clean sweep(stakes) March 24-30

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

And the Winner is: infinitygoods! Congrats!

This week’s book giveaway is for the hardback edition of the book: Mothers Who Think edited by Camille Peri and Kate Moses of Salon.com The link should take you to the “Look Inside” page (for the paperback edition) on amazon.com so check it out! I’ve read it and found each contribution to be unique. Some contributors made me cry, some made me laugh, and some made me remember that I’m not alone. Some entries didn’t interest me and made me turn the page and skip them. For my Christian readers – it’s not a “Christian” book (but I read everything through my perspective as a Christian).

So how do you enter to win this book? Give me advice in a comment.
My request today? We need some different breakfast ideas for my 7 year old daughter. She just does NOT like to eat in the morning. It’s a real struggle, because she has hypoglycemia and NEEDS to eat breakfast. So far, we can still get her to eat something, but it’s always a chore! We need some new ideas! We’re in a rut. (I’m not going to say what we already have in our “breakfast repertoire” because I don’t want to limit any contributions!)

Don’t hesitate to repeat/agree with a suggestion already submitted in a previous comment. It just tells me that a suggestion is working for more than one family!

Notes:
Only the comments with a kid breakfast idea will be eligible to win.
Only the comments on THIS post will be eligible to win.
The books I give away here are usually “treasures” in “very good ” to “like new” condition.
I’m trying to give away a book a week, so I can only afford to ship within the U.S. So sorry!
Check out the list of previous winners and the books they won!

I’ll close comments Sunday evening, March 30th and use a random number generator to pick a winner!

THANKS to Lisa over at Domestic Accident for giving me an AWARD!

9 thoughts on “clean sweep(stakes) March 24-30”

  1. When we get into a breakfast rut, I try things like yogurt (lowfat vanilla) with fresh fruit (in season) or granola (bought or homemade). Other things that would have made my mom cringe, but I’ll make something not for breakfast for breakfast, ie. pizza, cupcakes, cake, peanut butter/honey sandwiches even. I figure that once in a while can break up the monotony and doesn’t crash their health pyramid. Muffins that are healthy can have some icing or glaze on top. Breakfast cookie recipes can be found on the internet. And my kids will go nuts if I fix smoothies for them. Maybe one of these ideas will turn her on to breakfast again.

    Elle – You know, we sometimes have breakfast for dinner, I don’t know why we never thought to have dinner for breakfast! duh. I used to make a banana bread recipe that was a hit without any icing or glaze. I need to bake it more often. And breakfast cookies? Now that’s going to be a winner. Thanks for this one! (by JSM)

  2. My dd loves pancakes. Sometime I will add in chocolate chips or make cute faces out of them. You know, Mickey Mouse.

    We also do soothies sometimes. I understand how important breakfast can be. If she won’t eat breakfast, why not let her have a ham & cheese sandwich, grilled cheese or even peanut butter. It is far better then nothing at all.

    Help her put together the menu. Depending on her age, have pictures of breakfast options and let her choose which one. Or let her help make it. Kids always seem a little more willing to eat if they made it.

    Good Luck!


    I LOVE the idea of letting her put together the menu! She really enjoys opportunities to control her own environment and choices! Since January, she’s been packing her own lunch every day and she actually LIKES to do it! (so far) I don’t know why I didn’t think of having her plan (and prepare) her breakfast choices too! THANKS (by JSM)    !

  3. It is hard for us to let go of the “breakfast” mentality, but I have had better luck with regular food with my girl. She LOVES leftover macaroni and cheese for breakfast. And that’s really not too bad – protein and carbs all in one. I was gonna suggest grilled cheese, but someone else beat me to it. A half sandwich is fine as well. It makes no difference whether you have toast and bacon or a ham sandwich – your body is getting the same nutrients! So think of some of the regular foods she likes and try to adapt them to breakfast time.

    And BTW, I knew I’d find a kindred spice-alphabetizer in you! 🙂

    Hope y’all are having fun in the snow!!

    Linda – If it works for both you and Elle, I’m thinking that’s double proof that it works. I’m going to think outside the breakfast box. Chicken Alfredo Pasta for breakfast! (Did you see my note in Elle’s comment? I actually DO bake sometimes!)

    p.s. Where do you “file” Mrs. Dash? Under “m” or “d?” If she was in my Outlook contacts, she would be filed under “D” but since we’re talking spices, I’m not so sure. 🙂

  4. Lately I’ve really been enjoying muffin-sized mini quiche made with eggs, onion, green pepper, a little sausage or bacon crumbled in, some cottage cheese blended into the eggs to help it hold its shape (she’ll never know its there if she doesn’t happen to like cottage cheese) and whatever other veggies (I sometimes put in spinach) added. I found them when I did the south beach diet, but they’ve remained on my breakfast list because I can make a batch during the weekend, they keep in the fridge very well (just zap them for a few seconds to warm, if you want), and they’re VERY easy to grab as you’re going out the door. You can google something like “south beach breakfast quiche” for the recipe.

    Christy – THANKS for reminding me about these! We made these for months, but the kids got tired of them, so we quit. I think it’s been long enough to try them again (but not to the exclusion of all else). You’re right about the variations! My kids liked 2% fat cheddar cheese, ground up Healthy Choice sausage and spinach (frozen and drained). For FirstHusband, I added hot sauce! I would make a HUGE batch on a Sunday afternoon, bake them in muffin tins and store them in the fridge. Weekday mornings, we nuked them for 30 seconds to a minute and – out the door! REALLY GREAT! I posted our variation of it HERE. (from JSM)

  5. Pop tarts.

    if she doesn’t go with that, cold cereal.

    Those are the options at my house.

    Reading these comments has now made me “kid breakfast” insecure.

    “kid breakfast” insecure! LOL! Lisa, I’ll share one of the items in our “breakfast repertoire” – 5 to 8 kinds of “kid” cereal. (We do try to select the “whole grain” and “low sugar” versions.)

    Pop Tarts? I like them too much to buy them. If they are in the house, they won’t be for long. They will be on my “ba donk a donk” butt. (When it comes to snacks, cookies, and other tempting foods, I try my hardest to only buy things the kids like – but I hate. So, basically, my kids can’t have Pop Tarts because mommy will eat them. ALL. (by JSM)

  6. My kid was strong willed (I just came from THAT post) and also had blood sugar issues. Would not eat breakfast.
    She came back from a trip to Disney World (peace.love.mickey…I just read THAT post also)with another family and the mom said “She won’t eat breakfast!!” Big battles. She said she wasn’t hungry. I KNEW she would be hungry later. Angry words. Tears. Ugly starts to the day.
    This was the compromise:
    She would eat “breakfast” before going to bed. That’s when she was hungry. And in the morning she would have a beverage…maybe a fruit smoothie…and take breakfast in a baggie; pb sandwich, mini wheats, muffin…whatever fits in a baggie and in her pocket.End of arguments. She has to judge her own hunger and need for food for stable blood sugar. She KNOWS when she needs food and WANTS food before the killer headache starts…and she feels faint.

    alexsandra – I know what you mean – I REFUSE to deteriorate to the “ugly starts to the day” scenario! I actually have my daughter eat a bedtime snack because of the hypoglycemia. She was waking in the middle of the night and we were at our wit’s END! Then, I do what I always do when I’m faced with a challenge. I bought a book. “Sleepless in America” by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka. duh. If she has hypoglycemia during the DAY, she has it during the NIGHT! duh. I was also wondering what would happen if I got her up a little earlier. It’s like what you said – she doesn’t like to eat so close to waking, but she’ll be hungry a little later. hmmm. Food for thought. (pardon the pun)

  7. Ok, breakfast-
    It’s hard enough to get five servings of fruits/veggies every day. How about a smoothie. I always keep some frozen berries and mix in whatever fruit nobody wants to eat- those strawberries that look a little wilted, the last clementine in the box- yogurt or milk and some ice. My son likes to go to school with a blue tongue.
    If that doesn’t work -try my niece’s favorite- tomato soup!
    who knew- she really loves it.
    and last but not least- homemade rice pudding with whatever stuff you feel like mixing in.

    jojo – I’m just going to have to try the smoothies again. Too many of these comments suggest them. But YOU had a great “kid motivator” – a BLUE tongue! For school? As my daughter says: Totally WICKED! (from “The Incredibles”)

  8. Excellent suggestions already here. Our son refuses breakfast too, but it’s been a long night and we need to BREAK the FAST! Over the last 10 years we’ve come to a peaceful solution. Shortly after waking up he gets something easy to swallow like a glass of milk (warm in the winter), a smoothie (LOVES these), a yogurt (small amount like a GoGurt, not a whole 8oz.), a small amount of mac & cheese, a glass of juice, etc. Notice the pattern that these all slide right down. They are easy to swallow. Then there is also a SMALL sandwich, especially 1 slice of toast folded in 1/2, mayo and 1 small slice of deli turkey (sometimes I can squeeze in a 2nd slice of turkey). This one does not fit the pattern, but it works so I don’t ask myself too many questions. Then about 45-60 minutes later, he gets hungry for a full breakfast. “Dinner” food is much preferred over “breakfast” food. Cereal is very rare as he rarely wants it and wants to overeat later if he’s had cereal. Do try the smoothies. You can pack in all the nutrients, veggies, fruits, protein, etc. and it’s easy to swallow and tastes great. Kids really love smoothies (all his friends love them too).

  9. Oh, I was going to forget that soup works great too. Especially in the winter. Notice that it fits the pattern of just sliding right down.

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