Monday, March 24, 2014

Home Cooking and Kids:

Hello Moms and Stylish readers:


First, I have to admit, I don't appreciate all those adds and recipes that are "kids friendly" and are apparently helping parents "camouglage the veggies for kids". 

Do you ever frown upon kids menus in restaurants? Those are most often not developing a proper culinary pallette for the little ones.

Perhaps we don't mind putting veggie puree in baking or cooking as Jessica Seinfeld does in her book "Deceptively Delicious" . Because I actualy bought her book a long time ago, tried some and can admit it tastes good (veggie puree is good for "you" in anything or as a dip). Yet I do have a problem with the purpose of the book (deceiving kids) and if that is the only way a parent serves vegetables to children, it should be named "despicably strange"...smiles. 

As busy as we get, it is sometimes hard to stay on top of our kids' nutrition requirements and one important part of their diet is IRON, so read here about all the Foods With Iron Rich Ingredients

Equally important for all of us and our children is wholesome foods and fiber rich foods

My son is 4 and he is to be consuming about 19g of fiber a day! That is a lot considering that white flour or rice has hardly any! As they grow older (1st grade to teenage), they need 26g per day! Yes we eat tons of veggies and fruits, but that in itself won't be enough ... Rye bread instead of white is my choice, I grew up on rye only. 

I have discovered that wholewheat pasta is nice but not as rich in fiber and protein as is "spelt" or "semolina" pasta! 

And my son's this week favorite, Semolina Elbow Macaroni with Beef (of course, we are proudly Albertan's with the best beef in the world LOL). 

YOU WILL NEED:

550g elbow spelt or semolina (containing higher amount of fibre) macaroni pasta, boiled al dente (rinse in cold water to stop it from continuing cooking after straining)  


2 large onions 

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or more as needed


1 medium large egg plant, diced

OR 3 cups mushrooms, cut up (3 portabellas)


2 medium peppers (red, yellow), cut up


2 lbs ground beef chuck 


Salt, pepper to taste

1 tbsp oregano

4 garlic cloves, minced


2 cans tomato paste

1 tsp sugar 


Some bread crumbs

250g grated cheese (mix of Romano, gruyere and mozzarella) or your choice for baking


100g finely grated German Edam Cheese for serving 

DIRECTONS: 

Preheat oven to 325 F when almost ready to put the dish in. 


1. Boil pasta in water and strain when al dente, rinse in cold water.


2. Use one smaller steel or copper pot to fry onions (I used a cast iron here but it takes longer to fry onions & veggies in it than it would in a steel pot) with olive oil on low until golden (about 10 minutes) and add eggplant with dome salt. Fry until soft and browned adding olive oil as needed and adding peppers and just before eggplant is done, frying peppers only couple minutes.


3. In another large but enamelled cast iron pot fry beef with some small amount of olive oil, stir often making sure you separate all the ground beef into smaller bits, add salt and black pepper, adding minced garlic in the end when meat looks lightly browned. Then add both tomato paste cans and mix well. Sprinkle with sugar. Fry only a minute or so to get the flavour out from the tomatoes. 


4. Add boiled macaroni and all the vegetables from the steel pot into the meet mixture and stir very well so it is completely blended together.



5. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and then with all the grated cheese mix.



6. Put in the oven at 325F for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.


7. When serving you may top the plate with a freshly grated German Edam cheese for extra cheesy taste.




VERY HAPPY SON, HE NEVER ASKS FOR CANDY! I AM NOT KIDDING. HE EATS EVERYTHING I GIVE HIM AND IF NOT RIGHT AWAY, HE WILL TRY AND TRY AND TRY TASTING NEW FOODS UNTIL HE LIKES THEM. EASY ...THERE ARE NO PICKY EATERS, JUST UNDEVELOPED TASTE BUDS THAT NEED TO BE DEVELOPED...LOL.






So regular pasta has only 3g of fibre per serving. This semolina style product is a way better option as not only it doesn't taste so grainy like a regular whole wheat pasta but also the fibre is 8g per serving in addition to the higher amount of protein. 

On another note and for us "mothers" and women who want to pamper themselves with good healty skin care and look beautiful, also adding volume to our hair when we have no time to wash it ... here are my fav products this week:

Naturopathica's antiaging mask, peel, vitamin c serum and plant serum: 


When my hair is flat in the morning and not so full as it is after a blow dry styling, the only thing that helps is this B&B thickening dry finish


Last but not least, interesting read about feeding kids healthy is at ORGALI.com!


HAVE a lovely week, getting facials perhaps (before the spring comes and hydrates our ever so dry skin with some more essential humidity), or if you choose using some natural products at home and of course eating healthy whole foods!


HUGs, Z

Saturday, March 8, 2014

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY today:

DEAR Beautiful Women!


I wish you ALL a wonderful IWD and with focus on the healthy and beautiful YOU, staying ahead of temptations, enjoying only what is good for you...

I am sure you are aware of it all or better yet, YOU know more than what I wrote (i.e. "linked) here (please send it all my way!!),  but if you like a little stimulation, here it is and have a GREAT "ALL WOMAN" DAY!

NEXT time you visit me, don't expect any sugars, sausages or fried anything....but I will serve beer, apparently beer hops are a source of collagen production (growing up I was told it is gonna make my boobs grow - not true at all), well BUT collagen increase that is the best news ever ... such a very enjoyable face lift...smiles. 


P.S. yes I am up at 4 am reading about healthy foods (pathetic but my new hobby is to create files and files of information about nutrition) ALSO this "baby kicking thing" is a huge pain.


I am off to bed to celebrate IWD...


XO, Z


START WITH THE REVIEW OF  "world's healthiest women"!

Stop Eating the foods that Dietitians won't Touch! 

(fiber bars, processed with sodium nitrate in it meats, sugary cereal, flavored gelatine...etc.)


Enjoy and Stay Healthy with something Better....(salmon, chia seeds, kimchee or Souerkraut...)


Love of KALE goes really FAR!


Skin has been on my mind recently and boosting your collagen sounds like a first thing to do!


Has anybody looked at the book by Cameron Diaz: The Body Book ? Let me know what you think and what your review is....I may read it ... she does look good...



What a style ICON - Lauren Santo Domingo is so effortlessly chic, agreeing with Caroline at her blog: Beautifulosophy!





Monday, March 3, 2014

Oscar Fashions 2014 in my PJ's (certainly at 34 weeks pregnant!) and in front of our big screen with Belgium Hot Chocolate:

Was not it a semi-casual fun with Ellen's Oscars? Yes! Actually, she gave it a very modern vibe.

Ok I did not understand the pizza thing and perhaps she could have been a bit funnier... But over all the modern feel was appropriate.


First things first....Selfies!! I loved Ellen's tweeted selfie idea ....




Here is my Son's selfie of us today(:

Radovan wearing Armani and proud mother is wearing pregnancy... Well denim shirt and Helmut Lang leather skinnies...



Gravity ... Certainly was winning lots which made Sandy quite emotional and even if it is not my favorite film, I can appreciate the work that went into visual effects...





My most FAVORITE fashion choices were....



Lupita in Prada which she co-designed and her choice of colour is reminiscent of her childhood blues in Nairobi ...the best look I think... Elegance is truly timeless and pleats are so adorably feminine classic ... Just nothing can replace them ..with Fred Leighton jewels...and well spoken when receiving her oscar! She is a darling...


Cate in Armani Prive with Chopard jewels...stunning. Her speech was incredible and witty.





Her clothes in Blue Jasmine were stylish too! So was her Hermes bag...Right!?



Angelina shimmers in Elie Saab, it is a big screen star look and well done...with great accessories... Brad ...as one... And...



Those 42 carat diamond earrings.... Don't need a comment.


Charlize in Dior and Harry Winston jewels, on the mark and flawless.



Handsome Michael in Givenchy....


"My" LEO is hot in Armani...





I also LIKED:



Meryl is always elegant and right and the best actress of all times!


Amy is polished in Gucci...but a bit too safe and low on excitement...




The infamous wrap dress in the American Hassle by DVF! Fashion in this movie is also a huge deal and Amy wears it like a model...




Jennifer in Dior, nice... sometimes the fit seems not ideal on her and perhaps she could have chosen something less safe...more youthful ... This is a very "old new" dress, not special enough...

Quite fun to wear her Neil Lane necklace backwards! But we have seen it many times over ... 


On the side note...Calista ...



Elegant almost European natural feel and the texture in the dress with emerald earrings... I adore it...my favorite is wearing emeralds with pinks but I love her look here...read more here!


I would CHANGE something.....HERE...



Jessica in Chanel is amazing BUT the jewels from Tiffany are too much for the dress... Perhaps pearls would be a nicer contrast around her neck and diamond earrings?


I did NOT LIKE the following looks ... Zero comments needed...






Ok one comment, SHORTS!? Really? I am too classy old school for this unpolished look for such level of event...


AND kind of NOT THE BEST choices for the stars here...below:



.. Perhaps a younger style on Julia would be more suited for her...and the fit seems strange or too big?


Penelope in Giambattista Valli is nice but not a stunning dress for her somehow on the "not so noticeable" side ... The wrong choice for her, but we Love her Chopard jewels...


Olivia is beautiful but this is not the best pregnancy look...


Back to the best for last:



Thanks for stopping by and have a great start of the week with all this excitement!

XO, Z