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December 10, 2008
Deck Your Plates with Bundles of Broccoli, Jessica
Deck Your Plates with Bundles of Broccoli, Jessica
Last week we were having broccoli with some Chicken Parmesan and a side of pasta. Broccoli is one of my least favorite vegetables, but for some reason it seems like a lot of children eat it. My theory is that children, especially young children, have an innate sense of creativity with their food, and eating “trees” of food is intrinsically fun. [more]
December 10, 2008
Questioning the flu vaccine for kids
Questioning the flu vaccine for kids
Just as we enter another flu season, another voice has been raised on the question of vaccine safety. [more]
December 10, 2008
Bag of tricks: the giving edition, Professor Mom
Bag of tricks: the giving edition, Professor Mom
I'm knee-deep in final exams this week. Last night I was up until 11:45 calculating grades, and when I went to bed and closed my eyes, I saw small numbers and percentages and class participation points, instead of visions of sugar plums. This is the time of the semester when I get a type of tunnel vision: All I want to do is make it through the next exam, the next batch of exam grading, and the next set of calculations. At the other end of it all is Christmas, a tantalizing and magical oasis shimmering in front of me, my favorite time of the year. [more]
December 9, 2008
Red and Green Mexican Lasagna, Jessica
Red and Green Mexican Lasagna, Jessica
We’re feeling so festive at Chez Sweet Pea, even our dinner is cooking up red and green. I created this version of Mexican lasagna for a holiday dish that fits in perfectly with your schedule this time of year: It's easy, versatile (you can alter it to your taste or to use the items you have on hand), fairly quick to assemble and can be made ahead of time. Oh, and did I mention it is super tasty, too? [more]
December 9, 2008
We wish you an economic holiday
We wish you an economic holiday
I remember that when I turned 12 years old, my mother announced that we would be celebrating a "grown-up Christmas" from now on. The big Christmas Eve feast was replaced with hors d'oeuvres, the cookies for Santa were forgotten, and other "more mature" modifications were made. [more]
December 9, 2008
Exercise and the holidays
Exercise and the holidays
At the risk of sounding repetitive in my posts, this time of year always brings me back to thinking about my old (and still part-time) job of personal training.
We all know the holidays can be hectic. With the shopping, the baking, the parties...you barely have time to breathe, let alone find time to go to the gym for a workout! You'll always hear that one person saying, "Just 20 minutes is all you need! You can find time for 20 minutes of exercise!" I don't know about you, but that person always annoys me. [more]
December 9, 2008
Breaking up is hard to do, Professor Mom
Breaking up is hard to do, Professor Mom
The semester is winding down and my days will free up a little for about a week, so I am compiling a long list of appointments I need to make for the kids, and things I need to get done. The list looks something like this so far:
*Flu shots for kids (they'll love that one)
*Schedule dentist appointments for kids (ditto that one)
*Eye exam for L. (he wears glasses, but the school's eye exam tested him as needing a new prescription)
*Look into finding a new pediatrician [more]
December 8, 2008
Ten dollars, Talia's Blog
Ten dollars, Talia's Blog
The value of ten dollars is almost valueless. President Hamilton’s bill is as cent-less as President Washington’s dollar. My daughter invited three young girls from the church in South Africa to our hotel. The resort where we stayed had plenty of fun activities for them. They swam, they bowled, they played miniature golf. [more]
December 8, 2008
New Beginnings, Jessica
New Beginnings, Jessica
When I was pregnant with my first son, I read just about anything and everything people recommended to me about pregnancy and preparing for life with a newborn. But one anecdotal story particularly piqued my interest. Someone (and for the life of me, I cannot remember who…I blame the subsequent sleep loss and constant state of distraction that stem from parenting) told me that she had heard of a study of pregnant women and carrots. [more]
December 8, 2008
Cooking love, Professor Mom
Cooking love, Professor Mom
I was speaking with a friend recently about party-planning, and she confessed to me that she hates cooking. It stresses her out, and makes her feel incompetent and flustered. I'm the exact opposite: Cooking actually relaxes and de-stresses me. When I'm in the kitchen, mixing and pouring, or kneading dough, with the smells from the different ingredients rising up around me and my T. helping in her own messy ways, I feel a sense of peace and calm. [more]
