Parents can use the internet to their advantage

Lets face it, the internet is an endless highway of information. Some of us use it to past time, other as a connection to the outside world. One thing is for sure, our children can navigate it like nobody's business! In our household we struggle to put limits on the time the boys use the internet as well as other electronic devices. I must say, I have struggled in this area because when I am up to my neck in laundry and other house chores, these devices are definitely a go to option. I have found that the internet isn't so bad when you put limits on it and monitor the activities accordingly.

Tyson is home with me two days out of the week while Orlando heads to school fours days out of the week. On those days that I have Tyson we find online stories and activities to do. My mother-in-law found an affordable site (www.education.com ;  $1.99/month or $24 a year) where the kids have individual lessons for their age group as well as activities. This website is great and both boys love it. Not only is it good for learning, it's also a great distraction when I need to sit and write an email or pay bills (be sure to use all parental control locks on all devices). Lastly, I love this because the kids are not just staring at a game system. They actually have to use some brain cells to use this program. So far so good!

I will keep looking for other websites for children to maximize leaning skills. When I find them I will be sure to share. I will also begin posting activities from the site that were successful.

If you have other websites that have been useful for your children, please share in the comment section.:)

Stuffed Chicken Breast with Parmesan Broccolini

Ingredients:
5 boneless skinless chicken breast ( I use Simple Truth Natural chicken breast)
1/2 cup of chopped or diced tomatoes
2 cups of spinach ( I used kale this time/ Organic Girl brand)
2 tbsp of Olive oil
cooking spray
1 bundle of broccolini
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
Seasonings of your choice for chicken ( I used ms.dash,sea salt, garlic powder, and turmeric)
1/2 a lemon

Instruction:
Preheat oven to 350.
Saute your spinach in a skillet with your olive oil. Squeeze the lemon over top and saute 2-3 minutes or until your spinach wither. Set aside.
Spray a 13 x 9 dish with cooking spray.
Place your chicken breast evenly into the baking dish.
Cut a pocket into each chicken breast.
Place the spinach mixture into the chicken breast pockets..(distribute among your chicken breast)
Spread your chopped tomatoes on top. If you have enough tomatoes stuff some inside the pockets
Bake for 45 min or until chicken is done.

Broccolini:
Cut off  the ends of the broccolini (about an inch)
Spray skillet with cooking spray
Drizzles 1 tbsp. of olive oil (more if needed) over the broccolini and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. If you prefer your veggies on the softer side, remove from heat and add 1 tbsp of water and cover to allow it to stem.
When done, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Quick afternoon snack!

The boys love these for an after-school snack. English muffins drizzled with honey. What makes it even better is that we get fresh local honey delivered to us. So the honey is extra sweet. Don'f forget to warm them in the oven or toaster. Try it for yourself!

Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries and Bananas

This recipe is one of the many reasons I love the boy's school. The focus of the program that they attend is "making healthy choices". For the holiday season parents were given the opportunity to purchase a cookbook created by the program's nutritionist. These recipes are the ones that they've tried in the classroom; chosen by the teachers and kids themselves. I will be adding more of their recipes to the recipe section of my blog. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do.:)

I didn't use the blueberries because Ty doesn't like them. You could add other berries if you'd like. I made it at night and warmed it in the oven in the morning.

Ingredients
2 medium ripe bananas ( the riper the better) sliced into 1/2 pieces
1 1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 cup honey (or agave)
1 cup uncooked quick oats
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 cup fat free milk ( I used almond milk)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 . Lightly spray 8 x 8 baking dish with cooking spray
2. Arrange the banana slices in a single layer on the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle half of the blueberries over the bananas, 1/4 tsp. of the cinnamon, 1 tbsp. of the honey and cover with foil. Bake 15 minutes, until bananas are soft.
3.Meanwhile in a medium bowl, combine the oats, half of nuts, baking powder, remaining cinnamon, and salt; stir together. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining honey, milk, egg, and vanilla extract.
4. Remove the bananas from the oven, and then pour the oat mixture over the bananas and blueberries.
5. Pour milk mixture over the oats, making sure to distribute the mixture as evenly as possible over the oats. Sprinkle remaining blueberries and walnuts over top.
6. Bake the oatmeal for about 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the oatmeal is set. Serve warm from the oven.

Black Bean Burgers

My little helper is so happy that we are making black bean burgers!

Ty wanted mustard, Orlando wanted Ketchup, and daddy ditched the bread and ate it plain

My boys have been begging for me to make them some black bean burgers. They tried them at school for lunch one day and are now hooked. I was actually excited to hear this because like most preschooler, Ty is such a picky eater. He actually doesn't eat meat ( on occasions he will take a bite). Not sure if this will be a long life choice but as of now he cant stand the smell of it. Anywho,  finally got around to making the burgers and they were a hit! The whole family loved them. Check the recipe below.

( I did not include measurements because I eye everything. I will do better with future recipes).

 Bon appetit!

Ingredients:

1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
onion (optional)
garlic (optional)
mushrooms (optional)
seasoning of choice ( I used sea salt, Ms. Dash, a hint of pepper, and garlic salt)
bread crumbs or oats ( use if the black beans are too sticky...use as much as needed to keep your patty to together)
olive oil

Instructions

Mash the black beans with a potato masher ( I used my food processor since I don't have a potato masher. If you decide to use a food processor be careful to not turn your black beans into mush)
Saute (in a skillet with olive oil) whatever veggies you plan to include inside your burger.
Add the veggies to your black bean mixture.
Cook in a pan with olive oil until crispy on both sides.

We're those parents

My husband has been waiting forever for the boys to be old enough to play a sport. Luckily, they are not only old enough, they desperately want to play. Before kids, and I guess even when we had kids, I would attend sporting events and see the parent who's screaming at their kid to get the ball, to stop crying and get up, or constantly snapping pictures and telling their kid to smile in the most awkward positions and I would say " I am so not going to be that way." Whelp, the day is here and my husband and I both failed miserably at not being those parents. It started with me asking the kids to pose outside in the 1 degree weather to take a picture (it only took a second, I swear). Before we could figure out what court the boys would be practicing on, my husband was snapping photos and telling Orlando to stand still so he can get a picture with his smart phone (a.k.a. the time guzzler....you can spend hours on a smart phone and wonder where your day went) . Meanwhile, I was on the sideline taking pictures with my huge camera while the parent next to me had to listen to endless clicks. In my defense, it was their first practice and well...they are my babies dang on it! So I will say in advance to any parent who will be sitting next to me in the bleachers this season - No, I will not scream and shout but I will definitely be taking pictures until my fingers catch a cramp! Sincerely, the unapologetic mom with the camera. :)

Welcome 2014

2014 is here!!!! I am so thankful to see a new year and I look forward to all the goodness this year will bring. I made a short list of things that I plan to focus on in 2014. Usually my list is about being a better wife, mom and a vow to be more positive. Although these things aren't on my list this year, I continue to strive to be the best wife, mom and all around positive human-being on a daily basis. My list for 2014 is about the things that I personally need to focus on in order to be my best self period. Making God my top priority will always be numero uno! Without that everything will definitely fall to pieces.  Making ME a priority is also a really important one. The last five years, I've really put myself on the back burner. I've put the needs ( and wants ) of my family in front of mine. Of course, there is nothing wrong with taking care of your family but I have crazily neglected myself. So exploring my wants and needs are a must in 2014 and moving forward. The first two on my list will definitely help me with numbers 3- 8! So cheers to a new year and a fresh start! 2014, You're all mine!!

What are your goals for 2014?