Sneaky Vegetables

You all know how to make your own baby food right? You steam the fruit or veggie until it's soft, then stick it in the blender and puree it. Then you pour it into ice cube trays and freeze it until you need it. Super simple right? Stash them in a freezer bag so you can grab them easily.
Guess what? This doesn't just have to be for babies! Frozen pureed veggies are perfect for throwing into a smoothie (you'll hardly even notice if you use the right amount) or for using as fun colored ice cubes for kids' soup that's too hot. Sneak them into pancakes or lasagna, or whatever. Yes, it may be a small amount, and you'll still have to have veggies through other means, but every little bit helps right? And it most certainly doesn't hurt.

I personally throw several cubes of zucchini into my smoothie every day. Most of the time my husband doesn't know until he sees me throw some cubes into whatever I'm making. My kids most definitely don't have a clue! Try it...squash, zucchini, carrots, sweet potatoes, apples, the list goes on and on.

I'm linking up to Works For Me Wednesday @ We Are That Family, and Tot Tuesday @ Delicious Ambiguity.

Meals At Home

In my opinion, one of the best things we can do for our children is to make sure that as families, we sit down together for meals in our homes as often as humanly possible. The benefits of family meal time are astounding!

To name a few:

• Kids who’s families regularly eat together are more likely to perform better in school
• Kids who’s families eat together are less likely to become involved in drugs and alcohol
• Family meal time allows children to be exposed to adult vocabulary.
• Meal time is an excellent time to teach children manners.
• Home cooked meals are much healthier than take-out or fast food.
• Home cooked meals are cheaper!

We couldn’t afford to eat out regularly, but even if we could, the vast majority of our meals would be eaten at home because it is worth it! I will gladly (most days) cook for my family because I know it’s best.

Ignore the fact that K is eating a cinnamon roll…I couldn’t resist adding this picture. Meal time can be full of love, excitement, laughter and silliness!

For a great article on why family dinner is so important, head here.