Saturday November 7, 2009
That's right. November is the time to celebrate that ooey-gooey, stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth treat -- peanut butter. There are a lot of reasons to love peanut butter. It's a great source of protein. It's a natural part of a vegetarian or vegan diet. It's got no cholesterol. It's very low in trans fat and the natural/organic types have no transfat at all. It's also packed with magnesium, folate and niacin.
So what's not to love? Well, for one thing, if you've got a history of allergies in the family, you should wait before introducing peanut butter to your child. You've also got to be careful with little ones even when allergies aren't a factor, because it can be a choking hazard.
All in all though, peanut butter is an easy way pack the most nutrition into your child's diet. To help you and your child celebrate, I've pulled together some of my favorite peanut butter recipes in a month-long "I Love Peanut Butter" newsletter. If you hate to cook but still want snacks that pack the peanut butter punch, try two of my son's favorites: Clif Zbar Peanut Butter Snack Bar (compare prices) and Late July Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies. Both are organic, healthy and tasty to boot. I've also got some peanut butter trivia you can quiz yourself on, so start celebrating with your wee one today.
Monday November 2, 2009
Trick-or-Treating and Halloween parties are over and now you've probably got an industrial-sized supply of candy. With all that candy around, it's difficult to explain to a toddler why she can only have one or two pieces a day. All your effort will be well worth it, however, when her teeth are healthy and she still has room for
nutritious food. Dentistry Guide Shawn Watson has some ways to set limits on your child's candy consumption so you can
manage all that sugary goodness to your toddler's delight and still keep her teeth free of decay. For instance, you might be thinking that letting your her have a piece or two a day between meals is the way to go, but Watson advises against this and for good reason:
"Schedule candy time once a day, preferably with snacks or meals, not in between. It is always best to eat sweets with other foods. The presence of the additional food increases the saliva production in the mouth. Plaque thrives on the acids produced by sugar. This increase in saliva helps to break down the sugar quickly, which in turn decreases the amount of acid produced in the mouth."
Right now is one of those times when dental care is at the forefront of your mind, but good oral hygiene is important every day. Baby teeth are more than just a temporary set of teeth and it's important to take care of them from today until tooth fairy time.
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Tuesday October 27, 2009
Just walking around the neighborhood lately has revealed a sad lack of Jack-o'-Lanterns. This struck me as a bit odd since it's so close to Halloween, but then I had to consider that I haven't carved any pumpkins myself in recent years. I found a book from ages ago that came with patterns and pumpkin-carving tools -- dusty and unopened -- in my closet just last week. Oops. It's just another activity I didn't get around to in the hustle and bustle that has become Halloween these days.
This year, though, I'm going to do it. There's a church within walking distance that has a pumpkin patch set up, so my son and I are going to head down there today and get us a nice one and carve it up. I've watched this instructional video (where I learned that carved pumpkins may only last a day to a week thus explaining my neighborhood's lack-o'-lanterns) and picked out a simple pumpkin pattern (I'm going for happy rather than spooky) so I'm ready to go.
If you're thinking about carving a pumpkin with your toddler this year, make sure you do it safely. Pumpkin carving tools are sharp and pumpkin flesh isn't the most yielding stuff even for the sharpest of knives. Make sure you keep your toddler at a distance as you carve and put sharp objects out of reach when not in use. If you can, have another adult around to supervise your toddler as you work. Remember that roasted pumpkin seeds are a great treat for adults, but can be a choking hazard for toddlers. And of course, when you light the candle inside, make sure your put away any matches or lighters.
An alternative to carving a pumpkin is to cut out the eyes, nose or other markings on your pattern or template, tape it to the pumpkin and let your toddler color the pumpkin with a black magic marker (like a stencil). You can also keep your toddler occupied and safe as you carve nearby by putting him in his high chair with a miniature pumpkin and some markers or crayons or set him up at his own table with some pumpkins and paint. You could even paint your pumpkin first and wait to carve it just before Halloween.
More Fun with Pumpkins
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Monday October 26, 2009
My Halloween costume this year came about rather accidentally. I went camping last weekend and had these flying goggles that I brought to avoid smoke in my eyes. I figured I would be doing a fair amount of cooking over the campfire. The other mom I was camping with (who did way more cooking than me and ended up with the goggles on her head instead) laughed and said I looked like the Red Baron and thus, my costume was born. How easy is that? Goggles, red scarf, leather jacket, khakis, boots. So easy you could even turn your toddler into the Red Baron if you were pressed for time.
I think there may still be a little time -- depending on the shipping option you choose -- if you're looking to purchase a Halloween costume for your toddler online. If you're like me and can't make up your mind or like to procrastinate, Sherri has a ton of ideas for last-minute costumes and most of them use stuff you probably have around the house. (No purchase necessary - sweet words for this frugal mama!) Many of these would work for a toddler or an adult, so no matter whose costume is undecided, she's got you covered.
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