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Come Party With Me: Boy's Birthday - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:00:45 -0700

For a boy's birthday party on Alcatraz, pack a portable feast of special dishes that wouldn't normally be found in the common ten year olds lunch box. Keep things simple with easy to eat chicken salad pitas. On the side offer a pasta salad packed with salami and cheese and small bags of chips (let each boy select their favorite bag of chips). Don't forget to pack snacks in case they get hungry while on the tour. Cheese and crackers, crunchy trail mix, and homemade fruit roll ups are filling without being too sweet.
For these kid-friendly recipes, read more.

Chicken Salad Pitas
From Martha Stewart Kids

Ingredients

3 stalks celery, 1 coarsely chopped and 2 thinly sliced
1 medium sweet yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more for seasoning
2 (12 ounces total) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 cup (from one 11-ounce can) canned mandarin orange segments
8 (6 or 8 inch) pita breads
8 lettuce leaves

Directions

Bring 2 cups water, chopped celery, onion, carrot, thyme, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add chicken; cover and simmer until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a bowl; let cool, then shred with two forks. Discard contents of pan.
Stir together mayonnaise, lemon juice, and mustard in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in chicken, sliced celery, and almonds. Gently fold in orange segments.
Cut 1 inch from top of each pita to open pocket. Fill each pita with 1 lettuce leaf and 1/2 cup chicken salad.

Makes 8; Serves 4 to 6.

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Pasta Salad
From Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1 bunch fresh basil, stemmed and leaves chopped (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Pasto Salad:
1 pound fusilli pasta
1/2 cup hard salami, cut into strips (about 3 ounces)
1/2 cup smoked turkey, cut into strips (about 3 ounces)
1/4 cup provolone cheese, cut into strips
1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
2 tablespoons green olives, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons roasted red peppers, cut into strips
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Make vinaigrette: in a blender, add the basil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper. Blend until the herbs are finely chopped.
With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.
In a large bowl, toss together the cooked pasta with the remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Serve.

Serves 4-6.

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Trail Mix
From Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients

1 package (16 ounces) banana-nut granola
1 package (15 ounces) raisins
1 package (14 ounces) milk chocolate M&M's
1 can (12 ounces) honey roasted peanuts

Directions
In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 8-10 cups.

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Fruit Roll Up
From Better Homes and Garden magazine

Ingredients

1 6-ounce package dried apples
1-1/4 cups water
1/4 cup sugar

Directions

Turn on oven to 300 degree F.
In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to boiling; reduce heat.
Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until fruit is very tender. Drain off any liquid.
Blend in a food processor. Line a 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan with foil. Spray with nonstick coating.
Spread fruit in thin, even layer over foil and bake for 35 minutes.
Without opening the door, turn off oven and let dry overnight.
Lift foil and fruit leather off pan. Remove leather from foil; roll it up and wrap in waxed paper.
The fruit leather will keep in refrigerator up to 3 months or in the freezer up to 6 months.

Makes 1 large 15x10 inch fruit roll up.

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Make Your Own Fruit Roll Ups

partysugar — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:13:33 -0700

What child doesn't love fruit roll ups? There is something so satisfying about peeling the strip of chewy, sweetened fruit off a piece of sheer plastic. When I was younger, I never would have guessed that fruit roll ups could be homemade! But sure enough, like most store-bought processed snack foods, fruit roll ups can be made in your very own kitchen. I double dare you to make some for your kids (or yourself) today! It takes a little bit of time, but the result is a rewarding and tasty snack. For a peek at the recipe, read more

Homemade Fruit Roll Ups
From Martha Stewart Kids
Source

2 cups dried apricots
3 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 160 degrees with rack in center.
Place apricots in a large bowl, and cover with the water; let soak until they are completely soft, 30 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a fine sieve; drain, and reserve liquid.
Place apricots in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade; add honey and sugar. Process until mixture is very smooth and easily spreadable. If it is too thick, add up to 1 tablespoon soaking liquid.
Cover two 10-by-15-inch baking sheets with plastic wrap. Divide puree between the sheets; spread in a thin, even layer with an offset spatula.
Let dry in oven until mixture is firm but slightly tacky, about 8 hours or overnight. Remove from oven; let cool.
Peel fruit leather from plastic wrap, and cut into 1-inch-wide strips using a pizza cutter. Roll tightly into cylinders, and serve.

Makes 30 roll ups.

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Valerie Waters Says "Wake Up and Work Out"

FitSugar — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:00:36 -0700

Working out in the morning is always difficult for me, and even more so with the sun rising an hour later thanks to daylight saving. Due to my mom duties, I cannot take advantage of the extra evening light, so mornings it is.

After talking to celeb trainer Valerie Waters, I am more inspired to set my alarm, and then get up and go, for simple non-fitness reasons. On the topic of morning workouts, she told me,

"I believe that exercise makes you feel better. It makes you feel more confident and relaxed. If you exercise in the morning, you tend to be more aware of food intake throughout the day."

I heard this little snippet run through my head after turning off my alarm this morning. Rather than roll over and snooze, Val's voice helped motivate me onto the elliptical downstairs. Since I want whatever calories I burned before dawn to have an impact, I abstained from the sugar cookies making the rounds at Sugar Inc. and snacked on fruit and nuts instead. Thanks Val!

Could You Cut Your Grocery Budget Down to $1 a Day?

SavvySugar — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:00:58 -0700

No matter how frugal you are, and how many cost-saving measures you employ food costs probably make up a sizeable chunk of your budget. But what if they didn’t? What if you could spend very, very little on food - say, $1 a day - and use those savings elsewhere? Well, one blogger is attempting to do just that, and her experiment is interesting, to say the least. To find out more, keep reading.

Stone Fruit Variety or Snack Food Flavor?

YumSugar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 05:50:44 -0700

Today Party and I were talking about Summer stone fruits, and she remarked that she thought many of the season's fruit varieties had funny-sounding names that reminded her Gatorade flavors! I have to agree - some of the fruit names bear a striking resemblance to names that you might come across in the snack-food aisle. Are you able to identify whether the name is a stone fruit variety or a snack food flavor?

Take the quiz

Ava Anderson Wants You to Dump Your Toxic Skin Care

BellaSugar — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:02:51 -0800

Many of us have heard about the possible hazards of certain cosmetic ingredients, but at the age of 14, Ava Anderson decided to do something about it. After reading a study by the Environmental Working Group, she developed Ava Anderson Non-Toxic, a skincare range that earns a zero toxicity rating on the EWG's Cosmetic Safety Database.

The line is free of parabens, pthalates, and any other ingredient that doesn't rate a zero in safety. To see what I thought of some of the products, read more.

Food Review: Back to Nature Classic Granola

FitSugar — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 13:43:09 -0800

During the weekdays my breakfast routine is pretty standard - yogurt, granola, and fresh fruit. And while granola has achieved the status of being a good-for-you food, most of the store-bought stuff is loaded with hydrogenated oils. That's why I was stoked to find Back to Nature Classic Granola ($5).

I love how simple this granola is - rolled oats that are lightly sweetened with fruit juice - because it gives a basic foundation that I can jazz up. But the biggest plus is that it's made without using any oils. One serving only contains 25 calories of fat, not bad! It's a great way to get fiber into your diet, and it also contains a good amount of protein, iron, and magnesium.

To hear how it tastes read more.

As far as the taste goes, it can't be beat. It's crunchy and toasty, with just the right amount of sweetness, and the nutty, chewy flavor of the oats really come through. Overall the granola has sort of an old-school feel to it, like a simple, classic granola that was made at home by someone's grandmother. Because it's too not clumpy, it's easy to sprinkle over food and also absorbs my yogurt faster. After I get through this bag I'm moving on to the line's other flavors like, Organic Cherry Vanilla and Wild Blueberry Walnut.

Serving Size	1/2 cup
Calories	200
Total Fat	3 g
Saturated Fat	0.5 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Sodium	0 g
Potassium	220 mg
Carbs	39 g
Fiber	4 g
Sugars	12 g
Protein	6 g

Ingredients: Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Evaporated Cane Juice, Pineapple Juice Concentrate, Pear Juice Concentrate, Peach Juice Concentrate, Vitamin E, Natural Flavor.

What's your go-to granola?

Diane Can Multitask in Her Career and While Shopping

Molly — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 04:00:00 -0800

Diane Kruger chatted away on her phone and looked fashionable while shopping in Beverly Hills on Monday. She got a little animated during her call as she toted around the fruits of her labors. Diane might have been picking up a last minute holiday gift for someone else, but she also has a lot of stores and showrooms in her future when award season arrives. Inglourious Basterds is scoring big with nominations including a best supporting actress Golden Globes nod for Diane herself. She's also the new spokeswoman for L'Oreal to finish off an amazing year. We just hope Joshua Jackson is ready to suit up and accompany Diane when those red carpets roll out.

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Sometimes Smaller Is Better

OnSugar Blog — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:47:49 -0800

Here's a healthy eating tip from the OnSugar blog Coach Lark Says.

I am continually amazed at how great I feel when I stick to eating small portions instead of stuffing myself until I'm full. Every day I can pull it off, I feel energized and light on my feet.

"Small portions" generally means eating food that is roughly the size of your own fist . . . Like a half a sandwich, a half a cup of oatmeal, or a piece of fruit.

To see what Coach Lark ate today, read more.

Today, for instance, this is how I ate:

a tangerine at 5:30am
a half a fist-sized portion of oatmeal at 8:00am
a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich (on an English muffin) at 9:30am
a romaine lettuce salad at 12:30pm with carrots, red cabbage, onions, celery, radishes and a little bit of blue cheese dressing
a half an apple and a half a banana at 3:00pm
I worked out at 5:00pm and then had a spicy crab sushi roll right afterward

Now, obviously I'm not on a diet. I allow myself to splurge on goodies like bacon and blue cheese dressing - within reason. I balance it out with a lot of fresh fruits and veggies and fibers. In addition, I drink water all day. Today I had the energy of a super hero! And I can guarantee that I burned off any calories I took in with a balance of activity and allowing my body to properly digest with this "grazing" technique.

There are a lot of gimmicky diets out there, but limiting how much food I put in my belly at any one sitting is the best and healthiest way I know how to manage my weight. I attempt to eat this way every day. It's an ongoing battle to stick to healthy eating habits, but with this tactic, I don't feel deprived and starved . . . ever.

I am not always perfect in my eating habits. Sometimes I do pig out. But I keep trying, and I do the best I can.

My advice is this: If you can pull the small-portions eating plan off for just one day, you'll have created an experiential template going forward. Try it and see how you feel. You'll be inspired, you'll see!

As a dear friend and client said to me this morning, "It seems like we are always fattening ourselves up for the famine that never arrives."

It's time to relax. There is always more food in our future!

Want to see more? Start following Coach Lark Says or start your own OnSugar blog. We'd love to post your inspiring stories and helpful advice here on FitSugar too!

Food Review: Ultima Organic Blueberry Blue Corn Cereal

FitSugar — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:00:33 -0800

Being a big fan of blue corn chips (one of my weaknesses), you can imagine how psyched I was to see a cereal made with blue corn. Barbara's Bakery has a whole line of Ultima Organic cereals, and Blueberry & Blue Corn is the latest flavor.

Based on looks, the cereal appears rather ordinary, right? To find out if the cereal lived up to its bland looks and see how much fiber is in a serving, keep reading