Sunrise pasta, click here to shop online)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Preparation

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 475°.
2. Combine squash, leeks, shallots, maple syrup, 1 tablespoon oil, salt, pepper, jelly roll pan; toss well.
3. Bake at 475° for 20 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in sage.
4. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Add frozen peas to boiling pasta at the beginning. Drain.
5. Place cooked pasta and peas in a bowl. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil; toss well. Serve squash mixture over pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Place the cheese on the table and allow people to sprinkle their desired amount on top of the pasta (if you omit the cheese, the dish is vegan).

ENJOY!

NEW RECIPE! Spicy Chipotle Salmon

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, eating, health, Health and wellness, Kids, Nutrition, Recipes, wellness2 Comments

Salmon finished chipotle

We all know how good salmon is for us, especially when it’s wild caught off of the coast of Alaska. It’s full of essential Omega 3 fatty acids (the good kind of fat that keeps your brain and heart working well).  It’s high in protein, too.  I make salmon at least once a week and I love trying new recipes to keep it fresh and interesting.

I decided to try this recipe posted by my friend Pronto Pup. He is a much funnier (and profane) blogger than I ever hope to be but he’s also a great cook.  It’s fun to read his cooking blog for new ideas.  He’s got kids around the same age as my daughter, so I get good insights into what recipes might be “child friendly”. My daughter is a pretty adventurous eater but anything spicy still can be hard for her to eat. He observed that this salmon recipe was a bit too spicy for his kiddos so I toned down the crushed red pepper in my version and my daughter really enjoyed it.  I think she prefers my lemon pepper garlic version but she still ate a good amount of this.

The original version is posted here (thanks Little Spice Jar!).

I did one thing slightly different than directed, which was to brush about half of the chipotle sauce onto the salmon before cooking and then reduce the sauce even further on the stovetop to use as a glaze after the salmon was finished.  The glaze was too strong for my daughter but my husband and I really liked it.  It had a full lime/honey/chipotle flavor and added some extra moisture to the fillet.

Butter sauce for salmon
Here’s the sauce as I’m incorporating the butter. It’s really rich and yummy.

The preparation for the salmon is so easy, and cooking it was pretty foolproof.

Salmon waiting to be baked
The salmon prepared with chipotle butter sauce and lime zest. Just wrap it up in the foil and bake in the oven. I love that I didn’t have to clean a roasting dish afterwards.

I usually make a roasted veggie on the side but since I was making dessert (check back for the recipe and review on that!) I felt pressed for time and did corn on the cob and frozen green beans instead.

I will absolutely make this dish again and can’t wait to try tweaking the flavors a bit next time just for the fun of it.

NEW RECIPE! Roasted Chickpeas, Easy After School (Or Work Or Sports Or Whatever) Snack

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, eating, health, Health and wellness, Kids, Nutrition, Recipes, wellness3 Comments

chickpeas roasted up close

The poor chickpea.  It gets such little respect. No one can even agree on what its name is.  Is it a garbanzo bean?  Is it a chickpea?  No one really knows.  But before you give up on these little legumes, you should know  they are versatile and yummy and full of goodness.  For instance, 1/2 cup of chickpeas have both 6 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber.  The average adult needs about 24-35 grams of fiber a day depending on how many calories a day you consume.  And while the amount of protein you need is widely debated, it is a good idea to consume a good-quality protein at least 3-4 times a day to keep your blood sugar in check.  I was recently told that my afternoon carb cravings were a result of too little protein in my diet.  I am not sure if that is scientifically sound advice or not, but I have noticed that when I add a protein rich afternoon snack, I don’t feel the need to hoover a bag of Goldfish crackers. 

Roasted chickpeas are so easy to make, and don’t let the fact you have to turn on your oven scare you off of this recipe.  I make these a lot on weekends because I am home puttering around.  Here’s how it works:

INGREDIENTS:
1 15 oz can of chickpeas (double or even triple the recipe if you’re feeding more than just a few people)

Olive oil

Salt/pepper/garlic salt/garlic powder/cumin/cinnamon/whatever spices you want to use (don’t use all of these together, that would be nasty)

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Rinse and drain the chickpeas well in a colander.

Spread out onto a baking sheet, and blot dry with a clean towel or paper towels.

Drizzle about 1-2 T of olive oil over the chickpeas and shake the pan to coat.

Sprinkle salt, pepper and whatever spices you want on the chickpeas.  If you are using cinnamon you might want to skip the salt and pepper.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, and then shake the pan or use a spatula to move the chickpeas around so they evenly bake.

Bake for another 10 minutes or so, until golden brown.  The outside should be crispy and the inside should be tender.

Good luck keeping them around for more than a few minutes!

Until next time…

Easy Roasted Sausage and Veggies

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, eating, Health and wellness, Kids, Nutrition1 Comment
sausage veggies from above
Lots of vegetables and a little bit of sausage

You know those nights where you want to make a hearty and healthy dinner for your family, but with minimal effort and fuss?  This is the dish for those nights.  You will want to put it in your weekly rotation.  It’s so versatile because every time you make it, it comes out a little different.  You can experiment with unique spices, veggies, sausages. You can even make it completely vegan with some sausage made from vital wheat gluten (I find mine at Whole Foods).

My friend Linda first told me how she would make this super easy and delicious meal for her two sons and husband on a regular basis.  That same night I went home and make it for my family, and sure enough it was a big hit.  Not only that, but it’s economical as you can use less sausage than if it were the main event.  Save money by using in-season and local veggies (which are always cheaper than meat anyway).

This is what you do.  Go to the store and purchase any pre-cooked sausage that looks good.  I usually buy an organic version of chicken apple sausage since that’s what my 10 year old daughter loves.  But any kind of sausage will do.  Cut it into rounds and place in a rimmed baking sheet.  Forage in your refrigerator and pantry for whatever vegetables you have on hand for roasting (or pick some up when you grab the sausages).  Tonight I used mushrooms, potatoes, asparagus, onions, carrots and cauliflower.  Chop and place the veggies in the same baking sheet, and mix everything up.

Liberally drizzle olive oil over the whole thing.  Season with whatever feels good at the time.  For me it’s always salt, pepper, garlic powder.  Then I’ll add whatever else I feel like, which tonight meant rosemary and chives.

sausage veggies uncooked close up
There’s so many veggies in here!

Stick in the oven at 450 (or lower if you have more than about 45 minutes) to roast. Use a fork in the most dense vegetable from time to time to check doneness.  Serve with warm bread and fruit for a complete meal.

When it’s done, let cool and watch it disappear.  For larger families you may need two or even three baking sheets. One works for my family of three with my husband and daughter always going back for seconds, and we end up with extras to spare for leftovers.

sausage veggies cooked
Sausage and veggies all roasted and delicious.