I get it, we are all busy, especially this time of year. Between work and shuffling the kids around, shopping, helping with homework and managing a household, it is difficult to find time to cook healthy meals every night for your family. But however impossible you might believe it to be, the benefits of home cooking are huge. On top of that, when you bring your child into the kitchen to help you cook a meal, the results are priceless. The health advantages, bonding opportunities, creative expression and essential life skill development of cooking are essential to raising a well adjusted child. Here’s why…..

Better for their body: In this day and age most children are growing up in busy households where their parents may not have the time or energy to cook wholesome healthy meals every night. As a result, kids and parents today are too often relying on fast food and processed foods, thus creating an overwhelming increase in childhood obesity rates. Home cooking allows you to choose fresh, organic ingredients free from pesticides, preservatives and all sorts of other chemicals and unnecessary food additives that are prevalent in the grocery store aisles.

Also, when a child is allowed to experiment in the kitchen, they begin to understand about where our food comes from and learn to respect and appreciate it. When a child creates a dish, no matter what it is, they will eat it or at least try it. As they begin to try new things and develop new tastes, they will develop their palette…Introduce them to the joys of cooking and you’ll be surprised at what they will eat……If they don’t like salad, have them make a salad with you and guess what…they will eat it and most likely enjoy it.

Better for your family: Unfortunately many kids miss out of the lovely memories and bonding opportunities that evolve from cooking together in the kitchen that we had as children. My earliest and fondest memories are cooking with my grandmother. Cooking together provides an opportunity to be together to bond and create special moments. Cooking together gets families back into the kitchen and enjoying healthy meals around the dinner table. Even if it is just peeling potatoes together, it’s a great opportunity to talk.

Better for their future: Cooking is a valuable skill and is becoming a lost art. It is no longer offered in most schools and too many parents are too busy to teach their kids how to cook, much less cook themselves. Learning to cook builds self confidence and stimulates creativity. It also reduces the likelihood that your child will become a picky eater. If a child never learns to cook, he or she will be facing a lifetime of dining out or ordering in and most likely pass this legacy on to their children, thus perpetuating the cycle.

Better for the planet: When you cooking from scratch you are eliminating many harmful preservatives and additives that are commonly found in processed store-bought food to maintain shelf life.  You are also more likely to buy fresh ingredients that are grown closer to home. This saves on fossil fuels used to transport packaged items and used to make the packaging itself. This creates a stronger, more sustainable local economy for all of us to live in.

In conclusion, the next time you are in the kitchen, whether cooking a whole meal or just a snack, ask your kids to help you. They will love it, and you will be begin to build them a solid foundation for a life-time of healthier eating.

PUMPKIN WHOOPIE PIES WITH MAPLE BUTTERCREAM FILLING

2 1/4 cups organic flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup organic brown sugar

1/2 cup organic butter, softened

1 1/2 cups organic pumpkin puree

1 organic egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:

1/2 cup organic butter, softened

2 cups organic powdered sugar

1 Tablespoon organic milk

2 Tablespoon organic maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350°

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt in large bowl.

In large bowl cream together butter and sugar. Add pumpkin and egg and beat well.

Add vanilla and beat until combined.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, scraping the sides of the bowl when necessary. Do not overmix.

Using a small ice cream scooop, drop about 2 tablespoons of batter on greased baking sheet at least 2 ” apart.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until cakes are firm to touch.

Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Meanwhile combine the filling ingredients in large bowl and beat welll for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.

Once the cakes are cooled, spread filling onto the flat side of one cake using a knife or spoon.

Top it with another cake flat side down. Repeat with all the cakes and filling. Enjoy

Yields 15 cakes (4″ in diameter)

HOMEMADE CINNAMON CRANBERRY GRANOLA BARS

2 Cups Organic Oats            

1/2 Cup Organic White flour 

1/2 Cup Organic Wheat Flour

1/2 Cup Organic Dried Cranberries 

3/4 Teaspoon sea salt

1/4 Cup Organic Honey

1 Organic Egg, beaten

1/2 Cup Canola Oil

2. Grease an 8 x 8 baking pan

3. Mix together in large bowl first 8 ingredients

4. Make a well in center of mix and add honey, beaten egg, oil and vanilla.

5. Mix well and pour evenly into dish.

7. Cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting into  9 squares 

ORGANIC PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

2 organic eggs

1 cup organic sugar

3/4 cup organic pumpkin (I use Trader Joes)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup canola oil

1 1/2 cup organic flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 cup organic chocolate cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 400°

In large bowl beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla and oil until smooth

In separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt

Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and stir until just blended

Fold in chocolate chunks

Fill mini muffin tins using mini ice cream scooper

Bake for 13-15 minutes

Yields 24 minis              Click here for more recipes

McRib is back…..A cult phenomenon they call it…. there are websites dedicated to finding the McDonalds Stores that offer this elusive sandwich……there are facebook shrines and twitter posts….I even heard them talking about it on a radio talk show the other day……whats all the hype about???

Contrary to what its name implies, there is very little actual rib meat in a McRib. It is mostly composed of shoulder meat which are the fattiest and cheapest cuts of pork.

The meat is processed and formed into patties and then stamped with something to resemble ribs without the bones. There are 70 ingredients in a McRib sandwich…Yikes, including things that you would find at a make-up counter, gym, metalwork shop and a fireworks display……these are things you should not be ingesting.

We all know fast food is bad for us. Along with the common identifiable problems like High Fructose Corn Syrup, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean oil (Trans fat), Modified Corn Starch and Sodium benzoate, lets examine some of the other less-known ingredients  in a McRib Sandwich a step further….. 

 Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) Primarily used to preserve food color and flavor they are also used in cosmetics, rubber and petroleum products. They prevent the oxidation of fats and oils in food, preventing it from going rancid. These are the chemicals which allow pastries, breads and crackers to sit on supermarket shelves for months without spoiling.  BHA is a known carcinogen. When administered in high doses as part of their diet, BHA causes papillomas and squamous cell carcinomos of the forestomach of rats. Yum, yum! 

Azodicarbonamide : This is the flour-bleaching agent used in the McRib bun. The principal use of azodicarbonamide is in the production of foamed plastics, like exercise mats. It is banned from food production in Europe and Australia. England identified it as a compound that could potentially lead to asthma. Azodicarbonamide may cause an allergic reaction in those sensitive to other azo compounds, such as food dyes. The consumption of azodicarbonamide may also heighten an allergic reaction to other ingredients in a food. There are actually less chemicals in some yoga mats that are made with this substance, than in a McRib…. 

The ferocity of this marketing seems to tie in nicely with our current economic downturn. As more people lose their jobs/homes/retirement, the Big 4 of fast food are acting like the answer to our prayers. Bring me your hungry…. we will feed you and your family for next to nothing. Despite this McDonalds still made $4.95 Billion in net profit in 2010!

Why is it that the tobacco and alcohol companies pay massive taxes for their right to kill the population yet the junk food business gets a free pass? Think of the educational programs you could fund by taking a percentage of that profit. Across the industry that would be a staggering amount. Remember home economics where kids got a chance to learn how to cook the basics??

Denmark seems to be taking this idea seriously and just passed a new law  imposing a “fat tax” on foods such as butter and oil as a way to curb unhealthy eating habits and increase the life expectancy of its citizens. They already have a tax on sugar, chocolate and soft drinks. “Higher fees on sugar, fat and tobacco is an important step on the way toward a higher average life expectancy in Denmark,” health minister Jakob Axel Nielsen said when he introduced the idea in 2009, because “saturated fats can cause cardiovascular disease and cancer.” It doesn’t take a visionary to see that this is a good idea……

How about it America???? I’d love to hear your comments……….

Here are just a few examples of how American companies add dangerous food colorings to the exact same food products they sell in Europe because it saves money and still allowed by the FDA:

1.  Mars UK uses natural food colorings in their M&M candies such as beet root, spirulina, beta-carotene, etc. However the US M&M includes Blue 1 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 1, Blue 2 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Blue 2. YIKES!!

2.  Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain bars in the UK contain all natural beet root red, annatto and paprika for color but the cheaper, synthetic Red No. 40, Yellow No. 6 and Blue No. 1 are used to color the same product sold in the U.S. 

3. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in England uses Paprika extract and Beta-Carotene to color their product while in the US, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 are used.

The list goes on and on………..

“At this point, American food manufacturers and regulators alike should be embarrassed that we’re feeding kids foods with chemicals that have such a powerfully disruptive impact on children’s behavior,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “European officials are taking the issue much more seriously, and are moving toward a safer food supply as a result.”

Because the FDA hasn’t encouraged food manufacturers to switch to safer natural colorings, many American food companies use the chemicals in the United States products but not in the U.K. equivalents. For example, the topping for a McDonald’s Strawberry Sundae sold in the United States contains Red 40. In the U.K., the topping’s color comes from strawberries. Representative Louise Slaughter, Chairman of the House Rules Committee and the only microbiologist serving in Congress, has written the FDA twice expressing concern about the widespread use of artificial dyes in food. “This is a sensible policy and a smart move to help protect the health and well being of children in Europe,” Slaughter said. “For too long, studies have raised questions about the impact food dyes are having on the development of children and the possible link between dyes and behavior. I have been troubled by the lack of solid data on this issue for more than a decade. It’s my hope that the Food and Drug Administration reviews the abundance of science on this issue and considers implementing a similar restriction or outright ban.” Besides being linked to behavior problems in children, food dyes are also inadequately tested and may pose cancer risks as well, according to a CSPI report. last year.

American consumers aren’t demanding safe food products for their children like our British counterparts. Companies like Kraft, Mars, McDonalds, Kellogg and many more can get away with using artificial dyes in the US because people don’t seem to have a problem with it. If the FDA isn’t going to protect your kids, food companies aren’t either. As parents, we need to demand that these companies change their ways for the sake of our children or just ban their products from our kitchens all together.

In light of the recent findings of arsenic in apple juice in an independent study of Dr. Oz and his associates, I thought it would be a good idea to reiterate, once again, the importance of eating organic food, especially when it comes to feeding your children. In his study of 5 different brands of apple juice, he found that of the brands he tested, none of the organic juices contained unsafe levels of arsenic, while many of the other brands, 10 of the 36 samples, contained unsafe limits. (The “unsafe” limits were determined for our drinking water by the FDA to be over 10 parts per billion). The arsenic levels that were found to be unsafe were in popular brands in which the apple juice concentrates comes from other countries such as China, where arsenic levels are not always regulated and may still be used in pesticides, thus finding its way into the drinking water. There are several debates circulating in the media questioning Dr Oz’s testing methods, as well as the FDA’s response to this matter. Whatever you choose to believe, the moral of the story is…..dont stress about and just buy organic apple juice……

What is organic?  Simply stated, organic products are raised, grown and processed without the use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, antibiotics or hormones.

Better for our Children

Studies show that children are exposed to four times the level of pesticides in food than adults. Pesticides affect children more profoundly due to their higher metabolisms and smaller body mass. According to the National Academy of Science, “neurological and behavioral effects may result from low-level exposure to pesticides.” Numerous studies show that pesticides can adversely affect the nervous system, increase the risk of cancer and decrease fertility. Buying organic foods and products promotes a less toxic environment for our children and all living things.

Better for our Community

Consumers should consider supporting our local organic farmers and make an effort to buy organic produce, dairy and meats as close to home as possible. The average U.S. grocery store’s produce travels 1500 miles before it reaches your refrigerator. Not only is this a tremendous waste of fossil fuels but also burns up energy because of the refrigeration required to keep foods from spoiling. When you buy local, food is fresher and there is less packaging involved. It also protects our beautiful California farmlands from becoming developed. Buying locally creates a stronger, more sustainable local economy for all of us to live in.

A typical school lunch pre-frozen chicken nugget contains over 30 ingredients. This includes sugar, cheap corn products, trans fats, salt and nasty harmful chemicals, like TBHQ and sodium phosphates. A burger….yikes….dont get me started…I can’t even talk about the parts of the animal that may be in there….not to mention, what the animal was fed before it was slaughtered….A diet rich in genetically modified corn, perhaps….

The only fruits and vegetables on most school lunch menus are french fries, tater tots, CANNED fruit, frozen juice pops, and lettuce and tomatos which come on a burger?!….That’s craziness….Kids need fresh fruit and vegatables in their diet. When will Districts realize that FRENCH FRIES ARE NOT A VEGETABLE……and neither is ketchup for that matter. 

The only alternative for parents concerned about feeding their kids healthy food is to pack a lunch. Here’s a list of my favorite things to make for my kids. I usually make all of these items from scratch, ie tortillas, pizza dough, quiche crust etc. This ensures that my kids are getting the best wholesome ingredients free from harmful additives, preservatives and chemicals. If I dont have time, I find a brand that uses minimal processing and no preservatives. Try to buy organic whenever possible. Always buy chicken that is organic and buy ground beef that is organic AND grass fed. Deli meats are usually highly processed so use leftovers from dinner the night before for sandwich meats instead. Some of these ideas have recipes on my RECIPE page or just look them up on the internet.

25 HEALTHY SCHOOL LUNCHES IDEAS

Chicken wraps with apricot preserves and brie, Apple and cheddar quesadillas, Homemade mini pizzas, Chicken salad with yogurt, curry powder and grapes, Panninis-any kind, Mini spinach and cheese quiches, Corn and potato frittatas, Baked rice balls, Baked macaroni and cheese balls, Veggie sushi rolls- sushi rice with sliced cucumber and carrots rolled in Nori, Mini corn dogs (use Trader Joes preservative free cocktail weiners and homemade corn bread batter) Grilled cheese and tomato sandwich, Asain Beef and rice wraps, Chicken or beef pita sandwiches with feta, tomato and cuke, Homemade granola bars, Date nut bars with coconut, Apples and peanut butter, Fresh fruit and yogurt, Hummus and veggies, Cheese and crackers, Hard boiled eggs, Shrimp cocktail, Homemade Soup: clam chowder, chicken noodle or tomato soup

Captain Cooks Cooking School for Kids serves all of San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties for the most unique birthday party idea ever…..A Culinary adventure that is not only a blast, but also a valuable learning experience at the same time…..Kids prepare homemade organic recipes from scratch, (pizza, pasta, quiche, etc). An organic fruit side dish is then prepared and then after they eat their creations, the kids get to frost and decorate their own organic cupcakes…….Custom theme parties are available as well, for example… Harry Potter Birthday Parties and Pop/Rock Star Birthday Parties.

We use organic ingredients whenever possible so you and your guests can be assured that our party food is free from trans fats, pesticide residues, high fructose corn syrup, GMO’s, Rgbh, antibiotics and many other harmful additives that are normally found in most kids “birthday food”. Who could ask for more??? It’s entertainment and great food all in one great price…..oh yes, and we do all the clean up so you parents can just sit back and relax with friends….

Click here for more details or to book a party. Kids birthday cooking parties are available in San Diego, Orange, and Riverside Counties. View our event schedule to check on available dates…

ZUCCHINI CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 organic egg, beaten                                       ½ cup organic butter, softened

½ cup organic brown sugar                               1/3 cup organic honey

1 tbsp. vanilla extract                                     1 cup organic flour

1 cup organic whole wheat flour                       ½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp sea salt                                                 ¼ tsp cinnamon

1 cup finely shredded zucchini                        1 cup organic chocolate chips

1. Combine egg, butter, sugar, honey and vanilla in large bowl. Mix well.
2. Combine flours, soda, salt and cinnamon in medium bowl.
3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
4. Add zucchini and choc chips and mix well.
5. Drop by spoonful onto greased baking sheet, and flatten with the back of a spoon.
6. Bake at 350°, 10 to 15 minutes
7. Yields 24 cookies

ZUCCHINI BROWNIES

2 cups organic flour                                         1 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda                               ¾ cup cocoa powder

1 cup organic sugar                                          2 organic eggs, beaten

2 cups grated organic zucchini                         ½ cup vegetable oil  

1 teaspoon vanilla  

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease 9 x 13 baking dish.
2. In large bowl sift together flour, salt, soda, cocoa and sugar.
3. In separate bowl, combine egg, zucchini, oil and vanilla.
4. Add to dry ingredients and mix well
5. Bake for 20 minutes and let cool before cutting.
6. Yields 15-20 brownies.

ZUCCHINI BREAD

1 1/2 cup plus 2 T organic flour                            3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg                                  1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon                                              1 cup organic sugar

1/2 cup organic brown sugar                                 1/2 cup canola oil

2 organic eggs, beaten                                          3 Tablespoons water

1 cup shredded zucchini                                        1 teaspoon lemon juice

     1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease loaf pan.

     2. Combine flour, salt, nutmeg, soda, cinnamon and sugars into large bowl.

     3. In separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, wat,er zucchini and lemon and mix well.

     4. Slowly fold wet ingredeints into dry ingredients and mix until combined.

     5. Bake for 1 hr or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

     6. Yields 1 loaf.

 1. Support your local farmers and economy and shop at your local Farmers Markets. Why buy truck ripened produce from 1500 miles away from your grocery store when you can get fresh, seasonal produce grown close to home at your Farmers Market??? There are so many wonderful Farmers Markets in San Diego almost every day of the week and most feature organic produce. Even if its not organic, many small farms are still pesticide free but cannot afford to become certified organic even though they use the same methods. There is a lot of paperwork and red tape to get through…..Get to know your local farmers and listen to what they have to say. I’d trust one of them over the USDA or FDA any day!!! Visit www.sdfarmbureau.org  to find a Farmers Market in your town.

2. Join a CSA….A CSA is a Community Supported Agriculture group. Basically you pay a monthly fee to a local farm which in turn they provide you with a box of their fresh seasonal bounty each week that you pick up from a specified location. Visit www.localharvest.org for a list of CSA’s in San Diego. Be Wise Organic Farm and Seabreeze are two wonderful farms……might have a waiting list though….

3. Choose organic whenever possible. Obviously we don’t want our children consuming any food treated with pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, which not only are bad for our bodies, but for our environment as well. This is especially important in dairy products. Dairy cows are commonly injected with growth hormones (RGBH) and antibiotics, which means their milk will contain these things……I don’t want my kids drinking that!!! Always buy organic dairy or at least find products that don’t contain these items. Chicken eggs as well… I want free range, CAGE FREE, organic fed birds that hopefully haven’t been abused…..I still don’t trust this system wholeheartedly, but its the best I can do for now until we get our own chicks for our backyard…..and yes you can do this too even if you live in a tract home in San Diego….

4. Choose grass fed beef over corn fed.  Grass is what cows are suppose to eat. They are ruminants and need to graze to maintain health. Eating corn is unnatural and unhealthy for their digestive systems. Thus they are injected with antibiotics and other drugs to prevent them from getting ill. Also because of the ph levels in their gut from all the corn, E-coli levels are much higher and more likely to end up on your plate. Meat from grass fed animals has less fat and actually contains Omega-3’s which are created from cells in green plants and algae, an extremely important fatty acid believed to play a significant role in human brain cell growth. By eating grass fed beef you will reduce your fat intake, eliminate added antibiotics and hormones, significantly reduce your chances of contracting E-coli and also increase your Omega3’s intake. (Not to mention the fact that your cow will have lived a happier longer life of 4-5 years on a farm eating a buffet of grass everyday, instead of living a miserable life in a feedlot being forced to eat corn only to be fattened up for slaughter in 14 months.)

5. Don’t buy farm raised fish. Most farm raised fish are fed a diet of grain (sometimes even dyed pink to simulate a shrimp diet). You want fish that feeds on a natural diet of, well, fish. Buying wild fish insures that the fish is doing what fish do, swim and eat in their natural habitat. Back to the Omega-3 issue….its only in fish that eat fish, algae or phytoplankton.

6. Bake bread once a week. Who doesn’t love the smell of fresh baked bread…..Baking bread is simple, and one of life’s greatest pleasures.  I have yet to find a loaf of bread in a store that doesn’t contain something I don’t want my kids to eat…..even fresh from the bakery, they still contain dough conditioners and sometimes even trans fats….Yuk!!! Not for my family…..I bake bread twice a week, and even as busy as I am, I still manage to find time…..It doesn’t take as long as most people think. I usually will pop a loaf in the oven after dinner and just wait for my kids to come running as soon as they smell it….It makes a great dessert as well, and guess what…..its only organic flours, organic sugar, sea salt, yeast and water……simple, natural and unadulterated goodness….

7. Eat a vegetarian meal once a week. Now that you are buying grass fed organic beef, wild fish and organic cage free chicken, your grocery bills will be higher. That’s OK, you get what you pay for and it is worth it……But a good way to combat that higher bill is to eat a veggie meal once or even twice a week…..I like to make homemade pastas and sauces with loads of veggies or I have some great frittata recipes. Make sure you have a protein, such as cheese, eggs or even grains such as quinoa.

8. Plant a garden. Grow and harvest your own fruits, veggies and herbs. Save money and get your kids involved. They love this…

9. Ban fast food. Please don’t let your kids eat this stuff…..its poison…..enough said

10. Cook a meal once a week with your children. Introduce them to the joys of cooking and you’ll be surprised at what they will eat……If they don’t like salad, have them make a salad with you and guess what…they will eat it and like it…..The other day my daughter and I were peeling potatoes, just talking about the days events and spending time together. I started thinking, most families don’t do this anymore…..It used to be mothers and daughters would prepare meals together and then do the dishes together, getting this time to communicate. Now with the invention of the dishwasher and microwave, this no longer happens in most households….its so sad, because the kitchen can be a wonderful place to bond…and of course learn basic life skills on how to cook and what to eat….