Healthy Living = Happy Families!

The Big Blue Ocean!

2008-10-13T14:16:00.006-04:00

This past weekend we visited the Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. With two little ones, the Natural History Museum has always been a favorite, and we're definitely blessed to have such great museums--free, no less!--so close to us. The exhibit is a new part of the permanent collection, joining the ever-popular dinosaur room, the very realistic mammals room, and, of course, the gemstones, including the Hope Diamond.

We went early in the morning on Sunday (well, around 10:30 by the time we actually got there!) and the crowds were definitely manageable. By that I mean, plenty of room for our stroller, but also room enough that we were comfortable letting the kids walk around by themselves with us following right behind them. (Sometimes it's so busy, particularly in the dinosaur room, that I wouldn't set the kids down for a minute.) There's nothing too scary in the exhibit with the exception of one small video being shown on killer whales hunting seals. It's tucked away in the corner, behind the giant Megalodon mouth, and definitely to be avoided for little kids. Or any soft-hearted seal lovers, really.

As always, bring your own snacks and water--they will let you in with them as long as you are discreet--as the food in the museums is on the pricey side. A much better option is to bring your own sandwiches and have an impromptu picnic somewhere on the mall, or, as we discovered on Sunday, in the lovely Smithsonian Castle Gardens.

We stuck to a very manageable three hours, and still saw the whole Oceans exhibit, the mammals next door, and made a quick run into the dinosaur room. In one morning we saw sharks, whales, giraffes, "cute, tiny!" mice, and tyranosaurus rex--which made for two very happy little kids.

American Red Cross Needs Help!

2008-10-13T08:22:00.003-04:00

My sister lives in NYC and has been a volunteer with the NY Red Cross since shortly after moving there. She does all kinds of exciting things, like being on scene at various emergencies to provide food and other aid to people affected. Although we all know that the Red Cross goes in to major disaster areas, to help victims of floods, hurricanes, etc., what many people don't know is that each local Red Cross chapter works to help the people in their community. For example, my sister's chapter alone responds to more than 3,000 emergencies a year - about eight a day - in the form of fires, floods, building collapses, blackouts, etc. For more than 100,000 people a year her chapter volunteers provide the immediate aid needed in terms of food and shelter.

Sometimes, the Red Cross gets a lot of publicity for their work in helping people, and donations of both blood and money go up. At other times, other concerns are given more media coverage, and the important work the Red Cross does goes un-noticed, or at least un-reported. She recently sent me an email with an appeal--the first time she's ever asked family to help, so it must be a very great need!--for donations in support of the work the Red Cross does. Please read her note below, and consider donating. As times get harder and money gets tighter for those of us blessed with good fortune, imagine how much more difficult it is right now for all the organizations working to provide food and shelter to the survivors of disasters both big and small.

I am a volunteer of the American Red Cross in Greater New York and am writing to enlist your help.

Over the course of the past month, we have witnessed two of the largest hurricane-related evacuations ever mounted in this country. These resulted from Gustav and Ike that devastated major parts of the gulf coast in Louisiana and Texas . To date, 16,000 American Red Cross volunteers and staff have opened over 900 evacuation centers/shelters, served 4.5 million meals and snacks in the affected areas and we expect this to be a lengthy recovery operation.

Our Chapter has already deployed 117 volunteers and staff, including a 46 member Rapid Response Team. Our team, led by Scott Graham, Chief Response Officer and including our CEO, Terry Bischoff, managed a mega-shelter for 3,000 evacuees in Alexandria , Louisiana . Hurricane Gustav passed within 20 miles of this evacuation center and our team worked with the evacuees to make sure everyone was sheltered, fed, and comforted, and returned home safely after the storm had passed.

Although the Red Cross has responded well to these disasters, the reality is that we have not had the media coverage of people on rooftops or huge numbers of deaths and injuries that motivate people to donate, and so the outpouring of spontaneous financial gifts that we saw during the tsunami, hurricane Katrina and the recent Chinese earthquake, has not occurred. As a result, we have been forced to borrow the money to do this vital, life-saving work.

That’s why I am echoing the appeal made by the CEO of the American Red Cross, Gail McGovern, in asking for your help now as we participate in a national campaign to raise $100 million for the Disaster Relief Fund. Together, we can ensure the Red Cross is there to help, whenever and wherever disasters strike.

Here is how you can help: First – send this note on to as many of your friends and colleagues as you can. We need to use this new era of social networking to get this word out as I don’t believe the American public knows that we need their help. Second – go to our website - www.nyredcross.org - and make a tax-deductible donation to the Disaster Relief Fund . No amount is too small – if we all give $5 or $10, it will mount up quickly.

Arlington Fire Stations Open House!

2008-10-09T12:02:00.000-04:00

Open House: Visit your local fire station!

All Arlington County fire stations will be open to the public Saturday, Oct. 11, from 10 - 4 in celebration of Fire Prevention Week. Bring the kids, climb into a fire truck, learn about fire safety, and more! Find your neighborhood fire station.

Enjoy!

Hot Air Balloon Festival!

2008-10-08T12:37:00.004-04:00

Having grown up in Albuquerque, home of a world-famous balloon fiesta, one of my favorite childhood memories is of getting up early to watch the balloons go up. So, it is with great excitement that I found out there is a Shenandoah Valley Balloon Festival next weekend! Starting at 7a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, October 18th and 19th, the balloons will be inflated and, I'm told, take off around 7:30-8:00a.m. Longbranch is about an hour and a half from D.C., out towards Winchester, VA. (See map, below). With the leaves changing fast, by next weekend reports show that the Shenandoahs should be covered in beautiful foliage.

So, take a drive, pack a picnic, and have a wonderful autumn adventure!

View Larger Map

Slow Cooker Series!

2008-10-03T11:17:00.005-04:00

Given that autumn is here, slow cooking seems to be on everyone's mind! Just as I experimented with two new recipes recently, the topic recently came up on the DC Urban Moms listserv. A wealth of recipes were shared, and I've compiled them all here for easy searching. None of them are of my creation, but as they were posted anonymously, I can't give credit where credit is due. So, if one of them is your recipe, let me know and I'm happy to credit you for it!

Here's what I have so far:

And my own two recipes:

More recipes to come!

Slow Cooker Series: Turkey & Black Bean Chili

2008-10-03T10:56:00.000-04:00

Turkey & Black Bean Chili
1 jar salsa
2 cans black beans, drained
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 packet chili seasoning
1 cup corn
1 lb ground turkey

1 large onion, diced
1 cup cheese, shredded (any kind)

Brown ground turkey in a skillet until cooked, 5-7 minutes. Add turkey and other ingredients to slow cooker. Cook on high for 1-2 hours or low for 4 hours and serve topped with onions and cheese.

Slow Cooker Series: Macaroni & Cheese

2008-10-03T10:53:00.000-04:00

Macaroni & Cheese
2 cups elbow macaroni (uncooked)
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups ricotta or cottage cheese (or one cup of each)
2 cups boiling water
Salt, pepper and nutmeg (the secret ingredient) to taste

Layer ingredients in the slow cooker in the order listed. Cook for 3 hours on high without stirring. Open, stir quickly, and recover and cook for another hour or it reaches the right consistency.

Slow Cooker Series: Chicken & Vegetables

2008-10-03T09:59:00.000-04:00

Chicken & Vegetables
1-2 pounds chicken
1 large onion, sliced
2 large potatoes, chopped into one-inch cubes (or, 4 small potatoes)*
1 sweet potato, peeled & chopped into one-inch cubes*
2 turnips, peeled & chopped into one-inch cubes*
4-6 carrots, sliced*
3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp rosemary
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper.

Cook on low for 7-10 hours.

*You can use any combination of root vegetables for this recipe--stick with vegetables that will hold up well to slow cooking though, otherwise they will fall apart and become vegetable mush!

Slow Cooker Series: Chicken-Bean Burritos

2008-10-03T09:53:00.000-04:00

Chicken-Bean Burritos
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
1 can pinto beans (rinsed)
1 16 oz jar salsa - any flavor
10" flour tortillas

Optional toppings for burritos - corn, other beans (such as black beans), shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.

Put chicken & beans in bottom of slow cooker, pour salsa overtop. If you like it a little spicy, add chipolte peppers in adobe sauce. Cook on low for 5 hours or high for 2 - 2 1/2 hrs. Remove chicken, shred with fork, add back to slow cooker after mashing the beans with the salsa. Roll filling in tortillas with your favorite toppings.

Slow Cooker Series: Beef Stew

2008-10-03T09:42:00.000-04:00

Beef Stew
1-2 lbs stew beef (cubed)*
1 onion, diced
1-2 potatoes chopped into one-inch cubes
4-6 large carrots, sliced
1 package of mushrooms, well-washed and quartered (optional)
1 cup of beef broth
1 envelope onion soup mix
1-2 cloves garlic chopped

Add all ingredients to slow-cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

*Can also brown beef in hot oil in a skillet, for 2-3 minutes, before adding to slow-cooker. Searing the beef helps seal in juices and flavor, but isn't necessary.

Slow Cooker Series: Chicken Tacos

2008-10-03T09:25:00.000-04:00

Chicken Tacos
1.5 pounds chicken pieces
1 15-oz can tomatoes
1 packet taco seasoning

Put all ingredients in 3 or 4-quart slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with tortillas or hard shells, and other taco fixings.

Slow-Cookin' Magic!!

2008-09-30T11:45:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you all, but I am in love with my slow-cooker. I experimented with two new dishes this weekend, and both turned out great. I did a pot roast with turnips and carrots, as a healthier riff on pot roast with potatoes, which is something I've made in the oven before. it turned out far better in the slow-cooker. That is the slow-cooker claim to fame, when cooking with "cheaper" cuts of meat, such as chuck roast, the long, low-temperature cooking allows the meat to become tender while staying moist and flavorful. Root vegetables (like turnips, potatoes, carrots) hold up well to slow-cooking, too. Dish #2 was chickpeas and spinach. I used dried chickpeas, very economical but more time is required for soaking, and french spinach, and even my toddlers ate it up. There are hundreds of great slow-cooker recipes, but here are the two that I used:

Slow-Cooker Pot Roast with Turnips and Carrots

Ingredients-

4 pounds chuck roast
salt and pepper
1 cup water
4 carrots, cut into 3 inch pieces
2 onions, quartered
4 turnips, diced into 1 inch cubes

Directions-

Take the chuck roast and season with salt and pepper to taste.*
Place in the slow cooker and add water, carrots, onion, and turnips.
Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours.

*Many recipes will direct you to first brown the meat on all sides in a large skillet over high heat. While this creates a nice crust and appealing look to the meat, it's not necessary.

Slow-Cooker Chickpeas with Spinach

Ingredients-

2 cups dried chickpeas (or 2 cans chickpeas)
water
1 onions, diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 large bunch fresh spinach
2 bouillon cubes (chicken or vegetable)
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions-

If using dried chickpeas, rinse and pick out any bad-looking peas. Put into a pot and cover with water; let sit overnight.*
Drain chickpeas, put into slow cooker. Add water to about 1 inch above peas, and add bouillon. Cook on high for 2-3 hours.
Dice onions, cook on medium high in olive oil. As they turn translucent, add tomato paste and mix together well. Cook another 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat.
Add onion/oil/tomato paste mix to slow cooker, cook another 1-3 hours on high (until peas are easy to smush with a spoon; it took my batch the full 3 hours).
De-stem and wash VERY WELL the spinach to remove all grit. Add to slow cooker and cook on high 1 hour.
Mix softened spinach into peas and turn cooker to low. Cook another 1-3 hours, depending on how mushy you like your chick peas and spinach.

My kids loved this, and even ate the turnips and carrots from the previous recipe when I mashed everything together to a mashed potato consistency. Anything that gets them to eat veggies other than the potato I count as a huge success!

Cranberry-Orange-Apricot Coffee Cake

2008-09-29T13:02:00.003-04:00

I am a big fan of baking from mixes. They fast, they're easy, you can buy a bunch when they go on sale and then you're prepared for every last-minute dinner invite, school function, or work social event.

I also love starting from a box mix and adding in some ingredients to make it unique--and often a little more healthy!

Here's what I did, starting with Krusteaz's Fat-Free Cranberry Orange Muffin mix.

Prepare mix as directed, but before adding the cranberries, add:

1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup quick-cooking oatmeal ("quick oats")
1/2 cup apricot preserves

Then add the cranberries (if desired; you could leave them out if you just wanted orange-apricot flavors).

Spray a bundt pan (or loaf pan or 8"x8" baking dish) and fill with batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

It's still a "dump-and-bake" cake, but adding oatmeal and wheat germ really cuts the sweetness, making it more palatable for a coffee cake, and makes it overall a healthier treat. Baking in a bundt pan gives it a nice brown, almost crisp, crust, which contrasts nicely with the moistness of the apricot preserves.

New Mexico Baked Corn

2008-08-28T08:33:00.003-04:00

I was given the original recipe from an old friend of my mother's who lived in New Mexico for many, many years (as did my parents). With a little experimentation, I lightened up the recipe a bit. It's just under 200 calories per serving, so not exactly "diet" fare, but it's a great vehicle for sneaking in some extra veggies. I used a can of green beans, but you could use pretty much anything, as the baking time is sufficient to cook even broccoli or carrots. Plus, the creamy cheese and heat of the green chilis help disguise the veggies for those small ones who might be a bit hesitant to chow down otherwise!

This recipe can also be made vegan by using soy cheese and egg replacer instead of the eggs; the creamed corn is sufficient by itself to bind the ingredients for baking.

New Mexico Baked Corn

Yield: 8 servings
Temperature 375 and 325

2 beaten eggs
4 cups cream style corn
3/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup chopped green chili*
1/2 pound graded sharp cheddar cheese, low-fat
2 cups canned green beans

*green chili is optional, this amount makes the recipe just slightly spicy, could use more or less to suit your family's taste!

1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour into a greased 2 quart casserole dish.

2. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes then lower the temperature to 325 degrees and bake for an addition 30-45 minutes.

Nutrition Facts
Recipe Serves 8 people

Amount per Serving--
Calories 198
Calories from Fat 83

Total Fat 10.63g
Saturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5g

Cholesterol 63.75mg

Sodium 619.69mg

Total Carbohydrate 10.66g
Dietary Fiber 1.47g
Sugars 2.97g

Protein 11.53g

Vitamin A 12.5
Vitamin C 2.13
Calcium 1.38
Iron 3.19

Est. Percent of Calories from:
Fat 48.3%
Carbs 21.5%
Protein 23.3%

Eggplant Lasagna

2008-06-24T08:51:00.004-04:00

I experimented with some yummy vegetables this weekend, and came up with this low-fat, low-calorie lasagna. While most lasagnas end up somewhere between 350-600 calories per serving, this no-meat version is only 163 calories per serving! The eggplant, once baked in the lasagna, does an admirable job of replacing the creamy texture of ricotta cheese, and the fresh basil helps give this dish a garden-fresh taste. You could probably find some delicious eggplant and basil in a farmer's market, but to test how simple I could make this recipe I just used what was at my local supermarket.

If you try this recipe out, I'd love to hear how it turns out!

Happy Cooking,
Breana

Ingredients:
1.5 cups crushed canned Tomatoes
1 medium Eggplant
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, part-skim, shredded
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
.5 cups Basil, Fresh (about 1 bunch, or 10 leaves)
1 serving Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles (about 3 noodles)

Instructions:
Instructions:
Cook the noodles (3 noodles) in a large pot of boiling, salted water for 8 minutes, or until al dente. Drain from water and set aside to cool.

While noddles are cooking, slice eggplant lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick strips. Saute in cooking spray (Pam) until just softened and slightly brown.

Rinse basil leaves, remove stems, shred leaves gently by hand.

Light spray inside of a loaf pan baking dish with cooking spray.

Cut (with kitchen shears) 1 noodle into 3 sections, place on the bottom of the loaf pan. (NOTE: cutting the noodles is necessary to make them fit into a standard loaf pan. If you are using a square baking dish, cut only if needed to fit the dish you are using.)

Layer noodle with 1/2 cup of crushed tomatoes, 1 layer of the cooked eggplant, 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 of the basil. Add another layer of noodles, 1/2 cup of crushed tomatoes, 1 layer of the cooked eggplant, 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, and the other 1/2 of the basil. Finish with a final layer of noodles, last 1/3 cup of mozzarella, and sprinkle the Parmesan (or grated fresh Peccorino Romano) over the top.

Bake, uncovered, in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes.

Enjoy!

I made this recipe in a loaf pan, planning on only 4 servings, but you could easily scale this up for more servings and use a larger baking dish. Cooking time would remain the same.

Nutrition Facts
Recipe Serves 4 people

Amount per Serving

Calories 163

Calories from Fat 64

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 6.91g

11%

Saturated Fat 4.25g

21%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.06g

Cholesterol 1.25mg

Sodium 293.75mg

12%

Potassium 181.13mg

Total Carbohydrate 12.61g

Dietary Fiber 3.11g

12%

Sugars 0.48g

Protein 11.95g

24%

Vitamin A	11.25
Vitamin C	8.38
Calcium	16
Iron	7.63
Vitamin E	0.21
Thiamin (B1)	5.03
Riboflavin (B2)	1.03
Niacin (B3)	3.14
Vitamin B6	3.94
Phosphorus	17.25
Magnesium	14.25
Panthothenic Acid	0.17
Zinc	1.22
Manganese	0.19

Est. Percent of Calories from:
Fat 38.2%
Carbs 30.9%
Protein 29.3%

Light Lemonade Pie

2008-06-09T12:52:00.004-04:00

I was searching for a recipe for zucchini "spaghetti" and stumbled upon this recipe for Frozen Lemonade Pie. It sounded delicious, so I decided to put the ingredients in to my handy Weight Watchers points calculator to see how much damage I'd be doing...

Original Ingredients:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (20 points)
1/4 cup sugar (4 points)
7 tablespoons butter, melted (21 points)
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk, chilled (33 points)
1 (12 ounce) container whipped topping, thawed (23.5 points)
1 (6 fluid ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, keep frozen (6 points)

Having 1 slice equal to about 1/8 of the pie gives you a whopping 13 points per serving! Way, way, way too many points for me. With a little re-working, I came up with this recipe:

1 (14 ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk, chilled (22 points)
1 (12 ounce) container fat-free whipped topping, thawed (12 points)
1 (6 fluid ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, keep frozen (6 points)

Without the crust, and using fat-free versions of the condensed milk and whipped topping, brings the points total down to 5 per slice. Still a little high, but well within safe limits for a special treat.

Directions for how to make Breana's Light Lemonade Pie:
Gently fold together the fat-free sweetened condensed milk and fat-free whipped topping. Slowly add frozen lemonade concentrate. Pour into 8 ramekins (individual serving dishes) and freeze overnight. Enjoy!

Weight Loss Tracking

2008-06-04T12:01:00.008-04:00

Let's say you start out at X weight. And you want to get down to X-33 pounds (but would happily settle for X-28 pounds, really, and call yourself one lucky hot mom). What the best way to do it? Well, after 18 months of trial, I can conclude that systematically NOT engaging in any sort of exercise and NOT keeping track of what you eat does not work. There, I took one for the team, and now you all know that doing nothing does not equal magical weight loss.

So, although I'm sure there's a billion different ways to do it, here are two that I am currently using...

Yes, the big Kahuna, Weight Watchers (WW). I'm doing this because my sister, my mom, and my dad are all doing it with me! It cost us about $60 for the first 3 months; I think it's around $16 per month after that. We all really, really are liking using their online Points tracker system. It's definitely gotten me to think more realistically about how much of something I can eat, and what I ought to just avoid because I don't really like it enough to justify the Points.

The Daily Plate (DP) is a calorie-counting program (also tracks, fat, protein, and other things) rather than a Points-counting program, and so the process is a little more transparent than using WW. It's also free, which will make a big difference over the long run!

The Basics

Both programs let you search for foods from a variety of vendors, from various grocery stores to restaurants. In my, albeit limited, experience, DP might have a slight edge on the volume of different options in terms of specific brands of an item (like ice cream).
Both sites also let you enter in your own recipes; WW then automatically calculates the Points value for the recipe, and DP the caloric and other nutritional information.
Only DP lets you browse from foods and recipes added by other users--so, for instance, if your area has a specific mom & pop store that you always buy your ice cream from, if someone else in your area has already added that store into the system, then all you have to do is search for it. With WW you can only see their library of foods and recipes plus the specific item your personally have added. This is a major downfall for us, because if we (my parents, sister, and I) all eat something together, we have to each add the ingredients in separately. With DP, only one of us has to add it, and then the rest of us can search for it to add to our own counters.
Both sites also have activity trackers, where you track all your exercise for the day. Again, DPs is slightly more robust and allows more options. For example my regular exercise is classified as "walking, on a treadmill, at 3 to 5 miles per hour"in the WW system, and I enter in the minutes and the system assigns a point value (1 point for 10-29 minutes, 2 for 30-49 minutes, 3 for 50-? minutes...that's as high as I've ever gotten!). DP, on the other hand, lets you choose the exact speed (3.5 mph), minutes, and you have the option of entering the distance walked and your heart rate, and then it calculates calories burned. It's just another layer of detail that may or may not really be necessary, depending on how detailed you like to track your progress!

One bonus to WW is that it's easier to remember the Point value of something than the calorie count, and easier--for me at least--to keep in my head that I have 22 points to eat each day instead of 1250 calories. It all amounts to the same thing, but the math is easier! Another bonus for me is that you do have to pay for WW, so I am more apt to stick with it because I've already paid for it and don't want to waste my money.

For me, I think I'll stick with WW for the three-month trial period, by which time I should be at my goal weight anyway (fingers crossed), and then I'll have to re-evaluate to see if I need to stay with WW or just switch over to DP, or if I'm confident that my eating habits have changed enough that I can just do it all in my head.

What are your great weight-loss plans?

Summertime! And the livin' is....

2008-06-03T08:41:00.004-04:00

Well, it's just not so easy, is it? With gasoline hitting $4.00 a gallon, prices for everything from milk to rice creeping up and up--and home prices creeping ever further down...well, it's no surprise that the only thing our yet-to-arrive economic stimulus check will stimulate is our credit card debt!

What are you not doing this summer?

We're not going to my husband's sister's wedding in Turkey. We're not looking into pre-school for our 3 year old. We're not buying mother's day/father's day/birthday gifts for each other.

What we are doing is lots of gardening; I plant the flowers and they try to pick them. We always do lots of cooking, only now it's more experimenting with fresh vegetables and making things from scratch and less boxed mixes of pumpkin bread and cakes. (My summer diet plans might have something to do with this as well!) Through a confluence of lucky timing, I started a new job only 2 miles from home, rather than 10 miles from home. Every little bit helps, right?

Spendy Babies!

2008-04-14T14:42:00.003-04:00

In reading a recent article (Million Dollar Babies, by Pamela Paul), I was struck--shocked, really--by this advice: "Most financial advisers urge parents to set aside a minimum of $1,000 per child a month" for college savings.

Have you all gotten back up in your chairs yet?

And yet, when I zipped over to the College Board's handy tuition savings calculator, I was astounded to see that, in order to pay for basic in-state tuition at a state school for a kid starting college in 15 years, I should be saving over $400 a month right now. For #2, starting college in 17 years, I should be saving $400 a month. That's $800 a month I should be saving right now for college.

I don't know if I should be laughing or crying right now...

Wherefore art thou, 2008?

2008-04-09T12:13:00.001-04:00

It's April already! I can't believe it! Where is 2008 going? Well, that's a good question on a larger, deeper level, but what I really mean is, where is the time flying? Seriously. I have so many ideas for new posts, so many drafts waiting to be posted...and here it is, weeks without anything new. Sigh. If anyone is reading, my apologies! I'll try to get some of my posts out there over the next couple days.

New York, New York!

2008-04-09T08:34:00.006-04:00

A recent family trip to New York city (thank you, work-sponsored conference!) leaves me with a few quick tips to share. At teh outset I was so nervous about taking the whole family--I was sure that no one would sleep, we'd be thrown out of restaurants for rowdy behavior, we'd all be exhausted the whole time...I could not have been more wrong. It was a dream trip in pretty much every way, although I think probably 90% of the success is due to where we stayed--never underestimate the importance of a good night's sleep for keeping everyone happy!

Where to Stay:
We stayed in the Beacon Hotel (Broadway & 75th, Upper West Side) for a little over $1,000 (including all room taxes & fees) for 3 nights in a one-bedroom suite. With two double beds in the bedroom and a pull-out sofa bed in the living room, plus a nice travel crib from the hotel (free!), we were able to fit my husband and I, our 3 year old, our 18 month old, and my parents, easily. We were in easy walking distance of several playgrounds, Central Park, the Natural History Museum, and other sights. The staff was helpful and nice, but the best part was tucking the kids into bed, leaving gramma and grampa in the living room, and mommy and daddy taking off to have coffee and dessert in a near-by coffee shop. Alone! An actual date! We did this twice, equaling more dates in one week than we'd had in the entire previous year. The room also had a kitchen with an apartment-sized stove (oven and range top), microwave, sink, and refrigerator. All this for $280-300 a night! (Different rates on different nights). I was amazed.

Across the street from the hotel was a large market, with the upstairs serving food all day. We had a reasonable breakfast there one day, and were able to pick up snacks, sugar, etc. when we needed something. Next door was a diner-type place; we had two breakfasts there and they were great with the kids.

Gear You Need:
We took two, cheapo umbrella strollers. With 4 and sometimes 5 adults, we figured we could more easily take turns pushing than want to mess around with a double stroller. Even our $10 consignment sale strollers held up fine over lots of walking on uneven terrain, except at the very end when one of the wheels came off (but we were traversing the cobblestones down around the bull statue at Wall Street, so I think that was pushing our luck!)

We borrowed a hotel crib and took our pack-n-play (we drove up and had enough room in our van for it) and although our 3 year old has a toddler bed at home, he slept just fine in the crib.

Happy travels!

2008-02-26T14:08:00.000-05:00

Did you know that 2008 is a Leap Year? I'm sure you did. I'm sure you are much more aware of these things than I am...on whom it only just dawned that, hey, this Friday is the 29th of February!!

From www.dc-baby.com comes a fun activity for kids at the National Geographic Museum (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/museum/)

"How fun is this? To mark Leap Day 2008, the NGS in DC will host a FREE event for kids of all ages:

Celebrate Leap Day at the National Geographic Museum exhibit "Frogs! A Chorus of Colors" this Friday, February 29. The exhibition features more than 150 live frogs from 15 species, each in custom environments that match their natural habitats.

Show-and-tell presentations at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. with the exhibit's frog handler will allow Leap Day visitors the chance to get up close and personal with the frogs. In between presentations, the museum will screen National Geographic Explorer's "The Last Frog," which delves into the worldwide mystery of why the frog population is declining. Visitors can also conduct a virtual frog dissection using one of the exhibit's many interactives, or win a prize in a special leaping contest."

For more info: www.nationalgeographic.com/museum/exhibitions/chorusofcolors.html

Mystery Flu!

2008-02-19T13:24:00.003-05:00

Last week my family was struck with a mystery flu. My husband came home from work, went straight to bed with a fever and terrible, uncontrollable shivers, and didn't get out of bed for 3 days. The rest of us soon followed, although, having had the flu shot, we didn't have it quite so bad.

Evidently, we aren't the only ones to be struck hard! Washington Post flu article ( and here too).

How did everyone else fare in avoiding the epidemic?

Review of the National Aquarium in Baltimore

2008-02-10T21:00:00.000-05:00

This weekend we trekked up to Baltimore to visit the National Aquarium with our almost 3 year old and 15 month old. We had a wonderful, amazing time, and I highly recommend visiting. The building is beautiful, and well laid-out. Everything is extremely kid-friendly, even for very wee ones. Glass walls all the way to the floor enclose many of the tanks, and the smaller exhibits all have a convenient ledge running along the wall in front of them that let even our 15 month old see most everything on her own--a big plus for parents' backs!

COST:
Prices ranged from $21.95 ($12.95 for kids age 3-11) for admission to the aquarium only, up to $28.95 ($17.95) for admission to the aquarium, the dolphin show, and the "4D Immersion Theatre" show. We splurged (thanks, gramma and grampa!) on the whole shebang. Luckily, kids under 3 get in free!

TIMING:
Their website offers some helpful hints on when to visit and when to stay away. We were there by 11am on a winter Sunday of a non-holiday weekend, and although most of our visit we got to see everything quickly, by 2pm it was still getting a bit crowded. I wouldn't even want to try going in the summer or during school holidays; a weekday morning would probably be ideal.

WHAT TO SEE:
The dolphin show! Okay, so it's really the same corny dolphin show that you could see anywhere. But they are just so darn cute! Plus, it's indoors, so it was great fun for a winter afternoon, and the views of the dolphins--above and below the water--were spectacular.

The rainforest habitat, complete with birds and monkeys in addition to the fish and turtles, is fun and, um, toasty warm. So dress in layers.

The best part was the simple stuff--the open tanks with sting and manta rays, and one giant sea turtle gliding serenely by. The large shark tanks; I never knew that sharks were so bug-eyed when not in "attack" state. The many countless smaller tanks featuring thousands of varieties of fish and other sea, ocean, river, marsh, and swamp creatures. Really, it was all stunning.

WHAT TO AVOID:
The "4D Immersion Theatre" show. It ended up being about 15-20 minutes taken from the Planet Earth "Shallow Waters" episode. While I whole-heartedly endorse Planet Earth as the awesomest thing I've ever seen on television, since I'd already seen all the footage, this show was nothing new. The film is shown in 3D, with the special glasses and all. However (and correct me if I'm wrong on the science) but since it wasn't originally shot in 3D footage, the 3D-ness of the film was barely noticeable. What was noticeable was the "4D" part: without giving all the secrets away, let me just say that special effects involving water squirting, air blowing, and seats vibrating gave the kids in the audience plenty to scream about. While this might be a hit with your 8 year old, it definitely was not a hit with the little ones! So, be warned, this show's special effects are S-C-A-R-Y for kids under 8 or so. And I wasn't so impressed with them myself (how many times can water squirting your face still be considered amusing, really?)

FOOD:
We visited the cafe on the bottom floor, right outside the dolphin show, called Frog Cafe. We sampled their french fries, grilled chicken sandwich and mini cheese pizza. The fries, thick cut and seasoned, were simply outstanding. The grilled chicken was lackluster on a limp, un-toasted bun, and the mini pizza was overpowered by sauce, but was otherwise fine. All told it was fine for speedy food to shore up the waning energy of our toddlers, but there are so many other eating options in the harbor that I'd recommend waiting to eat until after you leave.

(We sprinted in the cold over to the Phillips Seafood Restaurant in the Harborplace Light Street pavillion; the wait there was a too-long 30 minutes, so we opted for crab cake, shrimp, and fish baskets at the Phillips Seafood Express, right next door. It was all cooked fresh, and ranged from $8 to $12 a basket. Delicious! Highly recommend the crab cake sandwich ($12).)

OTHER TIDBITS:
Strollers are not allowed! Somehow our trip planner missed this information on the website, so we arrived with a huge diaper bag and 2 umbrella strollers. We had to check the strollers at the entrance (for free, happily) and also left our coats. They have framed kid backpack carriers and soft front carriers for patron use, which was a nice touch. We opted to let our kids walk, and they did just fine.

Overall, we had a wonderful time, and I'm sure the kids will be talking about it for weeks to come!

A Lesson Learned...(mommy missed bedtime!)

2008-02-08T23:11:00.001-05:00

This article cross-posted on DC Urban Moms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I learned an important lesson this week. My husband is a parent too.

Okay, I'm exaggerating. My husband is actually a great parent. A wonderful parent. He adores the kids and they adore him. But, after a year of intensive home renovations, it had gotten to the point where I felt like I was parenting solo. Many nights he would get home from work with a quick kiss for us and then disappear into the construction zone. Sometimes he would come back in for a quick dinner only to disappear again, sometimes he'd just pop his head back in for a goodnight kiss. Now, some of you may be thinking, what's the big deal? Allow me to respond: no daddy from the hours of 5pm to 8pm? Prime dinner, bath, and bed-time? With two toddlers? Do you now have teenagers and just not remember what 7pm is like for a 2 year old?

I know he didn't enjoy the disappearing act. It's not like he was off with "the guys." Poor guy doesn't even have "guys"! And it was all hard, physical labor that he was doing. But let me tell you, dinnertime, baths, wrestling wriggling babies into pyjamas, and getting them off to bed, well, that's hard physical labor too. In the end, though, the hardest part was knowing that he was missing out on it. I was the one who knew the songs. I knew the way to rock our son, the way to rub our daughter's back, how warm the bath needed to be and who got the pink bear and who got the blue bunny to snuggle. And on the rare evenings when daddy was too exhausted to work, the kids wanted their normal routine. They wanted mommy to get their milk, not daddy. Mommy to cut the dinosaur chicken, not daddy. He never has let on if that have bothered them, but I could only imagine how I would feel. But what could we do? The work, once begun, had to be completed. Our unfinished addition weighed heavier and heavier on our minds and finances.

Then, one day, it was done. Finished. After months and months--over a year of actual, ongoing construction--the floors were in and walls were painted and the toilets were flushable. So we moved into our new house, with a little pink bedroom for our girl and a little blue bedroom for our boy, and even, luxury of luxuries, a playroom! (Green.) Even better, the work was done. Free evenings stretched before us, evenings where we could all enjoy dinner together, play together, put the kids to bed together.

We have begun a new routine. After dinner we all head upstairs. We let the babies run around naked in the playroom, finally happy to have a room in our house warm enough to be naked in. I rock and cuddle our baby girl while daddy and our big boy lay on the bed in his new big boy bedroom, looking out the windows at all the neighbors' houses and making up stories. When I come in the room, I am most often told, "Go away mommy, daddy and I are busy talking!" Music to my ears! So we all lay down and talk a bit, and then eventually I rock our son and he goes happily into his crib.

Still, though, I am the master of the routine. I control the timing, when there's been enough naked running around, when it really is time to get in bed and say goodnight. Mommy still does the rocking. Until this week, when an evening commitment kept me later than anticipated; despite my promises to be home for bedtime, it was after 8:30 before I was home. In my head, I played out the scene: kids would be wired up from spending the evening with daddy, they wouldn't be in their pyjamas, they'd probably all be snuggled on the couch having a tickle fight or watching too much TV. And I was fine with that--it was my first evening away since our daughter, now almost one and a half, was born. I was prepared for the chaos. And then, to my surprise, the house was silent. Nary a peep. Figuring they were up in the playroom, and that daddy was just waiting for me to step in and save him, I headed upstairs. Silence. Lights off, doors shut. I checked the bathrooms, thinking that perhaps they were all watching daddy go potty. You know how fascinating that can be, and yet, no one. Then my husband, my dear, sainted husband, comes out of our daughter's bedroom, empty bottle in hand. Both the little angels were sound asleep. Mommy had entirely missed bedtime.

Mommy missed bedtime.

And, the world didn't end. No one even fussed very much. There was hardly even a perfunctory "Where's mommy?" from either of them. Daddy did it all, all by himself. Now, when we woke up the next morning they had the wrong bears and different blankets and not their usual pyjamas, and he hadn't raised the drop side of our son's crib. (Seriously, the boy is nearly three; if he had any desire to climb out of the crib, side dropped or no, he'd have done it long ago. He's never even tried when the side has been down. So I wasn't too worried.)

Now, did he love it? Well, he maybe doesn't want to make it the new routine, but he honestly didn't seemed too phased by the whole process. Although, secretly I think that he prefers that I be the director of bedtime. Still, it is a huge relief for me to know that he can handle the kids all on his own. (You may think I'm exaggerating again, but let me just tell you about a little incident when we were going to visit a family member in the hospital and I was struck with, shall we say, stomach problems. The kids were all ready to go, and I'm camping out in the bathroom, and he asks, "Should I take one of the kids with me?" Meaning, honey, you can't even get off the toilet, but can I leave both the kids with you? I told him that they all needed to go, and his horrified look was priceless. Well, priceless now. Then, doing some bodily harm was really the focus of my concentration.)

So, what did I learn? Come home late and see what has transpired? No, wait...force your husband to do more around the house, the lazy sot? No, not that either...ah, yes. Let your partner do it their way. As in everything else, if you want it done right, do it yourself; if you just want it done, gosh darn it, so you can sit down and read the paper from last week with a microwaved cup of coffee and a leftover vanilla wafer you dug out from inside the couch, let them do it however they want.

The author, did, in fact, enjoy her microwaved coffee, but swears that the leftover vanilla wafer was merely artistic license. She further categorically denies eating anything found in her couch.

Election 2008

2008-02-06T13:00:00.000-05:00

Without dipping into partisan prose, I think that parents of all political stripes can agree that a presidential election is a pretty important time for a country. I hope that you all are engaged in many (friendly) debates about where the country is, where we are headed, and who is best to take us where we want to go.

At the bottom of this page you'll find an interesting little widget, courtesy of the Washington Post, which lists all the candidates (even ones who have left the race, oddly) and links to coverage on various issues.

I actually like the functionality here better, but that doesn't seem to be the version they are letting me post here...naturally! Anyway, enjoy, and happy debating (and voting!)

For the many, or the few?

2008-01-28T14:43:00.000-05:00

The pursuit of edible lunch, article in the Baltimore Sun from 1/19/2008, writes about the campaign by 6 middle school students to have better school lunch options available to their school and 56 other schools in Baltimore.

Reading about the quality of school lunches around the country smacks me up against my almost-daily dilemma: do I agitate for better lunches for all, or focus on making my kids' food as healthy as possible by preparing bagged lunches for them? Okay, my kids aren't even in school yet. But another debate raging in my home school district about shifting the boundaries for elementary schools has brought the concern to the forefront for me, and, I'm sure, for many others. How do we balance doing what is best for all with what we feel is best for our kids? How do we wear two hats; advocating for the good of those who perhaps don't have a strong advocate in their own home while balancing our strong--even biologically undeniable--drive to get the best for our own offspring?

I know, I know that there are those who will insist that by acting for the greater good we are doing what's best for our children; that they will grow up in a world that values everyone, that the grand karmic circle will continue to cycle around and all the good that we have sown will be reaped for them. I know you might be thinking this, and in many ways I do believe it. And yet, I can't bring myself to support something that isn't in their best interests. As I mentioned before, my babies are babies still; but I know that if these school boundary talks happen 5 years from now, you may be able to convince me that it's for the best, but you damn sure won't be able to stop me from insisting, as vocally and as often as necessary, that MY children should be the exceptions.

Some Holiday Thoughts and Tidings, Part 1: The Gifts

2007-12-26T14:01:00.000-05:00

It seems inevitable, really, that the joy of the holidays leads into the pondering of the tide of toys.

My kids were blessed this year with some really awesome gifts. My son experienced love at first sight when he saw his new Buzz Lightyear doll, which has literally not left his side in 4 days (he got it early). My daughter, only 14 months, has been playing--with rather more enthusiasm than skill--on her very own harmonica and recorder. Evidently sharing big brother's instruments was a plan doomed to failure from the start. And they will share a whole host of fabulous toy tools, Little People sets, and toy trucks.

In the shower this morning, I realized something about gift-giving. My parents and my sister did an excellent job at purchasing gifts that the kids would really like. Although my husband and I didn't buy any gifts for the kids, I feel this niggling feeling that I couldn't have been as gifted, if you'll pardon a pun, in gift-buying. I feel pretty sure that I would have bought them toys that I wanted them to have, such as all-cloth dolls like these Waldolf dolls, Lily Dolls, or Groovy Dolls. Or, perhaps a lovely wooden play kitchen, like those found at Warm Biscuit or even (*gasp*) Pottery Barn. Just looking at these ads makes me wish that this was the type of childhood I could give my children.

And, I have to admit, it felt really, really good to not "do" Christmas this year. Oh, we still backed cookies (and brownies and fudge and pound cake), and even managed to give most of the goodies away as gifts. And I still bought a few gifts, albeit extremely frugally. But I went into the season knowing that my husband and I weren't exchanging gifts and that we weren't buying the kids anything either. It was such a relief! No hours spent shopping! No trying to wrap presents in the hour free each evening after the kids are asleep! (And no attendant wrapping-paper guilt.)

I've always been a stressed-out giver of gifts. I just can't shake that voice that wonders, Is this what they wanted? Did I spend too much money? Not enough? Should I have given this instead? Maybe if I just try one more store...

And then I married a non-Christian, whose religious holidays revolve around getting the family together, eating a huge meal, and often giving to those less fortunate. (Except for that little matter of Kurban Bayramı, or the Silence of the Lambs, as my not-so-PC father likes to tease my husband.) Overall, like Christmas should be, no? So I think we'll enjoy our "gift-light" holidays for a while. It may not be for everyone, but it certainly gave me the extra time and energy to think about the real focus of the season. Cookies. Oh, wait, sorry, that slipped out in my post-holiday sugar buzz. I meant to type, love.

Fun Holiday Treats!

2007-12-10T10:08:00.000-05:00

There are a blue million sources out there for how to make delicious, beautiful, perfectly-Martha holiday goodies. In my pre-kid life I would make several different types of cookies and other treats, all beautifully packaged, to give to co-workers, friends, and neighbors. Now, although I clip recipes to my heart's content, with 2 toddlers I somehow never get around to making the gingerbread house from scratch, or the 10 layer holiday trifle. Oh, how the mighty holiday treat standards have fallen!

Now, I have a new secret. Boxed quick bread mixes. Oh, scoff all you want, ye of the made-from-scratch-is-best camp. If it's a choice between pumpkin bread from a box or not at all, I know which one I'd choose.

I've had a lot of luck with the Pillsbury brand mixes--they always seem to turn out nice and moist, and are all delicious. I wait until they are $2 per box or less, and then I stock up. I use mini-bread pans and make a couple batches at a time, then just wrap in colored cellophane, tie with a pretty ribbon, and, voila! Holiday presents for everyone!

You can dress them up by adding chopped nuts, raisins, dried cranberries, chocolate chips, shredded coconut (all into the mix just prior to backing) or with a dusting of powdered sugar or drizzle of icing (after they've baked!).

As far as being kid-friendly, I've found that it's MUCH easier to make several mini-loaves at once than to try to make cookies--that's just too much time with the oven opening and closing, and too many large, hot cookie tins laying about, for tiny fingers. My son had a blast this weekend helping mix the batter, and although quick breads are fairly high in calories and sugar (130 calories and 15 g sugar for one serving of the pumpkin bread, for example), they are no worse than the sugar cookies and fudge everyone else is making!

You can keep a couple loaves on hand (even frozen) as an emergency you just stopped by with a gift for me and I have nothing for you gift, but since they are so fast to mix up, if someone pops by for a surprise visit it's easy enough to mix, pop in the oven, and by the time the coffee's perked and the tea is steeped the bread will be nearly done.

Happy Baking to you and yours!

Shrek the Halls!

2007-12-10T09:55:00.000-05:00

If you are fans of Shrek, this 30 minute short film, "Shrek theHalls," is hilarious. It aired first about a week and a half ago, andI recorded it. We've watched it probably every day of the past weekand a half, and I'm still laughing every time. It's replaying tomorrow, Tuesday, December 11 at 8pm, on ABC.

One warning--I forgot to pre-screen, and my son was a little scared at one part of the story. About half-way through three of the characters tell their version of the "Night Before Christmas" story; first Donkey, then Puss, then Gingy, the Gingerbread cookie. Gingy's story is about how Christmas is a "nightmare" and depicts Gingy's girlfriend's head being eaten by a gigantic Santa Claus. Although really funny for adults, the music, lighting, and screams of the cookies make this short section too scary for small children. It only lasts about 30 seconds, so a quick fast-forward should move you past this scene. As a comparison, my son requests that we skip the Santa scene here but still happily watches the rest. He was too scared after the first 30 seconds of the old traditional Rudolph movie (the snow? the music? the old-fashioned animation?) and didn't last much longer for the Charlie Brown Christmas ("he's too sad, mama, is he missing his mommy and daddy?"), so my son might just be on the sensitive side! The rest of the "Shrek" short is not scary at all, but does include typical Shrek humor.

More info: http://abc.go.com/specials/shrekthehalls.html

Happy watching!

Take Action Against Dangerous Toys!

2007-11-13T14:53:00.000-05:00

Allow me to jump on the "no lead paint!" bandwagon...

We've all heard the 80% statistic--that 80% of toys sold in the U.S. are made in China. After reading here about how the Consumer Product Safety Commission (the organization "charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction.") has only one full-time employee responsible for testing toys. No, seriously. Just one.

After reading just a few scary statistics, I zipped over the to the Consumer's Union Action Fund's handy automatic letter-writer to send an email to my House and Senate representatives. It was quick, painless, and I urge you to do the same! Click here to email your representatives.

Better School Food

2007-10-17T08:18:00.000-04:00

Although my own kids are not yet school-age, I've always been interested in trying to figure out how to provide kids with healthier food at school. Perhaps because I remember all too well being 12 and using my lunch money to buy a cup of lemonade and two nutter-butters for lunch!

One organization, Better School Food, is working to bring healthier lunch options to school across the country. Below is their "Top 10" list of changes we should make to ensure that all kids have healthier options, and can make better choices, for food at school. The organization also has a Community Action Plan (PDF) with ample statistics about childhood obesity and other health problems associated with poor diet.

1.	Eliminate All Products Containing Partially Hydrogenated Oils Trans fats increase harmful LDL cholesterol and decrease good cholesterol, which can contribute to heart disease.
2.	Eliminate High Fructose Corn Syrup High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) has a high glycemic index and converts to fat more than any other sugar. It increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, coronary heart disease, strokes, and cancer. Americans consumed on average 62.6 pounds of HFCS in 2001 according to the USDA. Many of the products on the market containing HFCS are geared towards children.
3.	Pay Attention to Portion Size Researchers have found that portion size matters as much as taste when it comes to overeating. A recent study showed that large packages and containers prompted people to eat more than the actual recommended serving size regardless of taste. These oversized packages can be especially confusing to children, who may not look at nutrition labels regarding varying portion sizes - especially worrisome because children and teenagers are getting a greater percentage of their calorie intake from snacks.
4.	Serve More Fresh Fruit & Vegetables Many U.S. school children are consuming more calories daily than needed, as well as choosing foods and snacks that are low in nutrients. In order to achieve normal growth and development of children and to reduce the risk of various chronic diseases, nutrient recommendations must be linked to keeping calories under control. With nearly 50% of the calories of children being consumed outside the home, it is imperative that schools offer nutrient-dense foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables in order to obtain the USDA daily recommendations.
5.	Support Local Farms / Set up Farm-to-School Programs Farm-to-school programs, through which locally grown foods are served and promoted, are beneficial for a number of reasons. Fruits and vegetables sourced locally are fresher, so they taste better, resulting in kids eating more of them. The purchase of locally-grown foods supports the local economy and strengthens the local food system. Farm-to-school programs allow students to learn about, as well as appreciate, the sources of the foods they eat and to understand the importance of local agriculture. Farm-to-school programs benefit the environment by cutting down on the amount of fossil fuels used to transport food from the farm to the consumer.
6.	Offer Vegetarian Options Daily As the quality of mass produced animal protein sources comes under scrutiny based on the amount of residual antibiotics, hormones, steroids and saturated fat content, vegetarian meals are wholesome options to be incorporated into school lunch on a rotating basis. Institutional foods, as purchased by many schools, may not always provide the most wholesome sources of animal protein. Vegetarian meals, not only wholesome and nutritious, also tend to be more economical, assisting the food budget.
7.	Serve More Whole Grains & Beans The body needs carbohydrates mainly for energy. The best sources of carbohydrates are whole grains because the body cannot digest them as quickly as highly processed carbohydrates. This keeps blood sugar and insulin levels from rising, then falling, too quickly. Better control of blood sugar and insulin can keep hunger at bay and may prevent the development of type 2 diabetes. Eating whole grains may also make kids feel more satisfied for a longer period of time.
8.	Discontinue Use of Poor Quality Oils Partially hydrogenated oils used for frying and food preparation, which are usually industrially processed oils such as soy, corn, cottonseed and canola, are derived from genetically modified food sources and extrapolated into oil using high heat and chemical processes, thus denaturing the oil and making it difficult to be utilized properly by the body. This phenomenon is linked to many diseases.
9.	Give Adequate Time for Students to Eat Lunch Students need adequate time to eat to meet their nutritional needs, which is essential for optimal student health and performance. Students who aren't rushed can relax, make healthier food choices, and enjoy their food more. Food served but not eaten does not contribute to nutritional health. Allowing enough time for students to eat can also prevent transient hunger that hinders attention and learning.
10.	Decrease Refined Carbohydrate Foods & Snacks Highly refined carbohydrates are rapidly absorbed into the body, much like ingesting simple sugars, resulting in a spike in glucose levels. This causes individuals to still feel hungry or to become hungrier sooner, only to consume even more food. This repetitive pattern is believed to contribute to the obesity epidemic. It also increases the risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

If I could add a #11 (or perhaps this should be #1): Drink WATER. Nothing else is as good for the body, not even milk or fruit juices, and yet too many kids--and adults--drink anything but water.

Fewer Mothers Prefer Full-time Work

2007-09-17T14:57:00.000-04:00

In a recent study of the changing attitudes of mothers, the Pew Research Organization determined that fewer mothers prefer full-time work now (2007) than did in 1997:

Among working mothers with minor children (ages 17 and under), just one-in-five (21%) say full-time work is the ideal situation for them, down from the 32% who said this back in 1997, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. Fully six-in-ten (up from 48% in 1997) of today's working mothers say part-time work would be their ideal, and another one-in-five (19%) say she would prefer not working at all outside the home.

But, really, how is this surprising? My only surprise is that a third of mothers in 1997 thought that full-time work was their ideal situation. Frankly, I'm amazed that working full-time is ANYONE's ideal situation. Be honest: if money weren't a factor; if, say, you could get paid the same for working just 4 days a week, wouldn't you jump at the chance?

Personally, I think it's the main folly of American society that we expect that our workers spend 40 hours or more a week working. Why can't the standard be a 4 day work week? In my logical analysis, the money saved over the long term because we are (1) overall healthier and saner due to working less, (2) able to work longer because we aren't burned out and desperate to retire would more than make up for having to hire extra people to cover the one day's productivity lost. In fact, I'm not convinced that there would be all that much lost productivity: I think that a happier employee with a better quality of life is going to be more productive and focused in the time they are at work, knowing that they have every Friday off, or that they get to leave the office at 3:30 instead of 5.

Image courtesy of Gotham Gazette.

Check Your Facts!

2007-08-27T09:04:00.000-04:00

No matter the slant of your political leanings, I think most of us can agree that one of the most frustrating things about being an informed citizen is knowing just how true are the various claims made by politicians of all stripes. Enter: FactCheck.org

A "nonpartisan, nonprofit, 'consumer advocate' for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics," FactCheck.Org has as it's mission to "monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases." Part of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, FactCheck accepts no funding from business corporations, labor unions, political parties, lobbying organizations or individuals. Whahoo! Talk about truth in advertising!

Informal Poll of TV Habits

2007-08-21T10:59:00.000-04:00

Of late, the admittedly engaging theme songs to Little Einsteins and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse have gotten a lot of play in our house. Not only do I know all the words, I've even given command performances. We know all the characters by name, my son jumping up and down on the couch and shouting, "Donald! Daisy! Goofy! Minnie! Mickey! THAT'S ME!" in time with the music. He pats along with June, Quincy, Annie, and Leo like a pro. Even my hands-free headset has a name: Rocket, of course. (Pretty clever, I must say.)

So, when Lisa Guernsey wrote a New York Times Op-Ed about the Baby Einstein videos that claim to make your children smarter (more precisely, "our products are designed to encourage discovery and inspire new ways for parents and little ones to interact."), I was interested in finding out what other parents in my community were doing with the whole TV-and-children issue.

In my very informal poll of children's TV-watching habits among DC Metro area parents (all members of DCUM), I was sure that everyone else would have much better TV management skills than I did. As it turns out, we're all in much the same boat, which really should be no surprise. Although I anticipated that there would be more parents who have banned TV, I found that of the small sampling (~40) of respondents, they were pretty evenly split.

No TV at all	8
No TV until age 1	2
No TV until age 2	8
1-2 hrs/wk	3
Less than 1hr/day	5
About 1 hr/day	10
1-2 hrs/day	5

Shows most often watched include

Blues Clues
Wonder Pets
Wiggles
Jack's Music Show
Little Einsteins
Barney
Thomas the Tank Engine
Dora the Explorer
Bear in the Big Blue House
Caillou
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Baby Einstein videos
HBO Special Classical Baby ("Winner of a Peabody Award and three Emmy® Awards and ingeniously designed to introduce young children to masterpieces of classical music, painting and dance, Classical Baby is a creative kaleidoscope of color, motion and music, played out in an accessible, comforting format.")

Channels:

What's Wrong with TV?

Despite all the press about how bad TV watching is for language development, that wasn’t the primary concern cited (perhaps because it’s the most obvious one). What was mentioned by several parents was the desire to protect kids from advertising as well as from the content of TV shows.

We're in the "no TV at home at all" camp…we are trying very hard to keep him away from all of the heavy marketing/ advertising/ character-mindset associated with kid's shows. More than the TV stupor, we're trying to keep him away from the "I want this" whining that results from the mind numbing advertising prowess of these kid's marketing machines.

The main rule we have is that he does not watch TV alone in the room. One of us is there to point out things that we disagree with or are factually wrong to try to convey the idea of not passively accepting everything the TV tells him, and to skip the parts that he finds scary or bothersome.

One mom who felt that the TV watching was getting out of control (up to 3 hours a day) canceled their cable: It has made huge difference in our home...The battles are significantly reduced and I feel less overwhelmed by all the noise and chaos at home.

One note I found particularly insightful comment was from a mom who wondered what TV was taking the place of:

What I think about when I think about TV is, What are my kids NOT doing if they are watching TV? Not playing, not building, not practicing an instrument, not cooking, not looking at books (not fighting with each other!!)

When and Where?

The most common times for TV-watching were getting ready in the morning and preparing dinner in the evening. Some parents said that their children only watched DVDs in the car, or only watched at their grandparents’ house or friends’ houses.

Numerous people wrote about their disappointment that videos and TV are used at daycares, camps and at school.

I don't mind a VERY occasional use of a video (i.e., bad weather days or as a special treat), but in my mind, preschools or camps for children are not the place for TV watching. Good places don't need to resort to their use.

I have to confess, I was so surprised to find out that it was common for TV-watching to be a school activity! For young children, isn’t the point of pre-school that they are getting social interaction, learning experiences, new activities…heck, if I want them to watch TV, they can stay home and do that! I guess we should all be grateful they aren’t watching A Christmas Story like we did every December.

What's Good About TV?

One respondent thoughtfully noted:

It’s hard when we live in a world where we can't necessarily let our kids out to play without us either organizing a playdate or else just letting them roam the neighborhood for fear of abduction or danger. TV seems a much safer alternative.

I hadn't thought of TV-watching in quite this light, but it's so true. I know that when I was young we would always be somewhere up the street, with the neighborhood kids, in someone's yard or playing on the sidewalks in front of our houses. I'm sure my mom had at least a general idea of where we were and who we were with, but for me, the thought of letting my kids play outside without my eyes on them at all times is just too scary. Am I alone in this neurosis? Are there people--and places--out there who let their children roam the neighborhood?

Lessons Learned

In the end, I thought these two responses sum up both sides quite nicely:

We have limited time together, and none of us really want to spend it in front of a television.

I think this is yet another area of parenting where most of us have some "ideal" notion in our heads that we should be spending every waking moment being "perfect" parents (whatever that is) and stimulating/educating/spending "quality" time with our kids.

In our family, the TV is definitely a morning-rush and dinnertime activity. Since daddy is on morning duty, and I’m always so relieved that it’s not me that has to get everyone ready and out the door, I’m not even going to suggest that he leave the TV off then! (I know it’s only maybe 15-20 minutes of Baby Einstein or Mickey Mouse, anyway). Dinnertime is my purview, however…lately I’ve been setting up my toddler with his own bowls and spoon on a chair at the counter so he can mix and stir (and turn the lights on and off!) to his heart’s content. Our little one is usually demanding to be in the middle of the activity, so a doorway jumper keeps her active, contained, and happy. We all help mommy cook, we sing songs (last night it was 50 rounds of “I’m a Happy Helper!”), and we’re all together.

A huge thank you to everyone who responded to the poll!!

More Information:

American Academy of Pediatrics' Recommendations.

Georgetown University's Early Learning Project.

Lisa Guernsey, who wrote the New York Time Op-Ed that inspired the poll.

Happy Kids! (Or are they?)

2007-08-20T13:22:00.000-04:00

The Associated Press and MTV conducted a poll of 1,280 people ages 13-24 and determined that kids love their parents. Okay, I over-simplify. But in response to the open-ended question, "What makes you happy?" the most common answer was their parents. What great news! Right?

Of course, what the AP article doesn't clearly state is that while 49% of teens said that their relationship with their family made them "very happy," a full 61% said that "listening to music" also made them "very happy." So, are they happier with music than their family?

Also glossed over is the statistic that 58% of those polled said that "the way things are in the world" made them either somewhat or very unhappy. Only 15% said they where somewhat or very happy with the state of the world. To me, that sounds like a lot of young adults who are dissatisfied with the world they soon will be inheriting...

One thing that is so frustrating with these types of polls is that they take a sampling (less than 1,300) of kids, ask them a bunch (100) of different questions and then someone somewhere along the line between the people conducting the research and the reporters reporting on it decides which "research" findings they want to publicize. And, folks, that's all we see--what someone else has decided is important. Now, as someone who works in education research, I fully understand that it's not always easy, possible, or even desirable to publish the full text of questions asked, how the responses are analyzed, or what conclusions can be drawn. But as a discerning consumer of information, this poll just leaves me wanting to know more. Who are these 1,280 kids? Are they truly a representative sample of kids across the U.S.? Good research practices would dictate that they are, but without more information, we just have to trust that this poll, and the news article written from it, is giving us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

As it happens, I know of a far superior research study into the true happiness of kids today that provides relevant, real-time data reporting personalized to your specific socio-economic, cultural, and geographic background: just ask them yourself. I hear that works wonders.

Graphic from: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070820/ap_on_re_us/youth_poll_happiness

Menemen: Tomato and Egg Scramble, Turkish-Style

2007-08-18T10:17:00.000-04:00

This is a delicious twist on scrambled eggs. While it may seem odd to have a breakfast centered around tomatoes, it's really quite good, easy to prepare, and a wonderful way to use slightly mushy tomatoes ("seconds") you can get for quite cheap at a Farmer's Market this time of year.

1 large tomato per person, chopped (for 4 people, 4 large tomatoes, 6 medium, etc.)
1 egg for every 2 tomatoes (so, for 4 people, 2 eggs)
1 pepper*, chopped (optional)
1/2 medium onion, chopped (optional)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 pats butter
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
Salt
Pepper

*cubanelle (or banana, or green, or pretty much any variety)

Place the olive oil, butter, onion and pepper in a large, deep frying pan. Cook for about 2 minutes on medium-high heat, or until onion is translucent and peppers are soft. Then add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mix the eggs in a bowl, and pour into the pan (or, crack eggs directly into pan, then fish out bits of shell that fell in). Keep stirring periodically until the eggs are done: should only be 2 minutes or so, or it will overcook and get dry and rubbery, which is never a good thing.

Serve with toast to soak up the juicy tomato goodness. Add a small dish of black olives, a hunk of feta cheese, a few slices of lightly browned Turkish sausage (Sucuk), and you have a lovely, traditional Turkish breakfast!

Edited: Picture courtesy of Binnur's Turkish Cookbook.

Spicy Chicken Tian

2007-08-17T07:26:00.000-04:00

A Tian is both the type of earthenware dish used in these recipes and the genre of mostly vegetable and rice-based dishes, similar to gratins or casseroles. I'm a fan of precision in language, so this is a tian.

This is also a super-easy, 20 minute dish. You can improvise on the ingredients, but here are the basics:

2 chicken breasts
1 (small) can of plain tomato sauce
1 small onion, diced (optional, if you're really in a hurry)
1 can of corn, NOT drained
1 cup of rice
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 medium tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can stewed tomatoes, NOT drained)
1 tablespoon ground red pepper (or a few shakes red pepper flakes)
salt and pepper
paprika and parsley (optional)

If you have the time, you can brown the chicken breast on both sides in a pan. If not, just rinse and pat dry. Toss all ingredients except chicken into a deep frying pan or sauce pan, heat until bubbling. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Stir in a few shakes of dried parsley, if you have it. Lay the chicken breast on top of the rice and veggie mixture. Sprinkle salt, pepper ( I use red pepper for color), and paprika (if you have it) over the chicken. Cover with tin foil (aluminum foil) and bake at 375 for 45-55 minutes--until chicken is no longer pink inside.

For serving, I slice the chicken breast into strips and serve with a heaping ladleful of rice. This dish can easily serve 4 adults. My two year old and 10 month old gobbled it up last night!

You can add different spices for different flavors, just be judicious and add them at the end so they don't overpower the dish. You can also up the vegetable content by adding chopped squash, zucchini, eggplant, celery, carrots...any vegetable that bakes well.

Bon Appetit!

The Wonderful World of Tea

2007-08-16T15:06:00.000-04:00

I love tea. I love almost every kind of tea. From a morning cup of English Breakfast with liberal amounts of milk and sugar to a light, crisp green tea so perfect with spicy foods, to a lemon-infusion (more properly called a tisane) as an after-dinner digestif, I love tea. Sadly, 99% of the tea widely available out there does nothing to inspire loyalty in tea-drinkers. Bagged tea is generally the crushed bits and leftover dust from tea leaves, and pales in comparison to tea made from actual tea leaves. Don't get me wrong, I like even bagged tea. But there's a whole world of tea out there to explore! It might take a while to get used to the subtler tastes and delicate blendings of tea if your palate is used to the full-on, super-bold, caffeine-enriched coffee from your ubiquitous corner coffee shop. I think we all know who I'm talking about here. As much as I may yearn for a Toffee-Nut Latte or a Mocha Frappacino, and I do yearn, believe me, I have come to the conclusion that the splurge is just not worth it--for my waistline or my bottom line.

Tea, on the other hand, is the ultimate do-it-at-home beverage. Home-brewed coffee may require an expensive espresso machine (or may taste like the acidic, burnt crud that builds up in the bottom of your Mr. Coffee) but tea, ah, tea! You can hardly screw up tea. You don't even need a teapot, if you're that much of a minimalist. (Although with these cute-yet-inexpensive teapots, why not have one around?)

Start with some loose leaf tea. You can go for the simple Twinings English Breakfast, if you like a medium-body black tea. This is a good one for beginners/former coffee addicts. You can buy a little tin of this in most grocery stores (in the tea section, in a nifty little red tin you can save and use to put other things in later, and think yourself quite cool).

Boil water in a teapot or in a regular old saucepan. Once water is boiling, either add tea leaves directly to pot, or put tea leaves into a one-cup strainer (see picture) that hangs on the side of your mug. Let tea steep for 3-8 minutes, depending on the type of tea and how strong you like your tea.

Add milk and sugar, if it's a black tea, honey if it's an herbal tea (a tisane, remember), nothing at all if it's a green or white tea, and lemon only if you're seriously misguided. Okay, kidding about the last one. Plenty of people enjoy lemon in their tea. Probably the same oddballs who salt their cream of wheat rather than adding brown sugar, but hey, to each their own!

Now sit back, preferably with a good book or the paper, turn on the telly for the wee ones, and enjoy!

Bake Your Own Bread

2007-08-15T13:23:00.000-04:00

My dad baked bread on a semi-regular basis throughout my childhood. The whole process--from the mixing to the kneading (punching!) to eating fresh, hot bread--remains some of my best memories from childhood. I would love to share those memories with my children.

Ingredients

4 cups warm tap water (not hot)
2/3 cup non-fat dry milk powder (instant powdered milk)
1/4 cup honey
2 packets or 4 teaspoons dry yeast
1 tablespoon salt
1/3 cup melted margarine or oil
12 cups (approximately) white or whole wheat flour or a combination

My dad always used a huge metal bowl for his bread-making. Whisk together the water, dry milk powder and honey in the bowl. Add the yeast, sort of sprinkled on top. Slowly stir the yeast in, allowing it to dissolve into the water mixture. Set aside for 10-15 minutes to allow the yeast to foam up.

Add the salt, margarine or oil, and flour. Mix with a wooden spoon until it gets too stiff and then start mixing with your hands. You want to get the flour throughly mixed in. When all the flour is mixed in, this is when the kneading begins. You can transfer the dough to a floured kitchen table or counter, but my dad always just left the dough in the big bowl for the kneading.

Kneading is really just working the dough to get it an even consistency and to make sure that there's enough flour so the dough isn't wet. If using a counter, sprinkle a cup or two of flour on a clean kneading surface, and turn out dough onto the flour. Traditionally, bakers used marble slabs for their baking, but modern granite countertops work just as well! If kneading in the bowl, just sprinkle flour on top of dough.

Lightly bring in edges of the dough with your fingertips, folding over on top. Every time you see a wet spot, add a little flour, and keep folding over the dough and turning it in on itself. Continue until there are no more major wet spots, adding small amounts of flour to prevent sticking either to the bowl/counter or to your hands. Do not add so much flour that the dough gets tough or hard.

Notice that the actual amount of flour added depends on the nature, grind, amount of glutin, etc. of your flour. Figuring out how much flour to add is the art of bread making: you kneed in flour until it is the correct consistency.

Coat the dough with oil on all sides, about 2 tablespoons of it, and put it back into the bowl. Cover it with a slightly damp towel and let it set in a warm place to rise for about an hour or so, or until it doubles in size. It may take longer to rise on cool days, or in the air conditioning.

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down the dough by literally pressing your fist into the center of it. My dad used to make smiley faces by poking little indentations for eyes, a nose, and the mouth, and then my sister and I would gleefully punch the face. (No, we didn't grow up to be twisted, sick adults!)

Once you've punched the dough down for another 5-10 minutes, divide it into 4 equal lumps. Coax them into loaf shapes and place them into large (9 by 5-inch) well oiled loaf pans. If you don't have enough loaf pans, use casserole pans or cake pans, or whatever. Cover the dough with a cloth or more plastic wrap and let it rise again. It should take less time for the second rising. When the dough is risen up enough, bake the loaves at 350° for 40 minutes.

You can tell the dough is done if you turn it out of the pan and thump the bottom with your finger. It should make a dull hollow sound. If it doesn't sound hollow, put it back into the pan and cook it some more.

Now, some bread "experts" will tell you that bread has its best flavor when it is NOT freshly out of the oven. Perhaps this is true for some fancy breads, or baguettes. But one of my favorite tastes from childhood is eating the heel of a still-hot loaf of bread, slathered with butter and sprinkled with a bit of cinnamon and sugar. Enjoy!

Beautiful You, Beautiful Earth

2007-08-14T15:11:00.000-04:00

I wrote earlier about how cleaning out your medicine cabinet and how to get rid of old medicines. If you're like me, expired prescriptions are only the tip of the medicine cabinet iceberg...floes of clumpy mascara, foundation that has separated out, blush that is no longer powdery but has that hard, shiny surface, and lipstick that has the funk all litter the hinterland of my bathroom.

Let me just put this out here right away: I have generally been a fan of cheap makeup. I'm not proud of it, but there it is. While I would love to be an Elizabeth Arden girl, or, heck, even a Neutrogena girl. I'm more the Cover Girl and Wet'n'Wild type. In my defense, I don't wear makeup all that often, having taken a nearly 3 year hiatus from everything but mascara as I had that wonderful--although, sadly, fleeting--phenomenon known as the "pregnant glow." (No, I wasn't pregnant for 3 years. But between pregnancy #1, post-partum but pre-hair loss period #1, followed immediately by pregnancy # 2 and post-partum period #2, I've been in a state of hormonal bliss since summer 2005). Now that my youngest is 9 months old, that glow is fast segueing back into the half-dry/half-oily skin of my pre-baby days. Ick.

I have also generally been a fan of the whatever-is-cheapest school of personal products. I've never had brand loyalty (except for baking soda-based toothpaste, to which my husband has a perverse aversion...now THAT's a test of a marriage!) to anything. But, with more in the news (see here and here for a good round-up of all that is bad in personal care products) about toxic chemicals, and general interest in not using petroleum-based products, I'm planning on making the switch as soon as my current bottle of cheapo Costco generic runs out...which, given Costco sizes, might not be in this decade.

But what alternatives are there?

More importantly, what enviro- and body-healthy alternatives are there that don't break the bank?? While I can see splurging on something you don't use very often--like, perfume--I can't really justify spending $5 for a bar of soap that is gone in a week. Or $20 on an 8 oz bottle of shampoo. So, if anyone has suggestions for home-made or less-expensive natural beauty and bath remedies, I'd love to hear it!

Leaving cost concerns behind for a moment, I've heard good things about the following lines:

Zosimos Botanicals Mineral Makeup and Natural Skincare. Appears to have a wide, wide range of products, with inexpensive samples (~$1.50). All products are "handcrafted in small batches using gentle plant-based raw materials, including pure plant oils, natural waxes, and the highest quality herbs, floral waters and essential oils. No animal testing is performed to produce any of our products. Nor do we use any petroleum products, talc, parabens or bismuth oxychloride." The regular sizes of their products ($12.50 for a bottle of body wash, size not indicated but looks to be 8-10 oz; $5 for a bar of soap) are a bit dear; however for something like face scrub that lasts a longer time, I might be persuaded.
www.terressentials.com Local store in Middletown, MD. Skin, body, hair, and baby products. If anyone has tried their hair mud washing system, I'd love to hear about how it worked!! Although my hair is chemically treated, and they do warn against using their mud on treated hair...
www.farmaesthetics.com Based in Rhode Island. Skin products, on the expensive side for my tastes, but if anyone has personal experience, please chime in.
www.mychelleusa.com Based in Colorado. Cheap trial sizes for a lot of things. Although I've never been a fan of the multi-step skin regimen, as my "regimen" consists of washing my face with the generic hand soap pump sitting by the sink and occasionally using whatever moisturizer is at hand. But, I'm willing to be convinced that there really is a benefit to doing more for my skin!
www.purelyorganicproducts.com. Based in Australia and they sell through a home-business model as well as their website. Also really expensive, and they have to ship from Australia, so they definitely aren't a good "local" choice.

General De-Tox Info...

The Green Guide (www.greenguide.com) is a fantastic resource for recommendations on environmentally friendly products.
The Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org) has information on tons of topics, including mercury in fish, safety of personal care products, pesticides, sunscreen, and many more.

Buying Organic Needn't Be All or Nothing

2007-08-09T11:27:00.000-04:00

If you are anything like me, you live somewhere in between the ivory tower of eating all-organic, all-local foods made by the loving hands of a commune of grandmothers and the 7th circle of processed fast foods that contain no traces of actual vegetables except perhaps for the oils they are deep-fried in. While I'd love to make sure that everything that enters the temple of my body--and my kids' bodies--be nothing less than pure, natural, and delicious, the unfortunate reality of cost and supply often derail the organic train.

So, given somewhat limited means, what organic products should we buy and which are a waste of money?

Happily, Consumer Reports and the Environmental Working Group (EWG) have some very helpful recommendations. Overall, there are three priorities:

Produce from the EWG list (12 most important organic produce buys detailed below). Some fruits and veggies, even after thorough washing, still retain much higher levels of pesticides than you would want to be ingesting on a regular basis.
Meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy. Animal products should be an organic priority because of the risk of diseases such as mad cow, and due to the antibiotics and hormones used in conventional animal husbandry.
Baby food. Not only are babies' small bodies less well-equipped to filter out the bad stuff, they systems are still developing and therefore more likely to be damaged by pesticides/hormones/etc., and because processed baby food purees often concentrate residues off all that bad stuff. (Of course, another option would be to just make your own baby food, which is more more fun and much easier than you could imagine!)

I must confess, meat and eggs are two things that I have not been buying organic. In fact, of the fresh food my family eats most often (tomatoes, lettuce, onions, eggs, milk, plain yogurt, cheese, ground beef and chicken), all of those except tomatoes and onions are on the "must buy organic" list, which means I need to seriously re-think what has been until now a very loose attachment to buying organic food.

Produce to Buy If At All Possible
These 12 fruits and vegetables contain the highest amount of pesticide residues:

peaches
apples
sweet bell peppers
celery
nectarines
strawberries
cherries
lettuce
imported grapes
pears
spinach
potatoes

Buy Conventional (Non-Organic)...
These are the 12 with the lowest pesticide residues:
onions
avocado
frozen sweet corn
pineapples
mangoes
frozen sweet peas
asparagus
kiwi
bananas
cabbage
broccoli
eggplant

Pick Your Own Produce!

2007-08-03T10:08:00.000-04:00

As the hot, humid days of August have arrived, it's helpful to remember that with 100+ degree heat indices come the fresh fruits of summer. Here's a list of organic pick-your-own farms. Healthy, happy eating!

www.pickyourown.org lists Pick-Your-Own locations in Northern Virginia.
Virginia Apples lists orchard locations in Frederick County, VA (Winchester/Middletown areas)
Potomac Vegetable Farms.9627 Leesburg Pike, four miles west of Tysons Corner 703-759-2119; mhnewcomb@aol.com Directions: On Route 7, 4 miles west of Tysons Corner (roadside stand). Open: 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday (closed Mondays), July-September; 10 a.m.-dark in October. All crops grown following organic practices (no herbicides or pesticides, composting, taking care of the soil in a sustainable way). Vegetable and flower seedlings available in spring. Canning quantities available August-October. Bring take home containers. Call ahead. Cider pressed on fall weekends. School tours by appointment. Also sell at Homegrown Farmers Markets. Fresh-picked and limited pick-your-own blackberries, eggs, and cut flowers. Fresh-picked sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, green beans, summer and winter squash, carrots, onions, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, celery, assorted bunched greens and lettuce, cut flowers.
Willow Oaks Berry Farm 2521 Midland Road, Midland, VA 540.788.1086 Pick your own blueberries, blackberries, raspberries. Farm follows organic methods.
Patowmack Farm - ORGANIC 42461 Lovettsville Rd., Lovettsville. 540-822-9017; patowmackfarm@megapipe.netOpen: 12 noon-5 p.m., May through October. An organic farm offering a magnificent view of the Potomac River. The on-farm market features fresh produce, eggs, a variety of organic products such as pasta, honey, chocolates, and much more. Come enjoy the farm and do your weekly grocery shopping.
Butterfly Bend - Tankerville Road, Lovettsville, VA 540.822.5060 Butterfly Bend is a certified organic pick-your-own strawberry farm in Lovettsville, VA. Take a hay ride tour of the 14-acre farm (weekend and tour dates), visit resident cows, chickens and goats and learn how important bees, birds and butterflies are to an organic farm. Also feature honey from their own apiary, elephant garlic, seasonal produce from raised-bed garden, fresh eggs and hand-made crafts. Picnic benches and shade. Open for farm tour and by appointment. Call (540) 822-5060 or send an email to info@butterflybend.com.
Hashway Gardens - ORGANIC 137 Garden Road, Berryville, VA 22611. Phone: 540-955-3204. Email us at: meahash@visuallink.com. Pick your own strawberries. NOTE: Frost killed the 2007 crop - come see us in 2008! Washington Post's List from 2003

And, from the Washington Post's Round-Up:

Maryland

Anne Arundel County

MOUNT AIRY U-PICK -- Strawberries. 832 Mount Airy Rd., Davidsonville. 410-798-1862 or 410-798-0838.

Baltimore County

HUBER'S FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries, red raspberries, vegetables. 12208 Old Philadelphia Rd., Bradshaw. 410-679-1941 or 410-679-1948.

WEBER'S CIDER MILL FARM -- Apples. 2526 Proctor Lane, Parkville. 410-668-4488.

Calvert County

SEIDEL FARM -- Thornless blackberries, grapes. 2790 Plum Point Rd., Huntington. (Route 263). 410-535-2128.

Carroll County

BAUGHER'S ORCHARD -- Strawberries, sweet and sour cherries, black raspberries. 1236 Baugher Rd., about three miles west of Westminster on Route 140. 410-857-0111 or 410-848-5541.

Charles County

HYDROMONT BERRY FARM -- Strawberries. 8020 Hawthorne Rd, La Plata. 301-932-0872.

Frederick County

CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN ORCHARD -- Black raspberries, blueberries, sweet and sour cherries. 15036 N. Franklinville Rd., on U.S. 15, a half-mile north of Thurmont. 301-271-2737.

GLADE-LINK FARMS -- Strawberries, blueberries, red raspberries, vegetables. Route 194, New Midway. 301-898-7131.

MAYNES FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries. 3420 Buckeystown Pike, Buckeystown. 301-662-4320.

PRYOR'S ORCHARD -- Blueberries, sweet and sour cherries. 13841-B Pryor Rd., Thurmont. 301-271-2693.

Harford County

LOHR'S ORCHARD -- Strawberries, sour cherries, apples. 3212 Snake Lane, Churchville. 410-836-2783.

SHAW ORCHARDS -- Strawberries. 3121 Norrisville Rd., White Hall. 410-692-2429.

Howard County

LARRILAND FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries, black and red raspberries, peaches, sour cherries, blueberries, apples, vegetables. 2415 Woodbine Rd. (Route 94), three miles south of I-70 Exit 73, near Lisbon. 301-854-6110 or 410-442-2605.

Montgomery County

BUTLER'S ORCHARD -- Strawberries, blueberries, cherries, blackberries, red raspberries. 22200 Davis Mill Rd., Germantown. 301-972-3299.

HOMESTEAD FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries, peaches, apples. 15600 Sugarland Rd., Poolesville. 301-977-3761.

ROCK HILL ORCHARD -- Strawberries, sour cherries, blackberries, red raspberries, apples. 28600 Ridge Rd., Mount Airy. 301-831-7427.

Prince George's County

CHERRY HILL FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries. 12300 Gallahan Rd., Clinton. 301-292-1928 or 301-292-4642.

JOHNSON'S BERRY FARM -- Black and red raspberries, blueberries, blackberries. 17000 Swanson Rd., Upper Marlboro. 301-627-8316.

MILLER FARMS -- Strawberries. 10140 Piscataway Rd., Clinton. 301-297-9370.

SHLAGEL FARMS -- Strawberries. 12850 Shlagel Rd., Waldorf. 301-843-9617.

St. Mary's County

FREE SPIRIT FARM -- Blueberries, asparagus. 38613 Chaptico Rd., Mechanicsville. 301-884-2401 or 301-888-2429.

Virginia

Caroline County

MOUNT OLYMPUS FARM -- Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries. On U.S. 1 one mile north of I-95 Exit 104, in Carmel Church. 804-448-0395.

Fairfax County

POTOMAC VEGETABLE FARMS -- Blackberries. 9627 Leesburg Pike, Vienna. 703-759-2119.

Fauquier County

HARTLAND ORCHARD -- Sweet and sour cherries, peaches, apples. Near Markham: From I-66 Exit 18, north on Leeds Manor Road (Route 688), west on Belle Meade Road (F-284), follow signs a half-mile to Hartland Lane. 540-364-2316.

LINDEN VINEYARDS -- Blueberries, apples. In Linden: From I-66 Exit 13, east on Route 55 1 1/2 miles, south on Route 638 two miles to signs. 540-364-1997.

WILLOW OAKS BERRY FARM -- Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries. Midland Road (Route 610) and Bristersburg Road, Somerville. (Route 616). 540-788-1086.

WILLIAMS PEACH MANOR ORCHARD -- Peaches, nectarines. 13095 Marsh Rd, Bealeton. 540-439-3035.

Loudoun County

CROOKED RUN ORCHARD -- Sour cherries, red raspberries, blackberries, peaches, apples. 37883 E. Main St., Purcelville. 540-338-6642.

GREAT COUNTRY FARMS -- Strawberries, black and red raspberries, blackberries, vegetables.18780 Foggy Bottom Rd., Bluemont. 540-554-2073.

Orange County

DOUBLE B FARMS -- Strawberries, thornless blackberries. In Rhoadesville: From Fredericksburg, Route 3 west 11 miles to Route 20, south nine miles to signs on left. 540-854-4277.

Rappahannock County

HIGH PLACES ORCHARDS -- Raspberries, peaches, plums, nectarines, apples. 121 Winesap Lane, Flint Hill. 540-635-5537.

MUSKRAT HAVEN -- Strawberries, blueberries, thornless blackberries, red raspberries, peaches, nectarines, apples. On Route 211, 15 miles west of Warrenton. 540-937-5892 or 540-937-5191.

Shenandoah County

BLUE RIDGE BERRY FARM -- Blueberries. Near Toms Brook: From I-81 at Toms Brook exit, east on Route 651 to Route 11, south to Toms Brook, west at Brook Creek Road (Route 653), left at Harrisville Road (Route 655), 1.8 miles to farm on left. 540-436-9194.

SWOVER CREEK FARM -- Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, vegetables. From I-81 at Woodstock exit, west nine miles on Route 42 to Swover Creek Road, left one mile to farm on right. 540-984-8973.

Spotsylvania County

BELVEDERE PLANTATION -- Strawberries. On Route 17 seven miles southeast of Fredericksburg. 540-371-8494.

Westmoreland County

WESTMORELAND BERRY FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, black, red and purple raspberries, apples. In Oak Grove: From Fredericksburg, east on Route 3, seven miles past U.S. 301 to Claymont Road (Route 634), turn right and follow signs. 800-997-2377 or 804-224-9171.

West Virginia

Jefferson County

RIDGEFIELD ORCHARD -- Apples. Near Harpers Ferry on Kidwiler Road off Route 230. 304-876-3647.

The Ultimate in Living Simply

2007-08-01T11:52:00.000-04:00

Living simply seems to be as big a fad lately as Buying Local. There are countless television shows devoted to the--apparently--hideously awful tasking of ridding your life, your cupboards, and your closets of all the flotsam and jetsam of modern life. One gentleman has discovered the secret, for him at least, to living much, much simpler: he packed up his life into an RV. His story is interesting, undeniably. A twist on my own "cottage in the country fantasy," where I have one small, cosy room that serves as kitchen, dining room, and living room, with a loft overhead for a bedroom. Key to this fantasy is the charming cottage decor and a large, wood-burning fireplace. I haven't worked out how my husband and kids fit into this fantasy yet!

The author makes a particularly interesting point regarding vacations:

It’s interesting how much we enjoy vacation — even if we’re not going anywhere exotic. I know people who will go on mini vacations just by staying in a hotel in their own city! Why is that so pleasant?

I would argue that it’s because it requires us to leave most of our possessions behind. We bring only the few precious things that we need for that weekend. When we’re at home we’re forced to pay attention to, maintain, organize, clean, and interact with our massive collection of things-we-don’t-really-need. Vacation frees us from that.

While I would perhaps argue that there are many other reasons to enjoy a vacation, he does have an interesting point to make here: that our possessions, rather than providing us with joy, or at least usefulness, instead weigh us down and prevent us from enjoying life. Personally, I always think that I would love to pare down on my "things," but every time I try to do so I wind up sitting in a pile of old letters, reading them, or mired hopelessly in trying to decide which decorative dishes I don't want, and will the gift-giver be insulted if s/he doesn't see his/her gift on display when they visit...

Of course, this process is exponentially more difficult now that children are in the picture. They collect more things, grow out of those things more quickly, and somehow the amount of attachment I have for a piece of clothing is inversely proportional the amount of time it was used. A sturdy winter jacket my son wore every day last winter? If it's too small, it's gone. That side-snap white shirt my daughter wore in the hospital that is exactly like the five I have saved from when my son was born, and which my daughter out-grew practically before we were home from the hospital? I can't bear to part with side-snap tee #6, I just can't bear it!

Let's not even get into the scads of clothing that I promise myself I can fit into again, someday...never mind the fact that the clubware of my college days doesn't exactly fit into either my work wardrobe or my playdates wardrobe...

How to Dispose of Old Medicine

2007-07-31T08:21:00.000-04:00

Whether you have wee ones with wandering fingers or not, one of the best things you can do is clean out your medicine cabinet, or wherever it is you store your medicine--prescription and over-the-counter. For us, it's a shelf on one of our kitchen cabinets, which I figure is pretty child-safe, in close proximity to the water and glasses needed to take most medicines, and somewhere in plain sight so we actually remember to take said meds! My husband and I are pretty med-free...or so I thought. But a quick rifle through the various bottles clogging up turned up a lot of old stuff (pain medication prescribed after my son's birth via caesarean two years ago!) that just needs to go. Flush those puppies right on down the toilet, right?

WRONG. So, so wrong. All that lovely medicinal sludge leaves our homes and makes its way into our water system.

[C]ommon sense and some worrisome signs — such as the appearance of fish with both male and female characteristics in the Potomac River near Washington, D.C. — call for keeping our waters as drug-free as possible. USA Today, April 22, 2007.

Instead, it is recommended that we: "Crush pills or dissolve them in water; dilute liquid medications, too. Then mix the drugs with kitty litter, coffee grounds or other unappealing materials. Place the mess in a sealed plastic bag and discard." On the one hand, that's a lot of steps to have to go through...on the other, it's easier than trying to find a pharmacy or doctor's office that will accept old prescriptions and dispose of them properly!

Arlington County Hazardous Materials Guidelines

DC Hazardous Materials FAQs

Northeast Maryland Hazardous Materials Guidelines (Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Frederick County, Harford County, Howard County, Montgomery County and Baltimore City.)

Image thanks to these folks.

At Work and Have 5 Minutes to Find Something Good for Dinner Tonight?

2007-07-25T11:04:00.000-04:00

If you're like me, it's often in that hour or so before lunch that your thoughts turn to food. Since what I have for lunch is never very exciting, I usually find myself heading for the web to find something new and fun--and healthy and cheap--and preferably with ingredients I already have--to make for dinner. Here are some of my favorite places to go, and some other great recommendations I've gathered along the way.

Online Recipe Sources:

Many rave reviews for the Six o'Clock Scramble, a weekly email newsletter that "provides five family-tested dinner recipes and a corresponding grocery list to its subscribers. Most take 30 minutes or less to prepare and have fewer than ten ingredients." Six months of menus and grocery list for $26.50.
Along the same idea, menu-mailers from Leanne Ely at Saving Dinner. This one includes 6 recipes each week, and you can select a "theme" (vegetarian, frugal, crock pot, heart-healthy, etc.) for your recipes. Her site has lots of freebies as well. She doesn't provide the grocery list, and a 6 month subscription costs $17.95. A 3 month trial subscription is $9.95.
For a free weekly newsletter, try Eating Well, which also has searchable recipe archives. Here's a sampler of their Seasonal Desserts. Okay, desserts aren't exactly the point here, but what's a good dinner without a good dessert to follow?
Moosewood Restaurant Cookbook and online recipe archive is a good source for low-fat, often vegetarian recipes.
My fave TV channel (or one of them!), The Food Network. If you're a fan of The Next Food Network Star, here's where to find the recipes they made this season.
www.allrecipes.com is also a great site with good search capabilities--you can even list the ingredients you want to use, and the ones you don't want, and see what pops up. So, if you want a great quiche recipe but hate mushrooms, just list eggs as an ingredient you want and mushrooms as one you don't, and voila!
Try the advanced search at www.cookinglight.com. They have zillons (okay, thousands at least) of delicious, healthy recipes.
If you're looking for fancier fare, try Epicurious, the online home of Gourmet and Bon Appetit magazines. Or head over to the Epicurean recipe exchange--search by main ingredients here as well, always helpful.

Eat Your Greens! Some Recipes...

2007-07-25T10:16:00.001-04:00

Along with the general advice to just throw whatever veggies you have in the fridge into on on top of whatever it is that you are cooking, here are a few easy recipes that work well with most any vegs you have on hand.

"HOMEMADE" PASTA SAUCE

You may think that making pasta sauce takes too long and is too much "cooking" for you. I beg to differ! The best thing about making your own sauce is that you really can't go wrong, no matter what you end up throwing in there.

First, the meat. Optional. Cook a pound or two of ground beef or turkey in a large skillet until brown on the outside. Or, chop up some chicken breast into small squares and cook until done (when you press on the chicken with the back of a spoon, the juices should run clear, not pink or cloudy).
Second, dice a whole bunch of veggies, whatever you have, and throw them in a pan with some olive oil to saute them just a bit. Or, toss in some frozen veggies (frozen spinach works great) or canned veggies. I usually do at least one onion
Last, the sauce part--you can use plain tomato sauce or one of the jarred sauces (just watch to avoid the ones high in sodium). Heat and serve, that's all there is to it! If you want to get fancy, you can add fresh basil and parsley right before serving.

STIR FRY

Basically the same principal as above, only don't add tomato sauce. Instead, add some spice! I usually just throw some ground red pepper and salt on mine, or soy sauce, but there is a plethora of Asian-inspired sauces out there to experiment with and find what your family likes.

I also hear rave reviews for Trader Joe's frozen stir fry veggies, although I haven't tried them yet. I'm usually shorter on money than time, so I go for the cheaper but more labor-intensive option of just buying veggies separate. If you're more concerned about getting in and out of the kitchen quickly, or with having something on hand that just needs to be heated up, then these ready-to-eat bags are probably great.

QUESADILLAS

What could be easier than a tortilla, some cheese, and some veggies/meat? Grill up some chicken breasts, (or, to save more time, get a rotisserie chicken from the market). Layer a flour tortilla, cheddar cheese, chicken, peppers/onions (optional), another tortilla - and heat in a frying pan or George Forman grill like a grilled cheese sandwich. Easy, fast, neat enough to take in the car...it's the perfect food!

(Leave off the tortilla, add eggs, and you have a Veggie Frittata!)

PIZZA

Another very easy at-home fix that sneaks veggies into a kid-appealing package. Rumor has it that Trader Joe's sells the dough (plain or wheat) for $0.99, although I can't vouch for it personally. I can highly recommend Wegman's pizza dough, especially the whole wheat variety. It's in their prepared foods section (by the bakery) and it's only $2.50 (approx.) for a package, which for us makes 2 pizzas that serve 4 each. Toppings, like all the other recipes on this page, can be anything. Chicken and onion is a favorite in my family, but thinly sliced tomato, bell peppers, leftover slices of eggplant parmesan, olives, canned artichoke hearts, broccoli crowns, thinly sliced zucchini and other squash all work well.

Bon Appetit!

The Big C

2007-07-24T14:12:00.000-04:00

One of the scariest words on the planet, for me anyway, is the big C. Cancer. I'm scared even writing it. As a (relatively) new mom, I still have those wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night fears that something will happen to take me away from my babies, and this one rates pretty high up there for me.

And yet--and YET--I know I don't do all that I could to make sure that I'm healthy. My mom keeps at me to have a colonoscopy done. (Yes, it's what Bush just had done last weekend). It's probably about as fun as it sounds. But, with our family history, and the fact that by the time you have any symptoms it's very likely too late, as it was for my uncle who passed away nearly 30 years ago, leaving a wife and baby son...well, let's just say that it is something I need to so, and am stupidly remiss in not doing.

To that end, a virtual listserv acquaintance has just been diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer, an evidently very fest-moving, very dangerous form of breast cancer that I, at least, had never heard of. So, please take a minute to check out what she has to say, and pass on the word. You never know whose life you might save.

Inflammatory breast cancer is often misdiagnosed as mastitis because many doctors have never seen it before and consider it rare. “Rare” or not, there are over 100,000 women in the U.S. with this cancer right now; only half will survive five years. Please call your OB/GYN if you experience several of the following symptoms in your breast, or any unusual changes: redness, rapid increase in size of one breast, persistent itching of breast or nipple, thickening of breast tissue, stabbing pain, soreness, swelling under the arm, dimpling or ridging (for example, when you take your bra off, the bra marks stay – for a while), flattening or retracting of the nipple, or a texture that looks or feels like an orange (called peau d’orange). Ask if your GYN is familiar with inflammatory breast cancer, and tell her that you’re concerned and want to come in to rule it out.

http://toddlerplanet.wordpress.com/2007/07/23/inflammatory-breast-cancer

Veggie Frittata

2007-07-19T12:05:00.002-04:00

Here's a sneaky way to get more veggies in your diet. Or, more likely, in your kid's diet. It's also wonderful for using up veggies that are teetering on the verge of going bad--because the vegetables are sauteed, it doesn't matter if they are slightly soft or cut in uneven chucks.

Preheat the oven to 375.

Put a little olive oil in a large skillet* and then put in whatever kind of cut-up veggies you'd like. I like tomatoes in slices, onions, pre-boiled potatoes, eggplant, corgettes, any kind of squash...pretty much anything works! You can also toss in some crumbled or sliced pre-cooked sausage. Brown everything for about 5 minutes.

*Cast iron, if you have it, works really well, as the skillet will go directly in the oven. Cast iron skillets in general are great for even cooking, and will even add minute amounts of iron to whatever is cooked in them, ensuring that eaters in your house get enough iron—which the body needs to produce red blood cells—as it seeps off the cookware into food in small amounts. See here and here.

In a large bowl, stir 6-8 eggs with ~1/2 cup of cheese (any kind, but I like mozzarella and swiss). The amount of eggs & cheese can be adjusted for how much food you want to make.

Pour the egg/cheese mixture into the frying pan and shake it a little to get the eggs distributed evenly over the veggies. Immediately place the frying pan directly into the oven for about 15 minutes.

Then transfer the frittata to a plate and cut it like a pizza. Ta-da!

Eggplant Parmesan

2007-07-19T10:37:00.000-04:00

My Fave Eggplant Parm Recipe

I love this recipe, but I recognize that fried eggplant isn't the heathiest way to go...so I'll be trying a baked-only version sometime soon, and I'll let you know how it turns out!

Ingredients

Serves 8

Olive oil, for baking sheets
3/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs (or the pre-spiced "Italian Breadcrumbs," and skip the next two ingredients)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Salt and ground pepper
2 large eggplants, (2 1/2 pounds total), peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds
3 cups (more or less) Tomato Sauce (can make your own or use store-bought)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella (or mixed "Mexican" cheese--I've used it all)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese for topping (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a wide, shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs, spices if using, and season with salt and pepper.

Peel eggplants in stripes (this is to get rid of some of the chewy skin but not all of it, as the skin helps hold the eggplant together as it is fried. If you don't mind the chewiness, just wash the eggplant). Slice into 1/2 inch think rounds. I usually slice on the diagonal to get larger pieces of eggplant; you can still fry the small "leftover" pieces to eat while waiting for the rest to cook!

In a large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil over medium heat. (On the oil, use olive, vegetable, what have you. If you must, use spray oil, but recognize that the lovely golden crunchy exterior come from being well-fried!)

Dip an eggplant slice in breadcrumb mixture, coating well; slide into hot oil and fry for approximately 5 mins on each side, or until breadcrumb mixture browns. As you remove each slice, place on a baking sheet.

Once you've fried all the eggplant, top each round with a dollop (or more, to your taste) of tomato sauce and some cheese. Put into the 375 degree oven. Bake until golden brown on bottom, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn slices; continue baking until browned on other side, 20 to 25 minutes more.

Serve with pasta; add extra tomato sauce if desired or just sprinkle some parmesan cheese over the top.

I am a LOHAS!

2007-07-18T10:48:00.000-04:00

Who are we?

Did you know that we are an ever-growing, aggressively courted market? Nope, I didn't either. Falling as we do in between the aging force-to-be-reckoned-with known as the Baby Boomers and the yet-to-be-reckoned with "Millenials" (born 1982-2000), I always figured us Generation X/Yers (born 1963-1978/1981, depending on definition) were destined to be lost in the middle. Perhaps not!

According to the magazine Fast Company, the LOHAS market segment (for "lifestyles of health and sustainability"), is

"a $227 billion domestic market for goods and services focused on sustainable living, social justice, and alternative health care. These are the consumers, in other words, who are eating organics, driving hybrids, and buying fair-trade morning lattes. And there are 63 million of them out there, making up 30% of the American market. They are not necessarily wealthier than other Americans, but they have proven themselves willing to spend up to an astounding 20% premium on clean, green products over the non-sustainable alternatives." Source

A 20% premium for clean, green products? That figure astounded me, until I did a little looking at my own purchases lately.

Gallon of Whole Milk...................$2.65 at Costco (DC Metro)
Gallon of Whole, Organic Milk........$3.45 at Wegmans (Fairfax, VA)
.....................................................30% difference

3 Plastic Gerber Baby Bottles...........$3.75 (Amazon.com)
3 Glass Evenflo Baby Bottles............$8.00 (ingeling.com)
...................................................113% difference

Granted, there are many other ways in which we do save money. But, clearly, even though we're just as tight with finances as any other young family with two kids under 2, we do choose to spend a little more when and where we think it matters.

Why does this matter?

Just think of the possibilities...in a world where women age 25-44 are being so aggressively courted by both traditional venues (child- and household-care) and, increasingly, non-traditional (automobile makers come to mind), we hold the buying power!

What do you think? Are you a LOHAS? (LOHASer?) Is it all just marketing hype? Or do we Gen Y/X women really hold not only the buying power, but the power to change the world?

Water & Our Culture of Indulgence

2007-07-11T11:00:00.000-04:00

I, like many of you, perhaps, have always felt somehow virtuous when purchasing a bottle of water rather than a soft drink. Sure, there was always that undertone of "I can't believe I'm paying money for something I can get for free at home," but at the same time I was just too careless to remember to bring water with me, and invariably I'd get in the car or get ready to go out somewhere and think, "I need to buy a couple bottles of water!" And I'd at least feel good about the fact that I was making a healthier choice, if not an altogether more responsible choice.

Well, no more.

This article (Message in a Bottle, on FastCompany.com) has a lot of good research into the bottled water industry, and ends with an intriguing challenge. The next time you reach for a bottle of water, instead of asking yourself "Does the value to me equal the 99 cents I'm about to spend?" ask rather "Does the value equal the impact I'm about to leave behind?"

So, no more bottled anything for us, that's my new plan. I'll just need to convince my husband that we really don't need sodas and juice (sob! I love juice!) at home. Which, of course, we don't. *I* definitely don't need the calories, and since we're both huge tea-drinkers, we should be fine without.

Clean up the Air: Buy a Houseplant!

2007-07-02T08:21:00.000-04:00

It seems like such a no-brainer, really. Like, why on earth didn't I figure it out sooner? OF COURSE plants help make your indoor spaces fresher and nicer. And now I read that they actually remove chemicals from the air. Perhaps you all knew this already? Perhaps those of you lucky enough to keep plants alive longer than one season have noticed the long-term benefits? (Seriously, pre-kids I used to actually wonder what it meant for my future offspring that houseplants never lived more than a month or two. I reassured myself that, if only plants could cry, they would have a fighting chance.)

Experts say: "Common indoor plants may provide a valuable weapon in the fight against rising levels of indoor air pollution. Those plants in your office or home are not only decorative, but NASA scientists are finding them to be surprisingly useful in absorbing potentially harmful gases and cleaning the air inside modern buildings."

Plants most effective in removing formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide from the air:

Common Name	Scientific Name
Aloe Vera, Burn Plant	Aloe Barbabensis
Bamboo Palm	Chamaedorea Seifritzii
Chinese Evergreen	Aglaonema Modestum
Common English Ivy	Hedera
Dumbcane	Dieffenbachia
Elephant Ear Philodendron	Philodendron Domesticum
English Ivy	Hedera Helix
Ficus/Weeping Fig	Ficus Benjamina
Gerbera Daisy	Gerbera Jamesonii
Golden Pothos	Epipiremnum Aureum
Heartleaf Philodendron	Philodendron Scandens `Oxycardium'
Janet Craig	Dracaena "Janet Craig"
Marginata/Red-Edged Dracaen	Dracaena Marginata
Mass Cane/Corn Plant	Dracaena Massangeana
Mauna Loa	Spathiphyllum Sp
Mother-In-Law's Tongue	Sansevieria Laurentii
Peace Lily	Spathiphyllum "Mauna Loa"
Pot Mum	Chrysantheium Morifolium
Selloum Philodendron	Philodendron Selloum
Snake Plant	Sansevieria Trifasciata
Spider Plant	Chlorophytum Comosum
Warneckii	Dracaena "Warneckii"

Never heard of most of these? Me either. Some of them sound positively Potter-esque (“Dracaena Marginata” anyone?). Some sounds just scary. (“Mother-in-Law’s Tongue”? Oh, did you think I was going to say “Snake Plant”? Yeah, I meant that one…) However, even I know what an Aloe is, and I could probably find my way to a Ficus (see picture above) with only a little difficulty.

How Many Plants Do I Need?

As a rule of thumb, allow one houseplant per 100 square feet of living area. For the spatially-challenged (hand shooting into air), that means you should have one plant for every 10' x 10' space. So, a small bedroom or kitchen needs one large plant or two small ones, and your living room probably needs 2 or 3 big plants. Or, if you’re me, 8 newly purchased sproutlings in the hope that 2 will survive to adulthood in the big, bad world of my living room.

References:

http://www.blankees.com/house/plants/

http://www.cleanairgardening.com/houseplants.html

http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h110indoorair.html

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=LawnGarden/LivingAirCleaners.html

The Boob Tube: What the experts say

2007-06-21T08:09:00.000-04:00

Everyone knows that TV is the devil. It turns us and our children into mindless drones who can't play creatively, can't resist the myriad advertisements that interrupt our viewing, can't concentrate on any task for more than a few minutes. It is responsible for childhood obesity (particularly among low-income children), If it's so bad, why do so many of us watch so much of it? If it's so bad, then what does that say about all of us who grew up watching TV, and not the "educational" shows on PBS, Nick Jr., and Disney today, but McGyver, Nightrider and the Dukes of Hazzard?

In an article in Slate, The Benefits of Bozo: Proof that TV doesn't harm kids, the author talks about one key problem with all the research into how terrible TV is for kids:

Most studies of the impact of television, however, are seriously flawed. They compare kids who watch TV and kids who don't, when kids in those two groups live in very different environments...Because of their income advantage, the less-TV kids have all sorts of things going for them that have nothing to do with the impact of television.

Although, personally, I'm still on the fence about whether all research findings come down to socio-economic status (poverty being a topic for another day), this is an interesting point.

The moral of this story? All research is not created equal. Be very, very discerning about what you put your faith in, and be a smart consumer of information. In this, as in everything, read the labels!

Not surprisingly, the Turnoff TV organization has plenty of statistics on their website

"The heart of Johnson's argument is...that today's pop-culture consumer has to do more "cognitive work"--making snap decisions and coming up with long-term strategies in role-playing video games, for example, or mastering new virtual environments on the Internet-- than ever before. Johnson makes a compelling case that even today's least nutritional TV junk food–the Joe Millionaires and Survivors so commonly derided as evidence of America's cultural decline--is more complex and stimulating, in terms of plot complexity and the amount of external information viewers need to understand them, than the Love Boats and I Love Lucys that preceded it." Reviewed on Amazon.com. Reviewed by the New Yorker. About the book on Wikipedia.org.

Bad, Bad Plastics...and How to Avoid Them

2007-04-03T08:01:00.000-04:00

If you're a fairly in-the-know mommy or daddy, you've probably heard some rumblings about how some plastics are bad for you, how some are to be avoided. Perhaps you've heard rumor that you shouldn't heat your baby's milk in plastic in the microwave (a crime of which I was still guilty until only very recently, so you're not alone). But, surprisingly, you've probably not heard a whole lot. Without going all conspiracy-theory on you as to why this hasn't been more in the news (although a simple Google search does get quite a few good hits), here's the skinny...

Research has show that most things plastic--from baby bottles to sippy cups to teethers to the ubiquitous "plastic food storage" (Tupperware by any other name)--contain dangerous chemicals that leach from the plastic container into the food or drink stored within. To be precise, Bisphenol A and Pthalates are two dangerous chemicals that leech from plastics at rates high enough to cause damage to lab rats. See Environment California's research.

This leaching of bad chemicals is more pronounced when the plastic is heated (no more microwaving!), when food/drink is left in the container a long time (no more carrying around a bottle full of milk all day!), or when the plastic is scratched or clouded. (I'd say, "throw out those old containers!" but we don't want them gumming up the landfills, either...more suggestions on what to do with those containers you don't want to use anymore will come later.)

Here's what to do and what to avoid:

Look for “PVC-free” on the labels of soft plastic toys and teethers.

Even safer, choose wooden toys. They were good enough for our parents, and for some of us...and they are newly "in."

Keep an eye to the bottom/underside of whatever it is you're contemplating buying. There should be a little stamped recycling triangle (just like this one right here) with some letters or numbers inside or next to it.

If you see “PC” (signifying polycarbonate plastic) do not purchase it.
Avoid #7 and #3 plastic.
Choose plastics labeled #1, #2, or #5 in the recycling triangle.

Avoid canned foods: bisphenol A is present in metal can lining, and can spread to the food within! Happily, most commercially prepared baby food is available in glass contianers (although in another post I'll try to convert you to the simple joys of making your own baby food).

Choose glass or safer-plastic baby bottles. Evenflo (Find Evenflo's glass bottles here) is one of the only glass bottle makers around.

Choose metal feeding utensils and enamel or ceramic plates.

Avoid foods wrapped in plastic. That lovely shrink-wrap? yup, full to the brim of PVC and pthalates. If, like most of us, you can’t avoid buying plastic-wrapped foods, trying cutting off a thin layer of the cheese or meat when you get home.

And, here are the big NO-NOs...

Do not heat food in plastic containers or on plastic dishware, or heat liquids in plastic baby bottles. In case it hasn't been made totally clear yet, let me just reiterate: Heating food and liquids in plastic containers can cause chemicals and additives in the plastics to leach out more readily—right into baby’s food and milk.

Do not put plastic bottles, containers, or dishware in the dishwasher. Stop using any plastic bottles, containers, and dishware that start to look scratched or hazy. (Instead, use them to store non-food items. Like, as baby-sock catchers. Or to corral Lego pieces. Or for all those fancy guest soaps that you have to hide so your toddler doesn't insist on using them. Cut couple drainage holes in the bottom and use them to plant a window-side herb garden. The possibilities are endless! Just don't throw them away...)

Do not let milk sit for long periods of time in plastic. This is where those glass bottles really come in handy!

Do not let your child put plastic toys in his/her mouth. Although some teethers will be safe (check packaging or the bottom of the item, or call the manufacturer to be sure), toys designed for your older children are not designed to be teethed, and are more likely to contain phthalates or bisphenol A.

Making the switch to safe-plastic or even plastic-free lifestyle is a big change. Lest you think that I am a goddess of all things green, let me just tell you how many plastic products are in my cupboards and refrigerator...on second thought, I'll spare you the full confession, and instead confide that I still have a plastic baby bottle for pumping purposes tucked into my bag. Bad, bad me! After doing all this research, I'm committed to making at least some small changes, one change at a time. Starting with those glass bottles and finding an alternative to my son's beloved sippy cups (any tips, let me know!). Small changes add up, and I think they're a pretty good step in the right direction.

Information from:

Environment California's Toxics Fact Sheet
IATP's Smart Plastics Guide (a pdf)
Grist's Ask Umbra on Plastics and Kids
Food Production Daily

The New Organic: Eat Locally?

2007-04-01T11:51:00.000-04:00

Did you know that 80% of all tomatoes harvested in the U.S are picked while green?

Did you know that, while 40 cents of every food dollar spent by consumers in 1910 went back to the farmers, in 1997 only 7 cents of every food dollar spent went to farmers?

Did you know that North American produce typically travels a minimum distance of 1,500 miles to get from where it's grown to your plate?

Did you know that, of the 30,000 edible plant species in the world, 90% of the world's food comes from just 20 species? (All from the 100 Mile Diet stats page.)

I didn't know any of this--until I started looking. And the more I look, the more eating locally looks better and better.

"Organic is great for the environment and the health of workers and I'm all for it...But the first priority is buying local, supporting economies around you, and trying to keep local farms resisting industrialized farming and real estate pressures." (Corby Kummer, senior editor and food columnist for The Atlantic Monthly and author of "The Pleasures of Slow Food" (Chronicle).

Alton Brown of the Food Network casts his vote in favor of eating locally, on his blog, What Every Good Cook Should Know. Environment aside, local foods simply taste better and are safer for us, he says. (he cites recent e. coli outbreaks in spinach).

Not only is it better for you, it's better for the environment. According to The New American Dream, "Buying local food not only helps local farmers thrive, it reduces energy consumption. Estimates on how long the average food travels from pasture to plate range from 1200 to 2500 miles. A lot of energy is expended freezing, refrigerating, and trucking that food around. Eating locally grown food means less fossil fuel burned in preparation and transport." See full text here.

Hooked? Check out the 100 Mile Diet's 13 Reasons to Eat Locally.

Of course, the real question is: How does this work for a busy family with small (picky!) children! The first step is to hit all the farmer's markets popping up (see here for a list of local-to the DC Metro area-markets). Or, consider supporting a local farm or collection of farms buy purchasing a share in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) venture, where the produce comes to you. Once you're enjoying the fruits--and veggies--of eating locally, why not explore local dairy, egg, meat, and poultry options?

Is eating locally easy? Of course not, if "easy" means "available from a little window without setting foot in a kitchen or even getting out of my car." Just as eating healthy in general isn't always easy. But, for us and for our kids, isn't it worth it?

Organic, Grass-Fed, and/or Free-Range Meat & Poultry

2007-03-31T08:43:00.000-04:00

Why Switch to Grass-Fed Beef?

Nutritional scientists report that by switching to grass-fed beef you will lose weight, have a healthier heart, reduce your risk of cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and allergies and improve mental clarity. The reasons involve fundamental nutritional differences. Compared to grain-fed beef, grass-fed beef has higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), more Beta Carotene, more Omega 3 fatty acids, more Vitamins A and E, and lower levels of saturated fats. See here for a great article on the history of fats in the American diet and why grass-fed is better.

What About Organic?

The problem with sorting through the options at your local supermarket is that so many foods can claim to be "all-natural," "organic," "free-range" without providing good definitions of what that means. "Certified Organic" means different things in different countries, but generally involves avoidance of synthetic chemical inputs (e.g. fertilizer, pesticides, antibiotics, food additives, etc) and genetically modified organisms; use of farmland that has been free from chemicals for a number of years (often, three or more); keeping detailed written production and sales records (audit trail); maintaining strict physical separation of organic products from non-certified products; undergoing periodic on-site inspections. (From Wikipedia). Sounds complicated? You bet, and expensive too. That's why many local farms, while following the spirit of organic farming, are often not allowed to call themselves certified as organic. The joy of buying locally, however, means that you get to ask them just how they grow their crops, how they house their chickens, and what they feed their dairy cows. Because what goes into their crops, chickens, and cows is what goes into you--and, lest we forget, into your kids.

Local (DC Metro) Options:

Polyface Farms delivers to Arlington, and if a number of people are interested they may add another drop off point in the area.
The Organic Butcher
6712 Old Dominion Drive
McLean, VA 22101
Mount Vernon Farms also has local drop locations.
Golden Farm in Middletown, Virginia carries grass-fed beef and lamb, as well as eggs and organic vegetables in the summertime. No growth hormones used. Orders can be placed at 540/868-2765 or 540/868-2389.
South Mountain Creamery - delivers milk, eggs, cheese, meat and poultry
Chesapeake Bay Foundation: "There are no hormones, antibiotics or pesticides in our beef. Our cows graze healthy pastures eating only grass, the natural feed for ruminants like cows. As a result the meat is lean and clean and good for the environment." For more information contact Michael Heller or Rob Vaughn at 301.627.4393 or mheller@cbf.org.

Online Sources:

Here's a great listing of small, independently owned farms at the EatWild website, "your source for safe, healthy, natural and nutritious grass-fed beef, lamb, goats, bison, poultry, pork and dairy products."

As always, let me know if you have any suggestions! I'd love to hear about other, healthier, meat options out there.

Local Produce: CSAs, Home Delivery, and Farmer's Markets

2007-03-30T15:21:00.000-04:00

The idea behind Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is that a consumer pre-purchases a “share” of the harvest for the season—thus creating a relationship between local farmers and community members.

The good news is that you'll get a nice variety of fresh veggies and fruits. Some farms offer the option to get eggs, dairy products, and herbs as well. Some places will deliver your share to a central pick-up location, some farms offer "you-pick" times in addition to the shares, and most farms welcome visitors/helpers.

The bad news is that farms won't have exactly the vegetables you want exactly when you want them. Plus, being a smaller entity, they are more subject to the whims of Mother Nature than the supermarket down the road.

Bottom line: a CSA share is great for someone who is willing to try new foods and to adapt their recipes to suit the vegetables available that week. Just like people had been doing since the dawn of time, right?

However, the "surprise!" aspect of CSAs just doesn't appeal to everyone. If you have a picky child--or spouse, for that matter--maybe you want to be sure to have certain foods on hand for them. Say, all things orange. Farmer's markets offer much the same freshness as you'd get through a CSA delivery, but with a little more choice on your part--don't like the kale or collard greens? On to the next stand! Many markets offer diary, eggs, meat, and poultry stands as well. Although some fall during the week (Rosslyn, Virginia's is mid-days on Thursdays) most are on Saturday mornings, and if you can drag yourself out of bed to be there when they open, then you get the best pick of the available fruits and veggies. Don't be afraid to ask if they'll let you sample something unfamiliar!

Here's a list of Farmer's Markets in Virginia. I've personally tried the Saturday morning markets in Falls Church (300 Park Avenue, Contact: Howard Herman, (703) 241-5027) and down in Fredericksburg (in the commuter parking lot on Route 3 West). The Falls Church market is a great location--the parking lot of the community center--and we've gotten some pretty food vegetables and fresh bread. Prices seem ever-so-slightly on the high side, but perhaps that's just in comparison to the abundance of very reasonable priced veggies to be found at the Fredericksburg market. If you like to head out of the city on the weekends, I highly recommend taking a trip down to Fredericksburg to catch this market--great tomatoes all summer long, delicious varieties of peaches and other stone fruits towards the end of the summer, and fabulous sweet corn. There are also several stands with dairy, meat, poultry, and breads.
In Virginia, check out Virginia's Assocation for Biological Farming for a listing of CSA Farms.
In DC, check out the Washington Post list of DC farmer's markets
Find markets all across Maryland, and search by county, here.
If you're looking specifically for organic, here's a list of organic food sources (farms, farmer's markets, stores) in the DC metro area.
For a great list of farmer's markets, family farms, CSAs, and other "sustainably grown food" vendors across the country, try the Local Harvest website.

Local Farms that offer you-pick or delivery:

Great Country Farms & Foggy Bottom Vineyard in Bluemont, VA. 540-554-2073.
Clagett Farm in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
Washington's Green Grocer offers home delivery of a large or small box of either all-organic or mixed organic and conventional produce.

I hope you enjoy exploring all the options for healthy local eating! If you know of any other resources that should be included here, please let me know!

Learning to Live Lean

2007-03-29T10:05:00.000-04:00

Lots of us have a few extra pounds hanging around after having had a baby. Or perhaps after starting your first desk (read: sedentary) job. Or perhaps just after putting on a few pounds a year every year since college. Whatever the reason, there are a plethora of diet plans out there. I read about most of them with skepticism, because for me the absolute bottom line has always been:

calories in - calories out = weight gained (or lost)

Simple, right? And yet, such a difficult equation to internalize. One article that does a pretty good job at showing some places where people tend to make unhealthy choices is this Lose 10 Pounds in 5 Weeks from MSN. Normally I eschew articles like this, but this one points out that simple, everyday choices that you don't even realize you are making, really add up.

Maybe this is you:

"Often, I see overweight people at salad bars. Presumably they have chosen to eat a salad because it’s healthy and less fattening than a meal elsewhere. But the salad they create often has more calories than a Big Mac! It’s piled high with very few vegetables, but with all the meat toppings and creamy potato and pasta salads that can fit on the plate. And then, the entire thing is slathered with blue cheese or ranch dressing."

Or, this is you:

"This fat mindset doesn’t just apply to eating. It applies to being active. I know overweight people whose hobbies are all sedentary: watching movie after movie, playing video game after video game, surfing the Net, and watching endless TV shows. Studies have shown that the more hours spent doing these sorts of activities, the more overweight a person is."

How to fix it? How to break the cycle? Some people swear by keeping a food log, either on paper or by using on of the many online calorie counters. An easier solution, if you're fairly aware of what you eat and the relative calorie counts of foods, is to do the 500 rule: decrease your total calories by 500. You can do this by cutting calories that you take in, or increasing calories that you burn, or doing both. For example, making breakfast a bowl of healthy cereal with skim milk rather than a fancy coffee and a high-calorie scone or muffin, plus taking a 30 minute brisk walk at lunch, will probably get you to that 500 calorie mark fairly easily.

At least, this is the path I'm taking...I'll let you all know how it turns out!

Healthy Eating on $7 a day & Great, Healthy Muffins!

2007-03-29T09:13:00.000-04:00

Since we, like most young families, are always into finding ways to eat healthier and cheaper, I thought this article was of interest: Healthy Eating on $7 a Day. Not surprisingly, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and green leafy veggies all make the list. Somewhat surprisingly, many staples from the bulk-bins section were included: oatmeal, cornmeal, and dried beans. Do supermarkets even still have bulk-bin sections? Well, my research shows that Whole Foods does! (Eggs, nuts, potatoes, and tomato sauce--actual tomatoes being too expensive for the $7 a day limit--round out the list.)

And, here's a wonderful recipe to try--these muffins are moist, slightly sweet, and hearty. Even better, they are low in calories, low in fat, and high in fiber. A great breakfast or snack, they are so good my 2 year old calls them "Cake!" No higher praise can be given. Although the ingredient list seems long at first, you really just dump all the dry ingredients together in one bowl, dump all the wet ones together in another bowl, add the bowls together and spoon into a muffin tin. Much easier than it seems!

Applesauce, Bran, and Oatmeal Muffins
From Cooking Light

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup wheat bran
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I substituted 1/4 cup refined white sugar, because I was out of brown sugar)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup fat-free milk (I used whole milk, because that's what I had!)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon light-colored corn syrup
1 large egg
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.
Combine flour and the next 7 ingredients (flour through salt) in a
medium bowl. Stir in raisins; make a well in center of mixture.
Combine applesauce and next 4 ingredients (applesauce through egg);
stir well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until
moist. Spoon the batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 375° for 18 minutes or until the muffins spring back when
touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; cool
on a wire rack.

Note: Before freezing, let the muffins cool completely on a wire rack.
Store them in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag in your freezer for up
to a month.

Yield: 1 dozen (serving size: 1 muffin) I used a mini-muffin tin, and put 4 mini-muffins into each baggie to freeze, and that wokred out to a great breakfast at around 340 calories and 4.8 grams of fat.

NUTRITION PER SERVING:
CALORIES 169(13% from fat)
FAT 2.4g (sat 0.5g,mono 0.7g,poly 0.9g)
PROTEIN 4.1g
CHOLESTEROL 19mg
CALCIUM 59mg
SODIUM 186mg
FIBER 3.2g
IRON 1.8mg
CARBOHYDRATE 34.9g

Green Cleaning Solutions

2007-03-28T13:00:00.000-04:00

Why is Green Cleaning Important?

Well, three wonderful reasons:

(1) It's better for the environment--no nasty chemicals heading down your drain and (eventually) into your drinking water.

(2) It's better for you--no danger from chemical burns, no toxic smells in your house, no worry that your child will break open the cabinet lock and find your stash of bleach and ammonia, and decide that it's science fair time.

(3) Budget, baby! It's much cheaper to buy a big container of white vinegar and a box of baking soda than it is to invest in the 50 million different cleaning products you need just to keep your kitchen sink clean.

For just a few dollars, invest in these Green cleaning items:

Baking soda
White vinegar
liquid soap (dish-wash soap, to be used sparingly, as a little goes a long way!)
Scouring pad
Cotton washcloth or a sponge
Cotton rag without much lint
16 oz. spray bottle

And then go to town trying out these Green cleaning recipes:

Tub and sink cleaner: Baking soda, liquid soap

Sprinkle baking soda on fixtures and rub with wet rag. Add a little liquid soap. Rinse well to avoid leaving a hazy film.
Window and mirror cleaner: White vinegar, water

Put 1/4 cup of white vinegar in the spray bottle and fill to the top with water. Spray on the surface. Rub with a lint-free rag. For outdoor windows, use a sponge and wash with warm water with a few drops of liquid soap in it. Rinse well and squeegee dry.
Linoleum floor cleaner: White vinegar, water

Mop with a mixture of 1/2 cup vinegar in a bucket (pail) of warm water. The vinegar odor will go away shortly after the floor dries. This works with those ever-popular Swiffer-style mops too. Instead of buying the throw-away mopping pads, simply take a washcloth, dunk in the vinegar water, squeeze out excess, attach to Swiffer, and mop away! Rinse and repeat as needed.
Toilet bowl cleaner: Baking soda, liquid soap

Sprinkle baking soda inside the bowl as you would any scouring powder. Add a couple drops of soap in also. Scrub with a toilet bowl brush and finish outside surfaces with a rag sprinkled with baking soda.
Oven cleaner: Baking soda, water

Mix 1 cup of baking soda with enough water to make a paste. Apply to oven surfaces and let stand a little while. Use the scouring pad for scrubbing most surfaces. A spatula or a bread knife is effective to get under large food deposits. This recipe will require more scrubbing effort, but it is not toxic to you or your child. Commercial oven cleaners are severe irritants. NOTE: Do not use this cleaner recipe on self-cleaning ovens.
Drain cleaner: Baking soda, white vinegar, boiling water

This recipe will free minor clogs and helps to prevent future clogs, so don't wait until the sink is stopped up--do this weekly! Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain first, then 1/2 cup vinegar. Let it fizz for a few minutes. Then pour down a teakettle full of boiling water.

Here's a nice article talking about the importance of Green cleaning and providing additional tips for how to make your own green cleaning solutions.

Homemaking at its Best

2007-03-20T14:17:00.000-04:00

Healthy Living = Happy Families is just a small brain-child right now--I guess it's the younger sibling of my two year old son and six month old daughter! But it is because of my two beautiful babies that I've gotten more interested in living healthily and purposefully, and I'm thrilled to share whatever small nuggets of knowledge I've gleaned with anyone out there who might be reading.

I plan to share ideas for homemaking in the best sense of the word: making a home. This won't be about staying-at-home, working-out-of-the-house, or any other fancy acronyms. We all need more time to do the things we really want to do in life, and we all need to make our footprint on the planet to be as small as possible, and I'll throw a wild guess out there and say that we all need to live healthier, too! So, this is for you, all of you, and any of you, whether you're a family of one or 10. Or more!

Who am I? Well, there's two good answers to that:

Prebaby? I was someone who enjoyed reading, cooking, baking, travel, learning other languages, and occasionally watching Sex in the City re-runs.

(Although I must confess, I always wondered, Who ARE these women? And: How do they have time to brunch and lunch and shoe-shop with such vigor? But I suppose some of the sweetness of watching any TV show is in its disimilarity to one's own life. My husband, for his part, loves to watch Everybody Loves Raymond and then say to me "Our marriage isn't like that!" Like, Oh thank goodness you don't mock me in front of your parents! Or, I'm so happy that you don't actually call me stupid to my face!)

Now? My vaunted daily to-do list includes reading Brown Bear, watching Sesame Street, cooking toddler-friendly meals with colored vegetables, deciphering baby-talk and toddlerease, sneaking in a nap on the couch while my son is watching the afore-mentioned Sesame Street (or, as it is called in my household, "COOKIE!"), and, if you were a fly on the wall, you'd think my favorite activity was cleaning the kitchen. Somehow I never move beyond the kitchen. I clean the kitchen at least every other day, sometimes I make it to the living room, rarer still to my son's room...the bathroom? Let me just say, and I'm not proud of it, but we just bought our second shower curtain liner this year due to the lovely colors that were beginning to grow on the old one. And, since we don't actually have a shower curtain, but only a clear liner, it must at the very least be actually clear.

Perhaps that isn't the best story to tell you as I try to convince you that I actually know something about homemaking! But I do, I promise, and I'll be posting recipes, cleaning tips, budget-living ideas, healthy planet thoughts...and, any suggestions YOU have for me to include! So, let me know what you think and what your best ideas are, and I'll be thrilled over the moon to hear from you.

Baby Items for Sale

2007-03-01T13:42:00.000-05:00

Fisher Price Activity Mat-Farm Animals -$20

Plays music continuously and the animals swing back and forth, or just plays music when baby kicks/bats at the swinging animals. Also has mirrors/animals that crinkle/turning balls along the sides of the mat.

Cosco Baby Swing - $20
Simple model-Two speeds. Good condition, works perfectly.

Snugli Baby Carrier - $10
This is a front pack where the baby can face in towards you or out at the world. A definite must for new moms & dads. Just like the one in the picture:

Baby Einstein Playmat/Activity Gym -$30

The Discover & Play Activity Gym is a soft play gym with fun Baby Einstein characters on the mat that correspond with hanging plush characters.
Retails for $70