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 Jennif... Read more
New England Clam Chowder
by Jenny Harper
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 t... Read more
Everyone loves a classic PB&J sandwich. Now, with a little culinary creativity, your family can liven up lunch and win money for college.
Over the past 10 years, Jif(r) Peanut Butter has inspired thousands of kid chefs to reinvent the peanut butter sandwich for the chance of earning a fund for college. This year, in the 10th Annual Jif Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest(tm), families can foster creativity in the kitchen for a chance to win a $25,000 college fund, plus $10,000 to purchase educational products.
-Sandwiches will be judged on creativity, taste, nutritional balance, appearance and ease of preparation.
-10 semi-finalists will be selected to compete in a national online vote in January.
-Five finalists will be selected to compete at a live judging event in New York City in March.
-Four runners up will each receive $2,500 college funds.
Visit www.jif.com and www.jifenespanol.com between July 28 and October 12 for Official Rules and the entry form. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C., between 6 and 12 years of age by October 12, 2011. Contests void where prohibited. See Official Rules for complete details.
The 2011 winner was 8-year-old Margalit M. of Raleigh, N.C. for her Wushu Chicken Tacos, pairing Jif Creamy Peanut Butter with chicken, asparagus and squash, all wrapped in a tortilla. Check out these other winning recipes for inspiration.
Wushu Chicken Tacos - 2011 Winner
Margalit M., Raleigh, N.C.
Serves: 1
1/2 cup diced rotisserie chicken
1/4 cup asparagus pieces, about 1 inch long
1/4 cup yellow squash pieces
2 fajita-size flour tortillas (6-inch)
2 lime wedges, optional
Sauce:
Fresh ginger slice, 1/8 inch thick, peeled and cut in half
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons Jif Creamy Peanut Butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3/8 teaspoon chili paste with garlic
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 1/4 teaspoons sesame oil
3 1/2 teaspoons water
Chop ginger and garlic in food processor as finely as possible. Add next seven ingredients and process until sauce is completely smooth. If sauce is too thick, add more water. If sauce is too thin, add more peanut butter.
Toss about half the sauce with chicken and put aside in a covered bowl.
Boil about 1 inch of water in a large skillet and add asparagus. Cover skillet and turn off heat. In 1 to 3 minutes, lift off cover and remove asparagus using tongs.
Cut off ends of squash and cut into half-moon pieces. Put 1/4 cup squash pieces into microwave-safe bowl and add a little water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave about 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool slightly and carefully drain off water.
Place tortillas in microwave and cook about 15 seconds, or until warm and bend easily.
Put chicken in tortillas, top with asparagus and squash and drizzle with additional peanut butter sauce. Serve with optional lime wedges.
Do you make a side dish that's been a family fave for years? Or are you bored with the same old sides? Let's join up & share Thanksgiving side dish recipes. Maybe you'll start a new tradition or wake everyone from their tryptophan stupor with a new taste.
Here's how:
Go to the MomTalk Community and join the group Thanksgiving Side Dish Sampler.
Then start a discussion in the group, using the recipe name as the title. Piece o' cake (or pie, given the season).
Let's see if we can't refresh each other's Thanksgiving table!
Note: You'll have to join the community first, but that'll just take a minute.
Just when I thought we had no Thanksgiving tradition at all, my daughter taught me that tradition is simply whatever we do.
When I was a kid my mother rose early on Thanksgiving morning to wrestle with the turkey and jam it full of rosemary-scented stuffing before putting it in the oven. The house smelled of that heavenly rosemary all day long.
Back then we only had eight TV channels and all attention was on the one showing the Hudson's Thanksgiving Day Parade, with its school bands and toy commercials. My siblings and I jumped up and down screaming when Santa appeared on his sleigh, ushering in the Christmas season.
My dad was seldom around, but mom was amazing and managed to get everything on the table by herself, including the crispy turkey, creamy mashed potatoes and her fabulous stuffing. To this day, anytime I get a whiff of rosemary, I'm right back at that happy table.
But those were the olden days.
Today, my 6- and 8-year-old daughters have little interest in watching the Macy's-Target-American-Whozit's Parade that plays on one of our 120 channels. They're too busy with the Disney Channel or the Internet. But I can't really complain. I'm hardly the ideal Thanksgiving mom myself. I simply don't love the cleaning or cooking required to get through the day.
Yet nearly every Thanksgiving I end up hosting my family for the big meal. I try to get out of it, begging my mother or sister Cathy to host, but the bird duties always land on my doorstep. They say I have more space and somehow that makes it fair. Yeah, right.
The only saving grace is that while I have to clean my house, dig out the dusty platters and buy the food, at least it's not my elbow poking out of that turkey's hiney. Cathy and mom come over and play top chef in my kitchen. I focus my limited skills on the grunt work and my two specialties--devilled eggs and mashed potatoes.
But this year I had a new idea. Why not go out for Thanksgiving? There's absolutely no downside. We can get all dressed up and pay a charming waiter to ply us with food and drink till we can barely move. The only hard work will be lifting our overstuffed bodies from the restaurant table and squeezing them back into the car. What difference does it make? We hardly have a Thanksgiving tradition of our own.
The idea was a hit. My mom declared her turkey days over. My husband was thrilled I'd be in a good mood this Thanksgiving. Even my sister was beginning to weaken, when I suddenly made an about face and decided to do Thanksgiving after all.
Blame it on my daughter Patti. Apparently in her eight years on the scene, she's decided we're steeped in Thanksgiving tradition.
Our tradition is my coaxing them to watch the parade. It's having Grandma and Aunt Cathy argue and laugh with me while making a mess in my kitchen. It's playing with their cousin Trése and even watching me tussle with their dad over bringing those darned chairs up from the basement.
And it turns out that Patti loves my devilled eggs as much as I love my mom's rosemary stuffing. She begged me to have Thanksgiving at home.
Who knew!?
So I'm doing Thanksgiving. And since mom says she's retired from turkeys for good, I have to cook it, too. But that's OK. Now I know I'm making more than just a meal. I'm making traditions and memories that will stay with my girls their whole lives.
It's a breathtaking responsibility, but one I realize I'm thankful for.
With after school activities, late workdays and long commutes or carpools, many families struggle to find time to sit down together to eat dinner. When they do, the meal may consist of prepackaged or fast food options, which can increase food costs and skimp on good nutrition.
What's a busy parent to do? While a home cooked weeknight meal may sound labor-intensive, it can really payoff economically, nutritionally and environmentally - all in the form of leftovers.
Child nutrition expert and mother Jodie Shield, RD, understands the challenges families face in trying to balance full calendars and tight checkbooks while serving nutritious and delicious meals. "Busy moms don't always have time to plan ahead and make two meals each day," said Shield. "Transforming last night's dinner into tomorrow's brown bag lunch, for my kids or myself, can save time and maximize budgets without cutting corners on nutrition."
Shield's tips - which incorporate plenty of nutritious vegetables - will help parents prepare family meals that stretch from dinner to lunch:
* Presto, chango! Transform last night's meatloaf into tasty tacos - crumble ground beef or turkey and sautÈ with taco seasoning. Enjoy wrapped in a soft whole-wheat tortilla or layered over shredded lettuce as a salad; add diced tomato and onions, low-fat cheese and a drizzle of Ranch light dressing.
* Kids like 'em hot! Reheat leftover vegetables (eggplant, zucchini, sweet potato or snap beans) in the oven at 400∞ F for about 10 minutes. Let cool five minutes, then serve warm with ranch dressing to dip.
* Get egg-cited for dinner! Serve your family a backward breakfast for dinner. Use leftover veggies like tomatoes, bell peppers, onions and new potatoes, and whip up a southwestern omelet, frittata or quiche.
For more great recipes, nutrition tips and activities, visit LoveYourVeggies.com.
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup frozen okra cut, thawed
1 14.5-ounce can stewed tomatoes, undrained
12 ounces chicken breast, cut into strips (tenders)
12 ounces fully cooked Cajun-style andouille sausage or smoked turkey sausage
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup Ranch Light Dressing
Heat one teaspoon of olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat until sizzling hot. Add onion, bell pepper and okra; cook and stir until crisply tender. Remove and set aside.
Add the other teaspoon of oil and heat; add chicken tenders and stir-fry about five minutes until lightly browned.
Return vegetables to skillet with chicken and stir in sausage and Cajun seasoning; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; simmer about five minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in rice and dressing; continue cooking until liquid is almost absorbed and rice is thoroughly heated.
Tip: The next day, wrap leftover jambalaya in a whole wheat or veggie tortilla for a special brown bag lunch.
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)
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.
