Homemade Marinara

This week I FINALLY made marinara sauce. Spaghetti and meatballs is a staple in our house and a go-to meal when things get busy. I will prepare this meal about once a week (and I say "prepare" but I mean "microwave" and "empty the jar into the pot").

However, marinara sauce can be very salty and, when checking the label, contains about 2 g of sugar per serving. Sugar in marinara sauce is common; sugar can be one of the ingredients in from-scratch recipes since some people don't like the acidity in the tomatoes.

I used a recipe that you can find at http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/Recipes/Recipe/Everyday-Marinara-Sauce.aspx. I made some minor alterations, though. It calls for carrots and celery and onions (a traditional mirepoix which can be the base flavor for many dishes). However, I was stealthy and was able to include some additional veggies without the kids knowing: I added green peppers and mushrooms. I actually almost doubled the amount of vegetables called for in the recipe. I used the agave nectar instead of honey so that there wouldn't be any strange flavors.

The kids ate it happily and then I broke the news...only when I said they were eating mushrooms did they make a face. Of course. But they still ate it. And I still have some leftover for lunch this week. And I still have some frozen for next week when DH gets to try it. The only thing I might do differently is try to get it a little thicker, either with additional tomato paste or by simmering it a bit longer. I may try some different recipes as well; I would think that it would be fairly easy to turn any marinara recipe into a clean-eating recipe. No sugar, low salt. The rest is all veggies! Sounds clean to me.

You should try it and see how your family likes it. Tonight we get to try Tuscan Soup (Ribbolita). Had to use the kale I got in our CSA box and this is a GREAT way to hide it. Now I just have to forget that it is 105 degrees outside while I eat my soup.

Good luck to you!
--Katie

CSA box #2

Here's our second CSA box...got a picture this time! Got some great summer squash and some kale...an more beets. Still have no idea what to do with them. But I really should do something before they go bad!

Sugar and cleaning up our eating

Things are going well with our "clean eating." Really it is a modified clean eating plan since I haven't completely cut out sugar. It is impossible. We equate certain activities with getting to have a treat like candy (we went to the movies to see Brave and of course had to have popcorn and candy). I know if I wanted to, I could really just change that thinking, but it is a treat that I am willing to keep. Besides, I am not so sure that I could convince my kids that eating berries at the movie theater is a normal practice.

I have been very surprised at what does contain sugar, though. It just speaks to how much food manufacturers cater to our sweet tooth. I decided to try a clean-eating crock pot chicken and dumplings recipe. I didn't follow the directions to the letter and it just didn't turn out very good. I will try it again, but this time was a bust. (In fact, I threw it out without taking more than one bite, so I was pretty disappointed.) I was surprised, though, because I noticed one of the ingredients was sugar-free chicken broth.

Sugar in chicken broth? I had just purchased some containers of organic chicken broth to be ready to make the chicken and dumplings and I hadn't even looked at the ingredient list. Could it be possible that chicken broth contains more than just water, chicken, and salt? I picked up the box and there it was: sugar is the third ingredient on the list. The total sugars in the nutrition facts amounts to 1g, but still; just another source of sugar! Even if you are being careful you can ingest sugar from places you never thought possible. I was shocked by this discovery. I just don't understand why sugar is necessary in broth. Unfortunately, this means I will have to seek out sugar-free broth or make my own.

Last week I picked up some agave nectar at the store. I was interested in the flavor and how it would taste with things like oatmeal. I have been putting a little bit of honey on my oatmeal in the morning, but I tried the agave nectar this morning. There isn't much flavor except sweet. I had these fears that it would have a weird flavor; in fact, I was afraid it would taste like tequila. However, it was perfect for my oatmeal. I also wanted to make an apricot/raspberry pastry (I was able to get raspberries for buy 1 get 2 free at Vons) and so I heated some in a saucepan with the agave nectar to sweeten them and make a sauce. We have yet to try that treat! Why agave nectar? Just to try it. Any sugar is sugar, and you should limit your overall intake of all sugars, but I was interested in this "trendy" sugar. It has been touted as an alternative for diabetics due to its lower glycemic index, but it is sugar nonetheless. Best to stick to fresh fruit and keep sugar at a minimum.

And since I am focusing on fresh foods for eating, I have shifted my couponing efforts to personal care items and cleaning items. This week I was able to get a refillable schick razor for $1.77 at Walmart (always good to stock up on these when they are on sale or cheap with a coupon). I am trying to take stock and figure out our needs as well. I had previously bought quite a bit on sale and with coupons, so we have been using our stockpile and I had taken a break from buying any personal care items. But we are starting to get low on a couple things (toothbrushes, deodorants, razors, shaving cream...) so I will let you know if I find any good deals.

Hope you are finding good deals...Good luck to you!
--Katie

This week's plan.

I am happy that I do not have to spend the next 10 days serving on a jury. I had to sit through the selection process for about 2 days, but at least I didn't get called.

I am starting to feel the effects of eating more frequently and smaller meals: when I went to lunch yesterday, I went to a nearby Panda Express to save time. In the past, I have chosen to get their 2-entree plate. This time I chose the one entree bowl. And I could only eat about half of it before I started to feel full. I felt good that afternoon (even if I did have to resort to eating white rice) and not at all tired.

This week I also tried Bikram Yoga. This practice is a series of 26 poses, done twice each, in a room that is heated to at least 105 with a humidity of around 40%. I had previously done Vinyasa (or, in my mind, "regular" yoga) and was familiar with the concepts of basic yoga, but I was interested in trying the "hot" yoga. A deal popped up on DealChicken that included 5 Bikram Yoga classes at a local studio for only $20 and I jumped on it. (For those not in the area, DealChicken is like Groupon or LivingSocial.) I will say that I consider myself pretty tolerant of heat (I can sit in the sauna or steam room at the spa for quite a while before it gets to me) and since I had previous meditation experience, I think it helped me to calm myself down and "ignore" the heat.

Nevertheless, this was about the toughest workout I have ever completed. There were muscles that were sore that I didn't even think I had used! I went to the class on Sunday and it has taken me a good three days to recover. And now I need to get back. I must be crazy.

I probably would not have EVER gone to Bikram Yoga if I had not found that deal on dealchicken.com. I frequently find deals on these types of sites (groupon.com, livingsocial.com, and many local news stations also have deal websites). In fact, I found a great deal on a B&B up in Idyllwild for half price, $20 of frozen yogurt for $10, and 2 tickets to a new movie release in 3D for only $10. This is a GREAT way to get a really great deal if it is something you are interested in. Recently I found a $50 gift certificate to the local beauty school for only $25. They do massage, facials, nails, hair...and all at a great price! So not only am I getting a good deal by going there in the first place, but now I paid half price.

Now that I am NOT on jury duty, I need to refocus on meal planning. I still have a couple items left from my CSA box, so I need to try to use those before I pick up the new one! I still have not had a chance to make some marinara sauce, so I will do that and have spaghetti and meatballs one night. I also would like to include some fish in our meal plan this week and see how the kids do with it. Pork tenderloins are on sale at Vons, and I need a couple things to fill in the holes. I will let you know how I do with my list and the totals at the store.

Good luck to you!
--Katie

First week...

We picked up our first CSA fruit/veggie box on Monday. I meant to take a picture of it, but in my rush to get it taken out of the box, sorted, and put away, I completely forgot. We received carrots, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, strawberries, beets, zucchini, radishes, green garlic, bunching onions, leeks, and red onions. We also received some purslane. Purslane is actually a weed, but, like dandelion greens, is edible and has the benefit of being highly nutritious. These are dark leaves, so they follow the rule that the darker the leaf, the more nutritious. You usually see this comparison between spinach and iceberg lettuce. I have yet to try the purslane. My anticipation is that it will be pretty spicy/peppery, so I don't think I will try it with the kids yet. ;-)

I also went to Sprouts to pick up some things to fill in the holes...we got some apples, spinach, mushrooms, grape tomatoes, peaches, blueberries, bananas, pork chops, 4 types of chicken sausages to have on Father's Day on the grill, nonfat plain greek yogurt (going to try to use this as a partial substitute for sour cream), eggs, rolled oatmeal, agave nectar (interested about this and wanted to see what it tastes like), feta cheese, broccoli sprouts, two tubs of hummus, a cucumber, some packages of couscous/rice mixes (for convenience), two cans of tomatoes (to make marinara sauce), two cans of pizza sauce, green garlic salad dressing, and some pitas and whole wheat bread. For a treat we got peanut butter cookies. My total was about $80.

Last night we decided to attend a concert in the local park. It actually was pleasant (even if it *was* still 95 degrees). I wanted to bring lots of healthy items instead of the usual fried chicken or hoagies and chips. So I shredded some of our carrots, sliced some cucumbers, rinsed and packed some spinach, and cut up some strawberries and mixed them with blueberries. We brought pita sandwiches and DH and I had hummus, cucumber, sprout, spinach, carrot, and feta cheese in ours. DD and DS had pitas with peanut butter in them. I also made a quinoa, green bean, corn, and tomato salad and tossed it with the green garlic dressing I picked up at Sprouts (super easy: cook quinoa, add in blanched green beans, halved grape tomatoes, and fresh corn kernels; toss with dressing). And of course we brought the peanut butter cookies for dessert. I have to say: everyone was satisfied, we had plenty to eat, we all had healthy food to eat, and it felt great to bring such great food with minimal effort.

This weekend I plan to try making some marinara sauce for spaghetti next week. I ran out of my supply of spaghetti sauce in jars, so I thought I would try this. I expect to get enough out of the recipe that I can freeze some for another night. We'll see how the family likes it. We will also have mushroom-brown rice risotto (may have to make mac and cheese for the kids), make-your-own pizza, chicken sausages on the grill plus salad and veggies, pork chops with zucchini-rice casserole, and maybe some potato-leek soup. Not sure what else to do with those leeks...or the beets for that matter.

Any suggestions?

Good luck to you!
--Katie

Shifting our thinking...

So we have been through just a couple of days of shifting to clean eating. I read the book; it all made sense. No surprises. You put bad things in, you get bad results. You put nice things in, you get good results. I like that nowhere in the book does she say you can't have something, just that you should modify it a bit. One of the major topics is sugar.

You start to really look at labels and then you realize just how much sugar you are ingesting. I thought we were pretty good...didn't let the kids get the "sugary" cereals, but even my so-called "healthy" cereals are LOADED with sugar. And we really eat alot of "white" and refined items (english muffins, rice, potatoes...). So yesterday I began to clear some things out of the pantry and get organized.

I got some containers to keep grains in and labeled them so I would remember what they are. I had bought some grains previously at Sprouts and could NOT remember what they were. Thanks to the internet I was able to re-identify them and put them into their correct containers. Note to self: write the name of the grain on the back of the bulk bin code so I can identify them when I get home.

When I visited Sprouts recently, I picked up some whole wheat couscous and some quinoa. According to the Whole Grains Council (www.wholegrainscouncil.org), 2013 is the International Year of Quinoa. Who knew?! These grains will go into some recipes I found through emeals.com.

I *am* taking it slowly. I have had oatmeal with berries on top for the past two days, but I haven't asked the kids to transition breakfast yet. There is too much open cereal in the pantry. I don't want to shock them and I don't want to waste the food! I will not buy any additional "bad" cereal, though, and we may give some away too. Once it is gone, it is gone for good.

I made pork chops with german noodles last night and tried spinach with the kids. They usually like the pork chops and noodles. The only difference was the spinach. I wilted it in olive oil and garlic. Yum, right?! Nope. No go for the kids. I have to keep telling myself that for some kids it will be 10 tries before they begin to like something. And the bottom line is that I am not a short-order cook. You eat what's on the plate or you don't eat. ;-)

I am proud to say that I picked up apples, strawberries, blueberries, spinach, a red and yellow bell pepper, plain yogurt, some grains from the bulk bin, some white wine for cooking, and a couple other items and kept my bill at around $50. I will be picking up our first CSA box on Monday and will let you know how that goes. I will try to highlight my shopping list and recipe list for each week as we get going. Most of this will require a restocking of my pantry with the replacement of sugary items with the clean-eating varieties of foods and staples.

This weekend is busy, but we are going to try making our own granola. This should be a fun way to get the kids involved with both choosing the ingredients and mixing it up. No better way to get buy-in than getting them involved.

Good luck to you!
--Katie

My return...the beginning.

So, here I am again...have taken too much time off from this blog, was way too busy for my own good, and in just three short days will have way too much time on my hands with both my kids at home from school for the summer. I have begun to make plans for us in my head. We *will* visit the library every week. We *will* contact friends to meet at the local playground to get wet in the water play area. There is no way we will be bored this summer!

I have also been planning and scheming about our meals and eating habits this summer. I will have extra time! I can try new things without having to worry about when DD needs to be at dance!

So, I am getting ready to start a new food adventure: clean eating. This is basically a shift away from processed foods and towards homemade items and simple ingredients. No more sugared yogurts, granola bars, boxed mac and cheese...lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains. This is a no-brainer. DH needs serious food help and the kids and I need to eat more fruits and veggies, and I think this will be the summer to do it.

I found a blog all about clean eating that includes some great recipes: www.thegraciouspantry.com. I will let you know if I find more...but this seems to be a great start. She has ideas for 30 ways to do oatmeal. There is a crock-pot chicken and dumplings recipe. This is great.

Almost immediately you are probably thinking, "But Katie, now you won't be able to use coupons! Your grocery bills will be OUTRAGEOUS!"

I am here to reassure you that I will still attempt to remain within or below my budget. I may not be able to use as many coupons as before, but I can concentrate on saving money on personal care items. And I can buy produce in season to get the best prices.

That is why I am strongly considering purchasing a subscription to a CSA farm. I tried this last summer, too, for a short time. (CSA = Community Supported Agriculture.) A box of fruit and veggies comes from a couple small organic farms in Temecula every other week. Last year the price per pound was about $1.80. That's pretty good for organic produce! This is highly seasonal produce; you can't choose what you get. But that can be good for kids who don't know any vegetables beyond corn and broccoli. It was like Christmas every time we got that box. We learned about passionfruit, Armenian cucumbers, and heirloom tomatoes. We discovered that the kids love cucumbers dipped in ranch because of the CSA box. See? I have already convinced myself to subscribe again. You can check it out: www.inlandempirecsa.com

So I will let you know how my menus go this summer. I will expand the menus listed here to include breakfasts and lunches too. I will show you how much I spend. Do you have more time this summer? Make that budget. I can help. Start making meal plans. Use mine. You've got three months. It takes 66 days to form a habit. GO!

--Katie