Thoughts on Parenting

Easy-peasy BBQ

In honor of the holiday weekend, I thought I would share my mom's great recipe for BBQ beef. All you need is a crockpot, a beef roast, a jar of your favorite BBQ sauce and hamburger buns -- the cheaper the better in my opinion.

Just place the roast in your crockpot and cook on low for about 10 hours. When it is finished it should be tender enough to just fall apart. Shred it with a fork in a bowl to maintain the juices. Add BBQ sauce until the consistency is good for you. Some people like to slather it and just taste sauce (like my Dad), some people still like a hint of of the yummy roast (like me).

Depending on the size of the roast and your family, you may even be able to make BBQ Quesadillas the next day. I just love two meals for the price of one! Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

Best Restaurants for Kids

Eating Out. In this day and age it is a necessary evil and inevitable convenience. Despite how healthy we try to be at home, sometimes I feel like we completely undo a week's worth of good choices in just one trip to a restaurant. In an article recently featured on Yahoo!, I found this link to Men's Health and looked up a few of our favorites to see what grades they made:

• Chik-fil-A earned an A+
• McDonald's earned a B
• Outback Steakhouse earned an F
• Pizza Hut earned a D
• Wendy's earned an A-

Check here to see how your favorite restaurant fared. Or check out the more comprehensive book, Eat This Not That! for Kids!: Be the Leanest, Fittest Family on the Block!

Yummy Fruit-sicles

Summer here in Texas is pretty brutal. Just yesterday it was 168º outside.

Light and refreshing, these freezer fruit cups were awesome! They're like popsicles full of fruit. Thanks to my friend Francie for the idea!

1 large can crushed pineapple
2-3 small cans mandarin oranges
4 bananas, sliced
1 bag frozen strawberries
1 can frozen orange juice concentrate

Do not drain any of the fruit juices. Gently combine all the ingredients and spoon into little punch cups. Freeze. (Ours kept, covered, in the freezer for a week.) Makes about 10 cups.

Easy-peasy Parmesan Pasta

As a family beginning the transition to two working parents, I'm always looking for "easy-peasy" recipes (as Jack would say). Heck, even when I'm not "working" I'm looking for "easy-peasy." I was really pleasantly surprised at how yummy this recipe for Parmesan Pasta with Chicken and Rosemary was... and I was really, really surprised at how fast it was to prepare! In fact, it was still a little too complicated for me (I've never heard of orecchiette pasta), so I used ziti and substituted dried rosemary for the real fresh deal. It was still delicious!

Parmesan Pasta with Chicken and Rosemary

12 ounces (3 cups) orecchiette pasta
1 3 1/2- to 4-pound rotisserie chicken
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and pepper

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Shred the chicken, using a fork or your fingers, while the pasta cooks. Discard the skin and bones.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 1/4 cups of the water. Return the pasta to the pot.

Add the reserved pasta water, chicken, rosemary, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the pot. Stir over medium-low heat until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.

Divide among individual bowls and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

Tip: Using water reserved from the pasta pot is a classic cook's trick. Starchy and salted, it makes a light, flavorful sauce when tossed with cheese and herbs. It's also great for thinning pestos and marinaras.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 689(24% from fat); FAT 18g (sat 7g); PROTEIN 65g; CHOLESTEROL 174mg; SODIUM 1355mg; FIBER 3g; CARBOHYDRATE 66g

Sara Quessenberry
Real Simple, APRIL 2008