Healthy Meal Plans

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Healthy Meal Plans
« on: April 13, 2006, 02:23:31 AM » by StephTallent

We just got this e-mail at Beeyoutiful and I knew you ladies are just the people to answer the question! Cheesy

Do you have any recipes or menu plans or and help to get me and my
kids eating healthier? What do you do when your kids don't like vegetables??? Help- Single mom

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #1 on: April 13, 2006, 09:05:37 AM » by Laurie

When we first started trying to eat better my kids (or me for that matter) didn't really actually enjoy eating vegetables. It doesn't work to just throw steamed broccoli, for instance, in front of them and expect them to like it when their taste buds are used to entirely different flavors. I made it a hobby to look for interesting veggie recipes to help me "train" their taste buds to enjoy vegetables. One thing that they will eat a ton of is a carrot salad that I make with natural vanilla yogurt, orange peel, crushed pineapple and golden raisins. That's actually become a dessert dish for us. How about steamed or raw vegetables with a healthy dip like hummus or yogurt dill? Or broccoli and cauliflower with just a bit of homemade cheese sauce.

It helps to harden yourself to their protestations of child abuse and know that if you keep trying new vegetables and stay away from unhealthy food they WILL learn to really enjoy them!

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #2 on: April 13, 2006, 09:07:16 AM » by 4myhoonie

i've heard a lot of people puree a bunch of veggies kids don't like and put them in spagetti sauce and use it in various things. also can puree or chop finely for soups in the crockpot. and feed them lots of fruit of course fresh. my kids love guacamole. all i do is put in my little whizzer 1 avacado, a squeeze of lemon juice and a clove of crushed garlic. great on tortilla chips, tacos, etc. my kids love ants on a log, fresh salad if i make ranch (from a powder) and homemade italian. i have not given my children a choice. i just tell them it is what we are having and they have to eat their veggies. no seconds of other stuff til it's gone! also i don't let them snack between meals, because they are not hungry enough at mealtime and procrastinate like crazy at the table. i read something from someone else that said to give them fresh salad or cut up veggies before dinner is quite ready and they will be hungry enough to eat it. also my kids prefer raw veggies so i almost never cook them!

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2006, 09:37:40 AM » by Charis

My kids also prefer raw veggies. Also stuffed potatoes are a favorite. I've got a great pasta recipe.

1 lb. Angel hair pasta
juice of one lemon
1 T lemon zest
Lemon peel for garnish if desired
1/4 cup fresh finely chopped Italian Parsley
1/4 Parmesan cheese (I like freshly grated but you can use the other kind)
1/4 cup of chili oil (recipe follows)
A large pot of sea salted water

Boil your water and make it salty to your taste. Add pasta . Cook suggested time. Reserve 1/2-1 cup of the water when you drain. Put in a large bowl and toss with other ingredients. Add reserved water a little at a time till it mixes nicely. You can garnish with extra parsley and lemon peel if you want it to look extra pretty.

Chili oil

1 cup of pure olive oil (extra virgin is a little strong for my liking)
1-4 T of red pepper flakes

Warm your oil and add flakes. Let it sit for a while to infuse. Pour through mesh strainer and store in fridge. I use an empty olive oil jar to store it in. I add it to a lot of recipes to give them a little zing. If your kids aren't accustomed to spicy foods start with one T. This is really mild but still gives it great flavor. Parsley is supposed to be really good for you and this is an easy way for you and your kids to eat it.

I also use parsley for lettuce on my sandwiches. Kicks them up a notch. Also I use the chili oil to make an awesome mayo. If any one wants the recipe just ask.

I got the pasta recipe from Giada DeLerentes from the food network. Pretty much the only TV I watch. Love getting new recipe ideas!

« Last Edit: April 13, 2006, 09:39:52 AM by Charis »
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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2006, 09:44:11 AM » by healthybratt

Don't let them eat the new foods. Roll Eyes

Our kids always want to eat what we're having. So if I want them to try something new and enjoy it, I make it only for myself or for me and dad, then they come asking a bunch of questions. They want to eat what we're eating. Sometimes I even say, I don't think they will like it, but they can try it if they want to. Then they will try it off my plate and like it just to prove me wrong Wink

I think this would work especially well with my kids using the healthy dip ideas. For some crazy reason, my kids love to dip their foods and it doesn't seem to matter what they are dipping it in. How weird is that? Tongue

« Last Edit: April 13, 2006, 09:47:34 AM by healthybratt »
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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #5 on: April 13, 2006, 10:58:11 AM » by 4myhoonie

also i have been able to get my kids to eat lots of new and interesting things by oohing and aaahing over how good it is! Grin

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #6 on: April 13, 2006, 01:08:47 PM » by Laurie

Quote from: fivewittletids on April 13, 2006, 10:58:11 AM

also i have been able to get my kids to eat lots of new and interesting things by oohing and aaahing over how good it is! Grin

Funny

Mine will also eat anything that they've helped to make.

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #7 on: April 13, 2006, 01:25:27 PM » by mamasboys

Plant a garden! I can't hardly get any of our vegetables to the table as my boys wake up in the morning and want to run out to the garden and pick carrots to eat for breakfast. They'll even eat raw spinach out of the ground. But you can't bring it to the table, it must be eaten out in the garden and with a little dirt and grit still on it Tongue

When I do finally get a vegetable dish to the table, they usually look at it with a very questioning gaze until I tell them that it's from our garden, then they suck it down!
They are the same about it being raw, if I cook it, they don't want it. They'll eat zucchini, corn, carrots, tomatoes, beets (although not often), lettuce and spinach raw out of the garden, then finish up with desert in the berry patch.
During the summer, I barely need to prepare a single meal!
During the winter however....their radars go up and everything placed before them is now suspicious and not fit for human consumption Roll Eyes

Go figure...

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2006, 02:10:41 PM » by healthybratt

Quote from: mamasboys on April 13, 2006, 01:25:27 PM

During the winter however....their radars go up and everything placed before them is now suspicious and not fit for human consumption Roll Eyes

Go figure...

*giggle*

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #9 on: April 17, 2006, 09:53:01 AM » by petrimama

I always try to make sure only one item on the plate will cause grumbling. Then I don't feel so guilty making them eat that one small portion. I also try to point out that my kids don't really dislike certain foods, only the way they are prepared. For Instance, if they don't like tomatoes in their salad, I point out that they like other forms of tomatoes (sundried, marinara sauce, tomato soup, ketchup, etc.) This avoids blanket statements ans preconceived notions about mysterious foods. ~L

By the way, what are ants on a log? Huh

? Sounds like something my son would eat just because of the name.

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #10 on: April 17, 2006, 10:02:21 AM » by healthybratt

Quote from: petrimama on April 17, 2006, 09:53:01 AM

By the way, what are ants on a log? Huh

? Sounds like something my son would eat just because of the name.

This would be celery with peanut butter or cream cheese sprinkled with raisins. Tongue

GROSS either way if you ask me, but the kids enjoy it.

Check this website for a lovely photo.

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #11 on: April 17, 2006, 11:46:06 AM » by 4myhoonie

i love ants on logs! maybe i'm still a kid? Grin

(only with pb though, never tried cream cheese) i guess i kind of do what Layla said too. great idea about the blanket statements though, i'll try it!

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #12 on: April 17, 2006, 01:37:43 PM » by dara

We like to make this with PB spread on bananas with raisins on top.

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #13 on: April 17, 2006, 01:51:06 PM » by dara

Healthybratt,
Does your family eat a lot of asian dishes? I am looking for ideas (notice I didn't say recipes

) for things to eat with rice, and rice noodles, and anything wheatless. I don't have time to cook gluten free for Devin, and food for us too, and my hubby loves ethnic food, so I thought I'd ask you for ideas. I don't need exact measurements. We make international foods pretty often, but I've never done much with asian. Thanks. Dara

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #14 on: April 17, 2006, 02:17:18 PM » by candcwelch

We have 4 girls and were able to convince one that eating brocolli is good for your body (it is now her favorite food - plain steamed brocolli). Our 6 year old was not buying into our truth - so we asked her what she didn't like about carrots. She told us they were too hard and it hurt to bite down on them - so we started slicing them thin and briefly steaming them or stir frying them. Now "lean carrots" are her favorite food. Our 3 year old loves salads. We kept making and preparing veggies in different ways until we found a "favorite" for each girl. Now when we cook, we give lots of the favorite veggies and a piece of the not so favorites to each girl.

Another thing that has worked very well, is giving a small bowl of the vegetables with their full dinner plate behind it. We then each eat our "veggie appetizer" before our main meal (it is amazing to see how quickly they eat up their veggies on homemade pizza night!)

Celeste

www.valeriegrace.com

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #15 on: April 17, 2006, 02:39:26 PM » by healthybratt

Quote from: dara on April 17, 2006, 01:51:06 PM

Healthybratt,
Does your family eat a lot of asian dishes? I am looking for ideas (notice I didn't say recipes

We eat so much Asian food, I'm almost a convert. Wink

Check this thread for the recipes I have documented.

I also make spagetti with rice noodles. It doesn't taste quite the same, but the kids like it. My kids are weird tho. They will eat any noodles plain or with ranch dressing and parmesan.

We also eat rice wrapped in green or red leaf lettuce and/or roasted seaweed dipped in Korean hot sauce. This is a big favorite in our house. I don't like seaweed - very bland, grassy flavor, but my kids love it and hubby too.

We also buy pickled diakon (white raddish) at the Asian store. Cut it up, throw it in a jar and fill with have white vinegar and have water and a bit of sugar (optional). These taste similar to pickles but have an Asian flair. We add these chopped to the above seaweed rolls (just like the Japanese).

We eat boiled squid whenever I'm not too lazy to clean it. It's very time consuming but very yummy with hot sauce.

Korean pancakes are a favorite. These are tricky and I have no exact measurements. I'm still trying to perfect them from watching mom-in-law. Start with 1 lb of chopped squid, Italian sausage, ground pork or ground beef. (squid and Italian sausage are the best), add about 3 cups of chopped zucchini. Add a bit of chopped peppers (any kind), then start with about 1 cup of flour and add water and flour until you have a batter consistancy of runny pancakes with floaties (very descriptive - huh? Undecided

). Lightly oil the fry pan and pour about 1/4 - 1/3 cup of batter into pan. It is lumpy so you'll need to use a spoon to spread the batter as thin as possible not making any holes around the lumps. Cook about 5 minutes each side (make sure pork is done- squid cooks faster) and serve with soy sauce (we usually dilute our soy sauce with white vinegar). We love these too, but I'm terrible at making them right.

Sometimes I stir fry green peppers, American cabbage and onions with polish sausage and eat with rice. It's not my favorite but it adds variety to the menu.

We also eat a lot of fried rice. I don't have this written down, but here's a summary. I start with olive oil. Throw in some garlic, onions(sometimes shredded carrots) and meat (we use ham). Toast these for awhile and scoot them to the side of the pan. If the pan is dry add another sprinkle of oil and scramble 2-5 eggs on the empty side of the pan until almost dry. Mix all ingredients together and add soy sauce to taste, roasted sesame seeds and pre cooked rice (about 2 parts rice to one part ingredients in pan as whole). Mix well, cook a little longer. We also like melted cheddar or American cheese on top - occaissionally.

We eat boiled shrimp with Korean hot sauce and rice.

I think the family's favorite is my hot wings. I buy Frank's hot sauce (cayene pepper sauce or Louisiana hot sauce) and the recipe is right on the label (2 1/2 lbs chicken, 1/2 cup hot sauce, 1/3 cup melted butter). Mix together and pour over fried wing parts. This goes very well with rice! I can't make enough of these at one time to make my family happy. I usually make 4 lbs at a time. Tongue

Watch out tho, they are hot, especially the 2nd day. Avoid storing these in any metal pans, the hot pepper will eat holes in them. Shocked

If I think of anything else, I'll let you know.

« Last Edit: April 17, 2006, 02:47:04 PM by healthybratt »
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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #16 on: April 17, 2006, 04:08:10 PM » by happywife

One of the biggest "novelty" suppers that impressed my 3 year old most was a big veggie platter (like you'd serve at a party). I used a "special occasion" platter, put a hollowed bell pepper with dip (sour cream mixed with a little ranch powder), and surrounded by colorful veggies -- variety of bell pepper strips, baby carrots, grape tomatoes, cucumber slices, broc & cauliflower, etc. I also served some cheese & boiled eggs for protein that night. It went over great (I would have never done this, but I returned from the grocery store only to find I had purchased a ridiculous amount of produce that we would never eat before spoiling!)

About every week or two I do a veggie pizza on whole wheat crust. I cover the dough with a can of tomato sauce, sprinkling of Italian herbs and garlic salt, layer of mozzerella, layers of veggies (including maybe spinach, peppers, onions, broccoli, mushrooms, olives, etc), and top with cheese & more herbs. Yum! Even the picky youngest likes it. Here's the crust recipe: Dissolve a pkg of quick rise yeast in 1 c. warm water. Add 1 1/2 T. oil, 1 t. salt, 2 c. whole wheat flour. Mix well & knead about 2 minutes til smooth & elastic. Add more flour, if needed. Coat with veg spray or oil & let rise in bowl covered with damp towel about 5 minutes. Roll out & spread on the toppings. (One large or 2 small crusts).

I am definitely one to "sneak" veggies into everything. Into all ground meat dishes (burgers, meat loaves, etc.) I grate potatoes & carrots and add chopped onions & peppers. I add others, if I have them (like zucchini). Stuffed potatoes are great -- an awesome one is alfredo sauce & chopped broccoli. Mix with the mashed potatoes, spoon back into skins, and top with cheese.

My kids love yogurt parfaits (like McDonald's has), so we make our own. Layer vanilla yogurt, berries and/or bananas (or whatever fruit), and granola or wheat germ (I do add wheat germ to about everything, BTW). We also like to make smoothies in blender with frozen fruit (I freeze banana chunks in ziplocs), milk, and more dry powdered milk. Sometimes add honey or apple juice concentrate for sweetness.

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #17 on: April 25, 2006, 03:55:22 PM » by 4myhoonie

Hi all! i am in a rut with fixing breakfast and lunch for my kids and me. i know what we have been eating isn't healthy, but just don't know where to start. i was hoping you all would have some easy ideas that are healthy but kids friendly. about the only healthy lunch plan we have is bean burritos and i'm not sure those are that great. any help you can give would be greatly appreciated. thanks!

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #18 on: April 25, 2006, 04:08:43 PM » by healthybratt

Quote from: fivewittletids on April 25, 2006, 03:55:22 PM

Hi all! i am in a rut with fixing breakfast and lunch for my kids and me.

We eat lots of eggs. Bacon and Eggs, Steak and Eggs, Pork Chops and Eggs, Ham and Eggs, Sausage and Eggs, Corned Beef Hash (very salty) and Eggs. We also love pancakes, regular, blueberry and chocolate chip and frech toast. MMMM. I always make extra pancakes and the kids eat them for snacks the next day (plain!).

Lunch: our newest addition to a lunchtime meal is a chicken breast with sandwich fixins in a tortilla instead of on bread. we use ranch or Korean hot sauce for condiment.

One of my family's favorite is meatloaf burgers with creamed peas and sometimes I throw in some mashed potatoes and use the peas for gravy. I used to make meat loaf a lot but it takes soooo long to cook, so burgers are better and I cook them in the iron skillet so they are healthier.

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #19 on: April 25, 2006, 05:22:32 PM » by ForeverGirl

We like muffins for a quick breakfast. I use maple syrup and honey and sometimes brown sugar, instead of white sugar. I use bananas, blue berries, pecans, and wheat germ for a healthy addition. These are easy to make any time of day. I usually make a bunch to throw in the freezer so they'll last us a week.

We also eat fried egg on wheat toast occasionally, and oatmeal with yogurt and honey. Also cinnamon honey toast is fast, and a great immune booster.

For lunch I like to have a container of beans in the fridge that will last a week. Our favorites are black bean burritos with cheese and salsa. Tortillas are in abundance here in New Mexico, so I don't worry about making them fresh. I also toast some corn tortillas in the oven occasionally to make tostadas.

Other quickie lunches are,
Sandwhiches with home-baked turkey breast,
Pita pizzas (a pita decorated with feta, sauce, and sprinkle of veggies and oven toasted)
Posole and tortillas ) a local dish made with hominy, chicken, and chili sauce (red peppers).

I think the secret to being prepared for quick lunches (preaching to myself) is to think about it the night before, and make a plan: "Sandwhiches tomorrow? I'll thaw the turkey breast tonight and pop it in the oven at breakfast time."

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #20 on: April 25, 2006, 06:49:33 PM » by healthybratt

Beeyoutifulgirl mentioned oatmeal, and it reminded me that we eat cracked wheat and farina cereals as well. Not sure how healthy the farina is, really, but the cracked wheat is good fiber and it's just a bit different from oatmeal (I don't like oatmeal Tongue

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #21 on: April 26, 2006, 04:47:05 AM » by petrimama

Has anyone ever tried grinding brown rice? I use a coffee grinder but one of those little chopper/blender gadgets might work (I don't have one, so I'm guessing). Then I boil it in some milk (water would work) and when it's soft I mush a ripe banana in it. I usually make about 2 cups and I find that the banana and a teaspoon of honey/brown sugar sweetens it so much! I'm sure there are many variations, but whatever flavor, this is healthy, easy and cheap! ~L

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #22 on: April 26, 2006, 06:48:33 AM » by dara

I do that with brown rice almost every day for my GF (gluten free) kid. He loves cinnamon and maple syrup in it Tongue

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #23 on: April 26, 2006, 10:29:56 AM » by Lanie

I don't do much for breakfast. Just the easy stuff. Hard boiled egg with a piece of fruit. Easy to take on the go. Oatmeal and flax seed topped with granola is another staple breakfast.

Most of our lunches are salad sandwiches. Egg salad, chicken salad, tuna salad, cheese salad, banana salad(mushed banana mixed with honey and PB; can't really make this ahead of time; if someone knows how to do it without it turning brown and bubbly, let me know), and so on...I start the bread in the morning in the machine and prepare the "salad" before the kids get up so it's VERY easy to throw everything together for a picnic on the go, if need be, that day. And my boys love to pitch in with assembly.

For dinners I use a book called Saving Dinner by Leanne Ely. or go to www.savingdinner.com
It gives me 8 weeks of dinners each season with tips and shopping lists for each week. I've been using it for nearly a year and my picky hubby now loves food he couldn't previously look at without gagging. (He grew up with spaghetti, SPAM "flambay" and hamburger helper...so it took some GREAT recipes from this book to win him over)

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #24 on: April 26, 2006, 11:09:32 AM » by mamasboys

Brown rice is a favorite around here too. We use a coffee grinder (use it only for this purpose because if you grind coffee then rice, well....) and grind the rice into a powder/flour consistency. It only takes a minute or two.
Boil 1 cup water for every 1/3 cup rice. Add rice to boiling water (or milk!), stir then cover and reduce heat. Set a timer for 5 minutes and it's done!
My boys love it with milk, honey and raisins

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #25 on: April 26, 2006, 12:32:47 PM » by healthybratt

Quote from: mamasboys on April 26, 2006, 11:09:32 AM

I love cream of rice from the grocery store. Is this the same thing?

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #26 on: May 05, 2006, 04:09:42 PM » by natural

Getting kids to eat...
This winter my 5 yr old boy was frowning at his green beans. All I had to do is remind him how he helped plant them in the garden, then he helped pick them..suddenly he was stuffing them in his mouth. I also like to remind them of how helpful they were in making the meal, even if it was getting the eggs out for me. The more ownership they have, the better.

Sandra

« Last Edit: May 05, 2006, 04:13:04 PM by natural »
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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #27 on: May 05, 2006, 04:16:44 PM » by natural

Quote from: healthybratt on April 26, 2006, 12:32:47 PM

Quote from: mamasboys on April 26, 2006, 11:09:32 AM

I love cream of rice from the grocery store. Is this the same thing?

Check the label. You will probably find a few things have been added for preserving or what not. The more natural, the better. So I really appreciated the idea of grinding the plain/brown rice in a coffee grinder. thanks!
--Sandra

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4 yo Maciah: Mamma I am scared the wind is howling.
Me: Go to sleep Jesus will protect you.
4 yo Maciah: (stretching his chin to chest) But, but I can't see Jesus my head can't reach into my heart.

Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #28 on: May 12, 2006, 07:12:11 PM » by healthybratt

You'll never guess what I made for supper.

My kids love french style green beans (canned=BAD "I know" Undecided

), with velveeta cheese (this is probably bad too, but we eat it), so tonight I decided to make grilled cheese, but I threw the green beans on the sandwich. They devoured it and wanted more. Roll Eyes

In my defense, I used butter and homemade bread. Grin

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Re: Healthy Meal Plans
« Reply #29 on: May 13, 2006, 06:03:19 PM » by petrimama

Hmm....good idea! I've never even considered anything but tomatoes....this could open up a whole new world for us!
By the way, my hubby loves Velveeta, too. Tongue

I try to tell him that it's not refridgerated and not even called cheese but rather "cheese food" but he says he doesn't care because he likes it. (I have gotten him to eat american, which is a half step better, but I'm still aiming for cheddar in time.) I guess Velveeta is just one of those habits that's hard to break.....and everyone is entitled to have an unhealthy food or two every once in a while, right? I just prefer mine to be somehow related to chocolate. Wink

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