Some Holiday Thoughts and Tidings, Part 1: The Gifts

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!

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!

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!

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

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.

Top 10 List for Better School Food

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

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!

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

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:

• Noggin
• Nick JR
• PBS Kids
• Animal Planet

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?)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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:

1. 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.
   
2. 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.
   
3. 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!

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.