ConsumerMom

Celebrate Food Day! (With a Free Cookbook, and Recipes From Bittman, Oliver & others)

Today is the first ever “Food Day” – part of a public awareness campaign that, according to the website: “seeks to bring together Americans from all walks of life—parents, teachers, and students; health professionals, community organizers, and local officials; chefs, school lunch providers, and eaters of all stripes—to push for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way.”

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) are the Honorary Co-Chairs for Food Day 2011, and the day is sponsored by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Michael Jacobson’s group in Washington DC (known best for calling fettuccine alfredo a “heart attack on a plate”).

There are many Food Day events happening all over the county; you can find a list at http://www.foodday.org/participate/events/.   

One way to celebrate the day is to cook with your kids!  Check out these great Food Day recipes: http://foodday.org/why-eat-real/recipes.php and free cookbook. The cookbook features recipes from Mario Batali, Mark Bittman, Nora Pouillon , and Lynn Rosetto Kasper, to name a few.

I also like the recipes at ChopChopMaryland – if you haven’t registered to get their recipes by text, do so now!  Text 'CHOPMD' to the short code 43186 to subscribe to latest information and alerts from the ChopChop Maryland program.

It’s too late for me tonight; I’ve already got a Chicken cooking in the crock pot for dinner.  We’ll have to try these Food Day recipes another night this week. 

What do you think of Food Day? How are you celebrating?

 

 

 

ChopChop to Healthy Recipes?

In Maryland, First Lady Katie O’Malley is helping launch ChopChop Maryland, a new initiative to encourage fun and healthy cooking (and eating) for families. As a parent who does most of the cooking in our house (and most of the shopping, too), I always appreciate extra help. For a while now, I've been an avid reader of Keri Frisch’s column on Patch.com.  In the spirit of "the more the merrier," I’m happy to know that ChopChop Maryland will offer recipes and tips for healthy living.

Starting October 1, and every month for the next year, as part of this project, ChopChop Maryland will be sending out delicious, easy recipes that families can make together, using Maryland ingredients. The recipes are being developed by Sally Sampson, Founder and President of ChopChop Magazine.  The first recipe, for a delish apple crisp, was released today, October 3.

If you want to get the recipes and be eligible for prizes, just text CHOPMD to 43186. You’ll be registered in the program, and will receive texts when new recipes are available. (Message and data rates may apply.)

The recipes and the text messages are also available in Spanish. Sign up by texting CHOPES to 43186.
The recipes and the prizes are free. If you have any questions, you can email chopmd@dhmh.state.md.us.

I’ll report back tomorrow!

Teaching Kids about Giving, not just Receiving, At the Holidays

As we all scurry around trying to complete our Santa and other gift-giving roles, it’s still important to think about what messages we are sending to our children about the holidays.

I have two friends who have told their young 5 and 6 year old children that there is no Santa Claus.  My husband and I have decided that we like the magical element of Good Ol’ Saint Nicholas, so we keep the innocence of the childhood fantasy alive for as long as we can.  Of course, when your children are precocious, that can be a challenge. We are collecting items for a family we adopted, and my daughter wanted to know why we need to buy the child presents, since Santa will bring them for him…. but that’s another story….

With all the consumerism and “gimmies” that can happen at the holidays, I was happy to read a column by one of my favorite writers, Marguerite Kelly, in the Washington Post.  She recently was asked about how to help children realize the value of giving, not just receiving, gifts.  I loved her column and wanted to share some of her advice here.

-  Talk to your child.  Kelly advises that you ask your children what they want to give for Christmas, not what they want to receive.  Make a list of people that they should be giving gifts to – family members, relatives, or friends.  Kelly suggests you make the list and hang it somewhere the child will see it.  As she says, “a 3-year-old is kind and rather altruistic, but she won't remember her good intentions without some reminders from you.”

- Set the example.  Make charity to others a family tradition.  Kelly suggests letting family members and other people buying gifts for your child know that you would like to have your children donate some of their presents to those less fortunate.  With their approval, talk to your child about what gifts you will be donating.

- Showcase your child’s talents and abilities.  Most children older than three can make a nice gift.  Kelly suggests children should make the presents they give, instead of buying them: “Every time a child makes a present for someone else, she becomes a somewhat more generous person.”  I love this suggestion!

Here are some suggestions for homemade gifts:

-         Drawings:  Any child can do this.  You could also go and buy some inexpensive frames to put the drawing in for a special treat. (I love these sticker picture frames you can use on any wall.)

-         Painted frames: Craft stores sell wooden frames kids can decorate.   I have seen these in dollar bins.  Your child can paint or write the year and date on the frame, and put their photograph in the frame for a nice gift.

-         Time Preservers:  One great way to mark childhood passage of time is by making hand or foot prints. You can do these in ink or paint (lots of fun for kids) and frame these for gifts. Another easy option is pressing your child’s hand into wet plaster.  This can easily be made into a Christmas ornament;  just remember to poke a hole in it so you can add string to hang on the tree.

-         Little Cooks:  Many children love to bake and cook. There are many easy recipes that even the smallest hands can do with help.  Kelly offers a gift of simple roasted pecans for the relatives (Her instructions:  “Throw a pound of pecans and 2 to 3 ounces of butter onto a cookie sheet so you can bake them and then pour the nuts into small jars.”)   My favorite pecan cookies are easy to make, and my children love to roll them into balls before we bake them.  Here is a recipe (modified version of one from my mother-in-law, minus a secret, Greek ingredient )—enjoy!

Pecan Puffs

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Beat until soft:
    2 sticks unsalted butter
Add and blend until creamy:
    4 tablespoons sugar
Add:
    2 teaspoon vanilla
Measure, then grind in a nut grinder:
    2 cup pecans
Sift before measuring:
    2 cup flour
Stir the flour slowly into the butter mixture; add the pecans. I like to chill the dough for a little while before getting the children and rolling the dough into small balls. Place balls on a greased cookie sheet and bake about 30 minutes. Roll while hot in:
    Confectioners’ sugar
Cool and box for gift-giving,

Have a happy holiday!

 

Tricky Treats? Halloween tips

It is time to think about Halloween – my children have their costumes picked out already, so that is one less thing to worry about. (We bought them last year at 75 percent off – I have a list of recommendations for saving money on Halloween costumes here, in a blog post from last year. )

 

But we still need to choose our candy.  As someone who has struggled with a sweet tooth, a mother of two and an aunt of a dear niece with juvenile diabetes, I have mixed emotions about the treat part of “trick or treating.”  What treats should we buy this year? The National Consumers League founder Florence Kelley said that “to buy is to have power” – my choice of candy can reflect my priorities.

 

If my priorities are saving money, then the best way to do that is to use coupons and shop the sales. Target is a good bet because the chain store allows you to “layer” on coupons – you can use one manufacturer coupon and one Target coupon for the same item.  Last week, there were candy coupons in my weekend newspaper circulars.  Online, Target offers their own $1 off coupon for Mars candy. It’s a great way to double savings.

 

If my priority is health, there are other decisions to make. Real Simple magazine had a good chart, comparing many traditional candies and analyzing the best choices. They picked sugarless bubble gum, smarties, jolly ranchers and other treats as “better bets,” because…..(why? are they lower in sugar?)  You can read the full story here.

 

If you want to avoid candy and stick with other treats, my niece’s family distributes small bags of pretzels, and they have also given out stickers, small packs of crayons, and Halloween themed erasers and pencils as treats.  My children seem to appreciate these treats just as much as candy. Really! They get enough candy at other houses.

 

If you are concerned about child labor and how the candy was made, then fair trade issues come into play.  According to the United Nation’s Children’s Fund, 200,000 children in West Africa work under forced labor conditions on cocoa farms.  The International Labor Rights Fund is particularly critical of Hershey’s, noting other chocolate companies that do better include Cadbury/Kraft, Mars and Nestle.  There are fair trade chocolates available, and buying and distributing fair trade candy is an opportunity to start a discussion about working conditions in other countries, child labor, and other social issues.  You can find out more and buy fair trade candy at the Global Exchange online store.  You can also find fair trade treats at Whole Foods or other health food stores – or just avoid chocolate treats and go with “made in the USA” hard candies or nonfood treats.

 

It is a lot to think about – but information is power.  I hope the information I share in the blog will help you at Halloween.  I’m still not sure what we’ll be distributing.  Will my budget be the ultimate decision-maker? Stay tuned!

Special Tips for Kids Going to School for the First Time (and their 'rents)

Last year my kids started kindergarten at our local elemetary school.  I was more nervous than they were, I think.  I learned a couple of things I want to share with those of you who are in the same boat.

1 – Plan ahead! The first day will take you longer, so give yourself extra time. You will want to take those scrapbook photos, and you may need a timeout to get your emotions in check….

2 – Lunch time! If your child will be eating lunch for the first time at school, here are some tips if you are packing their lunch:

·        Find out how much time your child has for lunch.  You may be surprised to learn that some kids have 30 minutes or less for lunch.  Find out how much time your child has, and if you are packing a lunch, plan accordingly.  Make sure the foods are easy to open and eat – and that they aren’t hard to peel or need a lot of space to put together.  I’ve seen kids try to assemble those “lunchable” pizzas only to run out of time once they have opened all the plastics. Keep in mind that there is not a lot of table space, either, for most kids at lunch!

·        Think convenience foods are convenient? Not really.  Think simple and fresh as opposed to over-packaged and processed.  We often think of processed foods as conveniences, but in a school lunch, they are not always simple for our kids!  The processed foods take extra time to be opened and produce a lot of extra trash.  I’ve seen kindergartners get in trouble for not throwing away all their trash, when really it’s just that they had no idea what to do with all the wrappers.  Why? Because at home, we usually do that all for them – open the packages, throw the plastic away, etc.  At school they have to do all of this themselves, and it can be daunting.  Instead of plastic baggies, consider buying reusable containers. They are better for the environment, and you and your child can pick them out together, decorate them with stickers or permanent markers, and make them really special. Opening up a reusable container that they have decorated or that has their name on it can be fun and a comfort at lunch time.  It’s a lot more personal than a plastic wrapper.

·        Practice opening some items you pack for lunch. Opening up some items can be very frustrating, so help your child figure out the best ways to open some prepackaged items. For instance, those yogurt tubes are hard to open! At the school where I volunteer at lunch, we use scissors to open up the yogurt tubes and fruit rolls.  We don’t need scissors to help kids with their bananas or apples…think about it!  And you would not believe how many kids can not open an apple sauce container without getting sauce flying out everywhere…If you want to pack these items, talk to your child about opening them, and practice!

Practice makes perfect, and while it may seem silly to practice "eating lunch," with your new elementary school student, it will help give them more confidence for one part of their day!  As for making you feel better...sorry. All I can say is I feel your pain!