Quick and easy cucumber wraps

A delicious veggie side dish

Looking for a delicious veggie side dish to munch on at lunch? How about a quick and easy cucumber wrap? My kids and I love this recipe, which is great because I don't have to fight with the girls to get their daily vegetables in.

You will need the following items for your cucumber wrap:

  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 sweet pickle
  • Handful sprouts
  • 8 oz. sour cream
  • 1 vegetable dip dry mix packet


Follow these steps to create your cucumber wrap:

Step 1:
Lay out a sheet of wax paper to make the cucumber wrap. You can make it right on a plate, but I prefer to use wax paper.

Step 2:
Use a large peeler to peel 5 thin slices of cucumber. Lay them next to each other, but make sure they overlap a little. This is the outside of the cucumber wrap.

Step 3:
Mix the sour cream with the vegetable dip mix. Spread a layer of this mixture over the cucumber slices. I do think the sour cream mix tastes better if you can do this step the night before. The flavors have more time to blend together.  

Step 4:
Place some small peeled carrot slices over the sour cream. Then toss pieces of a diced sweet pickle on the sour cream and top with sprouts.

Step 5:
Roll the cucumber wrap up from left to right. Eat away.

Substitutions:
Use relish instead of taking the time to dice up a sweet pickle.
Use ranch dip mix instead of vegetable dip mix.

Options:
Add some shredded mozzarella to the inside of the cucumber wrap.
 

Fat people bumper stickers

This really is the last form of widely accepted prejudice in America.

There are plenty of homophobia, racism, sexism and other 'isms' to go around (I always wonder why homophobia isn’t called homism or something instead, since these people are obviously full of hate rather than fear, although I suppose that’s where the hate stems from…), but if you’re expressing any of these things you’re likely going to get called out on it by somebody. They are slowly, slowly dissipating in this country, which I’m grateful for yet very impatient with, since this is two thousand bloody twelve and progress seems to take centuries.

But if you express hate for people who are fat, by George, you’re in good company. It seems like being fat is the one thing that everyone can agree is BAD in America—not using (or letting teens use) cancer-causing tanning beds, not smoking, not drinking, but simply being fat—and it’s the one thing people are banding together to hate in droves. I can be a feminist, an LGBT marriage supporter, a progressive activist for the environment and health care—but people from all of these groups and more will wrinkle their noses at me and ask me if I’ve thought about getting my stomach stapled.

Believe me, I have. Every fat person has, so why ask? Do you think we really don’t know we’re fat?

Today I saw a truck with a couple of fat-hating stickers on its windows. These were pretty huge stickers; one read something about how it’s hard to kidnap fat people, which I didn’t fully understand. Is this person confessing to being a kidnapper via his truck? The second one was one I’d heard about before, which read something along the lines of raising your truck higher because “fat chicks can’t jump.”

Well, for starters, we sure can jump. I’m a mom. I’m an activist. I work and I organize and I work out and I’m busy all day, every day. I could probably jump higher than you. But what I want to know is what makes you think you’re such a catch in the first place that a fat chick would even want to jump in your truck—or any “chick,” for that matter, seeing as most women refer to be called something a bit more respectful?

My advice to you is to lost the stickers and grow some damn respect. Until then, good luck with the whole getting females in your truck thing, fat or otherwise.

Homemade French fries

Easy recipe to make at home.

My kids are always begging me to make homemade French fries. Of course, the taste of homemade food far exceeds that of the prepackaged food so I can understand their desire. Making homemade French fries is quite easy once you have all the peeling and chopping finished.

First, decide how many potatoes you need. I use five Idaho or Russet potatoes for three people. I like to have a few extra French fries to heat up the next day.

Next, wash the potatoes under a faucet of running water. Then you can decide if you want to peel the potatoes. There are nutrients in the peels. I tend to peel some of the skin, but not all of it.

Cut the potatoes in the thickness that you like them. I try to make them look like skinny sticks just like they do at McDonalds, but my father prefers them more like steak fries. Continue by heating up oil in a frying pan. I use olive oil because it has more health properties than vegetable oil and in my opinion it makes the fries taste better. I know that olive oil is a bit more expensive, but I find it to be totally worth it.

Toss the potatoes in the olive oil carefully. Watch out for splashing oil. It is better if you use a pair of tongs to do this so you can stand back a bit. Cook the French fries until they are golden brown. The time depends on how thin or thick the fries are. It generally takes 15 minutes for me to cook mine.

Place the French fries on a few sheets of paper towels. The paper towels will absorb the extra oil. While the fries are on the paper towels, you can season them. I use a bit of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Serve with ketchup.

EasyLunchBoxes save the day

It's back to school shopping for most of us this month. My youngest daughter attends a special needs school because she has a rare neuro-genetic disorder called Angelman Syndrome. Her school doesn't require parents to purchase or send in any supplies. The only thing I have to buy for her is a book bag to hold her diapers, extra outfit, school communication folder (that the school supplies), smock for eating and swim clothes if it happens to be swim day.

I choose to also purchase a lunch box rather than pay for my daughter to eat meals at school. I do this for several reasons, one of which being that her schedule doesn't match up with everyone else's. She often refuses breakfast, which makes her hungry again a little while after lunch. I end up sending in a breakfast and two lunches. All this food doesn't fit in standard lunch boxes. That is why I was so excited to discover EasyLunchBoxes.
EasyLunchBoxes sells sets of four containers that have three compartments in each container for $13.95. Next, they have a cooler (lunchbox) for $7.95 that fits three of the containers. That is exactly what I needed because I send in three meals. Now all of the food can fit in one lunchbox. Since I save so much not having to purchase school supplies for my daughter, it was well worth it for me to splurge on buying these, although the prices are very affordable anyway.

If you are the type of parent that likes to send food in with your child to school, consider getting these products from EasyLunchBoxes. I don't profit in any way from telling you about this, I just found them to be a Godsend!

Yummy breakfast potato boat

Breakfasts foods are my favorite. I often make them at dinner time as there isn't much time to stand in front of a stove first thing in the morning. One dish worth sharing is a potato boat.

You will need the following items to make your potato boat:

  •     1 russet potato
  •     2 tbsp. sour cream
  •     1 slice cooked bacon
  •     2 eggs
  •     Dash salt
  •     Dash pepper
  •     2 oz. cheddar cheese


Follow the steps below to make the potato boat:

Step 1:
Wash the potato and poke several holes in it with a fork.

Step 2:
Bake the potato in the microwave. Start off setting the microwave for 4 minutes. Keep microwaving 1 to 2 minutes at a time until the potato is soft.

Step 3:
Cut the potato in half to form two boats. Scoop a little bit out of the center of each potato boat.

Step 4:
Spoon 1 tbsp. of sour cream inside each potato boat. Top with crumbled bacon.

Step 5:
Scramble two eggs in a greased frying pan. Sprinkle a dash of salt and pepper on top.

Step 6:
Remove the eggs from the heat. Add cheddar cheese.

Step 7:
Once the cheese melts, add the scrambled eggs to the top of your potato boat.

Tips:


Chives, bits of ham, onions and green peppers all make a great addition to any potato boat.

Double the recipe if you want to make a unique breakfast to enjoy with a loved one.

Bake your potato in the oven if you don't have a microwave (my mom doesn't own one). Just be aware that potatoes take a long time to bake this way.  
 
 

Flavored drinks at home

Why pay more when you can do it yourself for a fraction of the price?

Flavored drinks are one of the best things on this earth. If I were one of those rich and famous people who spent money on stupid frivolity every day, I would totally spend my money on theater tickets and flavored coffees, teas and sparkling whatevers. I am a sucker for anything with fruit in it, even though it usually costs anywhere from $1.50 to $4, which is ridiculous.

Lately I have been trying to make my own flavored manna from Heaven at home, and so far, so good. Flavored tea is super easy; just make your regular iced tea—whether you like it sweet or unsweetened and flavored with fruit, stevia, whatever you like—and then add a syrup of your choice. Vanilla, cherry, and raspberry are really easy to get a hold of from the grocery store for about $3 (the price of one of these drinks, only you can make 5-10, depending on how much you like!); if you like other flavors (blackberry is my favorite), you might have to buy them from a tea shop, international foods store, or online. This one looks pretty promising.To save money on flavored coffee, you can brew coffee a day ahead, put it in the fridge, and then treat it with whatever flavorings you like the next day (or while hot). You’ll have to do a lot of experimenting before you find what works best for you. You can also buy iced coffee in half-gallon form now from International Delight; we can get a carton for around four bucks (I bought one on sale for three over the weekend) and, again, it’s like buying one drink from Starbucks and getting several. It’s a huge savings and so far, they taste awesome. I have tried the vanilla and regular coffee flavors; both are sweet and creamy as promised. I would compare them to being between Culver’s custardy iced coffee and BK’s iced mocha. There is a mocha flavor, as well; I just haven’t tried that one yet.

Finally, if you enjoy a lot of sparkling beverages or sodas, a soda stream might be a good investment for you. We got one free (a starter kit runs about eighty bucks, including a couple of flavors) and you can make carbonated water to flavor with whatever you want. Some syrup and fruit would definitely save you much more money than spending a few bucks every day on different sparkling beverages.

Beat the heat with these cool foods

This summer has almost been unbearable with several heat waves in a row. Of course, swimming and spending time in facilities that have air conditioning is key, but you may find that consuming a few cool foods will help keep you healthy from the inside out during a hot summer day.

Watermelon: Watermelon is a perfect fruit to consume when the weather is warmer than you'd like. It is composed mainly of water, which will work to reduce the chances that you become dehydrated in the sun (of course you should also be drinking plenty of water as well). Keeping the watermelon cool in the refrigerator before you serve it to your family is also important. No one wants to eat a warm piece of watermelon on a hot day.
Water Ice: Talk about a refreshing dessert or midday snack. Water ice works like the watermelon to keep your body hydrated, but it is so cold that it can help cool you off from the inside. You don't have to purchase water ice either. You can make your own at home. Simply grind up some ice cubes and pour juice or syrup on top. To give my water ice a cherry flavor, I just pour the juice on top of the ice from inside a maraschino cherry jar.

Frozen Blueberries: Blueberries are perfect year round because they are high in antioxidants. Placing them in the freezer changes them to a delicious snack with the power to cool you down. My daughter actually prefers her blueberries frozen. You can purchase the blueberries already frozen, or get them fresh like we do and then put them in the freezer yourself.

Cucumbers: Cucumbers are like watermelons, in that they contain a large amount of water. I prefer to offer this vegetable to my children as a snack or dinner side dish. You can add diced onions and Italian salad dressing to turn the cucumbers into cucumber salad.

California bans foie gras; foodies revolt

Implicit in the protests against the foie gras ban is the concept that everyone should be able to eat everything they want, regardless of the moral cost. I think we can say that the moral overhead is pretty high with foie gras, the production of which is banned in many countries on the grounds of humane treatment.

The entitlement from the foodie crowd is, I must say, a little difficult to swallow (if you'll pardon the pun). I don't think people have a right to eat whatever they want just because it is tasty. You have to draw the line somewhere, and a lot of people draw the line at force feeding animals. On the other side of that line are questionable foods like lobster (boiled alive), veal (unable to move), dancing shrimp (eaten alive), whale meat and other such morally suspect delicacies.

Mind you, you can still make pate out of duck and goose liver. Connoisseurs wilt at the thought, but most people cannot tell the difference. Foie gras has always been popular partly because of its exclusivity and corresponding high price. If you could buy it at every gas station convenience store, I'm willing to bet people wouldn't get as excited about it.
 
No one needs foie gras. Foie gras does not contain vital nutrients that cannot be obtained elsewhere. No one will actually be harmed as a result of this ruling. But enthusiasts will argue that their lives will become a little more restricted, a little less interesting, without the ability to sample foie gras as a special treat at will. 
 
I have to say, I have limited patience for this line of argument. Everyone's lives are constricted somehow. I, for example, am denied the pleasures of owning a megayacht, strictly by virtue of the fact that I cannot afford one. And who's to say that whale meat isn't a delicious delicacy that I want - nay, deserve - to indulge in?
 
But when you start taking away people's toys, they get mad. Never mind that there are a million other delicacies in the world, delicacies which don't require force-feeding an animal until its liver is swollen to many times its normal size. People feel entitled to their entitlements!
 
On one point, the foodies do have a valid argument: who's to say that foie gras production is more or less humane than the conditions in America's slaughterhouses, pig farms, battery hen cages, and feed lots?

It's time to start eating bugs

Cultural food phobias are a funny thing. I understand personal food phobias - I myself cannot tolerate the squishy-yet-gritty texture of beans - but our cultural taboos about what you can and cannot eat are as odd and arbitrary as they are unquestioned. Americans eat cows, for example, but not horses. We eat pigs, but not guinea pigs. We eat sheep, but not goats.

More to the point: we happily eat aquatic arthropods (including crabs, shrimp, and lobster). But we draw the line at terrestrial arthropods (i.e. insects). 
 
Some people believe we should change that opinion. The European Union, for example, has a three million-Euro bonus for any member state that promotes eating insects. And from a logical standpoint, they have a good point. The world is getting increasingly more crowded, and the ecological overhead of raising beef, chicken and pork is simply unsustainable. If Americans insist on continuing to eat meat, we may have to compromise and start eating insect meat, instead. 
 
Nevertheless, the phrase "insect meat" gives me the shivers.

Compared to conventional livestock, insects are unquestionably better in almost every respect. Insects are ten times more efficient to raise, they are high in protein and low in fat, require only a fraction the amount of land and water, emit only 10 percent the methane, and instead of consuming valuable crops (like corn and wheat) they can be fed garbage and industrial waste (like paper pulp). 

Let's face facts: Insects are the future of sustainable agriculture. Particularly with the world's increasing population, chronic shortage of arable land, and the rising cost of crops like soybeans due to the need for biofuels. Grasshoppers aren't picky about being fed decent corn or soybeans; they can happily subsist on any sort of rangeland you want to hand them. 
 
Cultures all over the world and throughout history have eaten insects. Heck, the Old Testament even encourages it: Leviticus specifies that four types of insects are considered kosher (locusts, bald locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers). 
 
Because insects are small and cheap to raise, insect husbandry could become the next artisanal microbrew culture. Hipsters throughout New York City could start rearing their own colonies of grasshoppers and crickets for use in haute cuisine. "Eat Local," indeed! It doesn't get much more local than "raised by my neighbor in a wire mesh cage on the roof of our apartment building."
 
And let's not kid ourselves. If half the beef filling in a Taco Bell Beefy Nacho Burrito was replaced with ground meal-worm, would anyone really notice?

Frozen Banana Treats

Cool summer snack for a hot day

My kids seem to love any treat that comes out of the freezer. I've recently been experimenting with different fruits that I can freeze to get them to eat a bit healthier. The most recent concoction used frozen bananas.

To make a frozen banana treat, you'll need wax paper, popsicle sticks, and bananas. The rest of the ingredients should consist of things your kids love to eat.

Start with the basics. Peel your bananas and slide a popsicle stick up through the bottom of each one. Set the bananas on a stick on a sheet of wax paper. The wax paper is important because you don't want the banana treat to stick to a surface after it freezes.Now you can get a bit crazy. Try dipping your banana in strawberry yogurt, and then coating it with granola or rolled oats. You can also use chocolate chips, jimmies, crushed Oreos, crushed graham crackers or almond bits. Other options include coconut flakes, M&M's and sunflower seeds. Of course, my girls like to drizzle on some caramel topping, but the choice is entirely up to you.

Transfer your wax paper with banana treats on top from your table top to your freezer. Wait about 45 minutes for the ingredients to harden. Then your frozen banana treats will be ready to eat. These treats are especially delightful on a hot summer day!

Tip: You can also coat your frozen banana treat with the chocolate hard shell syrup that is sold in the grocery stores. It will harden up when it comes into contact with the frozen banana.

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