Uncategorized Archives - Happy Healthy Kids

Raising Awareness: 4 Great News Sources for Kids

March 16, 2018 by Kelley 3 Comments

When I was growing up, news came to me in glances, via the Philadelphia Inquirer that took up permanent residence on our kitchen counter. Now that my three boys are 11, 9, and 6, I’d like them to also have exposure to what’s going on in our increasingly complex world. But here’s the conundrum: Where should that news come from?

Ironically, even with so many choices for news—phones, tablets, cable, our good friend Alexa—it’s harder than ever to find news in a format that works for young minds. Salacious scandals force me to turn even NPR down in the car. The few quality kids’ news sites, like Time 4 Kids, require subscriptions and are geared toward schools. Moreover, anything on a browser is, at least for us, problematic—it’s way too tempting and easy for kids to wander off to YouTube and its ilk.

After some digging, I’ve come up with the following potential options for parents to find news for their kids that’s at once PG and engaging. If you’ve come up with some ingenious news-gathering solutions of your own, clue me in at kelley@happyhealthykids.com.

1. For setting up on a laptop at breakfast: Channel One News. Think of it as a televised Skimm for kids. Every morning, you can find two short (6-7 min) videos on the homepage of this news site created especially for children, teens, and families. The tone and content is upbeat and simple enough to engage my 6-year-old. But unlike a lot of educational programming, it’s not campy and goofy, a fact that appeals to my 11-year-old. It’s also short, so I don’t feel bad about the early-morning, pre-school screen time. We usually just watch the first segment, which consists of a brief rundown of 2-3 top headlines that are in the mainstream adult news, too. Yesterday, my kids’ learned about Stephen Hawking’s death, the closure of Toys ‘R Us, and that Russia is trying to interfere with our elections—all over a bowl of cereal.

2. For reading on the way to school or practice: News-O-Matic app. I love this free app, which is like a daily, interactive newspaper geared for kids ages 4 to 14. There’s a carefully curated mix of articles to read with a video or two and some fact boxes to help boost vocabulary and background knowledge. Kids can get through it in about 10 minutes on a phone or tablet, which I find is perfect for a quick car ride.

3. For Sunday morning family reading: The new New York Times ‘Kids’ Section. Old school meets new school: Inspired partly by a change.org petition from parents who said they’d pony up for a print newspaper subscription if it included content for their kids, The New York Times has started a once-monthly, print-only ‘Kids’ section that comes along with the Sunday paper. The first few iterations have been awesome: January’s edition included a primer on North Korea, an Olympics-inspired luge maze, a funnies section, and even some kid-friendly recipes. Right now, the Sunday paper is $5.13, and along with the awesome once-a-month Kids section, there’s plenty for the whole family to peruse, from the science section to movie reviews.

4. For road trips: Wow in the World Podcast. Anyone who’s ever listened to NPR’s TED Radio Hour can understand how friendly Guy Raz would make a great host for NPR’s first-ever kids’ program. This new weekly podcast created by Raz covers science, innovation, and other kid-friendly news topics every week by starting with a question—”What in the world is a solar eclipse?”—that segues into one or two current events. Kids as young as 4 or 5 can get it, and grown-ups will learn something, too, making it a great listen for a long car ride.

Photo credits: Top, Pixabay; Channel One News; News-O-Matic; New York Times; NPR/Wow in the World

How Flipping “Strength Switch” Makes Kids Happier, More Successful

September 13, 2017 by Kelley Leave a Comment

Spelling. Their left kicking foot. Forgetting their assignments at school. If I had a nickel for every time I talk to my kids about something they have to “work on,” I’d probably have enough money to fund a private tutor for just about every school subject and extracurricular endeavor I fret they’re struggling with. But a compelling new read by an internationally renowned child psychologist has convinced me that such an investment would be a huge mistake. Professor Lea Waters, Ph.D, who leads positive psychology programs at the University of Melbourne and University of Michigan, says that by resisting to impulse to help our kids with their weaknesses and instead give them opportunities to do more of what they’re naturally good at, kids—and us!—will be better able to thrive.

Discussing her new book The Strength Switch with The Guardian newspaper, Dr. Waters explains the evolutionary reason why we parents, and often our children themselves, seem to focus our time and energy on patching up shortcomings. “We have evolved with a ‘negativity bias,’ zeroing in on what’s wrong as a way to protect ourselves and our tribe,” she says. “Add to this the constant social pressure to raise perfectly behaved, accomplished kids, and many parents feel as if they have to be in “fix-it” mode all the time.”

But being a slow runner, say, no longer portends eminent demise; even being a sloppy speller won’t sink you. In our modern, diverse society, there are fewer personal skills that are absolutely “essential,” and a wider range of traits that can be considered assets. Moreover, Waters’ research in the International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology and other peer reviewed publications has shown that parents who were trained to regularly recognize and point out their kids’ strengths allowed them to identify programs—from after school activities to at-home chores—that made the children happier and more successful all-around. Waters calls it “flipping the strength switch”: shifting from talking mostly about what kids need to improve on to what they have the best chance, with continued hard work, to excel in.

So, what are some practical ways to make this shift? It can be hard, especially when there are some things kids have to do that they might struggle with, from certain required school subjects to universally acknowledged life skills, like swimming or keeping their belongings organized. When it comes to tricky schoolwork, Dr. Waters counsels parents to suggest that kids think about how their strengths can help them with the things they struggle with. Let’s say they have trouble grasping, say, long division; you can explore how another strong trait—say, neat handwriting—can help make the process easier. If they struggle with public speaking, you might point out how they might call on their funny sense of humor to ease them through a scary moment.

“Picture a light switch inside your head,” she explained to The Guardian. “When the light is on you look for the strengths in your child. When it is off, your negativity bias is operating. The brain is a pattern detecting organ, so the more you flick the switch, the more you train your brain to look for positive patterns and so over-ride the negativity bias.”

This can work with discipline, too. Dr. Waters uses an example of how her son kept forgetting to put his new bike away, and it was driving everyone crazy. She started commented regularly on how Nick had used his good organizational skills to put his other belongings away after school. Feeling pride about this skill, her son began to see how his carelessness with his bike didn’t jibe with that strong sense of identity, and the bike wound up where it belonged from then on.

What do you think—have you noticed that your kids step up when they’re boosted up? Are you brave enough to not worry about something they’re just plain lousy at? It’s definitely something I need to, ahem, work on.

Photo credit: Aikawake via Flickr

6 Clues to Eye Problems in Kids

March 8, 2017 by Kelley 1 Comment

I’ll admit that in the realm of kids’ wellness, eye health has historically been off my radar. Part of this can be chalked up to genetics: Neither my husband nor I have vision problems, and ocular issues don’t run in our family. But apparently, American parents, generally, are pretty clueless about eye health. A recent survey sponsored by the Vision Council and American Optometric Association reveals that 24 percent of parents would only ask to have their child’s eyes checked if they suspected a problem; meanwhile, just 2 percent of parents would wait for symptoms to take their child to a dentist for the first time.

Some recent news and a conversation with the pediatrician clued me into the fact that I could stand to pay more attention to my kids’ eye health. Five to 10 percent of preschoolers and 25 percent of school-aged kids have vision problems, while most eye conditions, from amblyopia (“lazy eye”) and retinoblastoma, are treated most successfully when caught early. Here are three surprising things I learned in my research; hope you might pick up something new, too.

1. Watch out for “the glow” in photos of your kids. Do you “know the glow?” I didn’t, until the folks from an organization of the same name reached out to me. Apparently, if your child’s eyes emit a white or golden glow in photos, that’s evidence of Leukocoria, or an abnormal red-eye reflex that’s common to many eye conditions, such as amblyopia, cataracts, and some forms of eye cancer, including retinoblastoma. Some 1 in 80 kids will exhibit “the glow” in photos. If yours does, the doctors at Know the Glow suggest you talk to your pediatrician and ask for a red reflex screening of the eyes. Many eye conditions resolve themselves completely in children when caught early. For more information, check out Know the Glow.

2. Eye rubbing can be a sign that a child is logging too much screen time. A recent study of 7- to 12-year-olds found that 7% of children suffer from symptoms of dry eye disease, and those who did were far more likely to be on their smartphones for several hours per day (and less likely to spend time outside) than their peers without the condition. Apparently, we blink less when we look at screens, and that can lead to faster evaporation of the tear film and lead to dry eye, an uncomfortable condition that causes itching, irritation, and in severe cases, vision problems. If your child seems to complaining about his eyes or rubbing them frequently, talk to your pediatrician or a pediatric ophthalmologist; and consider cutting back on screen time. When children in the study did just that, their dry eye symptoms resolved.

3. Some learning challenges are rooted in vision problems. School demands a lot of hard work on the eyes. We might suspect that kids who squint a lot are candidates for a vision screening, but did you know that attention and reading problems might also be linked to eyesight challenges? According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, four underappreciated signs of eye problems in children are:

Having a short attention span: Your child is more apt to lose interest in lessons or games because their eyes are straining too hard to keep up.
Losing one’s place in a book: Blurring or straining can make it hard to follow along.
“Hating” to read: When it’s hard to see a page, reading can be taxing, and not fun.
Turning their head to the side: Does it feel like a child isn’t listening, or playing coy, by constantly turning her head when someone is talking? If they have a refractive eye disorder, like an astigmatism, this might help them see better.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology and American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that children have their eyes checked by a pediatrician at birth and at every well visit starting at age 6 months. By age 5, each eye should be checked separately every year, and if a problem is found, a visit to a pediatric ophthalmologist is in order. If your child’s pediatrician isn’t performing regular checks, speak up, even if you don’t notice anything amiss. Kids’ eyes are put to the test more than ever these days; they need TLC just like the rest of them.

Photos courtesy of Pixabay (top) and Know the Glow.

Best TV for Preschoolers

March 1, 2017 by Kelley Leave a Comment

A couple years back, I wrote a post—one of this site’s most popular, ever—about the best TV shows for teens and ‘tweens. I had dug into the topic because it seemed that all the great children’s television was (and has always been) reserved for little kids. That remains true—almost, dare I say, maddeningly so. With Netflix, Amazon, cable, and other streaming sites constantly rotating similarly splashy looking, “enriching” tot bait, finding a great program for my Pre-K’er is like trying to pick out the best piece of hay from a haystack. I don’t even know where to look first first anymore.

I realize that homing in on “TV shows” makes me sound like a borderline Luddite. Like many of his peers who could tap and swipe before they could speak full sentences, my five-year-old will almost always pass up a TV show in favor of trying to propel Mr. Crab to the top of a perpetually rotating vertical obstacle course on the iPad. But the fact is, while the science on this subject is early and mixed, from my mom perch, I do see benefits to my kids watching “passive” television and movies rather than frenetically “interacting” with apps. Mr. Crab makes my son, well, crabby. But when he watches a good show, especially when curled up next to one of his brothers or parents, his little body seems to relax. Some days, that’s just what the situation calls for.

As when I reviewed big-kid TV, I reached out to the fantastic thinkers at Common Sense Media, my go-to site for children’s movie, TVs and game reviews, for recommendations on preschool shows that really raise the bar when it comes to unique themes or lessons. Polly Conway, TV editor for the site, shared five of her current top picks. Two are probably familiar to you; the others might be new discoveries.

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
Inspired by the gentlest media of our own generation, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, it’s no surprise this program is a critical darling. Kids learn social cues, citizenship lessons, and a smattering of letter and number knowledge along with the curious little tiger cub who stars in the show.
Watch it: PBS Kids

Doc McStuffins
Another exemplar of getting little kids to think about social-emotional concepts, Doc also emphasizes the fun of imaginative play, the importance of caring for others, and as a bonus, good hygiene. The Common Sense Media review of the show lauds how it pokes a few subtle holes into stereotypes, with Doc’s mom away at work most of the day and dad helping out at home.
Watch it: Disney Junior

The Stinky and Dirty Show
One of a growing number of gems produced by Amazon, Stinky and Dirty “is a great new show that helps preschoolers learn teamwork and communication,” says Conway. Based on a series of books by Jim and Kate McMullan, two hard-working, fun-loving friends—a garbage truck and backhoe loader—are constantly faced with challenges they must overcome together. The animation and dialogue are first-rate.
Watch it: Amazon

Word Party
“This is a fun one from Netflix that lets kids be the teachers to a group of even younger learners,” says Conway. This unique premise is inspirational to little kids who might constantly feel like they’re on the receiving end of instruction from remote grown-ups. For toddlers and younger preschoolers, there’s some real skill development to be found here; and they seem to find the baby animals, created by Jim Henson’s production company, mesmerizing to watch.
Watch it: Netflix

Puffin Rock
Also from Netflix, Conway says her personal fave is a “beautifully animated, gentle and sweet show that teaches empathy and a little environmental science.” Puffling Oona, her baby brother, and pals explore notions of friendship, family bonds, and appreciation for nature. A perfect wind-down pick.
Watch it: Netflix

For more preschool show ideas, check out Common Sense Media reviews here and here. What are your family’s top picks for shows for the preschool set? Clue us in to more ideas in the comments here or on our Facebook page.

photo credit: donnierayjones Relaxed Twinning via photopin (license)

12 Healthy Gift Ideas

December 13, 2016 by Kelley 1 Comment

When considering our nearest and dearest at the holidays, we’d all like to find a happy medium between passing off a plastic gift card and spending a hair-raising amount of time or money for the sake of “meaning.” Enter what I’ll call a “healthy gift”—an easy little something that helps a loved one feel, look, or do better; and, ideally, keeps on giving throughout the coming year. I tapped some of the doctors and wellness gurus whose advice we’ve shared on this blog to share their favorite healthy gifts to give in 2017. Hope you can find something for a special someone—including, maybe, you.

For your neighbor…
Instead of a cookie platter, dietitian and fitness trainer Dana White, R.D. likes to give homemade flavorings that people can use to make a recipe taste even more delicious. Her two favorites, that are super-easy to make but have a big “wow” factor: Homemade vanilla extract and rosemary-citrus sea salt. She packages the vanilla extract with her pumpkin chocolate chip muffin recipe, and the gourmet salt with her “ready-in-minutes” baked sweet potato chip recipe.
Get Dana’s vanilla extract recipe here and pumpkin-chocolate chip recipe here. Be sure to order small food-grade bottles in advance. You can get them at craft stores or 12 for $16 at Amazon.
Get Dana’s rosemary-citrus sea salt recipe here and baked sweet potato chip recipe here.

For elementary schoolers…
Balance toys promote all-important core strength, keep children active inside or out, and are unique in that they actually keep kids interest as they grow. Curt Hinson, Ph.D., founder of the Dr. Recess program encouraging more effective and creative physical fitness in schools, has two faves:
Teeter Popper: Kids can sit or stand on the treads, and rocking motion makes for cool suction noises on pavement $35 at Amazon.
Spooner Board: Kids can master tricks on this wide balance board, and get a jump start on the core movements they need to master surfing, skateboarding, or snowboarding. $45 at Fat Brain Toys.

For big kids…
Yale Pediatric Sleep Center director Craig Canapari, M.D. has written on here and on his phenomenal blog about how crucial rest is for kids and grown-ups alike. But due to anxiety, hormonal shifts, or noisy households, many kids have sleep problems that develop or persist beyond their baby years. For them (or sleep-deprived adults), “you can’t beat a Marpac sound conditioner,” says Dr. Canapari. Appropriately tech-y-looking for discerning older children, the domed device emits the soothing, consistent sound of gentle rushing air, with customizable tone and volume control. Marpac Dohm All-Natural White Noise Sound Machine, $45-50 at Amazon.

For ‘tweens and teens…
It may be infuriating, but it’s natural and even healthy for teens to crave some space from parents and younger siblings. For Two Peds in a Pod pediatricians and moms Julie Kardos, M.D. and Julie Kardos, M.D., a well-received gift for this age group are tools that honor their desire for privacy—”within reason.” Along with journals that can lock and remote controls that allow kids to put out their own light before putting themselves to bed, Drs. Kardos and Lai like bedroom doorbells that can attach to the outside of teens’ doors. Girlz Own Bedroom Doorbell, $13, Amazon.

For a sister or best friend…
When life feels like a closed circuit board of family and work, a great gift is something pampering and utterly self-involved. New York City dermatologist and mom of three, Julie Karen, M.D., of CompleteSkinMd, tries and tests hundreds of products, and is head-over-heels right now with one in particular: Alastin Restorative Eye Treatment. “This peptide rich cream is very hydrating, helps diminish undereye dark circles and puffiness, and also has the unique ability to stimulate new healthy elastic tissue,” she says. Alastin Restorative Eye Treatment, $85, CompleteSkinMD.

For your mom…
The growing season doesn’t have to end with the cold weather. Gardening guru Marion Mass suggests giving anyone who appreciates nature (and healthy eating) a “sprouting kit” to grow salad- and smoothie-friendly microgreens on the windowsill. You can buy a complete kit, like the one below), or give a cute, small container and seeds separately. Include a written or e-card with a link to Marion’s how-to on kitchen gardening: http://www.chicksforlife.com/videos-pxhnf. The Simply Good Box by Home Greens, $28, Amazon.

For your significant other…
“My favorite suggestion is to give a gift that does not involve a material possession but that involves growth,” says Ellen Braaten, Ph.D., director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program (LEAP) at the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital. Classes in a budding hobby or a personal passion, like cooking, can be a real treat. You can pick a Sur La Table specialty class in a fave topic—cookies to roasts—in many different culinary areas in 22 states. Sur La Table cooking classes, surlatable.com

For anyone…
A totally free and meaningful gift that family members can give one another is a handwritten gift certificate for a gesture or service that only they can provide, says Erica Reischer, Ph.D., a psychologist and parenting coach and author of What Great Parents Do: 75 Simple Strategies for Raising Kids Who Thrive. “One might say, “when presented with this certificate, mom or dad will put down their phone (or get off their computer) and spend time with me,” suggests Dr. Reischer. Other ideas: a 10-minute back massage before bed, a round of a favorite board game, or help with a house project that’s been back-burnered. What’s more: Honor it—and your loved one—with your full attention when it’s cashed in.

Photo credit: Dana White

Go-to Weeknight Dinners

December 3, 2015 by Kelley Leave a Comment

Recently, a friend asked if I’d scout around for some foolproof weekday dinner recipes and post about it. Mission accepted: Tasteless, thrown-together meals on a busy Monday are the worst. First, I polled around about typical aversions and preferences (turns out my kids aren’t uniquely averse to “mushy, saucy things”). I also chatted up fellow parents, who, almost universally, place a premium on recipes that are easily adaptable to picky or adventurous tastes. Then I collected, tried and tweaked recipes, including favorites of mine and HHK advisory board members. The finalists are here: Six, rock-solid recipes that can serve as a foundation for dozens of school-night meals. I know I’m not splitting the atom here. But these just work.

CLASSIC ROAST CHICKEN
In terms of taste and ease, no preparation beats Ina Garten’s from her first book, Barefoot Contessa. I’ve adapted it so you aren’t running to the grocery for non-essential, obscure ingredients on a Tuesday. If you have a larger family or have some dark meat lovers, like me, buy an extra pack of drumsticks or wings, salt and pepper them and cook them on a baking sheet in same oven as the chicken for the final 45 minutes of cooking.
Ingredients:
1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise (OR several shakes powered garlic)
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
To Make: Preheat the oven to 425. Remove the chicken giblets and rinse and dry chicken. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the lemon and garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string (if you have) and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Sprinkle onions in a roasting pan and place the chicken on top. Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter.
Simple menu: Chicken slices or leg/wing pieces + carrot sticks (roasted or cold) + quick drop biscuits
Adventurous variation: Shredded chicken + butternut squash chunks (oiled, salted, spread on cookie sheet, and roasted in same oven as chicken for last 25 minutes of cooking) + penne with garlic salt

FISH TACOS
HHK advisor Dana White, R.D., developed this recipe, simplified here, for the Food Network. Feel free to sauté fish in two Tbsp. oil if you prefer that to oven-cooking. Put toppings in small bowls on the table—children love to build their own tacos.
Ingredients:
1 1/4 pound cod (OR tilapia or any other firm white fish) cut into 16 pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour for dredging
1 1/2 cups of panko breadcrumbs
2 eggs, lightly beaten
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 tablespoon canola OR vegetable oil
8 small corn or flour tortillas, warmed in microwave or oven
Nonstick cooking spray
one lime, quartered
choice of toppings (see below)
To Make: Preheat oven to 450-degrees. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place flour, eggs and panko in a 3 shallow dishes and season with salt and pepper. Dredge fish in flour, then egg and then breadcrumbs; transfer to wire rack. Drizzle with canola oil and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden, turning once. Serve with tortillas, toppings, and limes to squeeze over everything.
Simple menu: Shredded or diced chicken + supermarket salsa + shredded cheese + thinly sliced green cabbage + white or brown rice
Adventurous variation: Fish + mango salsa (1 cup combined diced mango, red pepper, and cucumber) +thinly sliced cabbage + sour cream or plain greek yogurt + white or brown rice

MAPLE-CANDY PORK
Of all the recipes in Jenny Rosenstrach’s useful Dinner: A Playbook, this seems to be a homerun with everyone. It’s also a good way to ease pork into the dinner rotation. You don’t really use candy in the recipe, but you don’t have to tell your kids that.
Ingredients:
4 boneless center-cut pork chops
1/3 cup maple syrup
3 Tbsp. canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine OR apple cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, halved, OR a shake or two of powdered garlic
To Make: Place the pork chops in a re-sealable plastic bag. Add the maple syrup, canola oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and garlic. Marinate anywhere from 1 hour to overnight.When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 450. Remove the chops from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels, removing any garlic slices. Place the chops on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake, flipping once halfway through, for 15 to 20 minutes, until firm but not hard.
Simple menu: Pork + buttered egg noodles + applesauce cups
Adventurous variation: Pork + white or brown rice + canned black beans, rinsed and sautéed for 5-10 minutes with finely diced onion (green, red, or yellow)

PERFECT POT ROAST
My sister Julie, a former professional chef and the best home cook I know, passed along this recipe when I first became a mom and was working full-time. Including all the ingredients here is your best bet, but I’ve made it without bay leaves and wine without a problem. This is a slow-cooker recipe but you can use a Dutch oven, too.
Ingredients:
1 3-pound boneless chuck roast
1 1/2 tsp. house seasoning (mix together salt, pepper and garlic powder)
1/4 c. canola OR vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves (can omit if you don’t have)
3-4 beef bouillon cubes, mixed in 1/2 cup water OR 1/2 cup beef stock
2 garlic cloves, crushed OR 1 Tbsp. garlic paste
1 can mushroom soup or stock
1/4 cup white wine
To Make:
Sprinkle house seasoning on all sides of roast and sear each side in medium-hot pan coated with oil. Place in slow cooker, scatter onions on top. Whisk together bouillon/stock, garlic, soup and wine. Pour on top of roast and scatter bay leaves around. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours, until roast is easy to slice and at 150-160 degrees internal temperature.
For simple tastes: Sliced pot roast + oven-blasted broccoli + homemade french fries (heat oven to 450, slice two baking potatoes into long, 1/4-inch wide strips, soak for 10 minutes in bowl of water and pat dry, toss with canola or vegetable oil and liberal shake of salt, and roast on foil -covered baking sheet for 20-25 minutes)
For more adventurous eaters: Mix shredded pot roast + sautéed veggie mix (thinly sliced pepper, onion, and carrots, tossed continuously for five minutes with oil on medium-high heat on stove) + 1/2 cup cashews + 2 cups cooked quinoa or couscous

CONFETTI SALAD
Adapted from cookbook author Ricki Heller, my new favorite salad tastes even better for lunch the next day, and can be broken up into healthy components for kids whose food can’t “touch.”
Ingredients:
1 whole napa cabbage, washed, trimmed, and sliced thinly on the diagonal
1 cup cooked and shelled edamame or stringless, chopped sugar or snap peas
2 cups rainbow/vegetable fusilli or rotini pasta, cooked and cooled
1 carrot, grated
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup champagne, apple cider or white vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil (best) or canola/vegetable oil
1 very small onion, grated on the finest holes of your grater (it should almost liquefy)
1 clove garlic, crushed or 1 Tbsp. garlic paste
To Make: Toss the vegetables, pine nuts, and pasta in a large salad bowl. In small, separate bowl, whisk together last seven ingredients and drizzle over salad.
For simple tastes: Separate pasta, edamame or peas, and diced ham, chicken or turkey on the side (separate on plate)
For more adventurous eaters: Serve confetti salad as is.

TURKEY MEATBALLS
This healthier alternative to beef, courtesy of Dana White, R.D. for the Food Network, is made super-tasty with a few tricky add-ins. Make extra and freeze for a quick protein source for any dinner.
Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
1 large egg, beaten
2 tsp. panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. traditional bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. prepared pesto
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil to taste
To Make: Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, egg, both bread crumbs, and pesto. Season with 1⁄2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Mix well and form into 16-18 1-ounce balls. Transfer to lined baking sheet, brush with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes, turning once.
For simple tastes: Meatballs + spaghetti + favorite jarred sauce (optional)
Adventurous variation: Meatballs + 2 cups rice of couscous + diced cucumbers + dollop of hummus and/or greek yogurt + shake of paprika, salt, pepper to taste

3 Summer Cookie Recipes

July 14, 2015 by Kelley Leave a Comment

When it comes to summertime treats, cookies are hard to beat. They’re easy to pack for picnics, camp lunches, and road trips, and they can withstand hot temps and grabby hands in a way that most other desserts can’t.

And yet, a “summer cookie” search on the Internet yields mainly big, hard sugar cookies professionally frosted to look like hot-day doodads—flip-flops and what not—that are as impossible to make as they are unpleasant to eat (believe me, I’ve tried).

Over the past few summers, I keep coming back to three cookie recipes that are easy to make and perfect for warm summer days: S’more Cookies, Lemonade Cookies, and Flower Jam Thumbprints. They aren’t the healthiest snacks in the world, but that’s why we reserve them as “treats.” With a big glass of lemonade or a cold cup of milk at a BBQ or after a long day of sports camp, they really hit the spot.

S’MORES COOKIES

There are many ways to make these spinoffs of the campfire treat, but this is our favorite. The ground graham crackers disappear into the cookie, and adding the marshmallows at the end of baking prevents them from melting and making the cookies sticky and over-chewy. Makes about 24 cookies.

Ingredients
1 stick slightly softened butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup finely crushed graham crackers
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup mini marshmallows
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, cream butter and sugars, and add egg and vanilla. In separate bowl, stir together flour, crushed graham crackers, salt, and baking soda. Add dry ingredients into wet and mix until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough in bowl for half hour or freeze for 10-15 minutes until stiff but still workable. Drop rounded, heaping teaspoons on baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Take cookie sheets out, and gently push 2-3 mini marshmallows into the top each cookie. Bake for 4-5 more minutes until cookies are just golden on edges and marshmallows are just softened a bit. Don’t overbake.

LEMONADE COOKIES
With just six ingredients, these couldn’t be easier. Just like a sugar cookie, only softer than most and more refreshing. Makes 28-30 cookies.
Ingredients
2 sticks slightly softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup thawed frozen lemonade concentrate
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar, and add egg. In separate bowl, stir together flour and baking soda. Add dry ingredients into wet, alternating with lemonade, and mix until smooth. Refrigerate dough in bowl for half hour or freeze for 10-15 minutes until stiff but still workable. Drop rounded teaspoons onto baking sheet and bake for 8-9 minutes. They will stay lightly colored. Don’t overbake.

Our (edible!) garden nasturtiums.

FLOWER JAM THUMBPRINT COOKIES
Inspired by a recipe over at Butter, Sugar, Flowers, these are just basic, delicious thumbprint cookies, with the added fun of mixing edible, just-slightly spicy nasturtium flowers into your favorite jam or preserves. (Nasturtiums are one of my favorite garden plants to grow on a windowsill or garden. You can also buy them at most farmer’s markets or specialty grocery stores.) Feel free to omit the flowers. They’re still great tasting and fun to make with kids. Makes 24 cookies.
Ingredients
2 sticks slightly softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
1/4 cup favorite preserves (I used raspberry, but apricot is great, too)
5-6 nasturtium flowers
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons fruit juice (orange, cranberry, lemon, etc.)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325. In large bowl, cream butter and granulated sugar, and mix in flour and salt until smooth. Refrigerate dough in bowl for half hour or freeze for 10-15 minutes until stiff but still workable. While dough is chilling, mince flower petals into tiny pieces. In small, separate bowl, stir together jam and minced flower. Drop rounded teaspoons onto baking sheet. Push thumb tip or finger tip just slightly into top of cookie to make an indent. Drop a quarter teaspoon of jam mixture into each well. Bake for about 18 minutes, until edges of cookie are just golden. While cookies are baking, mix powdered sugar and fruit juice until smooth. Put mixture into plastic bag, snip tiny hole in corner, and squeeze gently to drizzle over completely cooled cookies.

Have a Healthier Bake Sale

May 22, 2015 by Kelley Leave a Comment

Following the lead of many schools around the country, our local high school is right now considering a ban on bake sales, citing recent federal guidelines that limit high-fat, high-calorie foods served during school hours.

I’m not alone in my view that banning bake sales is ineffectual, and perhaps even counter-productive, in the fight against childhood obesity. Forget the fact that bake sales are a major source of revenue for many school groups. Bake sales encourage people to make food at home, which is at least half the battle toward getting people to eat better. Home-baked goods tend to be far less processed, and contain fewer unhealthy fats, than the packaged goods that many kids would otherwise pick up at the corner mart or vending machine after school.

But that doesn’t mean that we can’t do better when it comes to bake sales. I recently read a thought-provoking blog post about school sweet bans by Claire McCarthy, M.D., a Boston Children’s Hospital pediatrician. As a mom who’d regularly sent cupcakes into school for her kids’ birthdays, she initially thought their school was crazy to disallow celebratory sweets. But then she considered the fact that “there’s something to be said for setting standards—and an example.” Kids get “35 to 40 percent of their daily calories at school,” she says, citing American Academy of Pediatrics’ research. “It’s not only important that the food they get in school be as healthy as possible, it’s important to use the opportunity (any opportunity, these days) to teach children and families about eating healthy.”

And then I recalled that the last treat I’d made for the kids’ school was Pokemon cupcakes—made from a box mix, since all the time I had the evening before was devoted to painstakingly decorating the cupcake tops into “poke-balls” (if you have a boy between the ages of 6 and 9, you might know what that means). Suffice it to say, the frosting contained enough red dye #40 to merit a case study into the effects of food coloring on kids’ behavior. The truth is, while I’m a passionate home baker, and make wholesome quick breads and muffins weekly, when I’m presenting treats for a birthday or bake sale, I’m a shameless crowd-pleaser. The more fat, sugar, sprinkles, and colors, the more likely kids are to gobble them up.

It got me thinking that instead of banning bake sales, schools should consider using them as an opportunity to get kids excited about slightly better-for-you sweets. I’m not talking about carrot sticks; think carrot muffins, maybe, with heart-healthier canola or coconut oil replacing butter. The goal is for slightly less sugar and fat, and maybe a few more nutrients, than your average Betty Crocker whip-up. Many of us have some healthier baked good recipes up our sleeve, and a growing number of cookbooks and websites are devoted to making treats more wholesome. Kids might balk at first, to see a table devoid of gummy-worm-topped cupcakes and jumbo frosted brownies, but I’m sure between a healthier bake sale and no bake sale at all, they’ll choose the former.

Here are a few recipes that have been kid-tested and approved among my kids’ neighborhood pals (this was an extra-fun week of blog research), and a link to more, below. *Note that two recipes contain tree nuts, and substitutions should be made in schools with tree-nut-allergic children.*

Brown Rice Krispy Treats

Would you believe that Rice Krispy treats that contain whole grains and zero dairy butter can actually taste delicious? I was a skeptic; no longer. (I tried substituting different natural syrups for the marshmallows, but the effect just isn’t the same; and kids can tell.) Cut into squares to fit into decorative cupcake liners to serve. Makes about 20 2-3-inch squares.

2 cup marshmallows
1/4 cup almond butter
3 tablespoons canola, sunflower, or coconut oil (I prefer coconut oil here)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 cups brown rice cereal

Heat marshmallows over low-medium eat, stirring with wooden spoon or silicone spatula until melted smooth. Add oil and almond butter to warm mixture, until smooth and creamy, and turn off heat. Add vanilla and salt, and then fold in cereal. Using hands coated with a little oil, press mixture into square or small rectangular baking dish. Let cool and set before slicing.

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes

It’s the perfect time of year for these delectable treats, which taste a lot like strawberry ice cream. The pale pink color in the frosting comes from strawberry puree. Thanks to Jen and Emily from Layers of Happiness for the recipe. It contains more sugar, butter, and white flour than might considered “heart healthy,” but we love the addition of the fresh fruit and extra egg whites to the recipe. Makes 12.

(Cupcakes)
1 1/2 cups whole fresh strawberries
1 1/2 cups flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg whites

(Frosting)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
pinch of salt
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 and put cupcake liners in a 12-cup muffin pan. Sift dry ingredients and set aside. Remove green tops from strawberries and pulse them in food processor or blender until pureed smooth. In a small bowl, combine milk, vanilla, and 2/3 cup of the strawberry puree. In third, large bowl, cream butter and sugar with a mixer until fluffy, and then add eggs and whites. Slowly add dry ingredients, alternating with milk-strawberry mixture, until combined. Scoop batter into muffin cups and bake for 23-24 minutes. While baking, make frosting: Cream butter, salt and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla and 1/4 cup of strawberry puree. Don’t over mix or frosting will be too fluffy; aim for an ice-cream-like consistency. When cupcakes are cooled, spread with room temperature icing. Top with strawberry slice if desired.

Pumpkin Muffins

Even kids who hate squash—dare I say, most?—tend to love pumpkin muffins. A muffin junkie, I’ve experimented with several recipes, and really like this one, which I adapted from a Food Network recipe created by Dana White, R.D., Happy Healthy Kids’ nutrition advisor and author of First Bites: Superfoods for Babies and Toddlers. Makes 18 regular sized or 36 mini muffins.

1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup canola, sunflower, or coconut oil
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 can of pumpkin puree
optional: Pumpkin seeds for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 375. Put cupcake liners in muffin pan. In large bowl,mix brown sugar, egg, oil, milk, vanilla, and pumpkin. In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and sift with fork. Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet ones, taking care not to over mix. Fill muffin cups with batter and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds if desired. Bake for 25 minutes (for regular sized muffins) or 12-14 minutes (for mini muffins).

Zucchini Chocolate-Chip Bread

No one says no to this bread, and it’s as good for breakfast as it is for after school. Chocolate chips are optional but pair so nicely with the herby zucchini, I think they’re a must. Serve individual slices in decorative, labeled bags or pretty paper plates.

3/4 cup canola, sunflower, or coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups white flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated zucchini
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 and butter and flour a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan or 2-3 mini loaf pans. In large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, honey, vanilla, and lastly, the beaten eggs. In separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients with a fork. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until combined and smooth; don’t over mix. Fold in zucchini, and then chocolate chips. Bake 50-60 minutes until bread is slightly golden on edges and toothpick comes out dry (a few moist crumbs are okay).

Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut “Nutella” Bark

Dana White introduced me to this antioxidant-packed recipe, which she created for the Food Network. Keep it in the freezer in between nibbles, and package in cellophane or ziplock baggies (with tops cut off and tied with ribbon).

1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
16 ounces dark chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup brown rice cereal

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat and set aside. In a double boiler or microwave, slowly melt chocolate. Stir gently with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until smooth, and fold in cereal. Spread in a rectangular shape to 1/4 inch depth on baking sheet (doesn’t have to be perfect). Sprinkle nuts over evenly and press gently into surface. Let cool at room temperature for 1-2 hours or in the ‘fridge for 30-45 minutes. Break into pieces.

Fruit Flower Skewers

As the folks at Edible Arrangements found out long ago, fruit seems to just taste better when it’s cut into pretty shapes and put on a stick. Purchase short skewers at your hardware store, supermarket or here, and spring for these adorable flower shapes cookie cutters, which you can repurpose for cookies, Play-Doh, and other projects for years to come. Chill until just before selling; you can arrange in a flower pot, spearing the ends into a piece of styrofoam or floral foam tucked in the bottom, just like the pros do, or on a chilled plate.

1 watermelon
1 cantaloupe or honeydew melon
1 bunch grapes, halved
1 pint strawberries

Slice melons width-wise, scraping away seeds at center. Use flower shapes to cut various size blooms. Layer on stick, with halved grapes between to look like flower centers. Top with hulled strawberries.

For more ideas, check out the Martha Stewart article, Better (For You) Bake Sale, and this Cooking Light Bake Sale post.

It’s important to get other parents on board with a plan for healthier bake sales at the beginning of the school year. (Buckle up for some blowback!) Present the idea to the school principal and at a parent association meeting, and offer to “test drive” a sale before making it a regular feature of the school year. Here are other tips, some mine, and some from a helpful PTO article on the subject.

How to Hold a Healthier Bake Sale
Tips adapted from ptotoday.com
Look at traditional recipes and figure out ways to make them more health-conscious. In most recipes, the fat or sugar can be reduced by one-fourth to one-third without changing the texture. If you reduce both the fat and the sugar too dramatically, however, you will alter the texture. Always test drive recipes once or twice before serving them at a sale.
To further reduce the fat content, substitute applesauce or yogurt for up to half the oil or fat in the recipe.
Add seasonal fruit or veggies whenever possible. Berries, carrots, bananas, pumpkin, and zucchini add mild flavor that kids tend to like.
Make recipes healthier by boosting the fiber content. Adding oatmeal or nuts will help. In many recipes, particularly bread and muffins, you can substitute whole wheat flour for up to half the all-purpose flour and end up with the same yummy baked treats.
Ask parents to try to steer clear of store-bought treats and baked goods made from a mix.
Offer some treats for adults and children who are allergic. A gluten-free brownie, for example, can be made with black beans instead of flour. The Celiac Sprue Association has a list of gluten-free dessert recipes; you can also find recipes for many other specialized diets online, including ideas for diabetes-friendly or lactose-free sweets.
Offer the great health beverage of choice: water.
Make it easy for parents to find healthy recipes to prepare before the sale, and learn to make them at home after. Assign a baking-savvy parent to gather and print or email out a simple "cookbook."

For the Love of Libraries, Big and Small

April 3, 2015 by Kelley Leave a Comment

Yesterday, while jogging in a neighborhood near ours, I saw something at the end of a driveway that just about made my day:

I did an Internet search and discovered that these adorable Little Free Libraries are cropping up all over the U.S. The movement was founded five years ago by a Wisconsin man who put a little box of giveaway books outside his home to honor his late bibliophile mother. The idea is simple: Lucky neighbors give a book and take a book at their discretion. You can search for a box near you at this site.

As far as I can tell, most of these Little Free Libraries cater mainly to adults, but how great would it be to set one up with kids books outside of your home, especially during the lazy, brain-draining days of summer? I’m going to look into it, as well as our town permit laws (unbelievably, for their generosity of spirit and literature, a few Little Free Librarians have been given citations for setting up illegal detached structures on their properties.)

In the meantime, don’t forget to patronize your own town library. April 12-18 is National Library Week; if you’re looking for some great kids’ titles, check out the 2015 winners of the American Library Association’s best children’s book awards in this earlier post.

Keeping Kids Safe Around Cars

March 27, 2015 by Kelley 1 Comment

All three of my boys are wanderers and runners. They’re the kids in Target who would, if allowed, run clear across the parking lot, grab a cart, and locate Starbursts’ aisle in the span of sixty seconds. Holding my youngest’s hand feels like I’m walking a golden retriever puppy.

Keeping them close in and out of cars is exhausting, but inclinations on busy days to give the little guys a longer leash has been kept in check since an incident three-and-a-half years ago, when the elementary-school-aged son of a family friend was hit by an SUV pulling out of the parking lot of a sports practice. The boy had a hoodie on and darted out from between two cars when an oncoming car struck him and rolled over him, severely injuring his arm and face, and one eye in particular. He had to be medevac’d to the children’s hospital in the city. After several plastic surgeries and physical therapy, he’s doing great, but it was terribly traumatic—for both the child and the woman who struck him. And it remains, for everyone who knows the family, a sobering reminder of how dangerous a mix of cars and kids are.

As a parenting magazine editor and writer, I try to steer clear of scare-mongering journalism, but I was freshly reminded of this story and felt the need to share it, after coming across some brand-new data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission yesterday. In 2012, 557 child and young adult pedestrians under age 20 were killed by motor vehicles in the U.S. and 22,000 were injured, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The average age of the patients was 8, and these on-foot accidents were most likely to occur in the spring, near schools and bus stops.

If you’ve ever been around a school zone just after dismissal, especially toward the end of the scholastic year when the weather is turning warmer, this all makes perfect sense. Parents are extra-busy and distracted, and kids are extra-excited and distracted. It’s something to think about this spring and beyond, whether you live in the city or suburbs.

Safe Kids Worldwide has some great tips on their website for helping to keep kids safe in traffic zones:

Teach Your Kids to…

Walk on sidewalks or paths and cross at street corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. Most injuries happen mid-block or someplace other than intersections. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.
Put down their devices and then look left, right and left again when crossing the street.
Make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street and to watch out for cars that are turning or backing up. Teach them to never run or dart out into the street or cross between parked cars.

Remind Yourself to…

Put devices down when you’re driving or walking around cars. If we put our devices down, our kids are more likely to do the same.
Accompanying kids under 10 across the street. Every child is different, but developmentally, it can be hard for kids to judge speed and distance of cars until age 10.
Be especially alert when driving in residential neighborhoods and school zones, and be on the lookout for bikers, walkers or runners who may be distracted or may step into the street unexpectedly.
Give pedestrians the right of way and look both ways when making a turn to help spot any bikers, walkers or runners who may not be immediately visible.
Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully.