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Erin & Lynda

Back To School Lunches!!

To see more recipes and pictures view - http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/everydaycooking/family/schoollunchesforkids

Any parent will agree that the world's toughest food critics are children. This "aptitude" for culinary criticism is particularly evident with school-day lunches. You want to give your mini gourmand a balanced meal, one filled with double-duty foods that provide energy and nutrition while keeping junior sated and satisfied. But getting your little loved one to actually eat a wholesome homemade lunch can be as difficult as getting him or her to log off and unplug.

Nutritious Recipes for Kids
Peanut Butter Berry–Wich
Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad
California Style Tuna Salad Rolls
Turkey Pinwheels
Edamame Succotash Salad
Black Bean and Rice Salad
Chocolate Chip Flying Saucers
Wheat Biscuit Shortbread
Mini Whoopie Pies
Extreme Granola

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To ensure that junior's power lunch doesn't go straight into the trash (and your time and money with it) or get traded for something a whole lot less nutritious, parents need to approach this nagging problem with a strategy. For years, I've come up with creative, healthy ideas for my kids' brown-bag lunches, and so when it came time to write my cookbook, Real Food for Healthy Kids, my coauthor, venerated food professional Tracey Seaman, and I devoted a whole chapter to this 180-days-a-year conundrum.

What follows are tips on planning and packing lunches; tools to deal with picky eaters; and some simple nutritious recipes to get your kids fed well, all adapted from Real Food for Healthy Kids. All of the recipes in our book, including the ones here, have been taste-tested by kids and analyzed by a nutritionist, so you can be sure there is something here that your child will love and that will be right for his or her nutritional needs. If you want to learn more about the kinds of foods and nutrients your child needs, check out our guide to daily nutritional requirements for preschoolers, elementary-school kids, and teenagers.

To make a meal with these recipes, fill out the lunchbox with a piece of fresh fruit like a Macintosh apple or red grapes, veggies such as sugar snap peas or mini carrots, some dry snacks like trail mix or our Extreme Granola, and some water in a nontoxic container like those from Sigg or Klean Kanteen. But no matter what you include, your child will know that you took the time to make something especially for him or her, as a homemade lunch is yet another expression of your love.


planning & packing tips:
Think Like an Accountant
Budget your time—and money—by creating a spreadsheet that will detail the daily school-day lunches for that month. Make use of Sunday leftovers and use fresh produce as soon as you buy it. Create a weekly shopping list to reduce trips to the store, and allocate healthy prepackaged snacks for days without fresh fruit.

Act Like a Chef
Cut your lunch-making time in half by creating an efficient assembly line of materials. Get out everything that you need, from bread and meats to wrapping materials and utensils. Place it all on the counter in the order you will use it. This will speed up the process when you're pressed for time.

Keep It Hot/Cold
If you're sending your kid to school with something that needs to stay cold, include a cold pack—if your child is like most, you might want to tape the cold pack into the lunchbox, so that it doesn't accidentally get thrown out or left behind. For foods that must be kept warm, like a veggie stew or noodle soup, heat up the food in the morning. Pour boiling water into a thermos, let it warm up the container for a few minutes, and then tip it out before you add the hot food. This will help retain warmth.

Looks Count
The way food is presented affects how a diner perceives flavor; this is true even for kids. Make an effort to keep dishes looking attractive, wrapped and served in cool containers, and packed in lunchboxes that reflect the personality of your child.


tips for keeping picky eaters happy:
Give Jr. Power
Before you plan the weekly lunch menu, ask your child to identify five favorite food items that he or she would like to see in the lunchbox. Then encourage your kid to participate in the planning, preparing, and packing of the rest of the meals, creating a balanced menu of protein and complex carbs. Including them in the decision—and preparation—improves the chances that the lunch will actually get eaten.

Vary the Menu
Even if he or she requests the same ham and cheese sammie every day, it's important to provide at least one or two different items in the lunchbox to expand a picky eater's palate. However, throwing in a food your young food critic claims to hate will backfire, as they are likely to throw it out before trying it. Introduce those new or controversial foods at dinnertime, when your kid is presumably hungry and under your watchful eye.
Never Too Cool for School
No matter how old your child is, include a sweet, encouraging note, a cartoon, a picture of the family pet, or even just a silly drawing to make them smile and be reminded of how much you love them



Read More http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/everydaycooking/family/schoollunchesforkids#ixzz0ya23BpYJ

Bamboo Baby Blankets - The perfect Organic Baby Gift!

Whenever there is a new baby in the family, it is a great source of joy and happiness. It is very normal for parents to celebrate the arrival of a baby through a baby shower party. It is a tradition that whoever graces the occasion has to present the newborn with gifts. Most times, the individuals attending the occasion of a baby shower have no clue about what to gift and what not to gift. One particular category of gifts, that is easy to select and also suitable for babies are organic baby gifts. Organic baby gifts are made from material that are suitable for a baby and won't affect the baby adversely.

One such organic baby gift are bamboo baby blankets. This type of organic blanket is popular mainly because of the enhanced softness and comfort it provides. It is made of the bamboo Kun, which is an anti bacterial agent naturally. Hence it provides the bamboo baby blankets with extra anti bacterial properties which are not available in any other blankets on the market. This type of organic blanket kills any type of bacteria that comes in contact with it and keeps away the pests. It mostly repels away the mold, allergens and many insects. This makes it both a healthy and comfortable option for any new baby.

Bamboo baby blankets are made of bamboo fiber which gives it's a unique property of breathability. This property makes it extremely soft and absorbent. This feature also helps the babies to feel warm during winters and cool during summers. Hence it is ideal to be used around the year. Due to the breathability, the blanket helps in absorbing any type of body odor and helps in sweat evaporation. This makes an excellent organic baby gift option as mothers will be happy to keep the baby comfortable, healthy and at the same time sweat free and odor free.

Bamboo is known to be the most naturally growing grass which doesn't need any external fertilizers or pesticides. It is also one of the fastest growing plants in the world. Bamboo also helps in reduction of toxic chemicals from air. These entire set of features make bamboo baby blankets a great choice for the baby.

Bamboo baby blankets come in various attractive colors so as to keep your baby happy. You can choose from a wide range of colors and various designs. These organic baby gifts will make both the mother and baby very happy.

Amanda Cummings is writing on behalf of Baby U R Precious. Baby U R Precious is a maker of organic baby gifts made with bamboo fabrics.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amanda_Cummings



Erin & Lynda

NEW colors for our Hooded Toddler Towels!

Check out our NEW hooded toddler towels - we have a couple new colors!
Thank you to Helen Thompson Photography for making our product really stand out and shine! We appreciate your talent immensely!

http://www.babyurprecious.com/category_23/Organic-Hooded-Toddler-Towel-.htm

Erin & Lynda

5 Quick and Easy Family Meal ideas

Healthy Chef Salad
Serves 4 to 6

1 head romaine lettuce (you can buy a prewashed bag to save even more time)
1 bag baby spinach
4 oz. chopped cooked ham
4 oz. chopped oven-roasted turkey meat
16 cherry tomatoes, pre-sliced in half
4 carrots, shredded or bite-size (you can buy pre-shredded to save time)
4 crowns broccoli, pre-cut into bite-size pieces
4 hard boiled eggs, pre-peeled and sliced (remove the yolks if your kids won't eat)
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced (skip if your kids won't touch)
Balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing

Wash, then tear the lettuce and mix with spinach in a large bowl. Arrange ham, turkey, cherry tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, hard-boiled eggs and onion in rows on top of the lettuce. Serve with dressing on the side.

Picky-eater tip: Skip the lettuce and spinach, and present the rest as a dipping exercise -- kids get to choose the dip.

Sneaky Greens Pasta
Serves 4 to 6

1 jar pasta sauce of your choice
1/2 batch prepared spinach, finely chopped
1/2 lb. pre-browned ground turkey
1 lb. pre-cooked pasta (whole wheat if your kids will go for it)

Heat pasta sauce in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add spinach and turkey. Stir until heated through. Then stir in pasta and heat until warm. Serve.

Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Serves 4 to 6

2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
1/2 head broccoli, pre-cut into bite-size pieces
1 onion, pre-sliced
2 cooked chicken breasts, pre-cut into strips
4 cups amount pre-cooked brown rice

Mix soy sauce, ground ginger, sugar, cornstarch and garlic; set aside. Heat cooking oil in large sauté pan, add broccoli and onion, and cook 2 minutes. Add chicken and cook 2 minutes. Add soy sauce mixture and cook an additional 3 minutes. Serve over warm brown rice.

Spinach and Ham Frittata
Serves 4 to 6

Vegetable cooking spray
6 eggs
1/2 cup skim milk
4 oz. low-fat cheddar cheese, shredded (you can buy pre-shredded to save time)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cups prepared spinach
1/2 cup chopped cooked ham

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat 9-inch round baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, 2 oz. cheese, salt, and pepper. Blend in spinach and ham. Pour mixture into baking pan. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with remaining 2 oz. cheese and let set 2 to 3 minutes. Slice into wedges. Serve with salad.






Erin & Lynda

Kids Meal Ideas

I found this cool site - http://blog.kids-meal-ideas.com/ that offers many ideas for kid food ideas to crafts. Check it out!!

Here is one example of the blog.....


Five Cool Snack Ideas for Kids
Got kids? Got kids that get bored, hungry and hot in the summertime? If you do have kids you know all of those things go together whether we want them to or not, right? Do you get tired of hearing, “but I don’t like THAT mom” or other complaints when you offer them a quick snack? Are you looking for some healthy, delicious, “cool” (as in refreshing AND neat) treats to satisfy kids of all ages? Then look no further! Here are five treats your kids will love and ask for over and over. Not only will your kids love them but so will you because they are easy to make, delicious and healthy. Who could ask for anything more?

Fruit Pizza:

Delicious and oh so easy to make; fruit pizza will please every person in your household and it will help get your kids (and hubby) to eat more fruit.

The ingredients:

• 1 pkg. refrigerated sugar cookie dough mix
• 1-8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 4 cups assorted fruits, sliced (strawberries, bananas, oranges, blueberries, etc.), you can throw these together in a bowl if you wish.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees Celsius). Roll cookie dough into a ball and place in the center of a pizza pan and spread evenly over pizza pan, into a 12 inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Mix the sugar and cream cheese together and spread over the cookie crust. Top with the fruit and then sprinkle the lemon juice over the fruit (this helps to keep it from turning brown). Refrigerate. Slice into 12 pizza wedges and serve. Refrigerate any leftovers. This is also a great treat to serve at a birthday party. Kids and adults love it!

Fruit Juice Spritzer

Do your kids like soda, but you hate for them to have it all the time? One of my favorite beverages any time of the year is a fruit juice spritzer. It’s refreshing, cool and tasty. Plus it has the added benefit of fruit juice so you can count is as a fruit serving for the day! I prefer using 100% Juicy Juice, being that it’s, well, 100% all natural juice. But you can use any juice you prefer. You’re kids will love it and it’s a cool, easy to serve beverage made of ingredients you probably already have. It’s also healthier than letting them have a full glass of soda.

It’s so easy. All you do is pour about 1/2 a glass of juice in a cup over ice and fill the rest of the glass with 7UP or Sprite. Voila! You have a Fruit Juice Spritzer. It’s better than a full glass of soda and your kids get the fruit serving they need. You can vary the amounts of course; a little more juice or a little less, depending on your taste, but don’t defeat the purpose of cutting down on the soda.

For an added treat you could blend the juice with some ice in the blender and make “slushies.” Just fill the glass with the slushie mix and pour the soda over the icy juice.

Homemade Juice or Kool-Aid popsicles

One of my kid’s favorite treats growing up was homemade popsicles. They loved helping make them and of course eating them. Plus they are super easy to make and oh so handy when your kids need a quick snack to tide them over until dinner.

Ingredients:

• Pitcher of Kool-Aid or other drink mix, prepared. You can also make juicy pops using your favorite fruit juice, but mix with water first, 5 parts water to 1 part juice.
• Freezer pop molds. If you don’t have them, just use ice cube trays.

Pour the prepared drink mix or Kool-Aid into freezer molds or ice cube trays and freeze. If you want to put a popsicle stick into the ice cubed pops, freeze slightly first, and then insert in the middle of the ice cube pop so it will stand up.

Voila! Easy, handy, yummy and cool! You’re kids will think you’re the best mom ever.

Ice Cream Float

Who doesn’t love ice cream? What better summertime treats than a delicious ice cream float? It’s so quick, easy and refreshing. Here’s a neat twist on the traditional float:

Using your choice of ice cream put two scoops in a dessert or tall glass. Break up your favorite candy bar into pieces and place in glass. Fill with your favorite soda, like root beer or cola.

Yogurt and Fruit Lollies

When I was a kid I loved having something I could grab and go outside with my friends. (Where have those days gone?) Better yet, I loved having a treat I could share with my friends. These yummy yogurt and fruit lollies are the perfect summertime treat. They are cool, refreshing, healthy and easy to take on the go.

What you need:

• Popsicle molds with sticks, preferably the flat molds
• A container of flavored yogurt, preferably a fruit flavor
• Sliced fruit

How you make it:

Fill the molds with the yogurt, insert stick and place fruit on the top. Freeze. Place mold in warm water to remove the lolly when ready to eat.

Healthy, delicious, and handy all wrapped up into one! Every mother’s dream and every kid’s treat. Making kids happy and keeping them healthy doesn’t have to be a huge chore, nor does it have to taste bad. Using these simple ideas will serve both purposes, quick, easily and efficiently. Your kids will thank you for it.





Erin & Lynda