What's Cooking With Kids

Apr 4Mealtime Challenges with Kids: Get Permission

Sometimes, I am overwhelmed with mommy guilt. Does that ever happen to you? I try not to spend too much time dwelling on the things that I have done in the past - things that I can not change. I much prefer to focus on what I can do better in the future. Despite my preference for learning and improving, sometimes I am forced to remember the olden days. Last summer, while on vacation, I had an argument words with my mother-in-law. I was frustrated by the way that she was treating...

Apr 1Life’s A Picnic Earth Day Giveaway

In honor of Earth Day, Healthy Child Healthy World partners Cleanwell, Fabkins, LUNA, Plum Organics and Green Toys have created a green essentials picnic kit for mom & tot available exclusively at Diapers.com. All proceeds from the sale of the kit will benefit Healthy Child Healthy World. I first learned about Cleanwell years ago and have used their natural hand sanitizer ever since. My kids love the smell of the product, and I love the fact that it isn't made from anything toxic...

Mar 30Our Food System Is Broken - Ted Talk by Robyn O'...

We eat 3 meals a day. Every single day. But our food system is very very very broken...and it is affecting our bodies and the health of our planet. Each of us needs to do something to improve our food system. Please.

Mar 28Community Service Event for Families – SOUP

In case you hadn't noticed, I care a lot about community service. But only because I am selfish. No, really. I like how doing service makes me feel. And I love inspiring kids to do the same. Yep - selfish. Studio 4 Art and I recently held our second annual SOUP event. You might have seen the recent post about the classes where local students and I were up to our elbows in soup.... I thought I'd offer you an update, showing you the incredible bowls that her students made, and the...

Mar 25Gluten Free Layered Choco-Coco-Nut Bars

I'm one of those mommies. You know, the "mean" ones. The ones that won't buy girl scout cookies on principle. I don't like that most of their flavors include funky chemical ingredients. And I'm not a fan of the fact that their pushers don't make much of a profit in the process. I'd rather just make a donation to the troop, go home, and eat cookies whose ingredients I recognize (or bake my own). My daughter is a huge fan of Samoas - the girl scout cookies that are layered with caramel,...

Mar 23Soup for Service – Making Soup with Children

While gearing up for our second annual SOUP fundraiser with Studio 4 Art, I hosted a soup making class in my home for our local 4-H club and taught classes at two elementary schools. Kids worked together to create meals that would ultimately help local families in crisis. It was a beautiful thing... What kind of soup does your family enjoy? We'll pick new varieties for our event next year, and I'd love your thoughts...

Mar 21Virtual Baby Shower (& Hamentashen Recipe)

There are just some days that I feel very lucky. I am sure you can relate. Today, I feel like that - I get to show my love for my special friend Amanda, who is going to have a baby. The big bummer is that I can't congratulate her in person because she lives on the other side of the country. That's okay. I am resourceful - some friends and I have decided that we can show our love for her by hosting a virtual baby shower! Because Amanda is a baker extraordinaire, my kids and I decided we'd...

Mar 18School Lunches: Scratch Cooking IS Possible

I have been working with a tireless group of passionate parents to reform our local school food. Although we are making HUGE progress, we keep hearing about reasons why things aren't even better. We don't have enough money. We don't have enough equipment. Our staff needs more training. Okay. Let's deal with it. Let's see if we can make do with what we have. Chef Bruno visited our central kitchen recently, to show us how to cook Barilla Plus pasta with the resources we already have. Take...

Mar 16Easy & Healthy Do-it-Yourself Granola Bar Recipe...

I don't know about you, but I am always looking for new ideas for healthy snacks. I like to carry food with me wherever I go (to feed hungry and grumpy children), and have been known to dive into the stash, myself, in a pinch. When my friends, Liz and Janice (AKA The Meal Makeover Moms) offered to send me a copy of their new book, No Whine with Dinner - 150 healthy, kid-tested recipes from The Meal Makeover Moms, I couldn't wait. Some nutritionists seem to spend more of their energy on the...

Mar 14Portion Distortion – How Much Food To Eat

I know I am not the only one who piles food on my plate, and then wonders if I am eating the "right amount." We all know we are supposed to be eating at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies daily - but what does that really mean? Here's a valuable resource, using real life examples, that should help you measure your food portions and give you peace of mind. Which of these serving sizes surprised you the most?