Movie Night with Netflix #StreamTeam

MOVIE NIGHT! It's a favorite around here and as we get the school year started we're watching less and less tv. So, movie nights are becoming our tv time and our kids love it. We have an early dinner, everyone gets a cup of popcorn, and we scroll through our Netflix choices. There are plenty of "no," "up," and "down" until we find a good compromise for all of us. A usually mimics the boys and the boys argue until we can get them to agree. Finding the movie can take as much time as watching the actual movie sometimes.

Our recent favorites: Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2 and Free Birds.W is still quoting Free Birds two weeks later.

Some of my favorite recipes for movie night snacks: Pizza Muffins (I blend up veggies and hide them in the sauce) or Nachos (easy chips cooked with shredded cheese baked, then topped with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and sour cream). Next up, we're going to try Pizza Nachos to merge the two of them.

Now that school is in full swing and the days are getting shorter and chillier, our weekend movie nights are the cozy answer to together time for the Hannemaniacs and we luckily have lots of choices to make with Netflix.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Netflix Stream Team.

How An Egg Drove Me To A Time Out

I nearly lost my shit tonight. It was over an egg. I'm serious.

The kids wanted hard boiled eggs and fruit salad for dinner, which they told me over lunch. Easy enough, I thought. Lucky me! This means easy dinner night! That was my first mistake: thinking that dinner could possibly be easy.

I made the fruit salad during naptime and boiled the eggs as soon as we got home from afternoon preschool. I was ready to start plating at 5:00. But, it's like the kids have an internal radar to go into hunger meltdown mode exactly 15 minutes before dinner is ready. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. No matter what time I'm prepared they will always beat me to the punch. Always. Tonight they were starving as soon as I pulled the plates from the cabinet.

Tonight's drama struck a nerve in the worst way... Why? Because I hate unpeeling hard boiled eggs. I'm terrible at it, which is actually something I didn't know people could be bad at... But, trust me, I am terrible. Imagine how well I unpeeled eggs while three kids screamed about how starving they were and how they needed their eggs NOW.

And for the first time ever I excused myself. I told them I needed a minute if they couldn't stop whining. I went up to my room and took a deep breath. Looking back I can't believe I was that close to freaking out over peeling a few stupid eggs.

So, my question now is... What comes first the meltdown or the egg?

Crock Pot Mondays: Pork Tacos

This whole Crock Pot Mondays thing came to me a while ago... I have a lot of friends who often ask if I know of any good crock pot recipes and I do! I just forget about them sometimes... There are a glut of blogs out there that do the crock pot thing. I am not trying to re-invent this wheel. I am just hoping to share some of the good recipes I have found as a working mom/lover of the crock pot. And also help you find some new blogs that have great recipes.

So, I'll explain my tweeks, link you to the site, and you can go from there... Usually I'll share some photos of some cute faces eating the meal or what it will look like - except this week, cuz I didn't get any. It was one of those mad dashes to get the food on the table and then it tasted so good... See, tacos are a BIG hit in this house. W can eat five tacos no problem. Yes, he is FIVE years old. When food hits that table, i make a mad dash to make tacos for the kids keeping in mind their specific tastes. W likes sour cream, lettuce, and tomato. B likes sour cream, cheese, a little lettuce, and one tomato. A likes anything thrown on her tray.

Anyway, I found a piece of pork in the freezer and after it took a few days to thaw I jut googled "pork tenderloin tacos slow cooker." I read through a few recipes and was really trying to avoid having to sear the piece of meat because I was feeling lazy (apparently this is not possible). But, then I found this recipe from Simply Recipes and decided it might be worth it (it was).

I followed the recipe closely, except I guessed my piece of pork was about a pound or so, so I cut the recipe in half-ish. And I set my crock pot for 8 hours on low, shred it, then let it warm for about 20 minutes. I felt we were a little low on liquid, but it worked. Everyone loved it. HUGE hit. I also didn't have avocados, so just served with the standard American taco toppings.

So, I did forget the pictures, but this one pretty much sums up the reaction:

Hi, I can eat my weight in tacos.

Crock Pot Mondays: Lemon Herb Chicken from Crock-Pot Cuisine

I spend two days a week in the office. To some moms who are in the office five days every week, this is nothing. But, those two days make dinner tough and the crock pot is my best friend. So, I'm going to feature some of my favorite crock pot meals on Mondays each week... Cuz you know you need some ideas, right?

While my preference is to make homemade, healthy, natural food for my family, it's just not always possible or convenient. As a rule I generally do not make pre-packaged meals. But sometimes I need to be able to call it in. When I read about their natural approach to a new line of meals by Crock-Pot, I knew they were worth a try. Typically pre-packaged meals are full of stuff I can't pronounce and lots of salt, but the ingredients list on the box supported it.

We tried the Crock-Pot Cuisine Lemon Herb Chicken this week and honestly I was prepared to be all meh about it. Matt handled all the preparation for me since he was working from home. I came home, threw together a salad, and then served it up for everyone. The truth? I was pleasantly surprised (without that sounding jerky). It was really tasty.

See? Real, bright veggies!

Everything cooked really well. The green beans were nice and crisp - and fresh tasting. The flavor was good, the chicken tasted like read chicken, and nothing got gummy or overdone. Like I said, very tasty. And everyone in our house enjoyed it, which doesn't happen too often.

I think the packaging also deserves a shout-out... Matt actually pointed it out to me. The directions are incredibly easy to follow and it includes chef tips. For someone like me, it's not all that helpful (just being honest), but for someone who doesn't cook too much the tips on adding in sliced mushrooms or topping with cranberries is a real help.

Also great? The online order process is really user-friendly, making it easy for busy families and I think that the price is close to what you would spend on chicken breasts, green beans, onions, and rice. Not to mention the extra convenience.

Here is something fun for you... Until March you can save 25% on an order with this coupon code: CPC25BLOGK.
 
So, the verdict? I'll let the smile on my PICKIEST eater's face say it all...

Hi, I'm a picky eater... Wait a second...

Disclosure: I received complimentary Crock-Pot Cuisine Meals and a Crock-Pot. All opinions are my own.

Homemade Oatmeal Bars: I'm Obsessed

I'm obsessed with these homemade oatmeal bars. It was one of those... Hmmm, how can I make an oatmeal snack that everyone will love and can be made with stuff that is already in the pantry? A quick google search and I found this recipe as a starting point.

My variation on KathEats's recipe:

• 1 1/2 cups oats
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup pistachios
• 1/4 cups sliced almonds
• 1 T chia seeds
• 1 T shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup dried cherries
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 t cinnamon
• 1 t salt
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 t. vanilla

Mix all the dry ingredients and set aside. Whisk the eggs and add the milk, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add the wet to the dry ingredients. It will look like this:

Don't be afraid if it seems too watery. It's all good.

Pour into a baking dish that is well sprayed or lined with parchment (I would suggest the latter). Bake for 40 minutes. I would suggest sprinkling the top with a bit of sugar and cinnamon and then broiling for a couple minutes as they're finishing for a nice sweet, caramelized top for a little sweetness.

With these the combinations are totally endless. I literally opened my cabinet and just used what I had in there. They're all gone. And I can't wait to make another batch tomorrow. Seriously, everyone loved them. What do you have in your cabinet to throw into these bars?

Total Body Rapid Cleanse(d)

To kick off 2014 Matt and I decided we needed a good kick-in-the-ass detox. After our way overly-indulgent holidays (can you say Rumchata?) we just needed a reset. I had no idea what exact cleanse we should us and then found this box at Whole Foods - seven days, on sale. Boom. I bought two.

Then I got home and decided to do a little research (typical me - buy first, research later) and couldn't find a ton of stuff online. So, maybe this little overview might help other people doing the same research or YOU if you need the same kick-in-the-ass that we did. The reality is the idea of a cleanse can be a tad bit intimidating. Could be the horror stories of starvation, sweating out years of toxins, or the need to be within 10 feet of a bathroom at all times... Or just the idea of restricting your diet for a week can be scary. I agree - all very scary.

We wanted something tame. The thought of being stuck in the house, potentially uncomfortable commutes, and detox side effects, was kind of daunting. We didn't want to spend a lot of money. We didn't want to have to make smoothies every day... during the coldest winter in the history of the world.

So, this kit fit the bill and I stocked up on fruits and veggies. We got started on a Monday. Most days were ok. Sure, we were hungry, but we weren't ripping each other's heads off hungry... Until Thursday when we were both seeing a little red and starting to lose our will to continue (especially Matt), so we threw in a handful of almonds, which actually helped. Protein makes everything better. A cocktail with those nuts would have also made everything better, but that would have pretty much killed the detox. Ho hum.

Honestly, though, it really was not that difficult to stick to the diet of fruits and vegetables. We each had at least one avocado a day - usually sprinkled with salt for breakfast - and it was pretty awesome. Also, there is a lot you can do with vegetables, so I tried to get creative with salads and roasted lots of veggies for flavor.

The detox includes pills and a drink twice a day. They didn't mess with our stomachs, weren't a pain to swallow or make us feel off at all. If anything, my biggest complaint was the taste of the drink. Blech. But, it was only twice a day and those skills I learned in college came in handy... We thoroughly enjoyed our twice daily chugging contests, says the reigning champ (me).

So, yeah, not bad... And then there are the results...

How did we feel? Totally awesome. Seriously. No inflammation. Well hydrated. More energy. Skin was clear. Our bodies just felt like they were working efficiently and felt like what I imagine a car feels like after an oil change. A lot of the symptoms that made a doctor think I had celiac last year went away completely.

Did we lose weight? Matt lost 10 pounds. I lost 6 pounds. While most of this was water weight, it has been a month and we've both kept it off.

Would we do it again? Absolutely. We actually plan to do this every few months as a good check in for our systems. I'm seriously excited to do it again.

What did we learn? If you asked me how well our family eats, I would happily brag about it. But, you know what? I'm a total liar? My kids eat awesome. Matt and I get what's left. Since the kids loves fruits and veggies, we often don't get many. So, I wrote a post on it for Chicago Parent. Now, hop on over there and read it. It might just make you reconsider what's on your own plate.

Note: I have no relationship with this company. I did not receive any compensation for this post, nor did I receive complimentary product.

You Gotta Try This #StonyfieldGreek Smoothie

I usually eat a lot of Greek yogurt. It's been my go-to for the last couple of years and in my busiest days I can easily eat it for two meals. My kids also love yogurt, but I can't convince W to eat Greek yogurt for some reason. The other two love it and my guess W doesn't because I've been pushing it on him so much. And why wouldn't I?

Did you know that Stonyfield makes Greek yogurt in 13 different varieties? And they just perfected the recipe, so they found a way to make it even better, as well as introduce new flavoes like black cherry and cafe latte (the hands down personal favorite in our house so far).

Anyway, in my attempts to get W to eat Greek yogurt I put it in a smoothie and suddenly it was delicious.

I just went through the freezer and fridge and used what was on hand: frozen bananas, frozen blueberries from the summer, and a handful of kale.

I threw it all in the blender with Stonyfield Organic Greek Blueberry yogurt and a little almond milk.

And - BINGO - W unknowingly ate and enjoyed Greek yogurt.

Even better, I've been eating cleaner since our cleanse (more on that tomorrow) and was reminded how much I enjoy smoothies and can continue to get more fruits and vegetables in my diet. I've added some chocolate protein powder to mine... Which I bought six months ago when I vowed to get back in shape. But, then life got in the way.

So, now it's time for me to get back on the wagon - especially since we're going on vacation at the end of May. My plan: a mix of running, core power yoga, and the occasional P90X in the basement... Now just to find the time.

Disclosure: I am a Stonyfield Yo-Getter and received complimentary product.

Thanksgiving Our Way

This year we stayed home for Thanksgiving. Just the five of us in our new house. When I told people that was our plan I received a lot of "awww" sad faces. But, seriously, it felt like the most selfish thing we could do and I loved every minute of it.

Both sets of grandparents were visiting other out-of-town siblings. My in-town sister had plans with her in-laws. We were planning to go to my aunt and uncle's which is always a blast, but I've been extra busy with work and we still have a ton of boxes to unpack. Most important, our kids just need a day to chill with us. And us with them. I knew I would spend the rest of the weekend working, so once we made the decision, it felt right.

But, then I needed to make us a real Thanksgiving dinner, right? So, I bought everything I needed to make my first turkey, stuffing, cranberries, green beans, roasted butternut squash, and masked potato. I made everything from scratch and it was pretty much perfect.

We planned to eat around naps (turkey was done by 12:30), we hung some pictures and unpacked more boxes, and then we had pumpkin pie for dinner. If I could choose one day to relive again and again... It might be this one.

Hold the Gluten, Pass the Cheese

I love cheese. LOVE IT. I could probably live off of a nice cheese and crackers plate. And wine. A little fig or dried cranberries would be welcome additions.

A few months ago I went through testing due to something they found when my appendix was removed last year. The doctor was convinced I had celiac disease. I spent the next 24 hours on google and realized that he was probably right... And then the blood test came back... Negative.

I was shocked. Shocked and relieved. They told me my results were close enough to consider further testing, but they recommended that I cut gluten from my diet, because I was clearly intolerant. From that conversation I went gluten-free for two months. TWO MONTHS of diligent gluten-free living. It wasn't nearly as hard as it sounds and - if anything - it just made me more aware of all of those things I absentmindedly shove in my mouth in a day. When you reach for a cookie and can't eat it, you actually realize you reached for it in the first place.

Other than some bleu cheeses, thankfully cheese has remained on my menu. It's made me realize that of all food allergies, dairy would for sure by the worst for me. Cutting gluten wasn't the worst thing in the world, but it did actually up my cheese consumption.

Am I completely gluten-free today? No. I had to gluten myself after a couple months of being off the stuff to see if there was a reaction. There really wasn't at first, so I haven't been as diligent about it... But little by little I've noticed ways that I just don't feel as good as I did when it was out of my system. So, I'm going back, but don't feel like I'll be too deprived. Luckily I found a few perfectly good gluten-free crackers to go with all of my cheese.

This post was inspired by The Whole Fromage by Kathe Lison, who traveled to France in search of its artisanal cheeses. Join From Left to Write on August 22 as we discuss The Whole Fromage.  As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

We Kinda Ate Glass For Dinner, But What Matters Is We Ate Dinner

I'm juggling a lot these days and a lot of balls get dropped. A lot of stuff just can't get done (like putting away laundry), but a good control freak like me has to pick and choose battles. The battle I seem to have picked is dinner. I can control dinner. So, I make it every day. I try to meal plan each week and rarely order in. It's not easy. I often do it in steps throughout the day, starting with chopping in the morning, then perhaps sauteing around lunch, etc. etc. If I have help with the kids I might throw together soup and leave it on the burner for the rest of the day.

I've also gotten really creative, because sometimes I can't get to the grocery store for a couple of weeks. So, I have to make do with what we have on hand. As an excellent impulse buyer and a total sucker for a deal, we have plenty of goods and a freezer full of stuff. So, I'm always able to get by.

I threw together what I could find the other day... Chick peas, frozen butternut squash, sweet potatoes, fire roasted tomatoes, onions, garlic, celery, carrots, chicken broth... Flavored it with some cinnamon and curry and thyme. It was fast, a five minute stew I threw together while I had some help. It sat on the stove for the afternoon.

Later, during the 4:00 meltdown/introduction of tv time, I decided to quickly unload the dishwasher. While moving too fast, in too many directions, I somehow knocked a Pyrex bowl out of the cabinet. It hit our silestone counter top and shattered into about a million pieces. And when I say shattered I mean SHATTERED. I was covered in little glass pieces. It filled the dishwasher, was all over the ground. I screamed at the barefooted B who was just entering the kitchen asking for crackers. And then I spent 40 minutes cleaning. 40 MINUTES. Baby was crying, brothers were bickering and whining about needing snacks, little pieces of glass were stuck in my hands and feet. And I imagined missed little pieces that would no doubt find their way into little feet. It was hell. Seriously.

Once everything was as glass-free as I could get it, I realized that I had uncovered dinner for a quick taste test. I couldn't imagine that the glass made its way into the dutch oven, but couldn't guarantee it hadn't. I looked through it. I took a few bites. I couldn't bear to throw it away. So, I made the kids mac and cheese or something. They ate and I put a few spoonfuls in a bowl. I figured that if I found glass it would be a sign that Matt and I shouldn't eat it. The first bite... CRUNCH. Glass right away. So, I threw away my bowl, but still left the rest on the stove top. It actually pained me to imagine my time and efforts, not to mention delicious, healthy food just get thrown away. What a waste.

Matt came home, we agreed to throw it away and have cheese and crackers for dinner once the kids were sleeping. It was 8:30 by the time everyone was settled. We were hungry and Matt thought it smelled good, so he might as well take a taste. And then it tasted so good, he might as well eat some of it. And little by little we each carefully, slowly ate a bowl of glass-free stew. The rest went into the garbage.

But, seriously, that was some damn good stew...

Meal Planning: What Really Happened

I like sharing meal plans on this blog. Not only does it force me to give some thought to our schedule for the week, but it gets me to actually prepare for it. The thing is... Meal planning is one of those things that doesn't always work the way you planned. Let's take this week, for instance.

This was my plan:
Monday: Wheat Penne With Peas and Homemade Pesto (yum!) and green salad
Tuesday: Paprika Chicken with Rice and Pattypan Squash
Wednesday: Royal Pies from Pleasant House Bakery and green salad
Thursday: Something with kale (cuz I have a big bag of it...)
Friday: Pizza for the guys... Mom is going out

And here is how it really went down:
Monday: Wheat Penne With Peas and Homemade Pesto and green salad (PLAN!)
Tuesday: Taco Night!
Wednesday: Greek Peasant Salad and Baguettes
Thursday: Mac and cheese (with peas and tuna)
Friday: Matt's parents are coming in, so we're all going out for dinner

See? I stuck to our plan ONE NIGHT. And now I have a bag of kale, squash, and mixed greens that will most likely go bad. It's wasteful and frustrating, but I did the best I could to get by. I made things that sounded good and made my life easier. It's hard to guess what you'll be hungry for in four days... So, there's give and take with meal planning, like everything else.

I hear from people that they don't make meal plans because they're just too hard to stick to, which isn't wrong. Maybe sticking to meal plans isn't the point. The point is creating one, ensuring your family enjoys healthy meals together, and trying not to waste too many fresh items by the end of the week.

Our Meal Plan

I can't tell you how much easier the week goes when I make a plan for our dinners. Even if I don't follow it completely (which I often don't), it still makes me feel prepared and always have something to fall back on.

Here's what we're cooking this week:

Monday: Wheat Penne With Peas and Homemade Pesto (yum!) and green salad
Tuesday: Paprika Chicken with Rice and Pattypan Squash
Wednesday: Royal Pies from Pleasant House Bakery and green salad
Thursday: Something with kale (cuz I have a big bag of it...)
Friday: Pizza for the guys... Mom is going out

What are your dinner plans this week?

The Farmtastic Food Trek

I really don't like grocery shopping. OK, let me clarify this... I have grown to dislike grocery shopping in big chain grocery stores. Why? The produce is often not local (though this is getting better) and their organic selection tends to be disappointing and overpriced. It's also hard to grocery shop with kids and the stores are seemingly overrun with food marketed to children, yet terrible for them.

I tend to shop at smaller stores, farmer's markets, Whole Foods, and order from services like Artizone, but sometimes I just have to go to the grocery store with the kids. If you're like me and tend to struggle with your visits, I might have just the activity to help...

Illinois Farm Families is hosting the Farmtastic Food Trek now until September 30th. It's a really great way to teach your kids where their food is coming from, turn grocery shopping into a game, and have fun at the grocery store.

Here's how it works: Farmers provide clues on www.WatchUsGrow.org that lead to the food they raise. Families then use those 15 clues to find that food at local grocery stores. Once you identify the food referenced in the clues, use Instagram™ to take pictures of your kids holding the products and add the hashtag #foodtrek in the photo comment.
Go to www.WatchUsGrow.org and use the Farmtastic Food Trek button on the homepage, which will link you to the clues, instructions on how to play, as well as the complete contest rules.

To win, you must upload five accurate photos using the hashtag #foodtrek. Three random winners will be chosen. Check the website for all of the details. The winners will receive: A gift certificate for $500 in free groceries, a family farm tour, and farm games and toys!

Sounds fun, right? The clues are fun and aren't too difficult. Can't wait to start participating the next time we're at the grocery store! I'll share some photos on here so you can see our findings!

Full disclosure: I was compensated for partnering with Illinois Farm Families on this campaign. All opinions are my own.

My Stonyfield Superhero Alter Ego: The Delightful Yogurt

Making banana bread... Secret ingredient? Greek yogurt!

Superheroes are all the rage around our house these days. A certain preschooler is slightly obsessed with them and his little brother follows suit, lifting up any figure he can get his hands on and making it fly through the air as he makes sounds effects. I don't know much about superheroes, but I'm learning a ton and they're actually pretty fun.

Stonyfield is giving moms like me the opportunity to transform ourselves into Food Superheroes. Who am I? The Delightful Yogurt, which is perfect considering I eat yogurt pretty much every day and let's face it... I'm delightful, right?!?!

You can choose your name, your superpower, and your favorite Stonyfield food. Visit www.iWillKnowMyFood.com to make your own persona. Trust me, it's fun! And then come back and tell me what your superhero alter ego is in the comment section. Why?

Because I'm giving away a $50 Whole Foods gift certificate, a Stonyfield "Food Superhero" cape, a coupon for a free 6 oz Stonyfield yogurt, and some temporary tattoos:

Here's how to enter:

1. Comment on this post and share the name of your Food Superhero alter ego. Be sure to include an email address if it doesn't connect back to your blog. (You must comment to be entered!)

2. Follow Hannemaniacs. (Look on the right side bar to follow.) Click on the "Join this Site" button.

3. Like the Hannemaniacs Facebook page.

4. Follow Hannemaniacs on Twitter.

5. Mention this giveaway to your network on Facebook and/or Twitter (one entry for each) by pasting this in your status: Enter to win a Stonyfield Food Superhero Package including a Whole Foods gift certificate at www.hannemaniacs.com.

Please let me know which of the above actions you have done to be counted.

As always, that's SIX possible entries per person. Contest ends at 9 am Friday, August 31st. Enter now!
Disclosure: I received a $50 Whole Foods certificate, Food Superhero cape, Stonyfield yogurt coupon, and temporary tattoos and another package to give away to a reader. All opinions are my own.

Good Deeds 2012: Week 27 Hunger Avengers

Good Deed: Downloaded Hunger Avengers Activity Booklet and ConAgra Foods donated a meal to Feeding America.

It is often hard to remember the level of need in our country, especially the staggering number of children who are hungry. After spending nearly a week with Matt's family doing lots of eating and often scraping unfinished food into the garbage, I read a blog post by Tracey from Just Another Mommy Blog. And it was a humbling reminder of hunger in our country and a great opportunity she had to participate in making a difference. Go ahead and read it and then download this booklet.

With W's current Avengers obsession and my goal to make sure he is aware of what he puts in his mouth and appreciates his full plate of food at every meal. So, go ahead and download the booklet and someone will get a meal.

What was your good deed this week?

Meal Planning: Using Up My Produce

We are renovating our kitchen later this week, which means we won't be able to make dinner on Thursday and Friday and all of the fresh organic produce sitting around needs to be used quickly. So, I looked through the fridge and made a plan for getting through as much as possible:

Monday: Frozen Cheese Pizza with Apple, Celery & Parmesan Salad
Tuesday: Ribollita
Wednesday: Shallot, Zucchini, Leek & Fontina Frittata with Green Salad and Orange, Banana, Blueberry Yogurt Smoothies

Since this week is going to be extremely hot and I'll be busy with work and pre-kitchen renovation preparations, my plan is to make the Tuesday and Wednesday dinners the night before and then just reheat when I get home from work. Both riballita and frittatas are perfect to prepare ahead of time and easy enough to throw together once the boys are sleeping.

Sometimes you just have to look through the fridge and get creative to remind yourself that there is almost always a way to throw together a solid dinner with what you have on hand. And (though I've fallen off the wagon lately) meal planning makes an incredible difference in making those meals happen.

Good Deeds 2012: Week 19 National Association of Letter Carrier's Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive

 
Good Deed: Donating a grocery bag of non-perishable foods to National Association of Letter Carriers's Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.

Did you hear that Saturday, May 12th will be the nation's largest single-day food drive? And you don't even have to leave your house. This is the 20th year that the National Association of Letter Carriers have held this drive and in 2011 they collected 70.2 million pounds of donated food.

To take part, leave your bag of non-perishable food at your door on Saturday. Your friendly mail person will collect the food and deliver to the local food bank or pantry.

Consider these hunger statistics from Feeding America based on their 2011 Annual Report:

• 1 in 6 Americans are facing hunger.
• 1 in 8 Americans are currently serviced by Feeding America.
• 1 in 6 Americans live at or below the poverty line.
• Nearly 49 million Americans, including more than 16 million children, are facing hunger.
• 5.7 million Americans are served by the Feeding America network everyday.

I can't imagine having to worry about feeding my children. It's something I can't even comprehend and breaks my heart. Can you? Make a difference and leave some cans out on Saturday.

Note: I am in no way affiliated with Feeding America, nor was I compensated for this post.

Produce Delivery Overwhelmed Me This Week, So I Meal Planned

Remember this year started with some serious meal planning determination? Yeah, me too... And then I got tired and busy and lost my enthusiasm. But, last week I decided to place an order with Artizone and use a Ripe Organics deal that I purchased a while back to give me a reason to plan and cook again.

Silly me, I scheduled an Artizone order, which also included a small box of organic produce from The Green Grocer (which was delivered on Monday):

Fennel, rhubarb, asparagus, apples, strawberries, portabella mushrooms and red leaf lettuce

And I redeemed my purchase of a small box of organic produce from Ripe Organics (which was delivered on Tuesday):

Cauliflower, bananas, apples, broccoli, potatoes, oranges, romaine lettuce, and green onions

We also went to Whole Foods on Sunday. So, basically, we're overwhelmed by produce - fresh, organic, cannot-be-wasted produce. Here is how I'm getting through it:

Monday: Chefdruck's Simple Roast Beef with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli
Tuesday: Shrimp cocktail and a red lettuce and fennel salad
Wednesday: Vegetable fajitas (portabella mushrooms, asparagus, green onion, red and green peppers) and vanilla ice cream with strawberry-rhubarb mint compote for dessert
Thursday: Baked chicken breast cutlets with roasted cauliflower and salad
Friday: Lentil soup

And, for the record, mixed boxes of organic produce is totally the way to go! It's surprisingly inexpensive and I'm very happy with the quality of what we received! We're looking for a CSA for the summer, but I would recommend either The Green Grocer or Ripe Organics, neither compensated me in any way.

Good Deeds 2012: Week 17 Coupons to Troops

Good Deed: Registered to adopt a family through Coupons To Troops.

Did you know that troops stationed overseas can use coupons up to six months past their expiration date? Me neither until I saw it in a magazine (while I was giving blood - one good deed leads to another!) a couple of months ago.

I went through a very short period of trying to cut coupons and did an alright job saving money. But, it was really time consuming and I found that I was often compromising on my goals to feed my family mostly organic, unprocessed foods. That was right around the time that I learned I could send expired coupons to military families. So, I've been holding onto them and created a little stock pile of the extra coupons I didn't use and those that had expired. Last week I finally registered for a family who can use these coupons through Coupons To Troops. You can either sign up to adopt a family for a full year or for a one-time mailing.

I cut all the coupons from the newspaper inserts that I've been hanging onto, which took about an hour and will help keep the cost of shipping low. Now I'm just waiting on the name and address, so I can send off these coupons to someone who can use them. Easy, right?

What was your good deed this week?

Good Deeds 2012 Week 13: Just Label It Campaign

Good Deed: Signed a petition asking the FDA to label genetically engineered (GE) foods. 

I could go on and on about the many ways that this country's relationship with food scares me, which is why I focus on organic ingredients and making what I can from scratch. Healthy feeding has become a huge priority for me and as my kids get older, I become more committed to creating good habits in my children and providing them with a healthy foundation for life. It's also another reason I'm so happy to be a Stonyfield Yo-Getter. It's a brand that I use and trust and my family totally loves. Not to mention their philosophy and business practices make me excited!

They partnered on the Just Label It Campaign to move the FDA to create more educated consumers and a transparent food industry. Today one million people have signed the petition - more than any petition that has been filed with the FDA! But, one million signatures is just the beginning of a food revolution.

How about taking a moment to sign this petition yourself? What were your good deeds this week?

Disclaimer: I am a Stonyfield Yo-Getter, which is an ambassador program for which I do not receive compensation. They did provide product coupons and items, however I lost the coupons. Go figure! All opinions are my own.