Magic is in the Clay Pot

I am proud to share my well researched secret life saver -VitaClay VM7900-8 Smart Organic Multi-Cooker/Rice Cooker, Brushed Stainless Steel and Black . Among my other helpers, this one stands on its own. Its uses are numerous. Its benefits are endless - all natural unglazed clay pot, rice (3 types), stew, soup, yogurt modes, and time delay!

I think I have read all of the reviews that exist online before making this purchase. I honestly researched this product top to bottom for 2 weeks and compared to everything else. But no other cooker could beat it and do all it does. My husband even made jokes that I spent too much reading about Vitaclay.

When the box finally arrived (I ordered shipping to USA), I was ecstatic. It was delayed, so I had to wait extra 2 weeks which was quite torturous.

So far, I have made several dishes which turned out amazing - soups, rice (wild, white, brown), buckwheat, barley, steel cut oats, beef stew, etc. The best part? I put all ingredients in, and take kids to the park. When we get back, our lunch is ready and hot. Turns off automatically. The 8 cup capacity serves our family of 4 a good portion - we can have leftovers for next day no problem.

You can make all slow cooker recipes in it - in twice less the time. This is super convenient when kids get hungry every 3 hours as opposed to six. If you are one busy woman, it's a must have!

February To Do's (Chocolate Lovers Beware)

For some, February is the most depressing month of winter. Especially if you are not hitting south any time soon. So how to break up this cold ? Are you wondering what to do with children on evenings or weekends? Here are some ideas:

1. If you are in Ottawa area, definitely hit the Winterlude. It is filled with activities for all, including skating on the world's largest skating rink, ice sculpture competitions and North America's largest snow playground.

Have you seen the lantern garden?

2. Do some easy Valentine's Crafts with kids.

3. Indulge in some good quality chocolate. This is the best part about V-Day!

4. Surf Songza. It has hundreds of playlists depending on activity and environment you are in.
5. Go to Chinatown Lunar New Years Celebrations.
6. Check out Disney on Ice Rockin Ever After.
7. Get outside - skating, downhill or cross-country skiing, snow play, sledding, nature walks, and more! Follow outside activity with warm hot chocolate, yum.

I hope you enjoy this month! What are you planning to break up the winter season?

Revamp School Snacks and Lunches

When I started thinking about winter and what to plan for the cold months, I immediately thought about food. Okay, so are you tired of making and packing school snacks and lunches? Do you hate putting the same thing every day? Do you feel like sandwiches are boring? This holiday season that is exactly how I felt after I have made lunches and 2 snacks daily for two months.

I started searching online for some new ideas. I concluded that most moms out there suggest making food more visually appealing and most of all nutritious. And no, I don't have time to make these:

or these:

First of all, I did invest into a few key items that would make lunches and snacks look more fun.
Here they are:

1. Foogoo Food Jar/Thermos

2. Bento Lunch Box

3. Fun Lunch Bag

Second, I accumulated lots of ideas on what to put into these jars/containers. Some ideas are from a book called "Superfoods for Babies and Children" written by Annabel Karmel. (Excellent, highly recommend this book to parents from newborn up to school age.)

Mini Snacks:

• mini cheese
• chunks of raw vegetable or fruit
• mini yogurt or yogurt drinks
• mini packs of dried fruit or raisins
• cereal and dried fruit bars
• individual portions of fruit puree
• for winter, include vitamin C-rich juice like cranberry or orange

Hot Foods for Thermos

I usually put what was left from dinner, so when making dinner I always keep in mind 5-year old friendly lunch for next day.

• macaroni and cheese
• pasta (whole wheat or rice noodles) and ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken)
• soup (chicken noodle, vegetable, tomato, so on)
• long grain or brown rice and cubes of meat of ground meat plus steamed or sated vegetables (corn, peas, beans, carrots, etc.)
• other combos of grains (buckwheat, quinoa, millet)  plus veggies or meat
• white fish or salmon with grains
• pelmeny (only people from Eastern Europe will know ;)

Sandwich Fillings

• egg, tuna, or chicken salad
• cream cheese and cucumber
• sliced turkey or ham with cheese
• grilled chicken breast with avocado and tomato
• ham, swiss cheese, and cucumber
• hummus with grated carrot or cucumber
• turkey and sweet relish

Sandwich bread options: variety of bread (French, Italian, raisin), bagels, mini pita pockets, tortilla roll-ups.

What about you? Any items you invested in to make lunches more fun? What do you pack?

22 Slimming Superfoods

Right after I decided to lose my pregnancy weight, I casually opened a couple of women's magazines - from both Europe and Canada. And bam! (I am not kidding), two articles about superfoods that are slimming and will help or rather boost metabolism, detoxify, and minimize cravings. I wrote them all on a piece of paper and went straight to my grocery store. I bought ALL of them. They went into delicious meals, salads, or juts on their own. Not sure how much the powers of these specific foods helped, but my scale showed me a reduced number. Yes, my weight started moving down.

Here is the magic list (organized by food category):

Veggies

Avocado

- packed with fiber and healthy fats

Beans

- reduce appetite

Broccoli & Cauliflower

- very low calorie, prevent formation of fats

Carrot

- high in vitamins and very low calorie

Celery

- reduces salt content in the body

Cucumber

- helps to flush out toxins

Peppers (jalapeno, Thai, habanero)

- increase metabolism

Fruits/Berries

Apple

- complements any food; high in vitamins and antioxidants

Grapefruit

- eating a couple of slices before meal reduces appetite

Kiwi

- 1 kiwi fruit has only 46 calories, and combines so many refreshing tastes

Pears

- low calorie, improve digestion

Pineapple

- diet booster known from many Hollywood diets

Raspberry

- low glycemic index, curb appetite

Watermelon

- great for relieving water retention

Other

Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp reduces glucose in blood and lowers production of insulin; also a great mood booster

Corn Cereal (Flakes)
- perfect for breakfast; helps with water retention

Eggs
- 2 boiled eggs for breakfast proven to lead to faster weight loss (high in protein)

Green Tea
- increases body's ability to burn fat

Nuts/Seeds
- very filling, curb appetite for a long period

Shrimp
- each shrimp has 8 calories and high in protein, which boosts metabolism

Tofu
- low fat, but very filling
(here is a link for great Tofu recipes)

Yogurt (but please Plain without sugar)
- high in probiotics - normalizes bacteria balance which helps to reduce weight

What foods did you find help with the weight loss?