15 minute read
MOD MOM
Katina Behm Age 37, West Fargo, N.D.
MOD MOM
Story by | Ryan Johnson A poorly timed winter snowstorm kept Katina Behm from moving to Fargo in December 2010, but the native of suburbs near Philadelphia, Pa., was welcomed with open arms by Midwesterners when the roads reopened and she could make it here the following month. Now, the 37-year-old calls West Fargo home and works at Progressive Therapy Associates, where her work focuses on therapy for teens and adults suffering from traumatic brain injuries, concussions, strokes, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other disorders that impact communication and function.
F A R G O P U B L I C S C H O O L S
kiNdERgaRTEN REgiSTRaTiON
RegistrationforFall2020opensonline February1,2020at: www.fargo.k12.nd.us/registration
Registrationisa two-stepprocess:
STEPONE:Completeregistrationathomeonlineanytimeorat computerkiosksintheofficeateachFargoPublic elementaryschoolbuilding onthefollowingdatesandtimes:
February24,26,and28– 7:30a.m.to4:00p.m. February25,27,andMarch2–7:30a.m.to6:00p.m.
STEPTWO:FamiliesMUSTbringtheirchild’s certifiedbirthcertificate, child’s currentimmunizationrecord, anda document(i.e.currentcityutilitybillorbankstatement) thatincludesparent/guardiannameandaddresstoverify thecorrectneighborhoodschool.
This post on the @babyandthebody Instagram account remains the favorite so far of Katina Behm, whose son Augie is seen in the photo at the top of the page and her brother, Aris (above) | Photo courtesy of Katina Behm Being a speech language pathologist is fulfilling work, she says, but it’s her entertaining posts on Instagram that have made Katina a popular mom on social media — all with some adorable help from her son, Augie, 3, and her brother Aris, who just happens to be a model.
It all started when Katina was struggling to get the then9-month-old Augie dressed, but he couldn’t hold still. She gave up, realizing her son’s open shirt reminded her of one of the photos Aris had posted on Instagram not long before.
Inspired, she did a side-by-side collage of the two, sharing it with family members. She started posting similar images to her own social media accounts, and eventually created the public account @babyandthebody on Instagram.
Word eventually reached The Forum, which reported on the social media account in October 2017.
“The day they ran the story, I was contacted by Yahoo News and then it completely blew up,” she said.
Articles popped up on Buzzfeed, Today and Huffington Post, along with hundreds of other outlets, and people from around the world were soon chuckling their way through the toddler and uncle mashups. The account now has more than 68,000 followers.
Augie is no longer a baby, and she says the young boy is more involved these days in choosing which photos he’d like to re-create.
“I’ll show him a couple options and let him decide,” she said.
But Katina, her husband, Justin Behm, and her two other kids, stepson Owen, 14, and Augie’s twin sister Delphi, 3, are keeping busy with other things these days. She says she posted to @thebabyandthebody once a week for 88 weeks straight, but she’s since slowed down, even though she wants to continue for a while to bring others joy.
“But he is getting older and it’s losing its luster a bit,” she says.
My kids have taught me... that I have very little control over who they are. I can guide them to become kind, decent humans, but their personalities have nothing to do with my parenting. It’s actually quite liberating.
The thing I can’t live without is... wine.
My favorite @babyandthebody photo was… (The sunglass picture) is Aris’ and my favorite. The guitar one is a fan favorite, and the scarf one is the first one posted to the @babyandthebody account.
Something I’ve learned about parenting from my social media activity is... that despite countless differences in parenting styles, humor is always the common bond.
My younger brother’s best reaction to a @babyandthebody post was... watching him crack up when we did the Swayze/ Farley “SNL” dance-off; it was live-action Baby and the Body!
The best way to get a good photo of a young kid is... have someone make them laugh while you shoot, and if that fails, bribe them! For Augie, candy always does the trick ;)
My mom taught me... how to stand up for myself. My proudest mom moment was... whenever my kids take care of each other.
The one parenting trick I couldn’t live without is... teamwork; one-on-one defense is way better than zone.
I hope my kids someday... appreciate all the beauty in the world.
If Instagram was around, my parents would’ve posted childhood photos of me doing... lots of sports.
The big thing I hope to do someday is... take my kids to the homeland (Greece).
My favorite thing when I have free time is... naps.
The go-to meal my kids love is... shockingly quinoa, but also grilled cheese. It’s all about balance.
The best part of my job is... being able to see the impact I’m making in patient’s lives when they start applying strategies and function better.
A fan-favorite post on @babyandthebody. | Photo courtesy of Katina Behm
This was Katina Behm's first post to the popular @babyandthebody Instagram account. | Photo courtesy of Katina Behm
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Healthy eating for every lifestyle
Whether you’re looking to shed a few pounds or already rocking that #healthylifestyle, there’s no time like the present to jumpstart a year of healthy eating!
Story by | Emma Vatnsdal I t’s a tale as old as time — a few Christmas goodies turn into a few more, and all of a sudden, the plate of sweets is empty and nobody knows where it all went. Or maybe you’ve been crushing your meal-planning game and want to bring it to the next level. Whether you’re looking to shed a few pounds or just want to boost an already-healthy lifestyle for the whole family in the new year, there are a lot of options out there for 2020.
For busy families Taking time to plan out each week’s meals is a vital part of maintaining a healthy diet. Setting aside one (or two) days each week to make a game plan for what to look forward to each week can help cure those crazy-day-salt-binges that inevitably happen when time runs short.
As Lindsay Vettleson, a registered dietitian nutritionist at IMA Healthcare, told The Forum in 2017, people who don’t plan their meals in advance are more likely to eat something that’s readily available — meaning what they choose to eat is more likely to be processed, convenient and probably high in carbohydrates and calories, and it’s just not going to work.
“I usually batch cook on weekends,” Vettleson says. “I already know what I’m having multiple days ahead of time — a week in advance — but that’s how I’m successful with it.”
There are a few steps that can be followed when creating that “perfect” meal plan. First, actually plan the meals by finding two to four recipes for the week and making a list of ingredients for each meal. Once
you have a plan, head to the grocery store to pick everything up. Sticking to the outside of the store will ensure you focus on the fresh stuff, like fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products. Center aisles tend to be where processed and less-than-healthy foods are shelved.
Once you have all the ingredients, the fun part begins.
Washing, cutting and cooking fruits and veggies and cooking protein is essential to making meal prepping a success. There are many healthy ways to prepare proteins, whether you grill chicken, pan-fry fish or roast chickpeas, and there are dozens of ways to add a bit of interest to every meal. After everything has been cooked and it’s ready to go, portion meals into their own containers to grab and go the next morning.
Planning and preparing meals doesn’t have to cause a headache. Even something as simple as creating a plan and getting every ingredient in advance can help stave off that last-minute rush to the drive-thru.
Peppers and Sausage is a quick, easy, protein-rich dish that can be made ahead of time, giving busy moms the chance to grab-and-go with a healthy meal. | iStock / Special to The Forum
Peppers and Sausage
Ingredients: 3-4 bell peppers, cleaned out and cut into strips 1 yellow onion, cut into strips 1 container white mushrooms, sliced 4 links of Italian-style sausage (chicken, pork, turkey, etc.), cut into rounds
Directions:
Drip a bit of olive oil into the bottom of a large skillet and heat on medium. Add onion strips and mushrooms to the pan and cook until just translucent. Add in pepper strips and cook for a few minutes, seasoning everything with seasoned salt, pepper and garlic salt to taste. Remove from pan and set aside. Olive oil Seasoned salt Pepper Garlic salt
In the same pan, toss in sausage rounds and cook through. Once cooked, add peppers, onions and mushrooms and warm it up.
Serve hot with choice of dipping sauce (lowsugar ketchup or mustard is great with this!).
For plant-based families If you’re looking to up your plant-based game in the new year, you’re in luck because cutting back on meat has never been easier.
In addition to potentially being good for your health, eating a little less meat can also be good for the Earth.
The main thing to watch out for is protein. Chickpeas, tofu and beans can provide necessary protein in meatless meals, while alternatives like veggie burgers or the Impossible Burger are becoming more available when dining out. There’s no shortage of meatless recipes available online now.
It can be hard to go cold tofurkey, though. Instead of shocking the system — your system, or your kiddos’ systems — start out by gradually reducing meat intake by doing a Meatless Monday or a Tofu Thursday. Need some help deciding what to try? Bring back the taste of summer with this recipe.
Beer Can Cabbage Sandwiches
Ingredients: 1 large purple cabbage, about 3 ½ pounds 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ½ teaspoon kosher salt (plus more) ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (plus more) 1 (12-ounce) can pale lager 2 cups homemade or store-bought barbecue sauce, divided ½ large white onion, cut into ½-inch rings ¼ cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar ¼ teaspoon honey 1 medium carrot (about 6 ounces), coarsely grated using the grater on a food processor or the largest holes on a box grater ¼ cup finely chopped red onion 1 handful of kale 6 seeded kaiser rolls or sturdy hamburger buns 12 slices cheddar cheese
Directions:
Prepare grill for medium-high heat. Cut a 3-by3-inch square around the core of cabbage at the base. Carefully remove core with a knife. Using the knife and a spoon, create a 3-inchdeep cavity in the cabbage big enough to hold a beer can. Discard core but reserve leftover cabbage from hollowing out cavity.
Using a brush, coat cabbage with oil, then season generously with salt and pepper. Pour out (or drink) half of the beer. Place beer can in cavity of cabbage so cabbage sits upright. Transfer to grill.
Using a brush, generously coat cabbage with 3 tablespoons barbecue sauce. Cover grill and cook cabbage, brushing with sauce every 15 minutes, until outer leaves are crispy and dark brown and cabbage is cooked through and tender when pierced with a paring knife, about 45 to 50 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, grill white onion rings until charred. Meanwhile, whisk mayonnaise, vinegar, honey and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Thinly slice reserved cabbage. Add to bowl with dressing along with carrot, kale and red onion; toss to combine.
Remove cabbage from grill and discard can. Let cool slightly. Cut grilled cabbage in half lengthwise, then slice each half crosswise into ¾-inch strips. Coarsely chop white onion rings and toss with cabbage in a medium bowl with remaining 1 1/4 cups barbecue sauce (you should have about 6 cups barbecued cabbage). Slice rolls and grill until toasted, about 30 seconds.
Arrange 1 cup barbecued cabbage on each bottom bun. Top each with 2 slices cheese, 1/4 cup cabbage slaw and top bun.
Beer Can Cabbage Sandwiches with barbecue sauce and all the fixings are a great way to bring a vegetarian taste of summer into the winter months. | Forum file photo
For the keto-mama The seemingly miraculous ketogenic diet that took over Pinterest and Instagram the past few years is a great way to drop a few pounds relatively quickly. Even Forum reporter Tracy Briggs has given this a whirl.
“There’s no shortage of strategies out there and I think I’ve tried many of them,” she said in a previous Forum article. “As a woman over the age of 50 and a weekly columnist whose subject frequently includes baked goods, I’ve found the weight creeping on. Dang! A vicious sweet tooth and slowing metabolism is a nasty combination. (Do your homework to find out what might work for you.) I’ll throw something into the mix that has helped me drop weight in the last month or so: a modified ketogenic eating plan.”
But what is this diet, and how does it work?
It’s a low-carb, high-fat, moderate-protein meal plan. When a person consumes carbs, their body produces glucose for energy and insulin to process the glucose — turning glucose into the primary energy source and causing the body to store the unneeded fats.
With keto eating, a low intake of carbs forces the body to tap into fat stores for energy, resulting in more fat-burning. Many advocates claim this diet leads to weight loss, controlled blood sugar, more mental focus, higher energy and other positive changes, while critics argue that it’s difficult to follow and could lead to muscle loss.
And it’s not all about restriction. For the ketogenic diet to work, participants have to limit their intake of carbohydrates and increase their consumption of protein and fats. This means butter, full-fat cream and avocados are fair game, while cereals, pastas and breads are not. If you want to satisfy your sweet tooth, but stick to the keto plan, try these treats.
These Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes, containing just 4 grams of carbs each, share the same consistency as pumpkin pie, but are a healthier option. | Forum file photo
Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons coconut flour (and more, if needed) 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice ¼ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon baking soda Pinch of salt 1 cup pumpkin puree ¹/ 3 cup Truvia (or Swerve Sweetener) ¼ cup heavy cream, half-and-half or full coconut milk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 6 muffin cups with paper liners. In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk pumpkin puree, sweetener, cream, egg and vanilla until well combined. Whisk in dry ingredients. If the batter seems thin, whisk in an additional tablespoon of coconut flour. 1 large egg ½ teaspoon vanilla
For whipped topping: Heavy cream ½ teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoon Truvia, to taste
Divide among prepared muffin cups and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until just puffed and barely set. Remove from oven and let cool in pan. (They will sink. That’s OK — all the better for plopping whipped cream on top!)
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Generously dollop whipped cream on top.
Recipe courtesy of Alldayidreamaboutfood.com
World’s Worst Mom' tells all '
Story by | Alicia Strnad Hoalcraft I ’m the worst mom in the whole world. I know this is true because my 6-year-old, Calliope, tells me so often, usually when she’s arguing about my rules, like no screen time on school nights, bedtime is 7 p.m. every night, and you can’t have ice cream for dinner more than once a month.
Take, for example, a Sunday afternoon in early November that my daughter and I spent at home. We made lunch together, read some books, and then played mancala until I wanted to beg for mercy.
“Gosh, what a nice day we’re having,” I foolishly said out loud.
My daughter chose that exact moment to decide that she wanted to be an acrobat. And to be an acrobat, you must practice acrobatics. On the couch. That your mom is sitting on. And immediately (accidentally!) kick your mother in the face as you attempt some sort of complicated flip.
“Ouch!” I yelled, both because I wasn’t expecting to be kicked in the face and because being kicked in the face hurts.
“You screamed at me!” she screamed. “I hate when people scream at me! I’m going to my room and never coming out ever forever!” I apologized for yelling, explained that I had just been startled and told her that she was always allowed to go in her room but that I’d be sad if she stayed there forever. But into her room she went. “I’m never talking to you again!” she told me through the closed door.
A few minutes later, ever forever had apparently passed so she exited her room. She didn’t look at me and didn’t speak, instead grabbing a piece of paper and a marker. She worked on it for a few minutes before she put the cap back on her marker.
She grabbed a stool and sat on it, holding her creation in front of her. It was a self-portrait with a sad face. Above her picture she’d written the words “Free child.”
“Free child?” I asked. “What does that mean?”
She grunted.
“Oh, you’re still not talking to me? I have to guess?”
Grunt grunt.
“Free child? Does that mean you’re giving yourself away? You don’t want to be my daughter anymore?”
Grunt. Nod.
“Oh, that makes me sad. I love you so much, Calliope, and I’d be heartbroken without you.”
Silence.
“OK, I understand. I will try to think of who would like a little girl as wonderful as you.” I sent her dad a text asking him to come home from his errands as soon as he could. He walked in a few minutes later and Callie still sat on her stool, holding her sign.
