I just came across this news story. It is from last year, so maybe some of you have already read it. Essentially it is about a little boy who can only eat chicken, tuna, carrots, potatoes, grapes and apples. I can not even imagine! Thankfully none of our children have allergies but I know allergies seem to be becoming more and more prevelent among children. Do your children have food allergies? If so, please leave me a comment about what types of foods are restricted. Perhaps someday we will have a new product geared towards your needs!
June 21, 2008
The Boy Allergic to Almost Everything
December 2, 2007
Christmas Fun in the Kitchen
One of my favorite things to do with my kids is cook. Not only is it a great way to cut down on my own chores list, but it’s an easy way to interact with your kids and learn more about their lives. Christmas-time may be hectic, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to cook with your kids. If you look at the opportunity right, your kids can be big helpers during this stressful time.
Christmas Party
If you’re having a traditional Christmas party – or attending a pot luck style party, have your child commit to making his or her own dish. Whether it’s an appetizer or a dessert, the final product will be something that he can say “I made it all by myself!” Even a 4 or 5 year old child can assemble a simple recipe if it’s age-appropriate. Perhaps your child could make a Cool Whip Pumpkin Pie or some Veggie Dip. Supervise for safety, but try to encourage your child to do most of the assembly himself.
Busy Night Buffet
If you know you’re about to have one of “those nights” where you have 20 different tasks to do before bed, enlist help. Have smorgasbord or buffet supplies on hand in your fridge for just this type of emergency. With little help, your child can set up a sandwich, potato, salad, taco or pizza bar. Simply have the supplies on hand and assist with anything that’s unsafe (possibly warming or cutting, depending on the age of the child).
Here’s what you’ll need for each type of buffet. You’ll notice that most of the ingredients are interchangeable.
Salad – Lettuce, tomatoes, croutons, sunflower seeds, dressing, cheese cubes or shredded cheese, tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, mushroom, onion, shredded carrots, radishes, meat (grilled shrimp or chicken), and bacon bits.
Sandwich – Bread (wheat, rye, buns) or tortillas, lunch meat or tuna salad or egg salad, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, pickles, sliced tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, mustard, mayo, and anything else your family loves.
Potato – Baking potatoes, sour cream, salsa, butter, cottage cheese, sunflower seeds, cheese cubes or shredded cheese, tomatoes, peppers, onion, meat (grilled shrimp or chicken), chives and bacon bits.
Taco – Taco shells or tortillas, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, shredded cheese, tomatoes, jalapeños, onion, meat (taco meat, grilled shrimp or chicken), and refried beans.
Pizza - Pizza crust or English Muffins, pizza sauce, meats, cheese and toppings of choice.
Treats
One of the easiest ways to spark a love of cooking is to make cookies or cupcakes and decorate them. Include everything from sprinkles to gel frosting. You’ll be teaching both art and cooking in one activity. Of course, all cookies for Santa need to be decorated, as well!
These are just a few of the many ways you can have your little helpers build confidence and learn life skills this Christmas season.
Article by:
Nicole Dean is a co-founder of Kids Activity Calendar - www.KidsApprovedMeals.com/KAC – a resource to help parents teach their kids the alphabet in a fun, positive way.
November 26, 2007
Holiday Money & Time Saving Tips - Watching The Grocey Bill
Top ways to save money & time this holiday season with your grocery bill - leaving more money for holiday gifts and more time for activities.
1.) Watch the grocery sales flyers and stock up on neccesary items. You can often find turkey, ham, stuffing, cool whip, canned pumpkin etc. at exceptionally low prices this time of year. Calculate what you will need and if it can be frozen or is a dry food item, stock up while it is on sale - not last minute the day before Christmas when it isn’t on sale and the store shelves are empty.
2.) With the holiday rush, you might find yourself eating out more frequently. If at all possible try to eat at home before you go out on your shopping trip or evening activity - it’s cheaper, healthier and really won’t take extra time if you follow our the next tip. If you are going to be gone for quite awhile, take a protein bar or other healthy snack along with you.
3.) When you are home for an evening prepare a meal that can be frozen. Either make an extra pan of what you are making for supper (for example if you are making a casserole or lasagna, make an extra and pop it in the freezer all ready to cook on a busy day) or if you are making soup or chicken breasts make extra and freeze them in individual or family size portions. You can then pull these items out when you’re in a time crunch.
4.) Enjoy Potlucks. If you are in charge of hosting a holiday gathering, make it a potluck. Most people enjoy sharing their favorite holiday recipe with others and having others pitch in with the food will most certainly help with the budget and time management.
5.) Make a menu for the week, make a grocery list and stick with it. If you go to the grocery store without a plan, you generally will purchase more than you need. Grab your sales flyer of the store you frequent, plan a menu around the items that are on sale, make a grocery list and stick with it. You will spend less then you would if you went in without a plan and you also will save time each evening as you already know what you are cooking and you for sure have all the necessary ingredients on hand.
November 5, 2007
Mom: Avoid Stress During Busy Family Holidays
Do you look forward to Christmas, Easter, and other family holidays? Or do you get so stressed that you have trouble enjoying these special occasions? Stress is a common problem for moms during holiday seasons, but there’s no reason that you shouldn’t enjoy these times just as much as everyone else. Here are some tips to help you have great holidays without all the hassle.
Planning ahead is key if you want to avoid holiday stress. Don’t wait until the last minute, then rush to get everything done. If you do, you won’t be able to focus on enjoying the special time with your family.
If you’re doing any decorating, do it a few weeks ahead of time. And don’t feel like you have to get all of the decorations up at once. Don’t try to compete with the neighbors, just be creative and have fun with it. Be sure to let the kids help as much as possible. They will enjoy it, and you will have less work to do yourself.
Family get-togethers can really stress you out unless you plan carefully. If you’re having the gathering at your house, make sure that you’re going to have enough room for the number of people you plan to invite. Instead of doing all of the cooking yourself, get family members to bring a dish. But be sure to make a list of what everyone is going to be bringing so you don’t end up with twenty chicken casseroles and no dessert.
If the holiday involves gift giving, start early. To avoid money stress for big holidays such as Christmas, you can start a Christmas Club savings account at your bank. You just put in a few dollars a week, then when the holidays arrive you have the money ready and can concentrate on shopping.
Be on the lookout for family activities that require little or no planning on your part. For Easter, find out if the local park is hosting an Easter egg hunt. Summer holidays are often accompanied by parades and festivals. And the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season is a time of concerts, plays, parades, and much more. These activities are fun for the whole family, and all Mom has to worry about is getting everyone there.
Holidays are occasions for families to spend time together and make precious memories. Moms are often the ones who do the planning to make them extra special, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t have just as much fun as everyone else. With a little thought and creativity, you can prevent stress from taking over and have fun and happy family holidays.
Cut the stress and increase the fun for your next holiday celebration. Sign up for your free holiday tips just for moms and their families.
September 17, 2007
Educational and FUN Times in the Kitchen
Have you ever counted how many times you are in the kitchen each week? Generally, the majority of us have to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner basically every day (not to mention all the various little snacks that seem to be needed all day long), so why not make the most of this time in the kitchen and spend some quality time with your kids? Here are a few skills you can educate your children through cooking together.Teach Safety and Proper Hygiene
The kitchen is the perfect place to teach your child about all kinds of safety issues. They can learn the proper use of a knife and how careful you have to be not to cut yourself, as well as how to safely handle anything hot. You can also explain how to use electric appliances and let the kids handle any of these “dangerous” things in a controlled environment. You should of course choose age appropriate tasks for your child. A toddler or preschooler for example can handle a butter knife to spread or “cut” soft items under supervision. You can also teach the concept of “hot” with some very warm pots, bowls or water that’s not hot enough to do any damage to your child.
Of course cooking also requires a certain amount of hygiene. Start by teaching your child to always wash hand before handling food. As the two of you cook together, you will come across other situations, like liking a spoon or handling raw meat or eggs that will bring up the subject.
Explain to your child why it is not ok to lick a spoon and put it back or why we have to be so careful when dealing with raw eggs (to avoid getting sick). Before you know it your child will be a food safety expert.
Teach Responsibility, Patience and Sharing
Cooking also presents the perfect opportunity to teach your child about responsibility, patience and sharing. Let’s take a look at each. As you bake cookies with the kids, or cook spaghetti and meatballs, have them help you clean up as you cook and afterwards. Make certain tasks their responsibility like drying the dishes or setting the table. Of course cooking also often requires a good bit of patience as you wait for the cookies to finish baking, or the pasta to boil until it’s done. To teach sharing, have the kids take turn stirring the pot and don’t forget to share what you made with family and friends. Setting a good example with any of these concepts is often the best way to teach your kids about them.
Building Self Esteem
Did you know you can improve your child’s self esteem in the kitchen?
Help your child cook a meal or bake a cake for Grandma or Daddy and then give him plenty of opportunity to show off his masterpiece. There’s just nothing better than being able to eat (and share) what you just created.
It’s sure to give your child’s self esteem a big boost.
Learning Lifelong Skills
Cooking, cleaning and safe handling of food are skills that your child will use throughout his life. I’m sure as a good parent, you don’t want to send your child off without having a good grasp on all of these skills. Starting to teach them while your child is still young is a great way to get a head start, and both of you will have a lot of fun exploring the wide world of food together. Give it a try!
Let us help you get dinner on the table with our 12 week Ultimate menu pack. Grab it today at www.MenuPlanningcentral.com/main.html
August 25, 2007
McMarketing
I just read an article in our newspaper that I had to post on.
Recently children were asked to taste test foods wrapped in McDonalds wrappers and those not wrapped in McDonalds wrappers. They were both the exact same foods and I’m sure you can guess what the kids usually chose. Here is the article.
Conducted at Stanford University, the taste test had kids ages 3 to 5 enrolled in Head Start programs sample various foods. Some were packaged in McDonald’s wrappers some were not. Nearly anything that the kids thought was made by McDonald’s – even carrots or apple juice – was deemed tastier by the kids than the non-McDonalds sample.
The study findings come out just about a month after many major food corporations announced that they were backing off on their marketing efforts to kids. Still, researchers comment, the sales pitches of the past have had a huge impact on little consumers.
Here’s how the study worked: A group of 63 kids sampled three McDonald’s menu items — hamburgers, chicken nuggets and French fries — and store-bought milk or juice and carrots. Children got two identical samples of each food on a tray, one in McDonald’s wrappers or cups and the other in plain, unmarked packaging. The kids were asked if they tasted the same or if one was better. (Some children didn’t taste all the foods.)
McDonald’s-labeled samples were the clear favorites. French fries were the biggest winner; almost 77% said the labeled fries tasted best while only 13% preferred the others.
Fifty-four percent preferred McDonald’s-wrapped carrots versus 23% who liked the plain-wrapped sample.
The only results not statistically clear-cut involved the hamburgers, with 29 kids choosing McDonald’s-wrapped burgers and 22 choosing the unmarked ones.
McDonald’s recently announced that it will begin promoting Happy Meals to kids that contain fruit and have lower calories and fat.
An independent critic of the study pointed out that a different comparison should have been made on kids’ brand-name product identification.
A better comparison might have been to gauge kids’ preferences for McDonald’s items vs. Disney products or some other kid-friendly brand, said Pradeep Chintagunta of the University of Chicago. “I don’t think you can necessarily hold this against McDonald’s,” he said, since the goal of marketing is to build familiarity and sell products, adding that parents play a large role in the food choices kids make at that age.
What do you think? Is this evidence that McDonald’s and other fast-food franchises are exploiting kids? Will a new self-monitored marketing emphasis by fast-food outlets make a difference? Share your thoughts here in the comments section.
Personally, I am glad to see that many fast food restaurants are beginning to realize the importance of promoting healthier food choices in their kids meals. I would rather that be the only choice… but at least it is an option. Ultimately our kids learn at a young age eating habits that will effect them the rest of their lives, so I think this is one step in the right direction. If companies our kids look up to promote healthy food, that helps us as parents reinforce health just a tad bit more.
June 27, 2007
4th of July E-book
Here is a 4th of July E-book For you with yummy recipes, ideas to entertain the kiddo’s and more. ENJOY!
http://www.menuplanningcentral.com/fourthofjuly.pdf