Jumping on the Clean Eating band wagon

When my son first started eating solid foods I made everything from scratch.  I utilized my Baby Bullet to make healthy concoctions and only used fresh local produce & organic grass-fed chicken.  However, as time went on and he got older, I got lazier.  Maybe lazy isn’t a good word, more like exhausted, overworked & time constricted.  I found myself cooking with canned vegetables & boxed pastas more often and offering my husband and son chips & store bought muffins as snacks.

Over time we started to feel weighed down from all of the processed foods we were eating & snacking on.  On top of that, both my husband & son have sensitive stomachs and were taking medicine to cope.  We had to make a lifestyle change….

Eating clean seemed like such a fad to me.  Every time I turned around people were saying they were clean eating, or going vegan.  How ridiculous!  Or, was there something to this “eating good, feeling good” thing?  After doing some research we decided to jump on the band wagon.  We decluttered our cabinets & filled our fridge with fresh produce & lean meats.  It hasn’t been easy or cheap.  My kitchen is a madhouse from all of the prepping, cooking & baking.  Dishes are scattered across the countertops because the dishwasher is constantly full.  But, knowing that my boys are getting the vitamins and healthy fats they need makes it all worth it. 

Of course, I’m not giving up my wine & there will be times we go out to dinner or decide to make nachos.  But at the end of the day, I’m hoping that by avoiding most processed foods we’ll gain more energy, manage existing stomach conditions & get the nutrition we need without taking supplements.

Wish us luck!!!

It’s dinner time…

My husband & I like to go out to eat – correction, we love to go out to eat!  We love the experience and the meal selections, plus sometimes grabbing dinner (and drinks) is just easier than the process of making dinner.

However, now that we have a son I think it’s important to spend quality time around the dinner table.  Going out to eat has so many distractions that prevent us from having conversations and truly enjoying each other’s company.  We want to instill good values in our son and making family dinner at home a priority is a good way to start.

I’ve made dinner every night this week & I love the interest my son has taken to the kitchen.  He pays attention to my every move, eager to help and learn.  Since he can’t fully assist with making meals yet (he’s only 15 months) I let him play with the pots & pans and even dabble at mixing flour with his own bowl & whisk.

Last night I conjured up a new family favorite, Cinnamon Pecan Chicken!  Fall is my favorite season & I love baking and cooking fall-appropriate meals. This recipe was easy & turned out better than I had anticipated. Try it for yourself and let me know your thoughts!

Cinnamon Pecan Chicken – Prep time 10 Minutes – Cook time 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb. Chicken tenderloin or boneless, skinless breast

1 Tsp. salt

½ Cup all-purpose flour

2 Eggs, beaten

 1½ Cups chopped pecans

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a large baking sheet with non-stick spray.  Clean and trim your chicken as needed and sprinkle with salt.

Place the flour, eggs and chopped pecans in three separate bowls/containers.  Whisk the eggs and then add the cinnamon into the chopped pecans, mix until fully coated; I used Fisher Pecan Chips.

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One by one, place each chicken tenderloin into the flour ensuring the chicken is fully covered before shaking off any excess.  Dip the flour-coated chicken into the beaten eggs, again having the excess drip off.  Finally, roll the chicken into the cinnamon pecan mixture pressing the pecans into the chicken.  I didn’t want our son to have the pecan chips so I coated his chicken in Italian breadcrumbs instead.

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Bake the chicken for 15 minutes.  Flip and bake for another 10-15 minutes until fully cooked.  I paired the chicken with corn & parmesan tomato pasta.  I love the combination of salty & sweet so I think next time I’ll caramelize the pecans for a sweeter finish!

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Tis the season for apple picking and making sauce

I love this time of year…the leaves are starting to change, the house smells like pumpkin spice & I can finally break out my scarves and boots!  It also means that we can venture to the local farm for hayrides and apple picking.  Over the weekend we took our son to the apple orchard; he loved picking his own apples!

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By the time we were finished we had a 10 lb. bag and one happy little boy!  Since we had plenty of apples to go around, I decided to make applesauce!  Follow my simple recipe for an applesauce the whole family will love.

Laura’s Apple Cider Applesauce – Prep time 15 min, Cook time 20 min, Yields 1-1 ½ quarts

Ingredients:

7 – 10 Apples (we picked Jonathan, but Granny Smith or Golden Delicious would work too)

3 tbsp. Lemon Juice

1 Cup Water

½ Cup Apple Cider

1 tbsp. Cinnamon

Put the water and 2 tbsp. lemon juice in a large pot.  Peel, core and cut apples into quarters.  Add apples to the pot of lemon water as you cut them to prevent browning.  Halfway through cutting the apples add the remaining lemon juice and stir to make sure all of the apples are covered.

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Once all of the apples are in the pot add the apple cider, bring to a boil, and then lower the temperature.  Cover and maintain a low simmer for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

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Once the apples are fully cooked, remove the pot from the heat.  Add the cinnamon and use a potato masher (or a fork) to mash the apples in the pot.  My family likes a thicker applesauce, but if your family prefers a smoother style you can mix the apples in a blender.  Taste the applesauce, if you believe it’s too sweet add more lemon juice or if it’s not sweet enough add 1/4 cup brown sugar.

You can serve the applesauce hot or cold, with pork chops or mixed with yogurt!  It also freezes for up to a year in a cold freezer.  Enjoy!

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(Took inspiration from http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/applesauce/)