Juice it up!

Here at Peas HQ we practice stealth health; we reinvent the classics by taking those unhealthy dishes kids love and making a nutritious version the entire family will eat up (or in this case, slurp up).  A fantastic way to get your kiddos to meet their nutritional needs is by juicing; taking the most fresh, seasonal produce you can find, juicing it and serving it up in their favorite cup is quick and easy.  Now I know what you’re thinking, “I don’t have a juicer and I’m not going to spend $300 on a machine that takes hours to clean.” We’ve got great news for you, all you need to make juice is a blender and a cheese cloth!  It’s cheap, easy and the outcome is just jucalicious!

For this juice recipea, we were inspired by California stone fruit because this time of year peaches, plums, cherries and nectarines are literally falling from the sky.  This made us realize – it’s time to reinvent the summer camp classic known as bug juice and turn it into a nutritionally packed juice that’s both easy and inexpensive.  Don’t forget that you can make this recipea your own by using this juicing method and exploring different veggie and fruit combinations based on your family’s tastes.  Let the stealth health begin! 

Stone Fruit Bug Juice

• 3 ripe peaches cut into quarters with the pit removed (the sweeter the fruit the sweeter and tastier the juice)
• 3 ripe plums cut into quarters with the pit removed
• 1 cup of pitted cherries
• ½ cup of water

Combine pitted fruit with water in a blender.  Blend until completely puréed.

Cover a large bowl with a large piece of cheesecloth (you want there to be a few layers of cheesecloth so that the juice is fully strained).  Pour fruit mixture onto cheesecloth, wait for the liquid to strain a bit so that the fruit mixture doesn’t over flow. When blender is thoroughly empty, grab all ends of the cheesecloth to create a little sack and squeeze all of the juice into the bowl until all that’s left in the sack is the fruit fiber.

Add a few ice cubs to your serving cups and fill about 2/3 with the juice mix and top off with water (if you’re feeling crazy, try some seltzer water) and mix with a spoon. 

Low-fat Potato Salad Bites

The count down to the 4^th of July has begun.  Here at Peas of Mind, our favorite 4^th of July activity is eating. Yes, we love swimming, hanging with friends, lounging on the beach and watching fireworks as much as anyone, but it’s sharing our veggie infused dishes with our friends and family that really makes us the happiest.  To celebrate this wonderful holiday, we’ve decided to take a 4^th of July classic and reinvent it into something healthy, yummy and dare we say, elegant! We’re taking the picnic fav, Potato salad and turning it into a low-fat and totally delicious appetizer. 

Peas of Mind’s, potato salad bites contain all the flavor that you expect with potato salad without all of the added fat, sugar and salt.  As a substitute for mayonnaise, we’ve made a white bean aioli that not only contains NO mayonnaise; it’s low-fat and full of protein.  Wow your friends and family this Fourth with these taste bud pleasing and stealthily healthy apps!

Peas of Mind Potato Salad Bites

3 large Red Potatoes 

1/3 cup diced onion

¼ cup celery

1 cup white beans

1.5 TBS lemon juice

1 TBS of water

2 TBS of safflower oil

1 small can of sliced olives

2 TBS of finely chopped parsley

3 Cornischon (extra small pickles) quartered lengthwise

Bring three cups of water to a boil. Slice potatoes about half an inch thick (see photo for reference). When water is in a rapid boil add salt and drop in potatoes slices. Continue to boil for 8-10 or until potatoes feel firm but tender.  Gently strain potatoes and place in the refrigerator (most likely, a few will break but they should be firm enough that most do not).

Place white beans, lemon juice, salt and water in a blender and blend until completely smooth.  Continue blending while adding the oil. Blend for another minute after oil is added.  When you’re finished the texture should be that of mayonnaise.

Place 12 large and intact potato slices on a platter.  Top each slice with about one tablespoon of the white bean aioli.  Garnish every slice with a quarter of a conischon, olive slice and sprinkle with parsley. 

Chlorine: your hair and your skin

The summer solstice has come and gone which means we can finally say it: summer is HERE!  It’s time to put your green smoothie in a to go cup, make some chick of the sea sandwiches and head to the pool!   Now before you and your kiddos cannonball into the deep end, it’s important to take some chlorine precautions when it comes to your skin and hair.

• Skin:  Sunscreen is not only important when it comes to protecting you from the sun; it also puts a layer between you and chlorine.  Slather on the SPF before you head to the pool so that it has time to absorb and won’t rinse off when you hit the water (we recommend a chemical-free zinc oxide sunscreen).  After your swim, rinse off (with soap if you can) and apply your favorite moisturizer, which will help combat the dryness that sets in after a soak in chlorine. 

• Hair: Rinse your hair with tap water BEFORE you jump in (your hair is super porous and will absorb the non-chlorinated water and won’t be able to absorb the chlorinated pool water).  Once you’re finished with your swim, rinse your hair thoroughly again.  Pour one tbsp of baking soda into your hand, combine with water to make a paste then wash into your hair, as you would shampoo. Rinse out then follow with your normal hair care regimen.

• Skin and hair:  This is a great trick if you are not able to thoroughly rinse off directly after your swim.  Before you head to the pool combine one tsp of vitamin C crystals (this can be found at your local health food store) with water in a spray bottle.  After your swim thoroughly spray your hair and body with the solution then rub the solution into your skin and “shampoo” into your hair.  Shower as usual when you are able to. 

Now go enjoy the pool and have a happy and safe summer!

A Dinner Story with a Rookie Mom

It's FRIDAY which means we're back with another Dinner Story. This week we'll be talking to the Heather from Rookie Moms!  And we're pretty sure that after reading this, we know what you'll be having for breakfast tomorrow!  

Photo by Alex Cave

Where do you live and how many kids do you have? 

"Berkeley, CA. We have 3 kids."

What meal do you make that you know, no matter what, your family will devour? 

"Cinnamon bread french toast using Semifreddi's cinammon swirl bread."

What's your favorite Saturday morning breakfast to enjoy as a family? 

"Cinnamon bread french toast!"

What's your favorite Peas of Mind Product? 

"Veggie wedgies fries. My son will eat anything that resembles a cracker or fry."

How many times per week do you cook from scratch? 

"Do scrambled eggs count? For dinners only, let's call it 3. The rest of the meals are supplemented by leftovers, convenience food, and carryout."

What's your go to "I'm feeling unhealthy and need a nutrient-power punch" meal? 

"I love kale salad or if I don't have time to wait for it to marinate, I'll throw together a green smoothie."

What kitchen tool could you never live without? 

"My Breville toaster oven."

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? 

"Chicken parmesan made by my husband."

The Frozen Files

The freezer can be an incredible time saver when it comes to preparing healthy meals for your family.  As you know, that’s were you can find our Peas of Pie, Veggie Wedgies, Pull-a-Parts and our Garden Grown Nuggets but what other tasty treats are best kept in your freezer?  This week’s Peas Perspective is here to help you make the most of your freezer space so that you can save both time and money. Did you know that a stocked freezer uses less energy (which costs less) then an empty freezer?  When a freezer is full less air is needed to circulate thus requiring less power.  Let’s get your freezer stocked with healthy goodies so you can spend less time cooking and more time enjoying nutritious meals with your family!

BREAKFAST:

Think smoothie - most things that you put in your morning smoothie are perfect for your freezer when kept in air tight bags and containers.  Stock up on inexpensive seasonal fruit at your farmers market, wash it and prep it for your blender then freeze it so you can enjoy later in the month. Fantastic Frozen: peaches, berries, mango, banana (peeled), pineapple and kale.  Do not freeze: spinach, lettuce, citrus (but you CAN freeze citrus juice and zest) cantaloupe and cucumber.

LUNCH:

Think Soup – making a HUGE pot of soup on your day off and freeze it in individually sized containers; this a great way to ensure that you and your family always has a quick lunch for those busy weekdays.  Fantastic Frozen: vegetable soups with grains, beans or meat (ie: soups with a broth or pureed vegetable base).  Do not freeze: dairy based soups (ie: chowders or soups with a lot of butter and cream) tend to breakdown and curdle when re-heated .

DINNER:

Think your family’s favorite entrée – does your family completely devour your homemade enchiladas? Well make twice as much, break it down into small containers, fill to the brim (a half-full container can get freezer burn) and thoroughly seal. Fantastic frozen: rice, quinoa, beans, sauces (marinara, ratatouille, chili), tofu, chicken and beef. Do not freeze: anything with avocado, yogurt sauces, sour cream, anything freshly fried, sauces made with flour and mayonnaise.  

What are your favorite freezer meals? (Besides Peas of Mind’s products of course.)

Daily Dose of Water

If you haven’t noticed, here at Peas of Mind we LOVE taking classic food your kid just can’t get enough of and turning it into something nourishing and natural that your kids still can’t get enough of.  But we must admit, there’s one thing that we just won’t change, something that needs no re-invention and is perfect just the way it is: WATER!  

Good ol’ H2O is one of the most important things we put into our bodies, especially during the warm summer months.  Did you know that according to WaterCure, you should drink about half your body weight in ounces?  Meaning, if your child is around 60 lbs she should be consuming 30 ounces of water (about four glasses).  But don’t feel overwhelmed about getting 30 ounces of H20 into your little one - we’re here to help you find new and exciting ways to encourage your kids to drink their daily dose of pure hydration.

• Silly straws are hilarious and oh so fun for your kids; they can take a plain glass of water and turn it into playtime. Plus, now a days your options are endless - with straws ranging from “build your own” leggo type straws to silly straw eyeglasses. The straw possibilities are infinite so find one that speaks to your child and use it only for water. 
• We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: get your kids into the kitchen and yes this even pertains to something as simple as water.  Why not utilize summer’s seasonal fruit and help your kiddos create a fruit potion (ie: water with smashed up fruit)? Don’t add sugar, this potion is just a simple mixture of water and their favorite fruit combination. 
• Let them pick their own water bottle.  Like silly straws, there are endless options of different water bottle choices – let your kids pick a water bottle that you can take one the go, that’s theirs and theirs alone and that will seem just as awesome as getting a soda.  (Don’t forget to look for water bottles that claim to be BPA free).
• Knowledge is power and don’t worry, we’re well aware that explaining the benefits of proper hydration to your six year old will bore them to tears.  But challenging them to the take the “pee test” might add some exciting competition to water drinking.  Explain that when they’re not drinking enough water their urine is yellow and what healthy hydrated urine is clear.  If there pee is clear they’ve passed the “pee test.”

Let us know if you have any tips about encouraging your little ones by commenting on our Facebook page.

A Dinner Story

Happy Friday party pea-ple! You made it through the week; you worked hard, bestowed wisdom upon your children and managed to get lunch in the lunch box and dinner on the table.  You deserve a pat on the back, a hip-hip-hooray and a shout out from Peas of Mind!  THANK YOU hard working parents of the world (if you couldn't tell, that was our shout out).  As with every A Dinner Story, we've singled out one special parent to celebrate: this week we've chosen Zack Lynch, a Dad of two totally adorable boys who juggles work, meal-time, family and fun like a pro. This one's for you Zack!

More from Zack:

Where do you live?

"San Francisco, California."

What are your children's names and ages?

"Kyle 6 and Beckett 3."

What meal do you make that you know, no matter what, your family will devour?

"Macaroni and Cheese."

What's your favorite Saturday morning breakfast to enjoy as a family?

"Scrambled eggs with shredded cheese."

What's your favorite Peas of Mind Product?

"Pizza Pull-a-Parts."

How many times per week do you cook from scratch?

"Depends on how you define scratch? :-)  Probably 3 times a week"

What's your go to "I'm feeling unhealthy and need a nutrient-power punch" meal?

"Quinoa with goat cheese, cucumbers, pine nuts, chives and raisins."

What kitchen tool could you never live without?

"A cheese grater."

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

"Pepperoni Pizza!"

Peas of Mind helping Zack get dinner on the table