food

Pinterest Friday! We’ve made this week’s Top 5 a sort of challenge – these…

Well folks we are smack dab in the middle of summer and I have…

Happy July 4th week, Smarties! We {heart} July 4th and all the family fun…

We know Smarty Wendy was the brains behind this recipe as she is a CULINARY GODDESS!!

Anyone that knows me knows that I LOVE to cook. I think about it constantly. I scour cookbooks, websites and magazines for recipes all the time. I watch shows like “Chopped” on the Food Network and try to imagine what it would be like to be a contestant. Well recently I got to put my culinary skills to the test.

A few weeks ago I participated in the First Annual Food Lion Frugal Cook off, an event organized by the Salisbury, NC based grocery store chain. They invited influential bloggers from the area and I was lucky enough to be asked to represent Charlotte Smarty Pants.

I had no idea what to expect, no way to prepare. I knew that I would be put on the spot to cook from a set list of ingredients they had on hand. How fun, I mean we do this all the time, right? We get home from running our kids to every different afterschool activity only to find that we have exactly 4 minutes to put dinner together from a fridge full of random ingredients. You would be amazed at what I can do with just rice.

Carolinas Medical Center can now be found in the same place where you shop for organic produce, gluten-free foods and local honey. As presenting sponsor of the 7th Street Public Market, we’ve put health professionals and wellness services inside the market. Together, we have created a unique place to gather and experience essential ingredients for good health – artisan foods, fresh produce and wellness!

With the start of a new school year, now is the time to assess your children’s eating habits and the contents of your pantry. Are your children constantly craving carbs and asking for the next snack? Do you notice a difference in their behavior when they have had sugar or refined carbohydrates at a meal or snack? If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” we have listed some helpful tips to get you started…

Smarty Tips for Maintaining Blood Sugar and Improving Behavior

1. Read the labels and see what has crept into your pantry over the summer.

2. Eliminate snacks and yogurt that contain food dyes, corn syrup, hydrogenated oils and artificial ingredients.

Without a little planning and a few fresh ingredients, snack time can be “grab-what’s-in the pantry” time, often with little or no nutritional value. Try these fun, quick (quick being the key word) snack ideas the next time anyone in your family gets a craving. All are 200 calories or less per serving:

– Fruit-and-cheese kabobs. Skewer two 1-inch cubes of Colby cheese, to strawberries and five grapes for a fun treat big on protein and calcium. Make a bunch ahead of time. They are easy to grab and go.