A goal

I'm not going to call this a New Year's resolution because I have been thinking about it for some time now, but I have a goal that I am going to start focusing on more. It's hard to sum up exactly, but I suppose it can all rolled into: planning what we are going to eat so that we can be more healthy. I am the person who spearheads the cooking in our house and if we are going to eat better, it needs to be up to me.

My first step to this plan is to write out a monthly menu. Some people do weekly, but I think that monthly makes more sense for me. This way I can try new recipes, have some fall-back standards, and always know what I need to pick up in the grocery store. At the beginning of the month, I wrote a menu for everyday that included dinner for the night and left-overs for lunch the next day. I also made sure to write out vegetables/salad for each meal. If I have it written down, I don't have to think about it when 4:00 rolls around. I can just make what I had planned. So far I have only had to tweak a few times.



My second step is to eliminate all overly-processed, white, enriched foods. I have been doing this for awhile actually. That means we only have whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole grain pasta, non-sugary cereals etc. I think we are to the point that we are used to tasting all of these foods. The pasta takes a minute getting used to, but it's much more filling.

My third step is to eliminate foods that are high in salt and reduce my use of salt in cooking. I'm not going to get into it, but if you are unsure about how too much salt can affect us, I encourage you to research it. I have been using lots of "Mrs. Dash" seasonings that are salt-free. I baked some chicken awhile ago with just this on it, and Dusty couldn't tell that there was no salt in it.



My last step is to try to avoid any kind of trans fat. If you are reading a label, if it says that it has any kind of "partially hydrogenated oil" in it, you can bet it has trans fat, even if they claim it doesn't. I learned all about how these bad boys change in your body and the harm they can do in organic chemistry, and from reading.

Basically, all of this means that I have to cook most things from scratch, which doesn't bother me, because I enjoy cooking. But it does mean that I spend a good chunk of my day in the kitchen and having my meal planned in advance helps make it easier for me. I think I am going to start posting recipes that fall into these categories that we enjoyed. I also want to start eating more salmon, nuts, avocados, and keep using good olive oil. I'm hoping this journey helps me become a better cook and helps us to become more healthy.




Some fantastic resources that help me in this are:

My Mom, who has been cooking this way for years and is an expert in what is good and bad for you.

This magazine



Also this magazine


And this website, which has recipes galore and loads of reviews complete with tips and hints.

Transition

For the past week or so, we have been transitioning Tyson into his toddler bed. It has been fairly smooth compared to stories I have heard from friends. Tyson has been a consistent napper leading up to this, and goes to bed very easily. A little over a week ago, he decided it was time to exert some independence and refuse to stay in the crib. I was actually a little surprised that he hadn't done this already considering he is 2 and 1/2. This made naptime non-existent. Not quite sure how to handle it, I tried various discipline methods, but none of them reaching the desired results, as I think I just reinforced his bad behavior with my showing up to deal with him. He did nap one day, which I have decided was a fluke. So, we decided to do away with the crib and bring his toddler bed inside. He has liked this bed so far, and that has made us relieved. At nighttime, he still goes to sleep without any fanfare or fuss. Yesterday, after consulting with my Mom about getting a child to nap, I tried an new plan. I gated the doorway, and when rocking Tyson as I always do, I discussed how if he went to sleep and didn't leave his bed, he could watch a movie when he woke up. If he didn't go to sleep, then no movie. Of course he chose the "christmas train", which most of us know as the Polar Express. I told him I would not come to the door and that if he went to sleep by himself he could get to watch. Believe it or not, it worked! He did come up to the door a few times, but I didn't even come into the hallway. Eventually he went to sleep. (side note: I chose to reward him with something that I knew he would really want or miss. I could have chosen his toy trains, but I thought that a movie when I am fixing dinner would be good.) I am trying today's nap plan even as we speak and so far I haven't heard a peep. Hopefully this will continue, because he still really needs this afternoon sleep. Plus, I hoped there could be a way without lots of crying, although we have certainly done that in the past. The best part is, is that he can choose to be rewarded or not, and I have little involvement overall.

I spent the morning organizing and rearranging Tyson's room. I am excited to finally pull out the bedding I bought ages ago. I still don't have the right pillows to fit the pillowcases, but they are on their way! The quilt that goes with the duvet has been hanging from the wall for awhile because he likes the planes.

Yummy Yummy

I tried this recipe a couple of nights ago and it was a big hit. Tyson gobbled it up, and he's not a big chicken eater. The lemon juice and capers in the recipe add enough flavor so that not much salt is needed. Another bonus. It was very quick and easy. I like recipes with cutlets because they cook fast and evenly, and 2 chicken breasts can feed 4 people! I used broth to deglaze the pan although the original recipe calls for white wine. I think it works just as well. I should have taken a picture of the final product, but it was gone before I knew it!