ADHD & Autism Cookbook

Heard great things about this cookbook and thought I should post this, because there are unfortunately so many children that are diagnosed with ADHD and Autism today... and many that are allergic to gluten and casein (milk products).

"You're child does not have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)...

he has NDD (Nutrition Deficit Disorder)."

-Dr. Sears

Brilliant.

Ashely Ann is a mommy of 4 kids (3 boys and a girl), and on her recent blog post on Under the Sycamore she wrote about how she is not a fan of cooking... so her and her friends started ONE MONTH COOKING.

She writes:

"How do I get a lot done in a day…I don’t cook everyday. We eat dinner as a family every night, but very rarely am I in the kitchen preparing it that day. A few of my friends and I have started cooking once a month. It is wonderful! We each pick 4 recipes and prepare them to go in the freezer. Then we trade. So we each end up with about 16 different meals and a few sides that are all great in the freezer. In the evenings I just have to pull something out of the freezer, let it thaw overnight and throw it in the oven or crockpot the next day. It makes my afternoons and evenings so much smoother and the amount of money we save is crazy.

There are all kinds of Once a Month cooking websites, recipes, tools online. You can get menus and schedules and be very Type A about it. For my friends, we have similar sized families, and kids that are the same ages…so our recipe choices and sizes are the same. We just pick stuff that will freeze well, make it and pick a week to trade. It makes me happy.

I usually pick one day to do my shopping and cooking. This month I finished all 16 meals (4 recipes x 4) in about 2.5 hours….and after I trade with friends I will have 16 great meals and will have saved a ton of money."

It's actually pretty brilliant. I think I'm going to start praying for mommies to do this with.. :)

You can read more about it here.

Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs

Though the weather is cooler, you can keep your grill hot with my favorite game day snack: bacon wrapped hot dogs.

I found this recipe on my favorite food site, www.zingermans.com.

Bacon Wrapped Hot Dog Recipe

Prep
Wrap a slice of bacon around each hot dog like the stripes on a candy can or barber's pole. Lay the wrapped dogs in a plastic bag or container. Chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. You want the bacon to stiffen up a little bit to hold its shape.
Tip: Thinly sliced bacon is easier to use and adheres to the hot dogs better than thicker cut.

Cooking
I prefer grilling (the traditional approach, since they're street food). The dogs can be cooked on the stove top as well. Place a cooking sheet or aluminum foil on top of the grate and use this as your cooking surface. Lay the dogs on the sheet. Cook for a few minutes on each side until the bacon is as crisp as you'd like it.

Buns & Toppings
The sweeter the bun you can find, the better. If you're lucky enough to have a Mexican bakery in your area, shop there. Bun toasting is optional.

Standard toppings: yellow mustard, ketchup, crema (you can substitute sour cream), chopped jalapeños—either roasted or grilled.

Optional toppings used by different vendors: chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, relish, mayonnaise, mango, pineapple, salt.

Recipes

English Muffin Pizza
This recipe saved me one night during an unexpected visit from all the neighborhood kids. They were having such a great time playing, but they got hungry! I opened my trusty Joy of Cooking book (p.182) and found this simple, inexpensive recipe that took a few minutes and fed the whole crew! At the time I didn't have English Muffins, so I substituted tortillas (which were a hit). And later I tried the recipe with english muffins and my kids really enjoyed it!

1 to 2 servings

Spit in half:
1 English muffin

Toast the flat sides under the broiler. Spread the untoasted sides with:
1 tablespoon tomato sauce, chili sauce, or catsup

Sprinkle with:
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Top each with:
1/4 cup grated Cheddar, mozzarella or Swiss

Over all:
1 teaspoon olive oil

Broil until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

****

My kids love pancakes for breakfast, so I thought I'd surprise them with sweet Crepes.
The kids loved it and so did I! Here's my favorite recipe from The Joy of Cooking (p. 649).

Savory Or Sweet Crepes

Savory Crepes
Combine in a bowl and mix until smooth:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup lukewarm water
4 large eggs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Sweet Crepes
Prepare as above, adding 3 tablespoons sugar and decreasing the salt to 1/8 teaspoon.

Smoothies!

My boys are always trying to get up from their seat as soon as they sit down for their meal. If you have hyper boys who don't like to sit still to eat, smoothies can be a great alternative to getting nutrition fast. There are plenty of simple recipes for getting fruit and calcium intake. Below is an example of one of my favs. The measurements are up to your tasting, but here's a rough guideline.

Add the following ingredients to your blender:
1 banana (I prefer frozen slices of bananas that I previously cut and froze)
3/4 cup of berries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt or flavored
3/4 cup milk OR orange juice
1/2 cup crushed ice (optional, in case you want it slushy)
Mix for 30 seconds or until smooth

Simple Meals

SIMPLE, FAST, EASY and HEALTHY meals are every mom's heart's desire right?!

Well, I recently purchased a Real Simple magazine and tried some of their recipes which were very easy to prepare and delicious!! So.. I went on their website and found a plethora of wonderful recipes!! The best part is, you can look up recipes by: main ingredient, course, occasion, cuisine, and/or convenience. There is also a "kid-friendly" option which is super helpful.

I typically check my refrigerator, see what kind of meat I have and search via "main ingredient" and viola! I've also done this with other recipe sites such as allrecipes.com, but what I like most about Real Simple is... well, it's just quite SIMPLE and tasty!

Below are some recipes that I've prepared and really enjoyed:



STEAK WITH SPINACH COUSCOUS - 20mins

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 10-ounce box couscous
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1/4 cup crumbled Feta (1 ounce)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

• 1Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the steak with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook to the desired doneness, 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let rest before slicing.
• 2Cook the couscous according to the package directions; transfer to a large bowl.
• 3Wipe out the skillet. Cook the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, the garlic, and pine nuts over medium heat, stirring, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold into the couscous with the spinach, Feta, lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with the steak.

CHICKEN WITH GRILLED PEACHES AND ARUGULA- 20mins

Ingredients

• 4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 medium red onions, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
• 3 peaches, cut into wedges
• 1 bunch arugula, thick stems removed (about 4 cups)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 ounces blue cheese, broken into pieces

Directions

• 1Heat grill to medium-high. Brush the chicken with 1 teaspoon of the oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. In a bowl, toss the onions, peaches, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
• 2Grill the chicken and onions until the chicken is cooked through and the onions are tender, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Grill the peaches until charred, 2 minutes per side.
• 3Toss the arugula with the onions, peaches, vinegar, and remaining oil. Top with the cheese; serve with the chicken.

CHICKEN WITH TARRAGON AND LEEKS- 4h30min (slow cooker meal!)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds baby new potatoes (about 16)
• 8 small skinless chicken thighs (1 1/2 pounds)
• 3 leeks (white and light green parts), halved lengthwise and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup dry white wine
• Kosher salt
• 1 10-ounce package frozen peas
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

Directions

• 1Place the potatoes on the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add the chicken, leeks, wine, and 1 teaspoon salt.
• 2Cook, covered, until the chicken and potatoes are tender, on high for 3 to 4 hours, or on low for 6 to 7 hours.
• 3Transfer the chicken and all but 4 of the potatoes to plates. Using a fork, smash the remaining potatoes into the cooking liquid to thicken.
• 4Add the peas and cream and cook just until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Spoon over the chicken and sprinkle with the tarragon.

Crockpot Recipes

I never cooked with a crockpot before I had kids. In fact, I didn't even own one... but I soon discovered how great the crockpot is.. especially if you're going on an outing with your kids during the day, you can prepare the crockpot in the morning and "voila!" your dinner is ready when you get home!

Here is my favorite crockpot cookbook. "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook" by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann. Easy recipes, simple directions and yummy food!! I give it five stars!