Here it is! The big giveaway I’ve been talking about. V8-V Fusion and Blogher sent our family some V8-V Fusion to try and we loved it! Head over to my giveaway page to read the review and enter the contest!

For more opportunities to win, 8 other blogs are participating. Visit them all and enter! Each blog will have a grand prize winner!

So, head over to the review blog and enter!!

Welcome a new year! A new month! A new DECADE!!!

I sent out my third newsletter, in 2 1/2 years!  If you don’t already subscribe (or it went to your spam and you didn’t notice) you can view it here.  I may not send another one out for another year or so, but then again… I might! To sign up for future newsletters, visit the homepage.

My goals for a healthier family this year are:

• Each child (as well as myself) will have 5 fruits and vegetables per day!!
• Spend $125 a week on healthy food at the grocery store, as well as pantry staples to build my food storage.
• Stick to my menu plan, at least by 80%.
• Have one, outdoor, family activity per week!

IDEA OF THE DAY:

Grate ginger on fruit salad.

This is actually very delicious, and very easy. 
It adds a little zing for flavor, that leaves you saying, “not sure what’s different, but its good.”  As I mentioned in the Teriyaki chicken post… keep your ginger in the freezer, and grate as needed.  It can last and taste just as fresh for at least a year… possibly longer.  

This fruit salad is simply, canned and fresh fruit I had around the house. With ginger grated over the top.

• 1 mango
• 1 banana
• 1 orange
• canned pineapple
• AND GINGER!!

So, its no secret I love making goals.  My husband things goals are lame. Whatever, I don’t care.  Let it go down in the history books, that I made some awesome goals today.  Here are other goals I have made public on the blog.

• Huxtables in Training
• Healthy Habits for a Great School Year
• Goals from 2009

Do you make goals?  What are your health goals for this year?

I do not want to study this:

or read this:

Because all I want to read is this:

And watch these:

As you guessed it, I got a new camera!!! I’m so thrilled. As you know, my old camera had a problem with the lens.  Well, Olympus wanted $92 to fix a $100 camera!  Lame, obviously.   I got a great price on this one. (found it in our local classified ads, used.  But its in excellent condition.  Although I don’t know what I’m doing yet, just the “auto” setting has given me great pictures like these:

Here are some more of our Halloween experimental adventures.

We usually have a stash of medical gloves around our house. I love to use them for cleaning.  So my kids filled a glove with water.  It was kind of impossible to tie a knot on the end, so we wrapped rubber bands around the end to keep the water in. We gently placed the glove in a dish and put it all in the freezer.  The next day we peeled the glove off of the ice, and wa-la! Our ice sculpture!

Second, I saw this adorable spider in a magazine, except they used a rounded brownie, m&m’s and tootsie rolls.  I tried to re-create it with cantaloupe …but it wasn’t nearly as cute.  He kind of looks like a sad, mutant insect.

Finally, a not so healthy Halloween idea:  I’m in charge of the treat for the 3rd grade party on Friday, so we are making these:

Of the very few childhood memories I have, many of them are about food!  I specifically have a couple of memories about mustard.  Here they are:

Memory #1: When I was very young (5 maybe), one of my favorite things to make were peppermint patties….. Keep reading and enter the giveaway!!

I love cooking stores!   Something about new products, ingenious gadgets, and decorative baking dishes makes me anxious to get in the kitchen.  So, I’m so excited to be able to offer a giveaway from www.cookware.com for Super Healthy kids Readers to choose an awesome prize. 

I’ve created a separate giveaway page to be compliant with new regulations.  So, go here to enter and for all the details.  Plus! Check out Cookware.com for your favorite brands like Hamilton Beach, Emile Henry, Rachael Ray Cookware and more! Giveaway ends 10/24!

Business first! Congratulations to Amy who said:

I’m excited about your menu planning posts. The nut butter sounds absolutely delicious! I may try adapting it for sunflower seed butter – it’s pretty expensive too, & we have an allergic kid here, unfortunately. Thanks!

She won the Vegetarian Family Cookbook!  Thanks to all who entered.

Quick idea I heard, but have no idea who thought of it.  Produce stickers!  Your kids can have a contest.  Every time they eat produce with a sticker on it, they can fill up an outline of a child.  The first kid to fill up the body, wins! That means they ate the most fruit!

Here are some amazing things other people are doing with their produce stickers! Check it out!  Once I showed Erica the produce sticker art, she immediately wanted to try it herself.  http://stickermanproduceart.wordpress.com/produce-art/

But here is our simple version of produce sticker art!

Come back tomorrow for the “Orange Treat”

Do you love to plan your menu’s?  Traditionally on a quiet Sunday afternoon, I like to take cookbooks in my room and write our meals for the week.   So, for now on I’m going to start posting my menu plans for you all!

On Friday’s I’ll post a menu plan and shopping list, with a printable version on my sidebar, labeled with the date.  In the shopping list, if I know the best price for something, I will certainly list that too.

To kick off menu planning, I want to share a cookbook with you that I love!!

The Vegetarian Family Cookbook is having their 5th Anniversary Blog Tour!  I love this book!  I highly recommend this book!  Not only does it have great recipes, but tons of great ideas.

Right away I wanted to try the Homemade Nut Butter! I love peanut butter and almond butter, but the healthy versions can be super expensive!

This homemade version was sweet, salty, and so delicious, I had to stop myself from eating the entire bowl with a spoon.

And with permission, I get to share this  recipe. (with my photo’s embedded to show you how easy it was)

Honey/Vegan option

Homemade Nut Butter

Makes about 1 cup

Making fresh nut butter isn’t hard to do, and is a great kitchen project to do with young children, who actually enjoy the process of shelling peanuts. Ideally, use organic nuts. Conventional brands of peanut butter (far and away the most commonly consumed nut butter) almost always contain partially hydrogenated fats and high fructose corn syrup, two unhealthy ingredients. Some brands also contain cottonseed oil, which comes from one of the most heavily sprayed crops on earth. Natural-style nut butters contain the nuts only, and are obviously a better choice, but their flavor and texture are often too intense for younger children.

This homemade version is a perfect compromise, both for flavor and health. For another great peanut butter alternative, see Silken Peanut Spread, page 000).

1 cup shelled roasted peanuts, almonds, or cashews

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon honey, maple syrup, or brown rice syrup

1. Place the nuts in a food processor. Process until the nuts begin to hold together.

2. Add the oil, salt, and honey, and continue to process. Scrape the sides of the container from time to time, and continue to process until the nut butter is at the desired consistency.

3. Transfer the nut butter to a lidded container and keep refrigerated. For easier spreading, microwave for a few seconds before using.

Per tablespoon:

Calories: 64 Total fat: 5  g Protein: 2 g Fiber: .8 g

Carbohydrates: 3  g Cholesterol: 0 g Sodium: 35 mg

TIPS:

• For peanut butter, dry-roasted peanuts from a jar work just fine, but using freshly shelled roasted peanuts results in a more vivid flavor.

• If children other than your own will be partaking of this snack, make sure that none are allergic to peanuts—it’s a more common allergy than you’d think, and can be quite serious.

• This won’t work in a blender—a food processor is a must.

Isn’t that a great recipe!  All her recipes are easy and family friendly.  So, now the giveaway!

One reader will get their own copy of The Vegetarian Family Cookbook!  Leave a comment and I’ll choose a winner this weekend!

I’ll be back Monday with new and fresh ideas, I promise. But for now, here is a video version of a tip I shared a few weeks ago. My video’s don’t feed, so click over to the blog to view.

First I wanted to address Liz’s question about the Trop50 Juice.   She said:

I tried it and it had kind of a weird taste, so I looked at the ingredients and I think it has some kind of sweetener in it, plus I noticed the first ingredient is water. So I am wondering, is the Trop 50 just watered down OJ with an added sweetener and is it really as good for you as regular OJ? Thanks!

Trop50 is indeed, less juice plus water and a non-calorie sweetener. This gives it the;  half the calories and sugar. However, to add back in some of the sweetness so it doesn’t just taste watered down, they have added an FDA approved portion of the stevia plant (a natural sweetener without calories).  This gives back some of the sweetness without the calories. 

I agree Liz. There is definitely a different taste to it.  If calories and sugar content are important to someone, this may be a good choice.  However, if you don’t like the flavor of it, its probably best to just drink half as much juice, in my opinion.

Saturday night we went to the restaraunt Zed451.  For my Utah homies, it was like a fancy Rodizio Grill.   One thing about Chicago that is absolutely different from Utah county, is how people dress up to go out on a Saturday night.  Heels and skirts were everywhere!  We are a much more casual bunch out here.

Photo: Michelle, Me, Melissa, Meridel, Sarah, Kristin, Laurel, and Jen.

Photo: Michelle and I in a taxi on the way to dinner.

My overall experience was fabulous. 

• I loved hearing about all the things PepsiCo is doing for our environment. 
• I loved learning about the personal lives of some very talented writers and bloggers. 
• I actually really loved seeing the process of watching the oranges go from “Grove To Glass”. 
• And I really loved being in Chicago.  I hope to return soon and bring my kids.
• And I came home with this awesome spice gift from Bespoke Cuisine.

Sunday morning I took a short run to Navy Pier.  Lake Michigan was gorgeous.  It looked more like an OCEAN!

Then I caught the train back to the airport, which took FOREVER.  I took a cab to the train station, then a bus to the actual train, then the train to the airport.  It took more than 1 1/2 hours to get to the airport.  By the time I got through security and check in, my plane had already boarded.  I got on however and snuggled myself into a seat right in the middle of Salt Lake’s Real Soccer Team (hubba, hubba )  I have a HUGE crush on professional Athletes, so I was quite content with my seat assignment.   

And now I am home with my awesome family!  My husband (the perfect housekeeper and father) kept my kids alive and well fed.  I definitely love being a mom first, blogger second.  Thanks for the fun Tropicana!