Cynical Parent

It’s time for another healthy recipe that probably tastes too good to be healthy.  But I promise, it is.

We’re continuing along our journey of healthy recipes in an effort to lose weight AND get paid for it (which we wrote all about here).

This delectable dish works well as either an appetizer or main course.  It’s sweet and savory, with a refreshing flavor that also leaves you feeling like you ate a real meal.   Because we’re using lettuce instead of tortilla or rice, you will probably find yourself extremely satisfied without the full “I’m going to sleep now” feeling.

The crunch of the lettuce and peanuts adds a nice texture that allows you to really appreciate the soft, sweet chunks of mango.

Writing this makes me want to close my laptop and make it again!

Let’s get to the recipe…

Read More »

So, we’re kind of on a diet now.  And, as I mentioned in a previous post, we’re getting paid to lose weight.

Our primary strategy is to eat low carb meals, so we’re on a mission to find low carb meals that taste good – and perhaps, come up with some of our own.

It’s generally not a good idea to eat fast food when you’re on a diet, especially if it’s a low carb diet like the one we’re on.

The one fast food item we have been able to eat is the burrito bowl from Chipotle, without rice of course.  (This is actually a recommendation from Tim Ferris in The 4-Hour Body.)

In an effort to not eat out too often, I thought it would be fun to try and replicate this meal myself.  I made this dish exactly the way I order it from Chipotle, and I think it came out remarkably close to the real thing.

You can try it too and see what you think.

Read More »

Date night is one of those special times that doesn’t seem to come often enough.  Some couples are really good about doing it on a regular basis, but for many, it’s a special occasion.

As your kids get older, I think it becomes a lot easier to find time to get away.  If you have an infant or toddler (like we do), however, it can be a challenge.

But having an awesome date night doesn’t mean you need to leave the house.

Sometimes it’s a lot more romantic, relaxing, and satisfying to stay in and cook dinner together.

So, we’ve tracked down 7 incredible recipes that make for great date night meals.  These are perfect for when you’ve dropped the kids off at their grandparents’ house, but you want to stay in for the night.

Enjoy!

Read More »

I love slow cooker meals.  There’s something so comforting about setting it up and letting it run for however many hours while the smell fills your house (and I mean this in a good way).

While they’re generally not good when you want to make something you can eat right now, they’re usually really easy to prep.  And you can let it cook while you’re at work, taking care of the kids, whatever.

For some reason, slow cooker meals tend to make for the best leftovers.  And of course, good leftovers = not having to cook or worry about dinner the next day. Win win.

In the past when I’ve used my slow cooker (this is the one I have, but any will do) I’ve always seemed to focus on soups and chili.

But little did I know, there exists an entire world of slow cooker meals that range from BBQ ribs to pizza (yes, both of these are real and you will find them in this post).  Things that I never thought you could make with a slow cooker.

So, I set out to find slow cooker recipes that go beyond the boring pot of chili – and don’t get me wrong, I love chili.

But these recipes will take your slow cooker to the next level.

Let’s check ’em out…

Read More »

While it doesn’t always take much, continuing to find fun activities for 1-year olds can sometimes be a chore.

If you don’t provide them with enough stimulation, they can get cranky. And if your little one is mobile already, he or she can get into trouble as well.

Keeping them occupied with fun activities is key.  And it’s not only so they don’t get bored and don’t bother you.

It’s to help them with their brain and motor development too.  If you keep giving them the same activity over and over, you may not be exposing them to as many development opportunities as you would be if you mixed it up periodically.

To help you with this ongoing issue, we did a bunch of research and came up with a ton of fun activities for 1-year olds.

I promise, if you follow this list, you’ll never run out of things to do with your little one.

Read More »

In today’s world, it’s becoming increasingly common to find parents who are of a different religion (or at least, were raised with different religious beliefs). It’s not surprising, as this melting pot of a society grows larger and larger.

It’s something both of us have dealt with – not only do we have different ethnic backgrounds (one of us is Caucasian, one is Filipino), but we have different religions as well.

Fortunately for us, neither one of us is overly religious, so it was easy to come together with those differences. For others, especially those who may be more devout, different religious can certainly be a challenge in a relationship.

But what about when you add kids to the equation?

It goes without saying: kids make everything more complicated.

Religion is no different, but in some ways, it’s more complex because there is no “right answer.” If each parent has a completely separate religion, you can’t easily create your own hybrid religion. I mean, you can, but that’s probably the most complicated solution.

So, what are your options?

Read More »

When you have your first child, everything changes.

But before your little one is born, you’re out there, frantically stocking up on cute little clothes, buying decorations for the baby’s nursery, and building your baby registry.

It’s kind of fun.

As you go through it all though, you never really know what you’re going to need.  There’s SO much marketing out there for literally hundreds of thousands of different baby products.  And it’s all appealing.

But are you buying what you will actually need?  Probably.

The reality is, with whatever you have, you make it work.  Beyond clothes, diapers, and food, everything else is a luxury.

As true as that may be, looking back on everything, there are a few things we either purchased or received as gifts that I don’t think we could have done without.  And they’re all things I never thought we’d need before our first child was born.

Let’s get into it.

Read More »

Potty training is often more frustrating for the parent than it is for the child.

For your child, it’s like learning to drive when they’ve never been in the driver’s seat before. Actually, it’s more like learning to drive when you’ve never even been in a car before.

It’s difficult. And often times, disgusting. (Okay, that last part doesn’t really fit the car analogy.)

This is one of the areas where parents express the greatest amount of impatience…which makes sense, because changing diapers is awful.

Patience is important, however.

To help you along, here are 5 ugly (yet important and helpful) facts that you should understand when attempting to potty train your child.

Read More »

I’ll admit, I’m a little late to the game when it comes to cauliflower.

When we were growing up, cauliflower was basically like broccoli’s white cousin.  You either boiled it, steamed it, or baked it…maybe added a little seasoning…and that was it.

Today, it seems like every other recipe includes some new and innovative way to use cauliflower.  It’s a great low carb substitute for rice and bread when prepared the right way.

So, now I’m on a mission to figure out all the different things you can do with cauliflower, and I’ve compiled the recipes in this post.

Enjoy…

Read More »

As a parent, and especially as a working parent, it can be pretty tough to find the time to not only cook a healthy meal, but one that your kids enjoy.

There are plenty of easy meals (think mac & cheese, grilled cheese, etc.) but they often aren’t healthy.  I love a good grilled cheese and tomato soup as much as the next person (mmm, dipping the grilled cheese into the soup, soo good…) but we all know it’s not good for you.

So, I set out to track down some recipes that met the following criteria:

• Quick and easy to make
• Relatively healthy
• Most kids will actually like them

And I didn’t want these to be your typical “kids meals.” I’m a big fan of exposing kids to new flavors at a young age, and doing it in a way that gives them a positive experience in the process.

Not exactly an easy quest, but I’ll share with you what I found.

Read More »