Mama’s Thoughts – Page 4 – These Crazy Montanas

Healthy-er Mac and Cheese

September 17, 2014September 17, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

If it were acceptable I would eat mac and cheese for every meal, every day, possibly for the rest of my life. I think most kids share that same feeling towards mac and cheese that I do! This recipe helps make this childhood staple much healthier!

Creamy Greek Yogurt Mac and Cheese:

What you need:

8 oz elbow pasta

2 cups spinach

1/2 cup Greek Yogurt

1 tbs almond milk

8 oz cheddar cheese (about two cups, I use extra sharp cheddar)

salt & pepper about a tsp of both or to taste

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to the package

Place the spinach leaves in the bottom of the strainer, and pour pasta over the top to drain the water. This will cause the spinach to wilt. Return the pasta and spinach mixture to the pot.

Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese until melted. Stir in Greek yogurt, almond milk, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until creamy! Enjoy immediately 🙂

Not only is this stuff some of the creamiest mac and cheese I’ve ever had, it is a great way to sneak in those veggies for all those picky eaters out there! Enjoy!

I can’t forget about my happy little sous chef, he can’t wait to try this someday soon! Ha!

Working Out With Baby

September 8, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

I had my two favorite work out partners join me for a quick work out in the park this weekend! Let’s face it, we all get sick of working out in the gym every once in a while. I needed a change of atmosphere and a good total body workout. These two were pumped to get out of the house with me. Here is what we did:

1. Squat Press

We completed 20 reps of these squat presses for three sets. Make sure you get as low as you can while keeping your weight in your heels and squeeze your booty! If you don’t have a baby to press, take some dumbbells with you!

2. Lunges Around the Park

The park we went to has a sidewalk that surrounds it. We lunged one time all the way around, rested for 2 minutes and then repeated that same sequence for four sets. Remember, if you don’t have a baby, use your dumbbells, pick a weight that is challenging but will not injure you. Holy burning buns.

3. Pull-Ups

Ok, assisted pull-ups. Since having baby Max my core strength is not what it used to be and pull-ups are super challenging for me. I give a little hop at the bottom of each pull-up so that I can get my chin all the way above the bar.

I completed 15 reps 4x. Remember to rest in between each set!

And that was our quick 30 minute work out in the park! Happy work-outs my friends! Let me know how your bodies feel after this!

Keepin’ Kids Healthy

September 3, 2014September 3, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness month, obviously something that is near and dear to my heart! I want kids to be pumped, excited, and proud to be eating healthy and being active! Well, it starts with us, the adults. We need to be the example. Throughout the month I am going to post my favorite healthy recipes that kids happen to love too! This weeks recipe is one I found on Pinterest (the mecca of all great things) and altered to make it healthier! I forgot to mention it takes five minutes to put together…literally five minutes.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole:

Pre-heat oven to 350

What you need:

4 chicken breasts

1 jar organic marinara sauce

2 cups organic mozzarella cheese

2 cups herb seasoning stuffing mix

Now, you will cut up the chicken breasts into bite size pieces and place on the bottom of a casserole dish. Layer the marinara sauce over the chicken, the cheese over the sauce, followed by the seasoned stuffing mix! Pop in the oven for 40 minutes, and waa-lah! Dinner is done. Serve over organic spaghetti noodles or spaghetti squash! We ate ours with a side of steamed broccoli! 🙂 Happy eating!

-Tavia

The Magic Sleep Suit

August 31, 2014September 1, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

I have been blessed with a baby who is a good sleeper, well, only when he is swaddled tight like a burrito. When baby Max started rolling over we decided it was time to ditch the swaddle, that was a disaster. My great little sleeper went from sleeping 8-10 hours at a time to jolting himself awake every thirty minutes. I thought about just swaddling him forever, I mean who cares if he is 10 at a sleepover and needs to be swaddled? And then…I found it, after reading online reviews, blogs talking with friends, here it was, Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleep Suit. I was skeptical, of course, but I was ready to try anything. Low and behold…it WORKED! He slept from 7:45pm-6:30am! He looks a little like the little boy from A Christmas Story, but hey, whatever works! Right?!

A Weekend Getaway

August 26, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

This Montana family spent an amazing weekend in Wichita, Kansas visiting family. We drove 5 hours with a baby….TWICE! The key to surviving road trips with a baby is night driving, for reals. Max slept the whole way up there and mom and dad got some quiet time to just talk to each other. Once we arrived in Wichita, Max was the star of the weekend and he couldn’t get enough of everyone. My husband and I had built in babysitters with all the family around (sweet!). We were able to workout together for the first time since Max was born! We didn’t have access to a gym, but we had dumbbells from 10’s to 30’s, a squat rack, and a bench! Here is what I did:

First Round:

20 Stationary lunges on each leg with the 10lb dumbbells

Donkey leg raises on the bench, 30 per leg

20 squat jumps

Repeat 3x through

Second Round:

15 Stiff legged deadlifts with the 20lb dumbbells

20 sumo squats with one 30lb dumbbell

15 v-ups (legs needed a break 🙂

Repeat 3x through

Third and Final Round:

15 narrow stance squats with the 10lb dumbbells

30 walking lunges

Repeat 2x through

I promise I will put myself in a picture soon! 🙂

My Favorite Days.

August 25, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

Weekends have always been wonderful, but as a mom, weekends are my favorite. Weekends mean daddy is home all day, our house is perfectly messy, and our schedules, well there is no such thing! Today, Saturday, was a pretty big day. Max slept until 7 (an amazing feat when you have a three month old), we made a family trip to Buy Buy Baby where we bought a 4moms Breeze which is ~~amazeballs~~ wonderful, we went out to lunch with no baby melt downs, and finally Max self soothed himself to sleep in his big boy CRIB! Say whaaatt?! It’s safe to say I have traded my weekends of staying out with friends, sleeping until late, and being selfish for the best job in the world. This little family of mine has become quite an ~~unhealthy~~ obsession. We tried to document our day in pictures,although it is very difficult to get little Max to cooperate with the camera.