Bags, Wrinkles, and Roots

Before The Moms’ Guide to Meal Makeovers was released, we were photographed for the back of the book and our website. Almost five years later, in desperate need of updated photos, we hired photographer extraordinaire David Shopper. Our directive to David was to photograph us in the kitchen doing what we do best: slicing, dicing, and cooking up a storm.

Though we have not yet seen the final photographs, our hope is that he’s able to touch us up a bit to lessen the bags under Janice’s eyes, our wrinkles, and Liz’s grey roots. Having make-up artist Jeri La Shay on the “set” came in handy too.

You’ll be able to see the final photos when we unveil our new website in the next month or so. As you can see from the amateur photos we took with David, Jeri, and Janice’s daughters, by the end of the day we were all a little bit loopy.

Our New Podcast

Well, we finally did it! After months of planning and preparation, we launched our new podcast this week, Cooking with the Moms. This 20-minute podcast/radio show is packed with fast and healthy recipe ideas and helpful mealtime tips designed to help you and your family eat a more nutritious diet.

We have discovered that there is quite a learning curve when starting a podcast. The biggest challenge was figuring out the technology end of the podcasting and iTunes world. In fact, we are still trying to understand some of the finer points! However, we are forging ahead and hope you will listen to our podcast and let us know what you think.

You can either listen to Cooking with the Moms by clicking the "listen here" button on our site, or you can download it to your mp3 player and tune in while you are walking, commuting, or working out. Either way, we hope you’ll join us (or download us) each week as we share our kitchen creations and cooking insights with you.

Get Your Kids to Eat Right (Part 3)

We thought we had heard it all when it comes to ideas for getting kids to try new foods. Not so! Meal Makeover Moms' Club member Amy D. of Houston Texas, faced with the challenge of feeding two extremely finicky boys, went to the extreme with one of the most clever, out-of-the-box strategies we've ever heard!

Here's what happens when Amy introduces a new food to her kids:

"If my boys eat it all, they can squeal like a pig and eat their food like a pig, a la 'Christmas Story.' You'd be surprised what becomes more palatable when you can really be a pig. And, yes, there is a mess and they only get the piggy opportunity on NEW foods. Besides, after a 'pig session' we always get a few 'squeals' when the same dish comes back around!"

Amy, you're a Meal Makeover Mom, that's for sure! We want to hear more fun and clever ideas. Simply click on the comments button and share your tips.

Beans are a Vegetable: Who Knew?

Many people are surprised to learn that beans are actually a vegetable. Whether it's black, pinto, cannellini, or garbanzo beans, they're a good source of fiber, protein, iron, potassium and folate. Beans are versatile and can be added to soups, salads, pasta dishes, salsas, dips ... even desserts! Here's a recipe featuring beans that we created just this week.

Farfalle Salad with Chick Peas & Broccoli
Makes 5 to 6 Servings

8 ounces dried farfalle pasta
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
One 7 3/4-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Two to three minutes before the pasta is done, add the broccoli. Bring back to a boil and cook until the pasta is done. Drain and place in a large bowl.

2. While the pasta is still warm, add the tomatoes, chickpeas, feta cheese, salad dressing, and basil and stir to combine. Serve warm or refrigerate for a cold salad. Garnish with basil leaves as desired.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 280 calories, 5g fat (2.5g saturated, 0.3g omega-3), 350g sodium, 42g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 11g protein, 20% vitamin A, 45% vitamin C, 10% calcium, 10% iron

* Click here for printer-friendly version

Share your favorite bean recipe by posting it to our blog.

Get Your Kids to Eat Right (Part 2)

Encouraging children to eat vegetables without complaint can be a tall order, but according to Diane P., fellow dietitian and mother of three from Johnston, RI, getting veggies on the table and into kids' tummies may be easier than you think! Here's her secret:

"When my children were 3, 5 and 7 years old I began to serve vegetables in a fancy side dish to only my husband and myself. One time they asked if they too could have some of the beautiful (expensive) asparagus. My husband and I looked at each other acted as though we were giving away a treasure and carefully portioned out a few delicate spears. My children now 19, 21 and 23 still love asparagus."

What kid can turn down a treasure!? By using this simple strategy, Diane and her husband made vegetables impossible to resist. Let us know how you get your family to eat and enjoy vegetables.

Get Your Kids to Eat Right (Part 1)

This is our first entry in a series of posts featuring creative ways to get your kids to eat a healthier diet. These suggestions are not our original ideas, but were sent to us by our Meal Makeover Moms' Club members! A few weeks ago, we sent our club members an email asking for tips, suggestions and strategies and the response was overwhelming. Over the next few weeks, we'll share your ideas right here on our blog, so be sure to visit often! Here's what Deb S. from Springfield, Ohio had to say:

"My kids must pack their own lunch every day. They started in first grade. They come home from school, pick a snack (usually pretzels, popcorn, toast, apple, etc) then start homework. As soon as homework is done they put their lunch together and stick it in the frig. They must include at least 1 fruit and 1 vegetable, a serving of whole grain (usually whole wheat bread, Triscuits, or dry cereal like raisin bran) and a serving of protein (usually lunch meat or peanut butter). A small water bottle goes in each lunch. They may also pick one small "snack" (pudding, jello, etc).

By making them pack their own lunch, they are learning how to look for and create a well balanced meal. I randomly check their lunches just to make sure they are sticking to the plan and I will sneak a special note in the lunch telling them what a great job they did packing that day. They are now very good at looking for a variety of food choices to satisfy each requirement. At the store, they check labels to see if the first ingredient is whole wheat or to look for the amount of fiber & protein in a dry cereal. I no longer have to make them eat vegetables or whole grains...they LOOK FOR IT. My older two kids are now in 3rd grade and 5th grade and it is just the way they eat. Of course, they get a McDonalds trip with their aunt and cousins every so often and they love candy, but I really feel like they limit it, not because I am standing over their shoulders, but because they have learned to make good choices on their own, and it all started from packing their own lunches!"

Thanks Deb. We love your tip and plan to try it with our kids (grades 2, 3, 7, 10). Stay tuned for more clever ideas coming soon ....

A Sneak Preview

When our website, MealMakeoverMoms.com, launched back in 2003, it was one of the coolest food websites out there (in our humble opinions). But now, even we must admit that it's in dire need of an extreme makeover! For our new site design, we've teamed up with Atlanta-based artist Laura Coyle, the same artist who illustrated our cookbook. Though we can't show you the new website just yet, we decided to give you a sneak preview of our new Meal Makeover Moms logo.

We'd love to know what you think of it. And while you're at it, feel free to share your thoughts on a few other aspects of our soon-to-be launched website. Here's what we'd like to know:

1. What kinds of recipes do you hope to see on our new website? Whether it's lunch box ideas, slow cooker, desserts or snacks, let us know.

2. On May 7th, we will be launching our weekly radio podcast, Cooking with the Moms. During each show, we'll tackle a different mealtime challenge -- fast weeknight dinners, healthy snacks for kids, brunch ideas -- and share two new recipes with our listeners. What are your mealtime challenges? What would you like to hear us talk about?

3. We're all about healthy recipe makeovers, so if you have a favorite family recipe you'd like us to tweak, send it our way.We look forward to reading your comments.