Spanakopita: Yummy, Flaky, Triangular Goodness

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Websites to Keep Your Health Goals on Track

Who Needs Sneaky When You Have Great Tasting?

We all know that a healthy balance vegetables in our diets is ideal, but sometimes getting our children to appreciate the reasoning behind this is a little bit difficult.  Some kids do naturally love any and all vegetable that is put on their plates, but many are a little suspicious or are just not a fan of the flavors.  I think a big part of this may be in how those vegetables are presented and prepared.

There has been a lot of focus on being sneaky with vegetables over the past 10 years and several cookbooks have been published with recipes that have vegetables puréed into muffin or cake mixes and savory sauces.  Who needs to be sneaky, though, when you can make a vegetable taste just the way your child would like it without having to disguise it?

I have never been a huge fan of raw broccoli, and would not eat much broccoli at all if my only option was a veggie platter.  A couple of years ago, however, I discovered roasted broccoli.  It completely changes the flavor, and with a little olive oil, garlic powder, and seasonings becomes a deeply flavored side of which I can't get enough!  I felt similarly about cauliflower.  Raw cauliflower was never my idea of a treat, but if I roast it, boil and mash it like potatoes, or purée it and use it to complement a recipe I can't get enough.

Since having my daughter two and a half years ago I have been even more aware of the need to make a wide variety of vegetables in particularly appealing ways.  So far she has a great appreciation for her vegetables, and as she gets older I will continue to look for more and more deeply flavorful veggie recipes.

Did you know that Baltimore Mommies has a book club?  Every month a great group of women gets together and discusses a book with some delicious snacks.  It's a nice night out for a busy mom, and provides motivation for keeping up with new and interesting reading selections.

This month the book that will be discussed is Peggy Orenstein's Cinderella Ate My Daughter.  The author examines the effect of "pink" and "princess" marketing on her own daughter as well as its effect on society as a whole.

Next month the book club will be discussing Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus.

Share a Special Drink with Your Child

Bonjour! Ciao! Hola! Have you been checking the National Chapter and participating in Cultural Awareness Month? In our Multicultural Mommies forum, we’re talking about foreign languages and discovering fun facts about different cultures. Join the celebration, and add some new words and phrases to your linguistic repertoire!

Do you have something to add to the conversation? Share your knowledge with other moms who are learning a language with their children. Go global with TMN as we highlight the many languages and cultures that make our world wonderful!

All You Need Is Love


Whether you go all out and indulge in the commercial aspects of the holiday, or you take a little extra time to focus on the ones you care about, Valentine's Day is all about the love, and who do you love more than your children?

I am excited to start some Valentine's Day traditions with my daughter this year since she will be old enough to appreciate the gestures a little bit better.  Here are some ideas for how you can make a happy heart-filled day for your lovelies.

 1.  Start the day off by "heart bombing" their door or the hallway coming down the stairs from their room.

Photo found on Pinterest. 


2.  Make heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast or create a heart shape out of raisins on top of their oatmeal.


3.  Make a fun snack by putting a twist on the classic Rice Krispie Treat.  Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the shapes, then place the Rice Krispie Treat on a craft stick, and dip into melted chocolate.


Photo found on Pinterest.


4.  Put a little note in your child's lunch box telling them how much you love them.

5.  Cut heart shapes into sandwich bread or throw in a couple of chocolate hearts for dessert.  

6.  Make a string of paper hearts to hang across the room.











Whatever you decide to do, enjoy the love that is your family.

Create a sense of routine in your child's day.  Instead of having all toys and crafts available at all times, reserve coloring for just one time of the day, watching a show for just one time of the day, playing chef for one time of the day, playing with playdough for one time of the day, etc.

You can alternate different activities on different days as well.  Having a controlled time-period when children are focusing on a task helps them keep an interest in the activity and avoids boredom from seeing the same things everywhere all day long.

Making Special Time for Your Child 


No matter what their age or how many children you have, it is important to make an effort to let them know that they are truly special and to give them some quality time with their parents.  As kids and families grow, the weekly calendar can sometimes quickly fill up with activities, and you may not even realize you never got the chance to really sit down and talk to one another.  

When I was growing up in a family of six, my parents devised a system to focus on doing something special for each of us at least once a month.  There were four children, so they chose one night each week of the month to take one child out to dinner all alone.  The child got to pick the restaurant and have Mom and Dad's undivided attention.  We called these special nights TOK, for "take out kids."  I have many fond memories of eating burgers and fries or slurping on French Onion Soup with my parents on a night designed just for me, and I know my brothers and sister feel the same way.  


Going out to eat once a week may not be an option for some families, but there are other ways you can make a child feel special.   You could ask your child(ren) to make a list of their favorite meals, and rotate them through the monthly meals making a note that a particular dinner is in honor of them. 


You could also pick one night a week where you play a favorite game with your child, and if you have more than one child you could alternate who gets to pick the game each week.  


The important thing is that you put the focus on your child and spend some time enjoying their company and letting them stand out for just a bit.  Everyone likes to be noticed after all, especially by those they love most!  
   

There are many healthful benefits to eating salmon and lentils.  Salmon is dense with omega-3 fatty acids, which can help to lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol.  Omega-3 has been attributed to helping the brain and muscles and contributing to longer and healthier lives. The protein is also easier to digest and less harmful than other types of meat.  It is best to buy wild caught Alaskan salmon rather than farmed salmon.  Lentils are chock full of folate, fiber, protein, and other healthy nutrients that make them a super food of the legume family.  


This recipe is one of my family's favorites.  It uses the salmon in a way that takes away any sort of fishiness, and the lentils and vegetables are enhanced with the rich bacon flavor to make even a lentil eating skeptic happily ask for seconds. 
   

Ingredients

• 4 ounces diced bacon
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 1/4 cup diced carrots
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 pound lentils
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 4 cups rich chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 (6-ounce) portions salmon fillets, skin removed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 tablespoons flour, or cake flour (recommended: Wondra)
• 4 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley leaves

Directions

February is Cultural Awareness Month at The Mommies Network, and we're thinking globally! Share a love for foreign language and different cultures with your child in our Multicultural Mommies forum on our National Chapter. Each week, we'll feature several languages and cultural tidbits. You may also participate and strengthen your language lingo in a special webinar. Additionally, our sponsor will provide information on how you can continue your language-learning experience after the month is over.

According to Associated Content, brain research shows that children are at an optimal age for language learning. Although language study is effective at any age, some studies suggest that the human brain is more open to learning a foreign ­­­­­language ­­­from birth to preadolescence. Fortunately, researchers have not found an age in which the language window closes completely, especially in the areas of grammar and vocabulary.

Take advantage of this opportunity to think globally, and join us as we learn about foreign languages and different ways of life during Cultural Awareness Month at TMN!