Parents are busy, busy people. Down-time is a thing of yesteryear and it’s all about the kids. Whether you’re a parent or not, real life is filled with choices that affect us and kids. The time to sift through these choices isn’t always plentiful. I haven’t even been able to post here in about a month. Where does the time go?
Parenting, preparing for presentations in my sleep, logging hours at work, working from home, going to class, doing homework, commuting, and juggling. Lots of juggling. That’s definitely where the time went. A very Happy Mother’s Day to each of you dear Mommies, some of the most adventurous jugglers of all time. Hats off to each of you for what you do every day, in your sleep, on your unicycles, and wherever you do your thing. I’m here on your behalf, juggling alongside you and cheering you on loudly. I set this little web abode up a little over a year ago with you Mommies -and dear Daddies-, and the rest of you fine peeps in mind.
I don’t know about you, but the more chaotic life gets, the more the big-box temptations appeal to me. The pre-packaged, easy “magical foods” on the grocery store shelves: frozen pizzas, pre-baked breakfast goods, packaged snacks with lengthy ingredient lists, and things I generally don’t have to chop and cook, but instead open and indulge. But I work hard not to give in. Why? For my kid. Kids are what kids eat, afterall.
Grab-n-Go’s that require minimal self-discipline:
Stonyfield Yogurt
Raisins
Fruit (favorites: mandarin clementines, bananas, grapes, berries, apples)
Organic blue corn chips & avocado
Real cheese
Handful of raw almonds
Simple, yummy black bean hummus dip (uber easy recipe below)
When possible, I take free moments at home to prep and make ahead. One of my favorite prep-then-grab’s is to wash grapes, separate from vine, and store in a covered glass bowl in the fridge. They’ll take you through the week, and are at your fingertips as easy go-to snacks. Slice ‘em in half for the wee ones, of course. Yesterday morning, I made another batch of buttermilk pancakes that will also take us through the week, maybe more. Some pancakes were kept in the fridge for today and tomorrow, the rest were stored in the freezer, separated with parchment paper. Some weekday mornings, these hot cakes get a minute in the toaster oven, then they’re whisked off, straight up, for the commute. Following a banana, they’re a spectacular grab ‘n go homemade breakfast.
Looking for a protein-packed snack on the go? Check out this UBER EASY, delicious recipe. It’s a favorite of mine and my family’s.
Black Bean Hummus Dip
Ingredients
Can of organic black beans
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
handful of fresh spinach leaves
Spinach gives your black bean hummus a funky color and crazy super powers. Go green!
Do
1. Puree spinach leaves with olive oil (spinach can be raw or sauteed for a minute)
2. Blend spinach & olive oil sauce with can of black beans and garlic *do this with hand mixer or food processor: I use the magic bullet for simplicity
3. That’s it! Serve hummus dip alongside organic blue corn chips, celery, flatbread or any favorite hummus companion
Mmmmm.
Store this in the fridge, in serving-size containers to grab-n-go if you like. This makes a great snack or lunch side dish at work and school.
Life calls, gotta run….. A Very Happy Mother’s Day to YOU!
In this time when Big Food and Pharma are making mega profits, I'm acknowledging a broken system with options a parent can count on. While the information super highway puts infinite resources at our fingertips, navigating that maze leaves my head spinning. I created Spilled Ingredients as a sieve for all of us busy, real folks and parents.
