There are certain memories that I hope to make with my kids, and one of them is that family dinners can be a lot of fun! I can still remember sitting around the dinner table as a little girl and laughing until it hurt after a few rounds of spaghetti races. My dad, brother, sister, and myself would all slurp spaghetti as fast as we could to see who would finish first. I still remember the feel of the warm sauce splashing on my face – and even my mother laughing. If she was worried about the mess, it certainly isn’t something I remember.

Now that I’m a mom, pasta night is something we do quite often. It’s a meal I know everyone loves, is easy, and affordable. And I’m not missing out on the opportunity to make #Saucesome memories with my family. I still remember the first time my husband and I introduced our now 6 year old to spaghetti races. Those laughs were worth all the extra clean up we had to do!  Now that D is starting to try more foods I decided it was time to let him experience the fun as well!

(We tend to do spaghetti races without shirts – it makes it easier to clean up!)

If I let my little helpers help me shop for pasta night they always reach for Ragu. Ragu has the authentic Italian taste that our family all loves and a variety of great tasting, quick and easy to make family favorite recipes.

Here are a few other ways we make pasta night #saucesome with Ragu!

K can’t get enough of these Spaghetti Monsters! They are super easy to make, and are a great way to get more protein into my growing boy!

Something else my 6 year old thinks is super silly is mixing up our pastas! Seeing all the different shapes in one bowl always gets him eating!

But if you still need some #Saucesome inspiration – be sure to check out Ragu’s Facebook page for even more quick and awesome meal ideas!

Want to Win Free Stuff?

Visit ragusweeps.com for a chance to win a variety of #Saucesome prizes!

Ragú is celebrating everything that makes family mealtime #Saucesome. From unique recipes to silly moments to crazy weeknights…we want to hear it all.

Do you have a recent #Saucesome moment or recipe? Share below!

Do you ever have a moment when you say to yourself “Why on Earth did I wait so long to try that”? When I switched over to the Paleo approach to eating I discovered I loved foods and ingredients I’d previously shied away from.

One of those things being Apple Cider Vinegar. I love my Braggs and I pretty much use it daily. There are seriously so many ways you can use Apple Cider Vinegar, and incorporating even just a few of these will benefit you in ways you might not have previously thought of.

Before we get into all the great ways you can use apple cider vinegar I wanted to mention why it’s important to by the organic apple cider vinegar that comes with the ‘mother’.  The ‘mother’ is made up of enzymes like connected protein molecules with living nutrients and bacteria. This is where you get the most health benefits from the vinegar.  Apple cider vinegar can be very strong. Always dilute it before drinking or putting it on your skin. Additionally if you don’t like the taste of it at first you can always add honey, a small amount of pure maple syrup, or even fruit juice to make it more palatable.

10 Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar

1. For Weight Loss – Add two tablespoons in an 16 oz glass of water every morning. I like to drink it first thing, but others prefer to sip it through out the day. Apple cider vinegar has shown to help fight cravings, lower blood sugar, and has been shown to reduce belly fat and body weight in some studies.
2. Stay Regular – Drinking it daily can help to keep your body moving regularly and flush out toxins that keep you backed up.
3. Make Your Hair Shine – Re-purpose an old shampoo bottle by filling it with 1/2 apple cider vinegar and 1/2 water. Put onto your hair several times a week after shampooing to use it as a rinse. It will boost your hair’s body and shine!
4. Incorporate it into Foods for More Flavor – My absolute favorite way to do this is as a dressing on salads, but adding apple cider vinegar to sauces gives them a fresh and new taste. See Recipe Below for my super easy and tasty Apple Cider Vinaigrette!
   
5. Clean Produce – Using a mixture of 1/2 apple cider vinegar and 1/2 hydrogen peroxide will remove pesticides and other chemicals from fruits and vegetables.
6. Soothe Sunburns – Add a cup of apple cider vinegar to your bath and soak for 10 minutes to help reduce the sting of a sunburn.
7. Unclog Your Drains – Mix together 1/2 cup table salt and 1/2 cup of baking soda and pour the mixture down your clogged drain. Next add 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar. The vinegar will react with the previous mixture giving off a harmless gas. Let sit for 2 hours and flush with hot or boiling water.
8. Fight Acne and Blemishes – Use it as a toner to help fight break outs. Be sure to dilute the apple cider vinegar first. Typically a 1 part ACV to 2 parts water would work, but if your skin is very sensitive you may have to dilute it more.
9. Wash Windows – Use apple cider vinegar to get a very clean streak free shine. Use 1/2 apple cider vinegar and 1/2 water. Some people prefer to use alcohol in place of water, but I find that water does just fine.
10. Brighten Teeth – Get rid of stains on your teeth by using apple cider vinegar on a cotton ball rubbed directly on your teeth. Rinse well afterwards or even brush to remove the acid from your teeth.

I have to say my favorite way to use apple cider vinegar is a toss up between drinking it and cooking with it. Recently I’ve been making a lot of this super easy Apple Cider Vinaigrette. It’s more flavorful than any dressing I’ve bought at the store, and it’s made with clean, fresh, and paleo and 21 Day Sugar Detox approved ingredients. I use it as a dressing or a marinate for chicken, fish, or vegetables!

4.7 from 7 reviews

Basic Apple Cider Vinaigrette

 

Emily K.:

Emily Knight

Cuisine: American

Print

 

A super easy and very flavorful apple cider vinaigrette perfect for salads or as a marinade!

Ingredients

• 3-4 T Olive Oil
• 2 T Apple Cider Vinegar (Bragg)
• ½ T Honey (optional)
• ½ T Flavor God Garlic Lovers Seasonings

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients with a whisk and serve

Notes

Flavor God Seasoning is paleo friendly and made fresh at ordering. Feel free to substitute your favorite seasoning combination.
I don't every measure my ingredients anymore. I just use what looks right. Adjust the ratios as needed.

Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

3.2.2708

I know what I’m having for lunch! Doesn’t that look so delicious!

What is your favorite way to use Apple Cider Vinegar?

Back before I was married I lived in a few different apartments over the years. I loved it, except for one thing. You could always smell your neighbors food! The worst was burnt popcorn. I had this one neighbor who I swear burnt his popcorn every single night. I wanted to knock on his door and yell STOP BURNING POPCORN, but I didn’t. The smell of burnt popcorn now seriously makes my stomach uneasy, so you can imagine what happens when I’m the one burning the popcorn.

Our family has a family tradition started about a year and a half ago of Friday Family Movie nights. Each Friday my son get’s to pick a movie, and if he’s had good behavior all week he get’s to pick special food treat. He often picks popcorn. I’m so nervous about burning it and having that smell stuck in my nose that I often end up under-cooking it! It was silly, but that memory related smell was also stressful for me.

Now I use the Pop Secret Perfect Pop App (Yes, there truly is an app for everything!) and I don’t have to worry about burning our popcorn ever again. Even when we are traveling and using a microwave I’m unfamiliar with!!

Everyone can relate to the frustration of burning popcorn, so Pop Secret decided to solve the problem once and for all, so you can spend more time enjoying movies and less time worrying about burned popcorn!

With your iPhone 5+ on iOS 7+, download Perfect Pop (“Perfect Popcorn”) for free in the App Store.

1. Put a bag of Pop Secret in the microwave and enter suggested cooking time from the packaging. Note: Perfect Pop is optimized for the deliciousness of Pop Secret popcorn only.

2.  Turn up the volume on your iPhone. Point the phone’s speaker towards the microwave and keep within 3 feet.

3. Start the microwave, and then start the app.

No more relying on the popcorn button or guessing how many seconds in between pops. Pop Secret is serious about perfect popcorn, so the less you have to worry about, the more time you can spend enjoying movie night with your friends & family. Perfect Pop listens to the pops, waiting for the precise moment to let you know when your popcorn is perfect.

Since it’s my son who is the popcorn lover, I let him help by holding the app while it’s popping. He thinks it’s pretty cool, and calls it his app! He loves his family movie night popcorn!

Do you have any burned popcorn stories?

Week 2 left me feeling a little bored… I didn’t vary my plan enough and got frustrated eating a lot of the same things.  Other than that I think week 2 went very good.  My breastmilk supply is still on the up and up, and my jeans have been fitting a lot better.  I even ventured out to eat with my husband this week for a date night.  My hubs isn’t Paleo, but we are both trying to eat better so we went to Chipotle and enjoyed a delicious salad bowl.  I checked out several pages that recommended Chipotle for eating Paleo but cautioned to only order the Pork Carnitas because it was one of the only meats not cooked in Soybean Oil (Which is a huge Paleo no-no).  I was happy to learn when we were there that they have discontinued the use of soybean oil, and replaced it with sunflower oil due to GMOs.  Go Chipotle!

Speaking of having a husband who isn’t Paleo – I was asked several times this week if everyone in my home eats what I eat.  The short answer is yes.  The long answer? My husband takes care of his own meals for breakfast and lunch.  He is counting calories and not Paleo.  My son eats the same breakfast everyday – a bar and a fruit/veggie pouch. For lunch he usually requests the same 3-4 things.  Almond butter/Jelly, Turkey Roll Ups, Hotdogs, or Eggs.  He still also eats some dairy, but no milk.  At dinner everyone eats what I cook.  Eventually I’d like to get my son on a Paleo diet too, but I need to be more consistent in it myself before I start to break him up from his bread and yogurt.

We got a little off our Week 2 Meal Plan, so this week I am going to really dig into some books for variety and stick to it so we aren’t short leftovers for leftover night!

Don’t forget you can download my free Paleo Grocery List Printable here!

Day 8:

• Breakfast: Banana, Almond Butter, Coconut Flakes.
• Lunch: Chicken Sausages, Plantain Chips, Cherry Tomatoes, Mushrooms.
• Dinner: Roasted Stuffed Peppers with Grass-fed Beef, Raos Tomato Sauce, Onions, Mushrooms, and loads of Garlic. (The whole family loves these.)

Day 9:

• Breakfast: Coconut Flakes, Almond Butter, Banana, and Blueberries.
• Lunch: Avocado dressing, Romaine, Olives, Cherry Tomatoes, Broccoli, Mushrooms, Canadian Bacon. (Check out out my creamy avocado dressing recipe.)
• Dinner: Slow Cooker Greek Chicken, Artichokes, Kalamata Olives, Roasted Red Peppers, served with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Cucumbers.
• Snack: Cashew, Raisins, Pineapple.

Day 10:

Boring day… Too tired to cook so did something simple. – Also 1/3 Way Done!!

• Breakfast: Canadian Bacon with yellow mustard, Cashews, and Applesauce (unsweetened).
• Lunch: Leftover Roasted Peppers… added Avocado.
• Dinner: My easy go-to meal. Chicken Apple Sausage, Peppers, and Sweet Potatoes.

Day 11:

• Breakfast: Monkey Salad, Bananas, Coconut Flakes, Almond Butter, Blueberries.
• Lunch: Nitrate Free Turkey, Carrots, Olives, Mandarin, Guacamole.
• Dinner: DIY Lettuce Tacos. Grass-fed Beef, Caramelized Onions, Olives, Tomatoes, Pico De Gallo, Peppers, Mini Romaine Lettuce Cups

Day 12:

• Breakfast: more Monkey Salad… My hubs bought a ton of bananas and a huge lot of blueberries. They need to be eaten.
• Lunch: Bacon, Romaine, Cucumbers, Peppers, homemade Vinaigrette.
• Dinner: Was planned to be leftovers… Problem… We ate them all. Which means I needed to tweak the meal plan. Fallback to the freezer staple of chicken sausages (which I’m actually getting a bit sick of) served with roasted Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Sweet Potatoes.

Day 13:

This was one of my favorite days this week!

• Breakfast: Tomatoes, Blueberries, Bacon, Cashews.
• Lunch: Leftover Greek Chicken added Raos Sauce.
• Dinner: Steak, garlicky Green Beans, Mushrooms, Olives.

Day 14:

Two weeks in baby! Not a perfect day, but a good one. On the go breakfast again… I escaped that all week and was bummed to do it today, but it was this or nothing.

• Breakfast: Larabar and Banana.
• Lunch: Canadian Bacon, Turkey, Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Broccoli, and Guac with Pico De Gallo. So full!!
• Dinner: Date night with the hubs! Pork Salad bowl. Carnitas, Veggies, Lettuce, Tomato Salsa, and Guacamole. Delicious!

Week 3 Meal Plan:

• Monday: Zoodles and Garlic Shrimp (was on week 2’s menu plan but we didn’t get to it!)
• Tuesday: Rosemary Turkey Burgers
• Wednesday: Rosemary Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Veggies
• Thursday: Slow Cooked Brazilian Chicken Curry (recipe)
• Friday: Steak with Garlic Grean Beans
• Saturday: Leftovers
• Sunday: Roasted Chicken and Greek Salad

How do you keep from food boredom in the kitchen?  Any favorite paleo recipes to share?

Catch up on my Week 1 Whole30 Food Diary!

Around the holidays one cookie is king in our home.  Pepparkakor cookies, or Swedish Ginger Cookies are my husbands favorite.  In addition to getting a huge tin of them from the store, usually my Mother-in-law sends homemade ones. 

**(This year we were going to make them, but just got too busy…. I am planning on making some for my hubs for his birthday!  SHHH!)

Apparently a love of the Pepparkakor is a genetic trait!  My son is a Swedish Cookie Monster!  If he even sees you go near the tin of cookies, he is on top of you begging for some.

Want to make your own Pepparkakor cookies?

Swedish Pepparkakor Cookies

• 1/2 c  Molasses
• 1/2 c  Sugar
• 1/2 c  Butter
• 1   Egg, well beaten
• 2 1/2 c  Sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/4 ts Salt
• 1/4 ts Baking soda
• 1/2 ts Ginger
• 1/2 ts Cinnamon
• Pinch Nutmeg

1. Heat molasses in small saucepan to boiling point. Let boil for one minute. Add sugar and butter to mixture and stir until butter is melted.  Let it cool. Beat in one egg. Sift together flour, salt, soda and spices. Add dry ingredien to first mixture and mix thoroughly. Cover bowl tightly and chill overnight.
2. Roll out a portion of the dough at a time on lightly floured pastry cloth.  Roll out pretty thin. Cut into desired shapes. (Hearts and gingerbread men are common, but you can do anything!)  Bake in a moderate oven (350) for 6 to 8 minutes.   These will yield: 10 dozen cookies

Another easy way to cook:  The dough may be shaped into a log and wrapped in waxed paper. Place in fridge and chill thoroughly overnight or longer.  The next day use knife to slice thin and bake in moderate oven (350). These should be stored in an air-tight container to last longer and bring out the flavors.  The dough can also be stored in the freezer for later use.

6 pepparkakor cookies only have 110 calories!  How awesome is that!  They really are the perfect holiday cookie!

I’m trying something new on the blog this week.  Instead of just doing a weekly menu plan with links to recipes I plan on trying, I am going to try my best to recap what I’m eating during the week.  My “Paleo Plates” if you will.  My hope is that it will not only keep me more accountable to myself, but also provide readers with ideas of what they could be eating.

A couple things you should know:

1. I tend now to vary my breakfasts or lunches too much.  I’m a creature of habit, especially during the day when my main focus is on my two young boys.  I like easy, and repeating meals that tasted awesome the first time is easy.
2. I’m not 100% Paleo.  One day I may hope to get there, but there are times I will have a random carb, especially one weekends with the family.  I usually always end up “paying” for it the next day, but perfect I am not.  I love a good sandwich, regular potatoes, and pizza. (That last one is a non-negotiable cheat right now. I simply can not have dairy due to Baby D’s reaction to it in my breastmilk.)  My compromise to this is that I am strict paleo during the week.  On the weekends I try to be as paleo as possible, but I’m not going to kick myself for a slip.  I realize this will frustrate some readers, but it’s what is working for me right now.  I love the way my body feels while eating paleo, but I tend to get stuck in my head and self sabotage when I completely restrict a certain food group.  This compromise actually keeps me more Paleo then not!
3. I’m exclusively breastfeeding my FPIES baby.  So I look for good high fat foods and love root veggies to help support my breastmilk supply.  I am also dairy and egg free because of the reactions my son has to those foods.  Originally I was told to eliminate the top 5 allergens, but this week our allergist said no wheat, no soy, no peanuts wasn’t necessary – except that it follows Paleo…

Okay with all that said here are this week’s Paleo Plates!

(Sorry I wasn’t awesome with taking pictures! I will try to be better!)

Monday:

Breakfast: Strawberries, banana, coconut flakes, almond butter.

Workout: 35 minutes elliptical. + babywearing squats/lunges.

Lunch: Leftover chicken and mushrooms taco filling topped with avocado/salsa.

Dinner: Steak, roasted broccoli, sweet potatoes!

Tuesday:

Breakfast: Canadian bacon, cashews, banana.

Lunch: This was delish! Shredded cabbage, avocado, black olives, and leftover shredded chicken with mushrooms. Topped with medium salsa! Side roasted broccoli!

Dinner: Butter lettuce, kalamata olives, tuna, and balsamic reduction.

Wednesday:

Breakfast: Cashews, Canadian bacon, cucumbers, banana.

Lunch: Chicken patty, roasted broccoli, avocado/tomato salad with champagne vinaigrette.

Dinner: Pork and veggie fajitas with pico de gallo and guacamole!

Thursday:

Breakfast: Almond butter with coconut flakes, banana and blueberries.

Lunch: turkey slices, almonds, and bell peppers.

Dinner: romaine, tuna, #bacon, olives, cherry tomatoes, homemade red wine vinaigrette.

I only managed to track 4 days this week.  Thursday both boys got sick and I was rarely online let alone taking pictures of my food…  But this should give you some good ideas!  I will tell you Saturday I had a big Capriotis sandwich.  My stomach wasn’t very happy with me the next day.  Next time I’m going to get a salad instead!  Ditch the bread, still have the flavor!

• This week I’m Cooking:

• Crock Pot Pork Carnitas from Mom Gone Paleo
• Pan Fried Lemon Chicken from Stupid Easy Paleo
• Marinated Greek Chicken (+ salad) with Slow Roasted Tomatoes from eMeals Paleo Plan
• Leftovers
• Possibly Balsamic Roast Beef

Check out what I ate during the Whole30!

If you have an awesome Paleo Pinterest board, blog, or IG let me know!  You can see my meals nightly on my Instagram!

What are you eating this week?

In an effort to get back on track I’m keeping it simple!  You know K.I.S.S. minus that last S.  No need for name-calling here!

Breakfasts will consist of smoothies in my new Blendtec blender or eggs.  Lunch will be salads, or leftovers, and dinner will be things I love to eat or I am really excited to try.   I have to thank my friend Nannette for sharing the “I can’t stop eating this Kale salad”, because I truly can’t stop eating it! I make a whole bowl at a time and then add to it as I eat my meals.  It has become part of my weekly meal prep!

Other meal prep?  Shredded Chicken breasts in the crockpot, hardboiled eggs (although I’m beginning to wonder if eggs and Baby D aren’t getting along…), and tons of roasted veggies!

What’s For Dinner?

I Can’t Stop Eating This Kale Salad

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Hawaiian Pizza Salad

Left over Garlic Pork with Roasted Veggies

Pecan Chicken Fingers with Mashed Cauliflower – From eMeals  (Did you know they have Paleo menu plans?!)

Do you have a favorite Paleo recipe you’d like me to try?

It’s very important to me that my children learn about the foods they are eating and understand why we eat them.  I hope that by teaching healthy eating habits early they will have a better understanding of what foods do for your body and how to create a healthy plate they will continue to make healthier choices as they grow up.

One of the things I started doing when my son was about 2 years old was teaching him what foods do for his body.   Proteins help his muscles to grow strong, vegetables give us energy and fill our belly so we don’t feel hungry.  This past few months my son has really become active in not only picking his foods, but shopping and cooking as well.  He loves to drag his stool into the kitchen and help me fix a meal.

When building his meals I have found a really great tool that has been very helpful in getting him to understand foods and how to build a good meal.  Fresh Baby and ChooseMyPlate.gov have so many visually stimulating tools for parents and children.  The my plate has been so much fun to use with my son.  Not only does it encourage proper portions but it helps him to follow the food charts guidelines of eating healthy.

Fresh Baby has so many different products and guides for parents and children both to use and learn together.  I love the children’s portion tip sheet especially as a first time mom, when my son started eating I had no clue how much we should be expecting and encouraging him to eat.

Now that my son is older he actually likes to grocery shop with me.  Having him help does a few things for him.  Not only does it get him involved in making healthy choices early, it keeps him busy in the store which leads to calmer shopping trips. My son loves using the Fresh Baby grocery bag and tries to pick out foods like the ones he sees on the labels.  Plus we are using a reusable bag teaching him to conserve our resources.

Another great tool is the Fresh Baby shopping list.  Like the portion plate, the shopping list helps my son to see what we are buying and what category things fit in.  As much as I can time allowing we sit down and plan our out lists together.   I have found when it comes to getting him to eat the good for you stuff, picking out what we buy keeps dinner time meltdowns at bay because he is excited to eat what he got to pick out!

Teaching kids to build a healthy plate early can have lasting results in the long run.  When we go out or to playgroup my son knows he needs to eat his protein, fruits, and vegetables before we have any treats.  I love watching him tell his friends why he is eating what he is, or choosing to load his plate with healthy options.  He’s almost four, and he likely won’t turn down a cookie or a treat but I take a lot of comfort in knowing he can build a healthy plate and continues to choose healthy foods in addition to the treats that are offered.

Does you child help shop or help you in the kitchen? 

What is their favorite meal to make?

My family especially my son and sister-in-law really love pasta!  So when the opportunity to check out a new pasta that looks and tastes like regular pasta but has one full serving of veggies in every 4 ounce serving, I knew my family could put it to the test!

Anthony’s Hidden Veggie Pasta is great for picky eaters who might not get all the vegetables they need in their diet, or anyone hoping to add more veggies to their plates!

I have to say my sister-in-law was going to be Anthony’s biggest critic.  She loves her pasta, and doesn’t like when it tastes like it has fillers or flavors in it.

As you can see it clearly looks like regular pasta, but how would it taste?

I knew Anthony’s had a winning product when my sister-in-law and son both happily enjoyed it and reported back:

“It tastes like pasta!”

Buy It

Hidden Veggie is available in 12-ounce packages. You can choose from 4 different types.

• Thin Spaghetti
• Spaghetti
• Small Penne
• Twisted Elbows

You can find Anthony’s Hidden Veggie Pasta on grocery shelves in the Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas areas.

Connect

Check out Anthony’s webpage for some delicious pasta recipes!

Make sure you like Anthony’s on Facebook.

Giveaway!

Use the rafflecopter form below to enter to win a year’s supply of hidden veggie pasta from Anthony’s!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!