5-fruit* muffins for your Munchkin’s lunchbox.

*or 4 fruits & a gourd, depending on how you choose to classify pumpkin.

School’s started for most everyone by now, & I know lots of moms are looking for tasty but healthy options for their kids’ lunchboxes. These muffins fit the bill: they contain five different fruits (as long as you consider pumpkins fruits), as well as almonds & whole-wheat flour. They pack a quick & hearty nutritional punch so your kids can get back onto the playground. They’re so hearty that The Munchkin can only finish half of one, so you may want to consider packing just a half muffin, or else making them in a mini-muffin tin & adjusting the baking time.

They’re also great for new moms because of their heartiness & ease of one-handed consumption. They were brought to me after The Mini-Munchkin made her appearance & I begged for the recipe, so that’s why you’ve got it here!

The recipe says it makes a dozen muffins plus 2 loaves; when I made a half recipe, it yielded not quite 18 muffins. You can choose how & if you want to divvy up the batter. As an added bonus, if you make a half recipe, you’ll have plenty of pumpkin left over in a standard can to make these delicious pumpkin chocolate-chip squares. Just saying.

• 3 to 4 extra-ripe bananas, peeled & mashed (2 cups)
• 1 cup pumpkin
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. cloves
• 1 cup chopped dates
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup sliced almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350. Generously grease muffin tin &/or loaf pan(s). Combine bananas, pumpkin, eggs, & sugar in mixer bowl. Beat in applesauce.
2. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Stir into banana mixture until just combined.
3. Fold in dates, raisins, & almonds.
4. Spoon 1/4 cup of batter into each muffin cup; pour remaining batter into loaf pans, if applicable.
5. Bake muffins for 20 minutes or loaves for 60 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then cool completely on wire rack.

{GIVEAWAY!!!} Give me your health & fitness ideas!

Anyone else getting inspired — or maybe shamed – by these amazing Olympic athletes? I just watched Rebecca Soni break her own world record in the 200M breaststroke. I, for one, could definitely learn a thing or two about dedication & healthy living from any one of these competitors.

While my cousins all competed in swimming & water polo, going to the Junior Olympics & getting college scholarships in the process, I…. was in the band. So athleticism is not something that I’ve exactly done all my life. And after kid number two my body’s not exactly bouncing back like it probably should be. So how can I get started when I’ve never really had a diet program or fitness routine?

That’s where SlimKicker comes in. It’s a calorie counter & game (similar to CalorieKing, for those of you who are more experienced with the whole healthy lifestyle thing than I am) that turns your diet & fitness goals into a level-up game. Earn points by tracking your healthy calories & completing mini health challenges like giving up chocolate for a week. Then snap & upload a photo of a cheat food — Magnolia cupcake, anyone? – or that killer pair of shoes you’ve been coveting, & when you reach the designated number of points for being good, SlimKicker reminds you to reward yourself! They also have forums & support groups with other like-minded people to help you reach your health & fitness goals.

Sounds pretty nifty, right?

What would be even niftier? This fantastic Pyle HR monitor & calorie counter!

leave a comment below with a fun, creative fitness or diet challenge you’d like to use in your SlimKicker regimen. They’ll choose their favorite, & the winner will get this fantastic to help you with your goals! Comments will be accepted until 9pm Eastern next Wednesday, the 8th.

I look forward to seeing your ideas & hopefully using some for myself! Good luck!

Getting into the Olympic spirit.

I love the Olympics.

I love the athleticism, competition, the drama, & how for 2 weeks every 2 years (we’re thinking winter too) everyone becomes an expert. I love watching people from all over the world come together in the spirit of sportsmanship. And I love that this year I get to pass it on to The Munchkin.

Why are the Olympics so important? Why bother giving Olympic Fever to the rising generation? My friend Kalani wrote a fantastic essay answering that question. There are so many important lessons that athletic competition can teach kids: patriotism, the importance of working hard, how to be a good sport, & – perhaps most importantly in this age of rising childhood obesity – that moving is fun.

So I encourage you to let your Munchkins watch a competition or two with you this year to help them catch The Fever. Here’s how we’re starting with ours.

We’ve decided to let her stay up late to watch some of the Opening Ceremonies Friday, & have started getting her into the spirit by introducing her to the logo & the colors this week by decorating the apartment a little at Munchkin height. We made our own Olympic Rings into a paper chain, with The Munchkin telling me which color strip came next. After just one sheet of construction paper of each color, she had those colors down!

Next she drew her own Olympic Rings. Not a bad first attempt!

Finally, to help her learn a little more about the sports & the competition, I made up a quick medal count chart using clip art to illustrate each category. I had no idea there were so many! If you want one of your own, download it here. Get the medals here — you may need to add extra paper on the side for the swimming category, if it’s anything like 2008 was!

We have a couple other ideas too that I’ll be posting soon. How are you introducing your kids to the Olympics?

Resolution-friendly recipes!

For the many of us who have resolved to treat our bodies a little better this year, here are some healthy recipes from the past year. (I can’t believe this blog is already almost a year old!)

More new recipes to come, promise!

I’m making these Chewy, Chunky (& Lowfat!) Oatmeal Bars for us to snack on as we walk around Disney World this weekend. They’re so hearty & delicious (we all love them), it’s hard to believe they’re so low in fat!

Start the day off right with yummy Oatmeal Raisin Pancakes. You just might want to skip the butter syrup.

Now, a couple vegetarian dinners: Pasta with Arugula & Tomatoes…

…& Skinny Veggie Ziti.

If your Munchkins are joining you in your resolution, help them get some more veggies with some Veggie Latkes. (I can’t believe how young The Munchkin looks in this picture!)

Then finish it off right with the almost entirely nonfat Skinny Banana Bread for dessert!

Best of luck keeping your resolutions — health & otherwise — this year!

Strawberry Spinach Salad.

Hi, all! I’m late posting today because we decided to take The Munchkin to see her first in-theatre movie, Cars 2, this morning to celebrate her using the potty for the first time! (Yes, we were planning on going anyway, but it was nice to call it a reward.) It was a little loud in the theatre for all of us, but we all liked the movie. Munchkin was also quite excited when she saw the Winnie the Pooh movie preview.

I’ll post about the weekend’s crazy birthday bash next, but I need a little detox from Sweets Week first.

This is my favorite salad. Period. I make it all the time during strawberry season. I love how fresh & light it is, plus it boasts lots of antioxidants! This is another great recipe from The Essential Mormon Cookbook, & just like with the last one, I halve the dressing recipe & still have plenty for at least 6 people. This is how I make it; if you’re making it for a huge church get-together or something, double it. Oh, & the dressing keeps really well in the fridge, too!

Honey Celery Seed Dressing

• 3/8 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. ground mustard
• 1/2 tsp. finely grated onion (just take a cut onion to the side of your box grater a half-dozen times & use your 1/2 tsp. to scrape the resultant goo off the inside. You could also use dried onion powder or flakes, but I don’t know the conversion for that)
• 1/4 cup lemon or lime juice
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 tsp. celery seed (if you have an aversion to the taste of celery, you can cut this in half)

1. Add all but the last 2 ingredients to a blender cup & blend well.
2. Lift the lid; gradually add oil & celery seed while blending.
3. Toss with washed baby spinach, sliced strawberries (macerate them with a little sugar if you’re serving this outside to keep them fresher), & sliced toasted almonds (if you can find the honey-roasted salad topper ones in your produce section, those are the best, but my grocery store didn’t have them). Serve immediately. If you’re taking this to a potluck or waiting to serve it, leave the dressing on the side for guests to add themselves so that the spinach doesn’t wilt.
4. Refrigerate remaining dressing to use later.

Get Your Craft On Tuesdays

On the lighter side: Pasta with Arugula & Tomatoes.

I don’t know about you, but in the summer time I start craving more fruits & veggies, & less meat. So I was so glad when I found this recipe, way back before I was pregnant with The Munchkin, when I was getting paid to stare at a computer screen for 40 hours a week & had time to peruse the deliciousness that is Serious Eats. I have since fallen way behind in my Serious Eats reading, much to the detriment of my weekly menu, but I’m managing. In fact, just now as I went there to find the link to the recipe, I found myself scanning a few of the eye-candy photos… It’s addictive.

Anyway, back to the pasta. This meal is light but satisfying, fresh, easy, colorful, & flavorful. I think we have all our bases covered there… Shall we begin?

• 1 pound pasta (I use whole-grain for added protein & fiber)
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes, rinsed
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (it’s just enough to add zing without too much heat)
• a few handfuls baby arugula
• grated Pecorino Romano cheese, to taste (no substitutions here; I’ve tried. You need the salty bite of the Pecorino Romano to complement the sweetness of the tomatoes.)
• salt, to taste (optional)

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Meanwhile, halve or quarter cherry tomatoes.
2. Add pasta to water & cook to al dente according to package directions. Once pasta has been added, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add garlic & red pepper flakes. Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add tomatoes & saute, stirring frequently, until softened & skins are beginning to blister, about 5 minutes.
4. Add arugula to pot of pasta water for last 2-3 minutes, then drain & return to pot.
5. Toss tomatoes with pasta mixture, then transfer to pasta bowls & top with Pecorino Romano & salt, to taste.

 Delicious! What’s your favorite light summer dish?

Chewy, Chunky Oatmeal Breakfast Bars.

First, I want to take a moment to give a Web shout-out to all of my dear friends (& readers!) in the Midwest & South. A possible tornado hit Bloomington, Indiana, where we spent three amazing years, & where The Munchkin was born. Reading my friends’ Facebook updates last night about tornado sirens, thunder, & hunkering down in the bathroom into the wee hours turned my stomach in knots. I’m just so grateful to know now that all of my friends are unharmed! I know that right now there are so many who aren’t so fortunate.

One of my fond memories of our time in Bloomington was an unlikely visiting teacher named Sue. (The LDS Church gives members the opportunity & responsibility to care for & serve one another by assigning them certain people to visit once a month & generally look out for.) I had never had a visiting teacher so different from me: I was a new mom; she was older & had no children. At first I had misgivings — how could we have anything in common to talk about? — but she served me so well at such a stressful time of my life that I knew it was meant to be.

One of those ways she served me was by bringing me these breakfast bars so I’d have a nutritious snack that was easy to munch on. They’re low in fat, high in protein & fiber, & seriously addictive!

(By the way, yes, I do recognize the fact that this makes 4 oatmeal recipes in a row here on Make Myself at Home. I seem to be on a bit of a kick lately. & I’m not the least bit sorry. Neither is My Husband The Volunteer Taste-Tester. Or The Munchkin, apparently…)

Sue’s Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 6 oz. fat-free vanilla yogurt (I used Yoplait Light Very Vanilla)
• 2 egg whites
• 2 Tbsp. skim milk
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil or applesauce (I used oil this time, only because I didn’t want to open a whole new applesauce container)
• 1/2 to 1 tsp. vanilla (I just used 1/2 since I used Very Vanilla yogurt)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour (or use just 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3 cups oats
• 1/2 cup raisins &/or Craisins
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (or use 1 cup of all raisins/Craisins… but where’s the fun in that?)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9×13 pan.
2. In a large bowl combine sugars & wet ingredients.
3. In another bowl combine flours, baking soda, salt, & cinnamon.
4. Add flour mixture to wet mixture; stir well.
5. Stir in oats, fruit, chips, & nuts.
6. Spread dough into bottom of prepared pan.
7. Bake 22-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
8. Cool before cutting & enjoying.

Do you have any dishes that bring back fond memories of old friends or places you lived?

Skinny banana bread.

I recently overcame the denial brought on by 15 months of nursing & came to the realization — only 6 months late — that I actually do need to watch what I’m eating. There are only so many ways to explain away the tightness of one’s jeans… “They just came out of the dryer; they’ll stretch back out.” (Putting them on again 2 mornings later…) “Crap.”

So I’ve been cutting calories, limiting treats, & finding ways to lighten up or “healthify” foods that I enjoy. I also went out & bought my first-ever bag of whole-wheat flour. Gasp! I know.

I had some bananas mottling on the counter (you may have seen them in the background of pictures of my daughter giddily sloshing Rice Krispies from here to Shanghai — that was for you, Karen!), so I decided my “maiden” whole-wheat substitution recipe would be Skinny Banana Bread from Paper Crafts Gourmet, a cookbook with accompanying craft projects (parties, cards, wrapping ideas, etc.) that my aunt-in-law (is that a thing?) & neighbor found at our local A.C. Moore for 5 bucks. Bargain!

It’s almost entirely fat-free, but thanks to the heartiness of the whole wheat it tastes substantial & fills you up! It’s also moist, & yes, tasty! Though mine would’ve been more flavorful if I’d had all 3 bananas they called for; I only had 2 1/3.

• 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 3/4 cup white flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg (in banana bread? I was a little skeptical too, but it totally worked, & it made my house smell amazing while it was baking!)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 large egg
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup applesauce (1/3 cup if you have large bananas)
• 1/3 cup walnuts (optional — I used them for the added protein)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. Mix dry ingredients & wet ingredients in separate bowls.
3. Combine, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in nuts, if desired.
4. Pour into prepared pan & bake 55 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

Veggie latkes.

We’re supposed to eat at least 5 servings of fruits & veggies a day. Everyone knows that. But do you really know exactly how many servings you’re actually getting? I thought I was doing pretty well until I actually started going to the effort of tallying them.

Let’s just say we’re working a lot harder at that now.

Enter the veggie latke, or “Little Vegetable Fritter,” as my Williams-Sonoma Cooking for Baby cookbook calls them. But they’re too flat be be fritters in my opinion. That’s why I’ve renamed them latkes (I almost said “re-christened,” but that would have been horribly, tastelessly ironic).

I’ve raved about Cooking for Baby before, & recently decided to revisit it for some more lunch ideas. I love that the toddler food is sophisticated enough that I’ll eat it! This particular recipe is great to involve your little ones in making. The blend of veggies is flavorful, but not so much so that your picky eater will thumb his nose at it (especially if he likes 1 of the 2 vegetables), & we all know that a little fat helps make healthy things a lot more appetizing. Here’s the recipe, with a couple tweaks I made just for simplicity’s sake.

• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 large zucchini
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch*
• 1 cup minus 2 Tbsp. flour*
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• salt & pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 Tbsp. (may need a little more) canola oil
• sour cream or mustard for dipping, optional

* The recipe calls for 1 cup corn flour, but I don’t have that, nor do I foresee myself having that in the near future. So I just put 2 Tbsp. cornstarch in a cup measure & filled it the rest of the way with all-purpose flour. It worked just fine.

1. Preheat oven to 250. (This step is optional; it’s for keeping the fritters warm between batches. But The Munchkin’s food needs to be cooled before she eats it anyway, so I dispensed with this.)
2. Peel & grate sweet potato. Grate zucchini, leaving skin on. You will have about 1 cup of each. (Wrap grated vegetables in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels & gently squeeze to extract as much liquid as possible.) Transfer to medium mixing bowl. (That one step is in parentheses because I didn’t do it. I just had The Munchkin put it straight into the bowl as I grated. She was happy to do it, it saved me a step & lots of paper towels, & the fritters weren’t too squishy or anything.)
3. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, & baking powder. Season with salt & pepper.
4. Add egg to veggies. Then add flour mixture & stir until just combined.
5. In a large frying pan over medium to medium-high heat, heat oil. Scoop out heaping tablespoonfuls of batter, form into balls with wet hands, & flatten into cakes.
6. Cook in batches, turning once, until brown & crisp, 2-3 minutes each. Use a slotted spoon to lift cakes out of pan, allow oil to drip back into the pan, & then transfer to paper towels to drain.
7. Place on baking sheet in 250-degree oven to keep warm until all fritters are made. Repeat steps 5-7 for all of batter.
8. Serve with sour cream or mustard for dipping, or just by themselves!

Love your heart, curry style

As promised, here is the first of what I hope to be many contributor posts from talented friends who’ve taught me a thing or two about domesticity. I first met “Momo,” as her firstborn writes her name, in Indiana when our husbands were both toiling away in law school. Countless late-night board game sessions & a couple trips to the Monroe County Fair later (trust me, it’s an experience), I consider her my very best friend. We’re conspiring to move to the same city so we can be neighbors again, but until the planets align to make that happen, she & her family are living in smalltown Idaho. She’s a fabulous cook; some of my favorite recipes are hers, written down on “High School Musical” stationery. I know you’ll love them too — even without Zac Efron smiling back at you as you read!

I can’t help thinking of that old ditty about beans being good for your heart as I share this recipe.  Heart health has become an important issue in our family recently, so the “heart” part of Valentine’s Day will take on new meaning for our holiday eating this year!  While we will still be having the occasional yummy treat or two, we will be eating healthier overall.

This recipe is one I have been making for over a year and that is well loved by all of us, #1 and #2 included.  It is perfect for this time of year when cauliflower is abundant and inexpensive.  I have eliminated any added salt to make it healthier, and for us the curry is strong enough that we don’t miss it. The only “exotic” ingredient involved is fresh ginger, but I can find it at my local grocery store, so don’t be afraid, you can too.

This little nugget of ginger (in #1′s hand) was enough to make this recipe twice. I always choose the smallest piece I can find and it is usually more than enough.

The recipe (originally found in Good Housekeeping, January 2009 and modified by me):

Cauliflower Curry

serves 6-8

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 medium carrots, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups brown basmati rice

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 Tbsp curry powder

1 can vegetable broth

1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets (5-6 cups)

1 can reduced sodium garbanzo beans, drained and well rinsed

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1/4 cup plain yogurt, plus more for serving

Have all of the vegetables chopped and ready before you begin.

In a 6 quart dutch oven or a similar size soup pot, heat oil on medium heat until hot, then add carrots and onions.  Cook for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.  Stir frequently.

In the meantime, prepare rice according to package instructions.

Stir ginger and curry into carrot mixture and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add broth, cover pot, and bring to a boil on high heat. Stir in cauliflower and garbanzo beans.  Cover and cook on medium heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until cauliflower is tender.

Stir chopped cilantro and yogurt into stew.  Serve in bowls over rice and top with additional yogurt and cilantro if you like.