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Open Faced Meatball Sandwiches

   Ok ladies, you might as well print this one out to keep stashed somewhere in case you ever need it. It was a spur of the moment creation that turned out fantastic!

   I made meatballs for the first time and had way too many leftover. The kids weren’t interested in a spaghetti re-run so I came up with this instead. We called them “Captain’s Sandwiches” after perhaps the captains on a ship carrying Sponge Bob. In any case, my 6 and 3 year old kids had clean plates within 5 minutes. “Two thumbs up“, my son said with a big smile. ‘Nuff said!

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes (max)

Ingredients:

Leftover meatballs and some leftover spaghetti sauce, if meatballs are dry

Slices of heavy bread (I used 12 grain bread)

Grated cheddar cheese (you could also use sliced american cheese, if that’s all you have)

Optional Ingredients:

I mixed in a little bit of leftover Rice-A-Roni to finish it up (which was tasty)

Next time, I’d like to try smothering the whole thing in mushrooms, peppers, and onions that have been sauteed. (Then, put the cheese on top of that.) Lots of added veggies would help to up your intake for the day.

Directions:

Turn your oven on the broiler setting, so it’s starts to heat up. Get out your meatballs and cut them down into small bitesize pieces. Place slices of bread onto a cookie sheet. (An adult female will probably eat two of these, so number your slices according to that.) Place meatball pieces on bread. You’ll need to top with a little bit of leftover spaghetti sauce if your meatballs don’t have any left and are a little dry. Layer on veggies or rice, if using. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Place in oven under broiler and watch carefully. Mine were done in less than 5 minutes!

Enjoy!

   Ok folks, I really have to vent here. What I would really love to know is how many of you out there are giving your young child soda? Come on, fess up! Hopefully, the intelligent readers of Momville.com will absolutely know better than to do this. If not, it’s time for a little lecture. <you can hear sounds of a soapbox being pulled out>

   This blog entry was spurred on by something I read over at http://lifestylelaboratory.com/articles/nutrition-effects-stress.html  Here is a direct quote:

“In two- to five-year-olds, sugars, candy, and sweetened fruit drinks were major sources of carbohydrates, followed by soft drinks. In the six to 11 age group, soft drinks, sweetened cereals, cakes, cookies, and sweetened fruit drinks were the favorites. In teens, almost four-tenths, or 40 percent, of sugar calories came from soft drinks! Among 15-year-olds, the United States ranked among the top three countries where kids eat sweets, chocolate, and soft drinks every day!”

My Response

   What is soda? It is water, food coloring, fizz (which interferes with calcium in the body), CAFFEINE, and sugar. Some sodas also have food coloring, etc.. Do I drink soda? Yep… trying to quit. Do I give it to my two kids, ages 6 and 3? Absolutely, positively NOT. My son has been instructed and personally coached to flat out refuse soda anytime that it is offered to him. So what are his preferred drinks? Water, followed by milk and juice (watered down). That is exactly what a child’s drinks SHOULD be. Think 1950’s. Think about your child’s health. For goodness sakes, think about their teeth and the eating/drinking habits that you are setting them up for during their lifetime!

   Do you honestly think that you are doing your kid any favors by giving them a liquid stimulant drug? Are you kidding yourself? Would you give your child a cold, sweet cup of coffee? I certainly hope not. If so, perhaps there are other details of their health, nutrition, and physical fitness well being that you are missing as well.

So What Do You Do?

1.    Don’t take my word for it! Get other opinions. Ask around to some of the healthiest, most active people you know or can find. Ask a stranger! (I’m not kidding.) Do they give their kids soda? Then ask them what they do give their kids to drink. Call your pediatrician and ask them for advice. For God’s sake, call a nutritionist and set up a personal appointment for a consultation (you can find them online or in the phonebook). Get them to give you the run down on all of the latest thinking in regards to healthy eating / drinking for your child’s age group (as well as your own).

2.   Don’t succumb to peer pressure! If it’s all that is being offered, then get your kid a glass of water. I recently had my son’s birthday party at a bowling alley. Having been to a similar party or two, I knew that the standard fare would be pizza and soda. I specifically requested that NO soda be served. Instead, we had a pitcher of water and fruit punch. There was a pitcher of iced tea available for the parents.

   I’m reminded of seeing a child, who had to be no older than 3 years old, sitting in a shopping cart and being handed a bottle of Mountain Dew by his Dad. How sad. He probably got a spanking later for not wanting to take his nap while the parents sat around oblivious to the fact that they are feeding their child a stimulant. Perhaps they don’t even care. That’s even sadder.

“That which gets measured gets managed” 

   Hard times seem to be here for now. Gas is currently $4 per gallon and there is speculation on all of the money/financial shows that it is going to go to $5 per gallon. People are trading in their large SUVs and Suburbans as fast as they can get to the dealership and everyone seems to be starting to cut back, if even just a bit.

   I was talking to a friend the other day on the phone about the kind of food that I used to eat when I was first out on my own. We swapped a few basic recipes and that got me thinking, just how would I feed my family now if hard times were to really come again and money was truly scarce? You know, when you’re 18 through at least 28 or so you don’t think a lot about nutrition. But now that my kids are here I’m always thinking about how I can balance their meals overall.

   Here is my basic nutritional checklist for my kids (ages 3 and 6):

1.  Make food fun! Build your food. Play with your food. Get your hands into your food. (Wash your hands first!!!)
2. Vegetables everyday. No exceptions. Even if it has to be hidden.
3. Eat the colors of the rainbow. Blue/purple, red, green, orange/yellow, white.
4. Potatoes don’t count unless they have the skin on them and are not fried.
5. Olive oil where possible. Then canola oil. Then butter. This one is important!!!
6. Reduced sodium /no salt where possible.
7. Unsweetened where possible (this is a tough one!).
8. Protein everyday.
9. Limit red meat to some extent.
10. Fish at least once per week. (Working on getting that up to 2 – 3 times per week.)
11. Fruit once per day if possible but definitely multiple times per week.
12. Whole grains where possible.
13. Healthier cereals where possible. (Cheerios, Raisin Bran, Honey Nut Cheerios, Kashi, etc.)
14. Meatless meal once per week.
15. Less pepperoni, lunch meat, and bacon.
16. Eat from the local Farmer’s Market as much as possible for veggies.
17. Let them grow something out in the yard or in a pot outside that they can eat! (Touch it, see it, nurture it, play with it, prepare it, eat it. This really works wonders for picky eaters. It worked on my pickiest eater!)
18. More fresh food, less packaged / processed.
19. Water and low-fat milk to drink. (2% for now; skim as they get a little older)
20. Some juice but less juice overall. More whole fruit instead.

   So, tons of Ramen noodles will not fit the nutritional bill although throngs of people live their entire 20’s existing on little else. Here’s what I would perhaps serve my kids to keep it balanced.

Check prices to see which version is cheaper at the time you are shopping: fresh, frozen, or canned. Definitely check to see what’s on sale and in season. It will be cheaper. Bags of onions, potatoes, carrots, and beans would be essential. Bags of rice (preferably brown rice, but we’re still getting used to that) and boxes of pasta are also cheap staples.

• Cream of chicken soup, egg noodles, a little Ms. Dash, and a veggie thrown in. (Green peas work great for this.)
• Purchase fresh, whole chicken when it is on sale. (I’ve seen it as low as 39 cents per pound!) Bake them in the oven with some simple seasoning on them. Have dinner then cut up and shred what’s left. Freeze in small containers, covered in diluted chicken broth.
• Purchase cheap cuts of beef and put the slow cooker to work making it fabulous.
• Ditto for the pressure cooker.
• I would definitely try to grow things that we eat often. Cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, green beans, squash.
• Not too many people freeze or can their foods anymore but freezing foods for later is quick, easy, and pretty cheap. Buy food items when they are in peak season and cheap and freeze them for later. Look up “food preservation” for more information.

   What are your healthy but cheap meal ideas? Think of the single moms, working moms, and big families that you’ll help by leaving a comment with your ideas and recipes!

   I look forward to seeing what your family is eating when eating on the cheap!

Super fast. Super easy. Everyone in my family will eat it. Enough said.

Ingredients:

1 can cream of chicken soup

egg noodles of your choice

Ms. Dash (original blend)

Directions:

Put soup in medium pot and add water. Stir until well combined. Add as many egg noodles as this watery mixture will hold. You want all of the noodles to be submerged in the water. Add a few shakes of Ms. Dash seasoning blend to season to your liking. Stir occasionally to make sure the noodles will cook evenly. When noodles are soft, your chicken noodle stuff is done. We usually eat this with a piece of bread. You can also serve with peas, either on the side or mix them in with this. You could also chop up a little leftover chicken and mix it in during the last few minutes of cooking. Fast and yummy. Enjoy!