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Easy Kids Recipes

Frozen Chocolate Yogurt Mud Pie

By Kiera S. Campbell

Are you looking for easy kids recipes to keep your children busy? Kids just love to help out in the kitchen and cooking is a great and fun way to teach your children the importance of eating healthy. This is one delicious and nutritious dessert recipe that your kids will surely love to make and to eat.  And did I mention that it’s healthy, too?

This easy recipe for a dessert requires no cooking and is ideal even for your little preschooler. Once you’re comfortable making this recipe, feel free to experiment with various containers to create your own mud pie shapes.  

This recipe makes 1 Frozen Chocolate Yogurt Mud Pie that serves two.

What you’ll need:

5 cups plain yogurt
250g Chocolate cookie crumbs
4 tbsps Melted margarine
Soft, sweet fruits chopped in small pieces (mango, banana, etc.)

What you need to do:

1. In a large bowl, mix together your margarine and your cookie crumbs. We’re looking for a sticky moist consistency.

2. Next, line your container with this cookie crumb mixture. The bottom and the sides of your container should be covered with it (pretend you’re making a cup made of cookie crumbs).

3. Make sure you pack them in tightly and that it is around ¼” thick. A round container that is 4” in diameter and 3” in height is a good size, although you’re free to experiment with the shape and size of your mud pie.

4. Next, in another bowl, mix the plain yogurt and your fruit pieces together. The fruit pieces should be completely hidden inside the yogurt mixture.

5. Put the yogurt mixture into the cookie crumb mixture (like you’re filling the cup you made with yogurt).

6. Leave in the freezer to harden and freeze.

7. Once it’s frozen, it’s ready to serve. You may lift it out of your container or you may serve it in the container – your choice. If you want, you may also put fruit slices or sprinkle chocolate chips on top.

Healthy and easy kids recipes like this are fun to make. But are you able to teach your kids the importance of choosing healthy food all the time?

Kiera S. Campbell is the author of “Yummy Healthy Tummy: The Secrets of Raising Healthy Kids Every Parent Needs to Know!” She can teach you how you can help your children grow up to love and choose healthy eating for life. Visit The Yummy Healthy Tummy to learn more.

Raising Healthy Eating Kids

Raising Healthy Eating Kids:
9 Ways How You Can Encourage the Healthy Eating Habit In Your Children.

By Kiera S. Campbell

For a lot of parents, raising kids who are conscious of choosing healthy food is a lifelong mission. Given the massive health advantages attributed to healthy eating, kids who are trained towards it stand to gain a lot. As parents, it is probably one of the best gifts we can give to our children.

So how exactly do we go about building healthy eating habits in our kids? First thing we need to recognize is that habits are built with positive reinforcement. This means that the more positive and happy things our kids can associate with a certain behavior, the more likely they are to repeat it.

Making healthy food choices is a behavior that is directly influenced by our attitudes and reactions towards it. This is a very important principle to keep in mind if we want to encourage certain behaviors in our children. This principle applies not only to eating habits and food choices, but to other behaviors as well.

Keeping this principle in mind, these are just some of the ways you can help encourage healthy eating in your kids:

1. Make meal times pleasant. Avoid fighting over food or having negative discussions when eating.  Especially avoid fighting over fruits and vegetables.

2. Model the behavior you want your kids to follow. This simply means that if you want your kids to eat healthy, then you yourself have to eat healthy. Children naturally follow what their parents do. If they see you enjoying fruits and vegetables, they are more likely to try it and are more likely to enjoy it.

3. Praise them whenever they choose healthy food. Let them see how happy and how proud it makes you that your kids choose to eat the healthy food that you put on their plate.

4. Praise them whenever they TRY new food. Even if they don’t like it the first time they try it, some kids just need to see it served often before they acquire the taste for it. Praising them for trying will leave them open to try the new and healthy dishes that you serve them.

5. Prepare healthy snacks that they can munch on while engaging in recreational activities. In line with creating a lot of positive associations with healthy food, it may be worth your while to prepare healthy food that they can eat when watching TV or movies, reading books, after sports activities and so on.

6. Let your children know what they are eating. We’re all guilty of hiding vegetables in our kids’ food, but sometimes it’s actually better to let them know what goes into their food. Teaching them which foods are healthy will allow them to recognize healthy food when they see it.

7. Involve your children in the preparation. From meal planning to grocery shopping to cooking the food, getting your kids involved, assigning them tasks that they can do will make healthy eating much more fun for them.  You can be certain that they’ll be more open to trying food that they helped prepare in some way.

8. Introduce something new once in a while. If you can do this weekly, even better.

9. Eat healthy when eating out. This is a great way to show your kids how you can consistently choose healthy food even when you’re in a different environment.  This will definitely reinforce the importance of healthy eating and they’ll also realize how easy and accessible healthy food actually is.

Did you know that healthy eating can cut our kids’ risks for diseases like obesity, cancer, diabetes and heart attack by up to 40%? That’s why it’s absolutely crucial that you instill the habit of eating healthy in your children.

Learn the secrets and the principles to raising healthy eating kids here.

Black Bean Salad with Fresh Corn

Recipe courtesy Michael Gintert /Source: FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients

• 2 cups black beans, cooked, rinsed
• 1 ear corn, boiled, kernels removed from the cob
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 medium poblano pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (leaves and stems)
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon salt

Directions

Quinoa with Garlic, Pine Nuts and Raisins

Courtesy of Ellie Krieger for Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Going Green with Borax

If you’re wandering down the laundry aisle of your local grocery store, you may have seen a product called 20 Mule Team® Borax.  What is Borax?  Is it a natural product?  How would you use it? Is it really a ‘green’ product?

Sodium borate, also known as Borax, is a naturally occurring mineral.  It is composed of sodium, boron, oxygen, and water.  Many people are already aware that Borax is often used along with laundry detergent. It helps to soften the water, making the detergent work better.

Borax can be used for laundry, but can also be used in other ways throughout the house.  From being a multi-purpose cleaner to killing bugs to being used in arts and craft projects, Borax can be used in a multitude of ways.  It is safe for washing machines, plumbing systems, and septic tanks.  It does not contain phosphates or chlorine, chemicals that are hazardous to your family and the environment.

Do you need to clean any stains from your carpet or rugs?  Make a paste of water and Borax and rub it into the stain.  Let the paste dry, then simply vacuum everything up.  You find as a result a clean and fresh smelling carpet or rug – and no stains.

Occasionally you’ll find ants have made their way into your home.  If this happens to you, mix together a spoon of Borax and a spoon of powdered sugar. (Make sure you use different spoons when measuring this.)  You can leave small piles of this mixture wherever you see ants. However, please remember not to leave it within the reach of children or pets.

Not only will Borax kill ants and roaches, it can also be used to help kill fleas that have gotten in your carpet.  Sprinkle the Borax onto the carpet and let it sit for at least an hour.  Once again, when the time is up, vacuum away the fleas, and any possibly carpet odors as well.

Have you found there is a certain odor coming from your refrigerator that you can’t get rid of?  Add one tablespoon of Borax with one cup of warm water.  With a sponge, wipe down the walls, shelves, and drawers in your refrigerator.  Rinse with clean water, and your odors will rinse away too.

Having trouble with odors from your toilet bowl.  Sprinkle one-fourth cup of Borax into your toilet bowl.  Swish the bowl with your toilet brush and let stand for a minimum of a half hour to overnight.  Swish again and then flush the odors away.

If you have some flowers that you would like to preserve, you can use Borax to help do that.  Begin by covering the bottom of a shoe box with Borax.  Add cut flowers, leaving just a little bit of stem, and placing them into the shoe box.  Gently cover the flowers and leaves with more Borax until the flowers are completely covered.  You may have to sprinkle the Borax into roses or carnations to make sure that the flowers are covered.  Leave no air space around the flowers.  Seal the box and store it for seven to ten days.  After the flowers are dried, slowly pour the Borax from the box.  Then remove them by dumping the rest of the Borax off of them.  Clean off any remaining Borax by using a soft paint brush or gently blowing it off.  ou can easily strain and reuse the Borax another time.

Borax, this naturally occurring mineral, is yet another item you can add to your home which will help you to go green. As you can see, it’s not only great for treating laundry but has a multitude of different uses as well.

It is truly a wonder product, and one that is friendly to the environment.

10 Make-it-Quick Family Meals

Do YOU have any idea what are you serving for dinner tonight? Any ideas on lunch or brunch this coming weekend? It can be a very discouraging task to come up with meal ideas each and every day, especially if you have kids who are picky eaters. Here are ten quick ideas for family meals. Why not reduce the stress and try one tonight?

1.    Spaghetti – It’s so easy to throw some noodles in a pot of boiling water and simmer some spaghetti sauce. Spaghetti sauce is also very nutritious and versatile: ground beef or turkey, diced vegetables and a variety of herbs and seasonings and you can make it all your own. For a low calorie meal, use spaghetti squash in place of traditional noodles.

2.    Tacos – If your family happens to likes Mexican food, whip up a batch of tacos for dinner. You can easily mix up a batch, providing hard and/or soft shells for variety. For family menu planning, slice and dice your preferred toppings ahead of time so you can just pull them out on taco night. If you’re into bulk cooking, it’s easy to cook up a large batch of taco meat and spices, freezing it for a later date.

3.    Macaroni and cheese – What kid doesn’t like this as a dinner main dish? Spice it up with diced tomatoes, crumbled turkey or chicken bacon, or hamburger.

4.    Pizza – and I don’t mean store-bought or delivery. Keep several prepared pizza crusts on hand, or make your own with whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose. On pizza night, let the entire family choose which of their favorite toppings they want on their pizza. Preparation time is fun, and because of this you can get supper in the oven in no time flat. Wait about 20 minutes to cook and you’re ready to eat!

5.    Skewers – you can create tasty chicken, seafood or beef kebabs quickly. Skewer the meat and your favorite vegetables, placing them in a sealed container until meal day. This is the benefit of meal planning – getting prep work done early. Cook your tasty kebabs on the bbq, or use a grill pan indoors.

6.    Hot dogs – You can find turkey or chicken wieners (check and make sure it ‘real’ or ’100%’ poultry) in most grocery stores, and there are even some ‘light’ varieties. Boil or grill them, add your favorite toppings and you’re done! Thank you Oscar Mayer!

7.    Chef salad – Salads are always quick to fix but they usually lack something in the taste department. With a chef salad you get your portion of protein from lean chicken or turkey. The taste comes from the add-ins: turkey or chicken bacon crumbles parmesan cheese, tomatoes, shredded cheese, black beans and cucumbers. Use other ingredients that your family likes.

8.    Grilled cheese sandwich – Dinner doesn’t need to be a four-course meal. For a new taste, add a few slices of a juicy tomato or side this with soup.

9.    Tortilla wraps – Create quick and yummy sandwiches with your favorite flavor of tortilla. Glaze with mustard or low calorie mayonnaise. Add crunchy veggies and diced chicken, fish or beef.

10.    Leftover creations– Use leftovers to create salads, casseroles, sandwiches and soups. Don’t let anything go to waste if it can be used for new meals.

I hope these ideas help spark some of your own creative ones which will not only save you time and money, but allow you to enjoy time with your family as well.

Fitness Time as a Family

It’s important for every member of your family to get their share of physical activity in their daily lives. Exercise is not only a ‘must’ for people who are trying to lose weight, or get a more sculpted body. One of the best ways to have ‘family time’ and stay healthy is to schedule a family fitness time.

These days, even our kids are busy. They have homework, afterschool activities and friends they want to hang out with. Our days are super-busy too. When we actually do get the chance to get together, this family time is important. To ensure that you get family time each day, even though everyone is busy with their own thing, let that time do double-duty.

When your schedule is packed, any time that can serve dual purposes is a ray of light. Instead of trying to find time to exercise by yourself, why not get the entire family together to exercise? This way, each person gets the physical activity they need, and you can use the time for bonding as well.

Hold Each Other Accountable

One of the downfalls of working out by yourself is the lack of motivation or accountability. Friends may work out with you on occasion, but they have families and other responsibilities too. When you include your own family, you have built-in motivators for each other. What used to be seen as a chore is now fun family time together, because you are tackling it as a team.

The many benefits of family fitness:

• Everyone participates together to gain better fitness

• It’s easy to create challenges for one another

• You’re tackling eating well as a family, and are more likely to pay more attention to it

• You can schedule family fitness around other commitments

When you take on family fitness habits, you end up with constant support 24/7. If your schedule only permits 30 minutes several days a week, that’s fine. However, Instead of thirty according to the time you have to spend together, you can stretch that time to an hour if you want to. Let’s take a look at some ideas for family fitness workouts:

• Work out to a DVD or video

• Go bike riding together

• Lift weights together

• Play video or other games which allow you to get up and move during play.

Each member of your family can pick an exercise they love to do, introducing it to everyone else. On different days, let a different member of the family decide on the workout routine. This way, each member of the family stays involved AND has a chance to show off a new favourite exercise.

By turning exercise and fitness into a family affair, chances are you’ll stick with it longer and enjoy it more than if you were to simply do it on your own. Why not give it a try, and get everyone in your household fit at the same time?

The Basics of Reduce, Re-Use and Recycle

Many of us are relatively new to the whole “Recycling” thing, and aren’t

quite sure of the basic rules around the whole process. The point of this post is to get everyone started on the right track, because as you all know our environment depends on it. Let’s take a closer look at the three fundaments: recycling, reducing and re-using.

Recycle

For many people just starting out on their eco-friendly voyage, this is their Step 1 of the whole process. That’s fantastic! Now let’s try and improve on this concept a little bit, and refine your recycling habits. By the time you’re through, you’ll be recycling as effectively as any pro out there.

1)      Mark and organize your home recycle bins. The best way to do this is by verifying with your area’s recycling center’s requirements. The usual categories are paper, glass and metal. However, it’s always best to make sure. Checking out your city’s website should guide you to their waste management and recycling pages.

2)      If you’re lacking floor space, consider perhaps a wall shelf or placing them outside your back door, or on the balcony. Just remember, the easier they are to access, the more likely you are to actually use them.

3)      Before tossing an item in a bin, see if you can’t use it for something else. If you have children, paper towel and toilet paper rolls make great craft items. Glass bottles can make great juice jugs once they’re washed. The possibilities are endless.

Reduce

This part isn’t all that hard to accomplish. Wasting less or reducing simply means using less. The biggest challenge here is normally getting used to the change in habit. Often the amount we use is second- nature to us. Ask yourself the following questions;

1)      Do you take long showers? Consider putting a timer in the bathroom to reduce water usage.

2)      How often do you use batteries? If you’re often changing batteries, you might want to consider making an investment in rechargeable ones in order to reduce the waste factor. Disposable batteries are not only fully of harmful toxins, but they take up an large amount of landfill space.

3)      How many lights are on? Do you leave the lights on when you walk out of a room? Are there unnecessary lights on in your home or office, especially during the day? Use as much natural light as possible, and turn off the lights when you leave the room.

4)      What type of lighting are you using? You’re probably aware that compact fluorescent bulbs use less energy, and last longer than normal light bulbs do. It’s worth the investment, and some hydro and electric companies will give you a “bonus” for switching to lower energy lighting.

5)      How often do you run the dryer? If you find yourself using it more than once a day, you may want to consider putting your clothes on a clothes line or drying rack instead of using the dryer.

6)      Do you buy bottles water? You might want to switch to reusable plastic or stainless steel bottles. This will reduce the amount of plastic which needs to be recycled. Recycling plastic requires the use of petroleum, and the process produces harmful emissions. Only half of the disposed water bottles are actually recycled. The rest end up in landfills because people forget to recycle them.

Re-use or Refurbish

Here are some ideas on how you can re-use or refurbish various items in your home.

1)      Whether you have a blender that’s not working properly, or a pair of shoes with a sole coming apart, you may want to try and fix it before tossing it away. You can often find online tutorials on how to fix these types of things, and this would prevent you from having to buy something new right away.

2)      Buy items from a used or second-hand store. From clothing to furniture, there are a great many locations you can go to find some bargains. Try local thrift and antique stores, flea markets and garage sales. An even better idea is to turn to family and friends. Perhaps you can exchange something of yours for something of theirs.

3)      Donate any items that are still in good condition to various charities or second-hand stores.

4)      Use cloth, not paper. Instead of paper tissues, use a handkerchief. Use cloth napkins instead of paper ones. Replace your usual uses of paper towels with cloth rags as much as possible. Instead of covering your food in the microwave with paper towels,  try using another plate, or a splash guard created especially for this purpose.

Now that you have the basics down, we’ll tackle another topic next week. But for now, how about practicing your 3 Re – Reduce, Re-use and Recycle.

Stop Taking the Easy Way – Take the Stairs Instead

Many people, especially those who live in congested cities, work in office
tower blocks. They use the elevator every day of their lives to get from the
ground to whatever floor their office is on.
Still others use elevators in department stores, apartment towers and so on.

Forget the elevator and take the stairs, because climbing stairs is one of the
most effective forms of aerobic exercise that you can ever do.

This was clearly proven by a British study some ten years ago, when
researchers discovered that for averagely sedentary people, just a few
minutes climbing the stairs every day demonstrably improved their
cardiovascular health.

This study was of particular interest because it supported the idea that
taking several short spurts of exercise every day will make a significant
difference to your health (hence the idea that you can walk for ten minutes a day three times, rather than just one thirty minute session).

The study required 20 college aged women who lived relatively sedentary
lives to climb up 200 steps in less than two and a half minutes. This represented a ‘brisk but comfortable’ pace according to the researchers
conducting the study, but the first time that they did it, it nevertheless
served to shoot the test subjects’ heart rates up to around 90% of the
anticipated maximum heart rate.
Despite this, the test subjects moved from making one climb per day during
the first week to six per day in the sixth and seventh weeks.  This therefore meant that the test subjects were climbing stairs for around thirteen and a half minutes per day by the conclusion of the test, which (in case the point is not clear) represents less than a quarter of an hour of reasonably rigorous exercise every day.
By the end of this relatively modest (and completely free) exercise program,
the women being tested were measurably fitter than they had been before.
Every indicator had improved significantly. Their heart rate immediately
after the climb had decreased markedly and their breathing had slowed as
well, indicating that they needed to take in less oxygen to ‘fuel’ their efforts.

On the other hand, their HDL levels had increased, which is a good thing,
because high-density lipoprotein is also sometimes known as ‘good’
cholesterol. High levels of HDL in the blood seem to play a role in reducing
the risk of heart attack, while low levels seem to do the opposite by
increasing the risk of heart disease.

It is clear just how effective climbing the stairs can be as exercise, and it is
even more so if you take the stairs that you are climbing two at a time.
This significantly increases the work that your leg muscles have to do, and
that in itself increases the aerobic effects of your exercise by a noticeable
degree.

You do not have to exercise for hours at a time to enjoy the benefits that a
‘work-out’ will bring. Less than 15 minutes of stair climbing a day will
improve your overall aerobic health significantly, and will cost you nothing at all.
So, the next time you go to the office or the department store and feel
tempted to get into a packed, hot and sweaty elevator, think about it for a
moment.  Does that really seem like a better option than giving your whole body a good workout?

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