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 ...

I know it's several weeks after the Academy Awards, but I don't care, because the title of this blog is cute and true, and if you disagree, that is really rude of you. I'm talkin' 'bout my Messican Chili Lime Roasted Corn. It is so zesty and full of flavor that your mouth will beg for it to be summertime. I know corn isn't quite seasonal yet, but if you get some from the Farmer's Market or even the pre-packaged, probably-genetically-modified corn from the grocery store, it works. Save this recipe for summer and it'll be even better.  Mexican Chili Lime Roasted Corn on the Cob Serves: 4. Or 2, if you're as hungry as my husband and I are. Ingredients: 4 corn cobs with husks on 4 tbsp Greek Yogurt 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 tsp Chili Powder 1 tsp Tony ChaCha's Cajun Seasoning Juice of 1 lime Directions: Pull back the husks of the corn and remove as much of the silk as you can, then replace the husks. Grill corn, husks down, for ...

Or rather, "Family Friendly Dallas Restaurants." Whichever you prefer as the title.  When I eat out at a restaurant, I usually take notice of the menu offerings, the atmosphere, the friendliness or unfriendliness of the staff, and anything else that catches my eye. You probably do the same thing, too. I also scan the room for anyone who has a tiny dog inside a bag, and for any kids that might be interested in playing a game of "let's make funny faces" with me. I can get fairly bored waiting for my food at restaurants. Staring at an animal or a child can make the time pass quicker. Through extensive ADHD research of darting my eyes around every restaurant in the DFW area, I present to you without further delay, the top 5 best restaurants I've eaten at where there are children present and also a woman breastfeeding that no one particularly seemed to care about. Because, you know, your baby needs to eat, but so do you, and it should taste good. 1. Cane Ross...

Let's talk about your breakfast. It's not fulfilling you, is it? Your self loathing is sinking in with each unhappy bite of oatmeal, accompanied by the bitter aftertaste of an artificial sweetener, or is that your own caustic hatred of this low-cal "heart healthy" breakfast you're tasting? You need a better breakfast...but you have your impossibly high standards: It should be quick and easy to make, and compact enough to eat on the run. It should be under 300 calories. It should be something socially acceptable to eat in public. Filling enough to keep you from running to the office cafeteria to grab a spare banana and maybe a muscle milk, but not so filling that you have to run out of your morning meeting to release the, um, fiber. Guess what? You're a picky little snot. But you're not alone. I recently crafted this breakfast muffin recipe that my husband and I have come to swear by (and also my dog, who fished one out of the trash when my hormonal brain f...