Category Archives: Going Healthy

Challenge, Giveaway, Going Green, Going Healthy

Neighborhood Clean Up with Onya Baby and a Father’s Day Giveaway

06/08/2014 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

Hey there! How’s your weekend going?

Pretty fan-freakin-tastic here; it helps that it’s my 30th birthday and I’m celebrating with the ones I love so much! Yeah, no more life in the twenties, but I can’t fight it so I might as well embrace it; right? I think those are lyrics to a song….

Luckily, I was able to make use of the last days in my twenties by running a 10k and placing first in my (then) age group, and second overall! I might be a little boastful, but why not, I’m proud!

And then, just yesterday, I ran a 5k with Avery; our first race together and my last race before turning another decade! We came in first overall, but I’ll post more on that later. Today, I want to share an exciting giveaway for a new Onya Baby Outback baby carrier and a set of Chewies!

As a dad, I felt like I had some catching up to do when it came to bonding with my daughter, Avery, when she was born. From the start, Going Mom had a generous head start; around 9 months to be exact! Avery and I had our very important skin to skin time at the hospital and soon after we brought her home, I started wearing her.

I didn’t have an Onya Baby carrier at first, but thankfully I connected with Diana who graciously agreed to send their Outback carrier for review. I haven’t looked back since; Onya Baby is my top choice and fits perfectly into my active lifestyle. Avery seems to enjoy it as well!

There's a smile hidden in there; promise! — There’s a smile hidden in there; promise!

Almost every day, I will go for a walk with Avery around our neighborhood, and when she’s not napping, I’ll describe the things we’re passing. These are mostly ducks or geese from the neighborhood lake, a donkey from a connecting ranch, or just some of our neighbors out and about.

But, since we live in a developing neighborhood, there is a lot of construction going on around us. And with construction, comes trash from building materials and from the workers themselves. Oh, and the port-a-potties don’t help either. Here’s one with a pleasant message; that’s our yard to the right.

I try to find the humor in things and just laugh, but it doesn’t always work. But that’s not the issue, it’s the trash that gets blown down the street and in people’s yards that gets under my skin. Each day I go for a walk or run, I see bits and pieces spread around our otherwise beautiful neighborhood.

Maybe it doesn’t look like much in one spot, but collectively….

….it can add up quickly and….

….turn a peaceful walk into one of disgust.

Most of our neighbors, myself included, take pride in where we live and hate to see so much litter spread across our community, so I want to take action and clean it up!

For the rest of this month, I will be posting photos of the piles of trash I collect while walking, and if it can be recycled, I’ll recycle it. This will be a great activity to do with Avery to show her how to take pride in where you live and how cleaning up even just a little each day can make a huge impact. I know our wildlife friends will appreciate it too!

When I mentioned to Diana at Onya Baby about my latest endeavor, she thought it would be perfect to incorporate into Onya Baby’s Father’s Day giveaway. So I’m thrilled to announce that I have partnered with Onya Baby to offer my readers (that’s you if you’re reading this) a chance to win an Onya Baby Outback and a set of Chewies. If your kid is like Avery, they will love to have these to chew while being carried, and they help soothe teething gums!

How do you take part in this incredible chance to win your own Onya carrier? Simply follow this link and enter their RaffleCopter giveaway.

Complete the action steps as listed to earn entries and you’re all set at having your own Onya Outback to wear your baby in style and comfort!

I’d love for you to also take action and clean up your neighborhood or community with your kids and post a photo (with your Onya carrier if you have one) of the piles you collected. Share these photos on Twitter and tag @OnyaBaby and @Going_Dad with the hashtags #onyalove and #goanywhere. You can also share on my Facebook page or Onya’s page.

If you aren’t sure of just how awesome Onya baby carriers are, Paul from The Outdoor Adventure has an awesome video of it in use during his many….err, outdoor adventures!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKlqbXpFe8U&w=560&h=315]

Make sure to check out Paul’s blog and Amelia from Tales of a Mountain Mama, to see what they are doing with Onya Baby for the Father’s Day giveaway.

I’m looking forward to seeing how much you are able to clean up around where you live and hopefully your kids will see the good you’re doing and even help if they are old enough.

Being one who loves activity, this is a great way to get some extra exercise and bonding time with your children. Have fun setting a good example with your kids and good luck on the giveaway!

How do you feel about the cleanliness in your community? Could it use some cleaning?

Do you have an tips/advice on how to best approach the clean up?

Have you ever worn your child in an Onya Baby carrier?

Going Healthy

Going Healthy: Baby Bok Choy Crab Sliders (Easy and Low Calorie)

06/02/2014 R.C. Liley 1 Comment

Looking for easy entertaining dishes that are unique, healthy, and delicious? Or maybe you just want something a little out of the ordinary for yourself and your family. Either way, I have a recipe for you and you don’t even have to turn on the stove or oven!

Now that we’re getting into the warmer months, avoiding the stove or oven is always preferred, unless you enjoy higher energy bills. If you know me, you know I’m pretty uptight when it comes to food and healthy, and these little “sliders” make the cut in taste and nutrition!

For anyone watching their diet (or at least needs to), these sliders are an easy substitute. Did you know the average beef slider packs anywhere from 150 to 300+ calories each? And obviously you don’t eat just one slider; amiright?

On the other end of the health spectrum, you can enjoy a generous 2 ounce serving of lump crab for only 40 calories giving you 8 grams of protein and less than 1 gram of fat. Since you can’t fit a full 2 ounces on one rib of bok choy, you’d have to make about 8 or 10 of these to get close to the calorie content of just one slider!

If you’re someone guilty of mindlessly snacking, like me, then these are perfect to snack away! The invigorating crunch of fresh baby bok choy packed with slightly sweet and tender lump crab meat provides instant gratification allowing you to give up high calories but not taste!

Bok choy is loaded with phyto-nutrients and anti-oxidants which help protect against many cancers and may reduce bad cholesterol levels. In addition, boy choy provides a healthy dose of A, B-complex, and C vitamins plus multiple minerals. Swapping hamburger buns for a nutritionally rich green like bok choy is a smart way to serve your kids and yourself. So do yourself, friends, and family a “flavor” (Yep, I went there) and make something cool, light, and crisp to beat the heat; like these sliders!

Baby Bok Choy Crab Sliders

Ingredients (Serves 2 to 4)

-Jumbo lump crab meat; I bought it fresh at a reputable seafood counter, but you can get it in 6.5oz cans too

-2 stalks baby bok choy, separated, rinsed, and pat dry

-¼ tsp cayenne

-2 tsp cumin, garlic powder, and celery seed

-1 tbsp dried parsley and dill (If you have the fresh stuff, use it!!)

-2 tbsp condiment, sauce, or spread of choice; I used horseradish mustard, but plain Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or salsa can and will work perfectly

-Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

-In a small mixing bowl, add about 3/4 cup of fresh lump crab meat or one 6.5oz can, herbs, spices, and about 2 tablespoons condiment/spread/sauce of choice.

-Mix everything until well combined.

-Scoop mixture on the groove of your bok choy and repeat until you’re all out. If you want, save some for a healthy dip or to make a wrap for work

-Fold leafy part over and stick with toothpick to hold in place or eat as is.

Avery is not quite to this level of her baby-led weaning adventure, but soon enough, we’ll have these on her highchair tray ready to ~~savor and enjoy~~ throw across the kitchen.

Hopefully she’ll catch on…..

The versatility of this recipe is perfect for the time-strapped parent as you can easily omit or sub other herbs, spices, and condiments as you need or desire. I think using a tangy barbecue sauce in the mix would fit right in at any outdoor gathering.

Please, give these a try and let me know how you and others enjoyed them. And whenever possible, get your kids in the kitchen to help! For this recipe, have them mix the crab and other ingredients together as you prepare the bok choy.

Hope you enjoy your bok choy. See, again with the corniness!! 🙂

Going Healthy

Going Healthy: How to Cook Fish in Your Dishwasher

04/20/2014 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

Hi there!

Happy Easter to those of you that celebrate, and Happy Just-another-Sunday to those of you that don’t!

So, guess what I did yesterday? You give up? I cooked a big batch of wild-caught cod.

Who cares, right? Well, I cooked the fish in our dishwasher if that interests you.

Hi, I cook your food and wash what you eat it on!

No, its not taking the “clean eating” fad literally (hmm, or maybe it is….), its simply as it sounds. Take your fish, put in dishwasher, and run a cycle.

This was my first time to cook with the dishwasher and I was unsure of how things would turn out. So, I obviously had my concerns. Will my washer smell like fish forever, will the fish just get shred to pieces, and will it even be fully cooked?

But, the end result was perfectly cooked fish! Tender, moist, and still intact; awesome! The dishwasher did smell a little like fish, but nothing overwhelming and it went away after a while.

The prep was quick and easy, and cleanup was a wash! Ha ha, I love laughing at my own corny puns!

Anyway, even Going Mom tried and approved of the dishwashed (steamed or poached?) fish. Good thing since it will be in her meals I prepare for her work lunches!

Why cook food in the dishwasher? No good reason, just because you can and it’s fun to say you did. Will I do again? Maybe, but not anytime soon.

That said, give it a shot and join the dishwashed food club. You could cook with a washer full of dirty dishes as long as your tightly seal your foil pouches, but I prefer not to.

You see this compartment to fill with dishwashing fluid?

Don’t!

Here’s what you need:

fish of choice (I used cod but heard salmon works well too)
salt and pepper
herbs and spices (this is optional, but I used paprika, cumin, basil, and dill)
I didn’t use any, but you could add a little olive oil and lemon juice inside the foil.
aluminum foil
a dishwasher

Here’s what you do:

Pre-heat your oven to 350°F.
Place your fish on a piece of foil large enough to fold over and seal tight.
Season fish with salt and pepper and any additional seasonings you prefer.
Turn off your oven since you don’t even need to use it and I just wanted to annoy you. Sorry…
Tightly seal the foil around your fish.
Place foil pouches in the top rack of your dishwasher and run on normal cycle with the sanitize option if you have it.
Sealed tight and ready for a wash!
Let your dishwasher do its thing and do not open until the full cycle, including the drying cycle, is complete.
Remove fish from dishwasher and enjoy your “clean eating” fish with a side of quinoa and roasted Brussels sprouts….or whatever sides you like.