Look for me demonstrating Sneaky Fitness on the 700 Club on Wednesday morning, March 10th. The exact time is pending, but it looks like about 9AM.
It's going to be a great segment on Sneaky Fitness. Don't miss it!
Enjoy in good health,
Missy
The Sneaky Chef
Recently in The Sneaky Chef Category
If food is love, then your family will adore this Sneaky Chef Valentine’s Day recipe that’ll keep their precious hearts healthy!
These treats are so cute that my daughter, Sammy, is bringing them to school for the other kids on Valentine’s Day. They are a nice change from the heart-shaped lollipops and chocolates that the other kids share.
Enjoy in good health!
Missy
Make 6 balls
6 cups popped popcorn
4 ounces regular marshmallows (a little less than half of a 10-ounce package)
1 teaspoon canola or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Cherry Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe below)
3 tablespoons oat bran
6 craft sticks
Place popcorn in a large bowl; set aside. In a saucepan, melt marshmallows and canola or vegetable oil over low heat. Stir in Cherry Puree and oat bran. Pour over popcorn and toss to coat. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then spray your hands with oil and shape mixture into 6 baseball-sized balls. Re-spray hands with oil as needed.
Insert a craft stick into the end of each ball and place on wax or parchment paper to harden.
Make-Ahead Recipe #7: Cherry Puree
2 ½ cups fresh or frozen cherries,* no syrup or sugar added
½ teaspoon lemon juice
1 to 2 tablespoons water
Makes about 1 cup of puree
Fill the bowl of your food processor with the cherries, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of water; puree on high until as smooth as possible. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water to smooth-out the puree.
This recipe makes about 1 cup of puree; double it if you want to store another cup. It will keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days, or you can freeze 1⁄4-cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.
*Try to use organic cherries, since they rank high on the “dirty dozen” list of produce most contaminated with pesticide residues.
For more Valentine’s Day recipes, check out The Sneaky Chef to the Rescue: 101 All-New Recipes and “Sneaky” Tricks for Creating Healthy Meals Kids Will Love
I just had to comment on this recent reader story in my blog:
Lori from Brighton, Colorado, previously wrote me a very moving testimonial about her 2 year-old son being able to grow from the first percentile in weight and height to the 50th percentile in under a year using Sneaky Chef recipes (see "incredibly Moving Story" in "Ask the Sneaky Chef" forum). Now she writes that since her son has seen her making the Purple Puree with spinach in it and he likes that, he'll eat spinach on other foods too, like pizza and ziti!
I have always maintained that sneaking facilitates teaching for lots of reasons, and "transference" is certainly one of them. "Like it here, like it there" is a big part of kids' mentality. Bringing peace back to the table also creates an unpressured learning environment which helps kids learn more easily and normally, too.
So sneak and teach, everyone : )
Enjoy in good health,
Missy
Startling new research reveals that our kids are spending about 8 hours a day in front of electronic devices like computers, TVs and cell phones. Plus, another recent study found that people who spend most of their days sitting are more likely to have health problems of all kinds. With a 17% kids' obesity rate in the US, parents can draw the conclusion that it is extremely urgent that we address our kids' inactive lifestyles immediately!
While everyone knows that it is a lost cause to ban these devices, we can counter these alarmingly dangerous influences with a few simple, Sneaky Fitness strategies:
1. "Walk the talk" – Parents can require that kids pace or walk around the house for at least one hour of their phone or texting time (Burns double the calories of sitting)
2. Parents can replace the computer chair with a simple balance ball (Builds core strength and improves posture)
3. Parents can "plant" items in the TV room - such as mini trampoline, Bosu or hippety hop/balance ball – and can require that kids use one of those items for at least one hour of their TV time (Burns at least 143 more calories than sitting)
4. Parents can make a rule against "chat 'n chew": that is, no eating in front of the TV or computer or while on phone or other electronic device. This will eliminate mindless eating! (research indicates that children consume substantially more calories in a meal if they are watching television while they eat)
Adapted from SNEAKY FITNESS: Fun, Foolproof Ways to Slip Fitness into Your Child's Everyday Life, by Missy Chase Lapine, The Sneaky Chef, and Larysa DiDio (Running Press, Jan 2010)
And it doesn't have to be work, it can be fun. A new study shows that watching TV substantially shortens life span, simply because people are sitting still for long periods of time.
People who watch more than 4 hours a day have an 80% higher risk of dying from heart disease and a 46% higher risk of all causes of death compared with those who watch less than 2 hours a day.
The researchers concluded that we have to avoid long periods of sitting. What's the best way to do that? Sneaky Fitness!! Please, if not for yourself, get this book for your kids. It shows you how to get kids moving while watching TV, among a hundred other activities. Click here to go to the book page to learn more.
Get you kids moving again, the fun and easy way : )
Enjoy in good health,
Missy
I always hold my breath as the first reviews start to roll in, and I can't tell you how exciting it when they're great! Sneaky Fitness just hit the desk of it's first major reviewer, The Library Journal, and here's the results in their own words:
"When reality inevitably strikes, sneak it in! I applaud the design that went into Sneaky Fitness to make it so easy to read and use."
I am thrilled to know that Sneaky Fitness is going to help as many people as The Sneaky Chef has : )
Missy
If there's a more fun way to get my kids moving again, I can't imagine it! We just brought home a Cockapoo puppy (a cross between a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle), and the kids are frolicking with it all over the house; our Labrador, Princess, is chasing them, and I'm chasing the whole group!
No doubt, a puppy is a big responsibility, but all the fun is outweighing the work involved. Besides, having two dogs isn't really so much more work than having just one, right? (am I rationalizing?!)
Princess loves the whole affair, but our fluffy cat, Casper, doesn't know what to make of it at all! But he'll come around–not even he will be able to resist the endlessly playful charm of this little guy.
But most of all, everyone is getting more exercise–oops, I mean play–than we have in years. If this is exercise, count me in every day of the week!
More soon,
Missy
I had a great time choosing the winner of the Mott's Thanksgiving Recipe Contest this year. The winning recipe for Thanksgiving Bisque received a $500 Target gift card and $50 worth of Mott's products. I loved this recipe for its deliciously creative use of leftover turkey and mashed potatoes, resulting in a warm gourmet bisque with the delicate sweet richness of apple layered deep within. The directions are very concise and easy to follow. You've got to try it!
For second prize, I chose a wonderful "Apple & Caramel Ice Cream Wafflewiches with Spiced Pecans." This is a delicious dessert recipe with the applesauce folded right into the ice cream, then placed between two softly sweet waffle layers and rolled into warm, crunchy, yummy pecans. A gourmet dessert if ever there was one!
Third place went to a wonderful breakfast recipe for "Apple Cranberry French Toast." It makes delicious use of yesterday's fresh bread for a fantastic sweet and mildly tangy morning French Toast.
I can't wait 'till next year, and I will be using these wonderful recipes this Holiday!
Enjoy in good health,
–Missy
Yesterday, celebrity Chris O'Donnel asked the MD's on CBS' "The Doctors" show how to get his kids to eat more veggies, and the prescription is in: Sneak Chef it!
The Doctors recommended three deliciously healthy recipes from The Sneaky Chef to the Rescue: Sneaky Sliders (with hidden spinach, broccoli & peas), Surprise Cheese Fries (with hidden cauliflower & zucchini) & Chocolate Egg Cream (with hidden cherries & strawberries). All recipes are substantially lower in fat and calories while being loaded with great nutrition. It's no wonder the The Doctors recommend them!
Everyone in the audience went home with copy of The Sneaky Chef to the Rescue. This was a glowing endorsement of the Sneaky Chef method. Click here to watch the video, and click here to get the recipes in the book. Enjoy in good health! –Missy
PS: Be sure to check out my yummy holiday recipes in Rescue!
Did you know that there is a TON of great Sneaky Chef internet radio available to you right now?
For example, click Here to get my basics on "veggie camouflage" in the kitchen; Here to hear about my NEW recipes for special occasions & holidays, lower calorie & low-fat meals, and allergy-free recipes; and Here for men’s health issues and how to sneak nutrition into recipes like Legal Donuts, Barbell Burgers and Brawny Brownies - meals the entire family will love!
(PS: Don't forget to check the "Ask the Sneaky Chef" section of this website where I regularly post great recipes in response to reader questions. Most recently: "Manli-cotti," "Slow Cooker Chicken," and Hamburger Stuffed Potatoes. Then keep scrolling down for LOTS more!
There was a procedural setback in my plagiarism case against the Seinfelds. It's clear that I’m up against very powerful opponents.
It is important to note that the court did not dismiss my defamation claim against Jerry Seinfeld or my claims against the publisher, Harper Collins. It is not a joke that Jerry Seinfeld used national television to paint me in the minds of millions of people as a "wacko" and an "assassin." There is no defense of a sense of humor that can justify this.
I can and will continue to pursue these claims in NY state court for the harm the Seinfelds caused me and my family.
Thank you all for your continued support!
With fondest regards,
Missy
Back-to-school can mean lots of last-minute trips to the store for all kinds of forgotten items. It's just not possible, unless you're Supermom, to plan ahead for everything that's going to be needed until you're in the thick of it.
In all the rush, thinking about what your child is going to eat for lunch on the first day of school doesn't usually come to mind until the night before, when your child appears in the kitchen holding their lunch box and asking what you're going to give them for lunch tomorrow.
But when it comes to food, last-minute translates to poorer quality. We reach for quick, processed foods that require minimal prep time on our part. Do your child a favor: plan ahead just a day or two now, and you'll be able to make sure that your child isn't at a nutritional disadvantage on that all-important first day. First impressions are just as important for kids as they are for us, and study after study shows that kids who eat right have more balanced moods and energy, and do better in school as well.
If you put yourself in your child’s shoes, you’ll remember those back to school butterflies. Who will be sitting next to you, how hard are the classes going to be, how do you get everywhere, and most important of all: how do you fit in socially.
As a parent, you can be your child’s invisible guardian angel by making sure they feel good about themselves, with a clear head and high energy. By fueling them up with balanced, long lasting nutrition, instead of heavy foods that will make them sluggish or sugary foods that will burn out too quickly, they will feel at the top of their game, and that can make all the difference.
In the next 30 minutes, you can make a whole week’s worth of Sneaky Chef purees–just steam and puree some veggies, then throw half of it in the fridge and half in the freezer. You’ll have all you need to make any Sneaky Chef recipe every day for a week!
Download free recipes from this website, or get some Sneaky Chef books from the library or bookstore. They’ll show you the fastest, easiest way to ensure that your child has every advantage right from the start.
Dear Missy, With healthiest regards,
My son is allergic to cocoa powder and can't eat the choc-ful donuts. Do you have another kid friendly donut recipe.
Thanks! –Donna
Dear Donna,
In my third book, "The Sneaky Chef to the Rescue," I have a fabulous Pumpkin Spice Donut. Here it is.
PUMPKIN SPICE DONUTS (OR MUFFINS)
Makes 6 muffins or 12 donuts
1 ¼ cups Flour Blend (see Make-Ahead Recipe #13 on Free Recipe Page of this website
2 teaspoons baking powder
One-half teaspoon salt
2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or equal parts cinnamon, ground ginger, and nutmeg)
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons walnut, canola or vegetable oil
6 tablespoons Orange Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe #2 on Free Recipe Page of this website)
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
One-half cup brown sugar, packed
Optional decorations: white or orange colored frosting with orange and black sprinkles or Halloween candies
Did you know that many Sneaky Chef meals can be made for less than $2 per person? We’ve been doing some math over here, and we’re excited to share this exciting news with you!!
Families are watching the bottom line more closely than ever, and thanks to recipes from The Sneaky Chef, making healthy meals can result in some hefty savings.
Check out the money saving ideas below–they’re easy to employ and won’t add to your to-do list. Best yet, they will help keep your family healthy, strong and energized while helping to keep your wallet as thick as possible ; )
• Slip healthy ingredients into foods you know your kids already like, so they’ll clean their plate, meaning you won’t have to toss perfectly good food. And who among us can afford to waste food these days?
• Actually use all of those wonderful fresh veggies instead of having them sit in the refrigerator only to eventually go bad. How often do you buy produce with the best of intentions but it somehow doesn’t get eaten? Using them in The Sneaky Chef make-ahead-purees to freeze for the future will ensure the produce won’t go to waste. (for example, Sneaky Chef’s signature Green Puree uses spinach, broccoli, and frozen peas).
• Try some of The Sneaky Chef vegetarian recipes that kids like. They show you how to properly combine beans (legumes) and whole grains to make an inexpensive, healthier protein, so you can occasionally forego the meat, fish, poultry, which is usually the most expensive part of the meal. Sneaky Chef’s Pasta with Better Butter Sauce (book 3) is a great example, with pureed white beans that no one would ever detect!
• Don’t waste money on sugary, high-carb—and expensive!—snacks. Many of The Sneaky Chef recipes will help your family stay full longer because they are packed with fiber and protein. Sneaky Chef’s Breakfast Cookies (book 1) are loaded with whole grains and fruit to keep kids, and adults, feel satisfied longer.
• No need to waste ingredients making a different meal for each member of your family. The Sneaky Chef recipes offer a solution for picky eaters, resulting in one meal for the entire family. Check out Sneaky Chef’s Speedy Stovetop Lasagna with 6 hidden veggies plus whole grains!
This is the first in a three part series so stay tuned for more!
With healthiest regards,
Missy
One of the best things we can do for the man in our lives this Father's Day is to cook him up one of his favorite meals. And what man doesn't love to sink his teeth into a great, juicy burger? Try my recipe below for delicious and nutritious Barbell Burgers, fortified with completely hidden spinach and blueberries. It's one of the most requested recipes out of my Men's Book and guys go nuts over it. It's fast, easy, and it lets you make his favorite burger both tastier and healthier–he'll not only flip for the flavor but he'll be able to enjoy them guilt free : )
And for dessert, whip up some rich n' chocolaty Brawny Brownies. They taste like just like his favorite decadent brownie, but they've got hidden spinach, blueberries and whole grains for a nutritious punch that will leave him feeling happy and loved on his special day.
Happy Father's Day to one and all!
Missy
Here's an entertaining story that only having kids could make possible:
I set out to test some fun new recipes for a project I’m doing with
Motts applesauce. I baked some “cinnamon apple breakfast cookies”
since everybody wants more grab ‘n go cookies for the morning.
These were good! Lightly sweetened and slightly crunchy with a sparkle
of cinnamon sugar on top, and a fresh apple taste from the applesauce
which I used in place of more than half the oil. I crunched up some
whole grain cereal flakes for great texture and chew, and voila, a
yummy new breakfast cookie was born right here in The Sneaky Chef test
kitchen.
Enter the girls. They came home with friends from school, so I put a
few cookies out on a plate, then went to run an errand. When I got
home, they had set up an old-fashioned “lemonade” stand (only using
applejuice) and set out all the cookies to sell! So, now, of course,
I had to buy some of my own cookies back myself–a deal only a kid
could get away with ; )
Here’s a fun photo of the kids:
Hi Everyone,
I'm Rick Lapine, the husband of The Sneaky Chef, and I've commandeered Missy's blog this week in honor of Mother's Day: I'd like to send everyone a great recipe (see below) and Missy a little surprise ; )
Our children approached me with a plan to bake something for Missy on Mother's Day. Now, imagine you're me, the husband of the best selling sneaky cookbook author herself, and you want to pull one over on her. Where do you start?
OK, Missy loves chocolate anything. But I was hoping for a wake-up surprise treat. Hmmm... How about her very own recipe for chocolate cupcakes with spinach and blueberries? Perfect–healthy enough for breakfast, chocolatty enough for Missy.
I got the girls to make a practice batch with me today (see photo below) while Missy was out food shopping. They turned out quite well, actually, and it was a lot of fun to play Sneaky Chef with them. The girls are out now distributing them to eager neighborhood friends. I must say, they were pretty easy to make (and to indulge in ; )
Now that we're all pros, we plan to sneak into the Sneaky Chef test kitchen on Saturday while Missy is testing for her green belt in Tai Kwon Do (and we have to keep her from seeing this blog, too!). Sammy, our youngest, has already stated her intention to sneak something completely unknown into the batter to see if she can get away with it. Never a dull moment...
It's nice to give Missy something that we can feel good about giving the kids too. It should be a nice, pleasant, Mother's Day breakfast in bed. Famous last words...
Happy Mother's Day! –Rick (Recipe follows photo)
RECIPE FOR CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES:
QUICK FIX FOR CHOCOLATE CAKE MIX
3 large eggs
¾ cup Purple Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe #_, page _)
1 cup water
¼ cup wheat germ
1 box (about 18 ounces) chocolate cake mix (such as Duncan Hines® Moist Deluxe® Classic Cake Mix)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a cake pan (then lightly flour) or muffin tin (lined with muffin cups).
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine eggs, Purple Puree, water, and dry ingredients. Blend at low speed for 30 seconds, then increase speed to medium speed for another 2 minutes. Pour batter into cake pan or muffin tins. Bake cake for 33 to 36 minutes, cupcakes for 18 to 21 minutes (both until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean).
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Per Serving (1 slice, 75g): Calories 213; Total Fat 8.0g; Fiber 1.8g; Total Carbohydrates 33.7g; Sugars 17.3g; Protein 4.8g; Sodium 364mg; Cholesterol 52mg; Calcium 86mg. 55% less fat, 22% less cholesterol, 11% more potassium, and 41% more fiber than traditional recipe.
Hi Everyone,
I woke up to increasingly unsettling news about Swine Flu and a global pandemic. When bombarded with Swine Flu information on every news program, article and blog, you can't help but ask yourself, " What can I do to keep my family safe?"
Like most moms, I'm not the type to just sit around–I have to do something. Stocking up on pantry items gives me some sense of control over the situation. Like all of us, I worry first about my children and how to protect them. As The Sneaky Chef, I've always turned to healthy food as my best weapon against illness – swine flu or any other.
Among the obvious things, like washing hands and covering our coughs, the CDC is also recommending nutritious food as one way to avoid getting the flu. Not that we didn't know that already, but it's nice to see it on their website.
So here’s one of the ways I’m getting more immune-boosting foods into my family – a cold, sweet, refreshing smoothie. It just so happens to be pretty warm here in NY, so I was already thinking about a naturally sweet and delicious treat for my kids to both refresh and fortify them. It's loaded with vitamin C and I'm giving it to my kids every afternoon. I call it the Sneaky Chef Flu Fighter:
Sneaky Chef Flu Fighter:
Makes 4 servings
1 large orange, peeled
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
Juice from one fresh lemon
2 cups pomegranate or cranberry juice
4 tablespoons honey
Handful of ice
Put all ingredients in a blender on high until smooth.
Serve in a tall glass with a straw.
Here's to keeping your family healthy!
Missy
See over 100 more nutritious recipes in my newest book, The Sneaky Chef to the Rescue
Available at bookstores everywhere, and at Barnes&Noble and Amazon.com
I had the most fantastic experience on Fox & Friends on Sunday morning. I was invited to be a guest on the show to make Sneaky Chef chocolate pancakes.
They had a few children standing by to do a "taste test" on my chocolate pancakes boosted with hidden spinach, blueberries, and whole grains.
The kids loved them!! They said the pancakes were "delicious," and that although they now knew that spinach was hidden inside, they would still eat them at home.
The show's producers and hosts, Alisyn Camerota, David Briggs and Clayton Morris were warm and welcoming to me, and said they were excited about trying Sneaky Chef recipes at home!
The whole show felt really good, and made getting up at 4:00am worthwhile ; )
Click Here to watch the video.
The past week's been a blast: The Today Show on Friday, radio and print interviews every day and a media tour (via satellite) today to 17 cities in a row. Whew! I'm bushed but loving it. Book 3 has now officially taken over my life ; )
Today's satellite tour took place in a television studio in New York City and we broadcast to Jacksonville, Houston, Denver... The whole thing was really interesting. Keeping my energy up for 17 in a row was a challenge. I gave each show my all. Fortunately, I got a good night's sleep, exercised and ate right. It's not too different from preparing for marathon, actually ; )
I always look forward to this time right after one of my books has been released, and this one is really no exception. I've gotten so many emails from parents who have already used the new book with great success. I can't tell you how rewarding this is : ) I think about all those kids eating all those veggies and it just makes me happy (I know that sounds corny but it does!).
So right now, there's no time for writing and no time for testing recipes in the kitchen. It's all about being out there. I couldn't be having more fun right now if I tried : ) More soon!
