Katie Brown talks to me about throwing great parties, comfort food, portion control, and more
Mar 31, 2010 Weight Loss
I got to interview Katie Brown last week about some new recipes for spring. I’ve been trying to lose weight, and having some success, and I have to say I just haven’t been trying that hard. I try to stick to about 1,500 calories a day and exercise two or three times a week, but I’ve been going easy on myself. If I cheat, I enjoy it and try to get right back on the wagon. As of last week I had lost almost ten pounds in eleven weeks, and I’m not tired of doing this at all. Of course, I am going to have to step up the exercise in order to not die during a charity run on Mother’s Day, but the eating I seem to have under control…more-or-less…most of the time…and that seems to be working for me.
One of the big keys to my success has been eating what I like. If I’m eating something light, or diet, or reduced fat, it’s because I really like the way it tastes. I love 2% cheddar, part-skim mozzarella, and reduced-fat cream cheese. I don’t miss the calories and fat at all (except in string cheese; I don’t know why but those have to be full fat). But fat-free cheese? You won’t catch me eating it. Anything that doesn’t melt should not be called cheese. I also don’t enjoy munching on carrots and celery unless they’re being dipped in something. I actually love all of the baked snacks – Doritos, Ruffles, Lay’s, etc. – and don’t consider eating them a sacrifice at all.
I start just about every day with either Morningstar bacon or sausage (both vegetarian, in case you think I’ve lost my non-meat-eating mind) – a great, low-calorie start before exercising when I really don’t want to eat an entire breakfast and then work out. For me it’s been all about finding foods that I love, that happen to also be a bit lower in calories, so that I can have enough left at the end of the day for a big plate of pasta, or some Kit Kats. It works for me.
Any good recipes I can find that aren’t calorie bombs are a treat. Katie Brown has been working with Splenda on some healthier recipes. I’ve been a fan of Katie’s for a long time, since seeing her on Oprah years ago talking about how to throw a great party. In this interview with me she gives some great advice about eating fresh for spring, treating yourself without overdoing it, and yes, throwing a great party.
I’m also hypoglycemic, so whenever I can successfully use a sugar-substitute, that’s a win. I’ve been using Splenda for years, sprinkling it on strawberries or cereal, but I’ve never baked with it – I have to admit I was a little scared. I haven’t tried any of these Splenda recipes, but if I do I will report back. And I’d love to hear if you try them! There are tons more on their site, these are just a few that I’d like to try.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake Cups
Island-Lover’s Coconut Cream Pie
Strawberries and Cream Cake Roll
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information. Amy also blogs at Filming In Brooklyn, Behind the Screen, and the NYC Moms Blog.
Tags: Katie Brown, Splenda
My new Frigidaire fridge: no fingerprints
Mar 29, 2010 Product Review
Fingerprints on appliances are ugly, but our new Frigidaire refrigerator is gorgeous. And I don’t really clean it. I mean, a wipe here and there if there’s a big dollop of ketchup, but that’s really it. And yet it has no fingerprints. It has a special coating that keeps fingerprints off of the surface, and it’s genius.
The downside? No magnets. And this is the part of the review where I have to complain about my husband. When the appliances were getting installed I was warned not to put anything at all sharp on their surfaces. No magnets. The installer even looked at my discount, recycled, scratchy paper towels and suggested that we get them nice and wet before using them to clean. I thought that maybe he was going a bit too far with that, but I dutifully relayed the “no magnets” instruction to The Ass.
So what does he do? Does he listen? No. He says “We have kids, we need magnets on the fridge. Period.” I freaked out a little and reminded him that we were just told that our paper towels might be too scratchy, and he wanted to put something sharp on there? It’s one of those times when I just should have insisted, but I never would have heard the end of it. So, he put some magnets on. And a few days later, sure enough, I noticed scratches. From the magnets being dragged around by the kids, probably. I went ballistic and went upstairs and yelled at him for not listening to logic.
Did I mention it was two in the morning? Yeah, he was not happy.
Anyway, I spent have an hour wiping that part of the fridge with layer after layer of stainless steel cleaner. And while I could show you exactly where the scratches are, I think at this point they’re not at all obvious to someone who doesn’t know they’re there. But I know they’re there, and they will serve as a constant reminder that sometimes my husband has to be treated like a two-year-old. :-)
So, if you’re considering a Frigidaire Professional fridge (or any of that line of appliances, really) you have to ask yourself what’s more important: magnets or a clean, shiny surface? For me, hands down the choice would be a clean surface. We want the kids drawings and schoolwork hanging in the kitchen, but we’ll find another way. I’d rather have a fridge that looks beautiful with zero effort from me.
I wrote this review while participating in a Test Drive Campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Frigidaire and received a Frigidaire Refrigerator, Range/Microwave, Washer/Dryer set, and a Dishwasher to facilitate my review.
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 2. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information. Amy also blogs at Filming In Brooklyn, Behind the Screen, and the NYC Moms Blog.
Other Frigidaire reviews:
My Frigidaire dishwasher has given me back an hour a day
Perfect popcorn is just the beginning
I miss my Frigidaire convection oven!
At least my dishwasher is flexible
Tags: fghc2344kf, fingerprints, Frigidaire Test Drive, special coating
Can The Sneaky Chef sneak some whole grains into my son?
Mar 25, 2010 Recipes
Like mother, like son
Anyone who reads this blog with any regularity knows that my son is a picky eater. I don’t want to be too hard on him, because I was a picky eater when I was a kid too, and eventually I came around and started eating a wider variety of foods. I’m still picky compared to the other grown-ups around me, but I’m waaaay better than I used to be. Hell, it took me until my early twenties just to try avocados and blueberries. You couldn’t pay me as a kid to eat wheat bread, and now I love it. But at least I liked zucchini and salad and tomato sauce growing up. Jake puts me to shame. He would happily live his life consuming only white foods and never give it a second thought.
I used to think that the idea of sneaking healthy foods into kids’ diets was stupid. The way I saw it, that only kept them eating healthy until they were out on their own, without me around to sneak pureed veggies into mac & cheese or wheat germ into pizza. But I had completely blocked out my own food transformation. I grew up eating all of the crap I could get my hands on when it was available, but my tastes got more developed all on their own. What if, while I was in that totally crappy eating stage of my life, someone had sneaked in some nutrition? I surely would have benefited, even if I didn’t know it.
Still, I didn’t think it would matter with Jake. I didn’t think that adding pureed vegetable would fly with him. He doesn’t eat much that has more than one or two ingredients! The pasta has to be plain, with just butter and Parmesan. Rice has to be plain. Grilled cheese has to have yellow American and nothing else. He doesn’t like most recipes, where he can’t see absolutely everything in there. There’s just no opportunity for substitution or sneakiness.
White Whole Wheat
Then, on a visit to my mom’s house in Buffalo, Jake ate fluffy white sandwich bread from Wegman’s that was whole grain. I had never even heard of that before! My mom had bought it and given it to him without saying a word, and he ate it. I’ve been substituting some white whole wheat flour in some of the breads I make at home, and while The Ass has complained a bit, Jake happily eats it. Yay!
The Sneaky Chef (L) cooks up some Uncle Ben's recipes
Which brings us to today. I went to a lunch hosted by Uncle Ben’s, where I got to try four of their new white whole grain rice varieties: plain, sweet tomato, taco, and broccoli & cheese. (There was also chicken flavor, but that one had chicken broth and fat in it so I couldn’t try it.) The broccoli & cheese was my favorite, with the taco flavored coming in a close second. Then we got to try out some recipes developed by Missy Chase Lapine, otherwise known as The Sneaky Chef, using the new Uncle Ben’s products. In fact, Nicole from Momtrends and I jumped at the chance to get up there and help her make some pizza rice balls, using the sweet tomato variety of whole grain white rice. They were really delicious. I would totally make them and eat them at home. But would the kids eat them?
Selfish Mom (L photo) & Nicole (R photo) help The Sneaky Chef with the pizza rice balls
Trying it out at home
I made the “white” rice tonight and crossed my fingers. Fiona tried it and liked it, although she wanted a little butter on it. The Ass tried it and liked it, he just wanted to add a little salt. But Jake? Oh Jakie.
Missy said something during the lunch today that describes Jake to a T: Kids eat with their eyes. Jake took one look at the rice and said “It’s wet.” I told him it wasn’t wet, it was just cooked differently than the white rice that he’s used to. He said it didn’t look like the white rice he likes from the Chinese place. He didn’t want to try it at all. I should have just let it go, but I begged him to just try a bite. Of course that was pointless because he had already decided that he didn’t like it. He took a miniscule bite and refused to eat any more.
I’ve heard many many times since becoming a mom that kids need to be exposed to a new taste up to ten times before they’ll even try it, let alone accept it or like it. I always thought they were talking about little kids, not an eight-year-old. But I think I’m just going to have to keep trying. I described the pizza rice balls to him and asked him if he would try those if I made them, and he said yes, he would try them. So that will be my next Uncle Ben’s experiment, and I’ll let you know how it goes.
The Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Rice starts out brown, then gets lighter as it cooks
In the mean time, here’s the pizza rice balls recipe. I’m also including the Shepherd’s Pie recipe, because even though I didn’t get to eat it (turkey), Stacy DeBroff from Mom Central loved that one.
Thanks to Uncle Ben’s for the fun lunch, and to Missy Chase Lapine for the great Sneaky Chef recipes! And a great tip: if you don’t have any of her orange-colored puree on hand, use baby food! Genius.
SNEAKY CHEF® PIZZA RICE BALLS
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 8
Ingredients
2 cups UNCLE BEN’S® WHOLE GRAIN WHITE RICE SWEET TOMATO, cooked
1 large egg
1⁄2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 teaspoon dried oregano and/or basil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons Orange Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe below)
1⁄4 cup wheat germ or oat bran, divided
Marinara sauce, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Prepare UNCLE BEN’S® WHOLE GRAIN WHITE RICE SWEET TOMATO according to directions on package.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees and generously spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Whisk together the egg, 1⁄4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the spices, tomato paste, Orange Puree, and 2 tablespoons of the oat bran or wheat germ.
- Add cooked rice and mix well.
- Pour remaining Parmesan and oat bran/wheat germ onto a plate and set aside.
- Using damp hands, pinch off about 1 tablespoonful of the rice mixture and shape into small balls. Roll each ball in the oat bran or wheat germ and Parmesan mixture, coating fully.
- Gently place the rice balls on the prepared sheet; generously spray the tops of the balls with more cooking spray, and bake for 5 minutes.
- Using a spatula to loosen, turn the rice balls over, and then return them to the oven for another 5 minutes to brown on the other side. Serve with salt and pepper.
- Serve as a handheld side dish or dipped in marinara sauce (with additional added White or Orange Puree, of course!).
SNEAKY CHEF® MAKE-AHEAD RECIPE: ORANGE PUREE
Makes about 2 cups of puree
Ingredients
1 medium sweet potato or yam, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 medium to large carrots, peeled and sliced into thick chunks
2 to 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
1. Place the carrots and sweet potatoes in a medium-sized pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes, until carrots are very tender. Careful – if the carrots aren’t tender enough, they may leave telltale little nuggets of vegetables in recipes, which will reveal their presence to your kids—a gigantic no-no for The Sneaky Chef.
2. Drain the carrots and sweet potatoes and put them in the food processor with two tablespoons of water. Puree on high until smooth – no pieces of vegetables showing. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water to smooth out the puree, but the less water, the better.
3. This recipe makes about 2 cups of puree; double it if you want to store mores. Orange Puree will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or you can freeze 1⁄4-cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.
SHH! SHEPHERD’S PIE
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 8
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon Worcester sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup White Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe below)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package UNCLE BEN’S® WHOLE GRAIN WHITE RICE BROCCOLI CHEDDAR, cooked
1 cup grated low-fat cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Prepare UNCLE BEN’S® WHOLE GRAIN WHITE RICE BROCCOLI CHEDDAR according to directions on package.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a 7 1/2 x11-inch glass baking dish with oil
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a deep skillet or earthenware pot.
- Add the ground turkey, stirring to break it up, and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the ketchup, Worcester sauce, tomato paste, White Puree, salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Mix well.
- Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer turkey mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly across the bottom.
- Add cooked rice on top and spread evenly.
- Top with grated cheddar cheese and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly on top.
SNEAKY CHEF® MAKE-AHEAD RECIPE: WHITE PUREE
This recipe makes about 2 cups of puree; double it if you want to store more. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or you can freeze 1⁄4-cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.
Ingredients
2 cups cauliflower florets (about 1⁄2 a small head)
2 small to medium zucchini, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 tablespoons water, if necessary
Instructions
1. To prepare White Puree on the stovetop, pour about 2 inches of water into a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Put a vegetable steamer basket into the pot, add the cauliflower, and steam for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Drain.
2.To prepare in microwave, place the cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl, cover it with water, and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes or until very tender. Drain.
3. Meanwhile, place the raw peeled zucchini with the lemon juice in your food processor and pulse a few times. Next add the cooked cauliflower and 1 tablespoon of water to the food processor (work in batches if necessary) and puree on high until smooth. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water make a smooth puree, but the less water, the better.
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 2. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information. Amy also blogs at Filming In Brooklyn, Behind the Screen, and the NYC Moms Blog.
Tags: Missy Chase Lapine, Sneaky Chef Orange Puree Recipe, Sneaky Chef Pizza Rice Balls Recipe, Sneaky Chef Shepherd's Pie Recipe, Sneaky Chef White Puree Recipe, Uncle Ben's Whole Grain White Rice
Off of my ass for a good cause
Mar 24, 2010 Amy in the Morning
My Mother’s Day 5K donation page…c’mon…click it!
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 1. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information. Amy also blogs at Filming In Brooklyn, Behind the Screen, and the NYC Moms Blog.
Tags: video
Visiting eBay
Mar 22, 2010 Amy in the Morning
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 7. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information. Amy also blogs at Filming In Brooklyn, Behind the Screen, and the NYC Moms Blog.
Tags: video
First they came for the implants, and I said nothing because my jugs were real
Mar 21, 2010 What's Going On
I was showering this morning and had 1010 Wins on the radio, when I heard the words “Disney” and “breast implants” in the same sentence. That doesn’t happen often. It seems that a casting notice recently went out for extras for the fourth “Pirate of the Caribbean” movie that spells out the need for actresses who don’t have implants. According to the NYPost.com, they want models with lean dancer bodies, size 4 or 6, 5’7”-5’8”, 18-25 years old. And no fake boobs.
I think the entire thing is hysterical. I spent a few years auditioning and doing extra work, and you get used to the specificity of the notices: ethnicity, hair color, body type, height, etc. However, I don’t remember one ever saying “no fake boobs.” How will they be able to tell? Well, they’ll be looking for jiggling. They’re going to look, they may even ask you to jump up and down, do some jumping jacks, who knows. No jiggling, no job.
Of course, Keira Knightley had no such issues when she starred in the original “Pirates” movie. She claims that it took 45 minutes to paint her cleavage on. In fact, boobs were photoshopped onto her chest for the “King Arthur” posters a few years back. She changed her mind by the time she made “The Dutchess,” and refused to have the posters altered. Perhaps she felt it sent the wrong message to girls. I admire her for that. Disney? I don’t think they’re trying to send any kind of message. It’s just casting.
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information. Amy also blogs at Filming In Brooklyn, Behind the Screen, and the NYC Moms Blog.
Tags: Disney, implants, Keira Knightley, Pirates of the Caribbean
Perfect Popcorn is just the beginning
Mar 20, 2010 Product Review
We eat a good amount of microwave popcorn in this house. If the family sits down to watch a movie, we’ll go through two or three big bags. And when I’m counting calories and need to munch on something that has some bulk but isn’t a calorie bomb, I go for a snack-size bag of Smart Pop. I never really got to use the popcorn button on our old microwave, because if it went to the end of the cycle it burned the popcorn, so there really wasn’t a point to using it – I had to stand there and listen to it and grab it at just the right point, before it burned but after it had popped enough kernels. So, when I tried the popcorn button on our new Frigidaire microwave for the first time, the first thing I noticed was that there were only two choices for the bag size. This made me really skeptical, because my old microwave had done a substandard job, and it had three size choices!
But then I put the bag of popcorn in and started it up, and noticed that it wasn’t timing the popcorn. It was sensing it. Toward the end it switched to a timer, and stopped at just the right time.
There are plenty of other features that I can’t wait to play around with. There are settings for softening butter or ice cream, defrosting or reheating a wide range of foods, cooking potatoes, or even keeping a dish warm while I get other things ready. And the very best part about all of those buttons? When you press one, you get further instructions on the timer screen! I rarely used any of the buttons on my old microwave because you had to know to press one for this or two for that, and I just couldn’t be bothered to pull out the manual every time I wanted to microwave something. Now I just follow what the timer screen tells me to do, and if I need a code it’s been placed conveniently on the inside frame of the microwave. This is really smart. I want my appliances to save me time, not waste my time. I’m really happy with this microwave so far.
I wrote this review while participating in a Test Drive Campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Frigidaire and received a Frigidaire Refrigerator, Range/Microwave, Washer/Dryer set, and a Dishwasher to facilitate my review.
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 2. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information. Amy also blogs at Filming In Brooklyn, Behind the Screen, and the NYC Moms Blog.
Other Frigidaire reviews:
My Frigidaire dishwasher has given me back an hour a day
My new Frigidaire fridge: no fingerprints
I miss my Frigidaire convection oven!
At least my dishwasher is flexible
Tags: fgbm185kf, Frigidaire, Microwave
What does bowling have to do with Tropicana Juice?
Mar 19, 2010 Product Review
I’m excited to officially announce that I’m a Tropicana Juicy Insider, which means that I get to spread the word about a great program that Tropicana has going, where buying juice can save you money. Seriously, the carton of Tropicana OJ in your fridge right now might have a Tropicana Juicy Rewards code under the cap. Mine did!
The way the program works is this: You buy specially-marked containers of Tropicana products (not just OJ; there’s a complete list on their FAQ page), then you create an account on the Tropicana website, and enter the 10 digit juicy rewards code from your Tropicana product.
You can search for rewards in your area to get an idea of what you could be saving. In my area I was able to choose from discounts on Adidas and Coleman products, buy one/get one free admissions to museums and cultural institutions like the Children’s Museum of the Arts and the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, admission discounts to clubs and theaters, discounts for tours and amusement parks, and tons more. There’s a huge selection. You can even donate points to help save the rainforest.
You can redeem a reward for as little as one point, which is what we ended up doing last weekend. It was raining here on Saturday, but I wanted to get the kids out of the house since Sunday was going to be totally stormy. So, I took them bowling. I went onto the Juicy Rewards site and chose my reward, then printed out a coupon for me and one for each of the kids. We each “spent” one point, which entitled each of us to a free game of bowling when we bought one. So, those three rewards points that we spent saved us a total of $13.50. Which I of course let the kids spend on video games and this adorable picture of us in the bowling alley’s photo booth. Of course, it would have been even cuter if the screen hadn’t been broken and we could have seen that Fiona wasn’t in the picture. :-)
The whole redemption process was really easy, and I haven’t even dipped into the points that Tropicana gave me yet to help spread the word about the program. I’m going to go for something bigger next time. And you’ve got a chance to earn an extra point after you sign up for the program, but you have to do this within six hours of registering: go to the Enter Codes page, and in the place where you would normally enter your 10-digit Juicy Rewards codes, enter “MOTHE-RHOOD” and you’ll get an extra point, which is worth up to $5!
The program is running almost until the end of 2010, so you’ve got plenty of time to save up and redeem rewards. It was a really great way to spend an afternoon with my kids doing something we love, while saving some money. I love taking my kids bowling, and it’s been really fun watching how they’ve progressed in the past couple of years. When Jake first started, he would be super-competitive and get really upset if someone else beat his score, which happened pretty much every game. I mean, I’m no great bowler, but the bumpers are up for the kids, so chances are I’m going to get a decent score! But now he’s gotten more comfortable with the fact that he doesn’t have to win to have a good time, and it’s thrilling for me to see. And Fiona? She’s just happy when she gets any pins!
Jake, of course, got a strike (without hitting the bumpers!) on his very first ball, before I even had my video camera out. But I got some great video from the rest of the two games. I love seeing their different styles. Fiona has mastered the art of getting gutter balls with the bumpers up, which is not easy! So she tries different methods to get the ball to the pins: chucking it, waving her arms, even kicking it. Jake? He’s all business. Until he gets a spare or a strike, then he gets happy/goofy. Watch my kids in all their goofy bowling adorableness. That first ball that Fiona throws really seems to defy the laws of physics. At least we didn’t have to call an employee over this time to get one of her balls from the middle of the alley – sometimes they don’t make it all the way down!
As part of the Tropicana Juicy Insider program, I received twelve Juicy Rewards points, cash to use in conjunction with point redemption, and additional compensation.
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 2. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information. Amy also blogs at Filming In Brooklyn, Behind the Screen, and the NYC Moms Blog.
