Since this recipe came from a book "Let me in the Kitchen" by Susan mendelson (cookbook for kids and first timers) I thought it would be breeze. Nope. I can honestly say I wouldn't make these again, and if I did i would vary it a lot. Base: Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup of white sugar, 1 egg, 1tsp of pure vanilla, 1 Tbsp of cocoa, 2 cups of graha crumbs, 1 cup of unsweetened coconut, 1.2 cup of walnut pieces Put the butter, sugar, egg vanilla, and cocoa in the top pot of a double boiler over medium heat and stir with whisk until mixture is slightly thick- about 5 min, remove from heat. Put the graham crackers crumbs, coconut and nuts into a bowl, stir together, pour the hot mixture over the crumbs, mix with wooden spoon, using hands form 8 egg shapes. Put on waxed paper - chill for 15min. Note: I personally found the base to be too big. if I ever did these again- I would do 1/4 of this size. Centre: 2 Tbsp of custard powder, 2 cups of icing sugar, 1/4 cup of soft butter, 3Tbsp of milk Blend the soft butter, icing sugar, milk and custard in a bowl till smooth, spread carefully over the tops and sides of the eggs, return to fridge for 15min Chocolate topping: 8oz of semi- sweet chocolate, 2Tbsp of butter Melt the chocolate and butter in the top part of the double boiler over medium heat( the bottom pot should have water in it). Quickly swirl the eggs around in the melted chocolate. Use 2 forks to lift each egg out of the pot, use a spreader to spread chocolate over any parts that didn't get covered. Put eggs back onto cookie sheet and chill again. Notice my great double boiler?? we had to improvise.
I found the chocolate needed more butter to make it runny. We spread ours on the eggs using a spatula- but I was thinking you could also use the magic chocolate spread that hardens, and it would be easier for children to do. Not exactly a masterpiece. Also you could decorate with icing sugar and print names on them...but I found the eggs extremely sweet therefore we left them plain. Also makes it easier to put them in brown paper bags and drop them off randomly as they are too big and way too sweet! This little leprechaun slid down the rainbow, This little leprechaun stayed home. This little leprechaun picked a shamrock, This little leprechaun found some gold. This little leprechaun cried, "See if you can catch me," As he ran home. (taken from below link) Want more: http://www.kidsparkz.com/preschoolsingsstpats.html This week was March break. Which is also code for planning a billion things to do in 1 week. One of the activites we did was make shamrocks. Using paint (3 different colours of green), green peppers, and paper. I used coffee filters for the paint so that it gave enough room for the children to dip their green peppers into. Then they stamp onto the paper. Set up time: 5-7 min Time it took my children to make craft: less then 10 min Keeping up with the green theme, we made avocado cheese melts for lunch. Take a ripe avocado (usually slightly brown when ripe, and finger makes a slight dent in it when you push on skin), bread/buns/or pita, and cheese. Cut avocado in half, and let children scoop out inside into a bowl. With a fork they can mash it up. They can then take fork and spread mixture onto the bread. 1/2 an avocado makes enough for 2 buns. Sprinkle with cheese, and broil on low in oven (keep a close eye on it so it doens't burn) Cut into smaller pieces and serve it up. For a baby starting solids- cut avocado into quarters(big enough for them to hold into fist) and let them chew away on it. If they are teething put avocado in fridge(if the seed is still in it, it won't turn brown) then cut when colder. 138 calories and 14.1 grams of fat and 3.4 grams of fibre in half an avocado On the day I am to write a blog on sleep routines, and if it gets better..is the night my children sleep 13 & 14 hours. Of course. However I can still remember what it is like to be overtired and crabby. I can think back to those times where already at 9am you are counting down to naps and bedtime. Oh wait that was just 2 days ago.
When my first was a baby, he slept in his crib, and liked having a noise machine on. We started off with a radio with static, however it would pick up taxi calls at 3am, so we switched that to a sound machine. He slept swaddled. We did the same routine every single night..bath, massage, same book( for him hungry caterpillar), and breastfeed. I would swaddle him, breastfeed him, and place him into bed. Presto he would wake up again..the movement of lowering into the crib would wake him. So I would rock walk, and lower slowly...after 6 times this worked.Though I never climbed into the crib (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLErNXIYjMg) He was never a child to sleep in a carseat. If he did and you carefully brought carseat into the house and carefully lowered it to the floor..whammo he would wake up. My daughter was a whole other story. From day 1- she would sleep on me. I would nurse downstairs so not to wake the sleeping child(her brother) upstairs. I would sit on the easy chair, with nursing pillow stuffed under my armpits, and she would sleep smack dab on my chest. When she was hungry..she would make snuffling noises and inch her way down to food. I had all her diapers and makeshift change table on the table close by. As cute and lovely this all sounds..I was aching for my bed..aching to lay horizontal. At 5.5 months..I brought her to the doctor. Something is wrong. She sleeps for 2 hrs(sometimes less) and then wakes. His suggestion was 'stop the all you can eat buffet". Kind of hard to do when you are the only source of food, and baby knows it. His other suggestion..go away for the weekend, and leave bottles. So back to the drawing board I went as both of those suggestions didn't fly with me. It slowly got better. She slowly started to sleep in her crib. Slowly I got rid of the raccoon eyes, and stumbling into walls. She slept swaddled as well. I also dream fed her. For those who don't know what dream feeding is: When you put baby down to sleep at 7pm, and their longest sleep is to 11, however you go to bed at 10pm. Therefore you are getting 1 hour of sleep before getting woken up again. So I would go into her room, lights off, not making any noise..pick her up and nurse her. She wouldn't wake up again till 2-3. Therefore when I went to bed I was getting a longer stretch of sleep in. I also used to do this in the morning. I was training for dragonboating when she was 6 months old, and I would go in at 5:00am, nurse her in the dark and quiet, and then sneak off to practice (which some inhuman person made for 6am). When I returned she was usually just starting to get hungry. Fast forward to now...She is 4years old. She still prefers to sleep with me (as she states her bed is too cold). If you ask her what her favorite part of camping was..of course sleeping with mommy. When she is sick, or having nightmares, it is much easier to pick her up out of her bed, and bring her downstairs to sleep in spare room. Having said this..each and every child is different. My son can't stand this. He doesn't like noise (don't snore, don't touch me..). Every parent is going to find what works for them. It might be taking a child for a ride in car to get them to sleep, maybe they sleep better unswaddled, maybe they need the same book read every single night, (maybe they watch that decrepit show "in the night garden" which I am pretty sure was written by someone taking some good drugs)...but really what I have learned in all my wisdom..is do what works. Everything looks better after sleep. and I love naps. I am not ashamed to say this at all. Other suggestions: * swaddling- love it. Still do it, both my children love to be wrapped like a fajitas, and it isn't causing any harm * same routine every single night * ignore those who say come over, have dinner, baby can sleep upstairs etc etc. If you baby is super portable great, but many love routine * nap whenever you can. I personally suggest turn off phone ringers, read a book you have already read before, get warm and cosy (even if it is with baby on top of you) * this won't last forever..I promise that you won't be taking your 16 year old for a drive in the jeep to get her to sleep, and breastfeeding them to nap too. * ask for help...something I am horrible at, but still suggest it. Get someone else to make a meal/ get wood/ do errands..you nap. * white noise- we had slumber bear that had a heart beat that activated when there was noise, we also had a sound machine that had 10 sounds (wonderful except for when older one would play with it and set off BIG BEN to go off at 1am) BONG BONG * invest in a good wrap. Moby wrap, Boba wrap. Walk laps around house till baby falls asleep on you. You can also go outside and wear jacket overtop. When doing this make sure you can clearly see baby, and they are breathing fine. Tying wrap at your front will also help as you can sit down and sleep without knot being at your back. * when all else fails get this bedtime story to read http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIBqd1kxoQk read by Samuel L Jackson It is official. I have turned into my mother. I am meal-planning, and then grocery shopping. I do refuse though to calculate which store has the cheapest toilet paper on sale, and how much it is a roll. When I don’t meal plan, we spend more money, and don’t eat as healthy. Every week I sit down with 1 new recipe, and dream a little dream that I will come up with something wonderful that my children and husband will eat. To be clear I am not talking about Kale chips, quinoa, chick peas, or couscous. I would be happy if they would eat quiche, shepherd’s pie, or stew. Below is a sample of 1 week. I try to make something 1 day, that can be used again the following day if leftovers. Sat L- Burgers/fries/veggies &dip D-Spag(with puree veggies/cut up burgers) Sun(no naps) L-skiing Bento boxes D-Baked chicken and veggies Mon(no naps) L-cheese quesadilla& chicken D-Pork chops/cauliflower with cheese sauce & rice Tues L-grilled cheese& tom soup/cucumbers D-chicken meatball chili Wed (no naps) L-tacos D-Kids-cheesy pasta (leftover cheese sauce) Us- Stirfry Thurs (no naps) L-daycare D-leftovers/ or Hamburg soup Fri L-tuna melts D salmon/rice/veg So the other thing that is something that would make my mother cringe..is to have white with white on the plate. Growing up as farmers meant we had lots of meat/potato/veggies on our plate. However to have fish, cauliflower, and rice all on the plate was never seen. I also try to write what is going on that week. Swim times, ski times, if the children will have a nap. The reason for this is it changes what we have. If the children don’t have a nap, it means they go to bed extremely early (5:15/5:30). Often there isn’t time for me to prepare a big dinner, so they will eat bento boxes with cut up veggies/ fruit/ little bites of dinner. I have to feed my youngest at 4ish, otherwise she does the 100 mile stare, and at the same time stating don’t look at me. As a side note (when your parents state..I hope you have children just like you were..their wish comes true). If you follow me on twitter you will see I follow a couple of people that are fab at bento boxes (make them into pirates/angry birds/etc etc.) Mine are nothing like that, though I do sometimes make gingerbread men out of sandwiches. Bento box tweeters: Bentoriffic April_Stacey On a cold and rainy day in January, I made these children friendly crayons to pass some time. First while children are playing gather all the broken crayons you can find, and rip off paper. To get the children to help you can be frustrating, and they get bored very quickly (or mine do). Get a large plastic bag, something to hit with. We used a meat cleaver, however you could use a can of soup/a hammer/a book..really anything. Line muffin tin with paper cups (I suggest doubling them up/or triple) as when we did it the wax went right through, and getting wax out of muffin tin isn't that easy. Pour crayons from bag into muffin cups. We were able to make 3 large crayons from the amount you see above. Also the other empty cups should be filled with water to avoid warping the muffin tin. Wait for crayons to cool before removing the paper liners. When children use the crayons for the first time, show them how to turn on different edges to get different colours. Enjoy!
It is day 9 and I haven't broken them yet. For this I feel I deserve a medal, and big marching band. In the past I have made resolutions that didn't even last 1 hour. Ones like" Think before I text". Now I ask you what fun is that? When my partner doesn't take out the recycling and it spills all over the counter, and now there is sticky juice I have to clean up as well as take out the cans,,,,of course that deserves a " you are a whatever text". Another that failed was buying too many hair products. I get bored, I like different shampoos/ conditioners/body gels. That one didn't last either.
So this year I did the KISS method. Keep it simple stupid 1- Don't add any of these to your list: Don't bride kids, Don't yell at kids...So I am a normal parent. I bribe my kids, and yes after asking nicely 5 times to get boots and jacket on I sound like a screaming banchee. This Year 1- vary up exercise. For years I have done kickboxing and spinning. I love both, however it is partly since we do what we are good at. Therefore it is good to switch things up, and work different muscle groups. That won't include running however (I HATE running, I start and think if I can make it to next hydro pole I can stop). It will include swimming, skiing(both types), and various aerobic classes that are bound to kill me. 2- Take more time for me Not just to exercise but to read a book, other then moo baa, la, la, la. Sip a glass a wine, go skiing by myself, walk to the store, or simply enjoy time with friends. 3. Just say no This I will struggle with the most. I am a product of mommy guilt. Yes I will bake the class cupcakes, yes I will drive to your house so you can buy my child's boots for $5.00 off kijiji, and yes I will host that dinner party. Really what I want to say is NO. I had 1 more..but really it is for the children. Add more veggies. As they go through stages of pickiness I find myself craving veggies, after we have had grilled cheese/ p and j/mac and cheese. Therefore I am hauling out the food processor and adding veggies to everything (ok maybe not cookies). Pastas/meatballs/ pizza..and so on. I will feel better knowing they are getting more (ie less mommy guilt), and I in turn will have a healthier diet too. Win win. Traveling around Ottawa today, I noticed lots of babywearing. It is colder out, but yes you can still wear your baby or child. Pictured above is the Onya Baby carrier. Both my son and daughter enjoy being in this carrier as it has a high back, and a wide base for their bottom. The high back allows comfort for the child, as they feel stable and more secure. When the back collar is rolled up it is 18 inches tall. I noticed one mom out today wearing a Beco gemini (however the panel was snapped down) (14inches) and the baby was bouncing around on her back.
Some suggestions I have for babywearing in colder weather are: 1. Use babylegs. You can find them at Elmhill Kids located in Signature centre in Kanata. When my children go on my back their pant legs ride up creating a space between the boots and the pants. I like to put babylegs on their calfs to cover this space up. 2. Visit a local Consignment shop to pick up a Mec fleece suit: Three bags full on hazeldean rd, often has them. The Mec fleeces offer fold over hands and feet to keep babies warm and cozy. Keep in mind that these suits are ideal if you are wearing baby/child on top of your jacket. If you are wearing baby inside you vest/coat the fleece will be too warm. Babies are tiny little furnaces and will generate lots of body heat. 3. I don't have a special babywearing vest or jacket. Instead I use my partner's fleece vest, and zip it up half way so that baby's head is still visable. You can also still get use out of your maternity coat, and do it up half way as well. You want to make sure baby is "visable and kissable" throughout. If wearing a wrap, make sure baby can breath, and you can see baby. 4. Buy some non-slip-ice grips. This is what you see postal workers wearing. They slip over top of your boots and provide traction on the snow and ice. Often it looks like light fluffy snow, but there is a layer of ice underneath! 5. Put on coat, and carrier and try baby on BEFORE leaving the house. After going to a santa claus parade and NOT doing this, I can tell you it is a huge pain. Straps have to fit over your winter wear, as well as child's winter wear..big difference compared to summertime babywearing. 6. Always have your carrier handy. I keep mine in the car, as I never knew when I will need it. Sometimes I think I should sell off some of my carriers, however I find myself in need often: in the winter months my children like to feed the birds on some of the NAC trails, however my youngest doesn't like when the birds divebomb her head so she is happier in the carrier watching safely from mommy's back. Also at a recent santa claus parade, my youngest didn't like all the noise/ and trucks, and felt more secure on my back. When we travel, we babywear. We bring a stroller- but really it is used as a pushcart, or to hold all our stuff. We have it down to a science! My partner drops me off at the terminal- with all the luggage,stroller, carseats and 2 children. He then leaves to park. When he returns we are usually at the front of the line ready to check in. I place 1 child on my back, 1 in stroller (double)- carseats on the other side, and the luggage cart I push with my other hand. Babywearing isn't just for when they are young. Your child might be walking, however their little legs get tired. Even at age 4, and 5, I find both of mine are still apt to want to be on my back when hiking for long periods. Below are some photos of mec fleece suit, and grips for boots. Babywearing in winter is doable, just make sure you are prepared and enjoy! |
AuthorAnne Loucks: mother of 2 child who used cloth diapers throughout. Archives
May 2020
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