Happy Labor Day! I’m planning like normal despite the holiday. This is a big week for us as Big A’s first day of Kindergarten is Tuesday. I feel like we are moving onto a whole new stage of parenting. Little D is finally potty trained, has transitioned to a big bed and moves up to the “big” class in preschool this week.
Big A’s soccer is also gearing up with practices on Tuesday so that day needs to be easy meals. I’m trying this amazing looking pasta dish — I’ll have the chicken, pasta and broccoli already cooked and will just do the sauce when I get home. We love garlic around here.
For more meal planning ideas see Org Junkie.
What’s Cooking this Week?
Monday: BBQ at home
Tuesday: Pasta with roasted garlic, chicken and broccoli with a big green salad.
Wednesday: Kids choice (they’ve been asking for turkey meatballs lately)
Thursday: Grilled white fish with Thai rub sauce (Costco), baked sweet potato, roasted cauliflower and fruit salad
Friday: Homemade pizza with roasted veggies with a big salad
More ideas from Cooking Light
Chicken Nugget Recipe Makeover
The New Stage
I know that a lot of parents feel sad when their child goes to kindergarten but I don’t feel that way. I’m really excited about this new stage of parenting but also know there will be challenges. First there are the organizational ones which always haunt me. But there will be feeding challenges as well.
I’ve been making lunches for Big A about three times a week and I’m going to keep it that way. She is going to a private Catholic school and while they don’t have a cafeteria, they do have a hot lunch program with the option to buy meals. I figure two meals a week from outside will give her more variety than my packed lunch — and give me a break.
Her school is only a few years old so I see an opportunity to influence the feeding/food culture there. I have already talked to the principal about starting a health and wellness committee. This is not to enforce strict rules but to help keep feeding/meals positive (ensuring enough time to eat!), and to prioritize quality meals, adequate and fun physical activity and developmentally appropriate nutrition and food education. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.
Big A’s interest in new foods is blossoming. We were discussing food groups and she pointed to the lobster saying she wanted to try that. When I asked her why she said, “It looked really tasty when Uncle Mike was eating it at the restaurant.” When I asked her why she didn’t say anything she said she didn’t want to be rude.
I assured her that it wouldn’t be rude to express interest in someone else’s food (especially family) and I’m currently figuring out how to cook some lobster.
News: Eggs, Good Parenting and Feel-Good Exercise
The latest health news includes a new study published in Atherosclerosis about eggs’ effect on heart health. Researchers looked at over 1,000 men and women to examine the effects of egg yolks on the plaque buildup, comparing it to the effects of cigarette smoking — which were similar. The media went for the catchy headline, saying eggs are as bad as cigarettes.
What’s important to remember, as this WebMD article points out, is that this is a single study and because of its design (epidemiological) it cannot prove cause and effect. Also, when you look at the research on eggs (cholesterol) as a whole, it doesn’t match up.
The researchers say that more research is needed to draw conclusions: “This hypothesis should be tested in a prospective study with more detailed information about diet, and other possible confounders such as exercise and waist circumference.”
I really don’t love studies that look at individual foods because the total diet is what matters most. Did the egg-eaters also eat a lot of sausage and other processed meats? Did they exercise? This is all important stuff in my book. This certainly doesn’t make eggs bad, just more research is needed to see what those results really meant.
There was an interesting article in Psychology Today about researched-based evidence for good parenting. It goes against all the modern-day things we feel the need to do in order to make the grade (classes, activities, stimulation etc.). The results are common sense with the number one successful parenting factor being good-old-fashioned LOVE and affection. Hug your kid today!
The last bit of news was in the New York Times and featured research from my friend and colleague, Michelle Segar, PhD. If you lack the motivation to exercise, this article will help change your tune.
As always, that’s enough rambling. Have a wonderful week and let me know how you are doing in the comments.
I’ve been following your blog for a while now, but this is my first time to post. I want to say that I really love the down-to-earth, encouraging, and educated advice you impart! What really caught my eye about your post was the story about your daughter and her interest in trying lobster. It reminded me of the one time I introduced my daughter to lobster…she was around 2 years old and was facinated by them swimming in the tank at the grocery store. While I was there watching her I remembered a recipie I had seen recently in a magazine for Lobster Macaroni and Cheese and decided to try it out. My daugther helped me prepare it and it turned out great. I’ve enjoyed thinking about this little adventure that happened about 4 years ago! Let us know how you decided to cook your lobster 🙂
Thanks Pery! That is a good idea. We might start with going out to eat. She said she wanted to wear an apron, like her uncle (We were at red lobster). But the mac and cheese sounds good. Will be sure to update you on how it goes!