Posts from — October 2009

Halloween has arrived.  I live in a kid-packed neighborhood, so skimping on my candy inventory is out of the question.  So, how do I free my kids up to enjoy the holiday festivities while maintaining some reasonable sense of sanity over the impending sugar trough soon to come into my house?

When I was a kid my siblings and I were given 30 minutes to do whatever we wanted with our stash and then it was GONE.  That’s one approach (not a favorite). 

Another is to avoid at least some of the sugar stockpile in the house by handing out pretzels or toothbrushes (another huge mistake if you enjoy having an egg-free exterior to your home).

Check out http://kidshealth.org/parent/food/general/halloween_hints.html# for ideas on getting through Halloween without losing your mind, gaining 100 pounds, or having to fix architectural elements in your home damaged by kids bouncing out-of-control from their everlasting sugar high.

Parenthood provides plenty of opportunities for panic.  At least in my house, I’m the panicky one while the hubby is the more “Oh, they’ll be FINE” sort of partner in our duo.  Whatever the dynamic in your house, someone’s going to be on edge on Halloween night if there’s a little lovely running around with any kind of food allergy. 

KidswithFoodAllergies.org has published a fantastic FREE “pamphlet” sharing wonderful tips for surviving this holiday while keeping that parent-of-an-allergic-child stress to a minimum.  Check it out at http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/KFA-Celebrates-Halloween.pdf.

And another tip, Smarties, Dots, and DumDum suckers are all milk, egg, soy, peanut and treenut free.

Many of you are familiar with the ever popular “The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids’ Favorite Meals“.  Here is a fantastic recipe from Missy Chase Lapine that your kids will love!

White Puree

2 cups cauliflower, cut into florets

2 small to medium zucchini, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

3 to4 tablespoons water, if necessary

Steam cauliflower in a vegetable steamer over 2 inches of water, using a tightly covered pot, for about 10 to 12 minutes until very tender.  Alternatively, place cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with water, and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes until very tender.

While waiting for the cauliflower to finish steaming, start to pulse the raw peeled zucchini with the lemon juice only (no water at this point).  Drain the cooked cauliflower.  Working in batches if necessary, add it to the pulsed zucchini in the bowl of the food processor with 2 tablespoons of water.  Puree on high until smooth.  Stop occasionally and push contents from the top to the bottom.  If necessary, add the rest of the water to make a smooth puree.

Double the recipe if you want to store even more, which can be done in the refrigerator for up to three days, or freeze 1/4-cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.

Add this mixture to mac n’ cheese, soup, stew, pasta sauces, dips (like hummus), tuna salad, even hamburgers!

Indigo Rabbit is thrilled to announce its participation in this year’s Healthy Living Expo at the DCU Center in Worcester October 24-25!  Come join the thousands of visitors who flock to this event each year – and eat Indigo Rabbit goodies!

We all have likes and dislikes.

I will candidly admit that some of my own “dislikes” have not necessarily been backed up by “research”.  Case in point – rice and beans.  I have always viewed myself as someone who cannot stand such a combination.  Had I ever tried it?  No.  Had I ever prepared it myself?  No.  I recognized I was behaving less than my age and decided to do something about it.

I tried my sister-in-law’s recipe for Rice and Beans (she gives credit to the newest edition of “Joy of Cooking”).  Now I LOVE rice and beans.  Who knew???  Truly an epiphany.  Now such a basic (and healthful – and easy – and ecomonical) dish is part of my world.  Thank you generous sister-in-law! 

I will share her genius with you.

Heat in a large saucepan:

2 Tbsp olive oil

Add:

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 habanero pepper, seeded and chopped, or 1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes or powder to taste

Cook, stirring, until tender, 5-8 minutes, then stir in:

1 cup diced tomato

2 1/2 cups water

1 cup long grain rice

1 tsp salt

Bring to a boil, then stir in:

1 can black beans, rinsed

Cover and cook over medium-low heat until water has been absorbed into rice, about 20 minutes.  Remove from heat, allow to sit for 10 minutes, then enjoy!

First, I’ll start with the assumption that you all know Dr. Oz.  That assumption made, Dr. Oz’s daughter Daphne, a recent college graduate, is making her own mark in the world of healthy living publications with The Dorm Room Diet.

She is also talking about her exploration of possible gluten intolerance as an explanation for some of her own health challenges.  Take a look at this piece on Oprah.com and see if any of her experiences ring true for you.

Are you planning to enjoy a meal out at a favorite restaurant this weekend?  Take a look at the Healthy Dining Finder to check out restaurants with nutritionist-approved menu items.  You can type in your location and price range to find exactly what you’re looking for!

It doesn’t matter where you do your food shopping.  Grocery stores across the country are adopting various strategies for ranking products on their shelves under the guise that it will make it easier for consumers to make healthier choices.

Despite good intentions, I find the systems baffling.  Most of the items I find in the grocery aisles are highly processed and the packaging is wallpapered in health claims and misleading copy.

Take a look at this review of the phenomenon on InteliHealth and come to your own conclusions.

A study has been recently published out of Sweden and it suggests that chocolate eaters have a better chance of surviving a heart attack than non-chocolate eaters.

The research is not fool-proof, but certainly worth a look.  Take a look at this review in the New York Times.

WooHoo!

Once again, make sure you do your shopping at an area location where you can sample goodies from Indigo Rabbit.

We’ll be at Whole Foods Market in Hingham tomorrow from 12:00-3:00 and at Whole Foods in Dedham on Sunday 12:00-3:00.  We’ll save you some munchies.