Chicken Recipes

I don't know about you but I can get pretty burned out coming up with new dinner recipes that my family will all eat. It gets repetitive making and eating the same recipes over and over so when new dinner ideas pop up in my inbox I am always ready to check them out. Today I received an email from Weelicious.com with 15 new ways to cook chicken. Since chicken is something we eat weekly I am excited to give some of these recipes a try and wanted to pass them along to you in case you are burned out like me!

http://weelicious.com/2017/02/23/chicken-breast-recipes/

Bike Safety

As the weather gets warmer we all tend to be outside more often. One favorite outdoor activity is riding a bike. It's great exercise and a fun means of transportation during warmer weather. However, accidents can happen so there are some great rules to follow when riding a bike. Here are some tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Happy riding!


https://icsw.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/bike/kidsandbikesafetyweb/

Gardening Guide

It appears that we are having a mild Winter and that Spring weather is approaching. One thing that I look forward to at this time of year is planning my garden. Every year I feel like it's a science experiment. I never know exactly what is going to do well and what won't. Some years are more successful than others. One thing I do know is that there is nothing like eating fresh vegetables, fruits or herbs that you grew yourself. My kids love to help plant the seeds and watch the progress they make over just a few weeks. Even though we are technically still a month away from Spring there are seeds and plants that can go into your outdoor garden now. I am attaching a guide to show when each fruit or vegetable can be planted. If you haven't planted a garden it may be something to consider. Happy planting!

http://agrilife.org/urbantarranthorticulture/files/2010/06/Recommended_Planting_Dates_for_North_Texas1.pdf

Double Chocolate Black Bean Brownies

I made these brownies for my family today and they are so yummy! They are called "gluten free" but you can use regular oats if you are not on a gluten free diet. Also, it says to cook for 30-35 minutes but I only cooked them for 20 minutes and thought they were perfect. However, I like my brownies to be more on the gooey side so if you like them to be a little firmer you will want to bake longer than 20 minutes. My kids thought these were the best chocolate brownies that they'd ever had. I've made a lot of chocolate brownies over the years so that says a lot. Don't let the fact that these have black beans in them scare you. You can't taste them at all. It truly is a delicious and easy recipe. I hope you and your family will enjoy it!

Gluten Free Double Chocolate Black Bean Brownies   (Makes 16- 2 inch brownies)

• Prep Time: 5 mins,
 
• Cook Time: 30 mins,
 
• Rating: 

Is it possible to have two totally polar opposite foods in one bite? Something so good for you packed with vegetarian protein and another much more naughty and irresistable like chocolate. I can easily be swayed to down a bowl of black beans and rice as...

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup gluten free oats (can use regular oats if not on a gluten free diet)
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips, divided

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. 2. Place the oats in a food processor and pulse for 1 minute or until finely chopped.
3. 3. Place remaining ingredients except for the chocolate chips in the food processor and pulse until combined, about 1 minute.
4. 4. Pour 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips into the batter and pour into a greased 8 x 8 inch pan and top with the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
5. 5. Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
6. 6. Cool brownies and cut into 2 inch squares. 

Heart Health for Kids

10 Ways to Keep Your Child's Heart Healthy

      

Take charge of your child’s heart health by developing habits now that will reap benefits later in life. According to Dr. Colin Kane, pediatric cardiologist at Children’s Health, the most effective way to do this is to make healthy living a priority for the whole family.

“If a child sees that eating well and getting plenty of exercise is important to his mom, dad and other family members, he is much more likely to adopt a similar lifestyle as he gets older and eventually moves out of the house,” Dr. Kane says. “It’s not fair to tell the child to eat carrots and celery when he sees other members of the family eating French fries. Similarly, if the child sees mom and dad watching a lot of TV, he is likely to do the same.”

How to Raise a Heart-Healthy Child

1. Keep moving – Exercise as a family; ride bikes, take a walk, go swimming or play games outside.

2. Be positive – Make heart health fun by incorporating games into your family activities or walk to a park for a healthy picnic dinner. Celebrate successes to promote a positive sense of self-esteem.

3. Limit screen time – Excessive screen time leads to a sedentary lifestyle and constant snacking, which increases the risk for obesity and cardiovascular disease. Limit TV, computer and phone time to two hours each day.

4. Schedule checkups before sports season – If your child is an athlete, have him visit the pediatrician for a physical evaluation to rule out the risk of sudden cardiac death. While this is rare in otherwise apparently healthy teens, it must be addressed to identify those who are at risk.

5. Go to the grocery store together – Learn more about reading nutrition labels and make it fun for your child. Staples in your kitchen should be 100 percent whole wheat or grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish and nuts.

6. Keep healthy options on hand – When your child gets home from school, give him healthy snack options such as whole grain crackers and string cheese, hummus dip and vegetables, Greek yogurt with apple slices, nuts and dried fruit.

7. Make dinner a family affair – Involve your child in cooking and planning meals.

8. Check salt intake – Avoid processed foods and keep salt shakers off the table. Take a closer look at how much sodium young people are taking in.

9. Stay involved – Be an advocate for your child and others. Insist on good food choices at school. Make sure your child’s healthcare providers are monitoring cardiovascular indicators like BMI, blood pressure and cholesterol. Contact public officials on matters of the heart. Make your voice heard.

10. Be realistic – Set realistic goals and limits. Small steps and gradual changes can make a big difference in your child’s health over time, so start small and build up.

Super Bowl Food Fact

As I was perusing my latest issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine I found an interesting statistic regarding the Super Bowl:


2,400 ...That's how many extra calories people eat on Super Bowl Sunday. 

Wow! That's a pretty big number! Better Homes and Gardens broke down some ways to burn off those extra calories:

Swimming laps for 22 minutes can burn about 150 calories
Biking for 20 minutes can burn about 100 calories
Jogging for 43 minutes can burn about 400 calories


Whatever you do to enjoy the Super Bowl, try to find some time before the big game to go for a walk, run, bike ride, swim or some kind of activity to get your body moving. It won't completely erase the extra calories you may consume but it will at least help a little!

What to do with all of those bananas?

I've been meaning to do a post on how to use bananas when they are getting a little too ripe. Then today I received this email from Weelicious about all the great recipes for using bananas and knew that I couldn't say it any better than she did. I hope you find some great new banana recipes!


http://weelicious.com/2017/02/02/10-ways-use-ripe-bananas/?utm_source=Master+Weelicious+List&utm_campaign=177835d83d-RSS-Daily-Email&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9644fa1dcf-177835d83d-25895301