Have you tried Greek yogurt?

By Jen P

My latest fave to pack in my kids' lunchboxes is Greek yogurt. It is absolutely delicious, nutritious and chock full of protein. Those three adjectives together are a score for me!

Greek yogurt is made thicker by straining off the liquid whey from conventional yogurt. It’s the straining that concentrates the protein content. Greek yogurt has more than twice the protein of non-Greek yogurts with over one third of your daily protein requirement in a single serving of yogurt and low in fat - WOW!

The brands I like are Fage and Chobani - both are equally delish and have lots of yummy flavors. My kids like Fage with honey, we usually buy the plain and add our own local honey. I am currently always craving but never feeling guilty about Chobani's Pomegranate yogurt, and fat-free to boot. These Greek yogurts are 100% natural, no added sweeteners, thickeners or preservatives. They are great for diabetics, expecting moms and people on gluten-free diets.

No fat and only 100 calories? You just cannot beat that! Add some fresh fruit, a drizzle of honey, homemade granola, your favorite cereal, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, crushed graham crackers, you name it, everything goes with this yummy delight!

Fage and Chobani can be found at your local Harris Teeter, Food Lion and some Costcos. Enjoy!

Read more...

Bye, Bye Dora!

By Susan B, Charlotte Smarty Pants

Dora the Explorer has been an unofficial part of our family for the past 3 years. All of this came to a grinding halt last week when I had a little “run in” with Dora. I strive to deal with conflict by addressing it instead of sweeping it under the rug. So, here goes…

Dear Dora the Explorer,
You need to remove the Dora cupcakes recipe and video from the Nick Jr. (see Noggin) website and also stop talking about them on TV.

After seeing a promo for your cupcakes on Nick Jr., my daughter bugged me for weeks. Everyday, it was: "Mommy, are we going to make the Dora cupcakes today?" I thought she would forget if I simply ignored her. She did not. I finally cracked.

Let me put it bluntly, Dora: these cupcakes were a total P.I.T.A. Your recipe says 70 minutes and that is a total crock. Admittedly, I'm a bit slower than your average professional cupcake decorator. But, c'mon, Dora. It took me more than 70 minutes to get everything prepped and mixed. Plus, this doesn't even count the time it takes to mix, bake and cool the cupcakes.

The entire process from buying the ingredients to piping out the hair to baking the cupcakes to dying the icing the correct color to decorating the cupcakes was very stressful!

I need you to know that before this unfortunate event, you were a she-ro in our house. We were all big fans of yours.

I'm concerned that you are being misrepresented. I recommend that you contact your people at Nick Jr so that you preserve your good name and save some other poor mom from falling victim to this scam.

I hope we've all learned from this and can move forward.

Dora, saying goodbye is always hard and I'm sorry it had to end this way. It pains me to tell you this but my daughter has moved on to the Disney Princesses.

Goodbye, Dora.

Susan Bowman, scarred for life

Read more...

Lunchbox Face-off!

By Guest Blogger Lisa Witherspoon

It’s about 8:30 pm on any given school night and I am, once again, in the kitchen having a face-off with three empty lunchboxes. Sound familiar?? Packing kids’ lunches is a very basic task that, during the school year, becomes a major source of frustration for me. You see, I have three very picky eaters – a vegetarian third grader, a picky kindergartner, and a SUPER picky preschooler who attends a completely nut-free preschool. Sheesh!! I get a headache just thinking about it!

As the school year gets started again, I thought I would share some of the lessons I have learned and some of my better ideas to, hopefully, help any other parents who get just as aggravated as me with the ever-daunting task of lunch box packing.

One of the most important things is planning. I pack lunches the night before school. (Except for thermoses or things that have to be heated.) This saves a lot of time amidst the chaos of the morning rush. Also, I sit down on Sunday afternoons to plan out my family’s dinner menu for the coming week and make out a grocery list. Last year, I added making a weekly lunchbox menu to that task. It helps in two ways: first, I don’t have to think too much at night when I am already pretty brain dead! I just read the menu I have already written out. Also, I add lunchbox items to the grocery list so I am certain (well, pretty certain) to have everything I need.

Another strategy that helps me is to break down the menu into important components. I usually try to include a protein (meat or dairy item), a fruit or veggie item, a grain (bread, crackers, etc.), sometimes a dessert, and, of course, a drink. This strategy has to be flexible – a peanut butter sandwich is both a protein and a grain, but not a complete lunch by itself – but, it is a good place to start.

I have also learned to think outside the “lunch” box (pun intended!). For example, how about giving kids breakfast for lunch? Why not give them a bagel with cream cheese instead of a sandwich or a thermos full of cold milk and a baggie of cereal to pour in? You can even give them a muffin or French Toast sticks. If it is healthy for breakfast, it is healthy for lunch, right?? It also makes it fun for the children.

Make it a wrap. Almost, anything that can be a regular sandwich, can also be wrapped up in a tortilla. Try flavored tortillas, too!

Try dips. Kids usually like to dip things, so find some recipes for yummy dips to pack in their lunchboxes. Even something as simple as salsa, marinara, or ranch dressing can give flare to a boring lunchbox menu.

Invest in good containers. You can get a good thermos for around $15.00. They can be used to keep soup or Spaghetti O’s hot as well as to keep pasta salad or milk cold. Some small, reusable plastic containers will also save money in the long run.

Go cruising! Cruise around the internet to find fun lunchbox recipes that YOUR children will like. I have found recipes for pizza muffins, tortilla spirals, and other things that I still use.

Share! Are you packing for more than one kid?? Bake a frozen pizza the night before and put a couple slices in each child’s lunchbox. You could do the same with a batch of muffins, chicken nuggets, or some fun pasta shapes with tomato sauce.

Give yourself a break! There is nothing wrong with giving kids “convenience” items once in a while. Lunchables, Uncrustables, and Lance Crackers are always good things to keep on hand for those days when you just don’t have the time or the energy. (We’ve all been there!)

Finally, don’t get so creative that you forget the old standbys. A peanut butter sandwich never goes out of style! (Or turkey, or bologna & cheese, - you get the picture.)

I hope you will find these suggestions helpful as you face-off with the lunchboxes in your kitchen this school year! I am sure there are lots of other creative parents out there who have some great ideas to add, so please share!

Read more...

Kids' Snacks: Don’t Ban - Plan!

By Guest Blogger Laura Buxenbaum

Before you know it, school will be back in full swing! Which means hungry kids will be running through the front door, frantically searching for an after school snack. In fact, they may also want to pack a snack for school and ask for another snack before bed. After all, statistics show that snacks between meals are the source of nearly 600 calories each day for children - that is 25 percent of kids' daily energy needs!

With rising childhood obesity rates, it is tempting to consider a ban on extra munching. But don’t put a lock on the pantry yet. Healthy snacking can help children fill the gap between meals with nutrients their growing bodies need, such as protein, calcium, and fiber. So before banning snacks, consider what your child is munching on between meals. Most of us don’t serve our children cookies, chips or toaster pastries for dinner, but this is what they are chomping on during snack time, which adds a lot of extra calories, fat and sodium to their diets, and little to no nutrition.

As a registered dietitian and mom of two hungry boys, I know how challenging it can be to get children to choose healthy snacks. Here are some tips that work (most of the time) in my home:

•First, think of snacks as mini-meals. These mini-meals should include nutrient rich foods such as 100% whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat and fat-free dairy foods. When snacking, children often reach for the closest food at hand. Therefore, we try to avoid bringing a lot of cookies, chips and other junk food into our house. Not only does this help with snack time arguments, but it makes it easy to make a healthy choice. The healthiest and simplest choices include vitamin packed fruits and raw vegetables, which require little if any preparation and calcium rich foods such as string cheese and portable yogurts.

•Make Snacking Fun. One of my son’s favorite ways to eat his veggies is by turning them into fishing poles. I cut up celery sticks, carrots and pepper strips, serve them with a low fat dip (try a yogurt based dip for extra protein and calcium), add wholegrain Goldfish on top of the dip and let my son “go fish” by hooking a fish cracker with his veggie fishing rod. Salad on a stick is also a big hit at my house during snack and mealtime. I layer green peppers, cherry tomatoes, squash, zucchini and cheese cubes on a kabob stick and my son dips it in low fat dressing. If your child is old enough they can make the salad kabob themselves.

•Let kids in the kitchen. Encourage your children to help in choosing and preparing their snack. If they are involved in selection and preparation, children will be more likely to eat it. Some of my favorite snacks to make with my son include yogurt parfaits and fruit smoothies. Low-fat yogurt is an excellent source of calcium and protein, and children love it dressed up. Let your child choose and layer their favorite yogurt, fruit and cereal for a fun and healthy treat. Additionally, fruit smoothies are packed with nutrition and good taste. Kids go crazy over these delicious sippable treats. Let them create their own by choosing the fruit and adding milk or yogurt and other ingredients like pudding or peanut butter. My oldest son loves a peanut butter smoothie made with milk, frozen banana, banana flavored yogurt and peanut butter.

•And finally, set a good example. In order for kids to eat well, it is important for parents to make a commitment to good nutrition. Model healthy eating habits by enjoying healthy snacking with your kids. Both my children want to eat or drink whatever my husband is eating or drinking, whether its broccoli or brownies, Mountain Dew or milk. This has actually caused my husband to improve his eating habits in an attempt to be a better role model.

So moms, as you begin back to school preparations, don’t forget to stock up on healthy snacks. Remember, healthy eating will improve the way your child thinks, feels and moves. You’ll see that providing nutrient rich snacks such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat and fat-free dairy now will help your children learn to make healthy choices in the future.

Laura is a Registered Dietitian with a Masters in Public Health and Nutrition from UNC. Laura currently serves as the nutrition communications program manager for the Southeast Dairy Association. She develops and conducts nutrition education programs for health professionals in North Carolina and Virginia. She is also the regional media communicator and has appeared in a number of television, radio and print interviews throughout North Carolina. Laura is pictured above with her husband, Pete, and two boys, Harris(2 1/2) and Platt(1).

Read more...

Helpful Hints for Making Summer Cooking Easier

By Guest Blogger Tanja Ragonesi

There are a lot of moms out there who lead extremely busy lives and are simply worn out at the end of the day. Even those of us who normally love to cook and bake have days when the thought of even picking up a pot is exhausting. Add the summer heat, and no one is quite up for being Betty Crocker once mealtime comes around!

If you're too tired to cook, here are some solutions for you. Many convenience foods can be easily doctored up so that your meals taste like real home cooking — but involve far less effort. What's the secret? Cutting back on lengthy amounts of prep work and cooking time.

Here are some recommended shortcut strategies:

Eliminate slicing and dicing with packages of fresh or frozen vegetables that are already cleaned and chopped or shredded. Most frozen produce contains more vitamins than older fresh vegetables in the produce section as they are picked and frozen when they are perfectly ripe.

Take home a whole roasted chicken to make a quick chicken salad, burrito or wrap.
Use canned and dehydrated soups as tasty bases for heartier soups and stews –just check the sodium and fat contents. Many store bought soups are perfectly healthy while others are loaded with salt, fat and preservatives.

Let’s talk about breakfast. Everyone agrees, no one in your family should skip breakfast. According to nutritional experts, the “perfect breakfast” contains a whole grain, a source of protein (like egg, dairy, nuts or lean meat) and a fruit or vegetable. So a simple bowl of whole grain cereal with low-fat milk and fruit fits the bill perfectly. If you don't think you have time for even that, here are some other quick breakfast options you can try:

-A whole wheat English muffin with peanut butter and a juicy orange.
-A smoothie made with strawberries, milk, vanilla yogurt and a sprinkle of wheat germ. Make it the night before then just wake, shake and pour into a to-go cup.
-A hard boiled egg, some whole grain crackers and a peach.
-Half a turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomato.

After my last blog, some ladies have asked me to share some of my favorite “go to” recipes. When I find a new recipe that I really like, I keep it in a file so that it’s easy for me to find again. This is one of my favorite recipes for breakfast muffins from Ellie Krieger on www.foodnetwork.com.

Breakfast Fig Muffins
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup chopped dried figs, plus 3 whole dried figs
• 1 1/2 cups bran cereal (recommended: All-Bran)
• 1 cup low fat milk
• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup natural applesauce
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
• 1 large egg, beaten

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 12-capacity muffin pan with cooking spray. Thinly slice the whole figs.
In a large bowl, combine the cereal and milk. Let sit until softened, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the whole-wheat flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.
Add the applesauce, honey, oil, molasses, and egg to the cereal mixture and stir until combined. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Gently stir in the chopped figs. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and top each muffin with a fig slice. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center of 1 of the muffins comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. If necessary, run a knife around the muffins to loosen. Unmold and cool completely on a rack.

Make a batch of these muffins on the weekend, then wrap them individually in waxed paper and freeze them in a sealable plastic bag. When you want a muffin all you have to do is take one out the night before to defrost at room temperature. Enjoy with your coffee as a perfect start to your day! I find that they are tastier and more moist than the average bran muffin, and the little fig slice on top makes them pretty – these would make a great treat to give to a friend! Enjoy!

Read more...

Taking Back the Kitchen: "Planned-Over" Meals

By Guest Blogger, Summer R

We all know how important family dinners are. The only guesswork in our house is what we will cook that night. Well, guess what? I have four kids, none of which go to school. I work in the afternoons from 4 to 6 pm as a high school coach, Mondays I teach a little playschool, Wednesday we have Bible Study, Thursdays the kids have ballet and gym. And recently I forged a very strong attachment to the YMCA. So, like every other mother--when I get to the end of our day.. the last thing I want to be worrying about is what’s for dinner.

I got a brief taste of what a stress-free dinner feels like when I had a baby followed closely by a back surgery. Nearly every evening for weeks, some sort of dinner would arrive via Casserole Cavalry. One lasagna and macaroni and cheese pie at a time, the casserole brigade saved my life, and taught me that a little prep and organization puts a rainbow of hope on the other side of the armpit hours of my day. (Don’t pretend pre-dinner hours don’t make you want to tear your hair out, and if you’re not pretending, perhaps you would like to share your triumphs at the end of this blog!).

Here's where I came up with the idea of the "planned-over" meal...

Otherwise known as the left-over you PLAN to turn into tomorrow’s dinner. You can effectively chop the cooking prep time (and CLEAN UP time) in half. These are the meals that create two meals for the work of one without having to just serve plain “leftovers”. Ummm okay. AWESOME.

Thus far in my time efficiency adventure I have developed a few staple planned-overs that our family gobbles up. Some of which I list here to tantalize you...

- Roasted Pork Tenderloin and veggies Gives Two meals as BBQ pork sandwiches and mashed sweet potatoes.

- Lentil soup Gives Two meals as Lentil Lie-sagna (cause your hubby won’t believe it’s not meat!!)

- Black Bean and Corn Salad Gives Two meals and can be better than "Welcome to Moe’s."

- Baked Salmon and sauteed Green Beans Gives Two meals as Spinach Salmon Orzo Almond Salad.

- Chicken tortilla soup Gives Two meals as "Not My Mother’s Enchilada’s."

I will share two sets of the recipes here, and you can click over to my blog for Menu Monday. I will also use Menu Monday to share some of my time saving shopping and cooking in bulk tips, as well as how I plan and organize our meals for the week.

Planned Over Recipe #1
Black Bean Corn Salad...which turns into Better Than Moe's

Ingredients
1 lb dried black beans
1 lb frozen corn
1 red onion chopped fine
2 colorful peppers diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 pint cherry tomatoes washed and quartered
1/2 cup favorite salsa (We love Jack’s medium)
1/4 cup favorite italian dressing (or 2 TBL lemon juice 1 tsp water 1 TBL olive oil)
Optional--One ripe avocado cubed

Better than Moe’s--additional ingredients..
1 Cup shredded cheddar
4 cooked chicken breasts diced
2 cups cooked brown rice (I have a slight addiction to Steam Fresh brown rice which is in the frozen food section, but maybe you were organized enough to remember to freeze some the last time you had 1 hour to cook it.)
1 avocado
1 cup salsa
tortillas (we use ten inch, but... you know you could live wildly and go 12 or 8!)

One night, put the dried black beans in your crock pot and fill it up with water. Do not add salt. Turn the pot on low and go to bed.

At breakfast time, when you are reading TSP and letting the kids watch “just one more” cartoon, toss the frozen corn in the pot with the beans and let it sit there for about five minutes. Then drain and rinse the beans and corn and toss it in a large bowl or container that you can seal and place in fridge. If you have time right now toss the other items in except the avocado, shake it all about, seal it up, refridgerate and dinner is done. Don’t have time right now? You can wait until lunch time and it still turns out great. Don’t you feel better?

Right before dinner slice the avocado toss it in the bowl and season with pepper to taste.

During dinner, put breasts (chicken breasts that is!) into the oven to bake. (I add a smidge of oil, and season with pepper, and bake on 375 until done)

Following dinner.. dice up chicken, refridgerate. Guess what.. dinner for tomorrow is done too!! (Well except you have that rice problem to solve)

Planned Over "Better Than Moe's" Dinner -
Put chopped up chicken (heat it up if you like), cheese, cooked rice, and leftover Black Bean corn salad in cute little dishes with serving spoons. Mash up 1 avocado with 1/2 cup favorite salsa (easiest guac ever!!) put in cute little dish. Let everyone make their own burritos, naked or otherwise, serve chips if you so desire.

Planned Over Recipe #2
Salmon with Sauteed Green Beans...which turns into Orzo Salad

Ingredients:
Boneless Skinless Salmon Fillets (We buy them in a seven pack at Costco they are frozen)
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 TB sesame seed oil
fresh french green beans washed and trimmed (we also buy these at Costco)
1 Tb balsamic vinegar

Additional ingredients for Orzo salad
1 cup roasted salted almonds rough chopped
2 cups fresh baby spinach (washed) (guess where you can get this)
2 TB additional sesame seed oil
1 lb Orzo pasta cooked

Planned Over Meal for Orzo Salad:
Put Salmon Fillets for dinner plus 2 extra into a glass baking dish, slosh worcestershire sauce over the top. Toss in oven at 375 until fish flakes apart easily. (This is a great time to cook the orzo since you are in the kitchen anyway)

In a medium pan heat sesame oil on medium until it is mediummmy hot. Toss in green beans.. squizzle them around (that’s a cooking term for move em so they don’t burn) until they are tender. Remove from pan, put in serving dish and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

While you are standing there, toss the chopped almonds and spinach in the pan you took the green beans out of, and squizzle them around until the spinach is wilted and kinda glistening. Drain pasta ('cause it’s totally done at just the right time.) Put it in a refridgerable container, toss spinach and almonds on top, when the salmon is done (which will be any minute) flake apart the 2 extra fillets and toss them in the refridgerable container with the other stuff and the additional sesame seed oil. Put the lid on and shake the container. Refridgerate.. Dinner take two.. Done! Make your husband clean up.. you must be exhausted from all this organization.

So remember if you like these I’ll post the others on Menu Monday along with other tips I’ve highjacked, er, “discovered” from friends.

Do you have other "planned-over" recipes you can share?

Got a kid who loves soccer? Looking for another summer camp idea?Register here to win a $100 gift certificate to Triad Elite Soccer Club! Giveaway ends on Friday, May 21st.

Read more...

Smarty Summer Treats

By Dana D, Charlotte Smarty Pants

It’s never too early to find a new way to beat the summer heat, right? Last year, I bought BPA free popsicle molds and we have used them all summer! If you haven’t purchased some yet, I highly recommend it! We have made so many different kinds of popsicles and the kids love them. They love the handles and shapes of the molds. You can make natural popsicles free of food colorings, high fructose corn syrup, etc… We freeze smoothies, orange juice and just about anything the boys like to drink.

Here’s an easy suggestion, add orange juice to the mold and then drizzle vanilla yogurt into it. Freeze and viola! There you have our version of the beloved orange creamsicle. See below for a few suggestions on where to buy the BPA free molds. We bought ours from Crate and Barrel last year and it is the Tovolo brand. Unfortunately, they are no longer selling these molds. I did find them on Amazon but they don’t specifically state they are BPA free. They appear to be the same exact molds we have so I would consider it to be a safe option. There are a couple of other BPA free popsicle molds listed below as well.

Tovola molds

Norpro molds

Soft landing molds

On a side note, we have been trying to eliminate all disposable items and one annoying thing was plastic straws. I have found a couple options that have worked really well for us. Again, one of my favorite sites, The Soft Landing, has the perfect solution. By the way, all their products are PVC, BPA and phthalate free. The sip-a-bowls and cups are fantastic! They have a built in straw and this totally eliminates the need for a straw. They are going to be carrying stainless steel reusable straws soon as well. Love these! If you can’t wait then you can buy them on Amazon. They are the Bendy stainless steel straws by RSVP.

Perfect, since they are reusable and BPA free. There are bamboo, paper and glass options as well but I think this is the best choice. I just don’t trust my little ones with a glass straw in their mouths. It makes me cringe to think about it. So you can use the reusable straws for your smoothies at home or a cocktail in the evening. Either way, feel good about beating the heat and limiting what ends up in the landfills. With these two changes in your household you will save money and provide healthy nutritious snacks for your family. You must check out The Soft Landing for an easy, easy site to safely feed your loved ones.
Please share any recipes you have for homemade popsicles that your family can’t do without!

Read more...

Smarty Alert: New Brixx Promotion!

By Katie M

All this month at Brixx in Winston-Salem: Get any two pizzas and either an appetizer or a kids meal and spend just $20! Be sure to print off this blog and take the coupon into the store to redeem this deal!

Smarty Sponsor Brixx Wood Fired Pizza is located at 1295 Creekshire Way in the Shoppes on Little Creek in Winston-Salem (off Hanes Mall Boulevard). We’ve blogged in the past about how much we love this fun, friendly neighborhood restaurant for its best brick-oven pizzas around! And if you didn't already know, Brixx also serves signature sandwiches, pastas, salads, desserts and 14 different wines by glass as well as 24 great beers on tap.

Brixx is open Monday – Saturday from 11 am to 1 am, and on Sunday from 11 am to 11 pm. Phone: 336-837-0664. It’s the perfect place to feed the entire family, and when you go, be sure to tell them Triad Smarty Pants sent you!

**Readers take note: The expiration date for this promotion is 4/30 not 3/31 as stated on the coupon above. We will correct this coupon soon, but you can still redeem this offer through the end of April.

Read more...

Putting Love Back Into Healthy Cooking

By Guest Blogger Tanja Ragonesi

I was talking with a friend the other day, and she told me that growing up, her mother used to bake, and leave out half the sugar and half the fat from every recipe she used. I was impressed that my friend’s mother was as health conscious as this twenty years ago. I have very fond memories of my mother cooking and baking. She was a fabulous cook and could bake cakes and pastries that would bring a tear to your eye. When we were feeling a little sad, a little under the weather, or a little nervous about a school test, a slice of cake or a cookie would be the cure. Everything was made with extra butter, extra sugar and extra love. My mother had no idea that carb loading really was meant for marathon runners and Olympic athletes...

When my youngest son was born eighteen months ago, I took a long, hard look at my lifestyle and my inherited love of cooking and food, and realized that I needed to make some changes. I want to be around for my kids, for however long they need me. Dropping dead from a heart attack due to eating too much is just not on my “to do” list!

For the first time in my life I joined a gym and stuck to an exercise routine. I joined Weight Watchers and lost sixty pounds. While doing this, I carried on cooking, and baking, and I still enjoy it. What a shock! You can actually lose weight and still enjoy cooking, baking and eating tasty food in moderation. Trying to change old habits and learning to lead a healthier lifestyle is a challenge. For the most part, I love finding new recipes and new ideas to improve life for me and my family. I will never be a waif, but I will be healthy.

Trying to cook healthier meals, keep your home in some kind of order, raise a gaggle of children and possibly work full time is daunting to say the least. I know some moms who make this look like a breeze, and others who have a hard time remembering to take a shower. I have picked up a few ideas that make things a little easier and I hope that you will find one or two helpful for your situation.

If your children are like mine, anything green is eyed with great suspicion at the dinner table. My three year old was convinced that I was trying to poison him at every meal. Our pediatrician gave me some great advice – don’t force, but lead by example. Kids learn by watching you, not from lectures about saturated fat. And pushing a food because it's "good for you" will make them want something else. Don't withhold dessert until the vegetables are gone; you're teaching them that ice cream is the prize, and they can avoid green beans whenever you're not around. Most importantly, never go to extremes and say "no sugar," "no fast food" and so on; they'll make a beeline for them. I found this advice very useful.

I have started serving up bowls of fresh vegetables and salad at meals and I make sure that I comment on how delicious they taste. I also try to include my children when I cook. My son has great fun combining bowls of lettuce, mandarin oranges, almonds, avocado and cucumber and makes the most amazingly messy and delicious salads. He usually only eats the really tasty parts (most of the oranges and nuts) but more and more, he is starting to sneak some greens when he thinks I’m not watching.

Kids usually avoid unfamiliar foods, not just healthy ones. Keep putting asparagus on the plate, and don't get angry when he doesn't touch it for two months. You want to breed familiarity, which will (hopefully) lead to experimentation.

I find that sometimes, it really does help to disguise vegetables. Making stews and soups with actual vegetable juice instead of broth is tasty and gives you an added boost of vitamins. Adding pureed vegetables to pasta dishes is another idea, as is using apple sauce and grated carrots in muffins, and substituting apple sauce and yogurt for oil in baking.

It’s a no brainer, making food in large quantities and refrigerating or freezing containers saves a lot of time and effort for busy moms. I love buying lots of fresh seasonal vegetables, making a large pot of soup and freezing batches – this is especially good in winter. Add whole wheat noodles to your veggie soup and your kids won’t even realize they are eating healthy food.

I also find that planning ahead is key. Once a week, I try to plan meals for the week. Planning so many meals can make anyone anxious. My favorite “go to” places for inspiration are www.foodnetwork.com and www.allrecipes.com. There are thousands of similar sites I’m sure. I find these two sites helpful for the following reasons:

Food Network allows you to search “healthy” recipes. Ellie Krieger is one of my favorite chefs on this site. Most of her recipes are simple, very tasty and nutritious. You can also browse recipes according to preparation time, level of difficulty and popularity.

allrecipes.com is a great website to use when you have no idea what to cook with what you currently have in the house. It has an “ingredients” search, so you can type in what you have handy, and it will list dozens of recipes to try. It is a really good site for every day cooking. They have wonderful slow cooker recipes – and I cannot say enough about what a great invention the slow cooker is for moms! Great chili, soups, casseroles, and almost no hassle! Working moms can switch on the slow cooker before they leave for work and have dinner ready when they get home.

Once I’ve tried a new recipe that I’ve found on line and love, I add it to a file so that I can go back to it in the future.

Basically, I find that if I make healthy meal planning interesting for myself, it puts the joy back into cooking and baking and it becomes fun again.

We will chat again soon! Have fun, Pressure Cookers!

Read more...

Smarty Tips for Organic Shopping

By Dana D, Charlotte Smarty Pants

Buying organic food can be overwhelming and expensive. Of course, we would like to buy everything organic but with the present state of the economy this may not be possible. However, organic food is very important for our children. Children are particularly susceptible to pesticides in food. Relative to body weight, children eat more than adults therefore, they consume more pesticides, preservatives, hormones etc... Especially if you have a picky eater and they are eating only a few fruits or vegetables. It is likely that they are ingesting one pesticide in large amounts which could accumulate to toxic amounts for a small body. Pregnant women should also be careful since pesticides do cross the placenta and expose the fetus.

The most important organic food to buy in my opinion is milk and meat. To reduce your risk of exposure if not buying organic, try to wash (with a fruit/veggie wash) and peel fruit or vegetables. Also look for locally-grown foods since they are less likely to be treated with post harvest pesticides. Check out our farmer’s markets in the Triad: Winston-Salem, Greensboro and the centrally located Piedmont Triad Farmers Market. (If there are other farmer's markets to note, please add them in the comment section below!).

Remember that pesticides have been found in baby food as well. It turns out that some of the pesticides used are able to penetrate the skin and are absorbed into the flesh of the fruit or vegetable. FYI- Peaches are one of the worst offenders. According to Consumer Reports, single servings consistently exceeded the EPA’s daily limit for a 44 pound child.

Below I created a Smarty list of the must-buy organic foods, in my opinion. If you are like me, I need lists for EVERYTHING these days. I cannot go to the grocery store without a list or it is a given that I will forget the most important thing needed at the Dunbar household! I have also included a link to a pocket-sized list for safe and sustainable seafood to print and take to the store or keep with you when eating out.

Dana's Organic Shopping List:
Fruit:

• strawberries
• raspberries
• apples
• grapes
• raisins
• grape juice
• peaches
• nectarines
• aprictos
• pears
• cherries
• lemons
• limes
• bananas
• kiwi
• cantaloupe
• tomatoes
  

Veggies:

• potatoes
• carrots
• corn
• celery
• cucumbers
• spinach
• green & red peppers
• lettuce
• hot peppers
• green beans
• hard winter squash

Other:

• rice
• oats
• baby food
• buy non-GMO (genetically modified) corn, soy
  

Dairy:

• milk
• eggs
• cheese

Here is the link to the Pocket Seafood Selector. It will give you the BEST, OKAY and WORST choices for seafood.
http://www.edf.org/documents/1980_pocket_seafood_selector.pdf

I hope this is helpful - happy shopping! If you are unsure how to leave a comment below, click here to find out the simple steps!

And on a separate note: Triad Smarty Pants is pleased to announce that Dana D, blogger with Charlotte Smarty Pants, delivered a beautiful baby girl, Lilly, this week. Congrats, Dana and best wishes!

Read more...

Tips from the Coupon Queen!

By Guest Blogger Cherie Brewer

I have so much to learn from our guest blogger, Cherie, pictured right with her family. You will quickly see why I have given her the title "Coupon Queen" when you read this post. I am amazed at these women who find such great bargains! Just last week at Harris Teeter and CVS, Cherie's total spent was $160 and her total saved was $300. So, she saved 65% on groceries that week. Wow! Plus, the food she bought lasts her family 2-3 weeks. She will only have to purchase milk, bread and a little produce. Cherie also claims to have spent $2 and saved $30 at CVS many times. As you can see, this new craze of couponing certainly pays off. Here are some great tips from Cherie! - Rachel H.


I LOVE COUPONS!!! I am a domestic engineer to five-year-old quintuplets (Morgan, Sean, Ben, Maddie and our angel Carson). I have used coupons here and there for the last 15 years. Last year I took a free couponing class and knew that I could take couponing to a whole new level. It is not magic but it does take some time and patience.

Here are my tips:

1. Know your prices and ALWAYS buy at the lowest price.

2. Stock up!! The key to stocking up is buying an item at its absolute lowest price (to find out the lowest price you can keep a running list of the prices over an 8 week span). I would do this on all items you buy on a regular basis.

Example: Frosted Flakes is on sale at Harris Teeter for $1.99. You have a $.50 manufacturer's coupon. The coupon will double to $1.00. You will pay $.99 for this box of Frosted Flakes. This would be the time to stock up. I would purchase enough Frosted Flakes to get you through to the next cycle (6-8 weeks).

3. Know your store coupon policies. I keep copies of each stores coupon policy in the back of my binder.

4. Join store loyalty programs. This is the way to get the sale prices and also a great way to get coupons mailed to your home.


Where to find coupons:

* Sunday paper - buy more than one copy. You can go to www.southernsavers.com. They always have a list of the coupons coming out in the newspaper.

* www.coupons.com

* Trade coupons with friends, family and co-workers

* Blinkies- Red Smart Source boxes attached to shelves that blink

* Catalina- register coupons

* Peelies- coupons on packages

* All You magazine- found at Wal-Mart

* Manufacturer's websites

* By calling or emailing manufacturers

* Purchasing coupons on ebay or at www.thecouponclippers.com


I have all my coupons in the binder system using baseball card pages. I do have it labeled by aisle/categories. That way I am able to easily find the coupons I need. I check coupon blogs daily, and www.southernsavers.com is one of the blogs I check. Jenny will tell you what is on sale, where to find the coupon and give you a link to print the coupon (if one is available). She has most grocery stores listed, CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid and Target. She also shares great deals in general, whether it be a deal going on at McDonalds or Snapfish.

The other site I check daily is www.caringwithcoupons.com. Dawn lives in Kernersville and updates her site several times a day with the deals she finds in the Triad area. She lists deals at all the local grocery stores, Wal-Mart, Target, and the drug stores. She uses coupons as a way to donate and give back to her community. She has free coupon classes which you can find out about on her site.

Hopefully these tips can give you a start to saving your family some money! Be sure to share with us some of your own couponing tips! If you are unsure how to leave a comment below, click here to find out the simple steps!

And don't forget to register for our fabulous March camp give-aways! Win one free camp slot at Salem Sports Camp for Kids in Winston-Salem, or at Eastern Music Festival's Explorer's Camp in Greensboro! The last day to register will be March 12.

Read more...

Smarty Scoop on Weekend Events And FREE PIZZA!!!

By Katie M

Happy Wednesday, Smarty readers! We are so excited to dedicate today’s post to Smarty Sponsor Brixx Wood Fired Pizza, located at 1295 Creekshire Way in the Shoppes on Little Creek in Winston-Salem (off Hanes Mall Boulevard). We’ve blogged in the past about how much we love this fun, friendly neighborhood restaurant for its best brick-oven pizzas around! And if you didn't already know, Brixx also serves signature sandwiches, pastas, salads, desserts and 14 different wines by glass as well as 24 great beers on tap.

Beginning today through March 31, Brixx is offering a special Triad Smarty Pants Family Discount to all our readers at its Winston-Salem location. Print off this blog to use as your coupon, and when you buy one pizza you’ll get a second one for FREE! When this special runs out, stay tuned because Brixx will have another exclusive offer for TSP readers this coming April!

Brixx is open Monday – Saturday from 11 am to 1 am, and on Sunday from 11 am to 11 pm. Phone: 336-837-0664. It’s the perfect place to feed the entire family, and when you go, be sure to tell them Triad Smarty Pants sent you!

To get the scoop on events in our area, read on. We appreciate all the event submissions we receive. If you have an event you would like posted, email us at triadsmartypants@gmail.com and we'll add it!

Three Fashion Group's Cocktail Shopping Event
Thurs, March 4 (4 pm - 7 pm); Fri, March 5 (10 am - 7 pm), and Sat, March 6 (10 am - 7 pm)
205 S. Stratford Road (next to Space Savers), W-S
Because all you fashionistas deserve this super chic shopping experience, come check out accessories, shoes, and apparel for ALL ages. Everything priced $5 - $75! More information on web site; click link above.

Mt Tabor United Methodist Church Preschool Clothing Exchange
3543 Robinhood Road, W-S
Thurs March 4: 9-1 and 4-8pm, Fri March 5: 9-1, Sat March 6: 8-12
Red tag items ½ price Sat morning!

Kid Krafters Club
Fri, March 7 from 3:30 - 4:45
Green Hill Center, 200 North Davie Street, GSO
ArtQuest offers workshops twice a month throughout the school year for kids who want to get crafty! Ages 7 and up. $3/members; $5/non-members.

Paws to Read
Friday, March 5 at 11 am
Children's Museum of Winston-Salem
The Winston-Salem Dog Training Club brings by their furry friends (dog therapy certified) by for a ter-ruff-ic storytime. You can love on the dogs, hear a story, see their special tricks, and even read a story to them! Cost: free event with paid admission or membership.

St. Paul's Kids Consignment Sale
Friday, March 5 from 9am – 8pm
St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Rd, GSO
Sponsored by St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church. Shop the sale for quality spring/summer clothing (sizes infant through 20), toys, games, books, bikes, baby equipment, furniture, strollers, gently worn shoes, car seats, in-season maternity wear, and so much more.

Summer Camp Craze & Kid Expo
Saturday, March 6, from 10am – 3pm
UNCG's Elliott University Center, GSO
A one-day summer camp fair and kid expo chock full with information about camps of all kinds, children's health and safety features, and a wide variety of products and services geared towards kids and family! This event is FREE to the public!

RoboFest – Brand New Festival!
Sat., March 6, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Natural Science Center of Greensboro
Science will come to life during this brand new festival! In our NanoScience arena, visitors will have the opportunity to experiment with liquid crystals and ferrofluids (liquids which form amazing shapes when exposed to magnetic fields), build giant molecules and interact with scientists who are conducting cutting edge research in the emerging field of nanotechnology. In our Robotics arena, the Center’s five robotics teams will be preparing sophisticated robots (built from computer-programmed LEGO bricks) for competition with other robots from around the world. Visitors can also witness a “Battle of the Bots” and try a hand at robot programming. Included in gen. admission.

Thesaurus Shoppe 50% Off Sale
Saturday March 6
Natural Science Center of Greensboro
ALL merchandise in the Center’s Thesaurus Shoppe will be 50% off during this first-ever promotion. This is the perfect time to find unique science-related items, including science kits, building sets, telescopes, plush animals, erector sets, t-shirts and more! As an added bonus, if you spend $100+ during the five day sale, you will receive a $20 discount off a membership (redeemable during March only).

An Adoption and Foster Care Expo
Saturday, March 6 from 8:00am - 12:30pm
Blaise Baptist Church, 134 Blaise Church Road, Mocksville, NC
The Expo will include family testimonies, breakout sessions covering a large variety of issues, and over two dozen booths from orphan care ministries. This Expo is designed for families that are considering or have begun the process for adoption or foster care. Ministry leaders are also invited, as much information will be available as a resource for churches. For more details, visit web site link above.

Sensational Seuss Event
Saturday, March 6 from 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Childrens Museum of Winston-Salem
We will, literally, rock your socks off celebrating several Dr. Seuss books. Your child will participate in a Runway Hat Show while we read The Five Hundred Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, play rhyming games from Hop on Pop, make delicious Cat in the Hat snacks, and much much more! Registration Required, Spaces are Limited, Recommended Ages: 3 and older, Parent/Child program, $5/member child, $10/non-member child (includes one free parent admission).Register at 723-9111 ext. 211 or email
welcomedesk@childrensmuseumofws.org.

The Winston-Salem Symphony Circus Comes to Town!
Sat, March 6 at 2:00 p.m.
K.R. Williams Auditorium at Winston-Salem State University
Step right up, boys and girls, for the greatest show on earth when The Winston-Salem Symphony Circus Comes to Town. Tickets are $5 for children (13 and under) and $9 for adults, and are available in advance by calling the Symphony’s Box Office at 336.464.0145 or by clicking link above. Tickets are also available at the door. Parking is free. The Winston-Salem Symphony Circus Comes to Town features circus-themed music including “Dance of the Buffoons,” “Sabre Dance,” “Baby Elephant Walk,” “Barnum and Bailey Favorites,” and music more. The Winston-Salem Festival Ballet will entertain with whacky dancing, clowning and acrobatics. If they like, children can come costumed as circus performers - clowns, lion tamers, ringmasters, and trapeze artists – or perhaps as lions,tigers or bears - oh my! Doors open at 1:00p.m. for fun musical activities and games, including an instrument petting zoo, storytelling, and face painting. Students from Whitaker Elementary School will be on hand to demonstrate their skills at unicycle riding, stilt walking, pogo jumping, flag twirling and more. Lobby activities are included in the price of admission and children of all ages are invited to participate.

Lewisville United Methodist Church Preschool Clothing Exchange
6290 Shallowford Rd, Lewisville
Saturday Mar. 6 from 8:00am – 1:00pm, and on Monday Mar. 8 from 9:30 – 11:30am and 5:00 – 8:00pm.

Climb MS
Sat, March 6 at 7 am
Winston Tower, 301 N Main St # 1300, W-S
Climb MS is a chip-timed stair-climbing run up all 30 floors of stairs in Winston Tower. Registration Fee: $25. Raises funds to help more than 2,300 North Carolinians affected by multiple sclerosis in Central NC. MS is a disease of the central nervous system that has no known cause or cure.

Bowl For Kids' Sake
Sun, March 7 at 9 am
AMF Lanes 811 Jonestown Road, W-S
Big Brothers Big Sisters annual fundraiser to support programs and services for the children in our community.

Family First Printmaking Workshop
Sun, March 7 at 2 p.m.
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, 2250 Reynolda Road, W-S
Workshops are for elementary school-aged children and up, accompanied by an adult. Held the first Sunday of every month, the two-hour workshops begin at 2 p.m.; admission is $7 per person attending the workshop. All materials are provided. Call 336.758.5599 for required reservations.

What did we forget? Add your event info below!
Want to leave a comment, but are unsure how to do so? Click here for the simple steps!

Read more...

Let Them Eat Cake

By Guest Blogger, Heather Bjork

“Let Them Eat Cake” ~ Marie Antoinette

Who doesn’t love a good cake??? I’ll never forget when my son was turning five and I asked him what he wanted to do for his party. His response, “I don’t know.” I asked him how many kids he’d like to invite. His response, “I’m not sure.” Then his face brightened and he looked at me and asked, “Mom, can I get one of those cool Star Wars cakes for my birthday?” I agreed and one of my most vivid memories from that party to this day was how the party guests’ tongues had turned black from eating the black frosting!

So many choices….what flavor? What theme? How large? Cupcakes or sheet cake? Flavor of cake? Flavor of frosting? Filling or not? Ice cream or traditional? I have avoided cupcakes at most parties because of my friends that are teachers that will tell you that with cupcakes, so many kids just lick the frosting off and never even touch the cake part of the cupcake.

The basic cake options are: white, marble and chocolate. The basic frosting choices are butter cream or whipped cream (I am personally partial to the sugary taste that is the butter cream.). However you can also get your cake filled with coconut, strawberry, berry bream or lemon (Lowe’s Foods) or get an ice cream or frozen yogurt cake (Beriyo, Carvel, or Baskin-Robbins). You can also get some unique fillings and flavors when you choose to have a custom cake, which we will discuss more below.

To make life a little easier for all of us busy parents, I did some research & collected pricing on traditional cakes from different resources around the Triad.

Least expensive traditional cake: Food Lion ($ 13.99 for 1/4 sheet, $ 24.99 for 1/2 sheet), Wal-Mart SuperCenter ($ 14.48 for 1/4 sheet, $ 24.48 for 1/2 sheet), and the best bang for your buck was Costco ($16.99 for 1/2 sheet)

*** You can save an additional $ 2 off the price by either ordering or picking up your cake on a Thursday at Food Lion.***
Least expensive ice cream cake: Beriyo ($ 21.99 feeds 10-15 or $ 32.99 feeds 18-25)

It would be a wise idea with ice cream cakes to look at the sizes yourself. Several of the cakes had a range of 5-8 pieces in terms of how many people it would feed. Being Italian, I tend to err on serving slightly larger pieces than smaller pieces so I usually err on having slightly more pieces than I think I will need. Frequently some siblings will show up that was not included in your child count so the extra cake comes in handy when this occurs.

Now we'll move on to the oh-so-delicious custom and specialty cakes. If you really want an exotic cake, you can choose from an array of tantalizing flavors at Maxie B’s in Greensboro, where they offer cakes broken into the following categories: chocolate layer cakes, pound cakes, fruity cakes, caramel cakes or seasonal selections. You've also got Dewey's in Winston-Salem, where you may want to order their famous pink lemonade cake! We also love Ketchie Creek in Mocksville for some of the most unique and delectable cakes around. One more favorite is Delicious Bakery in Greensboro. The name says it all.

Another option to consider is to hire an independent cake designer. Marisa Schaefer (marisa.schaefer@yahoo.com, 336-516-4845) services the Burlington and Greensboro areas. She bakes and decorates delicious cakes with any theme of your choosing, at affordable prices. Allison Green (336-692-2558, agreen200@yahoo.com) in Winston-Salem, can also whip up anything your mind can imagine! You'll love the photos on her website. If you are closer to the High Point/Trinity area, call Karen Harris, owner of The Icing on the Cake, Custom Cake Designs. (Karen.IcingOnTheCake@yahoo.com
336.861.9259) She makes cakes for all occasions (baby showers, anniversaries, holidays, birthdays, bridal showers, weddings etc.) as well as goodies for all holidays!

There are many other individuals that you can find under the “cake decorator” listing in the White Pages. You can also leave any of your recommendations in the comment section below.

The plus side to ordering a custom cake is that you can usually bring a napkin or invitation that the decorator can use to create a unique cake.

Regardless of what you choose, don’t forget the candles, matches, a knife, serving piece and your paper products. To capture the moment, I usually ask a friend to take pictures while I bring the cake out. That frees me to handle what needs to be done while knowing that the moments I want to capture (my child blowing out the candles, the faces of the excited guests, etc.) are preserved and not left to chance. Always bring extra batteries for your camera and/or camcorder just in case. Then be sure to take a few minutes, have a seat & enjoy some delicious birthday cake!

Submitted by Heather Bjork, mother of two children (son Kieran & daughter Kendra), who loves to eat cake!

Read more...

FIT Nutrition Class: Toddlers and Picky Eaters

By Rachel H

Got a picky eater? This class is perfect for you!
This two-class series addresses the challenges of feeding toddlers and is led by Brenner FIT team members, including a registered dietitian. The program is based on Ellyn Satter’s Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense. It is FREE and open to the public.

March 10 and 24, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
April 14 and 28, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Location: Gateway YWCA, 1300 South Main St., Winston-Salem.

Learn about:
• picky eaters
• over/under feeding
• food variety
• refusal to eat
• portion size, and much more!

To register, contact Sara Ebbers at sebbers@wfubmc.edu or call (336) 722-5138 ext. 318. Babysitting is provided, but please be sure to request this when you register.

Read more...

No Time Like the Present - Eating Healthier in 2010

By Guest Blogger, Amy Hatley

So, it’s that time of year when everything we read (including this apparently), or see on TV, talks to us about resolutions. The truth is for us busy moms---who has time to wait until the beginning of the New Year to make a change for ourselves or our kids? We often do it when we see a need and we begin to feel passionately enough about something to commit to long-term change.

My soap box for the last 6 years has been better nutrition for my family. But, as many a great media outlet has uttered, “Everything in moderation”. We’re all learning along the way. My view is that we try to take what we learn and make small changes a little at a time...

Over the years I’ve steadily improved my exercise regimen and diet. Was I once a Kool-aid drinking, Twinkie-munching, couch potato? Oh yes!! As with all women, I learned a bit over the years. Some disasters (NEVER try Spamloaf!), some successes (anyone can make a casserole), and some great advice (like it or not, sometimes your sister IS right)…these all can lead to some truly great transformations.

One stumbling block to healthy living is affordability. We all know junk food is cheaper unfortunately. The one thing we must consider is the cost of getting sick due to poor health (those co-pays can really add up!).

Here are a few ideas that have helped me make some small changes over the years that have helped us live healthier lives while still not breaking the bank.

1)Veggies – most kids hate ‘em but we all know they need ‘em. Some recommend covering them in cheese. Not a bad idea occasionally for a LITTLE cheese, but getting kids too used to that increases the fat content and then it’s back to being a bad food choice again. After all, we’ve all heard the rising statistics on childhood obesity these days, right? Instead of cheese on a regular basis, try mixing them with the other food on their plate, or use some different spices. Another option to consider is to buy fresh or steam fresh bags instead of canned. The steam bags are really easy, super affordable and provide more vitamins than canned due to avoiding the mass heating process at the plant that the canned variety goes through.

2)Fruits – also buy these fresh when possible, but spoilage is an issue, so many people opt for fruit cups or cans to give their kids a serving. The thing to be aware of here is the amount of syrup used in these varieties. Syrup is hard for the body to break down and is loaded with sugar (often times artificial sweeteners). Any high content sugar that cannot be broken down or processed will be stored as fat. If your kids aren’t crazy about fruit, a good occasional option is a weekend smoothie. Try using honey instead of sugar. The kids won’t know you’ve made the substitution, and being a natural sugar, it will break down easier in their system (be careful of allergies though!).

3)Sugars – speaking of sugar, the first 2 things my Pediatrician told me to avoid in foods for my son were hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup. Both are altered forms of their natural sources, therefore your body has difficulty processing them, and they either are stored or cause our organs undue stress as they work to expel them. The best analogy I can think of is a car with old oil. Your car will break down long before its time with bad oil. There are a ton of options these days for cereals, condiments, potato chips, juices and even cookies that are made without these additives. Once you work a few replacements into your shopping list a little at a time, you’ll be hooked!

4)Drinks – our family rarely buys sodas anymore, and believe me, we used to put away more than a few. I never thought I would get used to water or juices, but there are once again, many options now for flavored waters without a ton of calories or corn syrup, as well as juices. Some great juice options are: apple, grape, pomegranate blends, cranberry blends (straight pomegranate and cranberry juices can often be tart so blending with other fruit flavors is a nice option). Orange is good but often has a lot of sugar. Some doctors recommend watering down juices slightly to reduce the sugar level (and it helps stretch out their life cycle, hence reducing how often you buy them!).

5)Labels – lastly, as annoying as this can sound….READ LABELS. It gets easier as you get to know the “good brands”, and don’t feel as if you have to read everyone in one trip to the store. Space them out, take your time, but make a commitment to improve your purchases a bit at a time. Also, teach your kids young. If we can brainwash our kids to pull for the home team from birth, then why can’t we instill good eating habits? My son may be the only 5 year-old that can come close to uttering “Mommy, does this have high fructose corn syrup?” (it doesn’t always come out that eloquently). Hopefully he won’t be shunned to the Geek table in school, but you know every time I hear him say it, I give myself a secret “Atta Girl” for doing at least one thing right that day.

Happy Hunting & Happy New Year!

Don't forget to register for the January giveaway from Andrea Halsey Photography! Click here to learn more about her business and register. This giveaway registration will end on Friday, Jan.15th.

Congratulations to today's winner of the Monster Truck show tickets, Cherie Brewer! We hope you enjoy the show!

To register for the Monster Jam giveaway, click here. Don't forget that you must be a newsletter subscriber in order to qualify for either giveaway. Good luck!

Read more...

Recipes to Keep the Relatives Happy!

By Rachel H

How can you guarantee a relaxing, peaceful holiday? Keep everyone FULL and happy! The main course at the holidays varies from family to family, but one thing we all always need are good munchies! Appetizers, starters, hors d'oeuvres ... whatever you like to call them, make sure you have plenty on hand and you'll have a house of smiles throughout the holiday season.

I've shared some of my favorite appetizers below and would love for you to each share your favorites as well. If you missed my favorite recipes from Thanksgiving, check them out here. They are great for any time of year!

Enjoy ...

Cranberry-Cheese Box
(Pictured above)I found this recipe in my Southern Living magazine at least six years ago, and always love to dig it out for the holidays. And yes, it tastes as good as it looks!
Ingredients
• 16-ounce block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 8-ounce can whole-berry cranberry sauce
• Garnishes: green onion strips, fresh cranberries, orange curls
• Crackers or bread rounds
Preparation
Beat first 6 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended; stir in pecans.
Shape mixture into a 5- x 5- x 2-inch box, or spoon into a 5-cup mold. Cover and chill 8 hours or up to two days.
Spoon cranberry sauce over cheese mixture; garnish, if desired. Serve with crackers or bread rounds.
Note: To decorate the box, cut white part from 4 green onions. Blanch green onion tops in boiling water 1 minute or until tender, saving white part for other uses. Drain. Press 1 green onion strip into base of center of 1 side of box, pressing up sides until it meets center of top of box. Remove and discard excess green onion. Repeat with remaining green onion strips. Top center with fresh cranberries, orange curls, and additional strips of green onion, if desired.
Makes 12 to 16 appetizer servings



Stuffed Mushrooms
There are so many variations of these, but I like this one because it is EZ!
Ingredients
• 1 pound large mushrooms
• 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
• 1 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire
• 1 tsp. dill
• 1 tsp. pepper
Preparation
Wash and prepare mushrooms for stuffing. Combine Cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, dill and pepper. Stuff mixture into mushrooms. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
Serves 6 to 8.



Water Chestnuts/Bacon Bites
Ingredients
• 2 cans whole water chestnuts
• 1 pkg. bacon
• Brown sugar
• Toothpicks
Preparation
Cut bacon in half. Dip one slice in brown sugar and wrap it around a water chestnut. Hold together with a toothpick. Repeat with all pieces. Place these on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes.



Clams Oregatino Dip
This recipe has been in my family for years and although I usually do not like clams, this dip rocks!
Ingredients
• 2 cans Progresso minced clams (save juice from one)
• 1 cup Italian Breadcrumbs
• 1 Tbsp. Parsley
• 1 Tbsp. Oregano
• Dash Garlic powder
• 6 oz. grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 ½ sticks melted butter
Preparation
Mix all ingredients in bowl. Transfer to low baking dish. Bake 350 for 15 minutes uncovered until bubbly.
Serve with crackers.



Paula Deen's Sausage Swirls
Ingredients
• 2 (8 ounce) cans crescent roll dough
• 1 lb bulk sausage (the sage flavor is really yummy to use!)
Preparation
Open dough and keeping in one piece as much as possible, place on a cookie sheet, unroll carefully, and pinch all the edges together. Do this for both cans of dough.
Open sausage, cut the roll in half, and spread half thinly over both pieces of dough. Roll up the dough lengthwise. Place dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes until firm. Cut rolls into 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces and place the swirls 1/2 inch apart on the cookie sheets.
Bake 375 for 20 minutes until golden brown and sausage is thoroughly cooked.
Makes 28 swirls

So what are you waiting for? Make that grocery list and get shopping! And check out our Smarty Shopping Tips while you're at it! :)

Today is the last day to register for our Ultimate Holiday Giveaway! Click on the Giveaway Button on the right side of our web site to sign up. We'll announce our winner on Sunday! Good luck!

Read more...

Kid-Friendly Recipes for Thanksgiving

By Rachel H

As we gather all the relatives together for Thanksgiving meals, we get geared up for some delicious turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, creamed corn, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and green beans. If you have a child like my daughter … she will eat none of the above. (The battle with that is a story for another day!) Alas, I have a few recipes below that are family favorites for all of us and they can easily slide in with the other Thanksgiving items on the buffet. Hopefully even the pickiest of eaters may take a taste. I am not claiming that any of these are healthy – just yummy and easy!

Below is a recipe for a Poppyseed Chicken Casserole that everyone in my family enjoys, and a tasty appetizer recipe given to me by friend Barbie (she calls it Crack Dip). The third recipe is a brunch or breakfast favorite that is perfect to serve out-of-town guests to keep the gorge-fest going well after Thanksgiving dinner is over. Please share your favorite recipes below that are great for kids and adults of all ages.

Poppyseed Chicken Casserole
Meat from 1 rotisserie chicken or 4 boneless breasts
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
Dash of celery salt
Tube of Ritz crackers (crushed)
1 T. poppy seeds
1 stick melted butter
2 boil-in-bags white rice

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and cook in skillet until done. Prepare rice according to instructions. In 13x9 pan, combine chicken, rice, both soups, and celery salt. In separate bowl mix crushed crackers, melted butter and poppy seeds. Add cracker mixture to chicken mixture. (I like to save some of the crushed crackers for the top.) Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.


Yummy Corn Salsa
2 cans black beans
1 can white corn
4 oz. crumbled feta
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
Dressing:
½ cup veg. oil
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup sugar

Mix the first four ingredients. Mix all ingredients for the dressing. Pour dressing over the first mixture and let marinate for a bit…overnight if possible. Stir it up and serve with tortilla chips!


Pecan & Cream Cheese Squares
2 packages Crescent Rolls
16 oz. softened cream cheese
1 c. sugar, another ½ c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick melted butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350. Unroll one pack of crescent rolls and press onto bottom of 13x9 glass pan and lightly up the sides. Combine cream cheese, 1 c. sugar, egg and vanilla. Mix with electric mixer. Spread over dough.
Unroll second pack of rolls and arrange over cream cheese. Press perforations to seal.
Combine melted butter, ½ cup sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Spread on top.
Bake 30 minutes or until cooked through. (For some reason it always takes mine longer than 30 minutes, so just keep checking on it!)

Enjoy!

Read more...

Starting A Recipe Exchange Club

By Guest Blogger Heather B.

It is inevitable that most families fall into a rut with the meals they eat. Lots of things contribute to this situation with the major reason being lack of time to plan out new menus, shop for the necessary ingredients and prepare the meal. As a result, whoever does the cooking for the family, often relies on his/her tried & true recipes that can be assembled with a minimal amount of time and effort. Yet many of us enjoy eating out because it provides the opportunity to try new and different dishes and/or eat meals that we do not enjoy making at home.

About 4 years ago, I decided that I was tired of making the same dishes and wanted some new recipes to prepare for my family. I created a recipe exchange club by inviting several friends that were tired of the lack of excitement in their menus as well and asked them to contribute one recipe to the group at least once every 2 months.

I ended up with close to 50 participants (several friends invited their friends who then invited some of their friends) so this worked out well in terms of there being usually 2-3 new recipes shared each week via email (some participants shared more than the minimum).

There were several parameters for the recipes shared which included:
1) the recipe could not consist of more than 6 ingredients & not be ingredients only available at a specialty store
2) the recipe had to be fairly easy (not requiring special cooking techniques or equipment)
3) the recipe needed to take 40 minutes or less for preparation (cooking time could be longer than 40 minutes)
4) you had to have made and eaten the recipe so you could accurately recommend it as one that was worth sharing.

An email list with everyone’s email address was created which was then used to share the recipes. Even though it was a large group, a small community was fostered among the participants. People would positively comment on a particularly good recipe while another person might share how he/she varied it to his/her family’s taste or reduce the prep time.

Several people thanked me for starting this club and everyone agreed that their families appreciated the variety in the meals. My family would vote on each one I “tried” (thumbs up – the recipe became a permanent part of our household or thumbs down – the recipe would be thrown away since there were better recipes out there).

There was fun in the novelty of recipes and I was tempted to try recipes that I might not have otherwise tried because a friend and/or acquaintance of a friend recommended it. We also were fortunate to have club members that shared recipes in all categories which was additional fun for upcoming get-togethers and parties where I was looking for new appetizer or drink or dessert ideas.

Other ways to get great recipes that I’ve been involved with:
1) Have everyone bring their favorite dish to a potluck meal & bring enough copies of the recipes for everyone that attends the event to take one home with them if he/she would like to
2) Participate in a cookie exchange or soup exchange. Everyone arrives at the house with a 1/2 dozen of cookies or a ½ gallon of soup in a container for each person involved and cookies or soup is also brought that is consumed at the event. This is a lot of fun and a great social as well.
3) Participate in an “Around the World” Event where each person is assigned a different region of the world to make a dish from. Each person brings a dish from that region along with enough copies of the recipe for all participants. This is a fun experience and you will be tempted to try new dishes that you may never have tasted before.

I hope I’ve shared some new ideas for adding to your recipe collection as well as adding to your family’s menus so don’t delay & get started today!

Read more...

Going Out to Eat Without Breaking the Bank!

By Rachel H

Anyone who knows me knows that my favorite thing to do is to go out for a meal. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee (even though I don’t drink coffee) … you name it. I love the atmosphere, the food, and the fact that someone is serving me! We have gone out to eat as a family ever since our kids were born. If you love eating out as much as I do, a word to the wise is to start them young! If you take them out enough, they learn very quickly how to act in a restaurant and you won’t have to give up something you love because you are afraid of your child running into the waitress or climbing across the table.

Of course the downside is that going out to eat can get very pricey, especially when you add in kids’ meals, drinks, appetizers, and the tip. Since I am not willing to give up my only vice, I’ve had to find ways to dine for less. Here are a few of my favorites…

Go to www.Restaurant.com. All you do is type in your zip code, and all participating restaurants in your area will pop up. Then you can purchase $25 or $50 gift cards for as little as $10 or $15! Once you buy some, you will get on their email list and they will send you specials. Last month I got a $25 gift card for Hutch & Harris for just $4.00!!! I got a $25 gift card for Prissy Polly’s for $4.00 as well. The only catch is that there is usually a minimum you need to spend at the restaurant to use the gift card. The one for Hutch & Harris, was a minimum of $35, which is no problem, but Prissy Polly’s minimum was $50, so we’ll probably use that next time we have friends over and get a bunch of BBQ to go! You print these gift certificates out from your computer at home. It is also a great way to try out some new restaurants that you normally would not visit.

Another online coupon site is www.rewardbuck.com. It works similar to the website I described above and it also includes printable coupons for area attractions.

Another way I save is that I always buy an “Attractions” coupon book. You can pretty much buy these from any child in school because they are probably selling them for their school fundraiser or a sport they play. This book is full of buy one get one free coupons for many restaurants in your area as well as many stores and children’s venues. If you have somehow avoided getting harassed by your friends to buy one, you can also purchase one online here. Greensboro & High Point areas are in the Piedmont Triad Book, and W-S, Kernersville, Clemmons areas are in the Western Piedmont Book.

And last, but not least, always check TSP’s Kids Eat Free blog. There are plenty of places in the Triad where you can dine out, purchase an adult meal, and get your child’s meal either at a discount or for free. This blog is always accessible by clicking the “Most Popular Posts” pink button on the right of the website, or you can find it under the Categories on the left-hand side of the website. Click on Restaurants, Food, or Saving Your Wallet. Always call ahead first to make sure they are still honoring the Kids Eat Free night. If you find any that have changed, please leave a comment at the end of the blog.

So toss aside those oven mitts and spatulas tonight and take the family out! What tips do you have for Dining Out on a budget? Share them below!

Don't forget to register for our October Giveaway - a $250 package from Zoe Zen Photography. Click here to learn more about Zoe Zen and register.

Read more...