The Big Blue Ocean!

This past weekend we visited the Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. With two little ones, the Natural History Museum has always been a favorite, and we're definitely blessed to have such great museums--free, no less!--so close to us. The exhibit is a new part of the permanent collection, joining the ever-popular dinosaur room, the very realistic mammals room, and, of course, the gemstones, including the Hope Diamond.

We went early in the morning on Sunday (well, around 10:30 by the time we actually got there!) and the crowds were definitely manageable. By that I mean, plenty of room for our stroller, but also room enough that we were comfortable letting the kids walk around by themselves with us following right behind them. (Sometimes it's so busy, particularly in the dinosaur room, that I wouldn't set the kids down for a minute.) There's nothing too scary in the exhibit with the exception of one small video being shown on killer whales hunting seals. It's tucked away in the corner, behind the giant Megalodon mouth, and definitely to be avoided for little kids. Or any soft-hearted seal lovers, really.

As always, bring your own snacks and water--they will let you in with them as long as you are discreet--as the food in the museums is on the pricey side. A much better option is to bring your own sandwiches and have an impromptu picnic somewhere on the mall, or, as we discovered on Sunday, in the lovely Smithsonian Castle Gardens.

We stuck to a very manageable three hours, and still saw the whole Oceans exhibit, the mammals next door, and made a quick run into the dinosaur room. In one morning we saw sharks, whales, giraffes, "cute, tiny!" mice, and tyranosaurus rex--which made for two very happy little kids.

American Red Cross Needs Help!

My sister lives in NYC and has been a volunteer with the NY Red Cross since shortly after moving there. She does all kinds of exciting things, like being on scene at various emergencies to provide food and other aid to people affected. Although we all know that the Red Cross goes in to major disaster areas, to help victims of floods, hurricanes, etc., what many people don't know is that each local Red Cross chapter works to help the people in their community. For example, my sister's chapter alone responds to more than 3,000 emergencies a year - about eight a day - in the form of fires, floods, building collapses, blackouts, etc. For more than 100,000 people a year her chapter volunteers provide the immediate aid needed in terms of food and shelter.

Sometimes, the Red Cross gets a lot of publicity for their work in helping people, and donations of both blood and money go up. At other times, other concerns are given more media coverage, and the important work the Red Cross does goes un-noticed, or at least un-reported. She recently sent me an email with an appeal--the first time she's ever asked family to help, so it must be a very great need!--for donations in support of the work the Red Cross does. Please read her note below, and consider donating. As times get harder and money gets tighter for those of us blessed with good fortune, imagine how much more difficult it is right now for all the organizations working to provide food and shelter to the survivors of disasters both big and small.

I am a volunteer of the American Red Cross in Greater New York and am writing to enlist your help.

Over the course of the past month, we have witnessed two of the largest hurricane-related evacuations ever mounted in this country. These resulted from Gustav and Ike that devastated major parts of the gulf coast in Louisiana and Texas . To date, 16,000 American Red Cross volunteers and staff have opened over 900 evacuation centers/shelters, served 4.5 million meals and snacks in the affected areas and we expect this to be a lengthy recovery operation.

Our Chapter has already deployed 117 volunteers and staff, including a 46 member Rapid Response Team. Our team, led by Scott Graham, Chief Response Officer and including our CEO, Terry Bischoff, managed a mega-shelter for 3,000 evacuees in Alexandria , Louisiana . Hurricane Gustav passed within 20 miles of this evacuation center and our team worked with the evacuees to make sure everyone was sheltered, fed, and comforted, and returned home safely after the storm had passed.

Although the Red Cross has responded well to these disasters, the reality is that we have not had the media coverage of people on rooftops or huge numbers of deaths and injuries that motivate people to donate, and so the outpouring of spontaneous financial gifts that we saw during the tsunami, hurricane Katrina and the recent Chinese earthquake, has not occurred. As a result, we have been forced to borrow the money to do this vital, life-saving work.

That’s why I am echoing the appeal made by the CEO of the American Red Cross, Gail McGovern, in asking for your help now as we participate in a national campaign to raise $100 million for the Disaster Relief Fund. Together, we can ensure the Red Cross is there to help, whenever and wherever disasters strike.

Here is how you can help: First – send this note on to as many of your friends and colleagues as you can. We need to use this new era of social networking to get this word out as I don’t believe the American public knows that we need their help. Second – go to our website - www.nyredcross.org - and make a tax-deductible donation to the Disaster Relief Fund . No amount is too small – if we all give $5 or $10, it will mount up quickly.

Arlington Fire Stations Open House!

Open House: Visit your local fire station!

All Arlington County fire stations will be open to the public Saturday, Oct. 11, from 10 - 4 in celebration of Fire Prevention Week. Bring the kids, climb into a fire truck, learn about fire safety, and more! Find your neighborhood fire station.

Enjoy!

Hot Air Balloon Festival!

Having grown up in Albuquerque, home of a world-famous balloon fiesta, one of my favorite childhood memories is of getting up early to watch the balloons go up. So, it is with great excitement that I found out there is a Shenandoah Valley Balloon Festival next weekend! Starting at 7a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, October 18th and 19th, the balloons will be inflated and, I'm told, take off around 7:30-8:00a.m. Longbranch is about an hour and a half from D.C., out towards Winchester, VA. (See map, below). With the leaves changing fast, by next weekend reports show that the Shenandoahs should be covered in beautiful foliage.

So, take a drive, pack a picnic, and have a wonderful autumn adventure!


View Larger Map

Slow Cooker Series!

Given that autumn is here, slow cooking seems to be on everyone's mind! Just as I experimented with two new recipes recently, the topic recently came up on the DC Urban Moms listserv. A wealth of recipes were shared, and I've compiled them all here for easy searching. None of them are of my creation, but as they were posted anonymously, I can't give credit where credit is due. So, if one of them is your recipe, let me know and I'm happy to credit you for it!

Here's what I have so far:

• Turkey & Black Bean Chili
• Macaroni & Cheese
• Chicken & Vegetables
• Chicken-Bean Burritos
• Beef Stew

And my own two recipes:

• Pot Roast with Turnips and Carrots
• Chickpeas with Spinach

More recipes to come!

Slow Cooker Series: Turkey & Black Bean Chili

Turkey & Black Bean Chili
1 jar salsa
2 cans black beans, drained
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 packet chili seasoning
1 cup corn
1 lb ground turkey

1 large onion, diced
1 cup cheese, shredded (any kind)

Brown ground turkey in a skillet until cooked, 5-7 minutes. Add turkey and other ingredients to slow cooker. Cook on high for 1-2 hours or low for 4 hours and serve topped with onions and cheese.

Slow Cooker Series: Macaroni & Cheese

Macaroni & Cheese
2 cups elbow macaroni (uncooked)
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups ricotta or cottage cheese (or one cup of each)
2 cups boiling water
Salt, pepper and nutmeg (the secret ingredient) to taste

Layer ingredients in the slow cooker in the order listed. Cook for 3 hours on high without stirring. Open, stir quickly, and recover and cook for another hour or it reaches the right consistency.

Slow Cooker Series: Chicken & Vegetables

Chicken & Vegetables
1-2 pounds chicken
1 large onion, sliced
2 large potatoes, chopped into one-inch cubes (or, 4 small potatoes)*
1 sweet potato, peeled & chopped into one-inch cubes*
2 turnips, peeled & chopped into one-inch cubes*
4-6 carrots, sliced*
3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp rosemary
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper.

Cook on low for 7-10 hours.

*You can use any combination of root vegetables for this recipe--stick with vegetables that will hold up well to slow cooking though, otherwise they will fall apart and become vegetable mush!

Slow Cooker Series: Chicken-Bean Burritos

Chicken-Bean Burritos
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
1 can pinto beans (rinsed)
1 16 oz jar salsa - any flavor
10" flour tortillas

Optional toppings for burritos - corn, other beans (such as black beans), shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.

Put chicken & beans in bottom of slow cooker, pour salsa overtop. If you like it a little spicy, add chipolte peppers in adobe sauce. Cook on low for 5 hours or high for 2 - 2 1/2 hrs. Remove chicken, shred with fork, add back to slow cooker after mashing the beans with the salsa. Roll filling in tortillas with your favorite toppings.

Slow Cooker Series: Beef Stew

Beef Stew
1-2 lbs stew beef (cubed)*
1 onion, diced
1-2 potatoes chopped into one-inch cubes
4-6 large carrots, sliced
1 package of mushrooms, well-washed and quartered (optional)
1 cup of beef broth
1 envelope onion soup mix
1-2 cloves garlic chopped

Add all ingredients to slow-cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

*Can also brown beef in hot oil in a skillet, for 2-3 minutes, before adding to slow-cooker. Searing the beef helps seal in juices and flavor, but isn't necessary.

Slow Cooker Series: Chicken Tacos

Chicken Tacos
1.5 pounds chicken pieces
1 15-oz can tomatoes
1 packet taco seasoning

Put all ingredients in 3 or 4-quart slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with tortillas or hard shells, and other taco fixings.

Slow-Cookin' Magic!!

I don't know about you all, but I am in love with my slow-cooker. I experimented with two new dishes this weekend, and both turned out great. I did a pot roast with turnips and carrots, as a healthier riff on pot roast with potatoes, which is something I've made in the oven before. it turned out far better in the slow-cooker. That is the slow-cooker claim to fame, when cooking with "cheaper" cuts of meat, such as chuck roast, the long, low-temperature cooking allows the meat to become tender while staying moist and flavorful. Root vegetables (like turnips, potatoes, carrots) hold up well to slow-cooking, too. Dish #2 was chickpeas and spinach. I used dried chickpeas, very economical but more time is required for soaking, and french spinach, and even my toddlers ate it up. There are hundreds of great slow-cooker recipes, but here are the two that I used:

Slow-Cooker Pot Roast with Turnips and Carrots

Ingredients-

• 4 pounds chuck roast
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup water
• 4 carrots, cut into 3 inch pieces
  
• 2 onions, quartered
  
• 4 turnips, diced into 1 inch cubes

Directions-

1. Take the chuck roast and season with salt and pepper to taste.*
   
2. Place in the slow cooker and add water, carrots, onion, and turnips.
3. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours.

*Many recipes will direct you to first brown the meat on all sides in a large skillet over high heat. While this creates a nice crust and appealing look to the meat, it's not necessary.

Slow-Cooker Chickpeas with Spinach

Ingredients-

• 2 cups dried chickpeas (or 2 cans chickpeas)
• water
• 1 onions, diced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  
• 1 large bunch fresh spinach
• 2 bouillon cubes (chicken or vegetable)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
  

Directions-

1. If using dried chickpeas, rinse and pick out any bad-looking peas. Put into a pot and cover with water; let sit overnight.*
2. Drain chickpeas, put into slow cooker. Add water to about 1 inch above peas, and add bouillon. Cook on high for 2-3 hours.
3. Dice onions, cook on medium high in olive oil. As they turn translucent, add tomato paste and mix together well. Cook another 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat.
4. Add onion/oil/tomato paste mix to slow cooker, cook another 1-3 hours on high (until peas are easy to smush with a spoon; it took my batch the full 3 hours).
   
5. De-stem and wash VERY WELL the spinach to remove all grit. Add to slow cooker and cook on high 1 hour.
6. Mix softened spinach into peas and turn cooker to low. Cook another 1-3 hours, depending on how mushy you like your chick peas and spinach.
   

My kids loved this, and even ate the turnips and carrots from the previous recipe when I mashed everything together to a mashed potato consistency. Anything that gets them to eat veggies other than the potato I count as a huge success!

Cranberry-Orange-Apricot Coffee Cake

I am a big fan of baking from mixes. They fast, they're easy, you can buy a bunch when they go on sale and then you're prepared for every last-minute dinner invite, school function, or work social event.

I also love starting from a box mix and adding in some ingredients to make it unique--and often a little more healthy!

Here's what I did, starting with Krusteaz's Fat-Free Cranberry Orange Muffin mix.

Prepare mix as directed, but before adding the cranberries, add:

1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup quick-cooking oatmeal ("quick oats")
1/2 cup apricot preserves

Then add the cranberries (if desired; you could leave them out if you just wanted orange-apricot flavors).

Spray a bundt pan (or loaf pan or 8"x8" baking dish) and fill with batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

It's still a "dump-and-bake" cake, but adding oatmeal and wheat germ really cuts the sweetness, making it more palatable for a coffee cake, and makes it overall a healthier treat. Baking in a bundt pan gives it a nice brown, almost crisp, crust, which contrasts nicely with the moistness of the apricot preserves.

New Mexico Baked Corn

I was given the original recipe from an old friend of my mother's who lived in New Mexico for many, many years (as did my parents). With a little experimentation, I lightened up the recipe a bit. It's just under 200 calories per serving, so not exactly "diet" fare, but it's a great vehicle for sneaking in some extra veggies. I used a can of green beans, but you could use pretty much anything, as the baking time is sufficient to cook even broccoli or carrots. Plus, the creamy cheese and heat of the green chilis help disguise the veggies for those small ones who might be a bit hesitant to chow down otherwise!

This recipe can also be made vegan by using soy cheese and egg replacer instead of the eggs; the creamed corn is sufficient by itself to bind the ingredients for baking.

New Mexico Baked Corn

Yield: 8 servings
Temperature 375 and 325

2 beaten eggs
4 cups cream style corn
3/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup chopped green chili*
1/2 pound graded sharp cheddar cheese, low-fat
2 cups canned green beans

*green chili is optional, this amount makes the recipe just slightly spicy, could use more or less to suit your family's taste!

1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour into a greased 2 quart casserole dish.

2. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes then lower the temperature to 325 degrees and bake for an addition 30-45 minutes.

Nutrition Facts
Recipe Serves 8 people

Amount per Serving--
Calories 198
Calories from Fat 83

Total Fat 10.63g
Saturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5g

Cholesterol 63.75mg

Sodium 619.69mg

Total Carbohydrate 10.66g
Dietary Fiber 1.47g
Sugars 2.97g

Protein 11.53g

Vitamin A 12.5
Vitamin C 2.13
Calcium 1.38
Iron 3.19

Est. Percent of Calories from:
Fat 48.3%
Carbs 21.5%
Protein 23.3%

Eggplant Lasagna

I experimented with some yummy vegetables this weekend, and came up with this low-fat, low-calorie lasagna. While most lasagnas end up somewhere between 350-600 calories per serving, this no-meat version is only 163 calories per serving! The eggplant, once baked in the lasagna, does an admirable job of replacing the creamy texture of ricotta cheese, and the fresh basil helps give this dish a garden-fresh taste. You could probably find some delicious eggplant and basil in a farmer's market, but to test how simple I could make this recipe I just used what was at my local supermarket. If you try this recipe out, I'd love to hear how it turns out! Happy Cooking, Breana

Ingredients: 1.5 cups crushed canned Tomatoes 1 medium Eggplant 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, part-skim, shredded 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese .5 cups Basil, Fresh (about 1 bunch, or 10 leaves) 1 serving Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles (about 3 noodles)

Instructions:
Instructions:
Cook the noodles (3 noodles) in a large pot of boiling, salted water for 8 minutes, or until al dente. Drain from water and set aside to cool.

While noddles are cooking, slice eggplant lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick strips. Saute in cooking spray (Pam) until just softened and slightly brown.

Rinse basil leaves, remove stems, shred leaves gently by hand.

Light spray inside of a loaf pan baking dish with cooking spray.

Cut (with kitchen shears) 1 noodle into 3 sections, place on the bottom of the loaf pan. (NOTE: cutting the noodles is necessary to make them fit into a standard loaf pan. If you are using a square baking dish, cut only if needed to fit the dish you are using.)

Layer noodle with 1/2 cup of crushed tomatoes, 1 layer of the cooked eggplant, 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 of the basil. Add another layer of noodles, 1/2 cup of crushed tomatoes, 1 layer of the cooked eggplant, 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, and the other 1/2 of the basil. Finish with a final layer of noodles, last 1/3 cup of mozzarella, and sprinkle the Parmesan (or grated fresh Peccorino Romano) over the top.

Bake, uncovered, in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes.

Enjoy!

I made this recipe in a loaf pan, planning on only 4 servings, but you could easily scale this up for more servings and use a larger baking dish. Cooking time would remain the same.

Nutrition Facts
Recipe Serves 4 people

Amount per Serving
Calories 163 Calories from Fat 64
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6.91g	11%
Saturated Fat 4.25g	21%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.06g
Cholesterol 1.25mg	0%
Sodium 293.75mg	12%
Potassium 181.13mg	5%
Total Carbohydrate 12.61g	4%
Dietary Fiber 3.11g	12%
Sugars 0.48g
Protein 11.95g	24%

Vitamin A	11.25
Vitamin C	8.38
Calcium	16
Iron	7.63
Vitamin E	0.21
Thiamin (B1)	5.03
Riboflavin (B2)	1.03
Niacin (B3)	3.14
Vitamin B6	3.94
Phosphorus	17.25
Magnesium	14.25
Panthothenic Acid	0.17
Zinc	1.22
Manganese	0.19

Est. Percent of Calories from:
Fat 38.2%
Carbs 30.9%
Protein 29.3%

Light Lemonade Pie

I was searching for a recipe for zucchini "spaghetti" and stumbled upon this recipe for Frozen Lemonade Pie. It sounded delicious, so I decided to put the ingredients in to my handy Weight Watchers points calculator to see how much damage I'd be doing...

Original Ingredients:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (20 points)
1/4 cup sugar (4 points)
7 tablespoons butter, melted (21 points)
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk, chilled (33 points)
1 (12 ounce) container whipped topping, thawed (23.5 points)
1 (6 fluid ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, keep frozen (6 points)

Having 1 slice equal to about 1/8 of the pie gives you a whopping 13 points per serving! Way, way, way too many points for me. With a little re-working, I came up with this recipe:

1 (14 ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk, chilled (22 points)
1 (12 ounce) container fat-free whipped topping, thawed (12 points)
1 (6 fluid ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, keep frozen (6 points)

Without the crust, and using fat-free versions of the condensed milk and whipped topping, brings the points total down to 5 per slice. Still a little high, but well within safe limits for a special treat.

Directions for how to make Breana's Light Lemonade Pie:
Gently fold together the fat-free sweetened condensed milk and fat-free whipped topping. Slowly add frozen lemonade concentrate. Pour into 8 ramekins (individual serving dishes) and freeze overnight. Enjoy!

Weight Loss Tracking

Let's say you start out at X weight. And you want to get down to X-33 pounds (but would happily settle for X-28 pounds, really, and call yourself one lucky hot mom). What the best way to do it? Well, after 18 months of trial, I can conclude that systematically NOT engaging in any sort of exercise and NOT keeping track of what you eat does not work. There, I took one for the team, and now you all know that doing nothing does not equal magical weight loss.

So, although I'm sure there's a billion different ways to do it, here are two that I am currently using...







Yes, the big Kahuna, Weight Watchers (WW). I'm doing this because my sister, my mom, and my dad are all doing it with me! It cost us about $60 for the first 3 months; I think it's around $16 per month after that. We all really, really are liking using their online Points tracker system. It's definitely gotten me to think more realistically about how much of something I can eat, and what I ought to just avoid because I don't really like it enough to justify the Points.






The Daily Plate (DP) is a calorie-counting program (also tracks, fat, protein, and other things) rather than a Points-counting program, and so the process is a little more transparent than using WW. It's also free, which will make a big difference over the long run!

The Basics

• Both programs let you search for foods from a variety of vendors, from various grocery stores to restaurants. In my, albeit limited, experience, DP might have a slight edge on the volume of different options in terms of specific brands of an item (like ice cream).
• Both sites also let you enter in your own recipes; WW then automatically calculates the Points value for the recipe, and DP the caloric and other nutritional information.
  
• Only DP lets you browse from foods and recipes added by other users--so, for instance, if your area has a specific mom & pop store that you always buy your ice cream from, if someone else in your area has already added that store into the system, then all you have to do is search for it. With WW you can only see their library of foods and recipes plus the specific item your personally have added. This is a major downfall for us, because if we (my parents, sister, and I) all eat something together, we have to each add the ingredients in separately. With DP, only one of us has to add it, and then the rest of us can search for it to add to our own counters.
  
• Both sites also have activity trackers, where you track all your exercise for the day. Again, DPs is slightly more robust and allows more options. For example my regular exercise is classified as "walking, on a treadmill, at 3 to 5 miles per hour"in the WW system, and I enter in the minutes and the system assigns a point value (1 point for 10-29 minutes, 2 for 30-49 minutes, 3 for 50-? minutes...that's as high as I've ever gotten!). DP, on the other hand, lets you choose the exact speed (3.5 mph), minutes, and you have the option of entering the distance walked and your heart rate, and then it calculates calories burned. It's just another layer of detail that may or may not really be necessary, depending on how detailed you like to track your progress!

One bonus to WW is that it's easier to remember the Point value of something than the calorie count, and easier--for me at least--to keep in my head that I have 22 points to eat each day instead of 1250 calories. It all amounts to the same thing, but the math is easier! Another bonus for me is that you do have to pay for WW, so I am more apt to stick with it because I've already paid for it and don't want to waste my money.

For me, I think I'll stick with WW for the three-month trial period, by which time I should be at my goal weight anyway (fingers crossed), and then I'll have to re-evaluate to see if I need to stay with WW or just switch over to DP, or if I'm confident that my eating habits have changed enough that I can just do it all in my head.

What are your great weight-loss plans?

Summertime! And the livin' is....

Well, it's just not so easy, is it? With gasoline hitting $4.00 a gallon, prices for everything from milk to rice creeping up and up--and home prices creeping ever further down...well, it's no surprise that the only thing our yet-to-arrive economic stimulus check will stimulate is our credit card debt!

What are you not doing this summer?

We're not going to my husband's sister's wedding in Turkey. We're not looking into pre-school for our 3 year old. We're not buying mother's day/father's day/birthday gifts for each other.

What we are doing is lots of gardening; I plant the flowers and they try to pick them. We always do lots of cooking, only now it's more experimenting with fresh vegetables and making things from scratch and less boxed mixes of pumpkin bread and cakes. (My summer diet plans might have something to do with this as well!) Through a confluence of lucky timing, I started a new job only 2 miles from home, rather than 10 miles from home. Every little bit helps, right?

Spendy Babies!

In reading a recent article (Million Dollar Babies, by Pamela Paul), I was struck--shocked, really--by this advice: "Most financial advisers urge parents to set aside a minimum of $1,000 per child a month" for college savings.

Have you all gotten back up in your chairs yet?

And yet, when I zipped over to the College Board's handy tuition savings calculator, I was astounded to see that, in order to pay for basic in-state tuition at a state school for a kid starting college in 15 years, I should be saving over $400 a month right now. For #2, starting college in 17 years, I should be saving $400 a month. That's $800 a month I should be saving right now for college.

I don't know if I should be laughing or crying right now...

Wherefore art thou, 2008?

It's April already! I can't believe it! Where is 2008 going? Well, that's a good question on a larger, deeper level, but what I really mean is, where is the time flying? Seriously. I have so many ideas for new posts, so many drafts waiting to be posted...and here it is, weeks without anything new. Sigh. If anyone is reading, my apologies! I'll try to get some of my posts out there over the next couple days.