The next Food for Thought meeting is this Friday, October 13 from 12-1 at the Fort Walton Beach Public Library. Bring a sample of your favorite dish at the moment (not necessary but always enjoyed). See ya there!
Cookies and Stuff
Parenting can be tough! Food choices for children are not always healthy. I have some tips for parents on snacks. These are actually things I did with and for my children.
Yogurt cups- buy regular plain yogurt and chop Oreo, sprinkles, fruit, cookies or nuts. Have these stored in containers so your child just has to scoop the yogurt and add 2 tsp of their favorite snack into the yogurt.
Cookies- don’t buy processed cookies. My children made their cookies. If they want cookies, let them make them. This is going to mean you will have to have all the ingredients in house. Cookies we made are: chocolate chip, oatmeal, peanut butter, and butter cookies.
Potato chips- easy as pie. Slice potatoes thin and fry in oil. You can bake them also by coating the slices with oil and salt n pepper and bake in the oven in high heat for 10-15 minutes. Chips need to be eaten within 1/2 hour of cooking. These are addictive and will cause you kids and their friends to always be in your kitchen. Frying the potatoes takes time and a large fry pan.
Fruit- if you have fruit in a bowl they will eat it. Especially, if they are “starving” and just got home from sports, school, or in from swimming. Buy their favorite fruit and store them out of fridge. Most fruit can be stored on the table in a bowl. How did you buy them? Were they refrigerated or just on the produce shelf. Think about it.
Juice- it’s gets a bad wrap. My children’s choices for drinks were: water, juice, milk, and Gatorade. We almost Never had soda. I also froze the juice in ice trays and made ice pops. Their teeth are great. They did not go to bed with juice in their bottles either. They are now 27 & 29. Now they drink all sodas they want and the alcohol he wants. Lol, lets be real.
Ice cream- yes, I made ice cream as well. Ice cream makers are inexpensive and amazing. Buy one and make some ice cream. The instructions and recipes are simple but follow you machines instructions and recipe.
Cereal- I guess cereals today are not a wise choice but we ate cereal as snacks.
I hope this helps some of you.
Allergies
This my current allergy list. The items highlighted are the ones I can’t have. I have blood work still out for potatoes, carrots, and cucumber. I have one unique body.
I would love to eat cucumbers and potatoes again. Carrots, not so much. Cooked carrots 🥕 are good and I don’t mind eating them. It will be nice to see a carrot in my salad and not freak out. If I can have potatoes 🥔, I am making French fries!
It is still going to be rough finding food because I am still very allergic to soy, peanut, and sunflower. When I go shopping I have to read every label. I really don’t mind but it takes time. I do go crazy when I find a food without all those things. I tend to buy quite a few of them.
If you have questions, please ask. I hope someone is reading my blog.
Chicken over asparagus pasta
This dish dish was supposed to be a Publix Aprons Recipe but I messed it up or made it better. I know it requires a lot of pots but it is so worth the mess. It was so good that my husband felt it necessary to clean it up with a piece of bread. 😂
tools:
large pot for cooking pasta and asparagus. Cutting board, large frying pan for chicken, sharp knife, large mixing spoons, gallon baggie, and large pot for final product.
Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken or 4-5 chicken breasts chopped into bite size pieces.
1/2 flour
1 TBSP season salt ( salt.pepper, garlic powder, and paprika)
In a gallon bag place flour and salt mixture then add chicken and coat well. Set aside.
1 to 1 1/2 lbs of cut asparagus
1 lb pasta
cook the pasta like normal. When the pasta is upmost done add asparagus to pasta and cook til pasta is done. Drain and place in large bowl with 1 TBSP garlic herb butter. Dine with the pasta, so cover with foil to keep hot.
1tsp lemon juice
2- 3.5oz Kerrygold Garlic Herb Butter
4 TBSP capers
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
cook chicken in 3.5 garlic butter ( just dump the chicken in the heated pan) for about 3-4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add heavy cream and mix until well mixed. Add chicken broth, lemon juice, and capers until blended. Heat for about 2-3 minutes. Serve over pasta and asparagus. Enjoy. We also used the rest of the butter for bread. It was good.
Vegan Blackbean Burgers
Tools:
2 bowls one small and one large, a fork, cutting board, fry pan, knife, and mixing spoon.
ingredients:
1 can black beans 15.5 oz drained and rinsed.
1/2 onion chopped fine
1/2 peppers chopped fine
1 1/2 tsp garlic chopped
1/2 TBSP Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt and pepper.
1 TBSP corn oil
3/4 cup bread crumbs any kind.
cook onion n peppers in a greased pan for 5 minutes and add garlic, cook for 2-3 minutes more. Remove from heat and set aside. Mash black beans until mashed good. Add the spices and peppers to beans. Mix good. Add oil and mix again. Add bread crumbs a little at a time. Add bread crumbs till it is good and thick but firm. Shape into a 1/2 inch burger and cook slow for about 20 minutes. Add cheese in the last few minutes. Enjoy.