When it comes time to feeding your baby solid foods, your initial vision might be dipping a spoon into a little jar of pureed peas, carrots or bananas. Did you know that your baby will eat about 600 of these cute little jars of baby food? And that the cost of all these jars can add up $400-$600?

If you are interested in making a HUGE dent in this baby budget line item, we recommend you make your own baby food. Now don’t laugh, roll your eyes or start trembling at the thought of cooking – most people find it surprisingly simple and quick to make baby food.

Homemade baby food will cost less than $100, saving your family up to a whopping $500! And before you ask ” but who has the time?”, think about using the tried n’ true ice cube tray method of making baby food. It will take only 30 minutes per week! There are not many things you can do in 30 minutes a week to save hundreds of dollars.

Here are the four basic steps to making baby food:

Step 1: Start with fresh fruits or vegetables. Depending on the type of food, you will need to wash, chop and peel the fruits and vegetables. If you are using frozen produce, simply open the package.

Step 2: Cook the food in the microwave or steam the food on the stove. Foods are done when the can be pierced or mashed easily with a fork.

Step 3: Pour the food and cooking juices into a food processor or a blender and puree to a soft and velvety texture. You may need to add water to get the right texture.

Step 4: Spoon the food puree into ice cube trays. Cover and place them in the freezer. When frozen, pop the baby food cubes out into a freezer storage bag. Baby food cubes stay fresh for up to two months in the freezer.

When it comes time to feed your baby, simply select baby food cubes from the freezer, defrost and the rest is YUM!

Apple Puree
6 medium golden delicious apples

Step 1: Prep – Wash, peel, core and cut apples into one-inch (3 cm) slices.

Step 2: Cook – Place apples in a microwave safe dish. Cover. Cook 5 minutes and let stand for 5 minutes. Cook an additional 5 minutes. The apples are done when they can be pierced easily with a fork.

Step 3: Puree – Place apples and cooking juices into a blender or a food processor. Puree to a smooth texture.

Step 4: Freeze – Spoon into So Easy Baby Food Trays or ice cube trays. Cover. Place in freezer eight to 10 hours or overnight. Remove cubes from trays, place in storage container or freezer bag, and return immediately to the freezer.
Makes 24 1-ounce servings. Stays fresh for two months in the freezer.
To serve, select frozen apple cubes from the freezer, defrost and warm, check the temperature and feed.

Age to introduce: About 6 months.

Sweet Potato Puree
2-3 medium to large sweet potatoes

Step 1: PREP – Wash, peel and chop sweet potatoes into one-inch (3 cm) cubes

Step 2: COOK – In a medium-size saucepan, pour ½ cup water. Set a steamer basket in the saucepan and place sweet potatoes cubes in the basket. Cover. Bring water to a boil and turn down the heat and simmer for about 12-15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. They are done if the sweet potatoes can be mashed easily with a fork. OR Place sweet potatoes and 2 Tablespoons (30ml) of water in a microwave-safe dish. Cover. Cook 8-10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. They are done if the sweet potatoes can be mashed easily with a fork.

Step 3: PUREE – Place sweet potatoes and cooking juices into a blender of food processor. Add ½ cup (60 ml) of water. Puree. Add additional ¼ to ½ cup (60 – 100 ml) of water, as needed, to develop of smooth texture.

Step 4: FREEZE – Spoon into So Easy Baby Food Trays or ice cube trays. Cover. Place in freezer 8-10 hours or overnight. Remove cubes from trays, place in storage container or freezer bag, and return immediately to the freezer.
Makes 24 one-ounce servings. Stays fresh for 2 months in the freezer.
To serve, select frozen sweet potato cubes from the freezer, defrost and warm, check the temperature and feed.

There are few more money saving secrets to making baby food:

1. Buy fresh produce that is on sale or in season
2. Use coupons for frozen fruits and vegetables
3. Make baby food in large quantities and freeze it in single servings

Breast milk or formula is still the staple for your baby’s diet in the first year. There is no scientific proof of which food is best to serve first to babies. Cultures across the world prepare various traditional recipes for their babies’ first feeding. In general, first foods are easy to digest and preferably a good source of iron.

At around six months of age, babies’ iron stores from birth are mostly depleted and they need additional sources of iron from the diet. Animal meats offer the most bioavailable sources of iron, but are difficult for beginner eaters to digest and reserved for seven to eight month old diners. For first time tasters, we look to the plant kingdom for alternatives that naturally contain iron or are iron-fortified. Foods that are easy to digest for babies are gluten free (this is the protein in wheat), and vegetables that are yellow or orange rather than green.

Just because all of your friends’ babies starting slurping on rice cereal without issues doesn’t guarantee you will have the same experience. No need to worry, there are certainly healthy options if rice cereal is not in the cards. Always introduce new foods in one at a time every four to six days to watch for an allergic reaction. If you are making your own baby food, remove all skins, seeds and strings from the food, and puree away!

Baby Bistro’s Top Ten Starter Solids

• Iron fortied rice cereal
• Millet
• Amaranth
• Sweet Potatoes
• Carrots
• Pumpkin or winter squash (acorn, butternut)
• Avocado
• Cantaloupe
• Peaches
• Apricots

What percentage of coupons from the Sunday paper do you actually use? Five, maybe ten percent? You are not alone. Most people cut out only a small percentage of the coupons from those weekly inserts. In order to make a serious dent in rising grocery bills, you need to have coupons for many of the products you buy, not just a few each week. The good news is that there are a number of resources other than the Sunday supplement coupons that provide coupons for your favorite brands.

Friends, Family, Co-workers: Instead of buying multiple copies of the newspaper, just to get more coupons, share inserts with friends, co-workers and neighbors. Once you have cut the coupons you want, pass your inserts around to others and have them do the same for you. You will find that many people you know don’t even cut coupons and you will receive complete inserts with all the coupons.

Coupon Clipping Websites: One of the easiest ways to find multiples of coupons for the products you use is through coupon clipping services, such as www.thecouponclippers.com. With these services, you pay a handling fee for each coupon and they are sent right to your home. Because it is illegal to sell coupons, you are paying for the fee to have them found, clipped and sent to you. Most of these coupons are from the Sunday papers. Another popular clipping site is www.ebay.com. There are many folks offering coupons for very reasonable handling fees. Most coupon fees at clipping services are 5 – 12 cents each depending on the face value of the coupon. The benefit of using these services is that you can get multiples of the coupons you want without paying extra for the entire paper. If I order 5 coupons with a face value of .50 each for a handling fee of .05 each, I still have a net return of .45 on each coupon. If the coupon is doubled at the store to $1.00, as some stores will do, the return on the .05 handling fee is now .95. So, for the .05 handling fee per coupon, I can receive .95 off at the register – a pretty good return on my .05 investment.

Coupon Printing Websites: There are some great coupons available at a number of legitimate coupon printing websites including www.coupons.com, www.smartsource.com, www.pillsbury.com and www.bettycrocker.com. The coupons are free to print (other than the cost of paper and ink) and you can print them right away and use them at the store that day. Some of the sites do require that you register, which only takes a minute.

Manufacturer’s Toll Free Numbers and Websites: One of the easiest ways to obtain coupons for the products you use is to contact the manufacturer directly. This is especially helpful for hard to find coupons or for specialty items. Simply call or e-mail the company and let them know how much you like the specific product. Ask them if they have any coupons available at this time and be sure to leave your address if you are contacting the company via the online customer service section. You will be pleasantly surprised at how many companies will send coupons, often for free items.

Magazines, Product Packages, Grocery Store Displays: There are a number of other good places to find coupons including magazines, product packages and grocery stores displays and shelves. There are even good coupons that print at the registers.

Rain Checks: Rain checks are those little pieces of paper you get from the store customer service when the store is out of a sale item. Rain checks are a wonderful way to make your own sale. If the store is out of a product that you use and it is on sale, ask for a rain check. Then wait patiently until you need the item or you have a great manufacturer coupon to go with the rain check and make your own sale.
With a little extra effort, you can find coupons for most of your favorite brands. Considering the price of food and non-food essentials has skyrocketed, every bit of savings can help. As I always say, it’s your money – spend it wisely!

Introducing your baby to real food takes time. Fortunately, there is no need to rush, In fact, going slowly gives your baby a chance to develop a taste for different types of food, and in the long run enables her to make healthier food choices.

There is an enormous selection of fresh, natural food that your little one can eat, but there are also several foods that are not good for babies. Here is a list of many of the foods that you should avoid:

Foods with sugar, salt and caffeine as a main ingredient – Avoid introduction as long as possible: As a general rule, foods containing high amount of these ingredients, usually do not contain much nutritional value and are not very healthy.

High nitrate foods – Introduce over 8 months: Vegetables: beets, carrots, green beans, spinach, and collard greens, Meats: hot dogs, cured ham, bologna, sausages, salami, and many other deli meats. Foods containing high levels of nitrates can deplete iron stores and can cause anemia.

Honey – Introduce over 12 months. Honey contains bacteria that can cause botulism.

Un-pasteurized, juices, food items, and raw fish – Introduce over 12 months. Juices, such as apple cider, other food items such as raw goat’s milk, blue cheese, brie cheese, and raw fish, such as sushi can contain disease causing bacteria.

High allergens – Introduce at least over 12 months, possibly later: Food that most often cause allergic reactions include berries, chocolate, citrus fruits, cow’s milk, egg whites, fish and shellfish, nuts, peanuts, and tomatoes. Processed foods containing food additives, coloring agents and preservatives are also known to cause food allergies in your children. If you have a family history of any food allergies, discuss them specifically with your baby’s healthcare provider and seek their advice on food introductions.

Choking hazards– Introduce over 2-3 years old: Nuts (other than finely ground), peanut butter, caramel, candy, gum, whole grapes, raw hard fruits and veggies, chunks of meat, pieces of bacon, hot dogs, sunflower seeds, popcorn, raisins, potato chips and hard candy. As a precaution, learn the American Red Cross choking for infants emergency procedures.

Hot foods – Introduce over 3-4 years old: Baby and toddler foods should be served cold, at room temperature or slightly warm. If you use the microwave to warm your baby’s foods, make the sure the food has been thoroughly stirred (if possible) or allowed to stand and cool down to remove any hot spots. Always check the temperature of food and drinks before serving them.

There are certain microscopic bacteria that can pose special health risks to pregnant women and to their babies. Although most people can safely eat food containing a type of bacteria called Listeria, pregnant women are ten times more likely to get sick if they eat those same foods. And if they do get sick, the infection can be devastating for the baby. The tricky thing about Listeria is that, unlike many bacteria, they can thrive at refrigerator temperatures. To be sure, ensure your partner avoids the following:

• Soft cheeses such as Brie, Camembert, feta, and Mexican queso fresco, or any cheeses with blue veins. Most hard cheeses are fine, as are pasteurized cream cheese, cottage cheese, cheese spreads, sliced cheese and yogurt.

• Foods from deli counters (prepared salads, meats, and cheeses), unless they are heated to steaming right before eating.

• Hot dogs, packaged cold cuts, meat spreads, pate, smoked seafood, and leftovers, unless they are heated to steaming right before eating. Canned or shelf-stable products are generally fine.

• Raw or unpasteurized milk during pregnancy, including goat’s milk, and foods that contain unpasteurized milk. Raw and partially cooked eggs, meat, and poultry can harbor other unwanted visitors. In addition to Listeria, be cautious about E. coli, salmonella, and Toxoplasma by doing the following:

• Cook ground beef until no pink is visible, and be sure pork and lamb are well done. For turkey or other poultry, cook thoroughly to 180° F (with a thermometer).

• Cook eggs until both the whites and the yolks are firm. Soft scrambled eggs aren’t a pregnancy treat.

• Remember hidden sources of raw or partially cooked eggs, such as cookie dough, unpasteurized eggnog and Hollandaise sauce.

• You’ve heard not to change kitty litter during pregnancy to avoid Toxoplasma. This is good advice, but pregnant women can also pick up Toxoplasma from unpasteurized milk and undercooked meats. Be sure milk is pasteurized and meats are cooked to at least 150 degrees F.

• Even if cooked food is safe, microorganisms can still live on hands or utensils while cooking. Wash before and after handling raw foods. Always wash cutting boards, kitchen surfaces and utensils after use.

Life is hectic and busy for all of us.

No matter where we work or what we do it can feel, at times, like a balancing act.

As a result, I thought that this time we’d break it all down into easy, bite sized portions.

Things that we can all do *starting today* but which wont take forever to read (I know. I can get verbose) or to understand.

The basics which we all may know but all need reminding of as well.

Tip #1: plan plan plan. we all know this one and yet so few of us make the time to do it.
pre-plan meals.
buy boxes of nonperishable foods (nuts? dried fruit? trail mix) and leave them in your car so that you never encounter that so-hungry-I-NEED-to hit-a-drive-through-for-fries.
set yourself up for success. PERIOD.

Tip #2: Breakfast should be your biggest and most important meal of your day. Youve fasted all night (hence the name) and your metabolism needs food to be revved back up! bottom line? Research shows that people who skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight. Eat a healthy breakfast (lean protein, carbs. fiber and good fat) but EAT one for sure.

Tip #3: Eat clean. People often ask me what this means and, essentially, Im suggesting you eat as close to nature as you can. it’s the old “have you ever seen a pop tart tree? no? then grab an apple instead” mindset.

Tip #4: Fiber Fiber Fiber. There are so many benefits to fiber. It will help you feel more full and keep you regular. Make it a point to read labels and see how much fiber is (or isnt!) in the foods you currently eat.

Tip #5: Slow down. Take the time when you are eating to truly ENJOY your food. Savor the taste and feeling of it in your mouth. It sounds silly—-but you really will find you consume less when you enjoy MORE.

Happy Healthy Eating!

Grocery coupons have been around since 1894 when Asa Candler handed out handwritten tickets for a free Coca-Cola drink. Over 100 years later, in 2002, shoppers saved $3 billion by redeeming 3.8 billion coupons, according to the Promotion Marketing Association. People of every age and income use coupons and couponing can make a real difference for a family’s bottom line. The question is: Can it make a difference for you?

This month’s topic regarding cutting your grocery bill in half will touch on the advantages and disadvantages of couponing. From here, you can make a decision that is right for your family regarding the benefits of using coupons. For most of you, some level of couponing will make good sense. With that said, couponing is not for everyone and it’s important to weigh the pros and cons before investing your valuable time in the fine art of coupon shopping.

Not to Coupon: There are many reasons people turn away from couponing or decide not to try it at all. Here is a list of perceived disadvantages that keep some shoppers from wielding their scissors and cashing in on potential coupon savings.

• Couponing takes too much time.
• It is embarrassing to use coupons.
• Organizing coupons is too much trouble.
• There are no coupons for the products we use.
• Coupons are only issued for junky processed foods.
• There are no real savings with couponing.

When I first started couponing in 1999, I had many of the same concerns and was skeptical about the benefits of couponing. Thankfully, I took the leap and soon realized that couponing, when done wisely, can save a tremendous amount of money. Let’s look at some of the reasons why the perceived disadvantages are not always accurate.
To Coupon: Successful couponing certainly takes some time, but most of the work is done at home, not at the store with cranky kids while you struggle to decide what to buy (sound familiar?). Smart spenders look through the sales ads, make a weekly meal plan, create a grocery list and match the coupons to sales all from the comfort of their home. By the time they get to the store, most of the work is done. All they need to do is put the items in the cart, check them off on the grocery list and put the coupons to the side, ready to present to the cashier at checkout. I do most of my shopping prep after the kids go to sleep while I am watching a TV show or two each week. I also make time for couponing while they are in music class or other extra curricular activities. I can still chat with the other parents while cutting or filing coupons. Often I am not the only one clipping away! If you cut and file coupons while doing other activities, like watching TV or waiting for the kids in carpool, it won’t seem like you have had to find extra time to coupon.

Although it can be embarrassing to hold up the line behind you while the cashier scans a handful of coupons, it can also be motivating to many folks when they see the savings from all those coupons. I always let people in line behind me know that I have a number of coupons and if they are in a hurry, they may want to try another line. Most stay put, ask questions and want to know how I coupon. What it comes down to is that I know I am being the best steward of our income. It shouldn’t be embarrassing to know that I am helping my family live within my means. To me, it would be much more troublesome if I could not pay my bills because I was too uncomfortable to cut coupons.

Coupon organization is always a frustration for new and struggling couponers. If your coupons are not organized, you cannot take advantage of the great buys. Most couponers have used the standard small accordion filing system with the 10 or so tabbed sections. Unfortunately, you can never find your coupons and they are usually expired when you do finally come upon them…..2 hours after you have left the store (again, sound familiar?). I started using the binder method in late 1999 and have loved it ever since. I use a 3 ring zipper binder (started with a 1.5” binder and now use a 3” binder), tabbed dividers labeled by product type and coupon insert pages to file the coupons. I am able to see all my coupons and expiration dates and I can always find the coupon I am looking for. If you are ready for some serious organization and think you might like to make your own, you can see pictures of my organizer at my website (www.smartspendingresources.com).

One of the most popular reasons that people choose not to coupon is because they believe there are no coupons for the products they use. That may be true if they use only specialty products from manufacturer’s that never offer coupons. Some folks have allergies and other special dietary requirements that don’t allow them to use many name brand items found in the typical grocery store. I am willing to bet that most families use at least some products that offer coupons. Remember, coupons are not only issued for food, they are issued for the full array of grocery and drug store products. Do you use shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet paper, soap, razors, hand soap, dish soap, laundry detergent, pasta, rice, canned vegetables, frozen vegetables, hummus, veggie soy burgers, shredded cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, taco shells, peanut butter, jelly, pickles, ketchup, salad dressing, olive oil, or cooking spray? Those are just a fraction of the products whose name brand manufacturers offer coupons. I regularly save 60% or more on those items using coupons coupled with sales.

Another misconception is that all coupons are only for junky, processed food. Certainly there are many coupons for unhealthy, high fat or high sugar foods. The good news is that there are also a number of coupons for healthier foods and non-food items that most of us use. I don’t clip the majority of coupons in the Sunday paper. I find multiples of coupons for the products I do use so I can stock up. For finding multiples, I use coupon clipping services including www.thecouponclippers.com and www.ebay.com. I also share with friends and neighbors and they share with me. Your goal, as a savvy shopper is to steer clear of the coupons you do not want to use and find multiples of those for the products you do use. A good example of finding coupons (and good deals) for healthier foods is the sale at my local Harris Teeter grocery store this week. They have a deal where you buy one box of Green Giant vegetables and you get 2 (yes, two!) boxes FREE. Each box is regularly priced at $1.99 so with the sale, each box is only 66 cents. Then, Green Giant is offering a deal that if I buy 5 boxes in one transaction, the register prints out a coupon (called a Catalina coupon) for $3 off my next transaction. Plus, my store doubles coupons with a face value of .99 or less. Here is how I worked the deal to buy healthy, delicious frozen Green Giant veggies for next to nothing:
9 boxes x .66 each = $5.94 before coupons

I used 3 manufacturer’s coupons from the Sunday paper and online coupon portals (such as coupons.com and bettycrocker.com) for 50 cents off two boxes (policy is one coupon per buy-one-get-two-free deal) = $3.00 off total

Then I used a Catalina coupon for $3 off my order from the previous veggies transaction = $3.00 off total

My total with tax was 2 cents for 9 boxes of vegetables!

Obviously, I took advantage of the promotion several times before I left the store and the $3 coupon printed out for each transaction. I just used it for the next order each time and paid 2 cents for every transaction of 9 boxes. Needless to say, we are well stocked on frozen veggies. There were plenty on the shelf at the store, so I didn’t even come close to clearing them out (which I try never to do). Although that deal is a little more complicated than many, it is a great example of this week’s best buy.

I often buy name brand whole wheat pasta, veggie burgers, hummus, and other healthy foods at 75% off or better using sales and coupons. I rarely even pay for shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes and deodorant anymore. With coupons and sales, we usually are able to buy those items for nothing at all. It’s simply a matter of choosing not to use the coupons for the unhealthy food and making sure you have multiples of coupons for the healthier choices and non-food items so you can stock up.

The last perceived disadvantage is that some people think that there are no real savings by using coupons. The truth is that there are excellent savings on some items, but that you won’t be able to use a coupon for every item on your grocery list. The key is to stock up on the best deals for the items you use then use the savings to pay for meats, fresh produce and other items that don’t offer high savings. All those 50 cent coupons add up to big savings. We have paid off both our cars, have no debt other than the mortgage and will have the house paid off by the time the kids start high school, in six years. Knowing how much we save, I expect that I will coupon for the rest of my life.

So, the question remains – is couponing a good choice for you? It is if you can say yes to the following:

You use (or want to use) name brand food and non-food products from traditional grocery stores and pay less for them than the store brand costs.
You are willing to look at sales ads for good buys.
You are willing to clip and organize your coupons.
You are willing to make a meal plan to maximize sales and your overstock.
You want to stretch your income much farther, spend less and have more groceries to show for your efforts.

Disclaimer: I have been a serious couponer for 8 years and our family saves over $5000 per year by clipping those little pieces of paper. My budget is now $55 per week for food, paper products, cleaning supplies and pet food. Although my cost is only $55, I actually bring home over $150 worth of product most weeks by combining sales with coupons. I have a stocked pantry, fridge and freezer and most of it is because of coupons. I also have a life outside of couponing, so I have found a healthy balance between stretching our hard earned income and everything else.

I look at couponing as another household responsibility. Just as I need to do laundry, wash dishes, clean house and cook meals, I also need to coupon. My husband fully supports my efforts because he sees the impact couponing has had on our budget.

For those of you who feel that couponing and other smart spending techniques may benefit your household, look for next month’s article on where to shop to find the best buys. Remember – it’s your money, spend it wisely!

Celebrate Fat Tuesday the old-fashioned way – with a classic Bayou feast! For additional recipes pick up the February issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray - on newsstands now!

Classic Hurricane Cocktails
Makes 8 Drinks

½ cup sugar
Ice cubes
2 cups rum
2 cups passion fruit juice
2 cups orange juice
2 cups pineapple juice
½ cup orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
Juice of 4 limes (about ½ cup)
Bitters, such as Angostura
8 fresh pineapple wedges

1) In a small saucepan, heat ½ cup water and sugar over medium heat and stir until dissolved. Let the simple syrup cool.
2) Fill a pitcher with ice cubes. Add the rum, passion fruit juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, orange liqueur, lime juice and simple syrup and stir until chilled. Strain the cocktail into glasses, top each with a dash of bitters and garnish with a pineapple wedge.

Coconut Shrimp Beignets with Pepper Jelly Sauce
Makes 40
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Vegetable oil
1 small jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup apple jelly
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
¾ pound shrimp – peeled, deveined and cit into ½-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
2 cups flour
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
¼ cup finely chopped scallions
1 tablespoon baking powder
One 12-ounce bottle amber beer

1) In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the jalapeno and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the apple jelly, cider vinegar, mustard and hot sauce and cook until the jelly is melted. Put the pepper jelly sauce into a serving dish.
2) In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over high heat. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper and cook until pink, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to paper-towel-lined plate and let cool.
3) Fill a heavy, medium saucepan halfway with oil and heat until the oil registers 360o on a deep-fat thermometer. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss together the flour, coconut, scallions, baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt. Whisk in the beer ¼ cup water. Stir the shrimp into the batter.
4) Using two soup spoons, scoop some shrimp and batter into one spoon, then, with the other spoon, scrape with batter into the hot oil. Fry 6 beignets at a time, turning once, until puffy and light brown, 1 minute on each side. Transfer the beignets to a paper-towel-lined plate; season with salt. Serve hot with the pepper jelly sauce.

Oyster, Bacon and Swiss Chard Gratin
8 Servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Bake Time: 15 minutes

3 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 bunches Swiss chard, chopped
2 cups heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
18 oysters, chopped
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
2/3 cup bread crumbs

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Add the onion, garlic and butter and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and cook until wilted, 3 minutes. Transfer to a colander and squeeze out any excess liquid. Reserve the skillet.
2) Add the cream and nutmeg to the skillet and boil until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
3) Stir the chard mixture into the cream. Add the oysters and ½ cup parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into a greased 3-quart baking dish.
4) In a small bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup parmesan and bread crumbs; sprinkle over the gratin. Bake until golden and bubbling around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.

For more recipes and party tips visit Rachael Ray Magazine online.

Blueberries are available in many forms: fresh, frozen, juice, puree, concentrate and dried. Fresh blueberries should be firm, dry, plump and smooth-skinned. Ripe berries are deep purple blue to blue-black. Stay away from containers of berries with juice stains, or that contain moldy, soft, watery or wrinkled fruit.

Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for five to seven days. Don’t wash blueberries until to you are ready to use them.

Preparation: Wash fresh or frozen berries before using them.

Freezing fresh blueberries: While blueberries are available year round, they are least expensive when they are in season in your area. Take advantage of your local crop year round by freezing blueberries. That’s right, blueberries freeze very well. To freeze blueberries: Do not wash them. Lay a single layer of blueberries on a cookie sheet (or flat pan) and freeze them. Once frozen, packed the berries into containers or freezer storage bags. This method makes it is easy to grab a handful of berries from the freezer for pancakes, smoothies, etc. Wash them before using.

Blueberry pancakes: A weekend family favorite. To prevent your batter from turning purple and for easier flipping, add the blueberries as soon as the batter has been poured on the griddle.

Dried blueberries: Available in many stores, dried blueberries are great in scones, banana bread, cookies, trail mix or sprinkled in popcorn or Chex mix.

Blueberry Relish: This delicious and simple relish is great with grilled chicken breast. It is also wonderful on grilled cheese sandwiches.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup sherry
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup fresh (or frozen) blueberries
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes (drained)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Add olive oil to saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, and cook until onions are golden, about 5 to 7 minutes.
   
2. Add sherry, vinegar, blueberries, tomatoes, salt and pepper.
   
3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and gently simmer 3 to 4 minutes.
   
4. Remove from heat and transfer relish to a serving bowl. Stays fresh in the refrigerator for five days. Can be frozen for up to two months.
   

• 6 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 2 cups diced mango
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon cardamom OR cinnamon
• 1 cup apple juice

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, combine blueberries, sugar, lime juice and cardamom. Over medium-high heat, bring mixture to a boil; cook and stir until sugar dissolves, about 7 minutes.
   
2. Transfer to a blender and purée until completely smooth. Stir in apple juice and chill in refrigerator until serving. Serve in martini or margarita glasses.
   

Unlike most fruits, the blueberry was not introduced to the United States by Europeans or other immigrants. Blueberries are native to North America, and it was the Native Americans who introduced European settlers to this wonderful, healthful fruit.
Blueberries were important to the Native Americans. They were eaten fresh, added to soups and stews, dried for the winter and used for medicinal purposes, making strong teas from the roots.

American settlers learned quickly about blueberries, and early medical books show blueberry tea was used by wives of settlers during labor. Blueberry juice was used for “old coughs” and tea made from Wild Blueberry leaves was believed to be a good tonic to help purify the blood.

New research provides proof that the Native Americans and settlers were correct in believing that blueberries held great healing power. Ranking No. 1 in antioxidant levels, blueberries are most likely the best food to eat for cancer prevention. The total antioxidant capacity of blueberries is twice that of spinach and three times that of oranges. This extraordinary fruit is also rich in pectin, a soluble fiber that has been shown in several research studies to be effective in lowering cholesterol. Blueberries are also rich in vitamin A and C.

Blueberries can be effective in combating the “runs,” because they contain anthocyanin. This substance has mild antibiotic properties, especially against intestinal bacteria that cause diarrhea.

Even though, blueberries have a short season, they are almost always available in your grocery store. They are grown throughout the US (35 of the 50 states), with local seasons ranging from early summer to the fall. And thanks to today’s modern transportation methods, blueberries from South America are available throughout the winter.

Step #1: Place all the condiments from your refrigerator and pantry onto your countertop. Wipe down the shelves.

Step #2: Toss out the items that have expired

Step #3: Place the dressings and sauces that you enjoy into the refrigerator and pantry, consolidating like items together.

Step #4: Chances are you may be left with some dressings on the counter that after tasting you don’t like much. These dressings can often make the best marinades for meats, potatoes and/or veggies, even though you are not crazy about the taste on your salad. I love marinating my meat before I freeze it, but you can actually pour these dressings into individual freezer bags and pop into the freezer. Make sure to mark the contents and the date.

Step #5: Stop purchasing dressings and other condiments as impulse items. If you like variety in your dressings, start making your own. A few ingredients in your pantry mixed together with some fresh ingredients and you can have variety in your diet without making a mess of your refrigerator! My favorite dressing is balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and fresh herbs. Use a ratio of about 3 to 1 (vinegar to oil), if you normally choose vinaigrette type dressings. If you prefer a creamy type dressing, opt for a low fat yogurt and/or buttermilk as a base for your dressing. Experiment and have fun. Keep in mind that if your creation flops as a dressing, it may work wonderfully as a marinade! Don’t stop your creativity with dressings alone. By using garlic, horseradish, mustard and fresh herbs you can turn ordinary ingredients such as low fat yogurt, sour cream, and mayonnaise into extraordinary dips and spreads.

Have fun, get creative, be healthy, and keep it simple!

Betsy

When I say “Inflammation,” thoughts of painful joints, muscles, swelling and loss of mobility probably comes to mind. But did you know that recent research shows that chronic inflammation in your body can lead to serious disease such as diabetes, heart disease, some cancers and Alzheimer’s disease, to name just a few?

The amount of inflammation in our body varies and is dependent on may circumstances like activity level, amount of sleep or stress in our lives and even the foods we eat. Now what you have to realize is that these factors are all accumulative and as the levels increase, the risk for disease increases.

Now, early in life these levels can be so low that you would not even know that you have any inflammation in your body and that is because our bodies do a fair job at controlling the inflammation at least for a while. Then, one day you wake up and you are in your 40s and something is just not right. The fear sets in and you think to yourself what did I do, what did I do wrong or what can I do right now to help myself.

The first step is to get your C-Reactive Protein levels tested. You will need to ask your doctor for the test and may even have to demand to have the test done. All it takes is a blood sample and the doctor or registered dietician will evaluate the test to help you formulate a care plan because our diets can play a large part in achieving optimal health.

If you have pain from inflammation you may choose to take the traditional “medical” path for inflammation such as, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s), steroids and even joint replacement surgery in severe cases. The good news is that there are more natural ways to fight inflammation, and they do not have the undesirable side effects caused by many typical medical treatments.

What You Eat Makes All The Difference
The food we eat is a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to controlling inflammation. The average American diet consists of high fat, high sugar, loads of red meat and a frightening amount of processed foods. These are all likely to increase inflammation, not to mention contributing to obesity, yet another high-inflammatory culprit. By switching to an Anti-Inflammatory Diet plan made up of healthy, whole foods, you can actually decrease inflammation and in turn ease the pain and discomfort associated with it.

The first step is to avoid processed foods, foods high in sugar and junk food whenever possible. Instead choose fresh, whole foods including anti-inflammatory varieties like lean proteins, fruits and vegetables. But choose carefully, in fact even some vegetables and pre-packaged “health” foods can work against you. Use this quick list of the best and worst foods in controlling inflammation:

Anti-inflammatory foods
Atlantic Salmon- (wild)
Fresh whole fruits, vegetables
Bright multi-colored vegetables
Green tea
Water
Olive oil
Lean poultry
Nuts, legumes and seeds
Dark green leafy vegetables
Old fashioned oatmeal
Spices, especially Turmeric and Ginger

Pro-inflammatory foods
Sugar, from any source
Processed foods
French Fries
Fast Foods
White bread
Pasta
Ice Cream
Cheddar Cheeses
Snack Foods
Oils such as vegetable and corn
Soda, caffeine and alcohol

In addition to these dietary changes it is also recommended that you:

• Maintain a healthy weight – There is no question that “eating healthy” is not easy now days, either at home or at a restaurant. But you must at least start to do these three things. Decrease your sugars, Decrease your hydrogenated oils and increase your daily intake of fiber to 35 grams. That is a ton of fiber but just try, you may hit it, you may not. The point is to try.

• Get better sleep – 7 to 9 hours is mandatory for optimal health and the one thing that most people do not know it that quality sleep is the key to controlling systemic inflammation.

• Relax more often to lower stress levels – Find time for yourself, morning, noon and night and focus on your breathing. Clear the clutter in your mind, learn to stay focused on the most important tasks in your life.

• Exercise on a regular basis – Everyone always asks me what it is the best exercise to do and all I can say is do something you like to do. If you can tolerate it, shoot for 15 to 20 minutes 3 times a week.

• Demand to have you CRP levels tested – This simple blood test is the best indicator of the level of systemic inflammation in your body. It is recommended that you have the levels evaluated by a certified health care provider to take the most appropriate action for you and your condition.

About the author: Fitness expert and best-selling author, Jesse Cannone, CFT, is the co-founder of www.losethebackpain.com.

Believe it or not, today’s mothers spend more hours focused on their children than the mothers of the 1960s did. While we like to hark back to the Leave It To Beaver halcyon days of mothers greeting kids after school with milk and cookies as an ideal for raising happy children, the reality, according to a University of Maryland study, actually looks better these days.

Based on detailed time diaries kept by thousands of Americans, mothers in 1965 spent 10.2 hours a week focused on their children in activities such as reading with them, feeding them or playing games. While the number of hours dropped in the 1970s and 80s, it began rising in the 90s and is now higher than ever at almost 14.1 hours each week.

But ask those same moms how they feel about it, and at least half will say they don’t have enough time with their kids.

The study shows how these extra hours spent with kids have been stolen from time spent on housework, cooking, meal cleanup and laundry. Oh, and sleep!

What I found most interesting was that moms almost halved the time they spent in cooking and meal cleanup. Unfortunately, this might suggest that we’re relying more on take-out, fast food or prepackaged frozen meals. Along with the cost of convenience, we’re also paying for undesirable amounts of sodium, additives, fats and calories.

I firmly believe that meals don’t have to be time-consuming to be healthy; that you don’t have to face an hour of cleanup after dinner in order to serve delicious, home-cooked food.

Here is a quick and easy kid-friendly recipe that can be easily adjusted for using fresh or frozen foods, depending on your rush level and how recently you’ve been to the grocery store. Regardless, you can feel good about serving it, and it won’t eat up important time better spent with your kids!

Garlic Fish and Potatoes
Serves 4

• 16 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
• 1 – 1 1/2 lb. filets of white fish, such as flounder, tilapia or sole fresh or frozen
• 2 russet potatoes or 16 oz. frozen hash browns (loose, not in patties)
• 4 cups broccoli florets, fresh or frozen
• 4 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
• 2 cups sliced carrots, fresh or frozen
• Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spray inside of 3 1/2- or 4-quart cast iron Dutch oven and lid with olive oil.

Drop whole, peeled garlic cloves into Dutch oven. Scrub and cube potatoes and place in pot; or shake frozen hash browns in (break apart hash browns so that they are not frozen in a single mound). Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and pepper, if desired. Set fish filets in next, in a single layer as much as possible. With thinner filets, it is ok to have multiple layers as long as the filets are not frozen to each other. I find it easy to separate frozen fish filets using the tip of a knife as a lever and applying a little pressure.

Tuck carrots into the crevices and follow with corn and broccoli until pot is full. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and pepper.

Cover and bake for 40-53 minutes, depending upon the thickness of the fish. Note: using frozen foods WON’T necessarily increase cooking time! You’ll know its ready 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal wafts from the oven.

Notes
Your kids won’t eat fish? Although the fish species suggested here are very mild flavored and a great way to introduce more fish to non-fish-eaters, try substituting 4 pieces of chicken for a different meal.

Don’t be nervous about the amount of garlic! Although it may seem like a lot, when the cloves are left whole they impart a milder, nutty flavor.

Nutritional Analysis per serving, based on 2 servings and using flounder, fresh potato and carrots and frozen corn and broccoli.
Calories 326
Protein 33g
Carbs 53g
Fat 2.8g
Cholesterol 54mg
Sodium 150mg
Fiber 11g

Elizabeth Yarnell is the inventor and author of Glorious One-Pot Meals: A new quick & healthy approach to Dutch oven cooking. Visit www.gloriousonepotmeals.com for more information on this unique, patented cooking method and to sign up for Elizabeth’s newsletter.

Playing outside in the hot days of summer will work up a thirst. While water is the best quencher of thirst and should be the first choice you offer your children, sometimes it’s nice to have a sweeter treat to enjoy. Choosing 100 percent real fruit juice for your children is the best choice and diluting it 50 percent with water is recommended.

When shopping for juices, you may notice that high quality, 100 percent juice is expensive. Many companies offer cheaper juices that taste like the real thing, with as much as 95 percent less of the real stuff. They mimic the taste of real juice by adding artificial flavors and high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a potent sweetener and an unhealthy ingredient. In fact, in the past few years, a mountain of studies provide evidence of a significant link between HFCS and the increases in obesity.

So how does high fructose corn syrup make people fatter? Even though it is sweet like sugar, HFCS is digested much differently. Research shows that HFCS goes directly to the liver, releasing instructions for the body to store fat. This elevates triglyceride (fat in blood) levels and cholesterol levels. It is also believed that HFCS may slow fat burning and cause weight gain. And still other research indicates that it does not stimulate insulin production, which usually creates the body’s sense of being full. Therefore, people may eat more than they should. While there is no single cause to the enormous rise in obesity, it is clear to many healthcare professionals that HFCS is part of the problem.

High fructose corn syrup is a very common ingredient in toddler and children foods, and it is especially common in juice and drinks. HFCS is so prevalent in processed foods; you may find it impossible to avoid it. Read ingredient labels carefully to try to limit your family’s consumption of this unhealthy ingredient.

About the authors: Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of five children and founders of Fresh Baby. Creators of products that include the So Easy Baby Food Kit and Good Clean Fun Placemats, Fresh Baby offers parents convenient and practical support in raising healthy children. Visit them online at www.FreshBaby.com. Fresh Baby products are available at many fine specialty stores and national chains including Target, Wild Oats, and Whole Foods Markets.

Parents are often looking for a healthy alternative to the standard, sugary, preservative-filled birthday cake for their baby’s introduction to the wonderful traditions of birthdays. We’ve heard from parents looking for ways to buy an egg-free cake, to those seeking recipes for “healthy” cakes, or even whether to make/buy two cakes (one for Baby, one for adults).

To answer the last question first – there is no reason to create extra work for yourself, make or buy one cake, relax and congratulate yourself for making it through the first year! Most people will be gracious guests and enjoy whatever is served. And let’s not lose sight of the real reason for the birthday cake – THE PHOTO. We do it all for the precious scrapbook shot of your cake-faced little one delighting in being the life of the party!

Here are some ideas that keep the tradition of the birthday cake treat, but add some healthy twists (you can use these ideas for any age!):

Egg-free: If your baby has not been introduced to whole eggs by their first birthday, this is probably not the occasion to give them a try. Many egg substitutes contain eggs, so to be safe, look for cake and frosting mixes labeled “vegan” which are free of all animal products. You’ll need to go to a health food store to find these products. Or jump on the Internet, Vegan Baker is one company that offers cake and frosting mixes. If baking is not for you, many urban cities also have vegan bakeries too – check the Yellow Pages or ask someone at a vegetarian restaurant.

Healthier cake flavors: If you decided on a traditional layer cake or cupcakes, there are healthier cakes choices over the standard white or chocolate layer cake varieties. Some cake flavors to consider include banana cake, applesauce cake or carrot cake. Cakes than contain fruit usually have less sugar. Made from scratch, a mix or from a bakery, they are a step up on the healthy scale.

Frosting: You must have frosting for the photo! Healthier frosting choices can include organic yogurt thickened with cream cheese or a traditional cream cheese frosting. The ultimate substitute for sugar-laden buttercream is whipped cream. Homemade whipped cream is pretty simple to make and just a couple tablespoons of sugar will sweeten it.

Homemade Whipped Cream
1 cup of heavy cream
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Chill the heavy cream for 24 hours in your refrigerator. Pour heavy cream in a chilled, large, deep bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat the cream on high until it thickens. Add the vanilla and sugar, and continue beating until soft peaks form. To test the whipped cream, stop the mixer and pull up the beaters, if the cream forms little mountains that stand up, then the whipped cream is done. Makes 2 cups and must be refrigerated.

Forego the frosting: You don’t really need frosting to have a good time. Make an applesauce cake and dust it with powdered sugar. To jazz up the look, make or buy a stencil and lay it on the top of the cake. Using powdered sugar and a sifter, dust the top of the cake. Carefully remove the stencil – Viola! An impressive presentation and low in sugar too!

Go for cool: While a Mississippi Mud Pie is not a healthy ice cream choice, you can make or buy a frozen yogurt cake. Many ice cream shops also have wonderful choices in fruit sorbets too. A cake made with frozen vanilla yogurt and mango sorbet is a great treat for all ages.

About the authors: Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of five children and founders of Fresh Baby. Creators of products that include the So Easy Baby Food Kit and Good Clean Fun Placemats; Fresh Baby offers parents convenient and practical support in raising healthy children. Visit them online at www.FreshBaby.com. Fresh Baby products are available at many fine specialty stores and national chains including Target, Wild Oats, and Whole Foods Markets.

Love to indulge your children with popsicles or ice cream on hot summer days, but hate the end result of sticky hands and drips all over the place? Thanks to Mecinna Price, mother of five and creator of the Dripstik, kids can keep their hands clean and enjoy their treats, too.

After growing frustrated by the drippy popsicle mess and extra laundry resulting from her five children, Mecinna, a self proclaimed neat freak, decided to solve the problem herself and the Dripstik was born.

Made with a handle on the bottom and a generous lip to catch drips up top, simply stick your popsicle or ice cream cone into the top section of the Dripstik and enjoy!

Having a pool party for a little one this summer? Buy a pack of Dripstiks and they’ll go down in history as the party favor that won’t get tossed in the trash. Buy yours at www.dripstik.com

1. Create a pantry – Write a list of all the meals that your family enjoys on a regular basis. Try and keep the staples of these menus as your pantry items, only purchasing them when they are on sale. A pantry does not have to be a separate room, it can be a cabinet in your kitchen or you can create a pantry by placing a shelving unit in your basement.

2. Purchase meat in bulk and freeze in family sized portions. We recently purchased 100 pound of lean ground beef. Prior to freezing it, we made 200 meatballs (packed in family sized portion containers), 6 meatloaves, 40 pounds of hamburger patties in family sized containers, 40 pounds of ground beef in 1 pound packages.

3. Freeze meals – When you prepare a meal, make extra and freeze. For example, instead of making one meatloaf for dinner tonight, make two, one for now and one for months later. In addition, if you freeze muffins, cakes, and cupcakes, you will be thankful some warm day when you need a dessert and don’t want to turn on the oven. Note: for cakes and cupcakes, freeze without the icing.

4. Freeze seasonal vegetables – whether you grow your own vegetables or not, there is bound to be big savings throughout the year on your favorites. Many things can be easily frozen, with little to no preparation. An example of this would be peppers. Peppers can be sliced or diced and then packed in a freezer safe container (little to no air as possible) and simply stored in the freezer. When you need them for a recipe, not only are they already diced, but you bought them for a fraction of the price.

5. Plan your meals at least 1 week in advance. The further ahead you plan your meals, the better chance you’ll have at finding the ingredients you need on sale. When I go to the grocery store, I am not looking for this week’s meals; rather I am looking to purchase my staple pantry items, fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat on sale.

6. Plan a left-over night once a week. Not only is it one night you don’t have to worry about meal preparation, but you won’t be throwing money in the trash by tossing uneaten food away. I prefer to do this the night before I go for groceries.

Warnings:

1. Do not purchase unknown ingredients for one recipe. If you don’t know if your family likes curry, you may not want to purchase a large container of curry for which you need 1 teaspoon for a new recipe. Ask your neighbor to borrow a teaspoon first, or look for the smallest container possible in the grocery store. Spices are one item that you want to be careful about buying in bulk trying to save money. If they are not used, they lose their potency, and you have not saved any money in the long run.

2. Don’t lose things in your freezer. Whether you have an upright or chest freezer, or simply a freezer on your refrigerator, be very careful to place like items with like items and rotate foods to keep the oldest items up front. I have heard where some people keep an inventory of their freezer items, but for me I know that this is a system that we will not continue. Unless it is kept up with by everyone who takes things out of the freezer, it can be ineffective.

3. Store items properly – whether it be the pantry or the freezer, take special care to make sure your items are airtight and well marked (with description and date). You may want to place thawing/cooking instructions with it.

4. Be careful about purchasing in bulk. Read carefully the unit price and make sure you are getting a true deal.

5. Don’t get sucked into the marketing of coupons. There are many people who have created a science out of coupon-clipping, carefully matching them to store ads so they can reach maximum savings. I applaud them, but I am not one of them. So often when I hear people have decided to start budgeting meals, they find themselves pouring over the coupons in the Sunday paper. If I see a coupon for something that I always use, I will clip it, but I do not spend much time on the process. I am a working mother and time is money for me. If I spend hours working on coupons; clipping coupons, studying store ads, driving to different stores, and spending excess minutes studying the can of tomatoes in the store to make sure that it is the exact brand, style, and ounces that is listed in the coupon, it simply is not worth the end savings for me. Since I have a stocked pantry, I only purchase items when they are on sale anyways.

Have fun, eat well, and create clever ways to save money while preparing healthy meals for your family.

Betsy

This is one of my favorite times of year. Although I am not partial to the warmer weather, I love the products of warm weather – fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables. Here are some of the reasons that I love the freshness so much:

1. Local produce is cheaper.

2. Local produce is fresher: sometimes food can travel 1500-3000 miles to get to your grocer’s shelf.

3. Buying local produce keeps the air cleaner: trucks that are transporting veggies cross-country can produce up to 3100 pounds of CO2.

4. Utilizing the variety of fresh local produce available during the year enables you and your family the opportunity to eat new foods as the seasons change.

5. Because of all that is available through your local farmer’s market, it is easier to get your 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables. In fact, the CDC has a new website solely dedicated to helping Americans reach their target fruit/veggie consumption. They offer tips for cooking, recipes, health professionals, partner websites, and a fruit of the month.

6. Buying local produce supports your local economy. Your food dollar goes straight to the farmer and provides your locale with the opportunity to support sustainable food. Sustainable agriculture provides security for agricultural families, supports the rural community and offers fair treatment to all involved in the process: growers, workers/laborers, consumers, and animals.

7. Better nutrition: It takes less time for local produce to get to your kitchen; therefore your produce retains more vitamins and minerals. Out of season fruits and veggies shipped from other countries can take up to two weeks to make it to the grocery store.

So, how can we change the way we eat??

1. Start in your own backyard. Find a community garden, or better yet, start one.

2. Take a trip to your local farmer’s market. Click here to find one in your state.

3. Find out what is in season in your region.

4. Take the 100 Mile Diet Challenge – resolve to eat foods grown only within a 100-mile radius of your home.

5. If the above resources seem too much for you, you can always check the Calendar of Best Buys, and that will at least guide you to the freshest, most in-season produce in your regular grocery store.

So, enjoy the next six months or so and let your taste buds do the traveling, not your food.

Confucius said a lot of smart things in his day. But I’ll bet if he’d spent any time as a mother, he’d have also said: “A happy baby is a happy mommy.”

Look around any airport or mall, and you can see the relationship between what children eat and how they behave and learn. Chances are, the child dangling from the light fixture ate too many swizzle sticks and malt balls.

Studies show that the relationship between behavior and learning begins with the brain. A baby’s brain triples in size by the first birthday. Since the baby’s bloodstream feeds its nutrients first to the most vital organs, the brain gets the first helpings. Mozart might help, but a developing brain craves three types of foods:

Mood Foods

The brain uses 20% of the body’s carbohydrate supply. That affects behavior and learning. Foods that contain sugars (complex carbohydrates) released into the bloodstream at a slow and steady pace are:

Cereal and grains like oatmeal and brown rice.
Fresh fruits like apples and oranges (fruit juices don’t provide the necessary fiber needed to release sugar over a sustained period of time)
Veggies and Legumes, like sweet potato and lentils.
Dairy products, like milk or yogurt (but beware of the added sugar in many flavored yogurts)

Smart Foods

Proteins are necessary for brain development, because their amino acids help your baby’s brain build neurotransmitters that carry messages from one brain cell to another – literally, the firing pistons in the brain’s engine. From birth to six months, the average baby requires 13 grams of protein daily.

Breast milk and/or formula is the perfect choice.
Older babies can incorporate seafood, soy products (watch for allergies), meat & eggs

Fat is good (really!)

The baby’s brain is 60% fat and it uses 60% of the total energy consumed by the infant. The right kind of fat is important too: Breast milk is rich in brain building fats such as DHA and Omega-3 fats. Other food sources include:

Green leafy veggies
Flax seed oil
Salmon

Your choices in the foods you give your baby have never been more important. Selecting Certified Organic foods to feed to your baby’s brain at this most vulnerable time in its development have immense benefits throughout your child’s life. This includes:

Lowering your baby’s risk of allergies or asthma
Decreasing exposure to toxic chemicals.
Infants’ diets are usually restricted to a small range of foods in concentrated amounts, which puts them at a higher risk for toxic exposure.

Here are some of the foods that help to build your baby’s brain:

Broccoli Avocados Cantaloupe Cheese Brewer’s Yeast
Eggs Peas Spinach Brown rice Asparagus
Legumes Oatmeal Yogurt Bananas

How food affects a baby’s mood and growth varies from child to child, but if you understand how foods affect the body, you can make wise choices for both you and your family.

What should you do with all those candy filled bags coming into your home? Ban Halloween? Send notes with your children that all who give must give only nutritious snacks? Bury them in the backyard when no one is looking? Or my personal favorite… eat it yourself!!

This time of the year can just be simply wretched for the sugar aholics among us. I bet I am not the only one who buys candy “for decoration” and then ends up eating it. I can mow through a bag of candy corn in 24 hours without batting my eye! And then there are the Halloween parties, parades, and the mother-of-them-all… trick or treating. Years ago, we would get maybe a mini chocolate bar or a quarter per house, but not anymore! The majority of the houses my kids visit have mini bags of candy! Full size bars!!

So what is a parent to do? Should we allow our children to eat until their hearts are content and then just get them in for a good dental cleaning after a few weeks, or should we go the other way? Ban all candy from the house?

I am suggesting a bit of a compromise:

Don’t buy candy for your own house! There are many other healthier alternatives for you to give out if trick-or-treaters come to your home. Also, you won’t have double the candy if you buy for those who come to your house and then send your children out to get more! Pretzels, fruit snacks, granola bars, etc. are all good choices. You can use the leftovers for packing lunches! A word of caution regarding fruit snacks. My Dentist said these are an absolute nightmare on the teeth!

Have your children pick out their favorites and take the rest to work. What happens if you don’t do this is YOU will end up eating what is left!

Use the candy for holiday baking. Tandy cakes, candy bar cookies, M&M cookies, etc. are always great holiday favorites! I freeze the candy so I won’t be tempted to sneak some. If you don’t trust yourself, take them to a relative’s house. Do you think I am joking?? I know how yummy frozen chocolate can be!

Re-use the hard candy. Take the lollipops and other hard candy and stash them away until you have an occasion to stuff a piñata or need hard candy for some other occasion.

Allow your children to overindulge the first day and then be limited after that. What I have found works best for us (keep in mind… I am not implying this will necessarily work for everyone) is we pretty much (within reason) allow them to eat whatever they desire Halloween night. After that, they can have 1 piece of candy after school and another after dinner.

Hopefully some of the suggestions above will help you reclaim some of the control over the amount of candy in your home. If nothing else, it certainly reaffirmed to me that I don’t need to buy a bag of candy corn “for decoration.” Regardless, have a safe and fun-filled Halloween!

Betsy

Hate to make a salad only to watch your greens turn brown and black in no time?� While your lettuce’s nutritional value stays the same, it’s aesthetics take a beating once it’s been cut.� Solve the roughed up lettuce look with this little tip: when making your salad cut your lettuce with a serrated blade (a large bread knife is perfect.) The ridges in the blade make a cut that keeps the lettuce from immediately browning…