Monday, January 31, 2011

Dancing Blondies

Oh Mondays. They come, and sometimes I am just not ready for them. I hope you all had an awesome weekend! I for sure did. All of your comments on your favorite salad bar made me want to drive an hour to the closest Whole Foods in this area...jealousy. Their salad bar really is thebomb.com.

Tonight was action packed...literally. We played Dance Central on the XBOX Kennect for hours. It is SO. MUCH. FUN. I am not a gamer at all, and I could play this all day long.
 Great music. Great moves. Great times.
 An issue that I seem to be dealing with a lot at work right now is overweight kids. It makes me so incredibly sad. The sedentary lifestyles that these kids are led into is the norm. Kids don't seem to play outside and move around like they used to. I remember playing outside in the cold with frozen hands and faces until my mom made us come inside. It is just so different these days, and it scares me. Childhood obesity is becoming an epidemic that is more widespread than anyone would like to admit. I have a dream of one day being able to write some literature that would be aimed at kids who struggle with these issues...one day...somewhere along the road it will happen.

In the meantime, it's games like Dance Central, that make me VERY happy. It's awesome to see technology, and something that kids love so much morphed with activity. Kids need to more more. Bottom line. Some ways to help your kids to do so...
- Set technology time limits (only allow a certain amount of time watching TV, playing video games, on the internet, or with their cell phones.)
- Get your kids involved. Find local community programs that will keep them moving such as basketball, dance, tennis, soccer, karate...etc. etc. Whatever you can find that helps your kids to move!
- Encourage your kids to play outside.
- Be an example. It is so important that your kids see you being active. They will mimic what they see.
- Teach them. Talk to your kids about good health and exercise. Explain why it's important.
- Get involved with them. Go for a family hike, walk, or bike ride. Engage in a family game of basketball or football. Have a kitchen dance party...these are my favorite.
There is so much you can do if you will just make a conscious effort! 

My friend SB made these Weight Watchers Blondies tonight and I thought they looked delightful, so I had to share it!


Ingredients:
2 sprays cooking spray
½ cup all purpose flour
10 Tbsp whole wheat flour (1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp)
1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats (not instant)
1 ½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp table salt
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
4 Tbsp butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup apple juice/apple cider (I think I might try and use unsweetened applesauce here)
2/3 cup white chocolate or butterscotch chips

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a 15- x 10 1/2-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine both flours, oats, baking soda and salt; stir to blend and set aside.
In another large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream both sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Alternating in batches, add a little flour-oat mixture and then apple juice to bowl; beat after each addition. When all the dry and wet ingredients are well-blended, fold in chips.
Turn batter into prepared baking dish; smooth top in an even layer. Bake until top is lightly golden, about 18 to 22 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for about 10 to 15 minutes. Cut into 24 pieces and remove to wire rack to cool completely. Yields 1 piece per serving. 3ww points per serving.


Have you played Dance Central, or Just dance? So much fun...I could dance anytime anywhere. And I usually do. And More importantly...Do you have any thoughts on childhood obesity? I know so many of you have really active families, and I'd love to hear your input on such an important subject!






















11 comments:

Jody @ Raising Fin and Fish said...

My coworkers are getting together at my boss's house for the SuperBowl party. We are also having a Just Dance2 Dance-off. I'm pretty sure I'm going to win and I'm SUPER excited about it!

At my previous job, I worked with a lot of overweight kids. It was very frustrating to me to see how the parents influences the children's choices negatively. As a new parent (of a 5 month old!) my husband and I have already talked about how we want daily activity to be modeled to our children as well as healthy eating habits.

Anonymous said...

My kids have just dance, makes me laugh to watch them. Childhood obesitiy really gets me going. There is no reason a child should be over weight. But in this world filled with crap food and no one outside anymore it was going to happen. Parents NEED to be the example, eat well take care of themselves.. I could do on and on!!!

Karrissa Winward said...

I love Just Dance, so much fun!!

Last night for FHE we talked about eating healthy and made snack boards. I printed out pictures of each food group (besides meat) for their snacks and each morning all five will be on their board. Each time they say, "I'm hungry or I want a snack" they can choose which snack- a sweet treat, crackers/grains, fruit, vegetable, dairy. After they choose that one, it is gone. The next time they have to choose one that is left. I hope this helps in not eating as many treats and more fruits and vegetables throughout the day!

Anyway, sorry that was long. Love you Meg!

The Hungry Runner Girl said...

Those blondies look amazing!!! Oh, I hear you about the childhood obesity. Never played that game but I am sure I would love it. My sis's kids are only allowed to watch one movie on the weekends and it is awesome because they are always running around and they are so creative and I think smarter because of it!! MISS YOU and mav is sounding mighty good today:)

Unknown said...

I am with you sister! Childhood obesity is devastating. I remember being a kid and spending the entire day outside until it got dark and I had to be home. I hated staying inside. It was fun to run around outside. That is not the norm these days.

There are so many factors that contribute to this. Some parents are more cautious about letting their children play outside these days. Then there are the video games. They suck kids in for hours. Of course playing catch seems boring compared to that stuff. I am very excited about the Wii Fit and the dancing game thingie you talked about. It's such a great way to incorporate phsyical activity into video games.

Then there is the fast food issue. Ugh. I can go on for days about this topic. I would love to be part of the change and work toward getting America's kids active. Some day... some how, I think I will. :) It is something I am very passionate about. I can tell you are too.

Stephanie said...

I could write a post a day for years and not be done speaking about my issues with childhood obesity. It's honestly something I could get VERY into for a career. For now...I'm just happy to be a role model for my own kiddos!

And YES...we can be bffs for being dancers. As long as you don't mind that the only dancing I do now is in my living room to JUST DANCE. :)

Nicole said...

I've never played that game! I think the last I played was DDR.
Childhood obesity makes me so sad. I have a million thoughts, but that would take too long. I'd say the bottom line is parental responsibility and teaching kids healthy habits. If the parent is overweight or has problems, that's most likely going to be reflected on their child, which is so sad to me. I think a lot of food/exercise habits are learned behaviors and parents need to set healthy examples.

Merediths said...

As an overweight mom who has struggled with being 'a big girl' since 4th grade I want to do everything in my power to keep my kids from the emotional pain it causes. I limit TV time, encourage active play, take my kids on walks, bike/scooter rides, **break out in dance parties throughout the house**, and work hard to provide healthy food and smart eating habits. The world doesn't make it easy to instill healthy habits in kids with all the commercials aimed at kids. It's a lifelong battle that has to start from day one and be part of our own lifestyles as a parent.
Thanks Megan for helping me do that for my girls!

Katie said...

I was overweight/obese as a kid and then at 13 (after dreaming of being thin for a few yrs) I decided to just do it. I honestly was motivated by everyone who made fun of me and I wanted to prove something. I lost 40 + lbs and have been at a healthy weight since :)

My son is on the other end. We wouldn't mind if he gained a few lbs, he's always been on the small side (He's 5 and his 2 yr old cousin weighs the same!) Still we make sure to keep him active. He plays league soccer in the spring and has done some kid's runs at my races.

I would love to work with kids once I get certified. I feel like my experiences could help me relate to them.

Anonymous said...

i've used that and man do i workup a sweat! and awesome blondies. i am totally craving them right now

Jenn said...

Oh I am sooooo sad for all the overweight kids...It makes me sooooo mad at thier parents for allowing it!! I wish I could do something to help...
I WISH i had that game! haha... It looks so fun!!