A very smart commercial!

Very smart Jennie-O...market to the parents, the people who actually have money to spend! Thank you for not aiming your sales tactics at our kids.



And, of course, I like the message!

Homemade ice cream

Summertime is the best time to enjoy some delicious ice cream! You could pick some up from the grocery store, but it is pretty easy to make it yourself and much healthier and fresher. We had my daughter's 4th birthday party this past weekend, and I made two kinds - strawberry and chocolate. All you need is an ice cream freezer (counter top version or one that requires ice, I use both depending on the quantity I need) and a few simple ingredients. Here's a recipe that makes 6 quarts:

Strawberry ice cream:
2 cups fresh strawberries
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Milk - enough to fill to fill line (whole milk for richer ice cream, skim for lighter)

Mix it all up in the blender and freeze according to freezer directions. Scale recipe down if making in a counter top version. YUMMY!! This recipe can easily be adapted for any flavor you wish, and you get to control all of  the ingredients.

Giveaway time!!

I am so excited to announce my very first blog giveaway!

 An autographed copy of Dr. William Sears's book - The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood: Ten Ways to Get Your Family on the Right Nutritional Track (Sears Parenting Library) will be given away to one lucky winner!

I have been a big fan of all of Dr. Sears's book since I was pregnant with my first child, and this book is no exception. It is full of useful and and easy to understand information about nutrition, what foods are good for you and which are not (and why), ways to educate your children on the importance of healthy eating, etc. Everyone can benefit from a copy of this book.

The rules for entering:
1. Leave a comment including an easy healthy recipe, a tip for getting your kids to eat/try new foods, or a way you've made over a typically unhealthy food.
2. If you're not registered, you must leave a way for me to contact you.
3. Only ONE entry per person.
4. Contest will start today (June 15) and end in two weeks (June 29). The winner will be announced on June 30, and the book will be shipped to the winner on that day. 
5. Please share this contest with others! The more entries, the more creative healthy ideas we'll be able to share with each other!





I hope this will be the first of many giveaways! A BIG thank you to Dr. Sears and his staff for sending me this book! If anyone is reading that is in the position to donate a relevant item to give away, please let me know.

Adventures with summer squash

As I mentioned in my last post, I bought some various squash from the Farmer's Market on Saturday morning. It was a beautiful day, so we decided to grill out Saturday night. The grill makes me so happy - less dishes and kitchen mess! 

I had three kinds of summer squash - yellow crookneck, zucchini, and patty pan. I cut them up along with a Vidalia onion (excellent with squash!) and seasoned them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I then created a foil packet to cook them in. After about 10 minutes on the grill, they were steamed to perfection.

This was my first experience with patty pan squash, but they were very good and comparable to other summer squash varieties. My kids said they liked it better, so score! Squash are pretty kid friendly because they are naturally sweet. They are also easy for kids to pick from a garden and even help cut and prepare.

Farmer's Market

I visited our local Farmer's Market this morning to see what produce was available locally so far...my garden and my dad's garden still has a few weeks before they will be ready.

There were several vendors out, including my friend Heather who runs Bees Knees Farm with her family. I got some zucchini and Romaine lettuce, as well as a vegetable I wasn't familiar with - patty pan squash. I look forward to trying those out!





If you haven't already, go check out your local Farmer's Market. You can get some fresh, locally grown produce (and maybe organic!) at a reasonable price, all while helping your local economy!

VICTORY!

No more chocolate formula! Enough people spoke out, and change was made!

READ ABOUT IT HERE!

Don't be silent if you believe strongly about something!