No time like the present

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Fit Foodie Mama

Okay, that was the longest LOA ever, but I’m embarrassed to say it’s not the first time I have let a project sit on the back burner for a ridiculously long time. At least I can report that while I was not blogging, I was accomplishing other things. I returned to work after a wonderful maternity leave and learned (well, am still learning) how to balance a full-time job with a very needy toddler. And I spent every night writing and researching, writing and researching…and I graduated a month ago!

So now I’m finding a new balance in life, and what better time to slip some blogging time back in. Right now–with full-force denial of more mundane responsibilities–I’ve got Easter on my mind. Last year, the little guy was just a baby, so I didn’t think about it, and the last time I really celebrated Easter before that was when I was still a kid myself! It’s actually kind of exciting to think about playing the role of Easter bunny for the first time, and I can already feel the creative juices flowing.

easter eggsI stumbled upon this cute–and easy–Easter basket idea, which makes me happy because it is flexible (i.e., won’t snap like plastic ones) and durable (won’t tear or start unwinding like the baskets we had when I was a kid). Plus, it’s cloth, so I can just squish it into a box to store away and reuse next year (yay for not adding to the world’s clutter).

Now, what to put inside? Or rather, what to put inside that is not primarily made of sugar? I think I will start with a book about Easter. Happy Easter, Sprinkles! is probably going to be in there because: 1. I love Blue’s Clues, 2. it is about Blue’s younger sibling which will subliminally prepare my little one for a future younger sibling, and 3. it’s in Amazon’s 4-for-3 book promotion. Win, win, win. I also considered The First Easter as a child-friendly explanation of the Christian aspect of the whole Easter season (that is also in the 4-for-3 books), but I think he’ll be more ready for it next year.

Toys were the next obvious thing: a little ball, another Chuck and Friends truck for his collection, and some creative toys like Giant Sidewalk Chalk or bunny ears. While searching for the instructions for Maya’s felt basket, I also came across this cute (and again, simple) little bunny, so I will try my hand at making a couple of those in different colors. The plastic Easter eggs we know so well can be filled with popcorn, raisins, stickers, homemade crackers, or any number of other delightful treats. And finally I will cut the guy some slack and drop a couple of chocolate eggs in there. It is a holiday, after all.

Česky: Čokoládový velikonoční zajíček. English...

The hubby’s Easter basket will be easy. He is a sucker for anything sugary, so I can pile it high with chocolate bunnies, marzipan eggs, and gummi anything. I suppose it would look suspicious if I didn’t get an Easter basket as well, so I suppose I could fill a basket with some chocolate for myself too…

What about you? What is going in your Easter basket?

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We’ve Come a Long Way, Baby (Part II)

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Fit Foodie Mama

Okay, so if you need to catch up from Part I, I’m in the middle of an ode to cloth diapers. Cloth diapering is much friendlier to the environment (and your wallet), but it is also much friendlier to your baby’s soft, delicate skin. (Yup, that’s why cloth diapered babies almost never get diaper rash.)

(And have I mentioned how cute they are?)Victoria’s Secret doesn’t make their underwear out of paper. And if they did, I wouldn’t choose it for myself, so I definitely won’t choose it for my baby’s extra-soft, extra-sensitive skin. Your skin is a membrane through which all kinds of chemicals are absorbed into your system. In addition to the harsh chemicals that make disposables white and absorbent, many companies add dyes, adhesive chemicals, and fragrances for aesthetic purposes. They also may use volatile organic compounds (fx. xylene, ethylbenzene and dipentene), which can cause problems from eye, nose and throat irritation, to liver and kidney damage, to cancer. If your baby has this on 24 hours a day for two or three years, your organic baby clothes don’t really make a difference…And how about one more bonus for you and baby? Babes in cloth diapers are easier to potty train–and it usually happens earlier–because they can feel the wetness and respond to it.

Everyone’s talking about cloth these days! Plus, check out this pocket diaper giveaway at BabyHalfOff.com!

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We’ve Come a Long Way, Baby (Part I)

Posted on April 2, 2011 by Fit Foodie Mama

Several of my friends have asked me about cloth diapering in the last week, and I have nothing but great things to say about it. So. . . now let me take the opportunity to shamelessly talk about how awesome cloth diapers are. They have come a LONG way since the flat square of cloth with the big pin.If you have ever thought about making the switch to cloth–or especially if you haven’t–it’s worth serious consideration. It is not any harder or messier than using disposables. (And you might not believe me, but disposables smell a LOT worse when they’re dirty; I guess it’s all the chemicals.) If the environmental and financial factors aren’t enough to win you over, consider this: Some of the toxins found in many disposables include

  • Dioxin – a chemical that the EPA lists as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals (which is banned in most countries, but not America),
  • Sodium polyacrylate – a chemical that was banned from use in tampons in the 1980′s because it increases the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome,
  • Polyacrylate gel – a gel that leeches moisture from your baby’s skin and is suspected of causing asthma (but is otherwise too new to know the extent of long-term effects), and
  • Tributyl-tin – a toxin that gets absorbed through the skin and causes hormonal and immune problems.

This is good article by author Michelle Kennedy, explaining why she chose cloth diapers for all six of her children! She doesn’t even mention the fact that they are super cute and colorful, and they provide nice, soft padding when baby falls on his bum.

Not convinced, or want to know more? Check out Part II!

Convinced, and want to know how to be even MORE frugal? Another mom shares her tips.

What do you say so far: cloth or ‘sposies?

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Dancing With Myself

Posted on March 27, 2011 by Fit Foodie Mama

Some days I just have no energy. I can barely handle standing in the kitchen long enough to cut up my veggies, much less an doing an intense workout. (Some days, by this point, I might even start throwing a little pity party for myself which sends me straight to the freezer for some of this, but not today.)

I always try to force myself to at least start the workout–with the plan that I will do, say, the first fifteen minutes, and then I can stop–because once I get started, I often magically find the lost energy and end up finishing the whole session. But on those days when I just can’t get my feet off the ground for those jumping jacks, I open up iTunes and just get crazy. (“Dance like nobody’s watching,” right?)

My hubby hates most kinds of dance music, and I’d probably be embarrassed to go all out if he were around anyway, so this is normally reserved for when it’s just me and Baby. I’m not good at keeping up with new music, so here’s the 80′s music that got me moving today.

Pump up the Jam – Technotronic
Heartbreaker – Pat Benetar
She’s a Maniac – Michael Sembello (Yes, I did the Flashdance…)
Conga – Gloria Estefan
It’s Raining Men – The Weather Girls
Kiss – Prince and the Revolution
Footloose – Kenny Loggins
Dancing With Myself – Billy Idol

What are your favorite dance tunes?

Posted in Exercise, Music | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Cottage Cheese Creativity

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Fit Foodie Mama

My friends think I’m a little crazy because I am always eating cottage cheese. And why not? It’s the perfect food–it doesn’t need to be cooked, it’s super versatile, and it is practically pure protein. A half cup of low-fat cottage cheese has 14 grams of protein for less than 100 calories. Did I mention that dairy products also enhance fat oxidation?
Unfortunately, cottage cheese isn’t the most exciting or glamorous food in the world, and my husband despises it. But have you ever seen the Sneaky Chef? Missy Chase Lapine gets her kids (and husband) to eat their vegetables by sneaking them into her recipes, usually in the form of a puree. And it works on my husband too.

Here are some more interesting ways to enjoy cottage cheese:

  1. Twice-baked potatoes – Mix green onions and cottage cheese in with the scooped-out potato, put it back in, top with some shredded cheddar, and nuke it.
  2. Lasagne – In addition to your sauce, meat/veggie, and pasta layers, add a layer made of blended cottage cheese mixed with grated parmesan, shredded mozzarella, and 1 egg.
  3. Tuna salad – Mix it in with a can of tuna (and corn and onions if you like); you can spread it on a whole wheat pita and bake it, or use it in a wrap.
  4. Berry breakfast – Mix a cup of berries (or a sliced banana) with it; you can add a little jam or cinnamon to spruce it up even more.
  5. Cheesy salsa – Mix a serving of cottage cheese with a small jar of salsa, and use it on baked chips or steamed veggies.
  6. Pita “pizza” – Mix it with grated parmesan, oregano, and diced tomatoes/peppers/onions; spread it on a whole wheat pita and bake it for 15 minutes.
  7. Yogurt – Mix it with your favorite flavor of yogurt.
  8. Strawberry cheesecake smoothie – Blend 1/2c cottage cheese with 6 strawberries, 1c milk, 1 scoop protein powder, and a few ice cubes. Add some agave syrup or another sweetener if you want.

If that’s not enough, I recently happened upon this list of cottage cheese recipes. I haven’t tried any of them yet, and I can’t attest to their health factor, but it’s nice to have options.

What’s your most creative way of using cottage cheese?

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Multitasking Meals

Posted on March 20, 2011 by Fit Foodie Mama

Now that I’m a mom, dinner is not as exciting and extravagant as it used to be. Accepting the fact that I don’t even have the time and energy to cook every night, I have gravitated toward meals that: 1. reheat well, 2. freeze well, 3. don’t require a lot of active time at the stove, and 4. are healthy. Every dinner has protein and veggies, and I often throw a “good” carb into the mix too.

It’s an added bonus when a food multitasks, either playing two nutritional roles or roles in two different meals. In last night’s case, it was super nutritious, super multitasker amaranth. I first read about amaranth in a short blurb in Hers magazine, and I immediately added it as one of my kitchen staples. Out of the way, quinoa!

Top ten reasons amaranth is awesome:

  1. It has twice as much calcium as milk.
  2. It contains healthy fats and fatty acids.
  3. It has three times as much fiber as wheat.
  4. It is LOADED with iron, manganese, magnesium, folate and potassium.
  5. . . . And vitamins A, B6, C, and E.
  6. It is gluten-free.
  7. It is high in protein, but easier to digest than most animal proteins.
  8. It contains more lysine (an essential amino acid) than any other grain.
  9. You can have it with savory foods at dinner, with apple and cinnamon for breakfast, or pop it like popcorn!
  10. And I haven’t tried it yet, but apparently they make it into this in Mexico. Yum!

What was my point? Oh yeah. Multitasking foods. I had some ground chicken on hand and no plan for how to make it into a meal. In what is becoming a common trend in my kitchen, I ended up trying improvise a healthy meal with what I had on hand in order to keep myself from ordering take-out. So in go the garlic, onions and ground chicken. That must make a base for something. Hmmm…I could add a can of tomatoes, but then it is still kind of boring. Enter amaranth. Twenty minutes in some water and I had a high-protein, high-fiber, high-nutrient component to add a little texture, nuttiness, and excitement to my food. Bonus: there is plenty amaranth left over to make into breakfast! Double bonus: blend the whole thing a little, and Baby eats it too!

Thank you, amaranth. You are breakfast and dinner. You are fiber and protein. (And you’re easy to cook.)

Chicken Amaranth Skillet
1 cup amaranth boiled in 2.5 cups water for 18-20 minutes
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 lb ground chicken or turkey
2 cans of diced tomatoes
splash of Tabasco
1 red pepper (optional)

Sauté the garlic and onions in the oil until onions are clear. Add the chicken and cook through. Dump in the tomatoes, Tabasco, and as much of the amaranth as you want. (I used about 3/4 of it.) Serve it in a bowl with chopped red pepper and feel good about a yummy meal that is super healthy.
Eat the rest of the amaranth in the morning with some apples, cinnamon and walnuts.

What interesting new foods have you discovered recently?

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Day 1 on the Blogosphere

Posted on March 19, 2011 by Fit Foodie Mama

Welcome to Fit Foodie Mama! I’m a foodie (um, that’s an understatement, to say the least) trying to get into shape and live a healthy lifestyle despite a ravenous appetite for cookies and ice cream. Here you can take part in my journey; I’ll share my tips and tricks for healthy eating . . .

stir-fry

. . . and, of course, my weakness for wickedly delicious treats that make my shrimp and quinoa run screaming.

cake

Here’s a little background on me: I used to be, well, kind of fat. One day I finally decided it was time to get in shape. Drawing much of my nutritional inspiration from Bill Phillips, and adding HIIT (high intensity interval training) sessions to the weightlifting routines I already enjoyed, I lost nearly fifty pounds in a little over a year. Could I have done it faster? Of course! But slow weight loss is more likely to stay off (and it did!). Oh, and I didn’t deprive myself of the sinful treats I love so much—that slowed me down a little, but helped me stick to my new eating habits.

Then, still ten or fifteen pounds from my goal, I got pregnant. Now, Baby is here, and I’m getting back on track while adjusting to my new life. So I’m blogging for two reasons: to keep myself motivated and accountable, and to share the experience with others who, like me, want to have their cake and eat it too . . . with extra buttercream frosting.

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