Healthy Recipe

I recently hosted a healthy cooking demo so I thought I would share the recipe. We had fun cooking together and talking about different things we do to prepare healthier meals for our families. A couple moms went back for seconds so I took that as a good sign that they enjoyed the meal! Here it is.....




















Spinach Tortellini

Ingredients:
1 (9oz) package of cheese tortellini
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tsp olive oil
6 large garlic cloves (minced)
1 (6oz) package of fresh baby spinach
1/4-1/2 cup pre-shredded Parmesan cheese
4 slices turkey bacon, cooked

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer to large bowl.

2. Heat large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Spray with canola oil cooking spray. Add turkey bacon slices and cook until lightly crispy. Transfer to a paper towel to cool. When cool, chop turkey bacon into small pieces and add them to the pasta bowl.

3. Add pine nuts to the hot pan. Cook 1-3 minutes until lightly toasted (stirring so they don't burn). Add nuts to the pasta bowl.

4. Heat oil in the hot pan over medium heat. Add garlic to the pan and cook for two minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn. Add spinach to pan and cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts (stirring constantly). Add spinach mixture, cheese, and black pepper to the pasta bowl. Toss well.

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The best part about this meal is it is easy to prepare, easy to clean up after, and tastes good hot or cold. If you prefer to serve it hot, time your pasta to finish last and then combine with all if the other prepared ingredients. You can also make this vegetarian by leaving out the turkey bacon.

More Cooking Tips:
-to make an even healthier recipe choose whole wheat tortellini - I used Buitoni brand
-to make even lower calorie - cut the Parmesan cheese in half and omit the pine nuts
-for more texture and an extra serving of veggies add asparagus to the dish

Spinach has many health benefits. It is loaded with calcium, iron, vitamin K, folic acid and lutein. In order for your body to absorb the iron found in spinach and other leafy greens, you must also eat it with a vitamin C source. Spinach contains a little vitamin C but to make sure you are absorbing all the iron you can, it is recommended pairing this meal with sliced watermelon, orange slices or cantaloupe. I added a side salad of grape tomatoes with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar since tomatoes also contain Vitamin C.

The Calorie Breakdown.....

Tortellini - 825 calories
Turkey Bacon - 140 calories
Olive Oil - 40 calories
Spinach - 50 calories
Pine Nuts - 200 calories
1/4 cup Parm Cheese - 110 calories

Total - 1365 calories

3 servings - 450 calories
3 servings no cheese - 400 calories
3 servings no cheese or bacon - 350 calories

I also prepared a simple healthy dessert to finish off the meal. I combined sliced kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries and topped with about a half cup of Dannon Light and Fit Vanilla yogurt (approx 55 calories). Yum!

I hope you enjoy!

Moms Get Busy

More than Moms recently had a meetup to make Busy Bags. These are small bags with activities your toddler can do when you need help occupying their time....such as when cleaning the house, out to dinner, at the doctor, shopping, etc. The goal is to create activities that are easy to make, simple to store and transport, inexpensive, and yet fun and different for your little one. We had a great turnout! We made popsicle stick puzzles, button snakes, lacing cards, and number dot cards. Here are some pics of what we created.....

Popsicle stick puzzles....some moms chose to do pics of their family or toddler













For this we taped a row of popsicle sticks together, glued the picture to the opposite side, and then cut with a sharp blade after the glue had dried.

Button Snakes

















For this we sewed buttons on to each end of a strip of ribbon. Then we cut slits into multi-colored squares of felt and threaded it onto the ribbon.

Lacing cards

















For this we used pre-cut foam shapes, a hole punch, and string. After putting holes around your shape, all you have to do is tie a knot on one end and lace the string through.

Number dot cards

















This template was pulled from an on-line learning web-site. It is double sided counting to 10. You can use pom poms or other objects such as coins to help teach counting and number recognition.

For these and other busy bag type activities, here are a few web-sites you can check out.....

http://www.mydeliciousambiguity.com/2010/06/toddler-busy-bag-activities.html

http://therigneys.wordpress.com/2011/08/26/toddler-busy-bag-swap/

http://www.abcand123learning.com/search/label/Counting

http://sstorywindow.blogspot.com/2011/10/toddler-time-busy-bag-exchange-part-3.html

We hope to schedule a busy bag swap event soon!

We've Shown You Our Chair

More than Moms has entered Catonsville's Show Us Your Chair Contest, benefiting the 4th of July Celebration (a very worthy cause).  Several moms got together and created a Go Go Gadget Mom Chair. 

We'd love it if you'd go cast a few votes for our chair.  It's $1 a vote through PayPal, but you can cast as many "votes" as you want in a single transaction. 

So what do you say?  Will you kill two birds with one stone, help us and the 4th of July at the same time?  Sweet!

It's Official Almost

I'm not sure if the word has spread, but about a week ago, our paperwork for tax exempt status was submitted to the Federal government.  Barring no major (or minor) hiccups, we should receive our status in 3-6 months. 

I wanted to take a sec and personally thank Laura for pulling it all together.  Because of her efforts, we didn't have to spend thousands on a lawyer.  The next time you see our Madame Secretary, make sure you give her a pat on the back.

Tucked inside the deep pile of paperwork is a narrative we had to write to describe where we've been and where we want to go.  I thought it might be nice to share that story with everyone.

"More than Moms was created in September 2009 by Hillary Pennington as a typical playgroup, a place where kids could play and moms could converse.   The original plan was to keep the group amongst Hillary’s friends and contacts.  However when she signed up for a social networking website, Meetup.com, she was surprised when they advertised her group to nearly 3000 moms around the area.  Almost overnight the group and the vision changed.  Suddenly we were strangers on our way to a family.  

As time went on, the moms in the group were looking to be more than moms, more than a playgroup, to be able to give back to the community.  In April of 2010, a local business owner lost his young wife just days after she gave birth to a son.  The vast majority of our group had never met this woman, but that didn’t stop our hearts from breaking.  We immediately banded together to gather diapers, baby food, and gift cards for the family.  Thus began our addiction to service. 

We feel that if we can pull our resources, talents and gifts together than we can have a greater impact on our community.  As a group we decided to pursue the creation of a non-profit organization that would allow us to become a recognized entity in the community, take on tax deductible contributions and raise money that will make and impact for moms both inside and outside of our organization. 

Our vision is to empower mothers, to reach their philanthropic goals, and it’s certainly caught on and spread throughout our little playgroup like a wildfire.  We’ve organized meals for new moms with no other support network, sewed “merry sock monkeys” for children at a local shelter, and are in the process of putting together a community recipe book.  

As to our plans for the future, we’re looking to partner with a pregnancy center to help support the moms after they give birth.  We want to expand our “Merry Monkeys” project to include multiple facilities and possibly even be able to extend the service throughout the year.  We desire to connect with other organizations in the community to do whatever we can to support moms in need, providing resources, programs, and expertise so they can do what they do best…be mothers." 

Follow us on Facebook

We're on Facebook

More than Moms has finally come to Facebook.  Follow us.  In case you didn't know, we're also on Twitter.  Help us build an active social profile by posting to our wall, uploading meetup pics & videos, asking questions, commenting on posts and even telling people about your latest finds (deals, restaurants, cute kid stuff, events, etc).  See you there. 

Elections: Please Read

As you probably already know from Hillary's past few emails, More Than Moms is having their yearly election. We have two candidates for treasurer, Lisa Atkinson and Shannon Thomas, and three candidates for our open board positions, Kathleen Davies, Caitlin Kirby, and Angela Valliant. The remaining positions are uncontested by the incumbents. Beginning next Monday, June 6th, voting will open for one week. Voting will be done through survey monkey and each member is entitled to vote one time for each position. The link will be posted here and sent via email on the 6th. The candidate with the most votes for treasurer and the top two vote getters for the board will join the incumbents on the board for the next year. Before the 6th, candidates for each position are invited to reply to this thread with a little information about their membership in More than Moms and to let members know why they are interested in the position they are running for. If you have questions for the candidates, please do not post them on this thread, but email them directly or set up a new discussion. If you have questions about the election you can email me directly. Thanks and best of luck to the candidates!

Laura

Go Go Gadget Mom Chair

More than Moms is going public with a creative twist.  We're entering Catonsville's Show Us Your Chair Contest to benefit the 4th of July Parade and Fireworks.  All we have to do is decorate a chair, take a picture, upload it to the site and hope people vote (pay per vote) for it so we can make it to the finalist and maybe even win the grand prize. 

Mandy came up with an idea for a Go Go Gadget Mom Chair.  How fun is that?  Here's what we need from you.  We need you to let us borrow your favorite mom gadget.  You know, the thing that would cause you to lose your super powers if it went missing.  You can either bring us the actual gadget or a fairly large picture of it (big enough for someone to see if stuck to a chair). You can bring your gadget to Mandy's House or to Hillary's House before Friday night (or if you're coming to the meetup, you can bring it with you). 

We'll decorate the chair on Friday and then go ahead an upload our picture.  If you're interested in decorating your own chair, as a family, a business or another group, it's $25 to enter and a whole lot of fun. The deadline for entries in June 9.

Because of the fact that we don't need 20 people decorating a chair, we've limited this meetup to 5 people.  However, we really need as many of you to participate as possible in the gathering of gadgets.  This will be the ultimate mom chair. 

Just Let Him Pee Already

Let's play a game of "what would you do?"  Here's the situation.  I'm checking out the new Five Below on Rte 40.  First of all, it's huge and well stocked.  I was super excited about our little trip.  Less than five minutes after we walked in, Blake bursts out with "Mommy,  I gots ta peeee." 

It's not like four year olds give you much time.  So I start scouring the side walls for a bathroom.  I see an open door with a boy's room on the other side.  Like any sane mom, I beelined.  Once we came out, a store clerk cornered me just to let me know that their restrooms are not public.  Really? You had to embarrass me? 

Since I didn't have a cart full of stuff, I walked out.  New rule:  I will not shop at stand alone stores that don't have public restrooms.  I can get what I needed at the Dollar Tree anyways; across the parking lot we go. 

This time I was almost through shopping when I hear the infamous,  "Mommy I really need to go potty.  My pee pee's coming out."  This time, there was no open door, so I asked the lady at the front.  "No public restrooms."  Seriously. that's exactly how she said it.  By this point, I'm boiling.  What exactly am I supposed to do when my 4 year old has to pee and you don't have a bathroom?

If you have a preschooler, you know that there is no such thing as "hold it until we get home."  I had no choice but to leave my cart behind and rush to McDonalds so the child could relieve himself. 

I'm sticking by my new rule. You don't have public restrooms, you don't get my money...simple as that. 

Lose Weight, Dammit!

"Lose weight, dammit." Yep, this is what I say to myself every morning as I stare into the depths of the evil mirror.  "Mirror, Mirror on the wall.  Who's the frumpiest of them all." Again, that would be me.

Normally, I say these words and then do nothing.  I loathe myself as I crawl through yet another day of stagnant activity and over indulgent eating.

So this morning, I finally ventured off to the gym, for the first time in months.  My clients will just have to wait.  I need this for me, except the entire time I'm trudging through the workout, I'm looking around comparing myself to every other person in the room.  "At least I'm not like that guy."  "Oh, I wonder if she has kids.  Nah, probably not, she looks too darn good."  "I hope I look like her when I'm that age."  "Yikes, it could be worse."

It's funny.  In high school, it was the popular girls and magazine models that were the measurement for my self worth (physically at least).  Of course, that ship has sailed.  Now, I find myself envying non-moms or those who freakishly and miraculously revert back to cuteness 10 seconds after they give birth.  Just look at their stretch free skin and perky boobs.  Maybe my goal should be to simply not look like a mom.

Reality check, ladies.  I am never going to look a 22 year old again.  Ironically though, until recently, I was still hanging on to my size 2, extra tiny pre-pregnancy clothes.  Even if I did get back down to my former weight, a good 20 lbs from where I am now, my form is so drastically different, they'll never fit the same.  Off they went to the Goodwill.  It was a sad and dreary day when I let go of pre-existence and embraced the reality of my forever frumpiness.

However, just because I'm never going to look like a super model or even a B-list celebrity, it doesn't mean I have to walk around unhealthy and self-loathing.  If I don't like what I see, I should stop the laziness and put my butt in motion, literally.

So I thought I'd throw out an idea to my fellow supermoms.  Why not be each other's accountability?  Whether you are doing Weight Watchers or another diet program (names of which have completely left my brain), planning on working out at the Y on on your Wii Fit, let's support one another; help each other reach our  goals.  What do you say?  You in?

We're Looking for a Few Good Board Members

Our first year as an official organization is coming to an end, but not without its successes.  I'm so proud of our current board as they are the ones that have laid the foundation for the years to come.  Before I get started, allow me to officially thank each of our innagural members.

Vanessa Williams: Vice President
Laura Saxton: Secretary
Emily Isbell: Treasurer
Mandy Zivin: Board Member
Meredith Lazarro: Board Member
Jenny Barbosa: Board Member
Allison Baird: Board Member

These women have worked hard to make the transition from playgroup to a community organization, which has included creating by-laws, filling out mountains of federal paperwork, opening check accounts, transitioning members to the new dues system, hosting meetups, greeting new members, and so forth.  The list goes on and on. 

Several positions on our board have opened up in the last couple of months and we'd like to open them up to the membership for those that might be interested in forging the way over the next year or so.  Jenny Barbosa, Allison Baird and Emily Isbell have decided to step down from the board for various reasons leaving their positions available.  Emily is our sitting Treasurer and can help the next person transition into the role. 

In addition to these new positions, the entire board must be voted on.  At this point, myself (Hillary Pennington, President), Vanessa, Laura, Mandy, and Meredith would like to continue in our positions.  If you are interested in running for any position on the board, please shoot me an email and let me know.  The elections will start at our upcoming Kick Off and Unveiling of our new logo at El Nayar on May 14th starting at 5:30 pm. 

While I am on the subject, please consider coming to the Kick Off.  It's going to be a fun evening and we're going to be setting the stage for the upcoming months.  We're super excited about our logo and will have t-shirts for sale for $10.  You can also invite your friends, family and neighbors (even if they don't have kids).  Remember this is a fundraiser as well.  El Nayar has graciously offered to give us 10% of the proceeds for the entire night, from everyone who walks through the door.  So make it a family night and we'll see you there.

If you have any questions about the elections or the event, please let me know.  Thanks