Shopping on a Budget

I’m not a big spender.  I’m not a clothes horse, I rarely eat out, and I’ve set limits on my personal allotment of Caribou Coffee white chocolate mochas.  But I’m struggling with one area of my budget … groceries.  It seems like no matter what I do, the dollars I spend each month on food continue to rise.  So this week I’m looking at ways we can all keep our eyes on our grocery budgets while feeding our families nutritious meals.

One important way to spend less on groceries is to simply use all of the food you buy.  I cringe when I find myself throwing away brown lettuce, soft celery, or leftovers that have been shoved to the back of the fridge and forgotten.  Cutting down on the amount of wasted food is key. Leftovers can be easily packed for lunch at the office or school.  Keep them stored toward the front of the fridge so you remember to eat them before they end up in the trash.  Look at what’s in your fridge and cupboards before you shop and build your weekly menu around ingredients that you already have.  I discovered two half-used containers of wild rice in my cupboard, so my family’s going to be eating wild rice casserole this week.  You can always find a new recipe by going to a favorite web site (epicurious.com or cobornsdelivers.com, for example) and entering an ingredient that you want to use.  You may even end up discovering a new family favorite!

Read Full Post »

The Healthy Snack Experiment

When my kids were younger, my favorite time of day was when they came home after a few hours of preschool and kindergarten. Excited to share their day, we would make a healthy snack together, kids chopping vegetables to go with my homemade bread (whole wheat of course)! Back then I was convinced that if the kids helped me prepare food in the kitchen they would grow up to become well-rounded and health-conscious eaters.

Fast-forward 10 years: two kids in high school and one in grade school. The health-conscious philosophy has not really come to pass; I have three kids with three distinctively different opinions about what a snack entails ranging from gummy bears to a bag of chips, or pretzels to three toasted white bagels loaded with butter. Not exactly what I had in mind during those lazy afternoons of yesteryear.

Read Full Post »

Evan’s Apples Are Out of This World!

If you’re like me, there’s no “fruit eating” experience better than biting into a red, ripe apple – they’re crisp, crunchy and sweet. Eat one and you feel like eating 10! Earlier this week we received a bag of “Evan’s Apples” in our order from CobornsDelivers and it’s arguably the best batch of apples I’ve ever had! If you want a great “apple experience,” with your cider this fall – go order Evan’s Apples at CobornsDelivers.com.  You won’t be disaappointed.

Read Full Post »

Tailgating Parties – More Than Just Burgers!

Tailgating is an entirely American phenomenon. When I first moved here from Norway many years ago, it took me a quite some time to embrace the concept of a party in a parking lot. But that was before I was invited to a real American tailgating party. My first party consisted of dried out burgers, burnt hot dogs and soggy chips. But it was still quite the party, and we had a lot of fun.

Even though my first tailgating experience ended up being a good one, there was still quite a lull in time before I attended a second one – several years in fact. This time, I was many years out of college, children and husband in tow, and ready for charred burgers. But times had changed. At this tailgating soiree, grilled chicken breast was on the menu flanked by scrumptious salads and dips, appetizers (cucumber slices topped with cream cheese, salmon and dill – delicious) and even dessert. I guess with age, my friends have kicked both style and menu choices up a few notches.

Not that I need too many excuses for a party, but I’m adding tailgating to my list of fun things to do. On my next trip to Norway, I’m introducing tailgating to parents at my nephew’s soccer game. This is a tradition that Norwegians will embrace!

Read Full Post »

Keep Your Brain Sharp – Eat Some Chocolate!

I’m not ashamed to admit it: my brain is in dire need of help.  Between juggling errands, preschool schedules, play dates, and dance class, my brain gets boggled.  It seems that my synapses are not firing adequately, or perhaps at all!  What can I do to help my stumbling, bumbling mind?  I decided to do some digging and pinpoint some simple, effective ways in which we can all help our brains stay clear and focused.

Eat Good Brain Food

• Blueberries: Mmmmm, sweet, juicy blueberries—they’re not only delicious but also beneficial, thanks to the antioxidants and inflammatory characteristics that can help your brain.  Researchers discovered that eating blueberries reduces the effects of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.  Older lab rats with a diet high in blueberries were found to be as mentally astute as much younger rats.
• Nuts and Chocolate: Adding walnuts to your oatmeal or salad can help your brain.  They’re high in omega-3s, which help keep your brain healthy.  Nuts and seeds contain vitamin E, which is linked to less cognitive decline in older people.  If you need a good excuse to eat chocolate, look no more.  Dark chocolate not only contains antioxidants but also has natural stimulants, including caffeine, which will help you concentrate and focus.

Read Full Post »

Notes From a Meal Planning Mom

If you’re like me, you get tired of your kids complaining about what’s for dinner – especially when it’s already on the table!  To get around this, I have implemented a “Meal Requests Board” in my kitchen.  We have a giant white board where anyone can write down their requests for the upcoming week.  This empowers everyone in the family – they don’t get to beg for certain foods (at usually inopportune times, like when dinner’s in the oven) and I can make what they like more often and avoid arguments.

But still I find that mealtime prep can be painful, especially when I have to feed everyone by 4 p.m. (okay, I’m exaggerating a bit – but doesn’t it feel like that sometimes?) in order to deliver the kids to evening sports and classes.   And embarrassingly, I often find myself in the grocery store walking aimlessly through the aisles trying to remember the requests and what I already have at home.  Inevitably I forget a crucial item…

Read Full Post »

School Lunch Alternatives

It’s week number two of the back-to-school craziness and already I have broken my well-intentioned commitment to myself to ensure the optimal health and well-being of my children’s nutritional needs. Long story short, I have only packed one school lunch so far! UGH! As each school year begins, I am full of renewed hope and promise to print out the three school lunch calendars for all three kids and review the weekly selections with them to mutually determine what days they will pack their lunches. I don’t know about you, but when my kids come home and tell me they had a “Bosco Cheese Stick” for lunch I think, “Really? Do they seriously call that lunch?”

I decided the only way that my lunch intentions will stick this year is if I pre-plan and create my “most-likely-to-succeed” lunch program.

Read Full Post »

Taking Control of September Insanity

So, school has started and the kids are back filling their little minds with all sorts of educational goodness. Morever, I can settle back into a consistent work routine. However, with the new school year, so too, is the return of crazy kid schedules. Football, soccer, piano lessons are just a few of the activities in our household. Tack on the management of lives, meals and obligations and we’ve got a genuine three ring circus.

Moms take heed. Here are just a few friendly tips for dealing with the chaos this fall:

Update the family calendar
If you’re like me you’ve started a family calendar in a common area of your home. And if you’re really like me you haven’t really looked at it much since last spring. Time to get out the dry erase markers and get to work. Another option is to use Google Calendars. They’re free and depending on the age of your children each child can update their own schedules on it, then share that schedule with the rest of your family.

Modify your kids schedules
My husband refers to it as “kid worship,” in that we as parents drive ourselves looney by running around getting our kids to and from practices, games, etc. Some of our friends spend countless hours simply moving kids from one activity to another. It’s okay to cut back on your kid’s schedules and it’s okay to have them just play one sport per season! I jest, a little here, but how many families do you know whose kids are playing more than one sport per season? We know a few.

Read Full Post »

Coffee, Logging Camps and Misconceptions

Last weekend I had the pleasure of spending the Labor Day weekend at our good friends’ cabin. In between the water sports and campfires we took our families to some of the “finest” local dining establishments Northern Minnesota has to offer. What better than investing in the local economy while enjoying some of the indigenous flavors of the area?

For years, our friends had frequented an old standard simply called, “The Logging Camp.” It’s a breakfast tradition they have experienced since childhood. Eager to join in on the history, I couldn’t wait to have my first cup of coffee from the rustic tin cups that were set on the table. “How rugged,” I thought.

When I asked for a cup of “decaf” the experience immediately changed; I was told that they could bring me a cup of instant Sanka. Well, that most certainly wouldn’t do, so I had them bring a cup of regular (I think I sent the waitress over the edge when I asked her for some cream! She said milk was all they had). Overall, the experience was delightful but what I realized early on is how much I have come to appreciate a good cup of coffee.

Read Full Post »

Summer’s Final Hurrah – Send It Out in Style!

Ahhhhh, Labor Day. Before I know it, the sounds of the crickets and the laughter of the kids swimming in the pool, as well as the revolving doors of visiting friends, will be a distant past for one more season. How does it get here so quickly? The older I get the faster summer seems to fly by and I always find Labor Day weekend one more great reason to mix up a little backyard fun. Here are some of my favorite summer party tips to make your get together memorable:

Signature drink: I love to have one special drink that will make my guests think “Wow.” I will typically make fresh-squeezed juice (pineapple is always a favorite!) and make a signature martini. Of course beer and wine are staples.

Create a new appetizer: One of my favorite parts of entertaining is trying out a new recipe. I am not usually so bold as to try it as a main dish but I will not hesitate to venture into new cooking territory with an appetizer. My last hit was steamed artichokes with a curry aioli.

Read Full Post »