Trim Healthy Tuesdays: Sweet Potato Pasta with Chicken - E

This is a quick, easy and inexpensive meal (in the E category for fellow THM's)! It has very few ingredients and if you have pre-cooked chicken, it will take even less time. I usually buy one or two LARGE containers of chicken (I try to buy ahead when there is a good deal and freeze it - but admittedly I'm not always organized enough to make that happen) and then I cook it all at once in my electric pressure cooker (which, by the way, is my all time FAVORITE kitchen accessory! I can cook the chicken just like a crockpot would take all day- in less than an hour!) and then keep it in the fridge to add to meals throughout the week when I am in a rush (read: ALWAYS). The whole recipe takes less than a half hour to prepare, unless the baby starts to cry and wants to nurse in the middle of the recipe, then it takes a little longer. ;)

 

Ingredients(this fed our family of 6 with enough for 2 servings for three of us, and leftovers for Hubby's lunch- although the baby didn't eat much.)

 

2 large sweet potatoes

3 cups cooked and diced chicken(I pre-season my chicken if you don't you may want to add a little seasoning to it)

3 cloves garlic (more or less according to your taste)

1 cup chicken broth (fat free to keep it in and E setting)

1 TBS Coconut oil

Salt, Pepper and Onion powder to taste (I added about 1 tsp of onion powder)

Parmesan cheese to top and cilantro for a garnish

 

Peel your sweet potatoes. I used a mandolin to slice the sweet potatoes in pasta-like shreds.

 You could use a spiralizer or even just your peeler if that's all you have. I like the mandolin because it gives more of the pasta feel when you eat it. That being said PLEASE be careful if you use the mandolin, because the sweet potato is very firm and doesn't slice easily. Absolutely use the safety holder!

 

(I found, for mine, it seems to work a little smooth when it was at the back of the potato like this)

 

One of my sweet potatoes cut smoothly, the other refused and I ended up finishing it with a knife

 

 

 

Add the chicken broth and coconut oil to your pan. In a lot of recipes you'll find that they would tell you to chop your garlic and add it here. I don't for two reasons, you can make your own choice. One, I always seem to overcook the garlic if I add it early in the recipe. And two, garlic is a powerful antibiotic and we are headed into cold and flu season. We know that garlic is most powerful when it's raw. I try to keep it as lightly cooked as possible when adding it to recipes to keep as many of the medicinal properties as I can. My kids and husband all love garlic (my kids probably because they've been exposed to it in high doses since the womb). If you have a sensitive stomach or dislike a strong garlic flavor then you may add it now.

 

 

When the coconut oil melts, add the sweet potato shreds.

 

Then lament that you chose the wrong pan, which is clearly to small, and try again!

 

 

Much better! Add salt, pepper and onion powder and stir to make sure all the potatoes are a little wet from the broth. Cover and cook until the "noodles" are softened.

 

softened sweet potato "noodles"

 

Chop your garlic and add the garlic and chicken to the pot. Stir together!

 

 

 

Add the parmesan cheese and cilantro garnish and you have a beautiful meal!!

 



 

Baby and Daddy approved! (and my husband normally dislikes sweet potatoes, but he loved this!)

All the kids enjoyed it (although we did have a mostly chicken picker on the left). Don't worry I made sure they had some good healthy fat for dessert (peaches and full-fat homemade whip cream) so they weren't in the weight loss category for this meal.

 

 For easier Printing

 

Sweet Potato Pasta with Chicken -E

From http://firandcypress.blogspot.com/

 

Ingredients

 

 

2 large sweet potatoes

3 cups cooked and diced chicken(I pre-season my chicken if you don't you may want to add a little seasoning to it)

3 cloves garlic (more or less according to your taste)

1 cup chicken broth (fat free to keep it in and E setting)

1 TBS Coconut oil

Salt, Pepper and Onion powder to taste (I added about 1 tsp of onion powder)

Parmesan cheese to top and cilantro for a garnish

 

 

Peel your sweet potatoes. I used a mandolin to slice the sweet potatoes in pasta-like shreds.

 

 You could use a spiralizer or even just your peeler if that's all you have. I like the mandolin because it gives more of the pasta feel when you eat it. Absolutely use the safety holder!

Add the chicken broth and coconut oil to your pan. 

When the coconut oil melts, add the sweet potato shreds.  Add salt, pepper and onion powder and stir to make sure all the potatoes are a little wet from the broth. Cover and cook until the "noodles" are softened.

Chop your garlic and add the garlic and chicken to the pot. Stir together! Add the parmesan cheese and cilantro garnish and you have a beautiful meal!!

 

 

 

 

 linked up for Trim Healthy Tuesdays

 

 

 

Review: Amazing Science DVD from scienceandmath.com

 

 

This is a DVD that I was able to borrow from my local library. It has 2 discs with 23 simple science experiments to teach basic scientific vocabulary and principles like density, electricity, magnetism, heat, temperature, pressure, surface tension, buoyancy, and more. Many of the experiments can be performed with items you probably already have around your house like dish soap, string, or an old soda bottle. Although, some you will need to prepare ahead for. (we can't wait to try the "Dry ice bubbles" experiment when we locate some dry ice!) Each experiment is well demonstrated and then explained after in a way that was easy for my 5 and 7 year old to understand (the 3 year old enjoyed watching, although she didn't quite understand what was going on- however the experiments we tried were still all easy enough and safe enough for her to participate in!) We were able to try three experiments so far, with plans to collect materials to try a few more!
 

Experiment #1

Color Changing Milk

(you can see this experiment's video right on scienceandmath.com's website, go check it out!)

 

They started by pouring out some whole milk onto a dish

 

 

then added a few drops of food coloring, being careful not to mix or swirl the plate at all

 

 

then, taking a Q-tip that is lightly coated with dish soap they touched the food coloring spots and watched as it quickly spread out!

 

 

When I asked my seven year old, he was able to explain that the way the fats and proteins in the milk react with the dish soap, causes the reaction. (the video linked above explains in more detail.) This experiment is really fun and easy for kids to do, and they really enjoyed watching the results!

 

 

Experiment #2

Reversing an Image with Water

 

This was another simple experiment, that was easy to do and the kids really enjoyed! All you need for the experiment is a piece of paper, a dark marker, water and a jar (we also used a book to hold the paper up easier).

 

 Draw two or three arrows on your piece of paper with your marker.

 

 

 Set up the paper and book so that you can look through the glass and see the paper (we folded ours so the arrows would be near the bottom.

 

 

 

 Fill the glass with water (make sure your paper is 2 or 3" behind the glass or this won't work)

 

 

The arrows will be pointing in the opposite direction!

 

Experiment #3

Lift an Ice Cube with String

  

This was a really fun experiment! The kids all had to try it. What you need is a jar filled with ice and water (lots of ice was important for us- but if it's colder where you are you may not need to fill the whole jar with ice like we did!) a piece of cotton string and salt.


Dip the cotton string in the water making sure it has good contact with at least one piece of ice


Sprinkle Salt on top and count to 10 and lift the string!


Mr. Over-achiever got THREE pieces of ice ;)


 

Yeah! Caught one!

My oldest son again was able to explain from the DVD lesson, that the salt melts the ice slightly, but then the water washes it away and the ice re-freezes with the string attached.

This is a great DVD to work on some simple science experiments with your children and get them excited about science! My children have watched each experiment over and over and really enjoyed learning the how and the why! If you go to scienceandmath.com they have the DVD there for purchase. They also have 7 of the experiments that you can watch for free on their site!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cleaning Can Wait...

"But I love to clean, Mom!"

 

     Have you heard, or said a statement like that before? Usually it's in the context of one mother lamenting about everything that is a mess in her home and another mom or older woman will say, "the cleaning can wait, spending time with your kids is more important."


     Now, before I continue, let me say that if you are the type of person who has a beautiful home, with an organizational system for every closet, and never lets anything in her fridge grow mold, then this post isn't for you!


     I'm also not speaking to the mother with children who are sick, or a newborn who wants to be held all day, or the teething baby who just needs some extra snuggles this week. Please don't let me add to the load you bear. 

This is not the time for cleaning!

     But if you are like me, and could easily spend your day playing, reading, or going to the park with your children only to realize that your husband will be home in 15 min. and there isn't a clean dish, or outfit in the house and you have no idea what dinner should be, let's talk!

"These were clean, Mom. Then, I decided to dump them all on the floor instead!"

 

     I am not a naturally organized person. When I first became a stay-at-home wife and mom 8 years ago, I was very used to being in a work environment, where you always had a boss who said, "You need to get these things done today!" and if you didn't- there were consequences. So coming home and being in charge of my own days left me feeling adrift, and it was easy to feel like the kid who got a day off! "Let's see what the internet has to say!" "Maybe I should take the baby up to see the horses again, or down to the park", "The baby needs something warm to wear should I sew or knit today?" "This book is all about motherhood- it's very important that I sit and finish reading it!"

"What should we do today? Hike a mountain? Explore the neighbors trash cans?"

      I could always find an excuse why the things I would PREFER to do, was what I "should" be doing! But it wasn't without consequence (though I have a very sweet husband who never came home and said "Gee Honey, have you happened to notice that there's not one square-inch of counter space left in the kitchen?") I was easily frustrated, and often the things I needed were not to be found without a long draw-out search. And sometimes money was wasted re-buying something we could not find. But, honestly, none of these things were enough to truly change my ways.

"Off to see the horses!"

 

      What I started to realize was that this was more important that just the difference between a clean and a dirty house. This was the difference between a home and a house. This was a way that I could show love to my husband by preparing for him to come home, and give my children the memory of home being a place of peace and beauty that they enjoyed being. This was the difference of throwing a meal together quickly and not thinking how nutritious it was, but instead how fast I could make it!

     I've noticed something about the Proverbs 31 woman. Why is she considered so virtuous? If you could sum her up in one word what would it be?

"She selects wool and flax
    and works with eager hands.
 She is like the merchant ships,
    bringing her food from afar.
She gets up while it is still night;
    she provides food for her family
    and portions for her female servants."
-Proverbs 31:13-15

     For me, that word would be "prepared". She does things in advance, she gets ready for what she knows lies ahead. Her wisdom is in her forethought. That's what I was missing, forethought. I was living in the moment and not preparing ahead. I was letting my emotions guide me, rather than preparing what my brain told me needed to get done.

"This mess is totally not my fault Mom, these shreds just jumped out and grabbed me!"

      Yes, playing with your children is invaluable! Yes, you should do it EVERY DAY. But the matters of the home like clean dishes and clothes, a vacuumed floor, a well-planned meal are truly equally important. Because they turn your house into a home, a place where you all desire to be together, a calm place that is full of industry rather than chaos. Here's a few practical tips I would give to those who this doesn't come naturally to (like me!):

Tip #1- don't let your kids do THIS- it tends to break the door off the dishwasher. *ahem*

• Books/Sermons on tape. This is my #1 thing that helps me clean- having something to listen to while I do it! Most librarys have free audiobooks you can download and listen to (don't know what to try? Listen to some classics! Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, LM Montgomery, etc.)Also, Revive Our Hearts has TONS of excellent radio messages recorded on their site that you can listen to for free.
• Set a timer. Dishes are my nemesis. =) But when I realized that if I set my timer and washed them three times a day for 15 minutes each, that my dishes would be done (for the most part- I'm NOT a perfectionist!)it made it seem much easier! 15 minutes? I could manage that!
• Involve the kids! We like to get out a CD and try to beat a song. "Okay- do you think we can get all these toys cleaned up before the song ends? Let's do it!" or "I want you to continue to sweep the floor until this song is over- think you can do it?" It makes things a lot more fun and usually helps stop the can-I-be-done-yet's =)

No she wasn't ready to sweep herself yet, but she sure looks cute doing it!





• Don't try to be a perfectionist. I usually look at a room and see if there is one way I can make it cleaner quickly. Run around with a trash bag and pick up any trash, vacuum the rug and fix the couch cushions, quick spray the counters and table clean. It doesn't have to be perfect in my book- just functional and not a chaotic mess!
• Try to keep at least one healthy complete meal in the freezer for those days that NOTHING goes right. (more is better- unless you are nervous like me and have prepared a freezer full of meals only to have the power go out for a week and loose all of your food- TWICE in the same year. *ahem* yeah. )

     I hope that encourages you today! I'd love to hear from you in the comments about ways that you make your house into a home and bless your family!  

 

 

Trim Healthy Tuesdays: Caramel Coffee Frappa without Coffee & with an Added Benefit!

I love the Fat Stripping Frappa (pg 240 in the Trim Healthy Mama book) and it already has the benefit of having Gluccomannan powder (which can help you feel fuller and helps to alkaline your body amongst other benefits) and Whey Protein Powder (if you are interested in the benefits of this go to the Trim Healthy Mama Facebook Fan page
from Feb of 2013 and you'll see three posts there about it). But here's a recipe adding a third beneficial ingredient- ESPECIALLY for those who are loosing weight! Dandelion! Now before you turn tail and run away before reading the rest of the recipe, let me assure you- this will REALLY taste like a Caramel Coffee Frappe. I'm going to talk about a product you may not have heard of before, it's called Dandy Blend.

Dandy blend is an instant coffee replacement made from dried Dandelion root (along with a few other natural grains- however it is considered "gluten-free" because of the extraction process- read more here) And here's the added benefit, Dandelion can help your liver and gall bladder, both of which can be taxed during weight-loss. Dandelion has been shown to decrease acidity in your blood (which can happen as you loose weight), and also increase the bile flow from your gall bladder through your liver and small intestines. It also has been shown to increase activity of the pancreas and the spleen, as well as acting as a diuretic to cleanse your kidneys!  

 To read more on the many benefits of Dandelion(I just scratched the surface) please go here

 Caramel Coffee Frappa (S, E, or FP)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp glucomannon powder

pinch sea salt

1 tsp caramel extract

2 heaping tsp Dandy Blend

 stevia or Truvia to taste (I use 4 packets of Truvia)

1 tray of ice

1 scoop Swanson Vanilla Whey protein powder (do not add until the end!)

 

 

Add almond milk, water, glucomannan, salt, caramel, Dandy Blend and sweetner to the blender. Blend until smooth (about 1-2 min) Add tray of ice, blend well, until an ice-y texture with no lumps of ice left. (if you have a high-end blender this will be easy- if you have an old cheap blender like me- this will take several times of turning the blender off and stirring the ice chunks down with a spoon, and then turning it back on) When completely smooth add the protein powder and blend fully (it will become like a soft-serve ice cream- yum!) Enjoy!

 

 

 

 Dandy Blend has 1 carb per tsp. so this drink will have roughly 2-3 carbs if you drink the whole thing yourself.

 

 

 

 or, you know, sometimes these cute little eyes will look at you and say, "Mama? May I pweese have a taste?" and then you'll have a little less of a serving. ;)

 

 Don't Forget to enter my giveaway for the Todd Wilson book, "How to be a Great Wife...even though you homeschool" 

 Note: I am not a doctor and NOTHING I say should be construed as medical advice!