Nursery School Gourmets

I read a really interesting article in Time Magazine recently about Parisian nursery school lunches. The French really care about the quality of food that their children eat, and they believe it's something that should be taught from a very young age. For instance, french preschoolers learn very early that they'll only be fed at the table. Secondly, they take their time during eating...often being served a leisurely 5-course meal consisting of salad, cheese, plenty of organic fruits, and an adult-style entree.

This article really hit a nerve with me. I'm not claiming to be the world's healthiest eater, but I would never feed Sophie 90% of the food that she's served at school. Her menu today consisted of waffles & maple syrup, a brownie, chicken nuggets and fries....in other words: junk. The thing is, it seems like most parents I speak to feed their children things like this on a daily basis. It seems pervasive in American culture that parents feed their families the fastest, cheapest, most processed food possible. And I truly believe that this diet has contributed to our poor health and skyrocketing healthcare costs.

I'm not all about low-fat, diet stuff. There are many cultures out there that eat high-fat diets in which people are thinner than Americans. I'm more concerned about sugar (especially the fake kind) and the amount of processing that goes into the food. I wish that more people wanted to feed their kids high-quality, real food.

Why do kids have to eat macaroni & cheese, or cereal that contains ultra-violet marshmallows? Why do parents have to make separate meals for themselves and their children? These questions trouble me when I speak to other parents, but I keep my mouth shut for the most part. Since this is my blog, I'm on a soapbox here (I know). And I've even changed how we eat at home since reading this article. We all eat at the table (with no TV) every night now. We avoid high fructose corn syrup or other unnatural sweeteners (even aspartame) as much as possible. We only eat 100% grass-fed beef at home. But we still have a lot to learn about eating from the French.

Etsy Goody: Urban Baby Bonnet

So, I'm having a little girl in July. And it's gonna be sunny and hot. How do I protect her little head from the harsh sun? I like the idea of these bonnets, by The Urban Baby Bonnet Project. They're not cheap, but they'll do the trick. The patterns aren't too frou-frou, considering it's a bonnet, and the chin strap will keep her hat in place. Check out more designs here.

Are these models cute, or what?

all images via The Urban Baby Bonnet Project

Clemyjontri Park

Today was the most perfect day we've had in a long time. It was incredibly sunny and beautiful outside, and although the temperature only reached the high 40's, it felt downright balmy compared to what we've been going through. Our family decided to head out to Clemyjontri Park, the mother of all playgrounds. Bodhi and his parents were already there, so the experience was made even more fun. As you can see from today's photos, Sophie was happy, happy, happy!

Dressed and ready to go!

There was a little trepidation when we first arrived...

...but seeing Bobo made it all better.

Good-bye hug! It was a great day.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

It's been a while since I've tried out a new recipe, since work has been stressful lately and I've been totally drained by the time I come home. This week, I decided to shake things up a bit (cause I'm wild like that) and try out a couple of new recipes that my sister was raving about.

The first is Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice soup, a similar version of which you may have tried at Panera before. This homemade version is just as good, and not laden with preservatives, sodium or anything else unnatural. Darren says it's one of the best soups he's ever had, so that made my night right there :)

CREAMY CHICKEN AND WILD RICE SOUP

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth 2 cups water 2 cooked, boneless chicken breast halves, shredded 1 - 6 oz package fast cook long grain and wild rice with seasoning packet

1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 3/4 cup all purpose flour 1/2 cup butter 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup whole milk

Directions:

1.	In a large pot over medium heat, combine broth, water and chicken. Bring just to boiling, then stir in rice, reserving seasoning packet. Cover and remove from heat. By the way, I used Uncle Ben's rice...it was perfect for this recipe.
2.	In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and flour. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in contents of seasoning packet until mixture is bubbly. Reduce heat to low, then stir in flour mixture by tablespoons, to form a roux. Whisk in cream & milk, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook until thickened, 5 minutes.
3.	Stir cream mixture into broth and rice. Cook over medium heat until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.

Darn you, Steve Jobs!

Today I decided that I needed a "mental health break" from the stress of work, so I left the office a little early and ran some kid-free errands (sadly, this is what moms consider fun now) and then went to Baby Gap to redeem some coupons I had. I bought this cute romper for Sophie which I had been pining over for a while. Tonight, I asked her to model it for me, and this was the best she could do...she could not peel her eyes away from Darren's ipod, not even for a minute. Oy vey.....

It's gonna be a......

Sophie on her birth day, October 2007.

In about 5 months, this girl right here will have another.........sister! :)

Kids' Art Gallery

Ever since I've joined the preschool-parents'-club, I have a dilemma. Sophie brings home approximately 4 pieces of "art" a day. And while most of them aren't masterpieces, there are some that are worth keeping. At the rate that we're accumulating these crafts, our home would quickly look like a daycare center if I start hanging them all up on the walls. I've found some great solutions online recently, thank goodness. How Does She gives a simple tutorial on scanning your pictures and making a simple gallery with the shrunken images. Another thing to add to my to-do list!