Sneaky Saturday - Spaghetti Sauce

Being the frugal mom that I am, I always buy the least expensive Spaghetti sauce that Walmart has (which happens to be Hunt's Spaghetti Sauce). Being the sneaky mom that I am I have found Spaghetti Sauce to be the best place to sneak in the veggies.
Now I can't take credit for this recipe because really it was my husband who first experimented with it.

Ingredients:
1 26 oz. can Hunt's Garlic and Herb or Traditional Spaghetti sauce
1 cup veggie puree (Try 1/2 cup spinach and 1/2 cup sweet potato or 1/2 cup zucchini and 1/2 cup carrot or 1/2 cup yellow squash, 1/4 cup zucchini, and 1/4 cup spinach really any combination will work)
12-15 meatballs (I buy the Costco brand)
1 T. basil
1 t. savory
1 t.sugar

Mix all ingredients into pot and simmer for 20 - 25 mins.

My boys (ages 4 and 2) love this pasta sauce and I love that they are getting some much needed nutrients. We served this over Ravioli (the spinach kind from Costco) and rotini pasta with a side of steamed broccoli. The meal took less than 30 mins and was delicious!

Daily Schedule

Routine is so important for Children it creates stability and they know what is expected of them. When creating your children's daily schedule keep these things in mind. First, fill in the must do's, anything with a set time (naps, meals, preschool). Remember to add play dates and time for yourself into your routine. Try not to overwhelm your children with activities. Two a week is enough to give them and you some variety in your schedule but not too much that they feel overwhelmed. After reading the book Toddler Wise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam I loved the schedule they layed out. Here are some things they talked about.

Time your child needs every day:

Independent play- Mom chooses the toy, child plays alone on blanket or in room. When doing blanket time place the child on the blanket with a few toys. Set the time and go in to the next room where you are in earshot but not visible. If the child leaves the blanket place him/her back on with little or no interaction. Then once the timer goes off remove the blanket right away and have some special one on one time.

Structured Play- Mom structures the play and teaches something.
Structured Play Time With Siblings-

Playtime with Mom- Each child gets special one on one time.

Free Play- Child chooses toys within reason, in the playroom, toys outside etc. (Supervised)

Sibling Time- This can mix with the above, but keep in mind that children need some alone time as much as you do.

Video Time- Plan this "short" amount of time during the most stressful time of the day such as while you are making dinner.

Don't feel overwhelmed by this list, these activities can be anywhere between 5 minutes to a half an hour depending on your child's age and attention span. When starting independent time begin with five minutes and use a kitchen timer. The child will make the connection that once the timer goes off they are allowed to leave their bedroom or blanket. Then after he/she has been successful then you can extend the time. Start off slow. Try to make the first hour of your day a steady routine. Once you have been consistent for a few days then add a routine for the next hour. Continue until you have a good daily routine.

January Activities

Lets face it January is not the funnest month. Christmas is over, the weather is cold, and the children are restless. So here are some things you can do to get over the January blues.

Inside Activities

Make puppets- Stick, sock, or paper bag it doesn't matter. Puppets are a fun way for children to express themselves.

Make a fort- Grab pillows, blankets, a broom stick to hold up the middle. For some reason a fort can make everyday activities seem magical. You can read books, play games or pretend you are in a castle.

Experiment with snow- Put snow in a cup with salt and one without salt check on it every 10 minutes to see how it has changed. One will melt faster than the other.

Create an inside snow day- blow up white balloons then use to have a snowball fights, build a balloon man, snow angles or just play with them.



Outside Activities

No matter the age it is so important for children to go outside daily. The fresh air and world around them is so stimulating. So bundle them up tight, pick the warmest time of day, and get out of the house. Even if it is only for 10 minutes.


Use squirt bottles with kool-aid to "paint" the snow.

Play find the buried treasure. One person tides a treasure and draws a map for the other one to find or says hot and cold depending on the age.


Snowball basketball- Make snowballs and shoot them into a basketball hoop or laundry basket.



What do you like to do in the winter?

Sneaky Saturday - Orange Beef Recipe

I have made this recipe twice now and absolutely love it! Not only is it delicious but it only has 457 calories per serving and is packed with Dietary Fiber, Vitamin B6 and Potassium from the sneaky sweet potato puree.
When I made it the first time the veggies were too crisp for my family's taste and the sauce was bitter. So I tweaked it a little and now it is perfect for us. I served this with sneaky brown rice, also from the Double Delicious cookbook. (I'll share my tweaked version of the brown rice once I've perfected it).
Here is the original Orange Beef Recipe from the Double Delicious Cookbook by Jessica Seinfeld. As you can see I wrote in my improvements.