Fish Recipe for Kids

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I'm trying to feed my son more healthy food. So I started to make fruit shakes and vegetable soups for dinner.

Fish is not really his favorite. But because I'm also on a diet and trying to lessen my meat intake, I tried making my own recipe to make it kid-friendly.



Here's the very simple recipe:
1. Sprinkle the fish (I usually use Dory or Tilapia fillet) with a dash of pepper (I usually don't use salt), ginger (chili flakes for that extra kick) and lemon juice (kalamansi will do as well).
2. Wrap it in foil. I usually add leafy greens, tomatoes and whatever veggies I have in the fridge. The juice in the veggies will add flavor to the fish.
3. Steam.
4. Here's how your kids will love it: Top the steamed fish with cream cheese and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

And even if they don't eat the veggies, the juice from the steamed veggies has seeped in the fish.

Awesome idea or what?

My son loved it by the way.

Don't judge a book by its cover

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I encourage my son to eat more fruits and vegetables. Every week, I stock on the usual apples, mangoes and bananas. Those are the fruits that my son eats. A few months back, yes this is actually a very late post, I decided to buy DOLE bananas because they look really fresh. The skin (banana peel) was also flawless.

 

When I got home, I decided to try one. I peeled the skin and took one big bite. Good thing I didn't swallow what I was chewing because when I looked at the remainder of the banana it looks brown in the middle. I checked all the bananas and discovered that everything was rotten. I paid more that what I usually pay for a bunch of bananas and everything just went straight to the trash can.

should i give up?

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I put a lot of effort in preparing healthy meals for RJ. I usually spend hours in the supermarket, choosing the ingredients that doesn't have much or any preservative, for the week's menu.

 

For a person who doesn't like to cook, yup that's me, I am becoming exasperated with his picky eating. One minute I'm jumping with joy because he likes what I cooked, then when I cook it again he says he doesn't like it because it's yuck! It doesn't matter if I cook it again a few days after, the second or third try is always yuck for him.

 

 

Should I just give up and give in to what he wants? Bacon, ham, eggs and other processed food every single meal everyday?

chubby ain’t cute

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There’s quite a number of chubby kids in my son’s school. No, he’s not one of them because he’s as thin as a stick. He’s not malnourished, says the school doctor so I’m not concerned.

Back to the overweight boys in his school. A chubby baby is cute, yes. But once a chubby baby grows into a chubby 6 year old, not cute at all. When I wait for my son in the school canteen, I’m really shocked how some parents buy lots of food for their kids after dismissal. A pizza is enough to feed a hungry child, but pizza, tacos, burger and pasta! The school even has a program that helps these big boys lose weight but if the parents are not cooperating...

I wonder what these parents would do when they see these (advertisements) online: click here for weight loss pills for your child and click here for restaurant deals for kids? What do you think would they click?

I feel sorry for the kids actually. Some can’t even run or walk fast. I sure hope that their parents realize that they are not babies anymore and that being overweight isn’t cute and isn’t healthy.

How to make your child love sports

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My son was able to finish a 5K run last Sunday. I'm one proud Mama. We woke up at around 430AM and was at the race ground before 530AM. I know, too early for me but I can sacrifice my sleep anytime for my son.

RJ doesn't swim in school anymore, sometimes he swims with his dad but that happens once in a blue moon, so he needs to find another sports that he can do at least 3 times a week. Especially since my son is asthmatic, he needs to be fit and strong. Although he's into soccer and basketball already, his dad is encouraging him to try out running.

lose-weight-with-us

His dad joins running events every weekend so he's in a mission to make RJ love the sport also. He's already "doing what he's preaching" so hopefully he'll be successful in coaxing RJ to also love the sport that he loves.

can't eat without this

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My son loves pizza and pasta. But he won't dare eat these yummy food without sprinkling dried oregano. Even his most favorite mac and cheese gets a dose of this herb. Oregano is beneficial to one's health so I let him have as much as he wants. This bottle of oregano never leaves our dining table.

Oregano is a very good source of fiber. Fiber works in the body to bind to bile salts and cancer-causing toxins in the colon and remove them from the body. This forces the body to break down cholesterol to make more bile salts. These are just some of the reasons that diets high in fiber have been shown to lower high cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of colon cancer. ~whfoods.com 

rolled into one

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For the past few weeks, RJ has been eating nothing but bacon for lunch. Although I buy lean bacon, it's still processed meat. So I decided to make bacon rolls for his lunch meal.

My sister usually puts asparagus when making bacon roll. But I'm pretty sure RJ won't eat it once he sees the green asparagus inside the roll. Carrots and cheese doesn't make him say "yuck!", so that's what I decided to put in the bacon roll.

Look at the rolls. Don't they look yum? Any suggestions on what healthy veggie should I put in the roll next time?

i don't need you right now

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Ideas! Ideas! Ideas! I can't sleep because of too many ideas. Please, I don't need you right now. Sleep already brain!

                                                                           thirtyawakenings

I was already near the gate of dreamland when my neighbor slammed their door without any concern that everyone, in the whole neighborhood, is fast asleep already. 

I was finally able to sleep around 2am. The ideas, that were teasing me to get up and work more, finally left me in peace. I'm now wide awake and ready to work on those ideas.

am i too thin?

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My son is on the thin side unlike me who surely needs to lose some unwanted pounds especially on the tummy area.

"My classmate said I'm so thin. Am I too thin, Mama?"

He has long limbs and one of the tallest in his class. He does look thin but I don't think he's malnourished. I prepare, and make sure he eats healthy food so I'm not worried that he's thin. He does eat the not-too-healthy ones sometimes like bacon. Although, come to think of it, I buy lean bacon instead of those loaded with fat.

I have to be diligent in reminding him that he doesn't have to be fat, like the classmate who told him he's too thin, because fat isn't healthy. I have to explain as well that eating the right kinds of food is what's important.

squeeky clean teeth

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I found a new dentist for RJ near our house. His previous dentist transferred to another place without informing us. So he didn't have a regular teeth cleaning for 2 years. The dentist said that RJ's teeth is still very clean, not a lot of tartar. My constant reminder of brushing two to three times a day, after every meal, helped.

                                        growingyourbaby

It's very important to find a reliable dentist with a clean clinic that doesn't charge too much. A dentist who doesn't just know the difference between paracetamol and amoxicillin but knows when to give it. Hopefully, this dentist meets all my requirement.

just like crop rotation

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"Can I have porkchops for lunch next week?", my son asked me last night.

"So we're through with fried chicken?"

My picky eater son has a suggestion. "Why not prepare something different every week for my lunch. Do it like crop rotation, new dish every week."



lunch baon: chicken balls with homemade gravy

 "Well, it's hard to do that with you because most of the time you don't like new dishes. So I just stick with those that you'll surely eat. So starting this week, tell me what you want for your weekly lunch so I can include it on my weekly grocery list."

I hope this will solve our problem of too much left over food in his lunchbox.*fingers crossed*

how to clean your child's belly button

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Scrubbing once won't make a belly button clean. A daily dose of TLC will surely do the trick. When my son was in preschool, I started cleaning his belly button with what I use to clean mine. I actually want to do it earlier, as soon as the umbilical cord fell off, but thought it can wait when he's old enough. Old enough for his skin to handle the solutions I use to make my belly button clean.

The things that I use are actually not that harsh. I use alcohol, baby oil and whatever acne solutions I have. I don't use it all at the same time. I use whatever tickles my fancy at that particular time. After taking a bath, I put a small amount on a cotton bud. Then gently scrub the creases, where dirt usually accumulates, of the belly button. A small amount with a gentle scrubbing usually does the trick -squeky clean belly button!

oops, i did it again

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I again allowed myself to drink something unhealthy. I'm not sure if diet pills will work with this one. It has lots of sugar you see.

My son had an early dismissal from school today. I was a bit early in picking him up so I decided to stay in the school canteen first. It's a very hot day so I got tempted in buying a straight-from-the-freezer Black Gulaman drink.

I only realized that I drank something not good for me when I already emptied the bottle. And when a friend, another mommy whose also picking up her son, looked at the bottle and back at me as if I murdered somebody. I have been complaining to her about my can't-fit-in-a-little-black-dress body for months already. Why didn't I think of throwing the empty bottle in the trash before she saw me?!

Oh well! Next time I will make sure not to drink anything unhealthy, even if I die of thirst! And if I can't control myself, I'm only human, I will throw the evidence right away.

tips from a picky eater's mom

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When will he like food and really like it forever? My son is a very picky eater. I spend hours planning our weekly menu before heading to the grocery store. I don't mind eating nothing but white meat, fruits and vegetables. But that's not possible, I can't have just that because there's a picky eater in the house -my son RJ. A few weeks ago, he's so into chicken nuggets (again!). So I stuffed the fridge with chicken nuggets. After a few meals of "I like chicken nuggets very much", it's now on his list of "I hate this food".

                                                                                 about-recipes

When will I ever learn. I feel like I've won in a lottery everytime I hear him say, "This is yummy, Mama!" A few days after, I have to look for weight loss supplements because I end up eating the "yummy food" that I-thought-he-will-like-forever-so-I-bought-a-months-supply.

From now on, I'm putting my foot down. I will only prepare healthy food whether it's yummy for him or not. It's better for us to eat fresh, healthy food than stuff our body with yummy but dangerous-to-our-health food.

that is so funny

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"Mama, your arms are swollen", said Ms. F, my very talkative niece, to my sister. I can't help but laugh. My sister's arms are actually not swollen but she's getting a little bit fat. My niece's concern didn't stop there. She's now very conscious of her weight, at 7 years old, because she doesn't want to look fat like her mom. "Mama, you should lose weight." I just hope she doesn't ask her mom to buy her fat burner juice!

arms like hers? i want!

Kids do say the darndest things at times. But most of the time its true and we adults should listen to their advice.

looking for swim club

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I am looking for a new swim club for my son. Preferably, a team that trains during the weekend.

RJ is part of his school's swim varsity since his preschool years. But the school pool has been under renovation and RJ hasn't attended swim training for a few months already. He's been having cough and colds, every month, since August. Not swimming is the cause of his low immune system.

I've learned today that the pool is done and ready for the swimmer's daily training in the school's newly renovated swimming area.

My problem now is the school services' unwillingness to pick us up after swim training. There are two possible solution to this problem. One: transfer to a new school bus and look for a tutor near the school if RJ still wants to join the swim team. Two: Not join swim team in school and look for a new team that trains during weekends only.

I thus have to weigh the pros and cons of each of the possible solutions...ASAP.

lose weight before your wedding Ms. D

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RJ's Auntie D, my sister, needs to lose weight to be able to fit in a sexy wedding dress. We have been telling her to stop eating too much. She's all too eager to lose weight but she's also not giving up on her fave stress-removal-theraphy --eating.

She has been begging me to gift her with a fat burner juice drink. My friend T has tried it and swears that it's the best of the best fat burner she has ever tried. I have to convince her first to eat more fruits and vegetables instead of rice and meat. Because even if I do buy the juice drink for her, she can't rely on it for the rest of her life. Exercise and a healthy, balanced diet is still the best remedy to lose weight.

bad for mama's heart

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RJ's report card, for the first quarter grading period, was given last week. It wasn't a fun experience for me. The few days of anticipating, if he passed or failed, almost gave me a heart attack. The pressure was too much to bear. I tutor my son, except for his Chinese subject, so I feel like it's my fault if he fails. He is a very smart boy but sometimes he is careless in following instructions during tests.

I am happy, although not very, that he didn't have any failing mark. His grades we're good, but I was expecting to see better marks than what he got. I hope he'll ace his quizzes and quarterly tests next time.

I don't want to put a lot of pressure on him anymore. I want him to enjoy school. Learning doesn't necessarily mean getting a perfect grade anyway.

And the pressure is also bad for my health.

picky eater's pick of the month

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...or maybe just for this week (?).

There are days when I am so frustrated that I just want to pull all my hair out. RJ is a very picky eater and it's very difficult to plan our meals because of that. If I can only have my way, I will cook vegetables for breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in-between. RJ's favorite line these days, "I hate vegetables! Yuck!"

Thank God that he doesn't hate fruits. And at the moment Taho.

Tahô is a Philippine snack food made of fresh soft/silken tofu, arnibal (brown sugar and vanilla syrup), and pearl sago (similar to pearl tapioca). This staple comfort food is a signature sweet and can be found all over the country. The Indonesian and Malaysian equivalent of this dish is Tahu.

I found this video tutorial on how to make homemade taho. It's so easy.

Ingredients:

22 ounces extra soft tofu
1 ¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup uncooked tapioca pearls
4 ½ cups water

Procedure:

1. Pour 4 cups of water in a cooking pot and bring to a boil.
2. Put-in the tapioca pearls and cook for 40 minutes in medium heat.
3. Add ¼ cup brown sugar and mix well.
4. Turn off the heat and let the tapioca pearls sit on the cooking pot until room temperature is achieved. Set aside.
5. Heat a saucepan then pour-in ½ cup of water.
6. Put-in 1 cup of brown sugar once the water starts to boil. Mix well and simmer for 1 minute. Set aside.
7. Transfer the extra soft tofu in a glass or mug then heat in a microwave oven for a minute.
8. Top the extra soft tofu with the cooked tapioca pearls and sweet syrup.
9. Serve warm. Share and Enjoy!

Thank you to Panlasang Pinoy for the recipe. I am now a big fan!

bright beginnings for a bright future

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PBM Products began distribution of Bright Beginnings, the first sensibly priced, DHA/ARA-enriched national brand of infant formula, September of 2003.

Bright Beginnings with the Lipids DHA & ARA:

• 
  
  Provides nutrients in levels recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the largest organization of pediatricians dedicated to the health and well-being of infants and children.
• 
  
  Provides nucleotides in levels like breast milk to bolster immunity
• 
  
  Contains a vegetarian blend of fats similar to breast milk to aid in absorption of important minerals like calcium
• 
  
  Has more of the easily-digested protein whey, like breast milk

Bright Beginnings has recently introduced two new formulas. The Bright Beginnings Milk Based Formula and Bright Beginnings Organic Formula. These new Bright Beginnings baby formula provides the nutrients your baby needs at prices that your family will appreciate.

The Bright Beginnings Milk Based Formula with DHA is designed like breast milk to satisfy the unique nutritional needs of growing infants. DHA and ARA occur naturally in mother's milk and belong to a class of nutrients called lipids, or fats. Lipids are an essential part of a healthy diet because they are important structural components of vital organs, particularly an infant's brain and eyes.

The Bright Beginnings Organic Formula is made in Vermont and certified organic in accordance with USDA regulations. Bright Beginnings Organic Formula is produced WITHOUT potentialy harmful pesticides, added growth hormones and antibiotics. Bright Beginnings Organic Formula provides the benefits of the lipids DHA and ARA, nutrients naturally found in breast milk essential for babies' mental and visual development.