Archive for the ‘cook it’ Category

Have you ever tried Waterless Carrots?

If you haven’t, I can’t wait to share, because they are one of my family’s favorite cooked vegetables.

I love that Waterless Carrots look and taste nice enough for a Sunday dinner, but easy-peasy enough for a weekday.

From start to finish they can be ready in about 15 minutes, most of that cook time.

Here’s how:

I pretty much always have carrots in my refrigerator.  That’s another reason I love this side.

I’m sure you could make this dish without peeling carrots… but I always peel.  Carrots just seem cleaner that way.

Slice up your carrots as evenly as possible.  Even carrots cook at the same rate.  I like to slice them on an angle.

It makes them look fancy- like Anne with an e.

For my family of five, I usually prepare 3-4 large carrots.

For four large carrots, I usually add about 1 tablespoon, or so, of butter.

Melt the butter in a saucepan that has a tight-fitting lid.

Toss in the carrots and add salt and pepper to taste.

I also always add some kind of herb.  When I have herbs from my garden, I love fresh snipped chives, or thyme especially.  But this time of year, I usually resort to dried parsley.  The green makes the carrots look delish.

Cover your pan with tight-fitting lid and cook over medium heat until you see steam beginning to escape, in usually just a few minutes.

Turn down the heat to medium low and continue to cook until your carrots are tender.  Stir once or twice to keep the carrots from browning.  It typically takes 8 to 10 minutes or so…

They come out tender without being mushy.  They are sweet and savory… and just about perfect.

When I serve Waterless Carrots, I don’t have to remind my kids to eat their vegetables.  They are usually the first thing gone from their plate.

Enjoy!

Waterless Carrots

4 large carrots

1 tablespoon butter

Fresh chives or thyme to taste, or a sprinkling of dried parsley or thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and slice carrots.  Melt butter in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid.  Add carrots, salt and pepper to taste, and herb of choice.  Cover with lid and cook over medium heat, until you see steam escaping.  Turn down and cook 8-10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.  Serve hot.

I’m happy today to be part of the Campbell’s Soup “What’s for lunch?” discussion.

Because if you’re a mom, that’s a question you hear just about everyday.

Do you ever wonder how much food goes into the garbage at your kid’s school?

I shudder to think about it.  You can send broccoli or blueberries in your kid’s lunch, but unfortunately, you can’t make them eat it.

What’s a mother to do?

The best solution I’ve found is to give my kids a big say in what goes into their lunches.

It starts at our house when making my grocery list.  I ask the question, “What healthy snacks do you want for your lunches?”  Each of my kids get a chance to add something healthy, that they like, to the list.

My kids are in 5th and 6th Grade and are old enough to make their own lunches.

The rules are, they need to take at least two fruits and vegetables.  I try to have fruits that are in season and cut up vegetables that are easy to pack in their lunches.  If I don’t have fresh fruit, we always have home canned applesauce, peaches, or dried fruit like apple rings, mangoes, and fruit leather.

When my kids decide what goes into their own lunches, I think they are much more likely to eat what they pack.

We love our Thermos for taking smoothies or hot foods like soup or pasta.  Ben especially loves taking hot foods for his lunch.

My girls love their sandwiches.

Since they are making healthy choices and are packing up their own lunch, I’m happy they are all getting just exactly what they want.

I think that “What’s for lunch?” is more than just a meal, it’s about teaching our kids to make lifelong, healthy eating choices.

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And now for a $50 Gift Card Giveaway sponsored by Campbell’s® Soup.  To enter leave a comment on this post answering:

How do you get your kids involved in deciding what’s for lunch?

The Rules:

• Contest closes on Monday, March 18, 2013 at 10:00 pm MDT

• Only one comment per person please.

• Random winners will be announced on Tues, March 19

Thank you to my friends at Campbell’s for sponsoring this giveaway!   Be sure to visit the Campbell’s Soup website where you can find recipes, coupons, and more.

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Campbell’s Soup.  All opinions and ideas are my own.