Mom's busy mornings ensure peaceful nights

Within a week of sending her second child off to school and returning to work nine years ago, Ellen Weiss knew she had to conquer guilt, and do it fast.

She didn't want to worry at work about chores at home and worry at night about being distracted at work.

The Lake Zurich mom's solution: get organized and get up early to dust off as many household duties as possible, including dinner, of course, before heading out the door.

"I am up at 4:45 a.m.; I head downstairs, turn the oven on and put in a load of laundry," she says. "The treadmill is in the laundry room with a TV in front of it. I can be cooking, running, washing, drying and watching CNN all at the same time."

After 20 minutes of running, she pops a roast, carrot and potatoes in the oven, prepares a salad, mops the floor, switches the laundry and nudges the kids out of bed.

"They wake up to the smell of what will be dinner," she laughs.

By the time Ellen is ready for work, the roast has cooled and is ready for the fridge. She gets the salad into a bowl and picks out a vegetable.

During the kids' athletic seasons, Ellen packs them lunch to ensure they get the calories and nutrition they need for demanding practices. Other times they pack their own.

Before she leaves the house, Ellen fills out a daily form she created that tells her children what they need to do at home, what's for dinner and anything going on that night -- events, shopping, meetings. Phone messages are jotted on the back.

"I get my head together, and more important, Dad can see the form and can't claim ignorance," she chuckles.

The last thing she does before heading out the door is to set the table.

"When I cruise back in, that visual image of a fully set table is there," she says. "I don't feel so defeated or tired. We eat a really great meal together at 6 o'clock. That's very rare, even for stay-at-home moms.

"I have an evening to recharge, relax and prepare for the next day," she says.

Maintaining a routine and some stability for her children are Ellen's main motivations for this rigorous schedule.

Husband Eric "is a great help" when he is home, she says, but he leaves the house very early for work and often travels.

"All the things I feel my children are comforted by are still in place," she says. "It allows them to be the academic achievers they are. We are not in the lobby of Chili's at 7 o'clock."

The rest of her motivation is personal.

"I love to eat and I really enjoy sitting down to a set table," she says.

Meals sometimes incorporate time-saving prepared foods with from-scratch elements, and her variable heat slow cooker is indispensable.

Today she shares reduced fat, stuffed shells made with tofu and cheese.

"The tofu is almost undetectable; I squeeze in healthy components without triggering the kid alarm," she says. "My kids didn't know for months."

In the crockpot, Ellen makes chicken soup with easy, homemade noodles. She rolls out the dough in the morning so the ribbons can dry all day under a sheet of waxed paper. She boils them after work and adds them to the pot at the last minute.

Fish is the only dish she won't attempt that early in the morning.

"That would do me in."

Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup with Easy Homemade Noodles

4 cups low-sodium chicken stock

1½ cups water

½ cup onion, finely chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

2 cups carrots, diced or cut into coins

½ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon dried parsley or ½ cup fresh

3-4 chicken breasts, diced into ¼-inch pieces

Noodles

2 cups all purpose flour

2 egg whites or 1 whole egg

¾ teaspoon salt

About ¼ cup milk

Place stock, water, onions, celery, carrots, pepper, poultry seasoning, salt, parsley and chicken in slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook on high at least 6 hours or low for 10-12 hours. Stir occasionally if possible.

For the noodles: In mixing bowl or directly on cutting board or counter top combine flour, egg whites, salt and enough milk to produce a slightly sticky ball of dough.

Flour a flat surface and roll out dough to 1/5- inch thickness. (Dough will be elastic and spring back, but keep working it until it is thin enough.) Dust dough with flour and pat it in. Cut noodles to desired width or into very small, decorative shapes. For ribbons, a pizza wheel is useful.

Cover cut noodles with a sheet of waxed paper and let rest 3 to 4 hours or longer. About 30 minutes before serving drop them into boiling water for 10-12 minutes. Drain and toss into soup.

Serves eight to 10.

Nutrition values per serving: 230 calories, 1.5 g fat (0 saturated), 31 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 22 g protein, 45 mg cholesterol, 1,040 mg sodium.

(Lighter) Italian Shells Florentine

1 box (12 ounces) jumbo pasta shells

1 jar (24 ounces) prepared marinara

16 ounces silken tofu

8 ounces ricotta cheese from skim milk

4 ounces grated parmesan, divided

10 ounces shredded mozzarella from skim milk, divided

10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2 egg whites

½ cup bread crumbs plus additional to sprinkle on casserole

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning blend

Dash of nutmeg

8 ounces Italian turkey sausage, browned, drained and crumbled, optional

Fresh herbs for garnish, such as oregano, rosemary, thyme and basil, optional

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water for 15 minutes. Rinse and set aside. Pour half the jar of marinara into a 9 by 13-inch casserole (see note).

Combine tofu, ricotta, 3 ounces parmesan, 6 ounces mozzarella, spinach, egg whites, bread crumbs, garlic, Italian seasoning, nutmeg and sausage if desired. Stuff about 3 tablespoons of filling into each shell; place on sauce in pan.

Pour remaining sauce over the shells and sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Top with a light sprinkle of bread crumbs and fresh herbs, if desired. Bake, uncovered, 35-45 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.

Serves six to eight.

Cook's note: You may bake the shells in two smaller dishes and freeze one after baking. Wrap with heavy foil and use within two weeks. Allow to defrost and reheat in the microwave.

Nutrition values per serving: 420 calories, 17 g fat (9 g saturated), 36 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 29 g protein, 45 mg cholesterol, 970 mg sodium.

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