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Foodie Friday There are many healthful benefits to eating salmon and lentils. Salmon is dense with omega-3 fatty acids, which can help to lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol. Omega-3 has been attributed to helping the brain and muscles and contributing to longer and healthier lives. The protein is also easier to digest and less harmful than other types of meat. It is best to buy wild caught Alaskan salmon rather than farmed salmon. Lentils are chock full of folate, fiber, protein, and other healthy nutrients that make them a super food of the legume family.
This recipe is one of my family's favorites. It uses the salmon in a way that takes away any sort of fishiness, and the lentils and vegetables are enhanced with the rich bacon flavor to make even a lentil eating skeptic happily ask for seconds.
In a saucepan set over medium heat, saute the bacon until crispy, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove and reserve the bacon from the pan and saute the vegetables in the bacon fat for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the lentils and stir to cover in the fat and fold in the bay leaf and thyme, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the lentils are soft, about 30 to 35 minutes. Stir the reserved bacon into the lentils and cover to keep warm.
Set a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the pan, and season the salmon with the salt and pepper. Dip the salmon in the flour and shake to remove the excess. Sear, skin side down in the pan for 3 minutes, and turn to finish cooking on the second side, 1 minute more.
Serve the salmon with the lentils on the bottom of the plate, garnished with the chopped parsley.
February Is Cultural Awareness Month!
February is Cultural Awareness Month at The Mommies Network, and we're thinking globally! Share a love for foreign language and different cultures with your child in our Multicultural Mommies forum on our National Chapter. Each week, we'll feature several languages and cultural tidbits. You may also participate and strengthen your language lingo in a special webinar. Additionally, our sponsor will provide information on how you can continue your language-learning experience after the month is over.
According to Associated Content, brain research shows that children are at an optimal age for language learning. Although language study is effective at any age, some studies suggest that the human brain is more open to learning a foreign language from birth to preadolescence. Fortunately, researchers have not found an age in which the language window closes completely, especially in the areas of grammar and vocabulary.
Take advantage of this opportunity to think globally, and join us as we learn about foreign languages and different ways of life during Cultural Awareness Month at TMN!
Do you have a water table that gets stashed away over the winter months? Well, clean off those cobwebs and get ready for some indoor fun! Buy a few bags of feed corn or bulk beans, pour them into the water table, and watch your little ones explore.
Baltimore Mommies has loads of fun activities scheduled each week on the calendar. Area play dates are a great way to meet new moms and engage your kiddos in stimulating activities. Staci, one of our fantastic North Area moms, organized a play date at her house in January for kids to create bird feed for the birds. If you would like to try doing this activity at home, follow these simple steps.
Supplies:
Cookie cutters
Stale bread (make sure it is not too soft)
Peanut Butter
Plastic knives for spreading
A few straws
Yarn
Scissors
Bird seed
A box or big plate to put the bird seed in
Step 1:
Have the kids press the cookie cutter into the bread.
Step 2:
Spread the bread on both sides with peanut butter.
Step 3:
Press the peanut buttered bread into the seed on both sides.
Step 4:
Push the straw through the bread to make a hole for the yarn.
Step 5:
Cut a piece of yarn and loop it through.
Step 6:
Allow ingredients to harden for a day or two, then hang from the trees and bushes in your yard and watch the birds enjoy their feast!
Here are some of our favorite game-day foods (these can all be prepared a day ahead, which will make things even easier).
Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches With Bleu Cheese Coleslaw
Ingredients Deli-style buns Boneless chicken breasts Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce 1 (16-ounce) package shredded coleslaw mix 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion 1/2 cup cider vinegar 3 tablespoons white sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
The night before the big game, prepare your coleslaw.
Toss together the coleslaw mix and onion in a bowl. In a saucepan, mix the vinegar, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. When sugar has dissolved, pour over the slaw mix and onion. Toss to coat, and let stand 15 minutes.
Drain the slaw mix in a colander, and return to the bowl. Toss with mayonnaise, sour cream, and blue cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill overnight for the best results, but if you forget, you?ll be fine as long as it has at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.
On game day, coat your chicken breasts with a generous coating of wing sauce, and then grill until done. Place your piping hot chicken on your bun, top with coleslaw and bun top, and enjoy! This coleslaw is also awesome on hot dogs and hamburgers!
Chicken Stew This one is great for cold game days. Make it ahead, and put it in a Crock-Pot for game day to keep it warm.
Ingredients 1 whole chicken 1 large onion, chopped 1 small bag of peeled baby carrots 1 12-ounce container of fresh sliced mushrooms 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 can of corn 1 can of chopped chiles (in the Mexican food section of a grocery store) 3/4 cup uncooked rice 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning Salt and pepper to taste
Prepare the chicken by removing the giblets and neck pieces.
Place the chicken in a stockpot with just enough water to cover the chicken, then add the garlic.
Cook covered on medium-low on the stove for 2 1/2 hours.
Remove the chicken and garlic from the stockpot with a strainer, leaving the stock in the pot.
Add chopped onion, carrots, and mushrooms to the stock, and cover and cook an additional 30 minutes.
While the vegetables are cooking, remove the meat from the chicken.
When the chicken is picked and shredded, add to the stock.
Add Cajun seasoning, rice, chiles, and corn.
Cover and cook an additional 20 minutes.
Serve with corn bread or saltines.
Beer Cheese Dip 2 blocks of cream cheese, softened 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1 packet of Ranch dressing 1/2 can of beer of your choosing
Mix all the ingredients together. Refrigerate overnight, and serve with Fritos Scoops.
I hope you enjoy the recipes and the excitement of game day as much as we do!
Post submitted by Jill from The Mommies Network's Content Team
