These days she’s as recalcitrant as ever and uses food as a weapon, refusing to eat  rather than give into my idea of a good, healthy meal.  So we battle daily and ultimately I find myself compromising because I honestly do believe that she’d just continue on the junk path.  So,  the only way she can get what she wants to eat,  is to eat twice the amount of healthy food in exchange for one of her choices.

She’d eat chicken tenders every day if I let her and for snacks she usually craves the worst kind of junk like: chips,  caramel corn and soda. In fact,  she prefers to snack all day instead of eating large meals,  so my challenge is to make those snacks be healthy.

And apparently she’s hearing me because,  today  she surprised me when I asked her for a week-end shopping list which had to include at  least three healthy choices. Baby girl chose  clementines,   other fruits  and juice, which is  not at all bad for a girl who normally only wants to eat junk.

Now I just have to get her to love a wide variety of fruits as well as vegetables, which she loathes.  My rule is to put the foods they don’t like right next to the ones they   do like, so I’ve  decided to push  crudite’s  with broccoli,  carrots, dressings and hummus to go along side her chicken.

Clemmentines  by Ktylerconk

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That’s because Oodles of Noodles is also loaded with preservatives and salt, among quite a few other ingredients that are detrimental to our health.  But not to worry. You can make your own version of a quick soup by using prepared frozen dumplings and broth. You can use either your own soup stock that you’ve frozen or get a prepared one, which also has salt unless you find the boxed broth marked reduced sodium.

There’s also an assortment of frozen dumplings. I love the ones found in the freezer section of Trader Joe’s.It carries both shrimp and vegetarian dumplings, which are great either steamed or pan fried. (The collection of dumpling photos is from flickr.com.)

Fatimah’s Quick and Easy Soup for One

1 cup vegetable broth, boiling

1/4 cup fresh baby spinach

2 sliced mushrooms

3-5 steamed or pan-fried dumplings

Combine all ingredients, garnish with a few scallions and drink up.

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Hard-skinned winter squash, though, was something new to me. Sure, I’d picked up a few ornamental gourds – close relatives to the squash - one summer at a farm outside Philadelphia, and they are now décor on my enclosed front porch. But I never thought much about where they came from.

I’d seen various types of winter squash at my local outdoor farmer’s market but paid little attention to them. Recently, though, I took a minute to examine them  after stopping by a farmer’s market with a friend to pick up a few items for brunch. Since winter squash appear in the fall and winter, the market had several kinds: acorn, butternut, spaghetti.

I didn’t recognize the look and shape of the spaghetti squash, so I turned to my friend: “Have you cooked it before?” She had, noting that the pulp inside looked like strands of spaghetti - and that it was good. Another friend offered that she’d had it in a restaurant, but I wasn’t too sure about that because she didn’t sound too convincing.

We were standing in front of a man who was selling fresh coffee on this cool Sunday morning and who apparently had overheard our conversation. He encouraged me to buy one. “It has fewer carbs than spaghetti,” he said.

Convinced, I bought a spaghetti squash (along with some fresh beets) because I was curious to first, try to figure out how to cook it, and second, to see how it tasted.

I left there thinking that I would cook the squash and pile it on top of pasta. Wrong. In checking recipes on the web, I found that spaghetti squash replaces – and not augments – pasta. I found a recipe with fresh basil and Gruyere cheese (which I rarely used) and made the dish. I served it first as a side dish with chicken, and then as a meal topped with a sauce of fresh tomatoes, shitake mushrooms, onions and garlic.

The dish was delicious both ways, and I will certainly try it again. Next, I’ll experiment with acorn squash paired with black beans, using a recipe from my local newspaper.

Here’s the spaghetti-squash recipe I cooked, from a story on the New York Times website by Martha Rose Shulman, whose latest book, “The Very Best of Recipes for Health,” was published in August.

Spaghetti Squash Gratin With Basil
(Serves 6 as a main dish, 8 as a side)

1 spaghetti squash, about 3 pounds

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 large eggs

1/2 cup low-fat milk

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (1/4 cup basil leaves)

2 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (1/2 cup)

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino romano

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pierce the squash in several places with a sharp knife. Cover a baking sheet with foil, and place the squash on top. Bake for one hour, turning the squash every 20 minutes until it is soft and easy to cut into with a knife. Remove from the heat, and allow the squash to cool until you can handle it. Cut in half lengthwise, and allow to cool further. Remove the seeds and discard. Scoop out the flesh, and place in a bowl. Run a fork through the flesh to separate the spaghetti-like strands, then chop coarsely. Measure out 4 cups squash. (Use whatever remains for another dish, or freeze.)

2. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds to a minute until fragrant. Add the squash. Cook, stirring often, for five minutes until the strands of squash are a little more tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.

3. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the milk, salt (about 1/2 teaspoon), pepper and basil. Stir in the squash mixture and the Gruyère, and combine well. Scrape into the baking dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan or pecorino over the top, and gently press down to moisten.

4. Bake 40 to 45 minutes until nicely browned and sizzling. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

Note: The baked spaghetti squash will keep for four days in the refrigerator. The gratin can be made up to a day ahead and reheated. The recipe can be made through step 2 several hours before completing the gratin and baking.

- Sherry L. Howard. Be sure to check out her blog Auction Finds.

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Then with herbs from my potted herb garden – which included fresh basil and oregano – plus the last of my home-grown tomatoes, I used the rest to make vegetable soup later in the week.

I work for an organization called Resources for Human Development as development manager for Philadelphia’s first homeless newspaper called One Step Away. Every week, Equal Dollars brings  in a haul of locally grown, mostly organic produce from area farms - some of which are in Lancaster County, which is a hub for outside Philadelphia for organic farming.

Deneene, who like me is a foodie and who also caters, established Equal Dollars a few years ago, and provides fresh produce and other items to employees of the organization. Every week, we get an opportunity to buy fresh vegetables with Equal Dollars currency, a kind of bartering system.

* * * * *

Many people think that it’s impossible to make collards taste good without using animal flesh. Some folks have turned to turkey butts or turkey wings for flavoring because they don’t eat pork. I certainly don’t partake in any parts of the pig and haven’t since I was 18. But that’s another blog. I’ve written in the past about making vegetarian collards. The best part about them is the “pot liquor,” which is the broth created by boiling the greens, seasonings and herbs  in spring water.

Pot liquor is the basis for any great vegetable soup and it can be frozen. My pot liquor can be used as it is or combined with beans and an assortment of vegetables in a crock pot. (Photo here by QuintanaRoo is of her navy bean soup.)

The next time you make any type of fresh vegetables, save the pot liquor. I guarantee you it will flavor your soups and stews so well that you’ll never consider throwing it away again.

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I bought two things at the farmers’ market: Squash and beets. When I bought the beets, the woman asked if I’d ever cooked the greens. No, I had not. She recommended cooking them with olive oil and garlic (two of my favorites).

I grew up on beets; they are one of the few vegetables that I vividly recall eating as a child. I believe that we ate so many that I avoided them when I grew up. Until recently. A friend and I were talking about pickled beets (which she loves) and our conversation reminded me of my childhood. So, I bought a bunch of the dark red beets from my grocery store a couple months ago and pickled them. They tasted better than I remembered when I was younger.

The new bunch I purchased a week ago were colorful: orange or yellowish, and deep red, all covered in soil. I knew that I did not want pickled beets so I search for a different way to prepare them. My local newspaper ran a story earlier this month about how chefs were finding new ways to serve fresh beets, but the recipes accompanying the story were so unappetizing.

Through Google, I came across two recipes that I liked and chose the one that incorporated the greens. The recipe was from the New York Times, and can be served either hot or cold. The story mentioned that beets were good and fresh this time of year, and even better, they contained such nutrients as potassium, magnesium and folic acid. The dish was delicious.

To top it off, I decided to make some lavender lemonade. Fatimah Ali, who writes the Healthy Southern Living blog, and I had had some when we went to see a perfume bottle exhibit a month ago at Longwood Gardens just outside Philadelphia. During the exhibit, Longwood was holding “Fragrant Friday,” which focused on a particular scent. That Friday was lavendar, and we both loved the lemonade so much that we went back for seconds. 

When I came across dried lavender at another farmers’ market recently, I decided to buy some. I shared the small packet with Fatimah, and made a pitcher-full to go with my meal of beets, lima beans with crumbled sage turkey sausage, squash and chicken.

I found a recipe for lavender lemonade from wholeliving.com. It was bit tart for me; next time I’d cut back on the lemon zest.

- Sherry Howard, who writes the Auction Finds blog.

Recipes:

This beet recipe called for Gruyere cheese, but I used what I had on hand: mozzarella, cheddar and feta (what can I say, I love cheese).  I also used Mrs. Dash instead of salt, and left out the chives because I didn’t have any. But I used plenty of garlic.

Beet and Beet Green Gratin (serves 6)

2 bunches beets, both red and golden. You should have about 2 pounds beets and 3/4 pound greens.

Salt to taste

3 eggs

3/4 cup low-fat milk

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup chopped chives (1 bunch)

2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (1/2 cup)

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Roast the beets. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then cut the ends off, slip off the skins and slice across the equator.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem and wash the greens in two changes of water. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the pot of water comes to a boil, salt generously and blanch the greens for about one minute. (You can also steam the greens until they wilt, one to two minutes). Transfer the greens to the ice water, then drain and squeeze out the water. Chop coarsely.

3. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet, and add the garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring, until fragrant. Stir in the greens. Stir together for a minute, season the greens with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.

4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish with olive oil. Beat together eggs, salt (about 1/2 teaspoon), pepper, milk, chives and the Gruyère. Gently stir in the greens and beets. Scrape into the gratin dish. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until set and lightly browned on the top. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

Lavendar Lemonade

 4 lemons

1/2 cup dried lavender

1/2 cup raw honey

1. Using a vegetable peeler, remove zest from two lemons, leaving white pith behind. Squeeze all of the lemons for 2/3 cup juice and set aside. In a large pot bring 5 1/2 cups of water and zest to a boil over high heat. Stir in the lavender. Partially cover the pot, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place a large strainer lined with cheesecloth or a damp paper towel over another pot or heat-proof bowl. Strain tea, pressing on herbs to extract all liquid. Stir in honey until dissolved. Stir in lemon juice. Let cool completely, about 45 minutes. Fill four tall glasses with ice. Pour tea over ice and serve immediately.

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On another front, Philadelphia’s Mayor Nutter is making sure that neighborhood pools open up on time. Last summer, the mayor threatened to shut down more than half of the city’s 72 swimming pools and scale back library hours because of budget woes.  Philadelphians were outraged,  and Mayor Nutter and Recreation Commissioner Sue  Slawson responded by launching the Splash and Summer Fund campaign, a corporate and community fund raising partnership designed to keep 69 of the city’s swimming pools opened this season. According to the Recreation Department’s website, there are also plenty of other interesting activities to keep our children engaged, including summer camps and outdoor activities, free or for nominal fees. That’s a very good thing, because on a national scale young people face tougher challenges than they have in decades.

The 2010 Child Well-Being Index recently released by the Foundation for Child Development, reports especially troubling news for parents on the lower economic spectrum and paints a grim picture for this generation of children. In short, the report says poverty, obesity and violence will affect this generation with numerous social and health challenges, wiping out all of the social progress made on behalf of children since 1975.

The Recreation Department’s website lists 150 free recreational activities, ranging from chess tournaments to concerts. But there’s nothing better than a spark of imagination in our homes to compliment those programs. I refuse to tolerate the words “I’m bored” from my two teenagers, so I’ve been web surfing to find simple, low costs things for them to do. Here are some of their projects.

In  Facebook, I  found one of the best safe driving campaign slogans I’ve ever seen. No matter what your religious beliefs, this one drives home a serious point. It reads,  “Honk if you love Jesus. Text while driving if you want to meet him.” I’ve challenged my children to create a safety campaign equal to or better than this one.

Scrapbooking is a fun, creative way to get children to document their activities.

Also found on Facebook : Camp CAYA sponsored by Karima “Life Coach K” Roepel. It’s a self-esteem building workshop for teen girls that helps them create their own personal Dream Boards, also known as Vision Boards. If you find Roepel’s class is full, encourage your girls to create their own dream boards. Kids love to dream and getting them to create a vision board gets them thinking about and preparing for their future.

Most public high schools have summer reading lists. Go a step further and choose a book for the entire family to encourage healthy discussions around the dinner table.

Philabundance  is launching the Sharing Your Garden project that encourages people to plant an extra row of vegetables to share. Kids love to watch things grow. Even just a pot on the windowsill can house vegetables to put on the table and to share with neighbors. Since obesity is such a big problem, we can keep our kids interested in helping with family meals by getting them into growing our own healthy food.

These activities encourage communication with our children, which also helps us parents to keep better tabs on their whereabouts.

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My Pesto Pasta is really simple to make, and it’s a real filler for vegetarians. When I’m making a small amount,  and don’t feel like hauling out the food processor to make fresh pesto, I buy a good brand of pesto sauce from Weavers’ Way Co-op, which recently opened up a third state-of-the-art market near me.  (Photo above shows fresh basil and baby spinach from photographer satakiele.)

Pesto is basically made from garlic, fresh basil, olive oil, parmesan cheese and pine nuts, and blended in the food processor. Pesto can be used on any type of pasta, but I also like to serve it with rice, chicken or slices of mozzarella cheese with vine-ripe tomato slices.

Bowtie Pasta with Pesto for 6

Ingredients

One bag of bowtie pasta cooked al dente (slightly firm)

½ cup of fresh pesto sauce

2 cups baby spinach

1 cup grape tomatoes, washed and halved

½ cup shaved parmesan cheese

6 cups of boiling water

Directions

Bring water to a rapid boil and cook pasta for 6-8 minutes (until al dente).

Turn off heat and add spinach to wilt it.

Drain pasta while it’s still hot, and add pesto and tomatoes.

Garnish with parmesan cheese.

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This peppermint  will take over my yard if I let it
but it’s great for making iced tea.

I don’t normally buy too much meat for my family, especially in the summer. We eat a mostly vegetarian diet with a little bit of flesh thrown in. I always buy my chicken from the farmer’s market because the animals are raised on local farms where they receive more humane treatment. Chickens fed on the ground are much healthier than those from commercial farmers because they are nourished outside and in the sunlight rather than being fed  from a feeder in a factory with thousands of others. Plus, factory-grown animals are always shot up with hormones to make them grow abnormally faster.

Also at the farmer’s market, the butcher is willing to custom-pound the meat, which helps to tenderize it before you cook it.

In the summer, I prefer mostly fish, and am starting to eat less and less of it - especially in light of the Gulf oil spill (and who knows how far that will travel).  I’m moving away from seafood as well. Farm-raised seafood, although it might not have the same pollutants found in the ocean, have  other problems such as bacteria. Plus farm-raised fish just isn’t authentic enough for my tastebuds and it doesn’t really taste enough like the ocean.

Which brings me to this: I love vegetables, especially in the springtime. There’s nothing better than a stir-fried or steamed medley of fresh veggies. I love buying my vegetables from the co-op or from local farmer’s markets for pretty much the same reason as for meat. They are much fresher and organic, and those farmers don’t use chemically laced pesticides. In fact, some vegetables are so fresh they still have dirt on their roots.

Every summer I try to grow a few more herbs. Last year I started with peppermint and rosemary, which are both great for seasoning many foods. Peppermint is a weed and it has taken over my garden. This year I added lemongrass and I’m also trying to grow tomatoes. With a small yard I can’t grow too much. But many people are turning their roofs  into roof-top vegetable gardens. I’m not there yet , but still I find that concept fascinating.

I’m at the beginning of growing tomatoes and the experts say I should grow something for them to climb up. Any suggestions?

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Crudites are not only healthy for your kids, but will also help you keep the pounds off. Anyone who’s ever thrown a good party knows about crudites, the  French array of assorted fresh vegetables that are either blanched or served raw on a platter, and surrounded with dips, ranch dressing or hummus.

Crudites are almost always standard fare at banquettes, cocktail parties and dinner parties. But they are also a fabulous snack and are great for ready-to-serve  lunches for school or work.

Simply take broccoli, carrots, peppers, asparagus, mushrooms or any other vegetables – either raw or blanched with a little seasoning in boiling water (for a minute), seal them in ziplock bags for freshness and pack them with dips of your choosing.

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My two youngest daughters are typical teens who love to shop, whether they need clothes or not. Their biggest challenge is that their drawer space is tight. But that doesn’t matter to them because they still keep them packed with clothes that they’ll probably never wear again. And there’s nothing worse than having tons of ill-fitting clothes that you hate, either because they make you feel fat or they’re last year’s styles.

When I examined their drawers, I was shamefully reminded of my late grandmother Susie, who would be appalled because she didn’t believe in waste and only owned three of any pieces of clothing. Her basic rule was: One on your back, one in the drawer and one in the wash. Remembering this, I insisted that my daughters throw away clothes that they no longer use before I’ll buy them anything new. So they’re busy getting rid of stuff and their giveaway piles are huge.

The thing about spring cleaning is that we never realize how much useless stuff we accumulate until we start purging. And that goes for the kitchen as well.

Every week or so, I try to invest in my kitchen. But since I’m not currently in a position to purchase the six-burner Wolf professional stove or the Sub-Zero refrigerator that I dream of owning, I’m busy stocking up on cooking utensils that I can afford. And just like with my closets, every time I buy a new kitchen utensil, I get rid of something else to make space for the new item. Recently, I got rid of my deep fryer and replaced it with a bamboo steamer.

Come to think of it, I can’t even remember where the fryer came from, but it has never served me well. It’s a good thing, too, because just like the dust bunnies and junk that was in my house, I didn’t realize how much weight I’d gained until I went clothes shopping. But many of us neglect ourselves during the colder months.

Maybe it’s because we wear so many clothes to keep warm that we don’t really notice all of the weight that has piled on. Then it’s time to start shedding those layers of clothes and we get to see what a mess we’ve become.

One look in the mirror and I decided to postpone my clothes-shopping trip until I’ve dropped at least two dress sizes. And if you’re anything like me, you’re also probably wishing that you’d been a little more active while it was cold. Now that it’s getting warm, there’s no excuse not to walk, run and get moving.

And as I’ve mentioned in other recent posts, spring is a great time to freshen up our diets, too. Food, like exercise, is seasonal, and we should steam vegetables like baby asparagus, squash or mushrooms. Steaming preserves more of the nutrients and is much less caloric than frying.

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