Mommy is Working tonight, Whats for dinner? #KFHealthyKids #cbias

This weekend Mommy made a decision to put some extra time in on her writing and blogging which meant the boys had to cook dinner. Thankfully, there was a healthy option for them. Kidfresh Healthy Kids frozen meals from Safeway 
The boys each picked out a meal and cooked it themselves under a watchful eye from Daddy.

Nathan selected Wagon Wheels Mac+ Cheese which seemed almost too easy as he loves anything pasta and cheese. 

Cameron went for the Rainbow Rice + Chicken. He loves veggies and chicken so it made sense. He was excited that it would be like fried rice without the eggs. 

 When we picked up the frozen meals, we were happy to see a reasonable price and a fairly easy selection, not too many choices. Although we had trouble finding them initially, we were happy to see them labeled in the freezer section of our local Safeway store and with a special club price. I also had a $1.00 off coupon so the price of $1.99 each was a value, especially for a treat. 

Cameron was happy with his meal and loved that it only took a couple of minutes in the microwave. He says 4 stars for the Rainbow Rice + Chicken. Nathan on the other hand said the Mac + Cheese was a little too simple and needed some more flavor. He had Daddy taste it and they added a touch of sea salt and pepper. I know sometimes healthy can be bland, but I think he was just having a day where he needed a little extra salt. 
If you would like to see our whole journey with Kidfresh , check out this photo journey
I love that I can find healthy options that I don't always have to cook for the kids, and I love that I can read and share thoughts on healthy kids with others on Facebook.

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Kidfresh #CBias #SocialFabric #KFHealthyKids, all opinions and thoughts on the product are my own personal thoughts. 

 
 

Harvest Season part 1

Harvest season is here in a BIG way this year.
Our garden is blessing us, our friends' gardens are blessing us,my parents' garden is blessing us,  and our local gleaners group is blessing us.
Yes I used the word blessing four times. Truly the harvest is a blessing.
So far this year we have harvested and put up: cherries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, cauliflower, brocolli, kale, corn, greenbeans, apples, and peaches.
On the coming list cabbage, leeks, garlic, squash, pears, more corn, more cauliflower, more broccoli, more kale, and hopefully beets, and root vegetables.

What do I do with all these things?
Can, freeze, and dry them.

I steamed apples for juice. Round 1 on the steamer gave me 4 qts of juice and 5 qts of applesauce as I ran the cooked apples through the Folly Food Mill after the fact so we didn't waste anything.
I added a teaspoon of honey and 1/2 a teaspoon of citric acid for a preservative to each jar.
I still have 8 gallons of apples to juice, dry, and freeze so there will be more to come. I am also hoping for a few more varieties later in the season.

I purged the pantry in late July to get ready for the harvest and took my 18 qts of tomatoes from last year (that is what I had left) and slow cooked them in my electric roasting pan with some italian seasoning for a basic spaghetti sauce. I ended up with 11 freezer containers (a little larger than a pint) ready to go. Now I have the top shelf of my pantry ready for other goodies and I have 11 package of sauce in the freezer ready to add meat , veggies, and past to.

I purchased 4 boxes of peaches (22lbs each) through our gleaners group. I have been putting them in qt and pint jars. I cut them in half, pitting them and stuffed them in the jars. I used a combination of citric acid and honey and water for each jar. We ended up with 13 qts and 7 pints of peaches so far. I am also drying some for snacks and flash freezing the rest for smoothies. I am still planning on at least 1 batch of jam and 2 pies before all is said and done with the peaches.



Later this week I will post more of the harvest season. Kale, veggies, pickles, pears, and organizing it all.

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Getting ready to stay well during this season

Are you ready to stay well during the cold and flu season?

What kind of things do you do to stay healthy during this season? I would love to hear from you.
I'll share what we do around here.
First keep vitamin C in our diets. One awesome way of doing that is 100% pure Florida Orange Juice. While my boys like juice drinks most have are watered down with other things and during this time of year I try and keep it 100% juice.  I have homemade juice in the pantry but Oregon isn't a good place for growing oranges so I make sure to find 100% Orange juice for the winter months to keep them pumped full of vitamin C.
Another great idea is to check your multi-vitamin? Are you getting all the good stuff?
This year we have been blessed by a mild winter and have lots of opportunities to soak up the sun and get some extra doses of vitamin D.
Remembering to drink enough water is another way to help. The cooler air tends to dry us out when we don't expect it.
I also keep Emergen-C in the cupboard along with a couple boxes of teas that include immune boosters.
Finally eating well helps keep a healthy body healthy. I love making soups and stews during the winter filled with extra veggies as I know we tend to not eat enough fruits and vegetables during the winter.  Yesterday was a perfect example. I made a pot of meatball minestrone soup and added extra carrots, celery, and even some sun dried tomatoes I had saved from the fall.
I try to keep on hand a "kit" of things for the seasonal colds. This includes things like teas, throat lozenges, soups, and the occasional Over the counter pain reliever.
Did you know Safeway is helping support us with a special promotion, "Be Well, Save Well" . Stop by your local Safeway Pharmacy and ask about the program. They should have a special flyer that is packed full of coupons and helpful recipes and ideas to support you during the cold and flu season.
One last way to help stay healthy during this season. Wiping down surfaces can help stop the germs from spreading.
On your next trip to the grocery store , make sure you have your own Cold and Flu Season Kit fully stocked and ready.

• This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for CollectiveBias. #CBias all thoughts and opinions are that of the blog's owner/