The Food we Need - Meal Tips – Colourful Meals

MUM-e-Mail

To equip and encourage

mothers of preschoolers and their supporters

October 2008

Mother Maxim

“Our Father in heaven, … Give us the food we need for today or tomorrow.”  Matthew 6:10

 

Mother Moment – Meal Preparation Tips

¬     Sort out a set of core recipes and print them onto cards that fit into small photo albums. You want to put a small sticker over the open end.

¬     Choose recipes that revolve around each of these: chicken, mince, sausages, cold cut, crockpot (yay!), egg, cheese, rice, potato, noodles, chickpeas, beans, vegetables. Have a page of pizza ingredients and variations.

¬     I have collected the free recipes above the freezers at the supermarket over the years – thin them out every now and again – and put them into a mini-album. A useful “it’s 5 pm and I haven’t even thought of tea yet” collection of recipes, often not followed but used as A Mother’s Original Creation type of meal, according to what’s in the fridge, freezer, or pantry.

¬     The best things I do and have done since my MOPS days:
1. On Monday a. I micro-cook 2 c rice (3 c water) for 6 minutes with lid on in pyrex casserole dish, quick stir, then 5 minutes with lid off, quick stir and leave to rest.  b. Cook a pressure cooker of potatoes, often just scrubbed,. Both of these bowls go in the fridge sealed and become a part of an assembled meal on those busy most days.

2. Cook once and eat twice. Put aside the second meal portion even before you serve out tonight’s meal., and into the fridge or freezer it goes, labelled (have a vivid marker in the kitchen hidden from the kids).

¬     I am also vigilant about not including MSG (E621, 635), nitrates, sulphites, sachets (flavours, soups, meals). I use S+P, chilli, garlic, ginger, cumin, herbs as my main sources of flavour.

¬     Winter time (anytime?) is soup time. Pumpkins are a great base and add in peel-your-own fresh or frozen-from-summer-excess vegetables. Peel and dice or grate a variety of onions, carrots, marrow, tomatoes, celery, leeks, even cabbage. A spoon of vegemite if you want, some ginger, garlic and/or chilli for flavour along with S+P. I use the lidded big plastic jug that came with my fridge to store the soup. Try it for breakfast with a piece of homemade toast! My daughter even joins me having soup at breakfast time. She reckons it’s better than porridge, though she still gets to eat that too when Mummy says.

 

Mother’s Heart

¬     Regular healthy meals eaten relaxed around the dinner table does more for my family than just feed them physically. Family-building conversation strengthens us as a loving and caring team. Long may I encourage this to happen.

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Hospitality

¬     Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fatted calf with hatred. – Jewish Proverb

MOPPETS

¬     Teach your children about colour by the food on their plates. Give them some crayons or coloured pencils - Can they draw what they had for lunch? Maybe they could trace around a plate and utensils.

From Last Time :

¬     A shopping list, a trolley for small children to be belted in (or a babysitter), a calculator or eye for a ‘good deal’, and some self-discipline are vital for an enjoyable and frugal visit to the supermarket.

MOPS Links :

www.mops.org.nz/groups/ - Is there a group near you? We need more groups and leaders to provide great mornings out for mothers and their little children all over New Zealand. Contact MOPS (NZ) office for an information pack for starting a MOPS group: info@.... Also, MOPS (Australia) office : info@....

Family History Awareness – click

The Family Table – click

Include not Judge – Author Lynne Spears to 4500 women at the MOPS Convention (sign up for MOPS @ CafeMom - http://www.cafemom.com/group/49904/)

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