The cool weather of late Autumn is finally settling in and nothing says Autumn like delicious recipes to warm your house and your stomach. Eat up!
Our own Sarah Cucina Bella’s – Easy Roasted Acorn Squash Mash
Smitten Kitchen – Swiss Chard and Sweet Potato Gratin
Kalyn’s Kitchen – Roasted Carrots and Mushrooms with Thyme
Cooking with Amy- Parmesan Flatbread
Real Simple – Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower
City Mama – Penne with Sweet Onion Sauce
Parents buy products for their kids, wanting the best for them. They purchase them in good faith that the products are manufactured well … but sadly, that just isn’t always the case.
Even the adage of getting what you pay for doesn’t always apply to situations like this. Frankly, spending more for something doesn’t make it infallible, unfortunately. Even pricey, so-called top-of-the-line things can go wrong. The massive recall of Maclaran strollers this week proves that.
If you own a Maclaran stroller, then you should read this over at Real Mom’s Guide. It’s a comprehensive look at what the recall is about and what to do if you are effected.
So the weather is getting a bit colder outside, and it’s taking more than the promise of a warm day at the beach or park to get your kids to go outside?
Times like these call for special adventures that will get the whole family itching to put on that coat and hat and get out into the fresh air—even if that air is decidedly frigid. And what else gets kids as excited as the promise of a treasure hunt? From low-prep to high-tech, here are three ideas for adventurous family fun that will get kids (and grown-ups) of all ages rushing out the door:
Scavenger Hunts. You don’t need any special equipment or much planning to pull off a scavenger hunt. You don’t even have to leave your yard! Read this clever tutorial for creating a toddler scavenger hunt (could be easily modified for bigger kids) at United Teaching, and check out the awesom glow-in-the-dark scavenger hunt this mom blogger created for her daughter’s birthday party! Continue reading…
‘Tis the season to start budgeting for the holidays. This year, I’ll have the added expense of having a child in school. If you already have school-aged kid, you’ll probably relate to these some of these extras:
Last week, a notice came home asking for a donation for the school’s Christmas Fair: $10, plus the purchase of a baby item for a raffle basket.
Soon, the class mom will inform all of the parents about collecting for a holiday gift for the teacher and teacher’s assistant: $20 is usually the standard.
The kindergarten is putting on a holiday performance, and everyone is asked to wear a plain red turtleneck and black jeans… which we, of course, don’t already own. Continue reading…
We’ve all heard it a billion times: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But when it comes down to it, how many of us skip breakfast because it’s just too early or we aren’t hungry or because the effort to make breakfast is outweighed by the desire to sleep just a little longer? I bet more of us than we care to admit.
When you have kids, breakfast becomes nonnegotiable—for them at least. They need that fuel to jumpstart their bodies and minds for the day. A fruit, some whole grains, a bit of protein … these are all components of a good breakfast.
Are you groaning? Breakfast is a hard meal for me too — and certainly not my favorite. When it comes down to it, needing to give the kids breakfast isn’t the same as wanting to cook it. So, how can you provide a healthy breakfast without having to start the day slaving over the stove?
Here are a few easy ideas for no-cook or barely-cook breakfasts:
- English muffin spread with peanut butter and topped with banana slices
- kid’s sized yogurt, toast with butter, banana
- applesauce, cheese (such as cheddar or mozzarella) cut into dipping rods, whole wheat english muffin
- whole grain cereal, berries or grapes, cup of milk (to drink)
- whole wheat cinnamon toast, apple wedges, yogurt smoothie
- yogurt parfait: nonfat vanilla yogurt layered with fruit and crumbled graham crackers
What’s your kid’s favorite easy breakfast? Share in the comments.
Read more food and recipe ideas from Sarah W. Caron at Sarah’s Cucina Bella.
There are a lot of fabulous giveaways going on around the web. We’ve rounded up some great kitchen-related ones this week. From gift cards to aprons to cooking gear, there is something for every cooking-looking family. Now, hurry and get entering!
Not So Average Mama – Sam’s Club $25 gift card giveaway (11/7)
From Val’s Kitchen - Glowgirl Fibers Coupon Organizer giveaway (11/8)
Mommyhood…Unscripted – Flirty Aprons giveaway (11/13)
Moomette’s Magnificents – Girl Gourmet Cake Bakery Set (11/18)
Frugal Rhode Island Mom – Cookies from Home giveaway (12/1)
Have a suggestion for a future More to the Core Mott’s Minute roundup? Share it with us in the comments below!
When the ladies of the More to the Core blog aren’t writing about family, parenting and nutrition here, we are busy rearing our kids and working on other writing projects. What are we working on this week?
Does anyone else feel really stay-at-homey this time of year? I know I do. While I’m usually into being out and about with my family, something about the shorter and shorter days and the getting-chillier air turns my thoughts toward my own warm house and the simple comforts of family. More often than not I find myself wanting to huddle with my kids around the warmth and light of the dining-room table rather than venture out.
And the dining-room table, it turns out, is a pretty great place to be! Here are a few activities perfect for snow days, sick days, and just any day you’d rather stay in than head outside:
Family Game Night: When was the last time you cruised through The Game of Life, amassed a fortune in Monopoly, or knocked out your opponents in Sorry? Board games are low-tech family fun that includes everyone (when we’re playing a game that’s above the little one’s heads, we put them on teams with older sibs or Mom and Dad and give them an important job like rolling the dice or holding the money). Lately our favorites have been Monopoly, Guesstures and Boggle (which now comes in a handy enclosed container so you won’t lose letter cubes to a toddler’s fast-moving hands).
Check out Hasbro for tips on how to host your own Family Game Night as well as special offers on family favorites like Boggle and Jenga. Also be sure to follow Family Game Night on Twitter and let the Twitterverse know about your next Family Game Night!
Crafts: This time of year, I just love having a homey, seasonally-decorated dining room and living room. Over at Make and Takes you’ll find a few easy Thanksgiving-oriented crafts you can do with your kids to jazz up your table…even if you aren’t “a crafty mom”.
Playdough: Even as a bona fide grownup, I still can’t resist the feel or smell of a fresh, warm ball of homemade playdough. That’s why I usually make my own! After the fun of cooking it up, the kids take over, creating miniature bakeries full of playdough pies, muffins and cookies, little creatures, and tiny towns. I usually hang on to a ball myself just so I can keep rolling it around in my hands. Playdough is easy to make, from simple salt and flour recipes to scented and colored varieties. Check out three great recipes at the Moms Talk Network blog.
This week, my son came home with information and a permission slip to receive the H1N1 vaccine in his school. I threw it in the trash. Before you think this will be a post about why you shouldn’t vaccinate your kids, stay with me because I have a different point to make here.
Whether or not your child should be vaccinated is entirely up to you. And for many parents who can’t get their children the vaccine because they can’t get time off to take their children or because they don’t have health insurance and can’t afford it, these school programs may seem like a godsend. However, I’m grateful that parents are being notified and the decision is being left to them.
In light of what I just read, however, I’m not sure giving vaccines during school hours is the best approach:
New York City’s Health Department said nurses at schools in Brooklyn and Staten Island mistakenly gave the vaccine to two children whose parents hadn’t signed a consent form. The same thing happened Monday at an elementary school in the town of Oregon, Ohio, where a 7-year-old got the vaccine even though her mother had marked “no consent” on a form, then circled it to emphasize her point.
Wow! If I were the parents of one of these children, I would be livid. Luckily, no harm has come as a result, although one of the girls is epileptic and had to be hospitalized to ensure an allergic reaction did not take place. Continue reading…
In the summer, eating is all about the freshest farmers’ market finds. Fresh raw vegetables get chopped into salads and smothered in light, flavorful dressings. The grill is fired up to make a protein – maybe hamburgers or a chicken breast.
When the temperatures begin their inevitable decline, then thoughts turn to comfort foods – the foods that will wrap you in warmth at the end of a chilly day. Cooking moves indoors and the oven gets heated up again.
Potatoes? They make a fabulous fall and winter food. Not only are they fresh right now, but they are also filling and toasty – perfect for the end of the day. But baked potatoes can get so dull. Punch up your potato routine with these tasty steak fries. They go fabulously with a good steak.
