Fall foods!

As fall approaches, my mind starts to think about all the yummy foods related to the end of the growing season. Pumpkins, fall lettuces & greens and the last of the tomatoes.  YUM!

I've been blessed with a few rounds of free tomatoes, the apple and peach orchard is nearby, our pears will be ripening in a month or so.  We even have some little figs still developing & a fresh crop of strawberries blooming in big pots.

I'm looking forward to experimenting with some ways to extend my growing season this year and look forward to having garden fresh greens after it freezes.

As you plan meals, do look around at what foods are seasonal in your area.  Normally, they will be fresher and have better prices than out of season items grown far away.

Growing veggies

One of the best ways I've found to get my children involved in eating their veggies is to have them help in the garden!  Yes, we live in the country, yes we have a garden spot, but even with a nice sized pot, you can grow something!

I've been experimenting with "Winter Sowing" which is getting seeds started in a milk jug with some potting soil in it.  The jug is cut 3/4 the way around, filled with dirt and seeds &  taped back together.  Just set them outside after watering and wait!  I transplanted the lettuce and oh, we could have had a little salad from the plants! My daughter has a pot of onion bulbs growing.  We saw the celery experiment on Pinterest & tried it, the celery is growing and I am moving it to my Easy.TowerGarden.com, so that it will have great nutrition all season.

I love when little seeds start to pop up in the garden or in a pot!  I am learning to encourage sampling at different phases... I love small collards, while I detested turnip greens in my childhood!

Candy Season is here!

Congratulations, candy season is upon us!
Everywhere you turn for the next few months, there will be an upcoming holiday that includes candy.
What's a mom to do?

Think ahead...... don't arrive at the candy palace starving!
Plan ahead....... "Honey, we'll be having your favorite dinner when we get home"
Take the time to teach about choices....... Talk with your children (and perhaps yourself) about what their favorite candies are..
Provide healthy choices.....yes there are lots of ways to make healthy foods cute and desirable if you take a little while to look!

So, as Mom Says eat your veggies, she can also have fun with her children and take advantage of the teachable moments to share how to make the best choices, how to share from the candy bounty, as well as learning to listen to your body to know how it responds to too much candy!

Very Veggie Chili

Here we are, stranded by snow in the south.

Thankfully, I tend to keep pretty well stocked up on groceries and such & had gone out Saturday for toilet tissue, paper towel, milk & bread :) I had to laugh when my newly married son was EXCITED about stocking up on meat on sale to FREEZE (he used to make fun of my freezing habit)

Anyway, day 1 of the snowbound found us making a big pot of pinto beans which were good as burritos as lunch (start clearing out the fresh stuff). Supper followed with whole wheat pizza, one supreme with lots of veggies and an assortment of cheeses... pepper jack is amazingly interesting on supreme pizza!

Day 2 was chili day! As I was looking in the cavern of the freezing unit, I spotted 4 frozen tomatoes, that got me started! I then braved the crispers in the fridge, where some veggies have been known to have untimely deaths... I rescued some sad celery and 3 squash that lived a remarkably long time.. Thankfully the trusty Vitamixer was up to the challenge! First I blended the tomatoes with a can of canned ones, then I started adding the cut up veggies... only ONE child found a few squash seeds and I just let him wonder what he ate! So, if you are snowbound (or not) and have a variety of things hiding in your crisper, get creative & use it up!

Tomorrow, I will see what's left of the chili and turn it into a mexican casserole of some type! Yum!

What's Your Candy Plan?

Do you have a plan for all the treats that will be coming into you home this weekend?

One mom has her children pick out a select amount of candy & they leave the rest for "The Great Pumpkin". In the morning a fun gift awaits the child and the candy is gone.

Drink plenty of water this weekend. Offer some raw fruits and veggies to nibble on, before the candy of course!

The pumpkins will make some great pumpkin pies and bread later.

Halloween's coming!

What will be in YOUR bag this Halloween?

Try some healthier treats for your family BEFORE the big candy hunt!
Pumpkin muffins for breakfast (whole grain & reduced sugar) a protein source and some fruit. Then, make lunch something fresh and filling... some munchie veggies with dip and maybe a hearty soup.

Stay tuned for more ideas!