Ants on a Log

Well, what'd'ya know - it's still a classic.



I fed these to the kids for an after lunch treat. That's right - a treat. I told V that he had to finish his Mac and cheese before he could have one. The boy gobbled it up and wanted another. I'm saving the rest for 'witching hour' when I'm trying to make dinner and my children have turned into gremlins. Since they aren't particularly filling, they are a great before dinner distraction.

One tip - if you're like me a don't like to refrigerate your PB, make these a little ahead of time and leave them in the fridge during lunch. Then the PB won't be so runny for the kids.

Oh, and 18 mo J had issues chewing the celery since she only has her front incisors and 4 molars that are only partially erupted. But she liked it anyway and gnawed on it for a while.

So whip up these healthy classics for your next snack time!

-- Post on the go

5 a day

I have decided to start planning meals around the vegetables that we will eat for that meal instead of planning vegetables as a "side dish." Vegetables have always taken the back seat when it comes to meals. Or I guess you could say the side seat! Well, no more! We are bring vegetables to the front. From now on, our main dish is going to be vegetables, with a side of grain and a side of meat.

About 1/2 of your plate should be fruits and vegetables at each meal, 1/4 should be meat/protein, and 1/4 should be grains. Something tells me that is rarely the case at most people's meal time.

Tonight I made roasted veggies. I just chopped up a bunch of veggies that I bought at the farmers market yesterday - Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, white potatoes, broccoli, and onion. Tossed them with olive oil, vinegar, and some spices, and roasted them in the oven for about 45 minutes. The were scrumptious. As a "side"I grilled some chicken breasts and cooked a few cups of brown rice. It was the perfect meal for a cool evening, and very filling.

See how many more vegetables you can incorporate into your diet by making the focus on the veggies!

I'll try to post "veggie-spotlight" menus in the next few posts.