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Does your child burp at the dinner table, diss your home cooking, get out of her seat at mealtime, or run around at a restaurant when he should be sitting with a napkin on his lap? You’re certainly not alone if you’ve struggled to teach your children good manners and have them actually follow your urgings to “use your napkin” or “don’t chew with your mouth open!”

For a fresh, low stress, and slightly silly approach to good manners, we hope you’ll tune in to this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast because we have two special guests on the show:  Leslie McGuirk and Alex von Bidder. Leslie and Alex co-wrote the whimsically illustrated children’s book, Wiggens Learns His Manners at the Four Seasons Restaurant, a book about a chocolate Labrador puppy named Wiggens who learns how to mind his manners and try some delicious new foods  — escargot, okra, even frog legs — at the fancy Four Seasons restaurant.

We met Leslie and Alex during our trip to Rancho La Puerta earlier this year, and we couldn’t resist interviewing them on our nifty new portable podcasting thingamajiggy. Their advice, illustrated in the book via different “Lessons” for the adorable and often naughty Wiggens, makes a lot of sense for kids. Here are a few of our favorite eating-out-in-a-restaurant lessons (remember, they were written for a dog):

> Be quiet and polite when in a new place. Sometimes older dogs are upset by the energy and noise of puppies, so be respectful of their need for quiet.
> Be respectful of others’ tastes, though they may differ from your own, and always be willing to take a bite of something new.
> When you meet someone, shake his or her paw and look him or her in the eye when you introduce yourself (this comes in handy when a waiter/waitress comes to your table).
> Don’t forget to say “please” when you would like something, and remember, it is always fun to share.

Leslie, who has written over a dozen children’s books and Alex, an owner of the Four Seasons restaurant in New York City, have generously donated two amazing giveaways to our blog readers and Facebook fans. One lucky winner (U.S. only) will become the proud owner of Wiggens Learns His Lessons at the Four Seasons Restaurant AND a free lunch or dinner for two children at the actual Four Seasons restaurant. The children, by the way, are more than welcome to bring two paying parents … or aunts and uncles! The restaurant certificate is valid through 2010, and even if you don’t live in NY, you should still enter because you never know when you might visit!

To Enter our Giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling us why good manners are important to you, how you teach your children about good manners, OR your worst manners nightmare story.

We Will Enter You into the Giveaway Multiple Times if you do any or all of the following (just be sure to leave us a new comment every time you do one of these things):

> Tweet about our giveaway on Twitter or tell your Facebook friends about it with a link back to this blog post.

> Become a Facebook Fan.

> Add one of our buttons/widgets to your blog or website. They are located in the upper left sidebar of our blog. We have three to choose from: Our blog post widget, our Recipe badge, and our Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen badge.

Our giveaway ends on Friday, March 19, 2010 at noon. As always, we’ll use Random.org to choose the winner.

Today’s Cooking with the Moms radio podcast is dedicated to YOU … all of our busy mom and dad friends out there who run ragged from morning till night taking care of everyone else but themselves. Sound familiar? For the show, we spoke with Joe Sweeney, lifestyle guru at the fabulous Rancho La Puerta spa in Tecate, Mexico, and author of I Know I Should Exercise, But …. Joe teaches a class there called Taking the Ranch Home, where he offers realistic tips for fighting stress while incorporating fitness, relaxation, and good nutrition into everyday lives.

But before we share Joe’s strategies, we have to tell you about our latest giveaway. To help you eat a healthier diet packed with delicious, seasonal meals, one lucky blog reader (or podcast listener or Facebook fan) will win a copy of Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta. This beautiful cookbook was written by spa founder, Deborah Szekely, and it features a bounty of delicious-sounding recipes — Corn, Cilantro, & Arugula Salad with Yogurt Dressing, Lasagna Azteca, and Chocolate Banana Bread. We have cooked quite a few recipes from the book including Squash-Apple Soup with Thai Red Curry and Mexican Red Rice, which you’ll find further down in this post.

To enter our Cooking with the Seasons cookbook giveaway all you have to do is post a comment on this blog post or on our Facebook fan page with your best tip for how you squash stress, relax, or fit fitness and nutrition into your day. The giveaway ends on Friday, March 5 at noon.

We Will Enter You into the Giveaway Multiple Times if you do any or all of the following (just be sure to leave us a new comment every time you do one of these things):

> Tweet about our giveaway on Twitter.
> Tell your Facebook friends about it with a link back to this blog post.
> Become a Facebook Fan.

We hope many of you will enter the giveaway and listen to this week’s podcast, and we certainly hope you’ll read on for Joe Sweeney’s realistic tips … that really do work.

Address Your Stress:
> Schedule at least 10 minutes of relaxation daily.
> When you’re in stressful situations, breathe deeply to calm yourself down.
> Worry for 10 minutes every day. After 10 minutes, no more worrying permitted.
> Look for the humor in life. Begin by taking yourself more lightly.
> Exercise to relax: stretching, yoga, birdwatching, easy walking, easy bicycling.

Make Time for Exercise:
> Make exercise fun. Select activities you enjoy, and frequently vary your workouts.
> Start small and build gradually to at least 30 minutes of exercise every other day.
> Plan to move. Schedule your exercise for the upcoming week by adding it to your calendar in red ink.
> Take active vacations such as spas, walk or bike tours, raft trips, or environmental vacations.
> Make exercise a priority by committing to it for 30 days. After that, it will become a habit.

Other Tips from Joe:
> Switch your weight loss obsession to healthy habits.
> The worst thing for weight loss is to try to lose weight. Instead, focus on gaining health (we really LOVE this tip).
> Don’t give up your favorite foods. Instead, eat less of them.
> Location, location, location: Pack healthy snacks and plan ahead.
> Write down specific and realistic health goals, find a friend to do the same thing (a “goalmate” if you will), and touch base every two weeks to offer support and encouragement.

Below, are two recipes from Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta. We consider these recipes more on the adult friendly side than kid friendly (especially the soup since it’s got a bit of heat from the Thai curry paste). Let us know what you think.

Squash-Apple Soup with Thai Red Curry

Makes 6 Servings

• 2 teaspoons olive oil (we used 1 tablespoon)
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes (we used a 1 pound, pre-peeled/sliced squash)
• 1 apple, cored, peeled, and diced
• 2 leeks, white part only, washed and sliced
• 1 small carrot, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons thai red curry paste
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons sea salt, or more to taste (we used 1 teaspoon kosher salt)
• Thinly sliced chives
• Thin strips of orange zest, optional

1. In a 4-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the squah, apple, leeks, carrot, celery, and basil and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened; do not brown (this took about 15 minutes). Add the curry paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the stock, water, brown sugar, and salt. Simmer for 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are very soft.

2. Cool for 30 minutes, then in a blender or in the bowl of a food processor, puree until absolutely smooth.

3. Reheat and taste for seasoning, adding salt if needed. Serve very hot, with a sprinkling of chives and the orange zest, if desired.

Print Recipe

Mexican Red Rice

Makes 6 Servings

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 small white onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice, about 1/2 cup
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 small green bell pepper or anaheim chile, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice (we used half a red bell pepper)
• 1/2 cup minced carrots
• 1 teaspoon ground California chili (we used chili powder)
• 1 cup long-grain brown rice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (we used kosher salt)
• 1 medium tomato pureed with 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup cooked green peas or cooked edamame, optional

1. In a 2-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the onions, garlic, green pepper, and carrot for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the rice, chili powder, and salt and cook for 1 minute.

2. Add the tomato puree to the pan and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 40 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed.

3. Remove from heat. Fluff the rice with a fork and stir in the peas or edamame if desired. Replace the lid and let the rice steam for 10 minutes.

Print Recipe

For all of our Rancho La Puerta photos, visit our flickr page.

Two weeks ago, we posted a new recipe for Banana Brownie Waffles along with a giveaway for a Cuisinart 4-Slice Belgian Waffle Maker. Over 260 entries later, we’re pleased to announce that Ellie B., a mom of two from South Riding, Virginia, is our official winner.  Here’s what she had to say: I am the only member of my family who does not like pancakes. I just don’t like the mushiness of them. But I love the crunch I get from a waffle!

Your blog and Facebook comments kept us laughing out loud, and the waffle recipes many of you shared including Whole Wheat Waffles topped with berries from Amy at Super Healthy Kids had our stomachs growling.  A nice surprise came from Kristen over at EatingRD who made our Banana Brownie Waffles in her heart-shaped waffle maker and then posted the delicious results to her blog. We encourage all of you to read Kristen’s post and to try the decadent yet healthy peanut butter mousse recipe she whipped up as a special topping!

Here are just a few of the many comments we received during the giveaway:

> Katie: We do not own a waffle maker, but my 5-year old son has been asking for one for months. I occasionally buy frozen waffles, but we usually just eat a lot of pancakes. We like your pumpkin chocolate chip pancake recipe. It would make my son so happy to have our own waffle maker.

> Shelley from My Journey to Fit:  I love waffles but sadly have been without a waffle maker for more than a decade (I know, the humanity). I would love to win this and would use it to make some protein-packed waffles – I’ve seen recipes floating around the blog-o-sphere, but never bothered to write them down because I don’t have a waffle maker … yet.

> Bethany: One of my favorite memories, when I was a little girl, is of my dad making waffles every Saturday morning. He always had a secret ingredient, usually apples, carrots or zucchini. My brother and I would even wake up early just to eat these waffles. We love waffles and would love to have a Belgian waffle maker so we could try your waffles.

> Kim: Would love, love, love a modern waffle maker! My grandmother’s waffle maker is tucked away in a drawer (think black and white woven thread-wrapped cord). My son loves whole-wheat waffles for breakfast on school days, and I’d love to make them from scratch.

> Jen: This recipe sounds awesome!! We would LOVE a new waffle maker! The last time I used mine, I was cleaning it up a bit before using and apparently got it a little wet. Plugged it in and POP!! I killed it.

> Paula from Gulf Coast Cottage: We love Belgian waffles. If you use club soda it helps to make an extra light waffle that is delicious. Topped with fresh fruit and a dollop of whipped cream, it’s perfect for a weekend breakfast. The waffle machine is a great way to bring family together to do something fun!

> Susan:  My son loves waffles in the morning, and our favorite waffle recipe is Buttermilk Pecan Waffles, a recipe I found several years ago in A Taste of Home magazine. They are tender and delicious.

> Sandy: We use Pamela’s wheat-free/gluten-free pancake & waffle mix. I love it because unlike so many mixes, this one still expects you to separate the eggs and beat the whites stiff for folding in after other ingredients are mixed … the single must-have step in great waffles. The mix begins with brown rice flour and then incorporates other really nutritious items like ground almond meal. It also makes great pancakes and whether or not you are gluten free, this mix rocks.

Thanks again for all of your wonderful comments. For those of you who own a waffle maker (or shall we say, a waffle maker that’s still working), we hope you’ll try our Banana Brownie Waffles. And when our new book comes out — which we absolutely promise will be some time in 2010 — you will also have an opportunity to try our new pumpkin waffles … a recipe we just created but are keeping locked up in “the vault” until book #2 is published. Happy waffle making everyone.

Our new Pumpkin Waffle recipe will be in book #2!

Valentine’s Day is just days away, and if you’re planning breakfast in bed for your special someone (or hoping YOU get breakfast in bed), we hope you’ll try our delicious new Banana Brownie Waffle recipe. Read on for the recipe or listen to this week’s Cooking with the Moms radio podcast to hear all about it.

Ah, but what if you want to make our recipe but don’t own a waffle maker? No worries because our latest blog giveaway features a fabulous Cuisinart 4-Slice Belgian Waffle Maker. To enter, all you have to do is post a comment telling us about your favorite waffle recipe or why you want to win the giveaway.

Our Banana Brownie Waffles blow the doors off frozen waffles because they’re made with good-for-you ingredients — things like whole wheat flour, wheat germ, bananas, and omega-3 eggs — and they’re so delicious your family will request them again and again. The recipe makes eight waffles (or more depending on the type of waffle maker you use), and they freeze really well. We suggest you cook up a batch, freeze a bunch, and then reheat whenever the waffle  mood strikes!

Banana Brownie Waffles

Makes Eight 4 ½ x 4 ½-inch Waffles

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups 1% milk
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
• 2 large eggs, beaten (we like to use Eggland’s Best eggs)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

2. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl and set aside.

3. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, bananas, eggs, canola oil, and vanilla extract until well combined.  Add to the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.

4. Coat the hot waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray.  Pour the batter onto the hot waffle iron (about 2 cups or according to your waffle iron) and cook on medium-high setting.  Repeat with the remaining batter.

5. Serve with sliced bananas or strawberries on top and a drizzle of pure maple syrup.

Nutrition Information per Serving (1 waffle):  310 calories, 12g fat (1.5g saturated, 0.8g omega-3), 300mg sodium, 43g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 10g protein, 20% calcium, 15% iron

Print Recipe

To Enter our Cuisinart 4-Slice Belgian Waffle Maker Giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling us about your favorite homemade waffle recipe, your favorite brand of frozen waffles, or why you want to win the waffle maker. Sharing a link to your favorite recipe would also be great.

We Will Enter You into the Giveaway Multiple Times if you do any or all of the following (just be sure to leave us a new comment every time you do one of these things):

> Tweet about our giveaway on Twitter or tell your Facebook friends about it with a link back to this blog post.

> Become a Facebook Fan.

> Add one of our buttons/widgets to your blog or website. They are located in the upper left sidebar of our blog. We have three to choose from: Our blog post widget, our Recipe badge, and our Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen badge.

Our giveaway ends on Monday, February 22, 2010 at noon. As always, we’ll use Random.org to choose the winner. By the way, in case you’re wondering, we do not work for Cuisinart. They’ve just been incredibly generous, and we thank them!

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Recent Posts

• Healthy Meal with Kid Appeal Award: Steamy Kitchen
• Podcast 96: Good Manners for Kids and a Children’s Book & Restaurant Meal Giveaway!
• Podcast 95: Recipe Rescue – Ham & Broccoli Hash Brown Casserole
• Podcast 94: Stress Busting, Health-Boosting Tips for Moms (and Dads) … and a Cookbook Giveaway
• Cuisinart Waffle Maker Winner
• Podcast 93: Bring Back Sunday Dinner
• Podcast 92: Banana Brownie Waffles & Giveaway for a Cuisinart Belgian Waffle Maker
• Soup’s On: Cuisinart Covered Casserole Winner
• Podcast 91: Rancho La Puerta Adventure
• Cuisinart Covered Casserole Giveaway & Piping-Hot Peanut Butter Soup Recipe

Recent Comments

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