Wednesday, August 08, 2012

Vegetarian Spinach Stew: Illustrated Recipe



Nutrition Fact: 
This green lead is This food is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Niacin, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc, Copper and Manganese. 1 cup of cooked spinach contains 377% Vitamin A, 29% Vitamin C, Calcium 24%, Iron 36%.
Ingredients:


  • 400 g Frozen Spinach
  • 2 medium tomatoes
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 lemon
  • 5 cups water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • black pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil




Directions: 

Preheat a pot, prepare your cutting board and a sharp kitchen knife.


Start chopping the garlic


Now, finely chop the onions.


Add 2 tbsp of Olive Oil to the preheated pot.


Add the garlics and the onions, and keep stirring, on a Medium heat, 
for about 3 minutes or until golden.


Meanwhile, roughly dice the tomatoes. The tomatoes are high in nutrients 
so I love adding them to my recipes. If you like you could also 
add some sprigs of chopped fresh cilantro.


When the onions and garlics are golden add the tomatoes and stir
for about 5 minutes or until the tomatoes are half way cooked.


Now add 5 cups of water.


Add black pepper, salt and lemon juice and bring to a boil.


 When the water boils add the frozen spinach to the pot, keep cooking
on a medium heat until it starts boiling again then reduce the
heat to Low.


Keep cooking for 10 minutes or until the spinach is well cooked
and have a darker green color.
If you wish you could make it a soup by adding 2 extra
cups of water, 1 diced potato head and 1/4 cup of lentils.
Bon Appétit!

You May Also Like:

Mediterranean Spinach Stew With Rice
Chicken Parmesan: Illustrated Recipe



Kitchen Accessories Suggestions


RHS Hooker's Orchard Double Oven Glove RHS Hooker's Orchard Double Oven Glove
RHS Hooker's Orchard Double Oven Glove by Ulster Weavers

Rooster Coasters  Pack of 4 Rooster Coasters Pack of 4
Rooster Coasters Pack of 4 by Ulster Weavers


Bunny Shaped Tea Cosy Bunny Shaped Tea Cosy
Bunny Shaped Tea Cosy by Ulster Weavers

Patchwork Cats Child's PVC Apron Patchwork Cats Child's PVC Apron
Patchwork Cats Child's PVC Apron by Ulster Weavers

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

Family Fun Crafts: Funny Cup Faces

funny cup faces

If you're low on supplies then this is the perfect craft for you. Take your child to the back yard and let her pick up some leaves and flowers, get some shells you have saved from your last trip to the beach and you have yourself those funny cups!


Supplies Needed

  1. Plastic Cups
  2. Flowers and Leaves
  3. Sea Shells
  4. Googly Eyes or a black marker
  5. Red construction paper for the mouth
  6. Optional: BBQ Wooden Stick 
  7. Glue

Directions


Decorate your cups with these accessories and once you are finished glue a stick so you can use it as a puppet! Enjoy!

Tips

  • Crafting allows you to spend some quality time with your kid as long as it will teach him to discipline his gestures and be creative.
  • Let your child decorate his cup the way he wants, just help him with the glue if he is under 4 so he won't get very messy.

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Funny Animal Head Straws

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Monday, August 06, 2012

Weekly Menu (2)

family eating together

To help you with your daily cooking, How To Be Super Mom decided to post weekly menus.


Weekly Menu



Tuesday (Vegetarian) : Vegetarian Artichoke Stew with Sautéed Spaghetti

Wednesday (Chicken): Chicken Parmesan, Vegetable Sauté 

Thursday: Left Overs Day *

Friday (Vegetarian) : Tomato Soup, Super Mom Salad, Double Cheese Baked Potatoes

 




* Let Thursday be a cooking free day, take a break from that kitchen and serve Left Overs.


P.S : All the recipes corresponding to the dishes mentioned in the menu will be posted on How To Be Super Mom. If you don't find the recipe you are looking for be sure that it will be added soon.


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Weekly Menu 2













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Sunday, July 29, 2012

Staying at Home Mother: Tips For a Better Life.


super mom


Mildred B. Vermont said and I quote:  “Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs in my field, since the payment is pure love”.  I agree with her, pure love or more specifically emotions are a much better reward than money since that last one is easily spent, lost or stolen when feelings can grow deeper and stronger through time. Being a mother is a gift that we should all cherish and learn to enjoy every minute spent with our children. Nevertheless in this article I am trying to underline the hard life a staying at home mother could be leading and I chose to write about that since I am one of them. I have been so tired from running around all day that I am not sure if I still know how to appreciate motherhood anymore. Raising children is a very hard task maybe the hardest. And we need to have very good skills up our sleeves to be able to manage taking care of these children, alone, without any help. And when you are a staying at home mom you have to add the fact that you are stuck at home most of the time, you don’t get to interact with people as often as working mothers do, your social life is nearly dead and you find yourself eventually drowned in loneliness. And this could be the shot of mercy! That is why I came up with few tips to help myself, first, and every staying at home mother lead a fair relaxing life with children.     
  1. Friends: Don’t let your life and your marriage push you away from you friends. To survive you need to socialize, to have acquaintances, someone you could go out with for a cup of coffee or plan a game of poker! Someone you could talk to when you find yourself miserable. It is beautiful to have your husband as your best friend but sometimes you might need a good friend to talk to about your marital problems and in that case your spouse won’t be a good choice. And you don’t want to find yourself alone in such hard time cause then you will feel petrified!
  2. Time Out: Yes you do need that and you know it! But when can you squeeze that break when you have to cook, clean, run errands, spend time with your kids, bathe them, read them a story, and last but not least take care of your own hygiene, and – yes- get some sleep! And we forgot to mention your love life. So in general your day is similar to a crazy journey at a kids’ fair. Time Out! Cancel one of your tasks and take a time off: you can read a little, have a cup of coffee or just lay down idly watching television or thinking blank. It doesn’t matter how you spend your break but it is important to have a small time during the day to breathe and relax.
  3. Plan an outing: Once a week get a baby sitter and get out from that crazy mansion.  You could plan a day out with your significant other, lunch with your friends or just a lonely outing to run away from your troubles. Details don’t matter,  what is important is for you to have the chance, once a week, to relax from running after the kids all day and have a day for yourself.
    Pamper yourself mother you deserve it!
If you follow these tips I guarantee you a smoother life as staying at home mother. So please try your best and remember that even though a staying at home mother is the most restless non profitable job in the world and even if every time or so you wish you were able to quit remember that it's the best job in the world cause your boss are your children and they love you unconditionally. It's true that you're not getting materially paid but your building for what's more important and that is a long, strong, intimate relationship with your children that will last longer than anything money could buy and it has an increasing value over the time. Be happy you're a staying at home mom .











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Depression in New Mothers: Causes, Consequences, and Treatment Alternatives Depression in New Mothers: Causes, Consequences, and Treatment Alternatives
Depression is the number one cause of maternal death in developed countries and results in adverse health outcomes for both mother and child. It is vital, therefore, that health professionals are ready and able to help those women that suffer from perinatal and postpartum depression (PPD). This book provides a comprehensive approach to treating PPD in an easy-to-use format. It reviews the research and brings together the evidence-base for understanding the causes and for assessing the different treatment options, including those that are safe for use with breastfeeding mothers. It incorporates a new psychoneuroimmunology framework for understanding postpartum depression and includes chapters on:
  • Negative birth experiences
  • Infant characteristics
  • Psychosocial factors
  • Antidepressant medication
  • Therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy
  • Herbal medicine and alternative therapies
  • Suicide and infanticide
Invaluable in treating the mothers who come to you for help, this helpful guide dispels the myths that hinder effective treatment and presents up-to-date information on the impact of maternal depression on the health of the mother, as well as the health and well-being of the infant.


The Ghost in the House: Real Mothers Talk about Maternal Depression, Raising Children, and How They Cope The Ghost in the House: Real Mothers Talk about Maternal Depression, Raising Children, and How They Cope
An award-winning reporter for the "Washington Post," Tracy Thompson was thirty-four when she was hospitalized and put on suicide watch during a major depressive episode. This event, the culmination of more than twenty years of silent suffering, became the point of departure for an in-depth, groundbreaking book on depression and her struggle with the disease. "The Beast" shattered stereotypes and inspired countless readers to confront their own battles with mental illness. Having written that book, and having found the security of a happy marriage, Thompson assumed that she had learned to manage her illness. But when she took on one of the most emotionally demanding jobs of all being a mother depression returned with fresh vengeance. Very quickly Thompson realized that virtually everything she had learned up to then about dealing with depression was now either inadequate or useless. In fact, maternal depression was a different beast altogether. She tackled her problem head-on, meticulously investigating the latest scientific research and collecting the stories of nearly 400 mothers with depression. What she found was startling: a problem more widespread than she or any other mother struggling alone with this affliction could have imagined. Women make up nearly 12 million of the 19 million Americans affected by depression every year, experiencing episodes at nearly twice the rate that men do. Women suffer most frequently between the ages of twenty-five and forty-four not coincidentally, the primary childbearing years. "The Ghost in the House," the result of Thompson's extensive studies, is the first book to address maternal depression as a lifelong illness that can have profound ramifications for mother and child. A striking blend of memoir and journalism, here is an invaluable resource for the millions of women who are white-knuckling their way through what should be the most satisfying years of their lives. Thompson offers her readers a concise summary of the cutting-edge research in this field, deftly written prose, and, above all, hope.


The Postpartum Effect: Deadly Depression in Mothers The Postpartum Effect: Deadly Depression in Mothers
A Mothers Tears presents a caring and knowledgeable picture of postpartum depression. Psychologist Arlene M. Huysman explains the very real hormonal and emotional causes of what was once dismissed as the baby blues, defines who is at risk, and shows readers how to recognize the illness. She also describes proper treatment, explains how to make sure ones doctor is an ally, and discusses how family can help new mothers get well again. This primer on the causes and cures of this common but long-misunderstood illness contains a new chapter presenting the most up-to-date research and developments.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Super Mom's Chicken Parmesan

chicken parmesan

Healthy and Quick Recipe

* Tip: Always Marinate your chicken in olive oil, lemon, onion powder and garlic powder. You can either prepare them 24 hours ahead and store them in the fridge or if you take one trip a month to the supermarket, marinate all your chicken and store them in the freezer.

Ingredients

  • 600 g halved, marinated boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 3 tbsp parmesan
  • 2 tbsp Canola oil
  • 400 g tomato sauce
  • 1 tbsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 150g Mozzarella Cheese
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper
  • Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Directions



cooking ingredients
 Prepare the breadcrumbs, black pepper, salt, 1 tbsp Parmesan and white pepper.


breadcrumbs mix 
Mix all in a bowl


coating chicken with breadcrumbs
 Coat chicken pieces with breadcrumbs mix.

cooking chicken
Preheat a pan.
Pour Canola Oil, and cook the chicken until golden brown.
Note that the excess of breadcrumbs might burn a little, but don't worry you can remove that excess. In the popular recipe, chicken is usually fried but to keep it light, I only use 2 tbsp of oil so we are practically baking and not frying which may burn some of the breadcrumbs.

preparing tomato sauce 
Meanwhile, prepare the tomato sauce: add 1 tbsp Parmesan, dried basil, salt, black pepper and garlic powder.


placing chicken in a casserole
Place the chicken in an oven proof baking dish.

covering chicken with tomato sauce

Place 1 tbsp of tomato sauce over every piece of chicken.
sprinkle cheese on chicken


Sprinkle them with Mozzarella and 1 tbsp of Paremsan.



chicken parmesan

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
Bake for 20 minutes.


chicken parmesan

And here it is, a delicious, healthy and light casserole of chicken Parmesan.


chicken parmesan

Serve with corn or mashed potatoes


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Low Cost Weekly Menu (1)




I hope you will find this menu helpful and easy. I chose low cost recipes. Please note that we will be linking this menu to the recipes as soon as we post them, meanwhile if you don't know all the recipes you can search for them at allrecipes.com until we post How To Be Super Mom special cooking method.

Monday:  Mediterranean Spinach Stew With Rice

Tuesday: Spaghetti al forno with Garden Salad

Wednesday: Shephard's Pie with Cabbage and Tomato Salad

Thursday: Left Overs*

Friday: Vegetable Stew with Rice

Saturday: Super Mom Delicious HotDog Sandwich

Sunday: Fish and Potato Casserole

* Let Thursday be a cooking free day, take a break from that kitchen and serve Left Overs.


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Weekly Menu 1














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Ten Summer Snacks My Kids Actually Love (That Are Healthy and Quick!)

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