Mindful Momma

Inspired Healthy Dinner: Pizza Puffys

Looking for ideas for an inspired healthy dinner tonight? Here's one that's in frequent rotation at our house. Pizza Puffys are a cross between a German pancake, an omelet and a pizza. They are simple to make, very filling and best of all, customizable!

Start with a simple batter made with flour, egg and milk. Put it in the oven and watch it puff up dramatically. Then, top it with whatever ingredients you have on hand. We love the Mexican version (beans, corn, salsa, avocado), which is perfect for a meatless meal. Just add a green salad and you're good to go! I wish I had a better photo to share, but you'll have to trust me, Pizza Puffys are fun to make and even better to eat!

Here's the recipe, straight from my book, Practically Green: Your Guide to Ecofriendly Decision Making. Use organic and sustainably produced ingredients whenever possible.

What's your favorite healthy, inspired dinner?

Easy Eco-Tip: DIY Applesauce Cups

This might seem like a no-brainer, but with the plethora of individually packaged food products out there, it might not. Instead of buying individual servings of applesauce in throw away containers, get yourself a tight sealing, reusable container and package it yourself. You'll be well on your way to a waste-free lunch!

 

 

Even better - make your own homemade applesauce out of organic apples!

Do you have an Easy Eco-Tip idea? Email me and I just might publish it!

Power Bites: A Healthy & Sustainable Snack

There are quite a few reasons why I hardly ever buy energy bars. First of all, they are expensive. Second, I'm not always thrilled with the ingredients. Third, I don't like all the wasteful packaging. Still, I love the idea of a nutrition-packed snack to get me through the afternoon or to send with the kids to school or sports.

So I created my own recipe for what I call Power Bites. They are most similar to Lara Bars, which contain minimal ingredients and no GMOs. Power Bites pack a punch of nutrition, are inexpensive to make and involve no wasteful packaging. What's not to love?

Power Bites are super easy to make too. Here's why:

The ingredients are basic: Start with a base of dates - either whole or chopped (just make sure they are pitted). Add some type of nuts and something fun for added flavor - coconut, cherries, lemon, apples, blueberries, chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger - the possibilities are endless.

The prep is simple: Mix everything in a food processor and shape into balls or press into bars.

Here is the recipe as it was published in my book Practically Green: Your Guide to EcoFriendly Decision-Making:

 

What are your favorite healthy & sustainable snacks?

Looking for more healthy recipes and food ideas? Here ya go!

Green & Healthy Roundup

Welcome to the weekend friends! What kind of green & healthy plans do you have?

I have to get up early tomorrow morning (on a Saturday!) to be on the Fresh & Local radio show at 8:00am. The Director of Nutrition at the Minneapolis Public Schools will be there talking about new school lunch initiatives and I'll chime in about green & healthy packed lunch ideas. Listen in if you can or stream it later - they post the broadcasts.

Here's a little roundup of green & healthy news and info that passed by my desk this week, for your weekend reading pleasure:

Improving School Lunch

Speaking of school lunch, have you heard about the new lunch laws? Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and First Lady Michelle Obama just announced a new plan for healthier school lunches, including less sodium and more fruits, veggies and whole grains. Yes, pizza will still be considered a vegetable, but this seems to be a step in the right direction. What do you think?

Chemicals in the News

Here's one more reason to chuck out your non-stick pans. A new study shows that perfluorinated compounds (PFCs),found in non-stick cookware, fast-food packaging and stain-resistant items, are linked to reduced effectiveness of childhood vaccines. Are chemicals in everyday products a concern for you and your family?

Green Moms Fight Climate Change

Amazing things happen when moms get together for a cause. This month the moms from the Green Moms Carnival joined forces to share ideas, thoughts and actions about fighting the very real, very distressing issue of climate change. Please have a look - I bet you'll come away with some climate change resolutions for yourself.

Pin of the Week

I've been having so much fun on Pinterest! Just as I feared, it is terribly addicting but I've found some great ideas out there! My favorite pin this week is a health remedy to treat colds that came from a blog called Health, Home & Happiness. It's a simple mixture of honey and cinnamon and it looks more like dessert than a health remedy. I'll be trying this with my kiddos next time I see a cold coming on!

Healthy Home Cooked Meals

This month on the Clear Conscience blog over at J.R. Watkins, I shared my favorite cookbooks and websites for healthy dinner inspiration. What are your go-to resources for healthy recipes?

See you next week!

 

 (image credits: bookgrl via flickr and Health, Home & Happiness) 

How to Make a Green & Healthy Bagged Lunch

Have you joined the ranks of people vowing to eat healthier this year? There are so many ways you can start and one of the big ones is with lunch. It's pretty easy to overdo it at lunch, especially when you are eating away from home. If you have a cafeteria at work or have fast-food joints nearby, the temptation to eat out is high, and we all know how unhealthy that can be. Even when you do pack a lunch, the standard ham & cheese on white bread and a bag of chips, may be the easiest way to go, but not the healthiest.

Whether you have always been a brown bagger or you are just getting started with home-packed lunches, here are some tips for making appealing lunches that are healthier both for you and the planet:

Switch out (or skip) the bread:

• If white bread is your habit, it's time to make the switch to whole wheat or at least multi-grain.
• Try sandwich thins or whole wheat tortillas as a less calorie-laden alternative to regular bread.
• Skip the bread completely and use healthy crackers or rice cakes as a sandwich base.
• Instead of ham & cheese, try a healthy BLT made with nitrate-free turkey bacon.
• Instead of egg salad, try a hummus & veggie sandwich.
• Instead of the standard peanut butter & jelly, try almond butter with sliced bananas and agave nectar.

Add plenty of fruits & veggies:

• If you are a salad fan, mix up a big bowl of salad at the beginning of the week (undressed, of course) and pack a serving each day. There's nothing wrong with buying those organic salad mixes either if the convenience gets you to eat healthier!
• Pack cut-up veggies in every lunch. If you fill up on veggies, you'll be less tempted by the candy jar!
• Keep a small basket of fresh fruit at your desk to quell your hunger between meals.

Give leftovers a chance:

• My husband is famous for his yummy leftovers at work. That's because I make extra food at dinner so that I have plenty left for lunches!
• Soups, stews, spaghetti and stir-fries all make great lunch material.
• If all you have is leftover rice, add some frozen veggies and a dash of soy sauce and call it a meal.

Mix it up:

• Instead of a sandwich or main dish, bring a lunch made up of a mix of healthy foods.
• Healthy protein sources include hard-boiled eggs, Greek yogurt, nuts, avocado, cheese and lean meats.
• Pack whole grain crackers or pretzels instead of chips.
• Pick up a bag of trail mix and divide into snack-sized portions. Or make your own trail mix with a variety of dried fruits, nuts and seeds.
• Grapes, clementines and baby carrots are easy to grab if you don't have time to prep.

Try something different:

• My latest lunch time treat is a baked sweet potato. Topped with raisins, unsweetened coconut and a dollop of almond butter, it is both nutritious and delicious!
• Baked potato topped with cooked veggies and cheese.
• Hummus or other bean dips with veggies.
• Homemade burritos or quesadillas with beans, veggies and cheese.

Bring a healthy sweet:

• To avoid an afternoon trip to the vending machine, bring a little something sweet from home.
• Home made cookies like my favorite, peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip.
• A little bit of dark chocolate (it's good for you, right?)
• The Healthy Snacks To Go eBook has some great recipes for healthy sweets.

Pack in reusables, not disposables:

• Instead of a throw-away, brown paper bag, use a reusable lunch bag every day.
• Pack individual items in reusable containers and snack bags.
• Skip the temptation to hit up the vending machines and bring water in a reusable bottle.
• Invest in a stainless steel thermos for soups and other leftovers.

Do you bring your lunch to work? What are your ideas for a greener and healthier bagged lunch?

(Full disclosure: there are affiliate links in this post. Any purchase you make helps keep this blog in business. Thank you!)

{image credit: EssjayNZ via flickr}

Green & Healthy Holiday Wrap Up

Ready or not it's winter break! Soon my kids will be hopping off the bus, eager to start their 2 week vacation from school. Meanwhile, I am still scrambling to wrap gifts, grocery shop and prepare for numerous holiday weekend meals. Here are a few things on my list....

Wrap Green

I always cringe at perfectly good paper being ripped to shreds in a present-opening frenzy. That's why I try to find greener ways to wrap, whether it's reusing old wrapping paper, wrapping with artwork, newspapers or last year's calendar or wrapping in reusable items like scarves, dishtowels or reusable bags.

Be Mindful

Instead of getting a holiday headache as I so often do, I'm trying hard to follow my own advice for a more mindful, meaningful holiday. See my Tips for a Mindful Holiday on J.R. Watkins Clear Conscience Blog for how you can slow down and actually enjoy the next week or so. You deserve it!

Bake a Healthy Coffee Cake

Do you have special holiday recipes you make each year? Similar to Thanksgiving, I enjoy finding new recipes to make and I try to make at least some of them healthy. This Applesauce Coffee Cake from Martha Stewart is on my list to try for Christmas breakfast. It's got rolled oats and fresh apples as well as applesauce and toasted pecans. Sounds like the perfect balance of healthy but indulgent!

Stay Active

Being cooped up in the house for 2 weeks with two rambunctious boys is not my idea of fun. Besides crafts and playdates, we have GOT to get out of the house! Weather permitting, we'll probably go ice skating and sledding and hopefully skiing. What do you do to keep your kids active in the winter time?

Get Crafty

"I'm bored!" I know I'll be hearing that some time during winter break. Especially after my boys use up all their allotted screen time for the day. My plan is to be prepared with some easy craft projects to pull out when the time is right. These dried fruit ornaments from red bird crafts look super easy and a fun project to make with the kiddos. And there's always junk sculptures - possibly the best, unstructured craft idea ever! Do you have any green craft ideas up your sleeve?

Wishing you a peaceful and happy holiday! See you in the New Year if not before!

XOXO,

(Image credit: applesauce cake by Martha Stewart Inc., dried kiwi ornament by red bird crafts)

Nourish Your Skin with Homemade Shea Butter Body Cream

Raise your hand if your skin gets extra dry over the winter. I'm seeing a lot of hands, right? I've often thought I should invest in a body care company for all the creams and lotions my family slathers on our bodies. Instead, I started making my own body cream.

This shea butter body cream recipe from my book is super easy to make and it only has 3 ingredients - shea butter, sweet almond oil and essential oils for fragrance. It's rich enough to stand up to a Minnesota winter - so I'm guessing it will work for you too. :)

My local coop sells unrefined shea butter and sweet almond oil in bulk so I can buy just what I need. If you can't find these things where you live, Mountain Rose Herbs is a popular online resource. Here's what unrefined shea butter looks like, in case you haven't seen it before:

Melt the shea butter in the top of a double boiler. Then add the sweet almond oil. (Note: If you're feeling fancy, try substituting a couple tablespoons of Vitamin E oil, carrot seed oil or evening primrose oil at this stage.) Finally, remove pan from heat and add the essential oils. The blend in the recipe is one of my faves but use any combination of essential oils you prefer. (BTW - I usually make a double batch - enough for about an 8-oz jar of cream)

Let the mixture cool slightly. Pour into a glass jar while it is still warm but not hot. Let sit overnight. The cream will solidify and be a milky white color.

Homemade shea butter cream makes a great gift but be sure to keep some for yourself! And if you're on a DIY roll, try my homemade lip balm with shea butter too!

(This post is linked at Healthy Child Healthy World and Your Green Resource at Live Renewed and Make It Yourself Monday at The Purposed Heart)

Tips for a Healthy Thanksgiving and some Green Shopping

Let's face it, sometime in the next week, most of us will be doing two things: indulging in a big meal and doing at least a little bit of shopping. As for myself, tomorrow I'll be packing up the car and heading out of town for the long Thanksgiving weekend. Whether or not parenting duties will let up enough for a bit of holiday shopping remains to be seen, but I would love to hit up some of my favorite hometown stores if I have a chance.

Before I go, I want to leave you with a few links that might help you out this week:

Do you have special family recipes you make every year for Thanksgiving or do you look for new ideas each year? My favorite part of the Thanksgiving tradition is the search for new recipes to make!  In my new post over on the J.R. Watkins Naturals Clear Conscience Blog, I talk about Thanksgiving Recipe Traditions and share a healthy, veggie side dish recipe.

Did you know that a lot of traditional Thanksgiving foods come in cans lined with toxic Bisphenol-A (BPA)?  Things like pumpkin puree, cream soups and jellied cranberry sauce? Blogger Robin Shreeves over at Mother Nature Network put together some helpful tips for how to make a BPA-free Thanksgiving dinner. It's worth a read!

Have you ordered your holiday cards yet? I'm happy to say that mine have already arrived - what do you think? Of course I still need to prepare them and get them mailed but I don't think I've ever been this far ahead of the game before Thanksgiving! Pear Tree Greetings makes these beautiful, customizable cards out of post-consumer recycled paper. They've got some great deals for Black Friday ( 20% off a minimum purchase of $75 using code BLACK20 at check out) and Cyber Monday (40% off a minimum purchase of $125 using code CYBER40 at check out) that you might want to take advantage of!

Not sure where to start with your green-minded shopping this year? My friend Jennae from Green Your Decor put together a lovely Green Gifts Guide. She's got gifts for all types of people and even a selection of DIY/homemade gifts as well as gifts that give back. Jennae has such good taste  - I bet you'll find something perfect on her list!

Overwhelmed by all this talk of shopping? Don't forget to follow my Mindful Shopping Techniques before you hit the road (or the internet)!!

What are your plans for the holiday weekend? Will it include some healthy eating and green shopping?

Eat Non-Toxic: A New eBook by Katy Farber of Non-Toxic Kids

If you have kids in your life, I'm sure you will agree that nothing is more important than the health of those special little humans! And what impacts health more than the food they eat every day? Yet so many of the food choices we are faced with are less than healthy. Cheetos anyone?

Fortunately for us, Katy Farber, author of the popular blog Non-Toxic Kids has whipped up a delicious little eBook that's all about feeding kids a greener, healthier, non-toxic diet. It's called Eat Non-Toxic: A Manual for Busy Parents.

This handy eBook covers the gamut - from breastfeeding to school lunches and everything in between. Here's a sneak peek at what you will find inside:

• Learn why it's important to avoid toxic chemicals in food and products used to cook, store and carry food.
• Find out where unwanted chemicals lurk - they hide in some surprising places - and how to avoid them.
• Discover how to get more healthy, organic, real foods into your family's diet.
• Tips for better, safer products for feeding your family.
• Tired Parent Cliff Notes - for the quick scoop on best practices for non-toxic eating.

Katy was even kind enough to mention my book as a good resource for healthy, homemade snacks. Thank you Katy!!

BUY IT!

Eat Non-Toxic is on sale for 25% off of the $9.99 price through Friday of this week (October 28th). Download a copy today!

(Full disclosure: I received a free copy of Eat Non-Toxic in exchange for my honest opinion. There are affiliate links in this post. If you make a purchase, I will get a small percentage of the proceeds. Thank you!)

Mumi & Bubi Solids Starter Kit Makes Homemade Baby Food Easy

Back when I was in baby food making mode, I put my concoctions in any old container I could find, from ice cube trays to reused commercial baby food jars. That worked for me but I have to admit it would have been nice to have a smoother system for storing my precious purees.

Enter the Mumi & Bubi Solids Starter Kit™. The Solids Starter Kit™ is a simple but smart system for freezing homemade baby food that makes the whole process just a little bit easier - exactly what what a sleep deprived parent needs!

Each kit includes 2 high-quality freezing trays with lids and a link to a step-by-step eguide with 27 baby food recipes. Here's what makes the Mumi & Bubi's Solids Starter Kit™ better than traditional ice cube trays or random jars:

• Made from non-toxic polypropylene - certified free of BPA, phthalates and PVC. (FYI - lids on conventional baby food jars are often coated with plastic containing BPA)
• Trays have lids to keep food fresh and free of freezer burn - unlike ice cube trays.
• Grooves in top of lid makes trays easy to stack on top of one another.
• Trays are top-rack dishwasher safe.
• Cubes pop out easily without twisting and digging.
• Each tray makes 21 (1-oz) cubes - the perfect serving size for baby!
• When baby food stage is over, use for freezing homemade pesto, soup stocks or smoothie treats!

I'm thinking this would make a perfect baby shower gift for a new parent. The Mumi & Bubi Solids Starter Kit™ is available online for a special price of $25.

Did you make homemade baby food for your child? Do you have any tips or tricks to share?

(Full Disclosure: I received a free Mumi & Bubi Solids Starter Kit in exchange for my honest opinion.)