By Katie Workman of Cookstr.com

Sometimes we all fall into the trap of making assumptions about what our kids will and won’t eat, and we avoid something new because we anticipate that it won’t be met with open arms.  Beans often fall into this category.  And I will say for the record that my oldest (age 9) is only slightly amenable to beans in certain soups and dishes, but my younger one (age 6) will eat half a can of garbanzos in a sitting.  He really adores bean soups and bean stews, which makes it very easy get some good protein and fiber into him without making meat the centerpiece of every dinner.  This lentil soup met with a big thumbs up from him.  Sometimes if I’m offering up a new thing in my house, I’ll put a few tablespoons in a small ramekin and give it to my kids to taste - much less overwhelming to them than being presented with a full bowl of something they’re feeling skeptical about.

Just to confirm: the alcohol in the red wine cooks off completely, and all that’s left is a nice flavor boost.  You don’t have to get the Le Puy lentils or the arborio rice, but those ingredients do take the soup to a different level.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped carrots
11/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/2 cup rice (preferably arborio)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
splash red or white wine (optional)
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup lentils (look for the tiny le Puy variety - they have wonderful flavor)
4-5 cups low-sodium chicken broth, or more as needed
grated Parmesan to serve (optional)

Directions

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the onions and carrots, and stir occasionally for 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, rice and thyme, and stir occasionally for the 3 more minutes.  Add the wine, if using, and stir for one minute until almost evaporated.  Add the salt, pepper, tomatoes, lentils and chicken broth and stir to combine.  Simmer uncovered over medium low-heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and the rice are tender.  Feel free to add more liquid if you like a thinner soup (the next day the soup will likely have thickened considerably, and you may want to thin with more water and broth at this point, as you reheat).

Serve in bowls with a sprinkle of Parmesan on top, if desired.

I should start this off by saying that I am in no way at all an expert on fitness. I am just a woman who has managed to, for the most part, fit exercise into her life for the past nine years.

My first true stint at exercising was when I was a newlywed living in Vancouver. There was a gym next to my office and I would attend exercise classes either before work or during my lunch hour. My firm promoted fitness and allowed me a longer lunch in order to go to class.

The following year my husband and I moved to a (very) small town. There were no fitness classes and I wanted to stay in shape. He bought me a book on running and trained with me as I built up my stamina. Once I could run without stopping he quit running with me altogether. He hates running with all of his being but had done it to help me get started. He’s a keeper, indeed.

We are now three (And no more!) kids in, and figuring out fitness while pregnant/post-partum is difficult. I can testify to that fact. There is a season for everything, but sometimes it is not “exercise season”. After my third child was born, exercise went on the back burner. I had a not-quite four-year-old boy, a just-turned two-year-old boy and a just-came-out-of-my-hoo-ha girl.

Exercise was on hold.

I was able to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight via good eating habits (and also, the flu), but once my baby girl was about a year old I started to long for that fit body I used to have. To have the strength I used to have. To beat this body of mine back into the shape it was destined to be in.

I signed up for a Boot Camp now offered at the community center in our wee town and have not looked back. Except to check out my finally-firm-again booty.

Through the stages I have lived through these past nine years, I have had to adapt my fitness routine. It has changed along with me, and I want to give you some ideas. Because once you have your husband pat you on the butt and exclaim, “NIIIIIICE”, you want to keep it up.

1. Sign up for a class.

I am a person that likes the commitment. If I have paid for something, you better believe that I am going to BE THERE. I am frugal, yes, but it is also about the accountability. In the past nine months I have only missed a few Boot Camp sessions. I had the (achy) flu and was on the couch. The next class all of the girls were asking, “Where were you?”

Accountability. It works.

2. Re-define “Power Lunch”

While pregnant with my second son, I was working in an office (I’m an accountant. Pity welcome). I was afraid to run while pregnant so chose instead to power walk. I changed into good runners and yoga pants and booked it for thirty to forty minutes.

I did not get to the “sweaty pig” stage, but got my heart rate up to a good level. It helped me keep my pregnancy weight gain to the recommended level, so that was an added bonus.

3. Break out the DVD’s

After my second child, I purchased the Billy Blanks Tae Bo DVD (Yes. Yes, I did). While his unitard was a little distracting, as was his dialogue (Reach up to your Higher Power and ask him to GIVE YOU SOME), the workout itself was good.

While I have been attending Boot Camp (See point #1), two days a week just wasn’t cutting it for me. I wanted more. Insert the 30 Day Shred. On the days where I do not have Boot Camp I, for the most part, manage to get the Shred done. Twenty minutes later I am tired, I am annoyed, and I am proud of myself for surviving.

I know that it is hard to get started with exercising but I believe it is like any other habit. Give it seven days. Before you know it it will be part of your life and you will not be able to imagine life without it.

How do you fit fitness into your life?

Image from Real Simple

We have a few vegetarian friends and I always feel like I am serving them a collection of side dishes when they come over for dinner. So for our next dinner party I went searching for some vegetarian main course recipes and came up with a few that I’d like to try:

Real Simple: Swiss chard with chickpeas and couscous

Well: Risotto with beet greens and roasted beets

Martha Stewart: Lighter eggplant Parmesan

Now that I have almost an entire year of parenting under my belt, I finally feel like I’ve earned the right to throw out advice to anyone, at any time, and at 90 mph, like an automatic ball-pitcher gone haywire. Heads up! I’m coming straight at you! After all, what better way to make mom friends than to tell them exactly how to parent, right?

Okay, obviously unsolicited advice is not what moms want to hear, and least of all when they’re new moms trying to navigate the perilous landscape of parenthood on top of being sleep-deprived, strapped onto the roof of the Hormone Express, and worried that their insides and outsides have been rearranged beyond repair. What new moms don’t need is someone telling them what to do or, worse, someone telling them that they’re doing it all wrong. What you need is love, support, encouragement, respect, validation, and, okay, maybe a few gentle nudges from someone who’s been there. (That’s me!) Oh, and you probably also need a shower.

Read on for my basic list for surviving life as a new mom.

• Call for reinforcements. Whether it’s your mom and dad, sisters and brothers, best friends, girlfriends, online friends, or friends you made while waiting in the checkout line at the baby superstore, ask for help, and then don’t forget to accept it. (I had trouble with that last part.) Say yes to anyone offering you food, babysitting, and back rubs. Don’t try to be a hero and take care of everything yourself.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for professional help. Whether this means going to a specialist to diagnose your baby’s reflux, talking to a psychiatrist about your PPD, or begging a cleaning service to deal with the biohazard zone that has become your kitchen, know that you can hire anyone to do anything (albeit for the right price).
• Don’t forget that your partner is a new parent too. While it might be tempting to play the martyr after enduring labor and delivery (on top of forty weeks of pregnancy), try not to exact revenge by insisting that your significant other change all the poopy diapers and get up for all the middle-of-the-night feedings. Be gentle with each other during these first few months while you figure out your new life. Besides, you’ve got plenty of time to make him pay :).
• Cut yourself some slack.You’re new at this–even if it’s not your first baby, it’s your first time parenting this baby–and you can’t do everything perfectly. No, really, you can’t. Best to just throw that idea out the window, where it will be in good company with your sunshine-rainbows-Enya birth plan and your lazy weekend mornings.
• Take a lot of pictures. A LOT. You may love your baby more than life itself, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to enjoy every moment of his/her infancy, or that you’ll even remember much from those early weeks, so photos and videos won’t be just your best defense against the cruel swiftness of time but also evidence of what you survived. Take hundreds thousands okay, millions of photos and videos of the good times but also of the mundane times and the times you hate and think will never end; before you know it (and sooner than you think!) you’ll want to look back and appreciate the moments through the forgiving, rose-colored filter of time, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll realize that your kid’s pterodactyl shriek of ear-peircing misery was actually kind of cute.
• Remember that everything is temporary. You WILL sleep again. You WILL go out to a movie again. You WILL have sex again. You WILL, I promise. It might take a month or a year or even a few years, but it WILL happen (if you want it to, that is), so just hang on and know that what you’re experiencing, what you’re suffering, and yes, even what you’re enjoying, will someday be replaced with something else, for better or for worse. You won’t be a new mom forever, and whether that’s a curse or a blessing is mostly up to you.

Anyone else have tips for the new moms out there?

The secrets: not too much, not too little oil; high heat; nice amount of salt; non-stick cooking spray (you’ll only forget this once to learn that lesson. Maybe twice.)

My kids call them square french fries. You will serve these with anything, and if you put them out to nibble on with drinks before dinner, they will be gone in a flash.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Yukon Gold or other waxy potatoes, peeled or washed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 – 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450° F.

Spray a rimmed baking sheet generously with nonstick cooking spray. Cut the potatoes into 1 or 1 ½ inch chunks (bigger chunks=more creamy insides). Spread them out on the baking sheet drizzle the olive oil over, sprinkle the salt over, and toss with your hands to combine.

Make sure they are in a single layer and roast for 40-50 minutes or so, tossing them once midway through the cooking, and spreading them out again.

“Play Batman with me Mommy,” my almost-five-year-old son,Nate , calls to me as I’m caught checking my Blackberry again. I look up at him, wanting to make him happy, but completely clueless. “OK, but you’ll have to tell me HOW we play Batman.”

I have a dirty secret. I don’t know how to play with my kids.

While my husband creates intricate games and stories in moments, I seem to be missing that gene. But he often works nights, leaving me home alone with two kids under five. Here’s how I get creative with quality time.

• WPT Training: I drop a pack of playing cards on the floor and get the kids to play a variation of 52 Pick-Up (one that involves identifying numbers, but also suits—so they’ll be ready for that Texas Hold ‘Em tourney in their future).

• Cents and Sensibility: I pour out the entire contents of their piggy bank (usually in search of change for bus fare to work), and then get the kids to put it all back in (enhancing fine motor skills and teaching them to clean up my messes).

• Grocery Grab: I drag them to the grocery store and force them into the cart. Then I let them take turns spotting things on my list and putting them into bags or the cart (sitting in the cart helps them to reach). Finally, I make a big hoopla at mealtime: “This is the apple that YOU picked Lucy!”

• Iron-Fisted Chef: “We’re going to bake us some cookies dammit! Yes, I know Mommy isn’t much of a baker, but just go with it so that I can feel like I’ve contributed to your childhood.”

• Guess the Show: After I let them destroy the kitchen for the sake of producing hockey-puck cookies, someone has to clean up. So I call upon my favorite babysitter—the TV. But sometimes the children still request my interaction, in which case I call out, “Whoever tells me what this next show is called fastest can have another hockey-puck cookie!”

All kidding aside (though I’m not making any of these up – I swear), I’ve learned a valuable lesson in my years of dealing with working mom guilt. Whatever you do with your kids, the key is to really see them for who they are while you’re doing it. Smile (and sometimes you have to fake it), look into their eyes and try to truly be present in their presence.

Even if it’s just for an hour some nights, making that time that’s just for them really helps their self-worth in the long run. Plus, you can always send that Tweet after they’re asleep.

Do you have any tips for how to get down and dirty with your kids?

Real Simple: Baked shells and broccoli

Simply Recipes: Zucchini breakfast casserole

Rachel Ray: Retro-metro fancy tuna casserole

There are always rough transitional moments when the school year starts back up; getting up early and rushing everyone out the door, getting back to the grind of homework, and regular bedtimes to name a few.  However, one thing that always seems to strike fear into parents is the thought of having to pack a school lunch.  Many schools offer up hot lunches, but they’re not always appealing and the truth is they cost a lot more than a lunch you prepare and send yourself.

In our home, we usually order a few meals off the hot lunch menu as a treat, and the school also has a monthly pizza day which is a big hit.  Other than that, my daughter takes her lunch in with her.  There are certain rules and guidelines in our school.  We’re a nut-free zone, so peanut butter is out.  They also don’t allow anything considered to be junk food (chips, candy, soft drinks, etc).  I’ve heard some parents grumble about it at general assembly meetings, but honestly, it’s not that hard to pack an appealing healthy lunch.

Some things we like to send include:

* Cheese sandwiches - I lightly toast the bread first, she likes it better
* Cream cheese on a bagel
* Tuna sandwiches
* Hard-boiled eggs
* Homemade “lunchables” - The packaged versions are pricey and full of sodium so I send her with sliced delil meat, slices of cheddar cheese, and a handful of crackers and she’s just as happy
* Leftovers - We have a small Thermos and it makes is so easy to just pack up last night’s supper or some soup.  Tip: Fill it with boiling water for 10-15 minutes, drain, then fill it with your food.  It helps to keep it piping hot.
* Fruit - Most kids have at least one fruit they enjoy, and it’s a perfect snack.  We tend to send apples, oranges, or sliced melons.  Bananas are a favorite but they bruise easily in a lunch bag.
* Yogurt - We sometimes get individual packs but you can also spoon out a single portion from a larger tub if you use plastic containers.
* Cheese sticks, baby carrots, raisins - anything that can be considered finger food makes a great snack

Basically a school lunch is limited only by your school’s guidelines and your own imagination.  And don’t feel like a sandwich has to be plain old bread.  You can use bagels, tortillas, or skip the bread altogether.  Your kids love tuna but hate sandwiches?  Send the tuna salad in a container with a spoon!

This was today’s lunch.  We had leftovers that she wanted to eat, so I put that in her Thermos, then added a yogurt, some applesauce in a container, and a juice box.  She has gym today so I also gave her a little baggie of dry cereal in case she’s hungrier than usual.

You can also get creative; I’ve used a paring knife and bits of green relish to turn plain boiled eggs into a silly lunch and my daughter thought it was the funniest thing she’d ever seen. [image of eggs]  I also like to occasionally throw a little note in there.  I don’t do it every day but if I know she has a test or had a bad day I’ll slip in something encouraging.  Even if your child isn’t reading yet, you can use simple pictures to create a note.

Making lunches is actually the easy part, especially if you prep as much as possible the night before so you don’t have to run around too much first thing in the morning.  Just don’t ask me to tell you how to make sure your spoons all come back home, because I’m still trying to figure that one out.

How about you? Do you have any good suggestions for what to include in your child’s lunch bag?

This is why it’s also good to include roasts and braises in your weekly list of dinners.  They will almost always take longer than half an hour, but almost all of the needed time is hands-off cooking time, leaving you free to make other dishes, help with homework, get to that mountain of bills…or just watch a rerun of “Friends”.  I know which I’d pick.

I served this this week with roasted potatoes and salad, and had a very happy crew.

Ingredients:

• 1 2 1/2 pound top beef roast
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic (if you use garlic powder I won’t tell)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 stalks celery, peeled and chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped (optional)
• 1 cup tomato sauce, homemade or store-bought

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 F. degrees.

Rub the roast with the oregano, garlic, salt and pepper and set aside.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the carrots, celery, onions and red pepper until just beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.  Turn the vegetable mixture into a small roasting pan, slightly larger than the roast, and with low sides (you don’t want the meat to steam).  Please the roast on top.  Pour over the tomato sauce, and pop it in the oven.

Cook for about 1 hour, or until it is done to your liking.  Use a meat thermometer for accuracy.  An internal temperature of 130 degrees is rare, 140 is medium-rare to medium, 150 is medium-well and so on.  Remember to take our the roast when the temperature is just shy of what you’re looking for, as the meat will continue to cook for several minutes as it rests on the cutting board.  Make sure to let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing it.  You can slice it think or thin as you like.

If you want, you can add a splash of red wine to the cooked veggies and juices in the bottom of the pan, and stir in the pan over medium heat while the roast rests.  Or simply serve the cooked veggies on the side of the meat.

When we got pregnant I had a few fears about our impending bundle: the wee one would be colicky (check!), would rage against the car (dodged that bullet), and would be a bedtime h8r.  In fact, the sleep issue was the one I was most concerned about so I made sure to read up on ALL the sleep solution books I could get my water retaining hands on.  The main theme?  GET THEE TO A ROUTINE AND QUICK, WOMAN.  This was a no-brainer for me as it made complete and total sense.  Routines help kids feel secure, know what’s coming next and not throw them into a rabid frenzy with each bed time transition.  So that is what we did.

Granted, we started right out of the gate and have remained pretty consistent, which I think has helped us tremendously.  No joke:  anyone who comes over and sees us put Theo to bed is gobsmacked at how easy it is and how we all just do our thang without crying or throwing a tantrum (him or us).  Our son is 19 months old and although he’s the sweetest and most laid-back child in the history of the land, he can lay the smack down with the best of them and will voice his concerns by way of verbal or physical abuse if needed.  He’s not a robot is what I’m saying.  We don’t slip him a Quaalude in his sippy cup, nor do we house him in restraints.  We just have a simple system and stick to it.  That is not to say that it’s ever too late to implement a routine.  Better late than never for sure.  But if your nights are full of stress and anxiety during The Witching Hour then please, feel free to cut and paste our routine to fit the needs of your family.  I’m a share bear, what can I say.

1).  I.  Change.  My.  Outfit.

I wear dry-clean only clothes to work and there is no WAY I’m wrangling a toddler at the end of the night in a suit.  I make the mental transition to being home by getting in my Mom gear and yes, that includes some type of pajama pant with an elastic waist, a tee shirt from college, and my hair piled high atop my head and out of my face.  I can’t even TELL you how this changes me.  I can wrestle with my son and not worry about ruining anything.  I can wipe a nose with my sleeve.  Cook dinner without worry of splatters.  Changing my clothes changes my attitude and it’s vital.

2).  Stop.  Drop.  Roll.

Once I’m in my comfy clothes I get down on the floor and play with my son.  Not necessarily for a long time, but I really think giving him my focus for ten or so minutes controls meltdowns as he’s not as desperate for my undivided attention.  But each kid is different and you know what would work best.  Coloring?  Dance Mania?  Fresh air outside?  One on one time is what I’m pushing here.  You provide the details.

3).  A quick dinner that I know Theo will eat.

I am no culinary genius, and in the event of full disclosure a lot of our meals come from Trader Joe’s in the freezer section.  But they are good, and more importantly they are quick.  The whole point of this is to ease stress for everyone involved, even the cat (though she DOES like Dinner Rejections since she cleans up the castoffs on the floor, but she’s the minority so take it for what it’s worth).  Theo gets a variety from the four major food groups, and I will offer him new things but for the most part?  I stick to what he knows.  The weekends can be more for experimentation with hummus and pita chips.  Monday nights?  Notsomuch.  If your kid loves to sample new foods then please, drive that home.  Rock your kid’s palate the best way you know how.

4).  Oh guess what?  More play time!

This can be snuggles, books, blocks, throwing a ball around, pretty much anything that doesn’t involve fire and will help ease Theo into The Next Phase.  Does this sometimes get tackled by my husband?  Oh yeah.  Daddy roughhousing is a big win over here after dinner, with me usually squawking “HE JUST ATE! DON’T MAKE HIM PUUUUKE!”  This is also a sure fire way to tire Theo out (Warning!  Do not attempt this unless you know how your child will react as this could have the OPPOSITE affect and actually make them MORE WIRED and unable to get to sleep.  Results may vary.)

5).  A soothing soak.

We are so down with our schedule that I can literally say “Okay dude, time for a bath!” and Theo will drop what he’s doing and plod off to the bathroom.  And yes, I am enjoying this while I can for I am well-versed in the Things Can Change department.  But if your kid hates water?  Didn’t get that stinky?  Maybe pull a sponge-bath situation and wet a washcloth and only go to town on High Urgency areas.

6).  After jammies it’s time for books.

We are lucky in that Theo is OBSESSED with books so this is perfect.  It helps him wind down, and we all get to snuggle and hang out together before night night time.

7).  Sleepy sleepy!

I have sung the same song to Theo at bed time since he was a newborn.  Theo knows it so well he starts to hum it when we enter his room and that just makes my heart swell because I love that it’s a sense of security for him.  I hope one day he will think of that song and remember being safe in my arms in the cool and dark of his room.  What a wonderful way to end the day.  For all of us.

Going over our routine I fear we may have raised a Pavlovian dog.  But he’s a cute little fluffer who is chill when we get home at night so I’m okay with that.  Now, it goes without saying that what works for one may not work for another so on and so forth.  But I am proof positive that the after work and daycare hours don’t have to be wrought with tears and tantrums.  And isn’t that a beautiful and relaxing thought?

Now tell me, do YOU have any tricks of the trade for a stress free evening?  Let us all in on your wisdom!