May 7th, 2007
Dine Without Whine's Weekly Newsletter
An Extension of our Menu Planning Service
www.dinewithoutwhine.com
Publisher ~ Christine Steendahl
Read Past Issues In Our Newsletter Archives
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This Issue:
A Personal Note
Barbecue Pork
Preventing Childhood Obesity – Tips and Ideas
A Personal Note
I found some new muscles this weekend… We created our raised beds
for our garden, and got some of the seeds and plants in. I’m a bit sore at the
moment. The weather has been perfect – not too hot but beautiful, just perfect
for gardening. This is our first official garden (we tried pumpkins last year
and failed miserably… – so we have studied some and are giving it a go.
Hopefully we can be a bit more successful this year. By the time we’ve added up
all our receipts, we most certainly could have bought all that produce for much
less. But it’s the whole experience – there’s nothing like freshly picked
produce straight out of your own garden. RIGHT? My goal is to grow it as
organically as possible so we’ll see how it goes. I’ll keep you posted! The rest
of our four acres also got tilled this morning. Christian and Dane got to ride
in the tractor – boy were they excited! I also go t my flower bed planted this
morning. A lot of the seeds I was supposed to start inside, but they just all
went in the ground – so we’ll see what happens! My might not have some of those
flowers until Oct. LOL With the amount of different kinds of seeds I stuck in
there something is bound to grow.
Christian has two more weeks of school left and Ryan three, so
we’re turning the bend towards summer! I am looking forward to the change and
then I’m sure I’ll be ready to send them back in the fall. Next year Christian
will be going all day as well, so I will just have Dane home – that will be a
change!
Within the next few weeks, I will have a special announcement
about a new website I am working on, so stay tuned for that – it is going to be
awesome!
Well, my hubby is patiently waiting for me outside to help him
finish putting up the electric fence around the garden so I gotta run! Have a
great week.
Christine
“The Menu Mom”
www.themenumom.com
Recipe of the Week
Exerted from this week's family friendly menu plan
and convenient grocery shopping list.
Have you tried our
sample menu?
Barbecue Pork
Makes 6 servings
6 pork chops 1/2 -inch thick
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups water hot tap
1 1/4 cups long grain rice converted
1/2 cup celery chopped
1/2 cup onions chopped
1 tablespoon parsley dried
2 teaspoons beef bouillon
1 cup barbecue sauce of your choice
1/4 cup water
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Trim excess fat from chops and slash edges of fat as needed to prevent
curling. Sprinkle chops with garlic salt and pepper. In a large non-stick
skillet over medium-high heat, brown chops in hot oil about 5 minutes on each
side.
3. Meanwhile, in a 2-quart oblong baking dish, stir hot water, rice, celery,
onion, parsley and bouillon granules. Arrange browned chops on top. In a small
bowl, stir barbecue sauce and 1/4 cup water until blended. Spoon evenly over
chops and rice, including corners of dish. Cover tightly with foil.
4. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until chops and rice are tender.
Serve with Orange Slices
This Weeks Top Five Referring Sites
(These sites have a link
to DWW somewhere on their site and have sent the most visitors to
www.dinewithoutwhine.com this week)
http://www.imboredmom.com
http://www.catholicmom.com/main
http://www.ihomemaker.com/blog/
http://www.nossgalenbaby.com/twins_resources.html
http://www.paintedgold.com/Organize/printable-grocery-list.html
Kitchen and Cooking Tips, Articles, And Product
Reviews
Preventing Childhood Obesity – Tips and
Ideas
Even in our health savvy society, the number of children today who are obese is
on the rise. It’s becoming an epidemic. With families being busier than ever,
many children are dining on fast food and sitting in front of the television for
hours watching their favorite shows or playing video games. Poor nutrition and
lack of exercise opens the door to a lot of problems, including the risk of
becoming obese.
Obesity can be controlled and prevented by following some of these tips:
1. Start early. It’s important that you begin some form of physical activity
with your child as early on as possible. Go for a nightly walk after dinner.
Play on the playground with them. Take part in a charity walk. The earlier you
begin to establish an active lifestyle with your child the more likely they are
to enjoy it and stick with it.
2. Set a good example. You’ve probably heard the saying, “The apple doesn’t fall
far from the tree.” This saying also applies to physical fitness. Set a good
example for your children. If they see that you enjoy physical activity and
being healthy and active, chances are that your child will learn to love a
healthier, more active lifestyle.
3. Make it Fun. Get you child involved in regular, physical activity that she
enjoys. There are dozens of physical activities available for children, with or
without parental participation. Options include organized sports, play groups,
and lessons. Give your child a choice of what activities they’d like to be
involved in. Get to know other parents whose children are participating in the
same activities. If your child sees that you are taking an interest in what they
are doing, they will enjoy it even more.
4. Set limits. Put a limit on the amount of time spent watching television,
playing video games, and using the computer for non-homework purposes. The
biggest reason children become inactive is because they spend too many hours
watching TV. By setting appropriate limits, your child will take interest other
activities, which will get them off the couch and out into the fresh air.
5. Nutrition. Don’t forget to complement a healthy lifestyle with a nutritious
diet. Healthy food choices are an important part of preventing obesity. Like an
active lifestyle, it is important to start early and set a good example. Make
learning fun by teaching your child about the food groups. Encourage your child
to help plan and prepare meals. If they are given an active role and have some
choice over what they are eating, they will be more interested in learning about
and maintaining a balanced diet.
Childhood obesity can have far reaching consequences. Fortunately, it’s never
too late to help your child establish new habits. With exercise and a balanced
diet, children can grow into healthy, productive adults.
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