Fresh & Healthy
A Side of Fresh Fruit
Fresh fruit is always a hit at our house. The girls love fruit and we try to have a variety in the fridge at all times. When there’s fruit as a side dish at dinner table we have to make sure the girls eat the rest of their meal before digging into the fruit because they love it so much.
Having a side of fresh fruit at the dinner table not only add color to the meal but a lot of great nutrition too. The best part about having a variety a fruit is everyone can pick what they like. I haven’t found a fruit that the girls didn’t like yet so they usually enjoy a little bit of each one. My favorite way to serve it is fresh washed (and sliced if needed) without anything on it. Although, we do have quite a few fruit salad recipes we enjoy too. What is your favorite fruit to serve at dinner?
Chocolate & Peanut Butter Banana Bites
Awhile ago I got some bananas on clearance and had an event coming up so I decided to try a variant of a recipe that I had seen somewhere months ago. It was pretty easy to do and tasted delicious. The girls loved putting these together and enjoyed eating the frozen delicious bananas too!
Chocolate & Peanut Butter Banana Bites
Bananas cut and ready to be dipped
1 cup of milk and white chocolate swirls with 1/4 cup of creamy peanut butter
Melted chocolate and peanut butter is ready to have the bananas dipped into it.
Once the bananas are dipped into the chocolate and peanut butter put them in a single layer in a pan and put into the freezer until they are completely frozen. After they are frozen you can transfer them into a ziplock bag. Pull them out immediately before you serve them (if you keep them out too long they will start to melt).
How to Keep Fresh Garden Vegetables Separate & Accessible in a Refrigerator Drawer
Refrigerator drawer full of fresh garden vegetables
We love it when our vegetable drawer is crammed full of fresh garden vegetables! The problem is at times it can be difficult finding the vegetable you want in the middle of all the other goodies in the drawer. Now that Spring is here and people are planting gardens, going to farmers markets, and stocking up on some of the great fresh produce in the stores I thought it would be a good time to share how I have found an easy and inexpensive way to keep the garden vegetables separate yet accessible while in the refrigerator drawer.
Solution – recycled bread bags! It seems silly but it really works well! You probably already have them around plus you can usually fit more bags into the drawer. We tried doing containers but every week we had a different amount of vegetables or they were overflowing among other things that just didn’t make them work well. As I was throwing out a bread bag the thought came across my mind that it would make a good “holder” for the garden vegetables.
The bags can be packed as little or as much as needed (and can be adjusted accordingly) plus they keep the vegetables separate so I can easily reach in and grab whatever veggies I needed at the time. It also made it super easy for the kids to pack their own lunches or to grab a quick snack from the vegetable drawer.
Here’s how we did it:
French bread loaf bag, washed & dried so it can be filled with cherry tomatoes from the garden
Once the tomatoes are all in the bag roll the remaining bag down until it is even with the stack of tomatoes
Bag of tomatoes ready to be put into the fridge drawer
Fresh veggies organized and accessible for the next meal
Steamed Fresh Vegetables
There is just something about Spring and fresh garden vegetables! Whether you get your vegetables from a garden or the store they are still delicious and a healthy part of the meal for your whole family. We enjoy our vegetables raw (at meals, in lunches or just for a snack), on the grill (add touch of Italian salad dressing and they taste amazing), baked, or steamed (a perfect compliment to any meal).
The pictures are some of the vegetables we ate recently. Included in the steamer are cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, green beans, and purple beans. Some were ones we had from our garden and the rest we got at our local grocery store. I prefer to steam the vegetables over boiling them because I believe more of the nutrients remain in the vegetables plus they tend to stay more firm (not mushy, which happens if they are boiled too long).
Our steamer has printed on it how long it takes to steam a variety of items. Since there are several vegetables in this one I just average out the time for the items I put into the steamer and make sure to check it before dinner is served. Although the purple beans are beautiful they do lose their purple color (they turn green) when cooked. If you want the purple beans to retain their color you will need to serve them raw (on a salad, raw, or in any other cool dish that calls for green beans). What is your favorite way to eat fresh vegetables?
Steamed fresh vegetables
Silly Clown Snack
Clown snack
The girls love it when they get simple silly snacks. One weekend evening recently we were especially busy, by the time we got home it was already bed time so while they jump into the shower I made a quick supper for them to eat. They gobbled up this silly “clown” as they named it.
Even though it only took me a few minutes to put something together it is somehow more special when it is shaped differently. Plus it seems like they eat a little better when their food is a little entertaining because they are so busy looking and talking about it before they know it the food is gone. Included in this snack is one hotdog, one hotdog bun, ketchup, mustard, one cherry tomato, two pringles chips, and one purple green bean cut in half.
Fresh Vegetable & Pasta Soup
Recently I put together a soup with some items I had already in the refrigerator. We were going out of town and I needed to use up some of the fresh vegetables already in the fridge. This was super easy and everyone enjoyed it.
Fresh Vegetable & Pasta Soup
- 1 carton Tomato Juice
- 1 small Zucchini
- 1 small Summer Squash
- 2 medium Carrots
- 1 cup sliced Mushrooms
- 2 cups Elbow Noodles
Add all the items to the crockpot. Stir until it is mixed together and put the crockpot on low for 6 hours.
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
Last week was pretty full, but thankful for some time spent with family and friends. Having the menu ready in the evenings has been a big benefit for our family and makes the evenings go much smoother. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Seafood Entree): Cheeseburger & Macaroni, Asparagus
- Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Tacos, Corn
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Chicken Noodle Soup, Homemade Bread
- Thursday (Pasta or Pork Entree): Blueberry Pancakes, Fresh Fruit
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree and so forth). It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned. I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.
Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family. On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home. As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes. If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).
As a family of four our life can get busy. What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget. Our family typically eats 6 to 7 dinner meals at home a week. We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat. Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family. Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day. Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends. The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety. We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.
Photo by Liz
Easy Appetizer – Vegetable Tray
Lately with it being busy around our house I have been all about quick, easy, and healthy options for when we are going out or bringing items to a gathering. Last week I shared one of our simple fruit appetizers – Fresh Apples & Caramel Dip to make so this week I am going to share another one of our family favorites!
If you a looking for a quick and healthy item to bring to the next party try putting together a veggie tray. With Spring starting this week you may be starting to plan your garden and will have a bundle of fresh vegetables to share in a couple months. Most grocery stores will have a lot of great produce on sale during this time of year too. Pick up items that are on sale, put the vegetables on a serving dish and add dip (if you want) and you have a healthy and colorful treat to bring to your next party.
Fresh Apples & Caramel Dip
Fresh Apple Slices and Caramel Dip
Do you have a party where you need a quick, healthy, and easy appetizer? This one is kind of a no-brainer, but sometimes I need to be reminded that the simple easy snacks that require less prep can be just as enjoyable for everyone (and allows you to spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your family). Freshly sliced apples with caramel dip is a great one to bring and share! There’s is just something refreshing and delicious about apples and caramel. Yum!
For this event I took fresh apples sliced them, dipped them in a mix of lemon juice and water to keep them from turning brown and poured the caramel dip that we already had in the pantry onto the serving platter. You can make your own caramel sauce, but since I had some on hand it was easier just to pour it into the dish. Also, if you want to make it even easier, especially if you’re in a pinch, you can purchase both pre-sliced apples and caramel dip at the store. Sometimes it’s the simple easy stuff that is a big hit.
Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals
The girls bento boxes we picked up for them in India are now packed and ready for lunch
The girls always love taking school lunches. Jake and I picked up these cute little bento boxes while we were visiting India. The girls love taking them in their lunches to school.
A few weeks ago Karlie told me that she loves it when I pack her lunch. Last week Brina told me she would rather take a lunch to school everyday because she likes what I put into her bag, especially when I stick in a special surprise. Taking the time to pack lunches for the kids really does mean a lot to them.
Lunch Box Meal
- Sliced Pork Roast with sauteed Apple Slices
- Cinnamon Applesauce
- Wild Rice
- Fresh Green Beans (steamed)
- Water Bottle
Bento box goodies – pork with sauteed apples, applesauce, wild rice, and fresh steamed green beans
