a breakast treat!

One of the things I love making for breakfast besides omelets, is a fruit parfait. I use Stoney Field’s low fat french vanilla organic yogurt for a creamy yet light taste. I cut some fresh strawberries, bananas and add some blueberries if I find any in the fridge and mix it a little to give the yogurt some color and fruity taste from the berries. For a nice crunch in each bite, I like to top it off with some Go Lean Crunch honey almond flax Kashi cereal. It’s a wonderful easy-to-make meal full of nutrients and deliciousness!
Thinking of making this for breakfast during the week, I picked up what i needed at the grocery store. The next day I gathered all the ingredients and made my parfait. As I took the first bite, I realized there was something different; It was not as sweet as usual. I took a look at the yogurt container and realized I had bought the plain kind instead of vanilla. It was not a happy moment for me. It’s never fun to eat something with an expectation of what is going to taste like it and be disappointed when the taste doesn’t quite match what you had in mind. Fortunately, a moment later I had a light-bulb moment and thought, Why not add honey? So I carried out the idea and mixed some honey to my not-so-sweet parfait. I must say it was a great idea!

home-made chicken nuggets

Here's a recipe I got from a friend for how to make home-made chicken nuggets. It's a recipe i have yet to try myself, but my friend said her boys loved them! It is definitely a better and healthier choice than those store bought ones. For one, you know all the ingredients that will go into making them. Second of all, fresh is far better tasting than something frozen and pre-packaged and making something from scratch gives parents an opportunity to spend some time together in the kitchen with the kids who are old enough to help.

click on this link to find the recipe: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/04/healthy-baked-chicken-nuggets.html?m=1

Eat better feel better

It is without a doubt that the way we eat affects how we feel and function. No matter how old or young we are, the same rule applies. So why not choose the option that will make us feel better? I know most people think it's hard or nearly impossible to maintain a balanced diet and an overall healthy lifestyle, but even though it can be challenging, it is definitely doable. This reminds me of a quote i once read that said, "No one said it would be easy, they just said it would be worth it". Leading a healthy life requires balance, consistency and creativity, especially when aiming to maintain a healthy balance for the whole family. It is more than eating right of course, it involves being active, willing and having an understanding of accurate stewardship. Flexibility and resilience are some other words that come to mind. Because it's challenging building and maintaining good and healthy habits and structures within the home we must not be too hard on ourselves when things don't go quite the way we had imagined or when we slip up. We must focus instead on picking ourselves back up and maybe find another way. We don't always get it right the first time, but being strategic and having a plan definitely helps. We must also be flexible and leave room for changes and improvements, being too rigid can cause us to fail and give up on our goals and abort our mission. Having a good support system is also a great way to ensure we stay on track and nourish our bodies well. Informing our kids is important. Don't underestimate how much they can understand and contribute. A child's ability to focus and function more efficiently in school and in all activities can significantly improve when they are feeding their bodies with the right things. People complain about kids having short attention-spam and being super hyper, but i wouldn't be surprised if those kids were being fed sugary snacks and processed foods. Parents must act as mentors to their children and set a right example of how to take care of one's self. Remember parents: you can't ask your kids what you don't demand from yourself, so if you want your child to eat healthy the process begins with you.