Imagine going to a big box store this holiday season that only sells gifts that educate girls in Afghanistan, house homeless veterans in the Bronx or offer microloans for... Read more
Event Calendar and Much More
Some of you may have been wondering where the MomTalk.com events calendar disappeared to. Well, we have good news and more good news You can now find the calendar on our ... Read more
Ingredients
1 bag (10 oz.) washed salad greens
1 can (15 ¼ oz.) Whole Kernel Sweet Corn , drained
1 (7 oz.) pouch or 2 (3 oz.) pouches Tuna, (Chunk Light or Albacore)
1 can (15 oz.) 50% less salt black beans , rinsed and drained
½ cup low-fat ranch dressing
½ cup mild or medium salsa
Directions
Place salad greens in large bowl.
Top with black beans, corn, and tuna.
Drizzle with dressing and salsa. Toss before serving.
BLUE CHEESE GREEN BEAN SALAD
Ingredients
1/3 cup blue cheese or gorgonzola cheese
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Cut Green Beans , drained
1 cup red and yellow cherry tomatoes , halved
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup sliced green onions
Directions
Mash cheese with oil and vinegar in bowl.
Toss with beans, tomatoes, walnuts and onions.
Serve on a bed of Romaine lettuce, if desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if desired
HEALTHY SALAD TIPS for a slimmer summer
Limit extras like croutons and bacon bits
Use a variety of greens like spinach, leaf lettuce, arugula, dandelion greens, kale, watercress and basil leaves - full of flavor and nutrition!
Don't pile on fried meat - use heart healthy tuna -- a quick, easy protein (much lower in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol than many other protein choices) that works for lunch or dinner.
Keep your pantry stocked with salad-friendly canned veggies to add pizzazz (and extra nutrients!) to your salad
Try squeezing some fresh lemon and olive oil on your salad, or use salsa, instead of drenching your salad with dressing
Bypass the usual sugar-laden, fat-filled desserts this summer and try something ompletely different!
Ingredients
1 can (15 oz.) Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches or Peach Halves
1 ctn. (8 oz.) low-fat vanilla yogurt
8 (4 oz.) plastic or paper drink cups
8 wooden sticks or plastic spoons
Directions
1. Pour undrained fruit into food processor or blender container. Cover and pureé.
2. Add yogurt; blend until smooth.
3. Pour into cups; freeze until partially frozen.
4. Place stick in center of each cup.
5. Return to freezer and freeze until firm. (several hours/overnight)
It's that time of year--time to head out to one of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes (or to one of umteen thousands of lakes all over the country). Before you go, check out the downloadable guide below to safe swimming, boating and fishing from Conservation Minnesota. If you're worried about water pollution and contamination, you can go to CheckMyLake.org to find out whether lakes have been tested and what the results show.
Do you sometimes feel that moms can be critical and judgmental about other women's parenting style and choices? Do you feel pressured to be the perfect mom? See what Liz Szabo, writing in USA Today, says about 'competitive parenting.'
Did you know that milk delivers more than just calcium to your diet? Not everybody does.
"Many consumers know about milk's calcium benefits, but most are unaware that dairy foods deliver eight other dietary nutrients considered 'essential' by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)," says Nikki Stahr, a registered dietitian with the Midwest Dairy Council.
Eating healthy is about more than just watching the calorie count. "It's important to get essential nutrients from the foods we eat," says Stahr, "because the human body can't manufacture them in sufficient quantities to meet daily needs."
Consuming three daily servings of dairy foods, such as milk, cheese or yogurt, provides exceptional nutritional value. For example, milk provides significant amounts of vitamin D, protein, potassium and vitamin B12. From repairing muscle tissue to maintaining healthy red blood cells, the nutrients found in dairy foods work together to help support optimal health.
"Meeting the recommended three servings per day of milk, cheese or yogurt is easy," says Stahr, "My family starts the day with a bowl of whole grain cereal and milk, and we love fruit and yogurt as a snack." A Stahr family favorite for dinner is pulled pork soft tacos sprinkled with Colby Jack cheese.
Pulled Pork Soft Tacos
Servings: 6 (2 tortillas per serving)
Prep time: 35 minutes (plus time in slow cooker)
Cost/recipe: $25.72
Cost/serving: $4.29
For pork:
2 pound boneless pork loin roast
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 small white onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup orange juice
2 limes, cut in half
For tacos:
12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat Colby Jack
1/2 cup nonfat sour cream
1 teaspoon cumin
2 scallions, trimmed and chopped
1 (8 ounce) bag shredded red cabbage
3/4 cup fresh salsa
Trim excess fat off roast. In small bowl, combine brown sugar and ginger; rub generously over roast. Place in slow cooker with garlic, onion and orange juice; cook on low heat for 8 hours (or high for 4 to 6 hours).
Remove pork to large bowl and shred with forks. Strain pork liquid from slow cooker and pour over pulled pork to moisten. Squeeze lime juice on top and mix well. Divide into 12 servings.
In small bowl, mix together sour cream, cumin and scallions.
For each serving, cover corn tortilla with 2 tablespoons cheese; microwave for 20 seconds. Top with pulled pork, 2 teaspoons of sour cream mix, 1 1/2 tablespoons shredded cabbage and 1 tablespoon of salsa. Fold and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts per Serving (2 tortillas per serving): Calories: 457, Total Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 88mg, Sodium: 359mg, Carbohydrates: 40g, Dietary Fiber: 5g, Protein: 36g, Calcium: 32% Daily Value
Get the whole story of dairy's unique nutrient package, and find more recipes, at dairymakessense.com.
If your kids love the book Harriet The Spy, they'll want to tune in to the new Disney Channel television movie, "Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars," starring Jennifer Stone ("Wizards of Waverly Place"), on Friday, March 26 (8:00 p.m., ET/PT). Based on the popular books by Louise Fitzhugh, the movie is a contemporary twist on the iconic character, as Harriet "The Spy" Welsch vies to become the official blogger of her high school class.
The film was written by mother-daughter team, Heather Conkie and Alexandra Clarke. Internationally acclaimed writer, Heather Conkie, gave her daughter, Alexandra Clarke, Harriet the Spy when she was a child and it represented a huge turning point in her life. She bought a notebook like Harriet and started writing everything down; from that point on she aspired to be a writer. Writing the film has been an incredible bonding experience for them and the adaptation has brought them full-circle.
In addition to the mother-daughter relationship that brought the film to fruition, there is an ongoing theme in the film about the often-difficult relationship between teenagers and their parents.
Speaking of difficult, Harriet's signature tomato sandwich is a source of contention in the film. Harriet eats a tomato sandwich at the exact same time every day (when she gets home from school). Their chef reluctantly prepares the same, ordinary sandwich for her every day but not without a fight. He attempts to create a gourmet, culinary masterpiece instead and she refuses to eat it. For those of you who face similar culinary struggles, here are both the kid-friendly (ala Harriet) recipe and the grown-up version:
Harriet the Spy's Tomato Sandwich: brown/multigrain bread, sliced tomato, and light mayonnaise
Chef's Signature Tomato Sandwich: toasted rye bread topped with a bruschetta mix including heirloom tomatoes, olive tapenade, and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette.
I love soup. A lot. On a cold winter day, there's nothing like a bowl of hot, savory soup to satisfy my hunger and warm me through and through. And if the soup is easy to make, I'm even happier. Make a double batch and freeze individual servings so you can have some ready any time you need it.
And for more satisfying soup recipes, visit TheCookingMilk.com. Stay warm!
New England Clam Chowder
Makes 4 servings
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 pound (about 3 medium) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
2 cans (12 fluid ounces each) Evaporated Milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cans (6.5 ounces each) chopped or minced clams, undrained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
COOK bacon in medium saucepan until crisp; drain. Reserve 2 tablespoons bacon fat. Return reserved bacon fat to saucepan. Add potatoes, carrot, onion and celery. Cook, stirring frequently for 6 to 7 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
COMBINE evaporated milk and flour in small bowl until blended; add to potato mixture. Stir in clams with juice, salt, bacon, Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring frequently, for 15 to 20 minutes or until creamy and slightly thick.
Nutrition Information per serving: 270 calories; 110 calories from fat; 12g total fat; 7g saturated fat; 50mg cholesterol; 720mg sodium; 26g carbohydrate; 1g fiber; 11g sugars; 14g protein; 15% Vitamin A; 20% Vitamin C; 30% Calcium
Jenny Harper is Consumer Test Kitchen Project Manager for the NestlÈ Test Kitchens and VeryBestBaking.com
