Tips For Meatless Meals and Homemade Babyfood

Okay, so after viewing the movie Food, Inc., I told you that I'm NOT going total vegetarian. I do like meat. I just don't like to think of my meat previously wallowing in fecies, being fed something it shouldn't be fed just to make it fat, being smashed together to be killed or being pumped full of hormones and chemicals (gotta wonder what really causes cancer these days?). I'll buy organic meats and dairy from now on thanks! After pondering on cutting back on meat, I think I might join some other Americans on having a 'meatless day or two' during the week. Not only is meat expensive, but it's not that healthy for you. I found THIS ARTICLE today and it looks like a good source since it comes from the U.S. Army Medical Department. It says that the three leading killers in American people are: 'heart disease, cancer and stroke-all are related to diet.' 'Cancer is one of the most feared diseases but it is potentially preventable. At least 35% of cancers are due to dietary factors. A vegetarian diet can help prevent cancer. Studies have shown that vegetarians are nearly 50% less likely to die from cancer than meat-eaters.' (quoted from the article) It doesn't say where this statistic comes from, but as I said, this is a pretty credible source so I don't think they're just pulling numbers our of their hat. I might be able to do some more research on this.

Tips For Meatless Meals

• Instead of putting yourself through the drudgery of soaking and cooking beans, buy those canned varieties that are packed without added salt. You can also buy the regular canned beans and rinse them.
• Toss a handful of garbanzo or kidney beans into your next salad.
• Try split pea or lentil soup for a quick hearty meal. "Spice Islands" makes an instant soup which is low in both fat and sodium.
• Salsa!: Blend 4 chopped tomatoes, 2 chopped green onions, 1/2 chopped green pepper, 1 minced garlic clove, 4 CUp chopped coriander, 1/8 tsp. cumin and 4 tsp. oregano. Store overnight in the frig. Add 1 small can of drained black beans. Appetize your way through dinner with fat-free tortilla chips!
• Make a three bean salad: Drain 1 small can of garbanzo, kidney and green beans. Mix with your favorite low-fat dressing.
• Make your own burritos: Heat 1 cup of the above salsa with 1 cup of drained black beans. Add 4 CUp low-fat sour cream. Divide between 4 non-fat flour tortillas. Add 2 CUp rice to each and roll up. Place in a non-stick pan. Spread 4 CUp salsa on top. Cover with foil and heat at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
• Make a sauce for pasta: Saute in a non-stick pan until soft: 6 chopped tomatoes, 3 chopped green onions, 1 chopped green pepper, 1/2 cup white wine and 1 small can of drained beans. Toss with cook pasta and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
• Make your own pizza with store bought pizza crust, marinara sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, sliced peppers and mushrooms.
• Make a pot of vegetarian chill): Stir together 1 15 oz. can of drained kidney beans, 1 cup tomato puree, 1 Tbsp. of instant minced onion and 1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Top with shredded low-fat cheese and serve with french bread.


I thought I'd throw in a picture or two of some homemade babyfood. These are two dishes of peas. The top is frozen peas that I steamed and blended in my food processor (total of 8 minutes) and the bottom is of regular peas from a store-bought brand. The two taste TOTALLY different, yet they're the same thing.



Spinach...just steamed it (I do this while I'm making the older two kiddos lunch)
...threw it in the food processor (you can buy smaller versions of this. I've seen them at Home Depot for as low as $5.00 before!)

...and put it in a bowl for Norah's lunch, but put the rest in a food container for the next day.

**Just to clarify**Have my babies ever had store-bough babyfood before? Oh my, YES! I still keep some jars on hand in case we're out and about and I don't have time to make some food. Do I eat Doritos? Yes. Do I give in to soda? Yes. In fact, when we were first married and after having my firstborn, I didn't know much about nutrition at all! I always gave into the junk food because I thought it was cheaper and easier. Well, wrong! You can make healthy food. You just have to practice and so some research. It doesn't take a lot of time to make good, wholesome meals. When you first begin, it's overwhelming because you don't know where to start. As you practice, it gets to be second-nature and you can whip up something like clockwork. I'm definately no Martha Stewart and I'm still learning. Not every meal is gourmet or 100% healthy, but I try and as parents, that's all we can do. TRY to make healthy meals. Know where your food is coming from and what you're putting into your body. God tells us to honor Him with our bodies. I Corinthians 6:20 says, "You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

Now, here's the kicker. You're saying, "But my kids won't eat 'that stuff' ". Yes they will. Make it the ONLY option and they'll get hungry enough to try it. Then, they'll try a little more. It might not be their favorite, but that's what's for dinner. Avonlea still picks at her food. She's definately our picky eater! She doesn't like things 'touching' or 'mixed together'. (It gets frustrating.) She likes very plain things, but our motto is to "just try it" or take a "no thank you portion". At least put it on your plate.

Alright, I have some cleaning up to do. I also realized that I haven't posted a 'Musical Monday' post in two weeks (or is it longer?). Let me see here...

We play this song during clean up time before Daddy gets home. It gets us energized, dancing and and cleaning quick!