Chicken recipes: It's what's for dinner!

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Chicken has been on sale a lot and I've got a freezer full of all kinds. I thought I'd share some of my chicken recipes with you.
Sticky chicken: this is awesome, and I always have to pull out the big roasting pan and make three whole chickens because everyone loves sticky chicken and I want leftovers. The spice mixture you rub on this is wonderful and you baste the chicken throughout the cooking time which is what makes the skin "sticky".

Chili-maple glazed chicken: this is one of many "dump chicken" recipes that I love! They are easy, and you can prepare them ahead of time and freeze them, then defrost and "dump" into a baking dish and bake in the oven or "dump" in the crock pot or slow cooker and let it cook while you're out running errands or at work.

Grilled chili lime chicken kebabs: perfect for summer grilling! No grill? That's okay, you can make these in the oven and turn the broiler on for the last few minutes to make sure they get a nice brown on them. You can also make these on a grill pan or on the GF grill.

Sesame hoisin chicken wings: these wings are so good! They're a little bit sweet, a little bit salty, sticky but crispy. Yummy! Perfect any time of the year. They make a wonderful appetizer for an outdoor summer party, as well as the Super Bowl.


Ground chicken spanakopita meatballs: the first time I made them, huge hit! They've asked for them twice since. I serve with Greek salad, homemade pita bread and homemade tzatziki, which is a delicious dip/spread made with yogurt, cucumbers and garlic.





If the links don't work, you can copy and paste them directly:
Sticky chicken: www.examiner.com/article/oven-roasted-sticky-chicken-recipe
Chili-maple glazed chicken: www.examiner.com/article/chili-maple-glazed-dump-chicken-recipe-perfect-for-memorial-day-or-everyday
Grilled chili lime chicken kebabs: www.examiner.com/article/chili-maple-glazed-dump-chicken-recipe-perfect-for-memorial-day-or-everyday
Sesame hoisin chicken wings: www.examiner.com/article/serve-up-a-chicken-wing-super-bowl-buffet-sesame-hoisin-chicken-wing-recipe

Ground chicken spanakopita meatballs: www.examiner.com/article/ground-chicken-recipe-chicken-spanakopita-meatballs-with-tzatziki-and-pita 
Bonus recipes:

• homemade tzatziki: www.examiner.com/article/tzatziki-recipe-greek-cucumber-yogurt-dip
• homemade pita: www.examiner.com/article/pita-bread-recipe
• Greek salad: www.examiner.com/article/how-to-make-fresh-salad-dressings-recipes-to-save-you-money-2012

Till next time, keep on keeping on and fight the frugal fight!

This week's featured recipes: Summer recipes, meatless Monday recipes, weeknight and back to school recipes and fudgy brownie cookies recipe!

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This week I've been sharing up a storm with summer recipes, especially pickles and recipes to use the bounty in your garden, from you CSA or from the Farmers market. I've also been sharing quick back to school and weeknight dinner recipes. We've also been sharing Meatless Monday recipes.

Next week we'll be sharing more quick back to school recipes, crock pot recipes and cooking for two. Hubby and I have recently become sort of empty nesters with one son living on his own, and one son living here, but not really. He's out a lot, working, spending time with his girlfriend and his friends, he rarely eats at home anymore. So, we're learning to cook for two a couple of nights each week.

In today's blog post you'll find links to the recipes I've shared from July 1st through July 21. Enjoy and let me know how you like the recipes you try.
Don't forget to join us on Facebook at Better Frugal Living for Families and Rachael's Recipes, Frugal Living Advice and Homemaking Hints.

Summer recipes:
Watermelon and tomato salad

Easy and refreshing watermelon pops


Meatless Monday recipes:
Meatless taco pizza
Greek quesadillas
Quick weeknight or back to school dinner recipesCuban quesadillasSteak pitas


Easy, delicious dessert or snack ideasFudgy brownie cookiesUntil next time, I remain...Frugally yours!Rachael Monaco

Menu planning to save money: What's for dinner 8-18-12 through 8-24-12

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Chicken fricassee with sweet potato dumplings

Menu planning saves me money, plan and simple. During the summer months, life is a little more relaxed, but when the weather starts to get cooler, I get back to structured menu planning with even more purpose!
Here's what we'll be eating for dinner this week. Breakfast is pretty basic, we either have yogurt with homemade granola or oatmeal or toast and eggs. Lunch is almost always whatever was leftover from dinner the night before or a sandwich and soup. You'll find the links to most of the recipes in my blog. Let me know if you need help finding them!

Saturday 8-18-12                                                                                                       Beef + potato hash                                                                                                        Steamed green beans with lemon and sea salt                                                              Salad with homemade dressing                                                                                      cupcakes
Sunday 8-19-12Going out to dinner with gift certificate
Monday 8-20-12                                                                                                               Spaghetti with homemade sauce, zucchini + yellow squash                          Cheesy garlic breadiSalad with homemade dressing
Tuesday 8-21-12Crock pot ham + cheesy potatoesSteamed broccoliSalad with homemade dressing
Wednesday 8-22-12Chicken fricassee with biscuits                                                                                        Wax beans                                                                                                                      Salad with homemade dressing
Thursday 8-23-12C.O.R.N = Clean Out the Refrigerator NightAKA leftovers
Friday 8-24-12Veggie, cheese + ham frittata                                                                                      Hash browns with onions + peppers                                                                       Toast                                                                                                                       Salad with homemade dressing
Until next time I remain Frugally Yours!Rachael Monaco

Little Expense, Big Savings: What's Your Favorite Frugal Buy?

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We purchased this toothpaste squeezer doohickey for $0.99 cents about four months ago: 


Since then, we're buying way less toothpaste. It should save us quite a few bucks in the long-term, too, provided we don't lose it / the cat doesn't eat it / it doesn't get sucked into the sweltering pit of despair we call "outside right now."

Which leads us to this softball question for a fiery Friday:

Sweet readers, what's your favorite frugal buy?

Do tell! Pass it on!

A Beginner's Guide to Beans, Plus 42 Bean Recipes

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This article first appeared in October 2009.
Some will balk at their flavor and size. Many will have texture issues. And still others just won’t enjoy the farting.

But know this: there are few cheaper, healthier, and more versatile foods than the humble bean. Members of the legume family, beans can be found everywhere from gourmet restaurants to campfire cauldrons. They’ve been vital to the survival of certain populations, and instrumental to the development of particular cuisines. Also, they taste good.

Still, there are folks out there unfamiliar with chickpeas and pintos, kidney and black beans. And for them, CHG proudly presents the following: a breakdown of why beans are wonderful, plus 42 tried-and-true recipes in which to use them.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Low in fat, high in protein, and astronomically high in fiber, beans work beautifully as the main components of recipes, but also as fabulous alternatives to meat. This is for a few reasons: A) they create a complete protein when paired with nuts, seeds, or grains, B) their chemical composition makes you feel sated longer than a lot of other foods, and C) they have a bulky and substantial mouthfeel, so you never feel deprived. Studies have found them to be solid tools in weight loss and maintenance, and integral to the prevention of all kinds of diseases.

If that ain’t enough for you, this WebMD blurb is pretty convincing: “In a recent study, bean eaters weighed, on average, 7 pounds less and had slimmer waists than their bean-avoiding counterparts -- yet they consumed 199 calories more per day if they were adults and an incredible 335 calories more if they were teenagers.” Sweet.

P.S. True to the well-known rhyme, beans make you both smartier and fartier. They contain both certain vitamins that improve brain function AND undigestable sugars, which lead to exciting intestinal activity, which leads to gas. So there you go.

PRICE

Grown globally from Ethiopia to Australia, beans are some of the most plentiful - and subsequently cheapest - edibles anywhere. A pound of dried beans in Brooklyn will generally run about $1, and will produce four to six cups of food after rehydration.

Compare that to meat. In my neighborhood, a pound of chicken breast (one of the healthier animal options) runs $1.69 on sale. It shrinks slightly when cooked, ultimately producing around two cups of poultry.

Let’s do some math, then. One cup of cheap chicken is $1.69 divided by two, or $0.85. One cup of beans is $1.00 divided by five, or $0.20. Using these (incredibly) rough numbers, chicken breast is 425% the price of dried beans.

Of course, the numbers will vary by area, sales, and math skills, but you get the idea.

DRIED OR CANNED?

It’s a controversy as old as storage itself: dried or canned beans? On one hand, dried beans are universally cheaper, and widely considered to possess a creamier consistency and better overall flavor. On the other hand, canned beans aren’t terribly expensive themselves, and the taste difference is pretty negligible when you’re talking about everyday kitchen use.

The tiebreaker, then, is time. If you have the wherewithal, forethought, and 90 to 480 minutes to rehydrate a bag of dried chickpeas, you’ll be rewarded in kind. If you‘re throwing dinner together and an hour-long prep time is crazy talk, canned beans are the way to go.

It’s worth noting that if respected cooks aren’t using canned beans already (Giada DeLaurentiis, Sara Moulton, etc.), they’re starting to come around. Even die-hard dried fans like Mark Bittman have been giving props to metal dwellers recently. Meaning: don’t fear the Goya.

INTRODUCING … THE BEANS

If you’ve ever tried chili, hummus, minestrone, Texas caviar, Mexican food, Indian food, Italian food, or, er, refried beans, you’ve already experienced the wonder of the bean. They’re omnipresent in cuisines all over the world, and come in a range of flavors and sizes that can be adapted to thousands of dishes. Here are six of the most common found in the U.S., along with a few recipe suggestions for each.

(A quick note before we get to the beans themselves: there are a zillion types of legume, and some [like the soybean] are rocketing in popularity stateside. But to keep things manageable, we’re sticking to a few big ones.)

Black Beans
Used frequently in Latin cuisines, the black bean is a small, ebony bean with an earthy flavor. I find it pairs very well with grains, and makes for a stellar soup.
Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa
Black Bean Brownies
Black Bean Burrito Bake
Black Bean Salad with Fresh Corn
Black Bean Soup
Calabacitas Burritos
Stuffed Peppers with Black Beans and Corn

Black-Eyed Peas
A terrible band, but a wonderful food, black-eyed peas are all over Southern cuisine. Like other beans, they’re great sources of fiber, folate, and protein. Unlike other beans, you will always feel like they’re looking at you.
Black-Eyed Pea (Texas) Caviar
Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Collard Greens and Black-Eyed Peas

Cannellini/White Beans
There are a ton of variations on the white bean, but I dig cannellinis in particular for their creaminess and flavor. Found in many Italian dishes, you’ll find that Microsoft Word often corrects its spelling to “cannelloni,” which is annoying.
Escarole and White Beans
Garlicky Long Beans and Beans
Grilled Zucchini with Quinoa Stuffing
Guacamole Bean Dip
Penne with Lemon, Potatoes, and Cannellini
White Bean and Tarragon Soup
White Chicken Chili
Spinach and Cannellini Bean Dip

Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
Without chickpeas, there would be no hummus. And without hummus, there would be no joy. Vital to Italian, Indian, and Middle Eastern cuisines (among others), the plentiful and versatile garbanzo bean can be found in virtually every form, from dip to stew to flour (though I have yet to see a chickpea smoothie). Due to its subtle flavor and increasing ubiquity in the U.S., I like to think of the chickpea as a gateway bean; if you like it, odds are other legumes will soon follow.
Beets and Greens Curry with Chickpeas
Chickpea Salad
Couscous with Chickpeas, Tomatoes, and Edamame
Curry in a Hurry
Greek-Style Chickpea Salad
Lemony Light Hummus
North African-style Chickpea Salad
Pasta e Ceci
Pasta with Zucchini and Chickpeas
Pasta with Broccoli and Chickpeas
Pindi Chana (Spicy Chickpea Curry)
Roasted Chickpeas
Shredded Zucchini and Chickpeas Over Polenta

Kidney Beans (red and pink)
Substantive and quite large in comparison to other common legumes, kidney beans go great on salads and substitute fabulously for meat in chilis and stews. And seriously, what’s a frugal kitchen without red beans and rice?
Chili Corn Pone Pie
Pumpkin Turkey Chili

Pinto Beans (Frijoles)
Wonderful on their own and even better mashed, these pink-brown legumes claim the great honor of being the only bean my mom likes. Also, I could be talking out my neck here, but I find pintos a little sweeter than black beans and chickpeas.
Refried Beans
Swiss Chard with Pinto Beans and Goat Cheese

Multiple Beans
Each of the following recipes use more than one type of bean.
Bodega Beans (any)
Camp Stove Veggie Chili (black, kidney)
Curried Chickpeas and Black Beans (chickpeas, black)
Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili (any)
Gallo Pinto (pinto, black)
Indonesian Curried Bean Stew (chickpeas, black, kidney )
Light Leftover Turkey Chili (black, kidney)
Turkey Chili with Beans (white, pink, kidney)

And that's our ballgame. Readers, how about you? What are your favorite bean recipes?

~~~

If you like this article, you might also dig:

• 20 Cheap, Healthy Dishes Made From 10 Pantry Staples
• How to Tell if a Recipe is Cheap and Healthy Just By Looking at it
• Spend Less, Eat Healthier: The Five Most Important Things You Can Do

Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting

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The idea of a pumpkin sheet cake is not a novel idea on the internet this time of year, pretty much any blog you visit has something pumpkin and cream cheese-ish now that fall is in full swing. However, I have taken the basic pumpkin sheet cake recipe and tweaked it with a few changes that helped make this recipe just right. One of my issues with pumpkin cake is it always called for too much oil. I can't stomach putting 1 1/2 c. of oil in a cake. It just grosses me out. However, the oil is essential to keep the cake soft. In this recipe I cut back the oil and used extra pumpkin to keep the cake moist. Not only that, but it gave this cake an even stronger pumpkin flavor which I loved. The second issue, I don't like sheet cakes that are only one inch thick. I wanted this cake to be more the size and height of a regular cake baked in a 9x13 pan. This recipe makes a beautiful, fluffy and tall sheet cake that will serve 25+ people. It is great for large crowds, or for your family with lots of yummy leftovers ;) You can always cut the recipe in half and put in a 9x13 pan if you wanted, but for me...more is better ;)

My other issue with regular cream cheese frosting is it is always too runny, not tangy enough or too sweet. I found this cream cheese frosting recipe in a Cook's Illustrated magazine and the powdered buttermilk is what makes this frosting a perfect 10! It gives this frosting a tang that you can't find in normal gaggy-sweet cream cheese frosting. Not only that, but it keeps the frosting from being runny and thin. It frosts perfectly and stays slightly stiff so you can cut the cake without it falling apart.

So, with these few changes we have taken a flat, overly fattening and drippy frosting cake to a cake that has the perfect texture and best cream cheese frosting around! Enjoy ;)


Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting 1 large can pumpkin (28-29 oz.)
3/4 c oil
6 eggs
3 t. baking powder
2 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
2 t. vanilla
2 t. baking soda
3 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. allspice
3 c. flour
In a bowl combine the pumpkin, oil, and eggs and beat until smooth and mixed together. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour into a greased jelly roll/cookie sheet pan that has been sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until the cake comes out testing clean with a toothpick. Remove from the oven and let sit until cooled and then frost with the cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 T. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. buttermilk powder
1 t. vanilla extract
Pinch salt
6 oz. cream cheese, chilled and cut into equal pieces
Using a hand mixer, beat butter, sugar, buttermilk powder, vanilla and salt on low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Increase speed to medium low; add cream cheese, 1 piece at a time; and mix until smooth, about 2 minutes. Once the cake is cooled, frost with the cream cheese frosting.

Blueberry German Pancakes

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I have to brag for a minute. I have the world's best husband EVER!! For the past 6 months I have not been the easiest person to live with. At first I didn't know what was wrong with me. I thought maybe I was going through menopause at the age of 33, or that I was just needing to be sent to the looney bin. I felt from my head to my toes that I was falling apart. I wasn't sure why, but after several tests and lots of needle pokes I finally found out that I have what's called Plummer's Disease. For anyone that has had health problems, isn't it such a blessing when you find out what is wrong with you? There is such comfort that comes when you know there is a reason to your madness and not just that you are going 'crazy' and becoming a hypochondriac. So..basically I have a psycho thyroid that likes to grow funny growths all over it, spew out crazy amounts of thyroid and turns my body upside down and inside out whenever it feels like it. I didn't even know I had a thyroid a few months ago and let me tell you, this little organ can cause too much trouble for how small it is. If you have had thyroid problems, you know what I mean ;)
So, I am thankful for many things today. First, that I found a doctor (and with lots of prayers) who could figure out what was wrong with me, second, that there is a solution (hallelujah!) and third, that I have so many wonderful and sweet family and friends who have put up with me through my grumpy-tired-onoryness these past few months.  Let's just say I couldn't be a pioneer. I am not the toughest cookie on the block, so I have really appreciated everyone listening to me complain and helping me through this sickness.Well, today was a GREAT day! I finally am on my way to feeling good again. I went in today for radiation to basically blow up my thyroid and I couldn't be happier! I am thrilled to have my thyroid blown to pieces! Good riddens ;) In the mean time, I have such a cute husband. Because I am technically 'radioactive' I have to be in complete isolation for five days (well, 3 days from adults and 5 days from kids). My hubby surprised me with my own 5 star suite when I came home. He had our bedroom spotless, our bathroom shining and a table set up with everything any woman needs to make her happy for five days...chocolate, cinnamon rolls, dried mangoes (my favorite!), Flipz pretzels (hello...how do we say YUM!), movies, ice water and all of the chick-flicks I can ever dream to watch. Not only that, but he put a nuclear/toxic picture on my door to make sure that the little monkeys don't try and come into my radioactive room ;) I am afraid I am going to get used to this radiation life and not want to go back to reality! 
So..bottom line, you are going to be hearing a lot from me in the next few days. I may just have to blog every day to keep me occupied. Of course I could be scrapbooking or doing something productive, but let's pretend we don't know that ;)
Before I went into my 'solitude' I made several recipes I have archived ready to share with you.  The first one is a twist on an old favorite. German Pancakes. What would our family do without them? They are a Saturday staple at our house. I have a daughter that EVERY Saturday asks for German Pancakes. They are definitely one of our family's favorite breakfast dishes. They are super easy to make, puff up pretty and tall and covered in any type of syrup or fruit they are amazing! Well, today I have a blueberry caramel version that is so good it could almost be called a bread pudding. The texture is soft, smooth and rich. It is one of those breakfast recipes that you wonder if it is dessert or breakfast. Who doesn't like to start their day off with a little sugar? I know I do!!Blueberry German Pancakes
3/4 stick butter, melted
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2-3/4 c. blueberries (frozen or fresh)
8 eggs
2 T. brown sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
1 1/3 c. milk
1 1/3 c. flour
 In a bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Add the brown sugar and stir together until mixed. Pour the butter & sugar on the bottom of a 9x13 pan and spread around evenly.  In a large bowl, crack the eggs and add the salt, sugar, vanilla & milk. Whisk together until it is completely combined and smooth. Add the flour and continue mixing the batter until all of the lumps are stirred out. Pour the batter over the brown sugar & butter. Sprinkle the blueberries on top of the batter (some may sink down under and that is okay). Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until the top of the pancake is golden brown and rising on the edges. Serve with Cool Whip, whipped cream or a little syrup.
 

German Pancakes

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I guess I was being too presumptuous assuming everyone had the 'basic' recipe of German Pancakes. I am actually grateful to post this recipe because whenever I need to make it I have to search through my Grandma's cookbook. So, here is the super easy and fun recipe for German Pancakes. I loved to top these pancakes with our homemade apple pie filling. They are also great with fresh berries, butter syrup or cinnamon syrup. You can even do a savory version by adding diced pieces of ham, peppers, green onions, cheese, etc. on top of the egg before you bake it. Once you bake it the items sink into the pancake and make a yummy, cheesy breakfast. The sky is the limit!!

German Pancakes
8 eggs
2 T sugar
1 t. Salt
1 1/3 c. Milk
1 1/3 c. Flour
1/2 stick butter
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place a 9x13 pan in the oven with the half stick of butter. While the butter is melting, crack the eggs in a large bowl and whisk with a whisk until the eggs are frothy and smooth. Once the eggs are light and airy, add the salt, milk and flour and continue to whisk until the flour is combined and smooth (you don't want flour clumps or it's too thick). Once the mixture is smooth, remove the pan from the oven, swirl the butter all around and then pour the egg batter into the dish. Place back in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges have risen and the pancake is nice and golden brown. Remove from the oven, let the pancake sink a little and then serve as desired.
The slightly crisp edges are my favorite part. They have all the nice butter on them that gives these pancakes that delicious flavor!

Breaded Pork Chops with Apricot Dijon Glaze

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Now that  Thanksgiving is over and we are all getting back to our regular routines of life, I thought I would give you this week some new & delicious dinner recipes to keep you interested in cooking healthy during the holiday season. If you are like me, I have just about had my fill of sweets this past week and am looking forward to some real, homecooked dinners that can be thrown together quickly but are still healthy. I have gained a few extra pounds this week (ha! I'll say a 'few' to make me feel better) and need to try and get those back off before the next round of holiday baking-extravaganzas begin :)

These breaded pork chops are the perfect dinner to add a little flair, without a lot of fat. These pork chops are cooked using the America's Test Kitchen method of brining the chops in salt water before you cook them and baking them on a cookie rack. Somehow these pork chops come out being incredibly moist, but have a crunchy breadcrumb topping that is totally scrumptious! I wanted a sweet & sour-ish sauce to dip our chops in, so we made up this Apricot Dijon glaze and it made for a great combination of flavors! Serve with some steamed veggies, some rice or a baked potato and you have a quick meal that is not only healthy, but a crowd pleaser for sure!

Breaded Pork Chops with Apricot Glaze
Glaze:
1/3 c. apple cider vinegar
3/4 c. apricot (or peach) jam
1 T. ground mustard
2 T. dijon mustard
1 T. soy sauce

Pork Chops:
6-8 pork chops
Brine in 1 quart water and 1/4 c. salt for 30 minutes
Remove and pat dry.
In a food processor add:
4 slices bread (white or wheat)
1/2 t. paprika
3 T. green onions, sliced
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1/4 t. ginger powder
2 T. oil
Blend together above breadcrumb ingredients until smooth then bake on a cookie sheet at 350 for 13 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and then add:
3 T. parmesan cheese
1 t. thyme
2 T. parsley

In a bowl add 2/3 c. flour.
In another bowl add 3 egg whites, 3 T. dijon mustard and 2 T. flour--whisk together until smooth.
In the last bowl add the bread crumbs.
Dredge the pork in the flour, then the egg/mustard mixture and then the breadcrumbs. Place on a wire cookie rack set inside a large cookie sheet. Bake at 425 for 18-22 minutes, or until center of pork is cooked through but not overly dry. They pork can still be a light pink color. Serve with the apricot glaze.

 Something about breaded meat is just so pretty to me--call me crazy, I know! The green parsley and the parmesan cheese in the breadcrumbs make these pork chops extra special!

Jamaican Black Pepper Chicken

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Over the past four years I have posted several unusual recipes for you to enjoy. Whether it is African Chicken Soup or Shrimp Gumbo, I love recipes with unique flavors. This recipe is no exception! In fact, it might just have some of the most unique flavor combinations that have ever graced our kitchen table. I have to preface that this recipe will not be fun for every joe-shmoe cooker. There are four different components to this meal and if things like that drive you crazy, this is not the recipe for you. However, if you love new flavors and want to try and new recipe that will totally rock your taste buds, you have GOT to try this one!! 

A few months back my family & I were at The Cheesecake Factory near Disneyland. I saw a woman with a dinner plate filled with food I was drooling over. I knew I saw mangos, shrimp & black beans and from there I was sold. I asked our waiter what it was and he said it was the 'underdog' dish of their restaurant. He told us it was the Jamaican Black Pepper Chicken/Shrimp and that it was seriously one of their best dishes (that says something since everything is good!) and that if people didn't start ordering it more it was going to be taken off the menu forever (ahhh!). I anxiously ordered it and was in Jamaican paradise while eating every last bite. The combination of flavors was SO intense and SO incredible I couldn't stop talking about it for days. I knew I had to go home and recreate this recipe, and so that is what I did.

Now...there is one slight problem. Every copycat recipe I found online called for several cups of beer (no wonder I liked it so much!). I have never drunk beer (except for in this recipe) and I am not about to go pick up some Budwieser in my grocery cart. So, I had to improvise. If you happen to have beer in your fridge, by all means, add it to this recipe. My recipe was missing a little extra 'something' that was in my original dish and I am sure it is the difference of using beer verses orange juice. So, use what sounds good to you and enjoy this new & tropical dish! The mango salsa, along with the fried plantains and the seasoned chicken makes for such an exotic combination of flavors, you are going to LOVE it! This dish will whisk you away to somewhere warm, romantic and tropical and make you think you aren't in the middle of cold, gray weather in Utah ;)

Jamaican Black Pepper Chicken
2 cans black beans, drained, seasoned and warmed in a microwave safe bowl
4 c. rice, cooked and garnished with sliced green onions

3 plantains, peeled and cut into long finger size pieces
2 T. butter
Sprinkle and season with salt, sugar, cinnamon
In a saute pan, melt the butter. Place the pieces of plantains into the butter. Mix them around so they have butter on all sides. Sprinkle them with salt, sugar & some cinnamon. Saute them until they are golden brown on all sides and soft. Set aside on a paper towel to cool and drain.

Chicken:
4 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 c. flour
2 1/2 T. jerk seasoning (recipe below--you CAN use store bought jerk seasoning if you are in a hurry but the flavors won't be exactly the same)

Homemade Jerk Seasoning
6 t. salt
4 t. allspice
4 t. sugar
4 t. black pepper
2 t. cayenne pepper
1 t. cinnamon
4 t. thyme
4 t. garlic powder
4 t. smoked paprika
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. chili powder
4 t. celery salt
2 t. turmeric
4 t. dried chives
Combine together and store in a seasoning jar for up to 1 year. This seasoning is great on chicken, fish or pork and is great to have on hand for many other traditional Jamaican dishes.
4 T. butter for sauteing chicken
In a large saute pan or skillet, bring the 4 T. butter up to a simmer. Place the chicken pieces, flour and jerk seasoning in a Ziploc bag and shake to coat. Place the chicken pieces into the butter and lightly brown on all sides.  Cook chicken until mostly cooked through and then set aside while you make the sauce.

Sauce:
2 c. orange juice (or 2 c. Budweiser Beer or apple juice)--mine was perhaps a little too citrusy, I think next time I will do 1/2 apple juice and the other half orange juice)
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. chicken broth
3/4 c. molasses
1/3 c. worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
2 T. cornstarch
1/4 c. rice vinegar
1/2 c. brown sugar
3 T. jerk seasoning
1 t. orange zest
1/4-1/2 c. water to thin out if needed 
Combine all of the seasonings into a sauce pan and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved and smooth. 

Salsa:
1 pineapple, chopped (or use one can tidbits and drain)
1 mango, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 lime juiced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
Prepare the salsa by putting all of the ingredients into a large bowl and letting sit several hours or even overnight. You can serve it right away, it will just have more flavor if you do it an hour ahead of time.

Pour the sauce over the cooked pieces of chicken and bring back up to a simmer to make sure the chicken pieces are cooked through. On a plate put a spoonful of the cooked rice, the warm black beans, the fried plantains and then the chicken & sauce mixture. Top the plate with the mango salsa and serve immediately. Garnish dish with more fresh cilantro that has been chopped. 


 Fried plantains--I could just eat these plain. They were so yummy with the salt, sugar & cinnamon.
 Mango Pineapple Salsa...could any flavors be more appealing this time of year? I don't think so!
 I thought you would get a kick out of this paper. No joke, this is what 90% of my recipes look like. A half used scratch piece of paper filled with chicken marks, crossed out ingredients, changes and more changes to the recipe I am inventing. If only it were something smart like an algebraic equation. Maybe I should have become a doctor with my awful handwriting ;)
Yum, yum and more yum! I am craving this dish again. It was so new, fresh & unlike anything you have had before! Enjoy

It's Bigger Than Just School Lunch

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As many blog posts as I have written bemoaning school lunches and nutrition for kids, it's refreshing to share good news. Here's an updated menu with the proposed USDA changes for better nutrition for school meals. It's much improved and I was even surprised to see jicama on the ingredients list.
What I like most about it is that it is a bit realistic. It's healthier swaps for things kids have been eating. What I would call "transitional foods." There's a chance kids will actually eat part of these lunches. Much of the rationale used to block school food changes hinged on precisely that: kids won't eat healthy foods. There is more waste. It won't work. And, frankly, they are right. If kids won't eat these items at home, how can we expect them to at school?
It's like a chicken and egg thing. Or a chicken nugget and egg mcmuffin thing. Do kids eat poorly because they get junk food in schools every day, or do kids eat junk food every day so they will only eat junk food in schools?
I've read with envy all the amenities and fresh food that Alice Water's and Co. have implemented in Berkeley schools along with their Edible Schoolyard program. I think about that program, even as I am applauding these hard-won changes. But,read this article in Grist about just how well the kids in Berkeley are eating and what they are not eating. Do they eat a better diet and non-processed foods than other kids? Yes. But, even with all the advantages, frankly the kids still aren't eating as well as they could.

We're winning in our schools. Which is incredibly important for kids whose best meals and main nutrition for the week come from our school lunch program. Let's not stop here. 
Let's keep fixing school lunches.Let's fix lunch at home. Let's help others get access to affordable, healthy foods.Let's make healthier choices in quick serve restaurants. Let's tackle junk food marketing to kids.Let's tackle our whole food system that's designed around commodity crops for animal feed and processed foods.
Let's tackle our own kid's eating habits at home.

A bit of history for perspective:

The first school lunch programs were created by teachers and moms. They often included things like a garden on site and even a cow for fresh milk.

The first school lunch legislation was passed in 1946. The program was not designed as a way to help feed hungry kids alone. It was also established to use surplus agricultural commodities which in turn kept food prices from crashing. The program was funded with $10 million per year in 1946 dollars (114.6 million today) to feed 6.7 million children. Today's budget is $11 billion annually to feed 31 million kids daily.

What are "surplus agricultural commodities?" Commodities may not sound much like food, but historically this meant the basic items produced from a farm; corn, wheat, soy, rice, meat, milk, eggs, fruit and vegetables. Not so much now, but we'll get to that in a later lesson.

In many ways, the 1946 legislation was well-intentioned if not fairly administrated. Okay, it sounded good at least.

Here's a few other quotes from the 1946 legislation that might make us all yearn for the good old days, or at least the old days of good lunch as it was promised:

• "The need for a permanent legislative basis for a school lunch program, rather than operating it on a year-to-year basis, or one dependent solely on agricultural surpluses that for a child may be nutritionally unbalanced or nutritionally unattractive, has now become apparent."
• "It is hereby declared to be the policy of Congress, as a measure of national security, to safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation's children and to encourage the domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities and other food ..."
• "The educational features of a properly chosen diet served at school should not be under-emphasized. Not only is the child taught what a good diet consists of, but his parents and family likewise are indirectly instructed."

While it may seem like some of our lunch items around today have enough preservatives to have endured since 1946, the lunch program then contained a lot fewer processed foods. It was 1946 after all. Here are the 1946 recommendations for a typical meal per child:
Milk, whole, 1/2 pint Protein-rich food consisting of any of the following or a combination thereof:

• 2 oz. Fresh or processed meat, poultry meat, cheese, cooked or canned fish
• Dry peas or beans or soy beans, cooked, ½ cup
• Peanut Butter, 4 tbsp.
• Eggs, 1

Raw, cooked, or canned vegetables or fruits, or both, ¾ cupBread, muffins or hot bread made of whole grain cereal or enriched flour, 1 portion
So, at least 66 years ago, folks knew that our country's future was linked to healthy children. That not all agricultural commodities are healthy foods. And that the meal provided should be exemplary of what families should eat at home. The meal was also based on whole foods; milk, protein, vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

Applesauce Pancakes, Soft Eggs Over Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes.

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The mornings are getting crisp. I love sitting on the deck in a flannel shirt and sipping coffee. After a scorching drought all summer, it just feels good to be cool. It is both my favorite time of the year, and a bittersweet time as well. There are only a few Saturdays left at the farmers market. The very last of the tomatoes are a rare sight on the market tables, most of which had to be bench ripened since the days are not warming up enough to ripen the fruit on the vines.

Apples and pumpkins have replaced the hot summer's one gift — the sweetest peaches I have ever eaten. But the crisp, tangy apples have their own appeal. Fall weekends are meant for a cup of coffee on the deck and a hearty breakfast before heading off to rake leaves or raid the pumpkin patch with the kids. Fall weekends are meant for a breakfast like this.

Applesauce Pancakes
I make batches of applesauce weekly. While it freezes well — try this Cranberry-Applesauce now and freeze for Thanksgiving — there's enough of it that I have to be "creative" to use it all. You can use whole wheat pastry flour here. The pancakes won't be quite as fluffy, but will be a bit healthier.
1.5 cups flour
1 tbs. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup applesauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup half and half
3/4 cup whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbs. melted butter, cooled slightly

Topping
3 apples, diced
1 Tbs. butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
pinch salt

Stir the dry ingredients. Make a well, and blend in the applesauce through butter (wet) ingredients. Blend just until lumps are gone. This is a very thick batter and will make fluffy pancakes. It works great for waffles, too. Cook on a 350-degree griddle. Keep warm in the oven while you make the topping.

Heat the butter and saute the apples until they soften. Add the maple syrup, cinnamon and salt. Simmer until the syrup thickens a bit. Drizzle over pancakes. The idea here is use more fruit and less syrup on your pancakes!

Soft-cooked Egg Over Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes
Polenta
1 tube polenta
2 cups chicken stock
1 Tbs. half and half, optional if you are minding fats
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
pinch salt

Break up the polenta in a sauce pan. Add the stock and heat to a simmer. Stir, breaking up the polenta more until it is heated through. Use a stick blender (carefully!) and blend the polenta and stock until creamy, keeping it over a low heat. Finish with the salt, Parmesan and half and half. Keep warm.

Roasted Tomatoes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 Tbs. Balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Halve the tomatoes on a greased baking sheet. Toss them with the balsamic vinegar, oil and salt and pepper. Roast on top rack of oven, turning at least once, until they are caramelized but not burned. About 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven.

Eggs
Eight eggs
1 Tbs. butter

Heat butter in skillet. Gently crack eggs so as not to break the yolks. Cook to desired doneness. We like ours a bit runny. But, we also know our chickens and the farm where they came from.

To serve, add bacon, well a slice anyway, once in a while. For the eggs, 1/3 cup of polenta, place two soft eggs on top. Top with the roasted tomatoes. Garnish with basil and shavings of Parmesan. A bit of coarse sea salt make this sing, too.

Don't forget the pancakes. And the coffee. The leaves can wait. Serves four with leftover pancakes you can freeze between wax paper and reheat in the toaster for a quick weekday breakfast.

Fall Kale Salad for Thanksgiving

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I'll be on the television show, Better KC, on KCTV 5 November 2, at 9 am making this easy, healthy Thanksgiving salad with seasonal fruits and kale. You can find me the next day at The Kansas City Store, Kansas City Store on the Plaza, 314 Ward Parkway, KCMO 64112, Saturday, Nov. 3rd, doing a book signing from 1:30-3:30.


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FallKale Salad
Seasonal, local, fall flavors like pears, apples and cranberrieslend themselves so well to those traditional rich, savory dishes and sauces,and desserts. However, they also taste great in lighter dishes — dishes you canfeast on, relatively guilt-free.
This kale dish is light, healthier, but full of seasonalgoodness with kale, pears, apples, cranberry and pumpkin seeds. I hate throwingout leftover salad that wilts from the dressing. The kale here stands up to thedressing, and you can save the leftovers for the next day! By tossing the fruitwith the vinaigrette, it prevents browning and you can do the chopping and prepwell in advance of the meal, making it easier on you, too.
1 bunch kale, leaves torn finely, discard stems2 apples, diced1 pears, diced4 figs, quartered, optional1/2 lemon, juice1/4 cup craisins1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
Dressing3 Tbs. cranberry sauce (yes, the canned stuff!)3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar3 Tbs. olive oilSalt and pepper to taste1/2 lemon, juice
The day before Thanksgiving, wash the kale and remove the stems.Tear into small pieces, and dry in a salad spinner. Store in a plastic bag, inthe vegetable crisper of the fridge, with a paper towel tucked in the bag toabsorb excess moisture. Add the pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries together ina small container.
Three hours before dinner, whisk the salad dressing together.Chop the apples and pears. Squeeze half the lemon over them to help preventbrowning. Folding apple and pear into the dressing also prevents browning.Store in the refrigerator.
Before dinner, place thekale on a platter, blend the dressing and fruit again in case the oil hasseparated. Toss the kale with the fruit and dressing. Sprinkle the pumpkinseeds and dried cranberries on top. This should just take minutes.

Date with the Lunch Lady: New School Food Rules

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I pack my child's lunch every day. When it comes to food, yes, I am a helicopter mom. Not that I don't have good reason to worry. Even with the improved school meals, I am still concerned about the meat sourcing and continued use of heavily processed foods. So, each day I still pack my kiddo a nice little lunch box with each item all segregated just the way she likes it.
This works, except for the morning — in the 10 minutes from car to school room — the lunch got dropkicked into the cubby or at least violently shaken by an unseen force ("I don't know, it just was like that, Mom.") and my well-spaced carrots then mix with the applesauce and whole grain sandwich — and the lunch got ruined. The kid ended up in the lunch line.
I find out when I get an email at work that her lunch account has a negative balance. I keep it at zero just because I did NOT want her to buy "chocolate" milk and juice to go with her lunch. Negative balance?
I get the story at home later. "So," I asked. "What did you pick from the lunch line?"
"Well, I got a ham sandwich, apple and salad," she replied. I had a proud mom moment there. She chose salad! That doesn't mean she ate it, but she at least chose it. The choice thing is my other concern with school lunches. On any given day, kids can choose one of three hot meal items, or a sandwich, or sweet yogurt and a muffin (which somehow count as a protein when I know the diabetic exchanges count that as two carbs), or sunbutter on wheat bread and a cheese stick. You can imagine what most kids will pick, and it is generally the fried or sweet options.
The salad comes from one of our lunch room's new features, thanks to the new lunch guidelines. It's called a Harvest Bar. In theory, the bar highlights seasonal produce plus other vegetable and fruit options. In practice, canned fruits and vegetables are more of the usual suspects.

Payment Due: A Date with the Lunch Lady
"Mom, I want you to come to lunch with me one day," my little girl asks me. It's a big deal at grade school — the early years at least — to have a mom visit. Moms are like rock stars in these early years. This fades, I know. Enjoy it now. So, how can I refuse my kiddo? Plus, I owed the lunch lady some money now. I was both being called to my "red carpet" of mom stardom and being called on the carpet by the balance due for her lunch account. Time to pay my debt.
I deliberately did not pack myself a lunch. I might have eaten a bit before I left the house, however. Armed with cell phone camera and the money I owed the lunch lady, it was time to get in line.
Drinks are offered first. Flavored milks and no-sugar added juice are the top picks. The cartons are now half size of the ones I got when I was a kid. Of course, the only choice we had was lowfat, plain milk. And our milk wasn't produced with RBGH. Those were the good old days.
The hot menu items left a bit to be desired. Fried "mini corn dogs" trigged my school-mystery-meat-phobia. A pizza pocket, which like the corn dogs was a heavily processed item reheated on site. With the new guidelines, the food manufacturers now add whole grain flour and in some instances reduce the amount of cheese used to lower the fat. Still, it's a frozen lump of processed stuff reheated. The other hot option was two whole wheat tortillas with melted cheese.
For the sandwiches, the bread is now partially whole wheat. What they call "light wheat." Kids will eat this. In fact, even the most white bread-addicted kid will migrate to whole grain if the transition is gradual. At least, according to Harvard School of Public Health if not your first-grader.
I chose the sunbutter sandwich. The kid chose ham and cheese. I despise corn dogs, even real ones.
Off to the "harvest" bar. The bar is adorned with little stickers, "Must take at least a 1/2 cup of fruit and/or veggie." Um, kindergarteners and first graders don't really know fractions. Some don't read. And, if most of these kids have not cooked, they won't know what a "cup" means either. The signs need to be updated with a picture of what a serving looks like.
The "harvest" bar also features the starchy vegetables first. Corn and French fries, anyone? Obviously, these were the most popular choices. But, I did see a few kids choose the carrots. Mine got salad. I chose the broccoli and carrot salad. Which was not bad. Fruit choices were canned mangoes, canned cherries, and apple slices. We both got mango and apples. My kid LOVES cherries. But, when she saw the canned cherries on the line, she asked me, "What are those?"
"Um, cherries. I think," I replied.
Overall, it was possible to eat a healthier lunch. I would say school lunches just went from an "F" to a "C-." Still, a "D" on the hot options. For many kids, these new guidelines represent the healthiest meal they will get all day. For some, it's the only meal they will get all day. For all of our kids, there's good reason to keep working to make that meal a healthy one.

I'm ready to support my school in any step in the right direction. We all should. I'd like to see better options still — and less of those better options hitting the trash can. Better recipes, maybe? More food education at school and home? Yep, and yep. But, for now, thanks to schools for stepping up.
I understand there's some backlash to the new guidelines. For those high school athletes who are limited on calories, how about you pack some extra healthy food for those special needs? You are not the average student. Deal with it yourself. Good grief, you kids will be VOTING in a year. You can drive. You can pack a few extra food items. Did you know the healthier you eat, the better your athletic performance will be?
For the parents who have issues with the new lunches and their kids not eating them, know what? Your kids can still get those pizza pockets and corn dogs and fries. I wish they couldn't because it makes my kid's food habits worse with those options. But they can. Mine can get salad at least.
For the politicians who are ready to cut costs and go backward, I can think of a lot more savings and government waste to go after than jeopardizing the health and future of our nation's kids. Can't you? You guys just spent more on negative political ads for just the presidential election than the school lunch program costs to feed 1,438,202 kids school lunch for a year. Go ahead, check my math. I vote we give the ads up and feed the kids better. $512 million sure could buy a lot of actual cherries.

But, the broccoli salad was not bad.

Happy, Healthy Halloween!

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Okay, NO, I am not the ghost of spoiled Halloween fun. The candy will arrive. Probably more than its possible for the kid to eat, and some of it may become "invisible" over the few days after Halloween. But there will be candy.

I just like to try and get a few healthy snacks in before the candy. Let's call it a last defensive shield against the sugar-frenzy to come. More likely, its a band-aid on any raging gash of mom guilt I feel and the kid will be just fine. Even so, I am glad its just once a year.
You can catch me on KCUR talking about a Healthy Halloween with the following recipes for a fun dinner before the trick-or-treating begins. Using a holiday fun theme helps the healthier recipes get a bit of love from your little goblins and ghouls, too.
Spooky Soup (Pumpkin–White Cheddar with Ghosts)Pumpkin works well in this soup, but you can substitute mashed sweet potatoes, or even use canned pumpkin if desired. If you like, serve with a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche, or even a bit more of the shredded white cheddar instead of the “ghost croutons.”
1 10 lb. pumpkin (to make 5 cups of puree, or 2 {1/2} cans pumpkin)2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing pumpkin skin1 large onion, chopped1 cup carrot diced small (in {1/4}-inch cubes)2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage, or 1 tablespoon dried 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, or {1/2} teaspoon dried{1/4} cup unbleached all-purpose flour4 cups chicken or vegetable stock1 cup apple cider3{1/2} cups milk12 ounces white cheddar cheese, grated (about 3 cups)Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Set an oven rack in the lowest position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Skip to step 4 if using canned pumpkin.
2. To prepare the pumpkin, cut it in half and scrape out the seeds and pulp. Lightly oil the skin and place on a baking sheet, cut side down. Bake for about 1 hour, until the sides of the pumpkin give easily when pressed. 
3. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit. Scrape the flesh from the skin into measuring cup, (you need 5 cups). Purée in a food processor until smooth. (Any extra pumpkin purée can be frozen for future use. Store in 1-cup amounts or in 15-ounce portions to be equal to a can of pumpkin purée.)
4. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot, sage, and thyme. Sweat the vegetables for about 10 minutes.
5. Add the flour and stir to coat the veggies and cook the flour for a couple minutes. Add the stock and the cider and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally to let the soup thicken a bit, for 10 minutes. Add the pumpkin and stir, bringing back to a simmer. Add the milk, carefully bringing the soup back to a simmer.
Last, add the cheese in small handfuls, stirring as you go to melt it in completely. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper as needed. 
Serves 8.Recipe courtesy of The Cleaner Plate Club, By Beth Bader and Ali Benjamin, Storey Publishing
For the Ghost Croutons4 slices of sourdough bread
1 tsp. olive oil for drizzling2 oz. goat cheese, softened, or extra white cheddar shredded
1. Using a small ghost cookie cutter, cut ghost shapes out from the bread. Save the crusts and extra, diced, in a plastic bag in the freezer for your Thanksgiving stuffing. Or, you can drizzle the crusts with extra olive oil and bake for salad croutons.
2. Place the bread ghosts on a cookie sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake for five minutes in the 350-degree oven until crisp. Remove from oven and carefully spread each ghost with softened goat cheese, or sprinkle with extra white cheddar.
3. Bake for five more minutes until the cheese melts and you get bits of golden brown showing. Remove from oven. “Float” one ghost on each serving of soup.
Pumpkin ToastiesFor the Bruscetta12 slices of sourdough bread
2 Tbs. olive oil for drizzling
1. Using a small pumpkin cookie cutter, cut pumpkin shapes out from the bread. Save the crusts and extra, diced, in a plastic bag in the freezer for your Thanksgiving stuffing. Or, you can drizzle the crusts with extra olive oil and bake for salad croutons.
2. Place the pumpkins on a cookie sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake for five minutes in the 350-degree oven until crisp. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
3. Spread each pumpkin with the hummus below, adding a parsley leaf on each “stem” for garnish.
Sweet Potato or Pumpkin Hummus1 lb. sweet potato, diced, peeled and steamed for 30 minutes, or poke holes in skin and microwave on high for 5 minutes, then scoop out flesh when cooled1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained1 clove garlicJuice of one lemon1/4 cup tahini1/4 cup olive oil1 tsp. smoked paprika1 tsp. salt1 tsp. coriander1/2 tsp. cumin1/4 tsp. mace
Pulse in food processor until smooth, adding a bit more olive oil if needed. Serve on the pumpkin bruscetta, or with pita, pita chips or vegetables.
Bio of the author:
Beth will be doing a book signing, along with another local author, Jill Silva, at the Kansas City Store on the Plaza, 314 Ward Parkway, KCMO 64112, on Saturday, November 3, 1:30 to 3:30 pm.
Beth Bader is co-author of "The Cleaner Plate Club: More Than 100 Recipes for Real Food Your Kids Will Love." Beth was raised on a farm in northern Missouri long before raising your own chickens and the u-pick local strawberry patch were “cool.”
In the book, Beth helps parents understand picky eating behaviors; where they originate, and how to deal with them creatively to get kids to eat better — without any sneaking, lying or fights. And without the judging or holier-than-thou advice that parents don’t want and don’t need.

In addition to her book, Beth writesfor EatLocalChallenge.com, Martha Stewart’s Whole Living,and Dr. Greene.