While I do the majority of the cooking at our house, simply because I love it so much, we have slowly but surely been training our boys to read recipes and put simple meals together. Remember how they cooked for me on Mother’s Day? Dad played a big role in that, but still, it was impressive to me (as I sat locked in my office listening and blogging the play-by-play of the action) to hear that our boys know where ingredients are, and how to figure out a brand new recipe.
Most impressive to me, however, is the fact that our boys have learned to adapt recipes to make them healthier. I really had no idea that I was inadvertently teaching them this skill as we’ve cooked together. But as our two middle boys (ages 10 and 12) dug through our Better Homes and Gardens cookbook one day recently and decided to make a Brownie Pudding Cake, I found myself preparing to walk them through how to exchange less healthy ingredients for those that we typically bake with.
To my surprise, my assistance was never needed. I heard them reading the recipe aloud, “1/4 cup sugar – okay, I’ll get out the sucanat.” and “1 Tablespoon cooking oil…I think coconut oil would be the best one for this cake.”
I stayed out of the kitchen the entire time. They had it under control and knew just what to do. Might they still need my assistance at times while they are cooking? Of course. Not everything about ”healthifying” a recipe is as easy as switching out sugar for sucanat, one for one. But it goes to show that if you talk through recipes while you’re cooking with your kids, they will learn an incredible amount, whether you realize it or not!
In case you’re interested, here is my boys’ version of a very tasty cake. They even got a picture…after we taste tested it. :)
Coppinger Boys’ Brownie Pudding Cake
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sucanat
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup milk
1 Tablespoon melted coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup sucanat
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
3/4 cup boiling water
Stir together flour, 1/4 cup sucanat, 1 Tablespoon cocoa, and the baking powder. Add milk, oil and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Spread batter in a 1-quart baking dish. Combine 1/3 cup sucanat, and the remaining 2 Tablespoons of cocoa powder. Gradually stir in boiling water. Pour evenly over batter. Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings.
I’ve created a free downloadable Healthy Recipe Substitutions Chart
that you are welcome to print and keep in your kitchen.
Here is more information I’ve written on substituting healthy ingredients.
And now for the giveaway!
I’ve found that summer is a perfect time to give my kids more time and experience in the kitchen. Interested in joining me in this endeavor? (With your own kids, of course. My kids would probably love to come cook in your kitchen, but they’ll be too busy scrambling eggs and making muffins in mine. Sorry.)
Last summer, we finished and launched to new books: Teaching Your Kids to Cook (written for the parent) and Learn to Cook (written for the student). We’re giving away one of each today (the downloadable version) as a way to encourage you to get your kids in the kitchen with you. And watch closely over the next few days. There may or may not be a sale on those books soon. :)
If you’re interested in winning one of these books, head over to the book description page and look them over. Come back here and leave a comment, letting us know which one would work best for your family. If you’d like extra entries for more chances to win, share this giveaway on Facebook, like me on Facebook, follow me on Pinterest, subscribe to my blog, and/or come mop my floors. I’d be happy to give you extra entries for any or all of the above. ;)
I’ll draw two random winners on Monday, May 28. Please watch for a post stating the winners as you will be responsible for contacting me if your name is chosen.
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Free Card for Father’s Day! (May 23 Only)
By · May 23, 2012 · Comments
Between now and 11:59pm (PT) tonight, May 23, you can get a FREE Father’s Day card from Treat!
This offer applies to both new and returning customers. Use the code TREATDAD and enjoy a free, customized, card. I always have fun using this site to make personalized cards. To have the chance to grab a free one is super exciting!
Here is how it works:
· You choose your card from their hundreds of Father’s Day designs.
· Personalize your card with photos, nicknames, inside jokes, or whatever you want to add.
· Use the code TREATDAD to get this special deal.
Note: You can choose the “Send it to me first” shipping option to receive the card free. If you choose “Mail it directly to the recipient,” you will be charged $0.44for postage. Limit one per household. You will also be asked for their creditcard to verify your identity and prohibit fraud, but you will not be charged for a free card if you mail to yourself.
Healthy, Inexpensive Lunches – What Are Your Favorites?
By · May 22, 2012 · CommentsMaking 36 sandwiches yesterday got me to thinking about lunch ideas…
In the past, I’ve shared with you that our family does not eat many sandwiches, unless we’re on the road. Why? Because my family of six knows how to put away a large amount of food three times a day. By the time I purchase a decent quality lunch meat, whole wheat bread, and mayo I feel good about feeding our family, I can spend between $15 and $20 just on sandwiches for one meal. I could spend less if I bought cheaper lunch meat, but I don’t wanna and you can’t make me. ;) Thinking about how lunch meat is processed, and knowing what is added to the meat makes my face curl up in unattractive ways. It is best if I don’t go there.
Instead of sandwiches, our family enjoys much less expensive, much healthier meals during lunchtime each day. In an effort to share my ideas and get new ideas from all of you too, I thought it might be fun for us to talk about our favorite healthy (and quick) lunches.
Look through my archive of menu plans to read through lunches we fix regularly. As long as I have a plan, I can typically get lunch on the table very quickly. Don’t assume that sandwiches are faster to make than other lunches. Be creative and have fun. And take advantage of these Make Ahead Meal ideas which make warming up a pre-prepared healthy lunch a snap.
In case you don’t have this yet, we’d love for you to download our FREE Healthy Lunch List. Just click, print, and place this list on your fridge (or another handy location) to give you lots of fun lunch time inspiration!
Here are a few of our family’s favorite healthy and inexpensive lunches:
Taco Corn Fritters with fruit
Tuna Casserole with a veggie
Corndog Muffins with raw carrots and fruit
Healthier Chip Dip with organic corn chips and fruit
Sloppy Cornbread Muffins with fruit or veggies
What are your favorite, healthy lunches? Load up the comments section with ideas for us to draw from!
Gratituesday: Four Plus Ten…the Houseful of Boys
By · May 21, 2012 · Comments
We have had a big day. Cleaning, baking, rearranging furniture, getting out towels and sheets…
Tonight, our church was honored to host a high school choir from out of state who is touring over the next few days. We signed up to keep ten boys at our house. Why ten? Well…why not? :) (The real answer is that we have a big house, and filling it with boys is fun for us!)
I had so much fun baking and getting food ready for this crowd. I knew they’d be hungry after the concert, so I made a pan of Fudge Brownies, a pan of Butterscotch Bars and a triple batch of Cream Cheese Salsa Dip for them to eat when they got here. They did not disappoint. Apparently, singing makes teenage boys hungry. ;)
Take a look at who is singing with the choir there on the bottom right!
The director invited any young children from the audience to join them for one song.
Justus was the only one of ours brave enough to go up there.
I took a few pics during the day while I was preparing some of the other food for their visit. I decided to make several batches of muffins for breakfast since we need to get them up and out the door fairly early tomorrow morning. I’ve got (hopefully) plenty of fruit to go with the muffins.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, Banana Muffins,
Blueberry Muffins, and Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins
I packed lunches for 16 boys (the ten we hosted plus six more), and found that an assembly line with help from a great friend was a great way to whip out 36 sandwiches.
Once we finished the sandwiches, we kept with the assembly line theme and loaded up big sacks. The boys will take these on the road with them tomorrow. (Sandwiches, chips, crackers, applesauce, homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies, a cereal bar, and a bottle of water.)
We’re so thankful for the blessing of hosting these boys. Oh, and did I mention that I found out this morning that two of them are my cousin’s boys?! I had no idea they were touring with the group. What an added blessing!
Share how God is working in your life on your blog, then come link up with us here. If you don’t have a blog, be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re grateful for! Please read through the Gratituesday Guidelines so that you understand what kinds of posts you can link up to share here. Posts that are linked but do not fit our Gratituesday theme will be deleted.
If you are linking up a blog post for Gratituesday,
please copy and paste the following sentence into your post! Thanks!Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!
Lilla Rose Giveaway Winners
By · May 21, 2012 · Comments
The winners of the Lilla Rose Giveaway are:
1) Leesa B: bartudl@
2) Corina: corinalv@
3) Susan: fourseasonsfarm@
Ladies, email me and I’ll forward your information on to Paula at Lilla Rose for your prize. :)
$10 Off $30 Order For New Customers at iHerb, Plus Free Shipping
By · May 20, 2012 · Comments
It appears that many of you are receiving $10 off (instead of the normal $5 off), if you are a new customer who spends at least $30 at iHerb! That makes a great deal even better, huh?
One reader, Marie, put eight bags of Enjoy Life Soy Free, Dairy Free Chocolate Chips in her cart, entered my referral code (BID487), and received $10 off, making her order just $24.08, or $3.01 per bag of chocolate chips. Such a great deal for these! (Shipping is free on all orders over $20.)
If you don’t need or want chocolate chips, you can find many other great, organic products at iHerb that will benefit you and your family (maple syrup, coconut flour, gluten free foods, dried fruit…)
This “$10 off” offer is only good through May 22. Thanks to all who commented or emailed to let me know about this!
Menu Plan for the Week
By · May 20, 2012 · Comments
It’s been a while since I’ve made these Sloppy Cornbread Muffins.
We all love them, and they are a perfect, easy, make-ahead meal.
Here is what our menu looks like for this week:
Sunday, May 20
Oatmeal, fruit
Lasagna casserole, tossed salad
Graduation parties
Monday, May 21
Whole wheat waffles, blueberry syrup
Sloppy cornbread muffins, fruit salad
Crunchy ranch chicken, stir fried rice and veggies
Tuesday, May 22
Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, banana muffins, scrambled eggs, fruit
Toasted sub sandwiches, apples, baby carrots
Alfredo sauce with pasta and chicken, tossed salad, steamed broccoli
Wednesday, May 23
Fruit-yogurt smoothies, English muffins
Taco corn fritters, oranges
Bbq brisket, cream scalloped potatoes, green beans
Thursday, May 24
Pancake sausage muffins, applesauce
Cheeseburger macaroni, peas
Creamy crock pot chicken and rice, carrots
Friday, May 25
Whole wheat donuts, fruit
Tuna salad on crackers, tomatoes, olives, carrots
Lamb-burgers, ranch potato wedges, green beans
Saturday, May 26
Turkey sausage, scrambled eggs, hashbrowns
Leftovers
One dish meat and potato meal
Saving Money Online – Healthy Deals
By · May 18, 2012 · Comments
~ Remember how I told you about Muscovado Sugar? You can get ten pounds of this great sugar from Amazon for just $1.79/pound! Use subscribe and save to buy ten, one pound packages for $17.85.
~ Get two 15 ounce tubs of Nutiva Coconut Oil for $15.30 with subscribe and save at Amazon.
~ If you’re wanting to give Coconut Flour a try, you can get four, sixteen ounce packages of Bob’s Red Mill Coconut Flour for $22.51 at Amazon with subscribe and save. You can read more of my thoughts on the cost and benefits of coconut flour here.
~ VitaCost has their Tinkyada Brown Rice Spaghetti Noodles marked 45% off, making them just $2.28 for a 16 ounce package. They offer free shipping for orders over $49, and if you sign up through this referral link, you’ll receive $10 to spend on your first order!
~ Remember that great deal I got on Enjoy Life Soy Free Chocolate Chips from iHerb? This seems to still be good. Check out the details here.
What Time of Day is Best for Working Out?
By · May 17, 2012 · CommentsIs there a time of day that is more beneficial for working out? Does working out in the morning prove to be a more effective exercise time than working out later in the day?
Those are questions Jen, from Getting Fit With Jen, hears often. Here’s what she has to say about it:
There are a variety of studies that “prove” different theories on the subject of what time of day is best for working out. Most studies will tell you that working out in the morning is better and more effective. The thought behind this is that early morning exercise will energize you, get your day started right, and boost your metabolism.
Is this true? Sure, working out in the morning can be beneficial in these ways. But what if you’re the type of person who is groggy in the morning? What if getting up extra early for exercise just doesn’t work for you? What if you simply do not have time to work out first thing in the morning?
Occasionally some find that working out at night before bed makes it hard for them to sleep because of the endorphins that have been released during the workout, pumping them up and giving them extra energy. Some people find that working out at night doesn’t affect them negatively and that, in fact, they actually sleep better immediately following a good workout.
I say: Exercise during a time that works best for you. If morning works for you – great. If afternoon works for you – great. If night time works best for you – great. As long as you are finding time to exercise, no matter what time of day it is, you will reap the rewards!
Read more of Jen’s thoughts on this subject in her post: Finding Time to Exercise. If you’re interested in having Jen set up a personalized work-out program for you, read more about the services she provides here. I have benefited so much from having her as my “personal trainer”. :)
Lilla Rose Giveaway
By · May 17, 2012 · Comments
Unlike the past two times I’ve shared about Lilla Rose, I don’t have any ridiculous stories to share about how my piano ate my Flexi-Clip, or about how my Flexi-Clip fell into my boot. You should all be very proud of me. For the past few weeks, I have kept very good track of my clips. In fact, my very favorite one is in my hair right now – the best place I have found to keep it so that it won’t get lost!
Now, I do have to say that yesterday, I proved to myself how much I love my Flexi-Clips. Apparently, I have begun to take them for granted. I am so used to wearing them every day and being completely comfortable, that I forgot how nice they are on my head.
Yesterday, I pulled my hair up into a regular ol’ hair rubberband, just to get it out of my face, because all of my Flexi-Clips were in another room, and I was much to lazy to take the extra steps to go get one. I figured I’d swap it out once I went downstairs – but nope. I forgot. I then left to go out of town for the day, and was then far, far away from my Flexi-Clips.
I kid you not…all day long I was wishing I had a Flexi-Clip. My hair kept slipping out of the band, plus the band kept pulling my hair. Ouch! My Flexi-Clips never pull my hair. And they always stay in place.
Never again will I be too lazy to take the extra steps to go get my Flexi-Clip. I knew I loved them, but yesterday proved this to me once again!
Paula, from Lilla Rose, is offering to give away three Flexi-Clips (or any other item worth $15 or less). Leave a comment here for a chance to win one. Join Paula’s Facebook page for an additional entry, leaving a second comment here letting me know that you did. I’ll draw three random winners on Monday, May 21. Please watch for a post stating the winners as you will be responsible for contacting me if your name is chosen.
