snacks vs. treats- repost

Since I closed down the old blog I've had quite a few people looking for this post, so I'll repost it here:

I know so many (too many) people who honestly don't know the difference between a snack and a treat. They are not happy with an apple or a piece of toast, it has to be a bag of chips, store-bought overly-sugared cookies, or something equally junky.

Don't get me wrong, we love chips and cookies too- but they are occasional treats, not part of our daily snacking.

snack~ noun 1. a small portion of food or drink or a light meal, esp. one eaten between regular meals.

treat~ noun 1. something considered choice to eat 2. an occurrence that causes special pleasure or delight

Two very different things.

The long list of healthy snacks that the kids can grab whenever they are hungry:

nuts and seeds
whole-grain pretzels
dried fruit

*the kids love to combine a variety of the above into a "bowl of stuff", AKA homemade trail mix

~ raw fruit
~ raw veggies
~ hummus or baba ganouj and whole-grain crackers or pita
~ tabouleh
~ a bowl of whole-grain cereal (or granola) with milk (rice milk for Baby) or yogurt
~ whole-grain or whole-wheat bread (or toast) with butter or peanut butter
~ leftover soup
~ supper leftovers
~ a whole wheat bagel with cream cheese or peanut butter
~ homemade cookies (made with whole wheat flour and other healthy ingredients)
~ a granola bar (organic, not overly sweetened, or homemade)
~ a whole wheat tortilla spread with peanut butter and topped with a banana
~ a whole wheat tortilla spread with cream cheese and sprinkled with dried cranberries
~ a whole wheat English muffin topped with cream cheese or peanut butter
~ a homemade muffin (made with whole wheat flour and other healthy ingredients)
~ a bowl of oatmeal
~ a slice of cheese
~ baked corn chips and salsa or guacamole
~ a bowl of applesauce
~ cooked, cold chickpeas (Baby eats them like popcorn!)
~ popcorn
~ a hard-boiled egg
~ a scrambled egg
~ a sandwich (on whole wheat or whole grain bread with any combination of healthy ingredients) ~ yogurt
~ a smoothie (yogurt and fruit)

**or any combination of the above, depending on appetite

Our favourite spring salad

We'll only be able to make this for a couple more weeks, and we are sad about that. Until then, there will always be a big bowlful in the fridge for side dishes and snacks.

1 box whole wheat macaroni
1 bunch asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 pint cherry or strawberry tomatoes, quartered
1 1/2 cups cubed mozzarella
vinaigrette dressing of your choice, homemade or bottled (our favourites are Greek and Italian)

Bring pot of water to a boil, add macaroni, reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes less than recommended on package.

Add asparagus and simmer for 3 minutes more. Drain, rinse with cold water until cool, drain again and dump into large bowl.

Add tomatoes and mozzarella, and pour over about 1/4 cup of dressing. Stir gently, cover, and chill.

Just before serving, add a splash of dressing and gently stir again.

Yum.

Love is not a big enough word...

Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be. ~ Robert Browning

Happy anniversary, Hon.

in the pot: 'dump chili' for Superbowl Sunday (with a vegetarian option)

Ingredients:

1/2 lb ground beef (more or less- the amount really doesn't matter since the beef is not the 'base' of this chili)
2 med. onions, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped
1 lg can salt-free diced tomatoes
1 lg can tomato paste
1 lg can red kidney beans
1 lg can white kidney beans
2 cans brown beans in tomato sauce
2 cans whole button mushrooms
chili powder (I use about 1/4 cup- adjust to taste)
choice of liquid if necessary

Directions:

~ fry up ground beef and onions until meat is no longer pink; drain

~ dump meat into large pot along with remaining ingredients

~ give pot a good stir; if mixture looks dry, add 1/2 bottle of beer OR a cup of water

~ leave simmering (occasionally checking that nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot- add more liquid as necessary) for anywhere from 2-6 hours (it will taste better the longer it simmers)

~ serve as part of a 'chili bar' with a selection of toppings (sour cream, shredded cheese, etc.) and buttered whole wheat kaiser buns

Notes:

~ this can be a super simple (and very hearty) vegetarian dish- omit the ground beef and add the chopped onion to the other ingredients

some Olympic school links

Original Olympic school post here.

Fun mascots page for kids.

Full list of participating Canadian athletes.

Schedule and results.

meal menu

*I get a lot of emails wondering how we manage to eat homemade meals every night, even with our busy schedule. I plan our meals depending on how much time I will have to make dinner and whether we are away from home that day or not. I have included notes on what is going on each day to illustrate that, but I'm wondering if it's really helpful to anyone??

Friday (Shmoo has a late game)- chicken soup, homemade bread

Saturday (only two trips to arenas, neither interferes with supper)- pulled beef sandwiches in the crock, homemade rolls (making extra for tomorrow), and cabbage salad made ahead

Sunday (lots of hockey, and the Superbowl!)- long-simmering chili (natch), homemade rolls leftover from yesterday

Monday (Shmoo has an early practice)- baked potatoes left in a low oven until we get back (about 1 1/2 hours), toppings and leftover chili

Tuesday (Gracie has a late game)- roast pork tenderloin, potatoes, carrots, and onions

Wednesday (power will be out from 9-3 for maintenance, so I'll make supper early in the morning and re-heat later)- soup made with Tuesday's leftovers, homemade bread

Thursday- veal scallopini with mushroom sauce and onions, rice, mixed frozen veggies

CM carnival

is up, and looks great! Thanks Mama Squirrel!