Picky Eaters

From Chaos to Calm: Day Forty-One

 Picky Eaters

 Scripture Memory: “Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself.” Ezekiel 4:9

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Oh, the joys of motherhood. Cooking supper in your pretty apron with your hair fixed and a sweet helper washing the dishes as you go…

Oh, wait – this is real life! I don’t know about you, but supper time can be stressful. I enjoy cooking for my family. I really work hard to prepare healthy meals that look and taste good. Unfortunately, there is always at least one child who is less than thrilled with the menu. Whether it is Emily’s dislike of broccoli, James’ dislike of eggs and mayonnaise, or Sarah’s dread for coleslaw, it seems out of five kids the only nights everyone is thrilled is when I make spaghetti.

We have a rule in our house that no one is allowed to be picky. This rule starts at around the age of five. Before that, I encourage, but do not insist that they eat what is served. They must eat something of everything and they must eat what they take. I do not believe in forcing a child who feels full to continue eating. In this case, my children have the option of finishing their dinner at a later time. They know they will not be allowed to waste the food.

Children who are allowed to eat only the foods they really love grow up to be adults who don’t like vegetables. Over the years my children have grown to love greens, salads, spinach, and asparagus. Emily is even beginning to like broccoli! Our taste buds change over time. Not only that, but you can retrain your own taste buds by eating foods you don’t care for on a regular basis.

Some foods that my own mother did not serve – which I grew up disliking – were beets, mushrooms, olives, asparagus, sauerkraut, spinach and more. I am happy to report that thanks to my husbands encouragement, I LOVE all of these foods now and cook them frequently.

Children should not be allowed to waste food. I can’t count the times I have attended a potluck dinner and watched as children piled their plates high with good food only to throw most of it in the trash minutes later. God is not honored by our waste. Children need to learn that food is a blessing from God. Part of being a good steward is eating the food we are provided and avoiding waste as much as possible. My children know when we go to a potluck or eat at someone else’s home that they are to politely eat what they are served.

Teach your children about nutrition. Let them help you choose healthy foods at the grocery store. Tell them why you do not eat certain foods or why some foods should only be eaten in moderation. Teach them how to properly care for their bodies. More importantly show them by your own example.

 

Host a Cookie Swap!

This year, why not host a fun Cookie Swap with your friends? Or how about with the women in your church? This would make a perfect social for Women’s Ministries!

How it Works:

Each person bakes one batch of their favorite cookie for each guest attending the cookie swap. So, if there are 12 guests attending, each guest will bring 12 dozen cookies. Be sure everyone brings the recipe along with their cookies!

You can print out our Cookie Swap Organizer for free!

Note: I suggest printing the recipe cards onto cardstock paper.

Have you ever hosted a cookie swap? What is your favorite cookie recipe?

Turkey Veggie Platter

This would be so much fun for the Kids Table at Thanksgiving Dinner. Serve with homemade Ranch Dressing. Yum!

Speaking of Mason Jars…

…it’s that time of year again. My husband went to the Farmer’s Market in Asheville, NC on Friday with plans for going back this coming Thursday for more produce. I love it, but that also means, the pressure is on! I have canned <a href=”http://melissaringstaff.blogspot.com/2011/01/preserving-new-year.html”>a lot of produce since January</a>.

Some of the produce I have to get put up came from our garden … [read more]

Mason Jars

Have you missed me? This summer flew by, oh wait, summer been over for… weeks! Yes, fall is quickly passing me by as well it seems. I have had next to no time for my blog or website, much to my great disappointment. But I have learned over the years – 10 years blogging – that life needs to come first, family needs to come first. So I live by that rule when it comes to computer time. Anyway… here is a nifty little tip.

I love Mason Jars. I mean, really, what’s not to love? I use them for drinking, food storage, canning, flower vases, organizing, and more.

I have purchased quite a few boxes of Ball plastic lids for my Mason Jars. I love them. I can’t seem to get enough of them. But then I discovered that your typical mayonnaise jar and some peanut butter jar plastic lids fit a regular mouth Mason Jar. Talk about frugal and recycling at the same time!

Meal Planning and the Grocery Store

From Chaos to Calm: Day Thirty-Eight

Meal Planning and the Grocery Store

Scripture Memory: ”She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.”  Proverbs 31:14

 

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Before you can cook a delicious meal for your family, you will need to have a pantry(1) stocked with good foods. You will be able to prepare a wide variety of recipes if you have the basics already in your cupboard.

Grocery shopping with small children in tow is not always fun, so if you are able to do this when your husband is able to watch the children, you will be able to get done faster and probably save more money. Another option would be to trade off grocery shopping days with a friends and watch each other’s children on grocery day.

You want to prepare for your shopping trip. A good day to plan your weekly shopping is the day you clean out the refrigerator or perhaps the day after. Plan your meals(2) for the coming week. I typically do this a week ahead of time, but you can do it however you prefer.

To shop wisely and save more money, when you are planning your meals, have the weekly sales flyer available and plan as many meals around good deals as you can.

Make a shopping list of those items that are missing from your pantry. Make a list of those special things you need to prepare the recipes for each meal. Make a list of other items that you will need to prepare desserts and/ or snacks during the week. When planning snacks, think healthy – dried fruit versus candy, baked chips versus fried…

Remember that some foods are wants and other foods are needs. Foods that provide good nutrition are the needs! Try to limit the amount of processed and refined foods that you bring into your home. Whole foods – living foods – will provide the nutrition your family needs.

When planning your meals you want to think of colors. If your plate is all one color, you are missing out on important vitamins and minerals. For instance, serving sides of potatoes and corn mean serving foods that are similar - both starches. Instead of serving these in the same meal, try serving a green vegetable, a white vegetable and a yellow/ orange vegetable.

It can be fun to read cookbooks to get new ideas. You can learn a lot about what foods and flavors work well together by reading recipes. I love to cook foods from different cultures. By offering a wide variety of foods and flavors to your children when they are young, you will train them to not be picky eaters. I believe that children should be required to eat at least a small portion of everything you serve. When I was young, I didn’t much care for turnip greens, but after years of eating my greens, I grew to love them! It is possible to train – or even retrain – your taste buds!

Ever heard the term “acquired taste?” This is because some foods do take a certain level of “getting used to” before you fully enjoy them.

When planning your grocery shopping, go through your coupons for bargains on items you

regularly purchase or would like to try. Use coupons as much as possible, but always compare prices and brands. Store brands very often are as good a quality as the name brand product. By in bulk those items that you use frequently when they go on sale. You can begin using a price book(3) and track sales and sale prices.

Planning, shopping, and preparing meals should be a source of joy, of true contentment in your life. By planning ahead, you will know what you are going to cook each day. You won’t panic at 4:00 when you suddenly realize the dinner hour is approaching. Instead you will have prepared a balance meal. You will know that over the course of a week, your family has benefited from a variety of nutritious foods and that their bodies have been cared for.

God has given you the awesome responsibility of feeding your family. Embrace it!

 

Footnotes:

1.  You can download a printable Pantry Inventory List at: http://www.avirtuouswoman.org/at-home/household-notebook/ and find a list for the Basic Pantry at:  http://www.avirtuouswoman.org/2011/02/23/the-basic-pantry/

2. You can download a printable Weekly Menu Planner at: http://www.avirtuouswoman.org/at-home/household-notebook/

3. You can download a free printable Grocery Price List at: http://www.avirtuouswoman.org/at-home/household-notebook/

 

Cooking in the Kitchen

From Chaos to Calm: Day Thirty-Seven

Cooking in the Kitchen

Scripture Memory: “Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.”  Philippians 3:19 (NIV)

 

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Do you enjoy cooking? I love to cook. I am always on the hunt for new recipes to try. My favorite shows to watch on TV are on the Food Network! Cooking for my family is very time consuming. Of course, we have five children living at home. The bigger they get the more food they eat. I also regularly feed my step daughter and her family. They live right down the street from us, so we are always asking them to eat with us – sometimes 4 or more times a week! So, there are ten of us regularly around the table. Holidays and other family get-togethers mean cooking for up to twenty– five people!

I suppose it is a good thing I enjoy cooking! I think that part of enjoying cooking is knowing how to cook. I mean, it wouldn’t be much fun if I was always ruining a recipe or burning the food. I love to eat, and I know what I like to eat. I am not afraid to change a recipe if I don’t have all of the ingredients.

When I left home, years ago, I really didn’t know how to cook very much. I had to learn. If you struggle with preparing food for your family, or if your recipes are the butt of many family jokes, perhaps it is time you really took the time to learn to cook.

The foods you prepare and serve to your family – and friends – will leave a lasting impression on them. Food that is lovingly prepared stamps a seal of love on the hearts of those eating it. When people come to my house, they know they will enjoy the food and get plenty to eat. I don’t want anyone to leave hungry!

Food is also about tradition. Traditions play such an important role in the day to day interaction of family members. Children thrive on tradition. During the holidays, I always make the same recipes – wonderful cheese crackers, date balls, snowball cookies, spiced pecans, and pumpkin pies. I also incorporate new recipes each year and favorites are repeated. But it is not just during the holidays that your family can enjoy food traditions. Make Saturday night “Taco Night” or invite family and friends over for Dad’s Famous Salsa and Monday Night Football can be a treat. It doesn’t really matter the food or the reason, just that it is familiar and comforting.

As a wife and mother, food also plays a vital role in the health of your family. If your children are overweight, if you and your husband are overweight, or even if you were blessed by the “skinny gene,” your heart and health and their heart health is directly related to the foods you choose to serve. If you eat healthy but your husband doesn’t want to, you can greatly improve his health by learning to cook foods he likes in a healthy way. It is possible!

Today, I just want to encourage you to really consider what you are preparing for your family every day. It is up to you to teach your children to eat healthy! Whole foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains are essential to good health. You want to serve indulgent foods in

moderation. Processed foods give very little in the way of good nutrition, and should be avoided as much as possible. I recommend learning to cook as much as possible from scratch.

If you are unsure of what to do, get a good basic cookbook. Just start practicing! Schedule time each week to learn a new recipe. List areas that you might need to change:

- Cooking from scratch

- Eat more vegetables

- Eat less fat

- Eat less food

- Eat regular meals

- Cut out snacks

- Cut out late night eating

Now, you may be saying, “This is too hard!” I know. It can be a great challenge to change our patterns of eating. Today, I just want you to begin thinking about it. But for now, just think about it. Pray about it. Ask God to help you overcome any struggles you have with your appetite.

 

Mopping the Floor and More

From Chaos to Calm: Day Thirty-Six

Mopping the Floor and More

Scripture Memory: “Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15:8-10

 

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In the parable of the lost coin, Jesus reminds us that no matter how far we walk away from Him, He is always and will always seek us out. Like the woman who rejoiced when she found her lost coin, all of heaven rejoices when on of God’s children repents and finds his way home.

Sometimes, even believers have moments of weakness and regrets. I know how hurt I feel when I realize I was not in line with God’s will. It pains my heart to think of how little my faith can be at times! If it is God’s will for me and you to be keepers at home, caring for, and providing for our families, we are sinning if we are not doing those things we should be doing.

I am not talking about those days when nothing goes right or everything seems to work against you. I am talking about day in and day out. God knows what is in our hearts. If we are not keepers at home within our hearts, there is no use in pretending otherwise. We should be rejoicing at the opportunity to serve and minister to our sons and daughters and our husbands.

I am sure you have been working hard this week to get your kitchen clean and fresh smelling just as I have. There is nothing like waking up to a clean kitchen in the morning! I want to stress the importance of going to bed with a clean kitchen. It will start your day off right!

Today, we will be cleaning the walls, the cabinets, and the floors. If you have children, this is a good day to incorporate them in your tasks. So, get your buckets out, fill them with sudsy water. My favorite all purpose cleaner is Mr. Clean. I use this to mop the floors and scrub walls. If you have wood finishes in your kitchen you will want to use a product such as Murphy’s Oil Soap.

Begin with the cabinet doors and the walls. This is a perfect job even for the littlest helper! My favorite product ever for cleaning walls is the Magic Eraser. If you have not yet tried it, you need to! It is even perfect for the two year old who drew crayons on the wall. You can teach a lesson while having your child actually clean the mess!

Before mopping the floor you will need to clear the floor of shoes, chairs, baskets, etc. and sweep really well. You can pre-treat stuck on spills with a spray all purpose cleaner. Older children can help mop the floors. The best clean is done on hands and knees. However, you can use a mop. I prefer the Libman mop myself, although, my children often scrub floors for me and I do not let them use the mop. If you are looking for a creative form of discipline try scrubbing floors! The kids will be able to serve their “time” and help with the cleanliness of the house.

After each meal, remember to tidy the kitchen. Before you go to bed tonight, put away all clutter, food, and wash any leftover pots, pans, and dishes. Start the dishwasher if it is full.

Sanitize your sink and change your dirty kitchen linens for fresh ones. Soak your sponges in the sink with hot water and a little bit of bleach.

Make this a part of your nightly routine. If you are new to doing this on a regular basis, you may find you struggle some with making it a habit, but have faith! If you tidy up after each meal, this should only take a few minutes. I have never had to spend more than 15 minutes in the evening preparing the kitchen for the morning if I have kept up with it during the day. If you plan to bake muffins or pancakes or biscuits in the morning, you might want to prepare the batters before turning in for the night as well.

Spend a few minutes praising God for the simple pleasures of a job well done and His faithfulness for seeing you through.

 

Cleaning the Stove

From Chaos to Calm: Day Thirty-Five

Cleaning the Stove

Scripture Memory: “So let us celebrate the festival, not by eating the old bread of wickedness and evil, but by eating the new bread of purity and truth.” 1 Corinthians 5:8 (NLT)

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Cleaning the Stove Top: Daily:
1. Begin cooking with a clean stove.
2. While cooking, wipe up any spills immediately as is safe. Do not try to wipe up spills if you will risk a burn.
3. For baked on food and grease, use a mild abrasive such as Bar Keepers Friend.
4. Always Wipe down the stove top as part of your daily kitchen clean up.
* Cooking at high temperatures will cause food to spill and splatter more frequently.*

Cleaning the Stove Top: Weekly:
1. Remove electric burners or gas burner grates
and burner drip pans.
2. Place grates and drip pans in the sink. Spray with a fume free oven cleaner or other heavy duty cleaner and let soak.
3. Remove any excess food crumbs or spills.
4. Using a mild abrasive such as Bar Keepers Friend, sprinkle powder over baked on grease (often found around drip pan edges).
5. Wet a sponge or other cleaning cloth.
6. Squeeze out most of the moisture so it is not dripping, but leave very damp.
7. Begin scrubbing until the moisture is gone. Rinse and Repeat as needed until the stove top is clean.
8. Using a clean cloth or sponge, wipe down the entire outside of the stove, as well as under knobs.
9. Raise the stove top to clean underneath and proceed in a similar fashion until the underside is clean.
10. Line with aluminum foil, to prevent this step in the future. If you have already been lining your stove with the foil, simply replace with fresh foil.
11. Lower stove top.
12. Using hot sudsy water and your cleaning cloth or sponge, wipe the walls and cabinets around the stove to remove food and grease splatters.
13. Fill sink with hot water and scrub drip pans and/ or gas burner grates. Rinse.
14. After drip pans and/ or are dry, return them to the stove.
15. Wipe electric burners, while cool, with a damp cloth and return to stove.

Cleaning the Oven: Weekly:
*If you have a self cleaning oven, you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning. Do not use commercial cleaning products in these ovens.*
1. For non-self-cleaning ovens, use a good commercial oven cleaner. The fume free ones are more pleasant to use. Be careful not to breathe the fumes, wear a dust mask if you need to.

2. Evenly coat the entire surface of the oven.
3. Allow to soak for the recommended amount of time.
4. Wearing rubber gloves, wipe out the oven using paper towels or an old rag.
5. Using a damp cloth, wipe out the stove to remove leftover residue.

Cleaning the Kitchen Appliances

From Chaos to Calm: Day Thirty-Four

Cleaning the Kitchen Appliances

Scripture Memory: “He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.” Psalms 113:9

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Cleaning the kitchen appliances. This has to be one of my least favorite jobs! However, it is something that must be done – and done frequently – in order to maintain a sanitary kitchen environment. As part of your weekly routine, schedule a day to scrub and clean the kitchen appliances. Since this involves cleaning out the refrigerator, a good day to schedule this task would be the day before you do your weekly grocery shopping.

Some appliances, such as a food processor, a blender, or a juicer should be cleaned and wiped down each time you use them. This prevents the build up of grime and grease. Other appliances are more easily cleaned on a weekly basis. These are the appliances we will be looking at today.

The Refrigerator
1. Unplug refrigerator. Manufacturers warn to unplug the refrigerator before washing. Be careful not to splash lights and wires while you are cleaning.
2. Remove food from refrigerator to the counter top.
3. Remove drawers and shelves.
4. Using hot sudsy water, wipe down the inside of the refrigerator. Be sure to clean the walls and inside the gaskets. Work from top to bottom.
5. For nasty stuck on spills, make a paste with water and baking soda.
6. Really hot water may crack glass shelves so be careful.
7. If you have mold or mildew in your refrigerator, use a bleach solution to disinfect. However, using too much bleach will cause the refrigerator to smell like bleach. 3/4 cup bleach to 1 gallon of water. Do not clean and disinfect in one step. Clean first, and then disinfect.
8. Wash the shelves and drawers with hot sudsy water and replace them when finished.
9. Wipe off any sticky food containers before replacing them in the refrigerator.
10. Plug the refrigerator back in when you are done.

Microwave
1. Place a mug filled 3/4 with water inside microwave.
2. Heat water for 1 – 2 minutes. Allow the water to stay in microwave for another minute before removing.
3. Carefully remove water from microwave. You may want to use a towel or pot holders to remove the water. Caution is needed.
4. Remove glass plate (turntable) from microwave and place in a sink of hot sudsy water.
5. Use a sponge or damp cloth to wipe out microwave. Rinse as needed.
6. Wash glass plate. Allow to dry and return to microwave.

Toaster Oven
1. Unplug toaster oven and remove crumb tray and empty into trash can.

2. Place tray in hot sudsy water and wash.
3. Brush remaining crumbs from bottom of toaster oven.
4. Use glass cleaner to clean outside of toaster over.
5. Return crumb tray.

Toaster
1. Unplug toaster.
2. Empty crumb tray over trash can.
3. Use a sponge and all purpose cleaner to wash the outside of the toaster.

Can Opener
1. Unplug can opener.
2. Remove can opener blade and wash in hot sudsy water or place in dishwasher. (You may want to clean this at the end of each day.)
3. Wash outside of can opener with a damp sponge and all purpose cleaner.

These tasks may seem mundane, tedious, or plain out right drudgery. However, remember that as a virtuous woman seeking God’s will for your life, that whatever task is at hand is a task to be done with a willing spirit, and a cheerful heart. How would you feel if you no longer had a refrigerator to clean and no way to purchase a new one. Your life would be so different! We can praise God for simple things like refrigerators.

Tomorrow we will look at how to clean the stove. For now, pour yourself a cup of herbal tea with lemon and sit back and praise God for a job well done!

 

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