• Provide a healthy variety. You want your kids to eat right, but don’t force foods on kids, they often rebel just because…hey they’re kids.  However if you make tasty nutritious food available in your home and allow them to  choose what they want you will have a win-win situation.

• Avoid power struggles:-( You can’t control what other children eat. And, sad but true, you can’t control  what your child eats at a friend’s house. But, you can set the rules for your own home. Do set rules and don’t worry about what other kids eat, just your own.

• When shopping involve your children. If your kids are young enough that you take them shopping with you, explain why you are buying this or that. Let them see how and why you choose  certain items.  Let them a few selections of their own. If they make the wrong choices, reading the label out loud may make them think twice about the product.  Allow kids to help prepare meals so they see what goes into a healthy dinner. While making green salad, pop a few morsels in your mouth to show how delicious you think they are. Talk about where fruits and vegetables come from, if there is a farm nearby, even better, some farms welcome visitors.

• When possible eat together. As much as possible, schedule dinners so everyone in the family can eat together. If only five members of a six-member family is available, go for it, the sixth member may make more of an effort to join the family at dinner time. When eating together, serve healthy and tasty food, this may influence what your children eat at meals when not at your dinner table.

• Eating a meal is not a race to the finish.  You should not rush through your meal, nor should you allow child to do it. Engage family members in conversation. Have you noticed when you eat out with friends you find that you have spent two hours at lunch or dinner? Why? How? Conversation! If you normally serve soda or other sugary drinks, add water to the mix, place water on the table.  A reminder that water helps to clear the palate for the next course. You don’t have to tell them that drinking water will help to fill them and perhaps eat less. That will be our secret.

In the summer of 2009 I asked for suggestions for my many blueberries. Rebecca Hubbard owner of Digital Women suggested blueberry cheesecake. That sounded like a plan since I do enjoy cheesecake, and love blueberries. I froze my blueberries (it was too hot to bake) and decided it was time to bake this easy cheesecake now.

This recipe is an old one from the Kraft people. I use vanilla wafers for the crust instead of Graham Crackers and do not add sugar to the crust mixture. Also, I use lemon extract instead of vanilla.

Basic Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups vanilla wafers, crushed
• 1/3 cup butter melted
• 32 oz. cream cheese, softened in large bowl
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. lemon extract
• 4 eggs
• (optional) 2 cups fresh or frozen fruit for topping**

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 325°F

Blend crushed vanilla wafer and butter together to make a crust. Firmly press crumbs in an 8 or 9-inch springform pan.*

To cream cheese, add sugar and lemon extract and beat with electric mixer until the ingredients are mixed well. Mix eggs one at a time in cream cheese mixture, beat mixture low after each egg is added, until all eggs are added. Immediately pour mixture into pan over crust and bake 50 to 60 minutes, depending on your oven.

When cheesecake is done, center will be almost firm but not quite set. Remove cheesecake from oven and pass butter knife between the rim of cake and pan to loosen the cake. Release rim and refrigerate cheesecake until sufficiently cooled, 3 to 4 hours.

Remove cooled cheesecake from bottom of cake pan and place on serving dish. Add fruit to top or on side if desired.

*My pan is 8 inches so the cheesecake is a little higher.

**Blueberries are excellent. If you have frozen your own blueberries for several months they will no longer be firm but still very good. If the berries are sweet no need to add sugar, or add as necessary.

Watkins extract is great. It even has Paula Deen’s thumbs up. Visit Watkins for extracts, herbs and spices.

Not sure what springform pan is? See it at Amazon Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Nonstick Bakeware 9-Inch Springform Pan

Last week I stopped CVS to pick up a couple of items. I noticed that they had dried prunes, apricots and cranberries on sale so bought all three for healthful snacks. The problem with healthy snacks is that they often do not satisfy hunger pangs. I happen to love prunes and am always dismayed that I can only have 4 or 5 otherwise I go overboard. You can often get past that by drinking a cup of tea along with your snack. Or drink water with a slice of lemon or lime.

Some low calorie snacks

1. Olives. A snack of 8 to 10 olives. Olives in martini’s do not count J
2.  Hummus and carrots. Four ounces of hummus and three carrot sticks
3. Pineapples and pistachios. Mix 1/2-cup of dried pineapple slices with about 25 pistachio nuts or a few walnuts.
4. Cottage cheese and apples. Sliced apple with about 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese.
5. Baby-pizza. Slice a whole wheat pita in half. Spread a little tomato sauce on 1/2 whole wheat pita, add low-fat cheese and vegetables on top. Heat in microwave or toaster oven until cheese melts.
6. Rice cakes. Look for rice cakes made from whole-grain brown rice.
7. Water-plain. Add lemon or lime slices. Squeeze the slice then drop it in the glass, it makes a pretty and thirst-quenching drink.

Check out Diet Bites

I saw “5dollardinners” in the October issue of Woman’s Day magazine. The URL intrigued me so I looked at the site and happy that I did. There is much to be gained from making 5dollardinners.com a favorite destination. There are “how-to-do’s”, meal planning, recipes, heads up information, coupons, and more. Plus a $5 dinner challenge. Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom asks are you willing to accept the $5 dinner challenge?

For more information from site visit 5dollardinners also stop by Woman’s Day magazine.

Of course, you are always welcome and invited to  visit my A Better Cook site for recipes, magazines online, coupon sites and sales on Watkins herbs and spices.

Old fashioned from scratch baking powder biscuits. The way you remember them or wish you did

Ingredients

2 cups/500 mL sifted all-purpose flour
1 tbsp/15 mL Baking Powder*
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL salt
5 tbsp/75 mL vegetable shortening
3/4 cup/180 mL milk

Cooking Directions

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add shortening and cut into dry ingredients with two knives or pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Make a well in center and gradually add milk, stirring until a soft dough forms. Turn out onto lightly floured board and knead lightly for 30 seconds. Roll out 1/2 to 3/4-inch/1 to 2-cm thick. Cut with a floured biscuit cutter**. Arrange on greased baking sheet. Bake at 450ºF/235ºC for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve hot with butter, butter and jam or a favorite of mine, butter and lemon curd

Makes 12 biscuits, one per serving.

**For something different, after rolling dough, instead of using a biscuit cutter, cut dough into small squares or triangles. Great fun for the kiddies.

*Visit Watkins for more recipes, herbs and spices.

Have French bread on hand to dip in the spicy and zesty lemon sauce.

Ingredients

1/4 cup/60 mL Original Grapeseed Oil*
3 tbsp/45 mL lemon juice
2 tsp/10 mL honey
2 tsp/10 mL soy light sauce
1 tsp/6 ml, Cayenne Pepper* (more if desired)
1-1/4 tsp/6 mL Parsley*
3/4 tsp/4 mL Garlic Granules*
1 pound/454 g uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Lemon wedges
One loaf of French bread

Cooking Directions

Combine first seven ingredients in 13-x9-inch/33-x23-cm. glass baking dish. Add shrimp; toss to coat. Refrigerate one hour. Bake at 450°F/235°C until shrimp are cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve shrimp with lemon wedges and French bread to dip in the spicy and zesty sauce. Add a glass of dry white wine or iced tea. Makes about 6 servings. Bon Appetit.

*Visit Watkins to see herbs, spices and flavorings.

Yes. Grocery shopping can be good for your health, if you choose the right foods to buy. What foods are you putting in your food cart?

Fiber. Look for whole-grain breads and cereals, as well as dried beans and brown rice.

Green vegetables. The darker the better. Deeper greens signify a higher concentration of vitamins A, C, and E, along with folic acid, calcium, and other important nutrients.

Frozen produce. Check the label carefully. Some frozen fruits and vegetables contain as many nutrients as the fresh variety, especially produce that has been sitting out for a few days.

Pasta. This can give you a good dose of protein, iron, and B vitamins.

Check expire dates. Be sure to take time to check expiration dates on perishables such as bread, milk, yogurt, meats, etc.  You don’t want to get home and find that you have 2 days to eat something. Oh, that’s just a target date; not necessarily, the store may have had the product for some time.

Don’t Buy Bruised Fresh Products. Bruised and knicked produce shortens the time you can keep the item at home.  

Visit A Better Cook for recipes and more.

  Watkins gives us this fresh fruit tart recipe and suggest that you vary the fruits by using whatever is on hand or in season in your area.

Ingredients

Pastry dough for 10-inch/25-cm pie
1 package (8 oz/227 g) reduced-calorie cream cheese
1/4 to 1/3 cup/60 to 80 mL sugar, to taste
1-1/2 tsp/7.5 mL Watkins Original Double-Strength Vanilla
2 peaches or nectarines, thinly sliced
2 kiwifruit, peeled, sliced and halved
1 cup/250 mL fresh blueberries
2 tbsp/30 mL honey
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL
1/2 to 1 tsp/2.5 to 5 mL water

Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 450ºF/235ºC.

Prepare dough and press onto bottom and up sides of a 10-inch/25-cm tart pan with removable bottom. Trim edges if necessary. Prick crust with fork. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely. In small bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and Vanilla; mix well. Spread evenly in cooked tart shell. (At this point, tart may be covered and refrigerated overnight.) In large bowl, combine fruit; carefully spoon over filling. In small bowl, combine honey, Orange Extract and enough water to make a glaze. Brush glaze over fruit.

Store in refrigerator. Remove sides of pan before serving.

Makes 10 servings. Enjoy.

Visit Watkins for more recipes and herbs and spices too. Watkins

To make this easy shrimp canapes recipe an easy and no-mess chore, buy a small bag of frozen, peeled medium-sized shrimp from your super market.

Ingredients

1 package (3 oz/85 g) cream cheese, softened
1 tsp/5 mL fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp/15 mL Watkins Garlic & Dill Snack & Dip Seasoning
1/8 tsp/0.6 mL Watkins Lemon Pepper*
18 plain melba rounds
18 cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Garnish with Watkins Dill

Cooking Directions

In small bowl combine first four ingredients; mix well. Spread evenly onto melba rounds. Top each with one shrimp. Sprinkle lightly with Dill Weed.

Makes 18 appetizers, 2 per serving.

For those who watch their sodium intake, buy look for Watkins lemon pepper w/no sodium.

Visit Watkins to purchase gourmet and organic herbs, spices and flavorings. See our recipes.

Make this Greek white bean & feta salad using Watkins Lemon Pepper and Grapeseed Oil.  I love beans, any kind of bean, but white beans are among my favorite. I also love the strong ripe flavor of feta cheese. The two combined can have me boogying around the house :)  

This salad is really delicous

Ingredients

3 tbsp/45 mL Garlic & Parsley Grapeseed Oil
2 tbsp/30 mL fresh lemon juice
2 tsp/10 mL sugar
3/4 tsp/4 mL Oregano
3/4 tsp/4 mL Lemon Pepper
2 cans (16 oz/454 g each) white cannellini or navy beans
1/2 cup/125 mL halved and thinly-sliced red onion
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into chunks
1/4 cup/60 mL pitted Greek olives
1/2 cup/125 mL crumbled feta cheese
Torn dark green lettuce leaves

Cooking Directions

In large bowl, combine grapeseed oil, lemon juice, sugar, oregano and lemon pepper; mix well. Drain beans and rinse with cold water. Add beans, onion, tomatoes, olives and feta; toss lightly. Chill until serving time. Serve on a bed of lettuce.

Makes 6 servings

For more information about Watkins herbs, spices and recipes visit my Watkins site.