Chicken Noodle Hold the Soup!

A rotisserie chicken is a great item to pick up at the market for nights you don't feel like cooking. I picked this one up at the organic market I go to and shredded it right up with this recipe in mind. I'm not a Rachel Ray viewer, but somehow came across this recipe of hers a few years back and it has been a family favorite ever since!

I opted for all organic ingredients including the bionaturae rombi 100% durum semolina noodles. You can use non organic and I promise it will be just as tasty!

Rachel Ray's "Chicken Noodle Hold the Soup"

1 Rotisserie chicken shredded (I only used the white meat)
1 medium onion sliced
2-3 carrots cut into matchsticks
4-5 ribs of celery cut into matchsticks
2 small zucchini cut into matchsticks
1/2 box of frozen peas
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
1 pound of extra wide noodles
*1 cup flat leaf parsley chopped (I omitted this because my kids don't like it)

I pre-shred and pre-chop everything and store it in zip-locks so that dinner time is extra easy!

Boil a big pot of water (add salt) for your noodles

Heat a large skillet over medium/high adding the olive oil
Add the onion, carrots and celery cook for 3-4 minutes
Toss in the zuchhini add salt & pepper and cook for another 3-4 minutes
 
Drain noodles and return to the pot adding butter and parsley (if you are using it)

Add the peas and chicken to the veggies until the chicken is warm


This fed four of us with lots leftover! It's great heated up the next day for lunch too!

Enjoy!

 

5 ways to Ease Your Child's Eczema

5 Ways to Ease Your Child's  Eczema

When Max started scratching the back of his leg behind his knee, I never thought the dermatologist would say it was eczema. It didn't appear to have eczema like characteristics. The doctor prescribed alclometasone (0.05%) and directed me to apply it twice daily. His legs cleared up really fast- I would say within a few days.

While at the doctor, I asked many questions on how to prevent it from returning once the ointment did it's job. He also asked many questions pertaining to our bathing rituals and routines. He said it was fine to bathe him daily like I do, but to refrain from bubble baths.He also suggested washing him last to avoid sitting in soapy water for long. I continued washing him with Dove soap once the doctor agreed it was gentle enough.

I exchanged my amazing smelling Tide for Free and Clear laundry detergent and fabric softener. Although the doctor said scented fabric softener was okay, I still noticed some irritation on the back of his legs. Not using too much detergent was also a concern. To check if you're using too much detergent or fabric softener, throw a freshly washed towel in the washing machine and run it, sans soap. If you see any suds, you're using too much! Before testing myself, I was already a self-proclaimed over-soaper...so I cut back for Max's sake!

The dermatologist recommended I buy Cerave cream. I rub it all over Max fresh out of the bath when his skin is still damp. I truly believe It has helped his skin stay moisturized and aided in keeping away the eczema.

Whenever I notice him scratching a little, I add an Aveeno colloidal oatmeal bath treatment to his bath. I swore by this product since becoming a mom. Whenever my kids were sick with stomach bugs, oatmeal baths helped clear the diaper rash caused by the runs. When Chloe was having allergic reactions to bug bites one (long) summer, I added Aveeno to her bath to help soothe the pain and itching. This is a staple in my bathroom closet.

I am diligent in my "eczema process" with Max because I never want him to be in any type of discomfort if I can avoid it. He was so uncomfortable when he first got it and I felt awful and helpless. It was even keeping him up at night. Since our doctor visit, we haven't had any outbreaks! I am one happy mama and he is one happy lil man!

So...

Do- Free & Clear detergent and fabric softener
       Dove for washing
       Cerave cream and apply it to clean, damp skin fresh out of the bath
       Aveeno colloidal oatmeal bath to help ease itching & discomfort

Don't- Use bubble bath or have your child sit in sudsy water

I hope my suggestions help!

      

 

Spaghetti & Turkey Hearts for your Little Loves!

                                 
                                             Spaghetti & Turkey Hearts


My heart shaped cookie cutter has been working overtime! My kids are loving up all of my heart shaped creations! I thought of this at 2am last night and got to work today. If it works for fruit ,why not ground turkey? Using a heart shaped cookie cutter and cutting board, I flattened the meatball mixture out onto the cutting board. I sprayed Pam on the cutting board first. I lined a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and sprayed it with Pam before placing the turkey hearts on. I baked them on 350 degrees for about 25 minutes flipping once. The time may vary according to the size of your hearts. Chloe was home sick from Kindergarten today so she got to sample the turkey hearts for lunch. She loved them!

Sauce
I made a quick sauce using a 16 0z can of Tuttarosa crushed tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic (we love garlic!)
1/2 a small onion
salt
pepper
parsley
oregano
Saute onion & garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until blonde
add the crushed tomatoes and the seasonings
let cook for 30-60 minutes


Turkey Hearts
I used a pound and a half of 99% fat free ground turkey
2-3 cloves of garlic minced
1 cup of seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp of salt
1tsp of pepper
2 eggs
a pinch of oregano
2 pinches of parsley

 

 

 

 

Runners envy

                                              Picture from www.womenshealthmag.com
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Being a mom means not always doing what I want to do. Many a time I didn't make it to the gym because the kids didn't want to go or they didn't feel good. I didn't like taking them when they were really young because I was a germaphobe. Now that they are getting bigger and things are getting easier, I'm finding more time for myself and in return, am starting to feel like myself once again. I'm getting back to doing the things I did before I was just mom. Working out makes me feel good about myself. It makes me happier....and when mom is happier- the whole family is happier!

Normally, I'm not an envious person. However, I do have what I call runners envy! When I watch someone run, it seems so freeing, so exhilarating...like they are running their worries away. Running to me seems like such a fulfilling, gratifying workout. The act just amazes me. I want to run so badly and the fact that I find it nearly impossible makes it even more fascinating to me. How the hell do people do it?

My fitness resolution for 2013 was to push myself in my workouts. I have been living up to my word by trying new classes such as Pilate's which I really like -and yoga. I've also been attempting  to run. Last week I started off slow, running for 2-3 minutes then walking 5 and repeating. I tried pushing myself further but felt like I couldn't breathe! Today, I ran 5 minutes and walked 5 then repeated the cycle. It felt great to get past the 3 minutes! Tomorrow I plan on pushing myself to 6 minutes. Hopefully in a few months I will be able to reach my goal of running a full 1/2 hour. Setting these small goals and making them have made me feel accomplished and allowed me to feel as though reaching the 30 minutes in attainable.

If I can run...I'll feel like I can do anything!

Anyone have any tips to keep me going? Anything is appreciated!

Whole wheat blueberry yogurt muffins!

Valentines Day couldn't have come at a better time for me this year! It's helping me to get out of my blogging funk that was caused by a mixture of a graduate class from HELL and Hurricane Sandy. We finally got a check from our insurance company- so work can resume on our home. I ended up with a B in my class and am now onto my last grad class! Yay for me!

Valentines Day was never my favorite "holiday". I always felt it put too much pressure on relationships and the need to have to go out to eat on such a ridiculously crowded night! Did I mention I hate getting flowers? For some reason, me telling this to my husband hasn't resonated in the 12 years we have been together!

Since having Chloe & Max, I have rekindled the romance with Valentine's Day! I cant get enough of heart shaped anything and my kids love it! So...I'm spreading the love to you guys as well! These muffins are yummy and so healthy! I added wheat germ because it is such a good source of so many essential vitamins and minerals and healthy fats. It is considered to be one of the top ten healthiest foods so I try to add it into anything it will work with!

                  Whole Wheat Blueberry Yogurt Muffins

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup of raw wheat germ

1/2 cup of brown sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1 egg

3/4 cup of 2% milk

3/4 cup of Chobani non fat vanilla yogurt

1 cup of blueberries (3/4 for less blueberries- I like a lot!)

 

Preheat oven to 350

 

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl

 

Mix all wet ingredients in a separate bowl

 

Combine the dry and wet ingredients together.

 

Fold in blueberries

 

Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes. Check them at 20 minutes by sticking a fork in the center of one. If it comes out clean, take them out!

 

Enjoy & let me know how it goes! My husband even liked these & hes not a healthy eater!! hahaha (sorry babe!)

 

 

 I bought this cast aluminum heartlette pan at Target. It cooked the muffins so well- it was worth every penny!

Although it is non-stick, I sprayed it with Pam before pouring the muffin batter in. They popped right out.


 

 

 

 

Love is in the air

 

My kids could wear shirts that read, "Will Rap for Candy"! I can get them to do just about anything for a bag of M&M's! As a chocolate lover myself, I feel them! I barter with them to get them to eat their veggies. 3 broccoli florets = 3 Hershey kisses!

Providing healthy foods for my family is super important to me. It makes me such a happy mama when my kids eat healthily! My kids love when I cut their food into shapes so I do it for them whenever I'm able to. Their empty plates make the little extra work- worth every minute!

With Valentines day approaching, what better way to say I love you to the littles in your life, than by cutting up everything & anything into hearts?

Here are some of the ways I use my heart shaped cookie cutters to show some love to the littles!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The small cookie cutter is from a Pampered Chef set that I love. It comes with 8 seasonal shapes and are perfectly sized for little mouths and hands. The larger, textured heart is from a set of hearts I bought at Target. I used plastic drink stirrers to make the fruit kabobs.