Mama's Gotta Eat

This weekend, I had the pleasure of preparing kid-friendly, gluten-free meals for Whitney and her family. I have known Whitney since I was 11 or 12 years old, and I remember thinking she was the COOLEST lady ever, so when she asked me back for a second round of a yeast-free food cleanse, I jumped at the chance! After looking over a great deal of material and planning, planning, planning, I put together a special program for Whitney that involved her two oldest children getting into the kitchen and helping make some familiar dishes that used vegetables and protein in a new way. We started the day making red velvet pancakes, sweetened with beet sugar and colored with- what else? Beets! While her youngest stirred the eggs and almond milk into the pancake mix (pre-made at my home to avoid any beet-related drama), her oldest stirred the yogurt with stevia powder to make a sweet "frosting". They learned that red velvet cake is really just chocolate cake with red coloring, and were

There's nothing that says summer or back-to-school food like eating sloppy joes outside with your children. These fiber-packed sandwiches can be made in advance, packaged separately and prepared at a picnic table or at the pool. Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 carrots, thinly sliced or grated 1/2 medium onion, minced Salt and pepper to taste 1 small can tomato paste 1 pound ground turkey (93% lean, dark meat) 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes 1 tablespoon honey 1 dash Worcestershire sauce 6 whole-wheat hamburger rolls, split Directions: In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium; add carrots and onion. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add turkey; cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, honey, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 12 to 14 minutes

A favorite lunchtime snack- described to kiddos as "EXTRA cheesy," because of the orange color from the carrots- is a great way to get a full serving of vegetables into your kids' diet! You can rotate the vegetables seasonally, adding butternut squash, pumpkin, orange peppers, etc. depending on what time of year it is. Ingredients: 3-4 peeled and thinly sliced carrots dash of salt 2 cups elbow macaroni 1 and 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded Directions: Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium saucepan, combine the carrots  and 1/4 cup of water. Season with salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderate heat until the carrots are very soft, about 30 minutes. Transfer the carrots and any liquid to a blender and puree until very smooth. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, keeping about 1 cup of the pasta water in the pan.  Return the pasta to the pot. Add the reserved water and the carrot

A simple recipe from Mama's Gotta Eat to stave off the cravings before heading to the grocery store! Ingredients: 1 1/4 cup rolled oats, divided 1/4 cup peanut butter 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds 1/3 cup nonfat dry milk 1/4 cup warm water 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons sliced almonds 2 tablsespoons chopped dates 2 tablespoons dried cranberries Directions: 1. Line a 5" x 8" loaf pan with wax paper.  2. Place 1 cup of the oats in a food processor and pulse until smooth. 3. Stir together the oat dust, remaining oats, peanut butter, flax seeds, dry milk, vanilla, chopped dates, and 1/4 cup warm water until the ingredients are incorporated. 4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan. Using the wax paper, press down firmly on the mixture until it forms a loaf shape. Set aside. 5. Toast the almonds over low heat until lightly browned. 6. Sprinkle cranberries and toasted almonds on top of the loaf and press lightly until they stick. 7.  Place