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Tropical Storm Fay Roundup

The flooding Fay has caused in Florida is a nightmare. My sympathies go out to those who were affected. This week from the Fitness Health Network: Get Fit Slowly takes a look at the Average Athlete vs. the Olympic Athlete. The Journal of Healthy Living lists Seven Gadgets to Help...

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• Healthy, Happy, Wealthy, and Wise I have been tagged by Fat Man Unleashed to write a 6 word memoir. His was Be About It! My 5 word memoir is Healthy, Happy, Wealthy, and Wise. At the end of the day, this is how I will remember my life. Healthy -- this one is pretty self...
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• Tropical Storm Fay Roundup The flooding Fay has caused in Florida is a nightmare. My sympathies go out to those who were affected. This week from the Fitness Health Network: Get Fit Slowly takes a look at the Average Athlete vs. the Olympic Athlete. The Journal of Healthy Living lists Seven Gadgets to Help...
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• Sunday Roundup - Lose that Weight! In this edition of the Sunday roundup I've pulled several posts from blogs on a myriad of subjects but mostly I found posts on the subject of losing weight. Hopefully they will help you on your way to a healthier and better life. Have a happy and healthy weekend! The...
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• Stock Markets are Not Democratic The stock market is not democratic. Changes in the stock market, far from being an honest representation of the state of the nation's economy, are nothing more than a barometer for the wealthy, educated elite whose fortunes are tied to Wall Street's performance, while the great majority of the population...
• Veterinary Health Markets Profound changes are happening in the animal health market. Pet owners in the United States are demanding more advanced and expensive treatments for companion animals, driving growth in the companion-animal sector. At the same time, concerns about livestock health care and feeding are driving changes in industrial animal husbandry. This...
• Addiction, A Disease:Brain Biology Questions And Answers That Are Easily Understandable. Part 1 of 3 Undoubtedly a keystone interview on [tag-self]addiction[/tag-self] and the biology of the brain. These are easy to understand Q and A's, perhaps the best of its kind on brain addiction biology. When I first read that there was a biological explanation for addiction and my behavior, I remember thinking "Thank goodness,...
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A rant about organic--Amanda Peet made me do it

I should start by telling you that I woke up feeling annoyed this morning. And, no, it has nothing to do with the time of the month. Ah, shit! Saying that makes it seem like it must have something to do with that time of the month, but I promise it doesn't.

See, last night I read about a new book written by a pediatrician and the chief of infectious diseases at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia that presents a case against the link between vaccines and autism. Notice I'm not linking. I don't want to step into that fray today. Especially since it wasn't anything about either side of the vaccine debate that got me worked up. Instead, it was a (probably throwaway) quote by actress Amanda Peet who has become a spokeswomen for a vaccine advocacy group. Here's what she said:

“Where I live in L.A., there’s this child-rearing trend—only feed your kids organic food, detoxify your house. And there’s a lot of anticorporate fervor, anti-pharmaceutical company fervor.” She went on, "I'd have lunch with my friends who were moms, and they'd say they wouldn't vaccinate, or would space out their vaccinations and hadn't I heard?" 

Wait! How did organic food come into this? (And, side question: is detoxifying your house a bad thing?)

I think I know the answer to my own question. Organic has become trendy. Something no longer associated with an authentic movement, but with mega corporations that market over processed foods and questionable nutritional claims trying to get in on a new consumer interest. Organic products are often exorbitantly expensive (and, ironically, bringing the price down often means hoping that the big, bad companies who can produce and distribute on a scale that makes the whole enterprise more affordable get in the game). There is uncertainty over what organic even means and if the label can be trusted. This is related, at least in part, to the issue of industrial organic (which is also related to the fact that over sweet, over processed foods can be made with organic ingredients--i.e., organic doesn't necessarily mean healthy), and the fact that organic products can only be truly organic under particular conditions that are supposedly overseen by the USDA. You know, the same agency that also oversees industrialized meat production and processing. And that's worked so out well, right? And all this isn't just news of the past. Our soon-to-be secretary of agriculture, Tom Vilsack, who will oversee the USDA, has a history of supporting biotechnology and genetically modified foods. What are we to make of all this? Especially in a time when related government agencies have failed parents with their positions on bisphenol-A and melamine in our baby formula? Oh, there's more, but I'll spare you. Needless to say, I get it. I understand why you're skeptical. I am, too.

That's why, along with my wicked sense of humor (oh yea), I'm the first one to make fun of the whole obsessive mommy questioning, "Is it organic?" about every "O" shaped cereal and puffed fruit snack you try to hand a kid these days. Even though I'm one of those moms. And why, depending on my mood, I laugh or cringe every time I write a recipe for this blog and specify "organic" next to every single item in the ingredient list. But, let's take a moment and breathe. Or at least give me a moment to catch my breath. 

Organic means grown without the chemical pesticides, chemical fertilizers, sludge sewage, bioengineering, antibiotics, or ionizing radiation. I know that this requires diligent oversight that has been brought into question, but go with me for a minute. Seems pretty straight forward that we would want our government to ensure that our food is grown in as natural a ways as possible. If we can support natural growing techniques without jeopardizing health or food supply, we'd want to. Right? It would not only result in less toxic food, but also cleaner soil and water supplies. I'm guessing we're all, more or less, on the same page here.

Now, are organic products in the US actually less toxic and reliably grown on farms that have cleaner soil and help keep water supplies clean? Not an easy question to answer. I'd guess that, realistically, we can say "some". But some is better than none. And some can lead to many. Many leads to most. Support for organic farming and products both in the form of consumer purchase and activism can help push us towards stricter policy and oversight and greater organic supply. In the meantime, I get that most of us can't be cavalier about spending extra money on organic just to help push us towards a tipping point. (Though, for the record, I don't believe that's all your doing when you buy organic. I believe there is compelling evidence that an organic diet reduces the amount of toxins that you and your children take in.) If that's the case, you might want to consider buying organic just for your little ones (since they eat more fruits and veggies relative to their body weight and developing bodies cannot break toxins down as effectively as ours) or focusing on the dirty dozen (also listed here along with the 12 least contaminated foods, and on Greenopolis with some useful notes on why certain produce is safe to buy non-organic). If you can afford organic and are interested in considering pro-organic research data, here are some points that I find compelling:

• The Environmental Protection Agency reports that children receive 50% of their lifetime cancer risks in the first two years of life.
• According to the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Academy of Sciences, standard chemicals are up to 10 times more toxic for children than for adults. The fact is that children take in more toxic chemicals relative to their body weight than adults and their developing organ systems are less capable of detoxifying chemicals.
• According to the Food and Drug Administration, half of the produce currently tested in grocery stores contains measurable residues of pesticides.
• According to the Department of Health and Human Services, organophosphate pesticides (OPs) are now found in the blood of 95% of people tested. OP levels are twice as high in blood samples taken from children than in adults. Exposure to OPs has been linked to hyperactivity, behavior disorders, learning disabilities, developmental delays, and motor dysfunction.
• The Food and Drug Administration conducted laboratory tests of eight top-selling baby foods which revealed the presence of 16 pesticides, including three carcinogens.
• In blood samples of children aged 2 to 4 years, concentrations of pesticide residues are 6 times higher for those eating conventionally farmed fruits and vegetables when compared with those eating organic food.
• The Centers for Disease Control reports that one of the main sources of pesticide exposure for children comes from the food they eat.

(Source: Organic Consumers Association, US Government Fact Sheet)

Dr. Green, renowned "green" pediatrician, adds, "In 1993, a congressionally mandated study by the National Academy of Sciences expressed concern that existing methods of risk evaluation for pesticide exposure were failing children. More recently, the Consumers Union and Environmental Working Group have released studies confirming that children are overexposed even if their exposure is within legal limits. The Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 mandated a review of agricultural chemicals in light of this new information about risk assessment. Included in this act is a requirement to impose a 10-fold margin of safety to protect children when setting standards for the use of pesticides on food. While safety standards have become more strict, buying organic products, if they are available and you can afford them, and supporting organic agriculture may be your best protection."

Phew. Lots of info. I know. One last thing, though. The American Academy of Pediatrics. Despite what I believe are dubious positions on various child health and safety issues, I feel it would be irresponsible to not report the AAP's position that there is no evidence that "organic, natural, or health foods are any more nutritious or taste better than regular foods." You know, the same way a little bit of melamine in your baby's formula won't kill them. OH snap! (And, as a side note, a prerequisite for joining the AAP is dead taste buds.) But, seriously. While I couldn't find the full text of any of their source research without paying (which I didn't do), I've considered their position and thought that you might want to, as well.

There you have it. Why I buy into organic. But convincing you isn't my point. You being indifferent to, pro-, or anti-organic isn't what makes me mad. It's that damn Amanda Peet and her quote, which I feel was irresponsible.

First off, it's judgmental. And, sadly, baby and kids food tends to be a lightning rod for judgement. Breast milk or formula? Organic or not? All natural or processed? Homemade or store bought? And don't get me wrong--I've been a perpetrator as much as (okay, more than) I've been a victim. And I say that even as someone who was emotionally and physically pulverized by breast milk supply issues that forced formula on Isaac starting at 3-months-old. I guess that in a time like ours, when an obsession with self-awareness has intersected with a massive parenting industry that churns out books and products and advice, feeding is one of the last primal ways we have left to nurture our children. But I wish we could find more compassion for each other. And respect for natural food as a fundamental element of our existence and history.

I also find the comment to be dismissive of sound research on both sides of the issue (certainly the pro-organic side, but she also diminishes the anti-organic stance by chalking the whole thing up to some "in-the-know" privileged mommy trend). Lastly, I find it dangerous that she flippantly brings together the organic and vaccine debates. While there is some interaction--some parents promote organic, gluten- and casein-free diets for autistic children--there is no direct relationship between organic and vaccines (i.e., not all parents of autistic children who believe organic matters necessarily believe that vaccines caused their child's autism, and vice versa). These are not just fads that can be clumped together as part of some cockamamie natural movement. They are globally debated health and environmental issues that have sound research--and smart, informed, outspoken parents--on both sides of the debate. And we're all just doing our best to figure it all so we can make the best decisions we know how for our families.

Poor Amanda Peet. She probably doesn't even remember saying the quote. And I can imagine how she meant it differently than I took it. (See? Compassion. And I'm not being sarcastic!) But she is a public person and has chosen to be a spokeswoman. With great power comes great responsibility. I hope she'll be more careful about how she speaks about her issue at hand. And, if she did mean her comment the way I took it, I hope she'll consider (re-consider?) the research on organic as carefully as she did the research on vaccines. If she ends up feeling the same way and wants to talk about it publicly, maybe she'd be willing to speak more specifically so that moms, like me, who are interested in the issue can reflect on a new, educated, parent-centric point-of-view. Because those are always helpful, even when we disagree. 

-S

related posts:
obama's food policy & choice of tom vilsak for agriculture secretary
dr. alan greene goes organic--is all organic really better
US (non) regulation of baby products
top foods to buy organic
Tree Hugger's "Green Basics" overview on organic food (including criticisms of organic)

food safety agencies under obama

you may or may not know this. but there are two federal agencies that
regulate the food industry. the FDA (or Food and Drug Administration)
and the Agriculture Department. one oversees both drugs and anything
to do with meat and/or poultry in the food supply (that's the FDA, of
course) while the other oversees the rest of the food supply (and that
would be the Agriculture Department).
 
why are they split up? you're not the only one wondering that. you
also can't help but wonder if things like melamine in our infant
formula and salmonella in our kids' peanut butter wouldn't be better
avoided with one central agency that institutes strict food safety
guidelines (instead of the "voluntary" ones now in place--whose crazy
idea was that?!) and strict penalties for anyone who breaks the rules.
especially when leading experts assert that federal agencies "don't do
anything until people get sick." uh, hello? can anyone say prevention?
read more about current policies and what obama might
do in this New York Times article.

-m

shepherd's pie: from scratch or leftovers (can work for 10+ mos)

instead of making and posting about all kinds of wonderful, memory-making, family-friendly recipes this holiday season, i've been convalescing. well, as much as you can convalesce with a snot covered (literally) 2-year-old screaming songs from yo gabba gabba in your face.

in the midst of all my lying around and horizontal, half-ass attempts to entertain a toddler, my mother-in-law saved the leg of lamb that i bought (and never made) for christmas dinner by roasting it up with lots of garlic and herbs de provence three nights ago. delicious. but instead of many eaters ready to throw down in honor of baby jesus, it was just three of us plus that pesky toddler, and my appetite wasn't even near full force. this made for A LOT of leftovers.

though not feeling 100% yet, i was up for some cooking last night. one of my winter stand-by's is shepherd's pie. it's an easy and delicious way for all of us to get some protein and veggies in one, simple dish. and the mash potatoes make eating the veggies easy even when isaac is going through a pickier phase. (lil' cheat: sometimes i make this even easier by buying already made mashed potatoes from my natural foods supermarket).

it's easy to make a  whole bunch of this recipe so that there are leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day, and it freezes well. what more could you want from a family-friendly dish?

i usually use ground beef or turkey and start from raw. this time i used he already cooked leftover lamb, which required some adjustments to my recipe.

 

Shepherd's Pie
*can feed children as young as 10 mos who are already eating meat, just be mindful of meat and veg piece size and added salt

1 lb organic ground beef (any kind of ground meat will do, though you may need to add a little butter depending on how lean it is)
1 medium organic onion, chopped (finely minced for early eaters 10+ mos)
1 clove organic garlic, finely minced
1 tsp organic thyme (i've used dried, too)
3 tbs organic ketchup
1 tbs organic flour
1 lb bag frozen mixed veggies (or whatever you have in the freezer; chop veggies for early eaters 10+ mos)
1/2 cup of beef or chicken broth (optional)
salt and pepper (optional)
1/2 cup parmesan (or some other yummy melty cheese like mozzarella, gouda or cheddar)
mashed potatoes (my recipe below)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sauté ground meat in a skillet until cooked through. Break up meat as much as you can, making sure there are no big chunks (be especially mindful if you plan to feed this to an early eater 10+ mos).

2. Add onions and garlic and cook until they are translucent. (Here's where you may need to add a little fat if you're using a super lean meat.)

3. Add thyme, ketchup, flour, frozen veggies (straight from the freezer is fine) and up to a 1/2 cup of broth or water. Cook until liquid thickens. You can play with the amount of liquid--you don't want soupy, but rather a medium-thick gravy that pulls all the ingredients together. If all of your eaters take salt and pepper, season now. Otherwise you can save the S&P until you serve.

4. Put the meat & veg mixture in a baking dish and top with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle cheese on top. I like to also sprinkle some black pepper for a little contrast in color. Bake until cheese is melted and mashed potatoes are browned.

Notes on using already cooked, leftover meat:

• i sauteed the same amount of onion and garlic called for by the recipe above in 2 tbs of butter as my first step
• while the onions and garlic were cooking, i minced the leftover slices of lamb in the food processor
• i added the lamb to the onions and garlic and found that, since i had trimmed a lot of the fat, i needed to add 1 more tbs of butter and a touch of broth before resuming step 3 above

Mashed Potatoes
everybody has a mashed potatoes recipe and/or technique. here's mine. it's far from perfect, but they are pretty yummy for a recipe that doesn't use cream, sour cream or cheese (all of which make for sinfully good mashed). i use my kitchen aid mixer with the paddle attachment when i feel fancy and want restaurant-like consistency, but i'm not a stickler for that. i'm happy to eat lumpy, hand-mashed potatoes if the flavor is good.

about 2 lbs organic potatoes (i used yukon gold, but read here for more on choosing the right potato for making mashed
4 tbs organic butter
1 cup of organic whole milk
salt and pepper to taste

1. peel potatoes and cut into 1-2" pieces (don't fret over being exact!)

2. put potatoes in a big pot and cover with cold water. cook over medium-high heat until potatoes are just cooked through (you should be able to pierce them with a fork)

3. place cooked potatoes in bowl (of mixer, if using). begin mashing or turn mixer on to start breaking down potatoes

4. add milk and butter in 1 tbs pieces

5. keep mashing or mixing until desired consistency. give it time and effort. even with the mixer, this step always takes longer than i remember when trying to achieve super smooth mashed

hope there's some inspiration here. either for what to do with leftovers, making a quick weeknight meal or something you can make in a big batch and freeze. enjoy.

-S

ssh... don't tell anyone, but i have a picky eater

i thought i'd never have to say my son is a picky eater. after all,
food, in all its many splendored varieties, may just be my greatest
pleasure. planting it. growing it. picking it. reading about it.
cooking it. sharing it. and, especially, eating it. no surprise i fell
hard for my husband since he's a (now retired) professional cook. and
even if i'm not the best on-the-fly savory cook, i can follow (and
even tweak) a recipe with the best of them. plus i'm a rocking good
baker.
 
anyway, i was hell-bent on having a kid with a good palate. one who
could go to any restaurant and eat off the menu (and i don't mean the
kids' menu!). one who could travel unencumbered by any special foods
from home. one who proved, once and for all, that if we feed our kids
a varied diet we'll raise kids that will eat just about anything.
 
and that was true for the first 2 years of atticus' life. spicy
curries. dark and bitter leafy greans. fennel olive breads. i admit
it. i was proud. and then, one day, out of nowhere came the cry: i
want plain! plain pasta. plain yogurt. plain chicken. plain bread.
plain rice. i was ready to kill myself. or him. what had gone wrong?
 
i did some digging and found out it's not me. some say it's biology.
evolution, in fact. this article describes that kids get picky between 2-years-old and 4- to
5-years-old because taste buds "shut down" around the time toddlers
start walking to prevent them from putting just anything in their
mouth and eating it. i also learned from one of my favorite baby food resourcs that some say it's a development issue. an opportunity for kids to
flex their independence and experiment with cause and effect (ie, how
funny it is when he says "no, yucky" and i roll my eyes and sigh).
suddenly, i didn't feel so bad.
 
so until this phase passes, what is the parent of a picky toddler to
do? don't make a big deal of it. but don't give in to it either. i
don't support, and neither do many experts, the strategy of hiding
veggies in foods your kids like (ie, hiding pureed butternut squash in
macaroni and cheese)--because kids aren't learning to appreciate the
food in question. i do, however, like the idea of continuing to offer
the foods they reject along with the foods they enjoy. and not making
a scene if they don't eat it. it helps that we cook so much at home
since we're invariably making some staples (like rice or pasta or
chicken) that he will eat. so before we plate our meals and let every
food (gasp!) touch the other, we make a special plate (like this fancy schmancy BPA-free and phthalate-free one from Skip Hop) for atticus where the foods he doesn't like remain far from the foods he does. and
sometimes, if we act over-the-top excited about how yummy the yucky
food is (but not so over-the-top that atticus gets suspicious), he'll
ask for a bite. and sometimes, just sometimes, he forgets it's yucky
and eats it all up. yum!
 
--m

hot ginger drink recipes for the holidays (great for kids big and small)

tuesday night, it snowed in brooklyn. our first real snow. not the tiny
flurries that hint at snow, mind you. but lots of big white flakes
that scream winter is here! i knew everything would melt by morning.
and i didn't want atticus to miss it. so i did what i usually have a
hard time doing. i opted for "the moment" instead of "the plan" and
delayed atticus' bedtime. instead of going into his room for books,
songs, and lights out at 7:30--we covered our jammies with down coats,
hats, scarves, gloves, and snow boots and headed into the street.
watching atticus with eyes closed, head upturned, and tongue out
whispering "mama, look!" reminded me that kids are an opportunity to
see how great "the moment" really is.
 
of course, by the time we got back, he wasn't too happy that his hands
were like "ice cream" (he's not so great with idioms). so i whipped up
a warm ginger milk. the mug turned his red fingers a more normal color
within minutes. and a bit of spicy ginger heated him from the inside
out. i use ginger a lot now that atticus is officially a toddler,
especially when it's cold outside. so in honor of the holiday season,
here are the recipes (of course, i use all organic ingredients) for
his favorite toasty ginger drinks:
 
warm ginger milk
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp fresh grated ginger (or ginger powder in a pinch)
a dash of ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp agave nectar (you could use honey as long as your child is
older than 1 year)
heat the milk , ginger, and cinnamon on the stove until it almost--but
doesn't--boil. reduce heat and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. let cool
until just warm and safe for your little one's mouth. strain to remove
any big bits of ginger if your snow angel (like mine!) has an aversion
to bits in their drinks. add agave. stir. and serve!
 
warm ginger lemonade
1 cup water
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp fresh grated ginger (or ginger powder in a pinch)
1/2 tsp agave nectar (you could use honey as long as your child is
older than 1 year)
heat the water, lemon, and ginger on the stove until it boils. reduce
heat and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. let cool until just warm and
safe for your little one's mouth. strain to remove any big bits of
ginger if your snow angel (like mine!) has an aversion to bits in
their drinks. add agave. stir. and serve!
 
warm mulled raspberry apple cider
1 cup apple cider
1/4 cup frozen raspberries
1/4 tsp fresh grated ginger (or ginger powder in a pinch)
a dash of ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp agave nectar (you could use honey as long as your child is
older than 1 year)
heat the cider, raspberries, ginger, and cinnamon on the stove until
it boils. reduce heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. let cool until
just warm and safe for your little one's mouth. strain to remove the
raspberries and any big bits of ginger if your snow angel (like mine!)
has an aversion to bits in their drinks. add agave. stir. and serve!
(note: don't throw away the raspberries! mix them in plain yogurt or
use them as spread on toast.)
 
-m

how much milk should kids drink?

as i put isaac down for a nap today, it hit me. i haven't given him a bottle in ages! until several weeks ago, he was getting a bottle before nap and one before bed (before brushing his pearly whites!). for a while i kept filling his bottles up to the 6-8 oz mark. but he drank less and less. by the time i gave him his last bottle, i was only filling them up to 3 or 4 oz, and even that wasn't disappearing down his gullet. in fact, half of the milk would dribble down his face since he really just wanted to play with the bottle.

since i hadn't processed that his two reliable daily sources of dairy intake had fallen out of routine, i hadn't been paying specific attention to whether or not he was getting enough... until now!

i couldn't find anything about daily dairy or milk intake on the site of our favorite online pediatrician, dr. greene. so i hopped on over the the american academy of pediatrics where i found this guideline. pretty general, though it does emphasize the importance of calcium, of which milk (including goat's milk) is a great source. (they also touch on calcium sources for kids who can't or don't drink cow's milk.)

this brings up a great point--it isn't milk, per se, that children need, but calcium and vitamin D which are readily available in milk. both are vitally important to healthy development, and it can be difficult to get them in necessary amounts through other dietary sources. maybe that's why fortified drinks and foods are often recommended in tandem with foods rich in calcium and vitamin D for lactose-intolerant children. if milk (and yogurt and cheese) aren't part of your child's diet, talk to your pediatrician about what you can feed them to ensure they are getting what they need. you can also check out the world's healthiest foods entries on calcium and vitamin d. both provide a list of food sources (eg, eat spinach, mustard greens, turnip greens or collards for calcium,  and salmon, shrimp, cod or eggs for vitamin d).

Kidshealth.org (a site with doctor-approved kids health info by the Nemours Foundation) provides a useful, easy to read chart on what 2- and 3-year-olds should be eating across food groups. it says that they should be getting 2 cups of dairy daily, with 1 cup being equal to a cup of milk or yogurt, 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese, or 2 ounces of processed cheese. (the one time those two words will ever appear together on this blog! please note that it takes double the amount of processed cheese to get the same benefits as the natural version--enough to skip it?)

as it turns out, isaac is getting what he needs. i've been giving him milk in a cup (we've been drinking mostly cow's milk, though goat's milk shows up from time to time). and he loves yogurt and cheese. and one last note that is more about the bottle than the contents of the bottle: in the US, we encourage parents to wean children from the bottle (and the breast, for that matter) much earlier than elsewhere in the world. i know every kid is different. and i must admit that isaac has naturally grown out of every attachment on his own. but maybe (?) it's because we let him. i definitely felt weird that he was approaching two and still totally attached to a bottle. but instead of projecting that onto him, we put some rules in place (e.g., we didn't carry it around, but made it a part of a routine) and let him have his comfort (the sucking instinct that we all accept and respect in infancy is strong through 24 months). while not every child will let you know when they don't need something anymore as clearly as isaac did, a conversation can be had if you listen to your kids. i hope that sharing our story eases some of anxiety around feeling like there is some fixed milestone your kid has to hit. because there isn't!

-S

mom--and kid--friendly holiday party menu

we've all done it--carried on about how different we were before we became mamas. you know, when we had time to put on makeup every day. and go shopping for clothes that actually fit and don't have to be vomit-food-marker proof. it's not that i don't talk about that stuff--believe me, i do--but i more often talk about how well i entertained before isaac. when there was time to care about details, perfect recipes and timing, plan ahead for days, and roll out a perfectly elaborate cocktail party in heels and lipstick without breaking a sweat. yea. those days are gone.

after a two year hiatus (isaac is 2-years-old--do the math), my baby-daddy and i decided to bring our holiday party back. unlike previous years, we put rules designed to keep the party as low stress as possible in place: isaac must spend the night AND next day at grandma's (key to enjoying a party is not having to care for a toddler the day after), and limit cooking and clean up so that we can actually enjoy ourselves.

leaving isaac with grandma overnight--easy breezy. low impact party menu--not so much. what's a party without days of prep? cooking for hours and hours? making everything homemade? it was tough, but i was up for the challenge. and am happy to report that we had a great time with great friends, no kids, and good food that i was proud to serve... even though i didn't slave for days.

MENU PLANNING
advance planning is necessary, but i knew it had to be minimal enough to handle in just 1 or 2 nights after isaac went to sleep. it couldn't drag on for days and days the way it used to. as much as i love that process, i just don't have the time. to keep myself on track, i asked three questions to assess potential menu items:

can i make extra to have around for isaac?
cooking for a party is enough major cooking for the week. there was no way i was going to put any significant amount of time into something that i couldn't also feed isaac. 

can i make the recipe while isaac sleeps or is playing around the kitchen?
this focused me on stuff that could be easily and quickly made ahead. it ruled out all elaborate recipes or anything that required delicate timing. no souffles. nothing made to order. (yes, i've gone there.)

can store bought components pass without sacrificing quality?
this was a hard one for me. i'm a nut for making everything myself. but i knew i couldn't feed 25 people 100% homemade food without breaking the rules and stressing out. in sticking to this rule i learned that a few, high-quality, specialty store bought items mixed in with an otherwise homemade menu works really well. it's kind of like mixing expensive accessories with an otherwise inexpensive outfit. if you do it right, you look barneys when you're really 90% forever 21.

when you consider store bought items think beyond your conventional market's prepared foods or frozen section. while there are exceptions, most of that stuff isn't so good. is there an ethnic section of your neighborhood that has a killer specialty store or bakery? what about online resources? iGourmet has an interesting international section. i've never ordered from dean and deluca online, but have been curious about their mail order appetizer selection. trader joe's is a good option, too. (any other suggestions?)

MENU
so, after some (but not much) deliberation, here's where i ended up:

dub pies
these are delicious australian/new zealand-style gourmet meat and veg pies made in my beloved brooklyn. i got 100 2" party pies (50 steak mince & cheese, 25 curry veg, and 25 chicken) for $130. we still have a bunch left over and though they aren't organic, i feel comfortable feeding these high quality, hand-made, hand-held meals to isaac. he likes all of the flavors, though the curry veg might be too spicy for some kids. dub pies offers mail order all over the country (they come frozen) and delivery or pick-up options for either frozen or hot pies throughout nyc.

bacon wrapped dates (stuffed with almonds)
my holiday party stand-by. delicious. a crowd pleaser. this is not something i'd feed isaac, but there's also NEVER any leftover, no matter how many i make. and these are so easy to make ahead that it barely matters. just stuff a blanched almond into a pitted date (or prune); split a strip of bacon down the middle; use half to wrap the date. pile prepped dates onto a platter, cover, and put in the fridge until it's time to pop these babies in the oven. when it's time, i preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake until the bacon looks nice and brown. remember that bacon will crisp up more once out of the oven and left to rest.

hearts of palm dip & pita chips
this is the easiest dip ever. it's basically a simple hummus made with hearts of palm instead of chick peas. toss 1 can hearts of palm, a couple of garlic cloves, and juice of a lemon into a food processor. puree while slowly drizzling in olive oil until the mixture becomes the consistency of hummus. done and done. it's light, refreshing, and delicious. people dig in expecting hummus and are always pleasantly surprised. i've passed this recipe on to many people for whom it has also become a staple.

feta dip & crudite
the feta dip was new for me. i adapted this recipe from martha stewart. i didn't have quite enough sour cream, so i added cream cheese which worked fine. i wanted to make the recipe even easier, so i put everything but the scallions into the food processor (i mixed the scallions in afterwards). it worked well, though i would have preferred the chunkier texture achieved from hand mixing. next time i'll use the processor but set some crumbled feta aside with the scallions to mix in before serving.

potato pancakes served two ways: with gravlax and creme fraiche, with homemade applesauce
classic cocktail party combos made easy thanks to pancakes purchased at trader joe's. i decided to make the applesauce from scratch because i thought it would have a nicer texture than the jarred stuff. (it did, which actually helped the potato pancake a lot--i wasn't thrilled with the gravlax version). plus, applesauce is so easy to make and freeze. you can do it with your eyes closed and it's about as family friendly as food gets. i didn't even follow a recipe. just peel and core a bunch of apples (try to use two different kinds--i used fuji and gala--here's a list of varieties suggested for apple sauce); throw in a pot with some water or apple cider (about 1/2 a cup per 4 apples, though you can easily add or drain liquid as necessary); squeeze juice of a lemon; throw in a few dashes of cinnamon and some sugar if you wish (about 1/4 cup of sugar per 4 apples seems standard--i use less--you can always use a little honey at the end).

deviled eggs
i fell in love with the deviled eggs with tuna and black olives at oleana in boston years ago. i've worked hard to approximate their deliciousness. i haven't perfected a recipe, but basically mix the following to taste: hard boiled egg yolks, creme fraiche, low fat mayo, either chopped gherkins or black olives (don't use the kind that come in cans--they'll give a tinny taste), italian oil packed tuna, salt, and pepper. i added the tuna last this time so that i could set a few vegetarian eggs aside for isaac. he ate one for breakfast this morning. yum!

cheese plate
if you can, go to a cheese store and splurge on a few special kinds. it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. i used umbricao, ossau iraty, and idiazabal. just place on a platter with almonds (i used marcona almonds), grapes, crackers and, if you want to get really fancy, quince paste.

gougeres
these delicious cheese puff apps are not hard to make from scratch, but i had to follow the rules and my to do list was growing. anyway, cheese temple artisinal in nyc sells a delicious frozen version that just need to be popped in the oven. believe me. these don't need a homemade component. they are delicious as they come.

BOTTOM LINE
i ended up making 2 dips (both with basically only 1 step), a bunch of bacon wrapped dates, applesauce, and deviled eggs from scratch. not bad.

PREP SCHEDULE
i made the applesauce and boiled and peeled the eggs during isaac's nap the day before the party. i made the dips the morning of, while drinking coffee and watching isaac play in his bean box. i prepped the bacon wrapped dates and deviled eggs while isaac napped the day of the party. i composed the cheese plate and crudite and preheated the oven just a few hours before guests arrived. the first thing to go in the oven were the potato pancakes. once crisped, it took all of 10 minutes to top them as the first guests arrived. then it was just a matter of doing oven rounds: popping batches of dates and gougeres in and out and warming the dub pies as necessary.

it was honestly a breeze. for the first time ever. i don't think the food was quite the same caliber as it has been in the past, nor was i as organized or put together, but that was mostly because i was so excited to be entertaining--loudly!--in a house with no sleeping toddler. it worked out beautifully. and i learned myself a little something about taking it easy.

cheers to that. happy holidays.

-S

 

 

 

FEEDING HACK! veggies instead of jam

sounds strange, but it works. at least with the two veggies i've tried: sweet potato and butternut squash. (what else do you think you could use?) it's just like apple butter, really. (in fact, apple butter is a great reference for consistency.) and you can use it the same way. i usually spread veggie butter on our morning toast on top of a little butter. for today's snack, i spread squash on toast that also had some peanut butter on it. yum!

you can prepare the veggies however you'd like in order to make a thick-ish puree. i like to roast both sweet potatoes and squash. i'm sure you can steam (though you'll lose flavor) or boil (you'll lose flavor and nutrients). whatever is easiest.

once roasted and cooled, i peel the sweet potato and wrap the whole thing in foil. anytime over the next three days that i want some sweet potato butter, i just unwrapped it, cut off a slice and spread it with a knife. spreads smooth as melted butter and doesn't need any other flavor (though i sometimes sprinkle cinnamon on top).

as for the squash, i find it easier and neater to make the puree as soon as it has cooled. i don't mind lumpy and prefer to dirty as few dishes as possible, so i just mash it with a potato masher and season with a little bit of all natural, organic maple syrup and freshly grated ginger (best done using a microplane, one of my other favorite kitchen tools). 

so easy, a sweet treat (though less so than jam, in a good way), and a creative way to get an additional serving of veggies in the mix (without having to hide them!).

-S

(pictured: squash puree in a mason jar--i keep in the fridge for up to 3 days--and today's snack of toast with peanut butter & squash with a side of blueberries)

THE best kitchen tool for parents

i'm not exaggerating when i say that kitchen shears are the most indispensable tool in my kitchen. and i've got a LOT of kitchen tools. every parent must have a pair. if you don't, put it on your holiday wish list.

because i feed isaac the same foods that i make for me and my husband, his meals don't come out of the pot in the appropriate bite size. and they haven't for a long time. (i've been exclusively making single family meals that can feed all three of us since isaac was around 12-months-old. if you want to do the same, just remember to season with your youngest eater in mind. once you set aside their portion, you can add more seasoning for the older folks.) once you've made an entire meal, the last thing you want to do is whip out a clean cutting board (which you have to do so that your raw ingredient shizz doesn't contaminate your meal) to chop up food for the baby. the genius of kitchen shears is that you can just spoon the food into a bowl and start snipping away until you get an age-appropriate bite size. done and done. works for everything from pasta, to stew, to chick pea masala, or even meat.

kitchen shears aren't expensive and i PROMISE you will get value out of them. even the super shmancy brands are relatively affordable. these by wusthof will only set you back $19.99. target is selling this pair (as in two!) by kitchen aid for $9.99!

-S