After we had our #4 child (if you're new to my blog you can see our most recent family photo here), something in our schedule had to give. I wasn't yet willing to compromise a clean house, so I got rid of the cooking.
I never liked it much anyway.
Zac eats out a lot for lunch and is never real hungry when it comes to dinner - he's happy with a bowl of cereal (gasp!). So I started making what the kids wanted: burritos, quesadillas, eggs and toast - the easy stuff.
Then seven months ago, I went out and started a business, (who would've thought?) so Zac started helping with some of the cooking. He made spaghetti...and uh... spaghetti (we ate a lot of it).
He recently started grad school and it has been more time consuming than either of us anticipated…like a lot more time consuming. Needless to say, he's no long helping with dinner.
Enter the frozen food.
My kids are now eating chicken nuggets more than I would ever publicly admit.
It's terrible, I know.
To make up for it, I've been blending up fruit and veggie smoothies like mad. I can feed my family processed junk if I give it to them with one of these, right?
Anyway, long story short, my kids love them and they lessen my slacking mommy guilt and allow me to sleep at night. You ever tried one?
Here's the recipe:
6-8 frozen strawberries
1 handful blueberries
1 banana
8-10 baby carrots
1 heaping handful spinach
1 Tbsp. agave nectar
1/2 C. water
I've heard of adding nuts for protein, but I have yet to try it. It sounds…gritty.
instead of nuts, you could always use some of that powdered protein stuff. it comes in flavors like vanilla & chocolate so it would only enhance the deliciousness of it - that's what we do!!
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog today! Darling :) So happy I came upon it!
ReplyDeleteI could probably live on smoothies, too. I don't like to cook either.
ReplyDeleteI love it Natalie! At least you have an excuse right? SO in my kiddos smoothies, for protein I put in greek yogurt (plain, from Costco they sell a big tub of it near the cheese etc.). Greek yogurt contains 20grams of protein per cup and it makes the smoothie creamy. I can't really handle the powders, I can always tell they are there. I need to try the veggies in the smoothies though....I have yet to try it! You've inspired me!
ReplyDeleteGuess what--the most common thing I've heard whispered at the playground and mommy groups is something like, "My pediatrician said to just give them chewable vitamins, and to not feel guilty because I was doing my best!" TRUE STORY!!! My 3-year-old won't eat ANYTHING I cook her. No matter that she scarfed it down as a toddler. These days she eats a lot of mac 'n' cheese with peas, peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches, and ramen with carrots and dip. If I'm lucky, she'll eat an apple with cinnamon or a cheese stick. But I'm with you--I HATE cooking (give me a house to clean any day!!!). So I'm just doing what I have to to keep everyone fed. And dispensing the Flinstones vitamins like a pro. You're not alone! (p.s. My home teacher actually said his kids eat chicken nuggets for nearly every dinner. So there you go!)
ReplyDeleteThat's it... I am bringing over some salsa chicken next week. Tell Madeline to mark her calendar!
ReplyDeleteha!! So there, minus the clean house. I also do a lot of smoothies--I add vanilla powder slimfast to them as well for the fiber and vitamins. Yum! Try this: avocado, bananas, slimfast, ice, milk. I also had babyfood veggies I have left laying around. I don't like avocados, but I do love avocado smoothies. My kids ped called it a meal replacement smoothy and said it was just fine. Blend away my sister.
ReplyDeleteoh, the other thing I do is cook all my chicken at once. I take the whole costco bag, defrost it, slice it in pieces, olive oil, salt & pepper and bake at 350 for 24 or so minutes. Then I refreeze. Makes dinner super fast when all you have to is defrost the chicken. ;)
ReplyDeletemmmm, that looks good! What type of blender do you have? A blendtec? I wonder if my cheap blender could blend all of that, hmm. Can't wait to try it!
ReplyDeleteHoly crap, it is like you were posting about our family! I've been incorporating spinach smoothies into our quick, on-the-go processed vegetarian meals for the past year!! I call them "Incredible Hulk smoothies." Lol. Odd thing is that I still have to force my kids to drink it because the green color throws them off, despite its sweetness. Grrrrr.... but once they drink it, my mommy guilt of lack of a wholesome meal melts away!!
ReplyDeleteWe've been blending raw veggies and fruits for several months. It is a FABULOUS way to get nutrients into kids, and adults for that matter! :) I used to use my good quality Kitchen Aid blender. Then we bought a Blendtec...that thing could blend a rock, truly! Totally pulverizes the seeds on any fruit. Another good pant-based sweeteneer to use is Stevia extract. Found too that if my smoothie comes out a little brown or smells a bit to "veggie", pouring it into a cup with a lid and straw is a good way to trick the kids into consuming it. ;) Happy blending!
ReplyDeleteYour recipe sounds very good! Throw some raw kale in there, too. Highest vegetable on the ANDI's scale: http://www.fooducate.com/blog/2010/01/28/whole-foods-market-adopts-andi-nutrition-rating-system/
ReplyDeleteand you'd never know its in a smoothie. I'm spinnin' your recipe up for lunch tomorrow! Thanks!
I can't believe how beautifully my old armoire, tripple dresser and night stand turned out. They look amazing! Nice job.....what hardware did you lose? ~Adrianne
ReplyDeletemmm, I love them too and yes, it adds incredibly to the nuggets! A whole quart is about 15 servings of fruits and veggies so you're kids are getting a ton of good stuff! I love your blog, I'm just about to embark on some painting projects that have been waiting for far too long, so thanks for all the tips! I think picking a color is the HARDEST part. Do you have any advice about that process? Thanks!
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