As a working mom, Gloria doesn’t get to exercise as much as she used to before she started juggling kids and work after her daughter was born. This is the time of year when she starts to worry more about her diet and her exercise routine, as the countdown to swimming suit season starts ticking.
“Rosie, my three-year-old, is a very fussy eater. She has been ever since she could chew solid food. Especially when it comes to green foods; put a piece of broccoli in front of her and she’ll cross her arms and shake her head back and forth defiantly. But I discovered her weakness last Thanksgiving: mashed potatoes! So I started experimenting with different vegetables to see if I could get more greens in her diet. My friend Beatrice gave me a great idea: Make mushy peas. I cooked a bag of frozen peas for about three minutes and then drained them well.” Gloria says she often separates some peas to use in a salad for her, while blending some peas for Rosie. Her favorite pea salad for spring: arugula, mint, and pecorino.
“In a food processer I blended the peas with some low-fat milk (instead of cream) and a bit of butter until it was a thick, mashed potato-like consistency. I sprinkled salt and pepper over them (to taste) and served the dish hot. Rosie was skeptical at first, but I coxed her into trying a bite. And she loved it! It had the creamy texture of mashed potatoes with less starch and more vitamins. Sometimes I’ll smear some of Rosie’s mashed peas on crusty bread for me to go with my salad, too.”
“Usually, after I drop off my daughter to daycare, I’m completely swamped at the office until I pick her up, and then I’m exhausted after that. But after dinner, things have quieted down some, so my husband and I take Rosie to the neighborhood playground. It’s a lot of work trying to keep an eye on a three-year-old (and our four-year-old Great Dane)! Rosie bounces from the slide to the swings and climbs all over the jungle gym…that’s my usual workout right there, because keeping up with those two isn’t a walk in the park! While I’d like to have a regular exercise plan just for me, this 40 minutes of running around the park in the evening is about all I have time for these days.”
What other ways have you found to squeeze workout time into your already busy routine?