This is the second post in our series sponsored by Annie’s Homegrown.

When Julian started playing soccer, I suddenly understood why fast food is so dang popular with families in America. Working parents and afterschool activities combine in a way that makes the dinner production incredibly challenging. Now Scarlett is in gymnastics and Julian has a baseball schedule that makes walking in the door at 6 pm a frequent occurrence for us. Hence, I have my eyes wide open for fast and easy dinners that don’t include a side of fries. My kids won’t eat burgers anyway, so even if I drove by an In N Out on the way home from one of their sporting events, I’d be the only one who ordered something. (Seriously, what did I do wrong?)

Enter Pizza Night.

We do enjoy pizza as a family at many of our local, fancy pizza restaurants. Plain for the kids; potato, pesto, and pancetta for the adults. Something like that. But more often than not, we just want to get home, get them in the bath, and ready for bed. Often, I feel I deserve take out and don’t want to worry about how to make Indian or Thai food work for my picky eater. That’s when I look to the freezer.

It’s not June Cleaver-approved, but it makes me totally happy to have grown up take-out for the adults and Annie’s Frozen Pizza for the kids. That’s right, June. I make two separate meals. Actually I don’t even make them: I order one and heat up the other. It’s called modern family life. Get to know it.

This rising crust pizza bakes up in my beloved supersized toaster oven while I get out drinks and utensils and yell at people who need to take their cleats off before they come in the house. The crust is whole wheat and the cheese is made from milk that’s 100% hormone free. That is to say, it’s quality ingredients without any work on my part. Raw carrots and apple slices on the side and I’m done.

I’m a barbecue chicken pizza lover myself, but no one in my house will agree to that, so it’s Four Cheese for them.

Don’t miss Heather’s great lessons on easy roasted vegetables and other sides that make Pizza Night even healthier.

Thanks to Annie’s Homegrown for sponsoring this post — and if you’re hot to stock your freezer for easy dinners, click over to download a $1.50 coupon from them.

This post is sponsored by Annie’s, makers of bunny crackers, and now frozen Pizza!

On any given weeknight, I am working against the clock to get a healthy meal on the table during the span of a 25-minute block of television (sometimes I have only 12 minutes, but those nights are crazy!). I am a huge fan of two strategies to get the fresh fruits and veggies on our plates: raw and roasted.

Roasted vegetables are some of my best friends

I adore roasting vegetables because the technique is hands-off and delicious. I will often chop them before picking up my kids to streamline the dinner hour and eliminate the need to chase small people with a sharp knife. Veggie cutting can be done hours or even days in advance.

Armed with little more than kosher salt and olive oil, I will pretty much roast any vegetable during my allocated showtime then taste-test a handful of them straight from the pan before they hit the table. My children are expected to take a “no thank you bite” of everything I make. If applicable, I will voraciously inhale the leftovers.

I always plan to set aside a small portion for Sawyer’s next day lunch, in which case, I am better off putting the little vegetable bites directly in a container before I serve dinner (see voracious inhalation confession above). He likes to eat pizza anytime so pizza night means his lunchbox is halfway-packed.

Here’s how to make delicious vegetables the Heather way:

Ingredients

• Vegetable to roast: my current faves are broccoli, cauliflower, or asparagus. I also like the butternut squash that has been pre-chopped.
• Olive oil; can also used infused-oil for easy flavor boost
• Kosher salt

Steps to prepare

1. Wash, chop, and dry your vegetable of choice. (If asparagus, I snap off the woody ends) Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 425.
   Pro tip 1: Do this in advance to make your meal prep super speedy.
   Pro tip 2: No time to dry? Leave them uncovered in the fridge for an hour.
   Pro tip 3: No time to spare an hour? Use a clean dish towel.
2. Toss the vegetables with a glob or two of olive oil and the salt. The vegetables will be shiny but not swimming. Put into a baking dish or on a cookie sheet. I find the glass dish is easier for checking and mixing around.
3. Bake for about 22 minutes, stirring half-way through cooking time (or whenever you think of it). Asparagus takes about half the time (and the skinny mini ones are even less so watch carefully).

Raw fruits and veggies

This is not so much a recipe as a reminder that raw food = easiest side dish ever. I also like the bright colors of fruit on the dinner plate.

Look around the kitchen for whatever you have on hand. Wash and slice as needed, then serve.

Usually, we eat sliced apples or carrots with hummus. Other current favorites: strawberries, kiwi, pineapple chunks, sliced bell peppers, raspberries (always 10 per child, one for each finger) or bananas.

I have also been known to pass fresh fruit off as dessert.

What are your go-to healthy side dishes for a weeknight?

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This post was sponsored by Annie’s Pizza, which can be found in the freezer section of many grocery stores around the country! Save $1.50 on Annie’s Pizza with this coupon.

[Photos: all photos by me of real food in my kitchen. All rights reserved.]

Today’s challenge, your thirtieth, is to discover a family-friendly pub in your area and test it out. Yes, we tried this a few times. Sure, baby Julian made a frat boy of himself and booted the first time. Nobody cared!

You don’t have to compromise on ambiance every time you go out for dinner with your baby. You want a beer after work (or after spending the day alone together), and your baby wants to bang spoons on the table. No problem.

Bars that serve food also service babies. Many of them have noise levels that will enable your family to blend right in. So don’t be afraid: Go to a sports bar or an Irish pub. Pull up a high chair and get rowdy with the rest of the crowd.

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Excerpted from The Rookie Mom’s Handbook. Photo from Greg Neate via flickr.

Sweet potatoes are a super food, meaning that they are packed with nutrients. If you can get your kid to like them, you’ll have an easy veggie to turn to when times are tough — like when you can’t think of anything to make besides pasta. There’s a lot you can do with sweet potatoes, but since my kids were toddlers, we’ve served them in cubes. Here’s a little video to show you my method.

Would your kid eat this?

Today is “World Sweet Potato Day”, created to support ONE‘s efforts to increase awareness about world hunger. The sweet potato is the mascot for the cause and we’re trying to help make it famous! Sign the petition to request our leaders make measurable commitments to reduce malnutrition around the world.

Other blog posts about sweet potatoes from talented bloggers:

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burritos from This Week for Dinner
Truffle Sweet Potato Frites from Savory Sweet Life
Sweet Potato & Chicken Sausage Stew from Chefdruck
Honey Sweet Potato Biscuits from Food for My Family
Sweet Potato Burgers from Cutie Booty Cakes
What’s Gaby Cooking and Sweet Potato Day
The Mission List and Sweet Potato Day
World Moms Blog and Sweet Potato Day
Go Graham Go and Sweet Potato Day
Cranberry Sweet Potato Crumb Cake from Barbara Bakes
Bourbon and Marshmallow Sweet Potatoes from Boston Mamas
Documama and Sweet Potato Day
Sweet Potato Bread Pudding from Eat the Love
Lamb Shanks with Sweet Potatoes and Sausage from Kitchen Gadget Girl
Sweet Potato Love To Help End World Hunger from Love That Max
Celebrating Sweet Potato Day with Mom Trends
Sweet Potato Chili from Righteous Bacon
Sweet Potatoes and Global Health from Third Eye Mom
Indian Spiced Sweet Potato Kielbasa ONE Skillet Bake from Tickled Red
Sweet, Dude, Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash from Helen Jane
Oh My Sweet Potato Apple Bake from Bowl Licker
Sweet Potato and Peanut Gratin from Non-Reactive Pan
Sweet Potato Fries from When You Wake Up a Mother (also found on Million Moms Challenge)

My friend and fellow babycenter.com blogger, Sabrina, is the first-time mom to a nearly-one-year old baby boy named Raffi. She writes Rhodey Girl Tests about food, family, and fun. Her nickname RhodeyGirl started as a joke between RhodeyGirl and her husband Trig, AKA PhillyBoy. I caught up with Sabrina a few weeks ago.

How old is Raffi and what’s his most recent accomplishment?

Raffi is 10 months old and he is learning so much these days. Most recently he learned how to sign for “more” and how to open all of the kitchen drawers and take out one item at a time. I’m still working on teaching him to put them back.

What’s your favorite outing with Raffi that’s not necessarily Raffi-centric?

I love going running or power walking early in the morning before Raffi is fully awake. He loves smiling at everyone we pass, and in the quiet moments I love hearing him talk to himself. He has so much fun entertaining himself, and the fresh air is good for both of us.

What’s your most frequent way to spend the last hours before Trig gets home?

I spend the last hour before Trig comes home wishing he was home. That’s the honest answer. Raffi is still not very happy in that hour before dinner so we try to do a fun activity. Most days we will head to the pool for a bit or go to the playground. When I’m too lazy to do that we have cruising races or play catch in the way only a 10 month old can.

What do you and Trig like to do with Raffi on the weekend?

This summer has been my favorite in my entire life. We have spent almost every weekend on the beach or by the pool. Raffi loves eating sand and splashing himself, and I love feeling the warm sun on my face. Trig really likes carrying Raffi on his shoulders during every excursion.

Do you have any tips for moms of newborns in your neighborhood?

Take a class! Nest Philly is near me, and they have a hatchlings class geared for new moms. If you can’t make it to a class, go out for lots of walks and be friendly with other moms. When Raffi was a newborn I walked all the time just to make friends. I learned about the best playgrounds and made some of my favorite mom friends on those walks.

Have any veteran moms taken you under their wings? What did they show you?

I am very thankful for the veteran moms that have guided me. I learned how to let my husband take over and go out for a glass of wine with the other moms without calling home 10 times. I still don’t know how they can let go and relax like that. I wish I could, but I still send a few texts for my comfort.

Give us a cooking tip. (anything goes, baby-related or not!)

Everyone knows it, but few people do it. Wash and cut your veggies the minute you get home. And meal plan! So many people complain that they don’t know what to make for dinner or they don’t eat a healthy diet. By meal planning and doing some prep work ahead of time you can have a healthy dinner on the table in no time.

Oh, and Cheerios make a perfectly acceptable cooking snack.

Thanks so much, Sabrina! Follow along with her at Rhodey Girl Tests or on twitter at @RhodeyGirlTests.

Before having a baby, I had a very clear idea of what kind of mom I would be. Having read Babywise at the advice of a childless friend, I knew I would put my newborn on a schedule and fill my maternity leave with useful pursuits like crossing items off my to-do list and initiating sewing projects with the baby by my side in a bouncy seat.

The book’s instructions didn’t work out for me; among other things, it’s based on the premise that a baby eats every four hours (rather than the two hour cycle I seemed to be on). What the what?

Well, at least the bouncy seat came in handy.

Though I never used it for making playclothes from curtains (do I look like Mary Poppins, er, Maria?), having my sidekick in a baby lounge chair (like the BABYBJÖRN Babysitter pictured) has made me a better mama.

1. I smell better. My babies have loved hanging out in the steamy bathroom while I sneak in a shower. Because my washing machine is also in the bathroom, Sawyer’s presence usually encouraged me to do a load of wash. Feeling clean was something I used to take for granted, but not since becoming a mother.

2. I cook food. It turns out that my family needs to eat several times a day. Once I was able to remove Sawyer from my body (baby carriers are a necessity, yes?!), we graduated to putting the Babysitter on the kitchen floor so he could closely watch the hot action from a safe distance. Preparing meals sometimes feels like half of all parenting.

3. I preserve my relationships. Yes, with a baby nearby, my phone calls may sound sillier. I occasionally lapse into that singsong baby voice when I’m chatting with my girlfriends, but at least those calls get made. Having friends makes me a happier person.

4. I write and publish. With a little baby at the foot of my desk, I have written a gajillion emails, thousands of blog posts and two books (okay, the second book was written with baby in utero and not on the floor). Thank you to the seats that make these achievements possible.

5. I play with my children. By parking Sawyer nearby, I can play board games with the big boys while he watches us. We also like to entertain our tiny audience with family dance parties and impromptu puppet shows. As we perform, Sawyer gets plenty of chances to demonstrate his budding clapping skills.

And I’m sure we can all agree that the best mom smells good, feeds her kids, has lasting friendships, is proud of her accomplishments while always remembering to have fun with her children.

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This post was sponsored by BABYBJÖRN with whom we have worked to bring you a whole series of good stuff this summer, including giving away many of their products. Stay tuned!

Find out more about the BABYBJÖRN bouncers on their website.

Milo scoops his cheesy rice

Milo spits out his cheesy rice

So, friends out there, I’ll share with you my go-to toddler meals and snacks for my 17-month old and ask for yours in exchange. Help a mama out, please!

When the cupboards, fridge, and freezer are bare, these are the things I grab for Milo at the store:

Breakfast

• Frozen waffles (I get the whole wheat, some big, some little with no accoutrements)
• Scrambled eggs (currently on the outs)
• French toast (Sunny makes a whole loaf at a time and freezes it)
• Puffins (regular flavor or cinnamon)
• Raisins
• Banana (little dude eats one every day)

Lunch

• Almond butter and jelly sandwiches on hearty bread, cut small (we still fear the peanut)
• Cheese sticks
• Hard boiled eggs
• Mixed berries: blackberries, blueberries, strawberries
• Other fruit chopped up when time permits
• Firm tofu, usually teriyaki flavor or “savory” whatever that means
• Applesauce (organic, any flavor) mixed with baby cereal to improve scoopability

Snack

• Just Peas, Just Corn, or Just Mixed Fruit from Just Tomatoes (freeze dried fruits and veggies with no added gunk — they can go stale quickly, so just open one package at a time until you go through it)
• Veggie booty
• Goldfish crackers and their Annie’s bunny equivalents
• Whole wheat pita and hummus
• Crispy Italian style breadsticks (more hummus for dipping)
• Half a Puffet from Peas of Mind

Dinner

• Taquitos from Whole Foods (the reason for going to TWO grocery stores and why I deserved my chocolate cream treat)
• Frozen organic peas (I don’t even cook them)
• Plain yogurt
• Aidell’s teriyaki and pineapple meatballs (they last for about a week in the fridge, so once I open the package, you know what lunch is until they’re gone)
• Whatever we’re eating
• Black bean quesadillas
• Small pieces of chicken or fish (sometimes he likes, sometimes he chucks on the floor)
• Homemade guac (made by me and Holden, who likes food better if he makes it)
• Crispy kale chips or cooked zucchini (whatever vegetable we’re having, he’ll usually try one or more before throwing on the floor
• Amy’s frozen pizza bites with spinach (I heat them for Milo in the microwave and for myself in the toaster oven; Holden tries to eat them frozen because I think it’s strange. Go figure.

More inspiration for lunches from Laptop Lunches (the best lunchbox for little ones, I hope to write about soon!), Kiddley lunchbox ideas, Vegan Lunchbox, 5 favorite convenience foods from ParentHacks, and VegCooking.com.

If you’re already packing a mean lunchbox, check out the contest at Vegan Lunchbox and win a copy of Jennifer’s new book: Vegan Lunch Box: 130 Amazing, Animal-Free Lunches Kids and Grown-Ups Will Love!.

I told you mine, now you tell me yours!

If I had the chops to write a cookbook, this is exactly the one I’d want to write. It has chapters for one-handed meals (that you can eat with one hand, sadly not cook with one hand), slow cooker dinners, best foods for breastfeeding, and tricks for spreading out the prep among various nap segments. Yes!!!

When I sent out my plea for help getting dinner on the table last fall, the author Debbie Koenig got in touch and sent me an almost-complete version of Parents Need to Eat Too: Nap-Friendly Recipes, One-Handed Meals, and Time-Saving Kitchen Tricks for New Parents. I put it by the side of my bed and read through it like a novel. It turns out that Debbie has a great sense of humor and also doesn’t like cilantro. Unfortunately, reading about her dinner strategies still wasn’t preparing my dinner.

Last week, I put the book through its paces with my merry band of picky eaters. We made a whole bunch of recipes and are eager to try some more. Here are a few highlights:

• Black beans. Turns out it is stoopid easy to make black beans from scratch.  I had no idea. Five minutes of prep and about two hours of oven time. Tasty. I used this huge batch for my own dinners and breakfasts for days! Holden declared them, “good enough for firsts, but not seconds.”
• Southwestern polenta lasagna. Delicious and pretty. Had some for company. Very quick to throw together (once I had cooked the beans for two hours!).
• Angel hair pasta with garlic and lemon-parm breadcrumbs. Alec made this one for us. Since the meal comes together quickly, setting up little bowls of ingredients is highly recommended. Adults said, “YUM” and kids said, “meh.”
• Barbecued brisket. Insanely easy and delicious. I had the last of the leftovers for lunch. Kids also loved it.
• Baked falafel. I’m not sure what went wrong here but this was not our favorite of the bunch.  I rated it pretty good; Alec thought it was too mushy but good flavor; Holden said it was too spicy; Milo just pushed it around and ate hummus and pita. I got 12 balls out of the recipe rather than the projected 24 so the results could have been user error. Oh well.

We were overall very happy with this book and I highly recommend it. In fact, I like the book so much I asked Debbie to send me a finished version. It is ready for everyone now.

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Debbie Koenig is a Brooklyn-based food writer and the author of Parents Need to Eat Too: Nap-Friendly Recipes, One-Handed Meals & Time-Saving Kitchen Tricks for New Parents, inspired by her own inability to cook anything more complicated than pasta with jarred sauce after the birth of her son. She writes the blog Words to Eat By and a column on babycenter.

Debbie sent me her book as a great kindness. And another one when I said to her, “Wah wah! Debbie, how can I find recipes when my review copy doesn’t have page numbers or an index?” Nice, huh?

Reprinted from the wayback machine cuz I’m super busy today.

Holden and I used to cook together a lot. Before his little brother Milo joined our family, Holden would stand by my side at the kitchen sink and crack eggs, stir with a whisk, or rip greens for a salad. Unfortunately, I must confess, I now put the two of them in front of a 25 minute kid show while I race to get dinner together most nights. So I was a perfect candidate for this lesson a few weeks ago.

Holden and Shayna cooking at Eat Real Fest

At the Oakland Eat Real Festival, an amazing event aimed at helping folks “put the food back into fast,” Holden cooked on stage as part of the children’s cooking demo. Along with 3 other children, he helped make “Scissor salsa salad” under the guidance of Shayna Marmar.

Shayna is a from-scratch cooking teacher-extraordinaire. She started Honeypie Cooking & Events in Oakland to bring fresh, seasonal, and delicious foods back into our kitchens.

Scissor Salsa Salad, all kid-made

As she was leading the children through food preparation, Shayna talked about eating fresh real whole foods as often as possible. We sat on hay bales as she encouraged us to get our children more involved in the creation of their meals. She has seen many parents who said their children hated veggies eat their words while their kids ate salad for the first time.

I emailed her after the event to find out if she had any tips for the Rookie Moms who want to cook more with children, and she told us to get out the safety scissors:

While safety scissors are not generally thought of as a cooking tool, they work great in helping kids of all ages cut various fruits and vegetables. Keep a pair in your kitchen drawer, specifically for cooking, and your child will instantly be able to assist with food preparation tasks without the use of a sharp knife.

Help your child along by cutting the fruits and vegetables into slices/strips beforehand. Foods that can be cut with safety scissors include tomatoes, bell peppers, apples, peaches, cabbage, and cucumbers, among others.

She offered a ton of great hacks for getting kids involved in cooking; here are a few other tips I picked up from the demo:

• Leave your perfectionism at the door; better that the food products are kid-made than perfect.
• Do rough cut prep in advance so kids can avoid a lot of waiting time as well as large knives on counters.
• Think about what foods can be torn by small hands: lettuce, herbs, bread…
• For safer cutting, have a pair of kids’ safety scissors dedicated for use on food (see above) or use a butter knife for other foods that won’t easily fit in the scissors.
• 

  Mashing out some tortillas

  Don’t have a rolling pin? Wash some tools from the play-doh kit or use a cleaned can. Let kids use their hands to pound out dough and smash out tortillas.

• During the final tasting, ask kids “what would you change next time? what would you add more/less of?” to get them thinking and engaged in the process. Holden said “more tomatoes,” a big boy said “more spicy,” the little girl said “just right,” and the big girl refused to taste it. (can’t please everyone!)

Taste test, hmmm more tomatoes please

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I want to thank Shayna for sharing her tips with us!

Shayna offers cooking classes & parties for older children, teens, adults, and families as well as workshops for teachers & parents highlighting tips & tricks for involving children in the process of preparing and eating wholesome and tasty foods.

She can also turn your next kids birthday party into a healthy cooking party, emphasizing fun in the kitchen. How brilliant is that?! She also blogs at Peas and Carrots 123.

I am constantly on the lookout for shortcuts in the kitchen. Delicious in two minutes with three ingredients? Now you’re talking. This easiest salmon in the world “recipe” is about 20 minutes from fridge to table; it is simple, hands-off, and delicious. I served it with pride to my picky (foodie) book club and routinely give it to my kids. Four-year old Milo will tell you that salmon is his favorite food.

The fish itself should start out cool or room temperature but NOT FROZEN (thawed from frozen is fine, I’m not snobby that way, just do it overnight in the fridge).

Ingredients:
Pretty piece of salmon, about 2 pounds (I like wild Alaskan)
Olive Oil, a few glugs
Any spice rub (Use sea salt and freshly ground pepper if you don’t have any)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Add olive oil to coat the bottom of glass baking dish.
3. Rub the fish with spice rub or lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper
4. Lay the fish on the oil, skin side down.
5. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork

Done!

For a toddler, I cut up small pieces. For my big boys, they can tear it up on their own with forks. They like it with soy sauce or teriyaki sauce (and by teriyaki, I mean ketchup or maple syrup! Ick.) I will also add a starch, green vegetable and fruit.

Side dish suggestions:

• Quickie starch: I serve this Israeli couscous or rice.
• Zero-minute green vegetable: frozen peas, still frozen.
• Two-minute green vegetable: spinach barely wilted with a lemon wedge.
• Zero-minute fruit side dish: applesauce.
• Two minute fruit side dish: apple slices.

Related post: Easy ginger Indian salmon

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This simple recipe is presented as part of our Makin’ It series in which we share hands-on projects, crafts, kitchen shortcuts and other things that are made. We’re just getting started. This is week three.

Omigod, once again I am totally serious and unsmiley in this Ragu video clip. What is my problem? I really am proud that I’m giving my kids the dinner experience I dreamed of as a kid. I am happy! I should be smiling when I describe it! Instead, I look like I’m discussing foreign policy.

Today we have THREE $100 gift cards to giveaway. Ragu is wrapping up their Mom’s The Word on Dinner campaign (a series of videos that I appeared in) and wants to celebrate by allowing you to splurge on something that will make you smile.

Here’s the deal: Comment below and tell us what you’d do with $100 that is related to FAMILY DINNER.

Enter only once. (Subsequent entries from the same email address will be deleted.)

On December 5, I will select three winners at random via computer. The three lucky winners will receive a $100 Amex Gift Card that can be used wherever American Express is accepted. Good luck!

I accepted the great stuffing challenge of 2011 because I love me some stuffing. I spent hours this weekend reading recipe websites and perfecting my stuffing recipe to use on the big day this Thursday.

NOT.

I do love stuffing, but who has time for hours in the kitchen in preparation for hours in the kitchen? With three little boys underfoot (two running and one crying to be held), not me.

So, I took some shortcuts. And tried a little riffing off the original Pepperidge Farm® bag recipe. This is what I came up with in twenty minutes including chopping:

INGREDIENTS:

• Handful of sliced mushrooms, rough-chopped
• TPSP of EVOO + TBSP of butter for sauteeing
• All the other ingredients on the package of the Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned stuffing bag

STEPS to the quickie stuffing:

1. Heat butter and oil in saucepan over medium-high heat
2. Toss in mushrooms until not-so raw
3. Follow the other shortcut directions on the package of the Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned stuffing bag.

And YUM.

I made my practice stuffing this weekend so I could make a ton more on Thursday (in proportions to guarantee leftovers) without feeling too weird about it. The small recipe was just enough for four servings, which amounted to giving the boys a taste, Alec having a normal amount, and me downing an obscene three bowls.

If I have a sous-chef in the kitchen on Thursday, I will make this same stuffing AND cornbread stuffing with bacon and apples. I don’t mind being a little experimental as long as my favorite side dish is already at the table.

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Pepperidge Farm is compensating me for my time and ingredients to tackle the Stuffing Recipe Challenge.