Potato Pierogi

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds red potatoes, halved
2 tablespoons butter
2 onions, chopped
1/2 pound bacon, chopped
6 ounces mild cheddar cheese
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
1/4 corn oil

Cooking Instructions:
Boil the potatoes until well done, drain and mash with butter. Set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat cook the onions and bacon together. Reserve 1/2 cup of mixture for spooning over the cooked pierogi. Add the remaining bacon and onions to the potatoes. Stir the cheese into the potato mixture. Mix well. Chill until very cold. Mix flour and salt in large bowl. Make a well in the middle. Pour water and oil into the well. Mix together. Add more flour, 1/2 cup at a time until dough is firm. Knead dough until mixture does not stick to hands. Cover tightly and let stand for 1/2 hour in a warm place. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut in 2-inch diameter circles. Add 1 teaspoon filling, fold over 1 half of circle and press the edges together to seal. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon oil, then add pierogi. Stir occasionally to pierogi won't stick to the bottom. When perogi rise to the top, add 1 cup cold water to stop the cooking. Remove the perogi with a slotted spoon. Perogi will cook in 3 to 4 minutes. Serve topped with reserved onion-bacon mixture.

Recipe submitted by "Sarah" to The Mommies Network recipe database.

Are you a mom that makes regular me-time for herself? Do you take breaks to breathe deeply, forget about your cares and indulge yourself in a favorite activity? I know I am not. There are only so many hours in the day, and some things just have higher priority than me taking breaks, this has been my excuse. However, once in a while something happens that reminds me how important it is to make time to take care of my own well-being. This is going to be a long-winded post about one of those times

I still remember telling a colleague at work about 5 years ago how good my immune system must be because I rarely get sick. One cold in three years kind of rare. My colleague smiled astutely and shook his head, then remarked that that was about to change very soon. "Wait till your kid is a little older." Back then my first child N was only a few months old and had not even started daycare. N was being taken care of at home by my mom while I went at work. He hadn't had a single cold or stomach bug yet. But all that changed as soon as he started daycare. My colleague, who had two older children of his own, could not have been more correct. Every couple of weeks, N would get sick with whatever was the latest bug going around at his daycare. And most of the time, I would get sick too. It seemed like at least one person in our home was sick at any given time. Apparently my immune system was not all that superior after all.

After the birth of my second child A, our financial situation finally afforded me the luxury of taking a few years off to spend time at home with the children. Boy, was I in for some surprises with being a full-time mother at home! Sometimes I miss the drive to work - a time when I do not have to do anything for anyone and can just listen to the radio or my music. Sometimes I miss wearing clothes that have no tell-tale stains on them. Sometimes I miss going to the bathroom all by myself, like I used to at work; no one yelling through the door or, worse still, standing next to me and chattering away as though they haven't noticed I'm sitting on the toilet. But what I do not miss at all are the slew of colds, ear infections, stomach bugs, etc. Sure there are challenges in motherhood. But I find myself so much better able to meet those challenges and enjoy motherhood when I am not sick all the time.

It felt like a painful flashback when recently little A and I came down with a stomach bug. Right on cue, N and hubby came down with colds at that time. As if this were not fun enough, we played relay and right after recovering from our respective stomach bugs, A and I contracted colds, mine much worse than hers. And at the same time, N and hubby who had just recovered from their colds, came down with - you guessed right - stomach bugs! It was a miserable two weeks and horror of horrors, it all happened right before our weeklong vacation, which we had planned quite some time ago. Things were not looking good and we even considered canceling or postponing our vacation plans. Miraculously, though, with 2 days to spare, all the stomach bugs were finally gone. As long as nobody was throwing up all the time or sitting in the loo frequently, we could still drive down to Myrtle Beach. I totally ignored that I still had a terrible cold and went anyway.

I am one of those people that believe in giving my body the right nutrition to heal itself. When I go grocery shopping, 80% of my cart is filled with produce. The checkout clerks at my local Kroger joke about how I put their produce recognition skills to the test. So I was not hoping for a speedy recovery, what with a week of eating out. The air-conditioning on the drive to Myrtle Beach wasn't helping my sinuses either. My only hope was that the kids would be sufficiently busy and happy with minimal effort on my part. I would be able to curl up under the covers and do nothing.

Once at our destination, I quickly got rid of everyone...packing them off to the beach. But instead of lying down, I sat on the balcony, watching the waves inhaling the ocean air. (Besides, we had paid quite a premium for staying oceanfront and being the practical person I am, I wasn't going to let that go to waste.) It had been raining earlier and it was still cloudy. As I sat and watched wave after wave hitting the shore, the clouds began to clear and the sun came out. My sick and miserable feelings also began to clear away and I felt really happy and invigorated. I changed into my swimsuit, slathered on sunscreen and strolled down to the beach. The tide was coming in and there was a long stretch of shallow water. I could see people standing waist-deep close to the line where the waves crested with white foam. I waded in, only ankle deep at first, digging my feet in and feeling the sand wash away from between my toes with each receding wave. The water was quite warm. It felt so good and so refreshing. The kids were hanging out here, under hubby's supervision. So I walked further in, rocking and bouncing with each wave. Looking out at the expanse of sky and water stretching all the way to the horizon, all my day-to-day concerns - the constant battle against the clutter of toys, why A was still not fully potty-trained at three, where I was going to find the perfect daycare, mother-in-law's impending visit - ceased to be. In the grander scheme of things, none of it mattered. The toys would get picked up, or not. The dishes would get cleaned, or stay piled in the sink for another day. A would eventually get potty-trained, at three or at three-and-a-half. The sky would still be blue, the waves would still roll and foam and crash onto the shore, the tide would still rise and ebb with the moon. My mind was completely blank, free of all worries. And I felt truly relaxed. I do not know how long I stayed in the ocean. I got out only when I started feeling hungry. And wonder of wonders, my miserable cold seemed to be gone! It was going to be a great vacation, I could tell.

I want to model for my children the things I want them to learn. One of the most important of those things is to live healthy. After all, that is one reason why I am staying home with them for a few years, isn't it? Relaxation, both physical and mental, is a very big part of a healthy life. One I have often ignored. I resolve to try and do more of it. For myself, and for my children.

Submitted by Swaha, member of TriangleMommies.  Originally published on the TriangleMommies Blog August 8, 2011.

Healthy Morning Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup raisins
3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
4 medium carrots, shredded
1 medium ripe banana, mashed


Cooking Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg and salt until there are no more lumps. Stir in oats and raisins. Add oil, egg, milk, carrots and banana and stir until blended.

Fill each muffin cup with 1/4 cup batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 23-25 minutes.


Serving Suggestions:
Serve warm or at room temperature. To store, keep in an airtight container, up to 3 days.


Submitted to The Mommies Network recipe database by "Betsy"

Hi ho, hi ho, it’s back to work I go!

That’s right, I recently returned to the work force after being a stay at home mom for the past six years. And you know what I learned? (Well besides the fact that moms on the clock deserve a lot of props!) Eating out every day is expensive!!

I was coming up with every excuse not to pack my lunch each morning. It took too much time…that extra fifteen minutes of sleep would really help later in the day. We didn’t have the right food in the house. I couldn’t bear the thought of another turkey sandwich. I don't want those leftovers. I was running late. I was out of sandwich baggies. I didn’t have the right “lunchbox.” (Yes, I actually used that one.)

And then I sat down and calculated how much I was spending each week: $25-35. Just on lunch for one person! And I only work four days a week. That means I would average $120 a month on my work lunches…more than I budget for an entire week’s worth of groceries and household items for my family of four. Surely, there must be another way.

So I decided to put myself to the test. I sat down and made a list of all the things I could pack in my brand new reusable lunch bag. (Yes, I actually bought a new one.) They are all things I can either make up ahead of time or put together quickly in the morning. I realized that not only did I spend literally a fraction of the cost, the lunches were enjoyable and I felt so much better eating real food instead of restaurant/fast food stuff every day. I’m sure I saved some calories too. Bonus!

Just in case there are others struggling with this dilemma, I wanted to share the little method I came up with. Not because I think it’s ingenious or anything, but because I know every penny saved in this economy is helpful. And sometimes it’s a heck of a lot easier to start when someone gives you a jumping off point to get you going.

First, I divided my list into three categories; breads, fillings, and sides. Next, I quickly jotted down my favorites for each one. Now all I have to do is choose one or two items from each category and add that to my weekly shopping list. Yours might be a bit different than mine, depending on what you like. But having a variety of your favorites will help your bagged lunch seem anything but boring!

Breads:
-Multi-grain (I love the kind with little seeds or oatmeal on top)
-Whole wheat
-Bagels (plain, whole wheat, everything, etc)
-Pita
-Wraps
-Sandwich thins
-Hard rolls
-Croissants

Filling:
-Tuna salad
-Deli meat
-Tomato slices with mayo
-Egg salad
-Chicken salad
-Veggies with hummus
-Bacon, lettuce, tomato
-Grilled chicken
-Peanut butter and banana
-Peanut butter and jelly
-Peanut butter and honey

Sides:
-Small salad
-Cup of soup
-Fruit
-Cucumber slices
-Baby carrots
-Pretzels
-Frozen grapes
-Yogurt
-Cottage cheese
-A pickle
-String cheese
-Crackers
-Cheddar cheese cubes
-Grape tomatoes
-Granola bars

You get the idea! Really, the list could go on and on. But separating it like this made it so simple!! I had everything I needed each morning, it was faster to assemble than I expected, and it provided me with enough variety that I haven't felt bored at all.

Got some of your own yummy ideas for “brown baggers” like me?? I’d love to hear them!!

Being an at home parent may be the best job you'll ever get, but it's HARD. You're on call 24/7, and when you go on vacation, you still have the same responsibilities. And if you have a home business or work at home job, life can be even more challenging.

The first step to coping with burnout is preventing it in the first place. Don't overfill your schedule with activities for the kids or yourself. Take a little time for yourself every day. You don't need to be alone, but you do need to relax a little. Whether this may be during the kids' naps or when they're in school, even taking just a few minutes for you can really help. Then you can take advantage of the time to get things done with a clear head.

Make sure your expectations and those of your family are realistic. If you're running a home business or have a work at home job, you can't be expected to keep as perfect a house as a mother who does not. Pick a day to do the laundry, the vacuuming and other housework that doesn't need to be done on a daily basis and leave it until then - unless the urgent need arises, of course.

When you get angry, don't consider yourself an imperfect or bad parent. We all get angry sometimes. What is more important is how you react to the anger.

Make sure you get enough sleep. The more tired you are, the more stress you are going to feel, and the harder it will be to cope with it. If necessary, take a nap at the same time as the kids do, so they're not getting into trouble for lack of supervision.

Plan fun activities once in a while to relieve stress. Depending on your needs and the needs of your family, this can be alone or with the entire family. Go to the beach, a park, zoo, mall, wherever it is you can relax and just have fun.

Consider planning or even cooking meals and snacks in advance. It's easy to give your children healthy snacks if you have sliced vegetables and/or fruits ready to go in the fridge. A few minutes' work early in the week can save you time. Meals may also be prepared in advance and frozen for those nights when you're simply too tired to cook. Plan your meals for leftovers that will freeze well, and say goodbye to expensive frozen dinners from the grocery store.

If writing out your schedule helps you, then keep a written schedule. If it makes you feel overwhelmed, then don't. Just because your best friend says it keeps her on schedule to have a calendar with everything she needs to do on it doesn't mean the same will work for you.

Finally, don't let other parents make you feel you owe them favors just because you're at home and “have time. You're doing a full time job taking care of your family, not just loafing. Your schedule may be just as full as theirs, if not more so.

Crab Filled Wontons

Ingredients:
6 ozs crabmeat, minced
6 ozs softened cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder   
40 wonton skins
1 slightly beaten egg
Vegetable oil

Cooking Instructions:
1. Place a heaping teaspoonful of crabmeat mixture in the center of one wonton skin. Cover remaining skins with damp towel to keep them pliable.

2. Top with another wonton skin and press edges to seal. Brush dab of egg on center of both sides of puff.

3. Use fingers to pleat each edge, pressing to seal. Repeat with remaining wonton skins. Cover puffs with damp towel or plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.

4. Heat 1 1/2 inches of vegetable oil in wok to 350 degrees F. Fry 4 or 5 puffs at a time until golden brown, turning 2 or 3 times, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towel.

Submitted by a member to The Mommies Network recipe database.