Cooking with the kids!

I am not much of a cook and I am certainly not known to bake.  I wouldn't say that I'm a terrible cook - though some would beg to differ - it's just that I usually try to cut out added fat and calories and that does not suit everyone's palates.  The personal aversion to baking is simple:  if it's in the house, then I will eat it.  So I try not to fuel temptation with cookies, cakes, and the like. 

Imagine my surprise when I started pulling mixes off the grocery store shelves in preparation for Thanksgiving.  I bought a box of pumpkin bread mix and pumpkin cookies.  First of all, anything with pumpkin mentioned gets my mouth watering.  I keep at least 2 cans of pumpkin on hand at all times and toss it into oatmeal, smoothies, or some other concoction.  (Remember there are many who scoff at my skills in the kitchen).  The first item that was baked was the pumpkin bread.  I didn't even try to lighten the recipe!
 
I asked my 3 year old if she wanted to bake with mommy she was right there with her little stool ready to crack eggs and stir some batter.  As a matter of fact, she did crack the eggs (might have gotten a bit of shell in the mix), pour the pouch and other ingredients into the bowl, and then she stirred her little heart out.  We added chocolate chips to the mix and poured the batter into the pan together.  Then, she did what I used to do - she licked the bowl, spatula, and whisk.  

The result was super delicious, and after she had the first taste, she insisted we bring some over to my sister's house to share.  It was so much fun!  A couple of nights later my husband made the pumpkin cookies with her.  He's not as much fun as I am... no chocolate chips.

Of course we can't bake all the time - that wouldn't be prudent for a wellness coach.  She does help make her breakfast in the morning.  When we make oatmeal, she pours the package, stirs the oats and water, and then presses the buttons on the microwave.  This morning, she requested an egg - which she cracked - and I'm pleased to report that her breakfast was shell-free.

If you are parent or caregiver to a preschooler, check out this little gem of information from the www.choosemyplate.gov website : 
Having your preschooler help you in the kitchen is a good way to get your child to try new foods.

Kids feel good about doing something “grown-up.” Give them small jobs to do. Praise their efforts. Children are much less likely to reject foods that they helped make.

As preschoolers grow, they are able to help out with different tasks in the kitchen. While the following suggestions are typical, children may develop these skills at different ages
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/preschoolers/HealthyHabits/PickyEaters/kitchenactivities.html

Thanks - pass it around

"Being thankful and counting your blessings this Thanksgiving may help you mentally and physically -- research shows it's healthy to be grateful." PRI 11/27/2008.  Read the article:
There are certain health benefits to showing gratitude and being thankful.  Many people reflect on this at Thanksgiving time but get so wrapped up in the stresses of everyday life that they forget to recognize what they are thankful for on a more regular basis.  This can also be called optimism.

 

Granted, we all have those moments when we say "Whew, I'm glad that..." or "Thank goodness ...." but how about being more focused on what we truly are thankful for?

So in the spirit of Thanksgiving I'm going to give a list of my own - call it my 25 random thanks in no particular order...

I am thankful for:

1. waking up each day
2. my daughter
3. an uneventful pregnancy (so far)
4. having a job in this economy
5. I'm even more thankful to love what I do
6. my husband, even when he's driving me crazy
7. my parents who raised me to think for myself and gave me the strength, will, and grace to handle my problems
8. two of my grandparents who are still alive and who I still learn from
9. my family and friends who share my joy and help shoulder my burdens
10. a strong body
11. pumpkin that is so delicious and abundant this time of year
12. my ability to see the silver lining
13. life's events and choices that have placed me exactly where I am right now
14. life's little surprises - like finding out that they were serving chocolate chip pancakes breakfast the other day
15. no matter how big the world once felt, I never feel alone
16. weekends
17. my dogs who provide comfort, entertainment, and unconditional love
18. living near my sister after 19 years in different states
19. everything about my dad that I still carry with me, both in my heart and attitude
20. heated seats on cold days
21. hot cocoa on snow days
22. my delightful niece who taught me that disabilities don't equal limitations
23. photographs that remind us all of good times and forgotten moments
24. having all the basic necessities - we always have food on our table and enough to share, shelter with room to spare, and clothes that have both been passed along and will be passed
25. sunshine that warms from the outside in

 Happy Thanksgiving!
 http://www.pri.org/stories/health/health-benefits-being-thankful.html

Welcome November and bye bye DST!

This past Sunday morning (or Saturday night depending how you look at it), we turned our clocks back one hour to end Daylight Savings Time.

Here is an article from the Huffington Post that addresses how the time change can affect our health: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/06/daylight-savings-time-health_n_1078661.html

Personally, I relish recouping the hour that we lost in the Spring.  My reason is not because it could afford me that extra hour of much needed sleep, rather I like waking a little earlier and relaxing a bit in the morning.  I split the hour - take an extra 30 minutes of sleep and feel more rested and still have time to enjoy a cup of coffee or a little morning chit chat with my daughter.  She remains blissfully unaware that we are supposed to sleep a little longer and believes that if the sun is up then we should be too.  I like enthusiasm much more in theory than in actual practice when she pads into our bedroom and announces that it's time to get up - in my bleary-eyed, exhausted stupor I tend to agree with her logic but some mornings pose more of a challenge than others.

The fact remains that sleep is good for your health!  Chronic sleep loss can contribute to health problems such as weight gain, high blood pressure, and a decrease in the immune system’s power.  Here is a second article, this one from Harvard Women's Health Watch that suggests 6 reasons to get those 7-8 hours of sleep. 

I for one will be in bed early tonight, as the sun shines a little earlier than it did a week ago.