Is There Housework After a New Baby?

Congratulations on your new little bundle! This is a precious and wonderful season in your life. But if you find yourself knee deep in laundry and scared to walk around the house without your shoes on, read on for some tips on keeping up with the housework with a new baby.

First things first

You must take good care of yourself so you can care for your baby. Experts say it takes an entire year for your body to return to normal after having a baby. Even though you've recuperated from childbirth, you're probably not getting as much sleep as you did before and you're working new sets of muscles as you lift and carry baby around.

Housework is simply is not urgent in the grand scheme of things. Many midwives have the following advice for new Moms: spend the first few days in bed even if you feel great. If you feel good enough to putz around a little after the first week, go ahead and try some light housework, but don’t do anything strenuous or anything that involves a lot of twisting or that might injure your back. Remember that your muscles are still stretched out (especially your tummy muscles) and your joints loose, and your hormones are still making you a little accident prone, just as when you were pregnant. You don’t need to risk hurting your back so forget cleaning the shower or mopping floors for several more weeks.

Practical tips

If you didn't do so before, do a thorough de-cluttering now. Enlist the help of your husband or a friend. It's more fun and your friend will help you let go of your attachment to things. Cleaning experts say that around 50% of the total time spent in housework involves dealing with too much stuff: moving it around, picking it up off the floor, rearranging it, dusting it. You simply can't organize clutter!

You may find that a baby sling or other baby carrier is absolutely essential if you want to get things done around the house. Using a baby sling means that your hands can be free to take care of tasks but baby is safe and happy next to his favorite person in the world. Vacuuming is especially easy while wearing a baby. If the dishes pile up at least you can have really clean floors.

Some Moms even learn the knack of breastfeeding hands free in the sling. Talk about multitasking!

While your baby is a very young she will be sleeping a lot, so take advantage of this to finish a quick chore or two. Just don’t use all of baby’s sleep time to get work done. It’s very important for you to nap with baby if you can manage it. At the very least, spend some time resting on the couch with a refreshing drink and maybe a book. Or call a friend and have an adult conversation. You need to recharge your batteries as much as you need a clean home… maybe more.

This too shall pass…

Remember these oft repeated words because you’ll need to say them a lot during your mothering years! The newborn period is so precious. And to be perfectly honest, when it comes to housework, you ain’t seen nothing yet. A new baby may generate a lot of laundry, but she is hardly responsible for dirtying up the house. Wait until she’s toddling around with peanut butter-y hands. The housework can take a backseat while you ooh and aah over your baby’s tiny toes and fingers. Enjoy your babymoon!

Carrie Lauth is the host of www.NaturalMomsTalkRadio.com/blog, a free Internet talk radio show and podcast for families doing things the natural way.

Baby Steps: Moving A Family To Whole Foods Part 2: What’s to Fear about Kefir?

In part 1, I mentioned that one of my baby steps in moving my family toward a healthier, whole foods diet was keeping my own kefir grains. You might have wondered what I was talking about; when I first heard of them, I thought kefir grains were used to make a new kind of bread. Isn’t that what grains usually are?

Kefir, which is pronounced either ke FEAR or KEY fer (depending I think on where you live and how the person who introduces you to it says the word) is “a cultured, enzyme-rich food filled with friendly micro-organisms that help balance your ‘inner ecosystem’” according to www.kefir.net, one the premier web sites devoted to educating people about this wonder food. Made from kefir grains (more about those later), kefir is not unlike yogurt, although they contain different types of good bacteria. While yogurt can help keep the digestive tract clean, kefir can go further.

Kefir contains a lot of friendly bacteria which is very good for us, but more importantly, it also has beneficial yeasts that combat the “bad” yeasts in the body and help the body to resist E. coli and intestinal parasites. It’s easier to digest than is yogurt and is great for all ages—especially for people who are immuno-compromised.

When Lee brought me my first batch of kefir grain, I was more than little intimidated. It all seemed so complicated. And what exactly were these squiggly little things that resembled rice pudding?


I followed the directions carefully: I poured two cups of milk and a half cup cream over the grains, which were in a small mason jar. I covered the jar with a paper towel and secured it with a rubber band, left it on my counter. . and waited.

Two days later, I used a strainer over a glass bowl to “harvest” my first batch of kefir. The grains stayed in the strainer, and what fell into the bowl beneath was kefir. Later I learned that if I strained the kefir again, this time using cheese cloth, what stayed above would be kefir cheese and the thin liquid in the bowl would be whey.

But for the time being, I was simply elated to have a small jar of kefir to put into the refrigerator. I poured more milk and cream over the grains, and we began the cycle again.

As I went on, I learned that shortening the initial culture time makes the kefir less tart. The minimum culture time is 12 hours, and it shouldn’t go longer than every other day. I also learned that the grains can be put into temporary suspended animation by covering them with a little milk and putting them into the refrigerator.

So once I had mastered the art of culturing kefir, the big question was. . what do I do with this stuff? It was smooth and white, and it looked like either thin sour cream or yogurt. I knew from my friends that I could use it to make smoothies, and those were definitely a hit with my kids. But I still wasn’t using all of the kefir I made.

I was relieved when I found out that kefir stays good in the refrigerator for weeks on end. I was even happier when the first few attempts at new recipes with kefir turned out well. I used kefir in place of sour cream in my mother-in-law’s famous chocolate chip cake. Yum! I used it in pancakes, pasta dishes and in a Mexican cheese sauce.

I also followed Lee’s recipe for soaked brown rice, using a water and kefir mix. It was without a doubt the best rice I had ever eaten in my life, full of flavor and richness—and really good for us to boot.

If you’re wondering how my family reacted to this strange new part of our diet. . well, that’s a good question. They were skeptical at first. The younger kids loved the smoothies right away and so were my first converts. And everyone loved the rice. Slowly, everyone is jumping on the kefir bandwagon and coming up with ideas for using it in different recipes. I’m proud of them!

If you want to learn more about the benefits of kefir and how to make your own from kefir grains, go to www.kefir.net. For lots of recipes using kefir, you might try http://dairygoatinfo.com/index.php?topic=50.0;wap2 If you need more hands-on instruction, go to www.youtube.com and search milk kefir.

 Part one of the Series 
  

Tawdra Kandle is stay-at-home, homeschooling mom of four children who range in age from 9 years to almost 21 years. She and her husband of over 22 years live in central Florida, where he is in seminary. Tawdra spends most of her precious free time writing and reading, and she loves to travel. She is also a resident writer for Taking Time for Mommy. View more of her Articles HERE

Cutting Down on Germs in the Kitchen

The kitchen can be a breeding ground for germs. There are several culprits in the kitchen that are known to spread germs. The following tips will help you cut down on germs:
Wipe down surface with a disinfectant: Every surface in your kitchen is used for something. A counter for preparing foods, a stove top for cooking them, the cabinets for storing things, the table for eating, etc. These surfaces are used frequently, and thus should be sanitized regularly in order to cut down on germs. For the surfaces like the counters, you will want to wipe them down and disinfect with a mild soap after each use, especially if used to prepare poultry, meat, or fish of any kind.

Clean your microwave and stove regularly. These are areas used to cook food, and are often warm, and even moist at times. So, they may lead to germs growing and spreading. Anytime an item spills, leaks, splatters, or boils over be sure to wipe it up as soon as it happens, and then use a sanitizer as often as you can. Once a week would be sufficient.

Clean out fridge monthly: Often leftovers, old bottles of food, drips, leaks, and spills happen in the fridge. Foods get shoved to the back and ignored, and they rot and go bad. Bottle drip, seals leak, etc. Meat juices can be left on a shelf, or salad oils dripped. Take the time once a month to remove everything from your fridge, throwing out anything you see that is expired, or leftover and in your fridge too long. Then, wash down all the refrigerator's inside surfaces, and the outer handle with a disinfectant so as not to cross contaminate anything.

Clean your kitchen daily. Germs grow in dark, moist, places, and the kitchen is full of such places, so make sure you take the time to do a general cleanup of the kitchen. Make a rule to not go to bed without first loading and running your dishwasher and wiping down your countertops.

Clean your sinks weekly. Your sink is going to be used to clean dishes, hands, and even food, so making sure that you have a sanitary, germ free sink is critical to cutting down on germs in the kitchen. Using a cleaner that disinfects while it cleans will help cut down on germs.

In addition, make sure that as you cut down on the germs in your kitchen, that you focus on the areas you spend time. For example, if you have a bar, and barstools, you may want to take the time to wash them down daily so that they do not become a place to spread germs. Your kitchen should be a great place to spend time, and not a place where you should have to worry about spreading germs and making people sick.

Beverly Frank is mom to two young kids and a writer. Visit http://www.surfnetparents.com for more parenting advice and ideas.
 source

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Free "42 Ways to Recycle" eBook

Look what I found for you!
Reduce, reuse, recycle. These are famous words that we've all heard before. Before throwing out all your trash take a second look at what you might be able to save. There are tons of crafts you can create with your recyclables. Look in the Recycle eBook to find out what you can create. Once you're done licking the yogurt out of the container don't throw it out, reuse it. You can be very creative. We have provided 42 ways to reuse materials to create unique and amazing crafts you never would have thought of. You can create wine coasters out of glass, you can make tins out of greeting cards and can critters out of metal. Use your imagination, save the earth and recycle. Here's what you can find in this eBook...

Get your FREE Recycle eBook here! [PDF]


Section 1: Paper

Learn how to use junk mail to make paper beads


Section 2: Paper Making

Use paper, magazines and greeting cards to create different kinds of crafts


Section 3: Metal

Use tins and cans to create little critters and luminaries


Section 4: Plastic

Use those old bottles, cans and containers to create household items and decor


Section 5: Glass

Don't break those old wine bottles, create coasters out of them


Section 6: Clothing

Sweaters and belts don't have to be clothing items, they can be made into bracelets


Section 7: Miscellaneous

Take those old CD's and turn them into ornaments

5 Easy Ways to Go Green For Earth Day

Earth Day is the day designated for appreciating the earth's environment and raising awareness of the issues that threaten it. The first Earth Day was on April 22, 1970 introduced by Senator Gaylord Nelson, a US senator, to bring environmental issues onto the national political agenda. Earth Day is observed in 175 countries, and coordinated by the nonprofit organization Earth Day Network. Earth Day celebrates its 40th birthday this year on April 22nd.

In recognition of Earth Day, here are 5 simple things for the novice greenie to do that not only help save the environment but put money back into your pocket too.

1. Use reusable water bottles

Americans buy more than half a billion bottles of water each week. The issues with bottled water are numerous:

* Petroleum is used to make the bottles;
* About 27% of the bottles are recycled, the other 73% go into the landfills;
* Water, which is available from a tap, is transported from the bottling site to the store and ultimately to our houses causing greenhouse gases along the way;
* The FDA only requires that bottled water is as good as tap water. An NRDC study estimates that 25% of bottled water is really just tap water.

To save money and help the environment, buy a reusable water bottle and fill it up with good old tap water. If you do not trust the tap water, using a filter is still much better than buying bottled water.

2. Use reusable plastic bags

Single use bags in particular, plastic, are very bad for the environment. Not only are they made out from petroleum but the recycling rates are low. WorldWatch Inst. estimates that about 100 Billion are used and discarded in the US alone, at the cost of 12 million barrels of oil. Many of those plastic bags end up in landfills and some flow into the ocean and probably join the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which a floating island of trash estimated at twice the size of Texas where plastic particles are more abundant than plankton.

You can find reusable bags at most retail stores these days. Invest in a couple and you can save 300-700 plastic bags a year.

3. Unplug the Vampires

Many power cords suck up energy even if they are switched off, either because the appliance remains on stand-by waiting to be switched on with a remote control or an adapter, disconnected from the device they are supposed to be charging such as a cell phone or lap top, continues to suck up energy. This is known as vampire or phantom energy and can account for about 10% of your residential energy bill. The EPA estimates that the average US household spends $100 a year powering devices that are off. On a national basis, this standby power accounts for more than $10 billion in annual energy costs.

By using a power strip or unplugging unused appliances or power cords can reduce your energy bill as well as save the environment.

4. Eat like a vegetarian once a week

Farming requires fossil fuels to make fertilizer, run tractors, process and transport food. It takes many calories of grains to make one calorie of meat; animals and manure produce greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide. As a result, producing meat emits more greenhouse gases than growing crops. A 2006 United Nation report revealed that the "livestock sector" generates more greenhouse gas emissions than all the cars, trucks, trains, ships, and planes in the world combined.
Environmental Defense estimates that, "If every American skipped one meal of chicken per week and substituted a vegetarian meal, the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than half a million cars off of U.S. roads.

5. Buy smart

Consumerism, the constant buying and disposing of stuff, leads to a lot of environmental issues, including extraction, manufacture, packaging, transportation and disposal of goods. Limit purchases to what you really need, after all, Reduce is the first of the 3R's: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

When you do need to buy something invoke the second R, Reuse, and save money by buying through thrift stores, online through Craigslist or eBay, or have fun visiting yard sales.

Have fun celebrating Earth Day 2010, and with these easy tips, save money and help save the planet too.

Marlene Zobayan is the founder and CEO of Consumer Change LLC, a green advocacy website. For more information or to provide a review of a business' environmental practices, visit http://www.consumerchange.com.  Source

Ughh, I need to change my insurance :

We recently bought a new truck. I knew our insurance was going to go up butthis was just crazy. Our insurance company kept easing our premiums up on our old truck too. To find out, they had changed our policy from PIP (it was an old truck!) to full coverage when it was time to renew. Now the insurance for my older car has risen too. We are good drivers and I haven't had a ticket in a decade! We've been a loyal customer for a long time too, guess that's why they think they can take advantage of us :( Needless to say, we are looking for another car insurance company. I guess it wouldn't hurt me to get quotes for health insurance too since everyone has to have it soon too. Maybe I should get a business insurance quote too and get a discount for combining them all? Heck, throw in my home insurance and I should save a lot. Now that I think of it I have a separate insurance company for everything!
The search is on, I've been checking out a few companies. This one http://www.localinsurance.com gives you quotes on everything in only 6 minutes. I'm busy and that sounds good to me!  For My California friends California Business Insurance California Department of Insurance
 

Living Organized - Free Kindle Ebook

Normally I put all book Reviews, Freebies, and Giveaways on my Book Blog Mommy Reads too Much but this one just belonged here.I'm a recovering messy and I'm continuously reorganizing because I'm a scatter brain. I hope you enjoy this book, I plan on diving into it as soon as I have time, I need all of the help I can get.Don't have a Kindle? Don't worry, you can download Kindle PC for yourcomputer and Kindle for your Blackberry Check out this book HERE for Free!

Check out more Book Freebies on Mommy Reads too Much

Free Purses with Target Coupon

Yesterday I went to Target and got these two cute purses for FREE!I have a feeling they won't make it into my gift closet because they've been claimed!

They were on Clearance for $5 and I printed up a coupon for

$5 off any Merona bag from Target.com

You can print the Coupon up twice! Which was

great for me since I need everything in twos :)



UPDATE: It looks like the coupon has reached it’s print limit, it was a popular coupon! I'll keep checking back for more.

Free Rimmel in All You Mag

There is a coupon for a free Rimmel product up to 5.00 in the April issue of All You magazine. It applies to trio eyeshadow, lash extender mascara, eye definer, natural bronzer, or an intense wear lipstick. Great deal!
They have freebies all of the time! Don't have an All You Subscription yet?It pays for itself and then some with all of the freebies and coupons!

Shape Magazine for only $1.49!!

Shape Magazine for only $1.49!!It's originally $14.97Use code BSXSHP& it's only $1.49!!
HERE

The Real Magic of Harry Potter Sweepstakes

Found this amazing Sweepstakes for you! The Real Magic of Harry Potter Sweepstakes
With two amazing theme parks, non-stop nightlife, and world-class on-site hotels, Universal Orlando® Resort is an entire universe of action and thrills for every member of the family. Now prepare to join Harry Potter™ and his friends as you step into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™. Explore the mysteries of Hogwarts™ castle, visit the shops of Hogsmeade™ and experience pulse-pounding rides that transport you into a world of magical thrills and excitement, only at Universal Orlando Resort.

Four Grand Prize trips for 4 include:

* Roundtrip airfare
* Ground transfers to/from airport in Orlando
* 3 nights at an on-site hotel
* 3-day/2-park admission to both Universal Orlando theme parks
Sign up HERE

National Parks Week -Free admission

To make it easier to experience America's Great Outdoors, the National Park Service is waiving entrance fees, so visitors can enjoy all 392 national parks for free April 17-25.

In addition, many national park concessioners are offering special promotions that are certain to add to your fun.
http://www.nps.gov/npweek/ Also on their site are activities for Teachers and Kids!

Baby Steps: Moving A Family To Whole Foods - Part I: Unburying My Head

I’ve been a homemaker for almost twenty-three years. I have my own way of doing things, and really, I thought I was doing pretty well. My kids are healthy, thank God. I try to make sure our meals are well balanced, with meat, vegetables and fruit, and we’ve even been working on cutting down on our meat consumption. All in all, I was happy in my complacency and ignorance, much like that proverbial ostrich with her head warm in the sand.

As a homeschooler, though, I tend to encounter many different types of people. Homeschoolers by and large are usually more free thinking than the general public, and so although it’s certainly not the rule, they are often more proactive about making major lifestyle changes.

When we moved to Florida, I chanced to meet a group of other mamas who have made this kind of big change. They had done loads of research on a new way of eating. . that is really an old way of eating.

For a while, I smiled and nodded and tried to ignore it. They all used strange words, like “kefir” and “komboucha” and “soaking grains”. I had no idea what those words meant, and frankly, I didn’t really care to learn!

But then. . slowly. . .and somehow. . .it began to rub off on me. That’s the only explanation I can give; there wasn’t any dramatic conversation experience on my part. My most knowledgeable friend began leading informational cooking classes, and I offered the use of my kitchen for one of them. As I listened to her talk, I was horrified by some of the facts she shared. And at the same time, I realized that some of the changes she proposed really weren’t that extreme.

So we began to make baby steps. We didn’t toss out everything from the pantry. We finished what was there, and when we needed to replace it, we chose a healthier alternative or in some cases, we chose not to buy that item again.

I learned what kefir is and what it does, and what’s more, I am actually the proud owner of real live kefir grains. I’ve shared some with a friend, and I’m getting ready to send another batch to New Jersey for my sister.

Last week my knowledgeable friend—henceforth known as Lee—bravely allowed me to borrow her komboucha ‘mother’—the mushroom that will allow me to brew my own komboucha tea.

I’m still far from knowing it all, or even a fraction of all the wonderful information out there. But I’m learning, slowly and surely. Since my normal response to a new experience to write about it, I thought I’d document our little lifestyle change in this series of articles. You can come along as we take our baby steps toward a new way of shopping, cooking and eating.

I’ll be sharing information from the experts as well as links for you to do your own exploring. As always, I love to hear input about how your family might be making these sorts of changes. Let’s go on this journey together!


Tawdra Kandle is stay-at-home, homeschooling mom of four children who range in age from 9 years to almost 21 years. She and her husband of over 22 years live in central Florida, where he is in seminary. Tawdra spends most of her precious free time writing and reading, and she loves to travel. She is also a resident writer for Taking Time for Mommy. View more of her Articles HERE

Part 2 of the Whole Food Series!

Free Potty Training DVD

I am soooo glad my children are potty trained. We had a little book that had a button you pushed and it sounded like a toilet flushing. Quite comical actually.
I was searching the net and found this FREE DVD from Huggies for potty trainingsuccess, wish I would have had something like this! So here it is for you! 

Travel, Leisure, Entertainment network

I need a vacation, a REAL vacation, not Disney or Sea World, something relaxing for me. I haven't had one since I was pregnant with my oldest who is now 5. It's been entirely too long.  I need to get away but because of our business we can't until Fall. That's good because it'll give me plenty of time to find a good deal since we now have a family of 4. 
I came across a travel,leisure,entertainment network for Discount Vacationing and Leisure activities. It's like face book for travel. Very cool, there are groups you can join and you have a personal page where you can upload music or videos. When you join, look me up. My name on there is Time4mommy!   disclosure - brought to you by http://www.leisurecommunity.info all opinions are 100% my own 

Go-Gurt Simplify your life Prize pack & coupons!

New Simply… Go-Gurt is made from simple ingredients moms look for and contains no high fructose corn syrup or artificial colors or flavors. Each convenient portable yogurt tube contains a good source of calcium and vitamin D. Simply stated, Simply… Go-Gurt is a good-for-you, low fat yogurt snack that you can feel good about giving to your kids.

New Simply… Go-Gurt is available in two kid-friendly flavors, Strawberry and Mixed Berry.

We tried the Strawberry Go-gurts and they were YUMMY!
Very portable too.

Here is a Coupon for $1 off!

Simply… Go-Gurt, prize pack, information and additional prize pack to give away were all given to me from Yoplait through MyBlogSpark for my honest opinion.

Yoplait is allowing me to give a Taking Time for Mommy Reader a “Simplify Your Life” prize pack that includes a pocket Etch a Sketch, weekly planner and a seat back organizer.

Want to win? Mandatory Entry Please be a follower via GFC, twitter, facebook, OR subscribe to Taking Time for Mommy's newsletter and share a simple truth about parenting.

Extra Entry - Follow Taking Time for Mommy on Twitter HERE
Extra Entry - Follow Taking Time for Mommy on FaceBook HERE
Extra Entry - Follow Taking Time for Mommy on Google Friend Connect
Extra Entry - Follow my other blog Mommy Reads too Much on Google Friend Connect
5 Extra Entries - Signing up for our weekly Newsletter (form to the right)
3 Extra Entries -Fan our writer Tawdra Kandle on Associated Content and comment on one of her articles Here
2 Extra Entries - Comment on any non-giveaway post on either Taking time for Mommy or Mommy Reads Too Much

Giveaway will end on May 2nd at 11:59pm. The winners will be chosen by random.org and s emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to U.S. residents 18+ only.

Tax Day Survival Tips & Free Coffee!

Get your Free Sample of Dunkin Donuts' New flavor Dunkin' Turbo
With the tax-filing deadline approaching, don’t panic if you haven’t completed your return. Here are some Tax Day Survival tips to help you avoid stress and enjoy a “delicious” return.



1. Set aside some quality tax time. Brew a cup of Dunkin’ Donuts® coffee at home, find the materials you need to prepare your taxes, and retire to a quiet spot to get started. You can complete your return manually on paper, with Free File, or commercial software. If you use a tax professional, make sure to gather all your materials before sitting down with him or her.



2. Consider an extension. If, for any reason, you can’t file your income tax return on time, simply request a filing extension by April 15th. This gives you six more months to complete your return and avoid late filing penalties. Use Form 4868, which you can get at IRS.gov. But you still must pay now what tax you’ll owe to avoid late payment penalties.



3. Check out new tax breaks for certain 2009 purchases. If you bought a home, you may qualify for a tax credit. If you bought a new car, you may be able to deduct the sales tax. Find details about these new breaks at IRS.gov.



4. File electronically. To get your tax refund as quickly as possible, file your income tax return electronically and request that the refund be deposited directly in your account. You can have the deposit split among two or three accounts, including bank accounts, IRAs, health savings accounts, Coverdell education savings accounts, and a TreasuryDirect® account for I bond purchases.



5. Adjust your tax withholding or estimated taxes. Is it bad to be owed a tax refund? It’s nice to have the extra cash now, but getting a refund means you’ve really made an interest-free loan to Uncle Sam. A better strategy is to adjust your tax withholding or estimated taxes for this year so you pay an amount that is closer to the amount of tax owed; this gives you the use of your own money throughout the year.



6. Contribute to your retirement fund. The tax year is over but it’s not too late to put money in a regular or Roth IRA for 2009. Assuming you’re eligible, a contribution to a traditional IRA made by April 15th is deductible on your 2009 return. If you opt for a Roth IRA contribution, you can’t deduct it but will build up tax-free income for retirement.



7. Reap eco-credits. If you added insulation, energy-efficient windows, or solar panels to your home, you not only reduced energy costs but also may now qualify for a tax credit. The credit limit for installing solar panels and other alternative energy additions is 30% of cost; for other improvements, there’s a $1,500 cap. The tax credit reduces your tax bill dollar for dollar.



8. The standard deduction isn’t standard anymore. If you don’t itemize, you may be able to bulk up your standard deduction by adding amounts for being a senior, paying property taxes on your home or sales tax on a car purchase, or for suffering a loss in a federal disaster. But you’ll have to complete a new form, Schedule L, to total up your standard deduction.



Barbara Weltman is an attorney, prolific author with such titles as J.K. Lasser’s Small Business Taxes, J.K. Lasser’s 1001 Deductions and Tax Breaks, and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Starting a Home-Based Business, and trusted professional advocate for small businesses and entrepreneurs. She is also the publisher of Idea of the Day® and monthly e-newsletter Big Ideas for Small Business® at www.barbaraweltman.com and host of Build Your Business radio. Follow her on Twitter at BarbaraWeltman.





© The J.M. Smucker Company.

© 2010. DD IP Holder LLC (as to Dunkin’ Donuts and all other trademarks, logos and trade dress of DD IP Holder LLC) used under license.

How to Outsmart Your Picky Eater

Guest Post
By Missy Chase Lapine
Author of The Sneaky Chef

One day, my youngest daughter had strep throat, and in the time-honored tradition of mothers everywhere, I hid her foul-tasting medicine in some chocolate pudding. As I watched her swallow it without protest, I couldn't help thinking about all the wars I had fought to get my kids to eat a fabulous grilled salmon or delicious carrot soup for dinner. Like other American children, mine had learned to run in horror from whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fish and legumes. It dawned on me that if I wanted them to grow up healthy and fit, I would have to take this "hiding" idea a step further. If it worked for healthy medicine, I reasoned, why couldn't it work for healthy food? And as I looked at the bigger picture, I knew there had to be a way to rescue dinner hour from being a battlefield, but without giving up on getting my kids to eat nutritiously. As a mother, this was a battle I couldn't afford to lose.

Thus was born The Sneaky Chef. I compiled a list of kids' favorite foods, the ones they would eat without resistance. I then came up with List B -- "superfoods," the world's healthiest ingredients. And finally: How could I hide the items on List B inside List A? How could I conceal the foods they should eat inside the foods they would eat? After trying out hundreds of ideas in my own test kitchen, I came up with the secret: As long as they couldn't see, smell or taste anything too different, they would eat what was placed in front of them without a fight.

Through careful testing, I eventually perfected the art of 13 hiding methods such as pureeing, using foods that hide well, and using visual and taste "decoys" to give food irresistible kid appeal. In the "make-aheads" -- the recipe within a recipe that I worked into almost every dish -- I made sure I used superfoods, which are ingredients that pack the most nutritious punch. Among them are spinach, which contains iron, calcium, folic acid and vitamins A and C; blueberries, which contain antioxidants, potassium, iron, calcium and magnesium; cauliflower, which is packed with vitamin C, folate and fiber, and which fights disease and enhances immunity; and sweet potatoes, which stabilize blood sugar levels and contain vitamin B and folates. The basic principle was that if I wanted to eat smart, I had to buy smart, so I kept as many of the superfoods in my kitchen as possible all the time.

The way I looked at this endeavor was that I was a warrior going toe to toe with the food giants, companies that threw millions of dollars into seducing my kids into eating refined sugars and transfats and empty carbs. If they could "package" their products in a way that enticed little ones into craving soda instead of milk, salty snacks, deep-fried vegetables and ultra-sweet junk foods of every conceivable variety, why shouldn't I entice them right back? Except that I would fool my kids, not with the goal of making a profit, but with the intention that they grow up strong and healthy.

Now I had my mission. All the sneaky methods I used in my signature "make-aheads" were designed to present the healthiest ingredients in great tasting, good looking "packaging." I realized that the success of any recipe depends on the kids' willingness to eat it. Any time doubt reared its head, I simply did more homework. Thousands of scientific articles pointed to the benefits of eating better, aside from the obvious point that it makes your body feel better. Add to that fewer illnesses, increased brain power, enhanced qualities of attention, strengthened immunity, better mood, and more energy.

The following make-ahead is an Orange Puree that blends excellently in pizza (and pasta) sauce, to bring a big nutritional boost to meals that usually aren't thought of as health foods.

Orange Puree

1 medium sweet potato or yam, peeled and rough chopped
3 med-to-large carrots, peeled and sliced into thick chunks
2-3 tablespoons water

In medium pot, cover carrots and potatoes with cold water. Boil 20 minutes until tender. (Thoroughly cook carrots or they'll leave telltale nuggets -- a gigantic no-no for the Sneaky Chef). Drain vegetables. Puree on high in food processor with two tablespoons water, until completely smooth. Use rest of water to make a smooth puree.

Makes about 2 cups of puree. Store in refrigerator up to 3 days, or freeze ¼ cup portions in plastic containers.

Power Pizza
My kids have never noticed that I'm sneaking carrots and yams into their sauce! I mix the healthy puree right into the bottled tomato sauce, then I let the kids add the toppings. You can even prepare this pizza ahead of time without cooking it, and then refrigerate for a day or two. Simply bake when you're ready to eat.

Makes 1 large pizza or 4 smaller pizzas:

1 store-bought pizza dough or 4 "Greek style" pocketless pitas (whole wheat preferred)
¾ cup store-bought tomato sauce
¼ cup Orange Puree (see recipe above)
1 to 2 cups low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and preheat a pizza stone or spray a baking sheet with oil.

Stretch pizza dough, or roll out with floured rolling pin on floured surface, to form a pie. Transfer to stone or baking sheet. If using pocketless pitas, place them on the prepared baking sheet. Combine tomato sauce with Orange Puree. Mix well. Spread ½ to 1 cup of the sauce mixture across the large pizza dough (¼ cup for each pita), then top with 1 cup of mozzarella (½ cup per pita). Cover and refrigerate at this point, or bake for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned. Allow to cool a few minutes, then cut into triangles and serve.

© Missy Chase Lapine, all rights reserved.

Missy Chase Lapine is the author of The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals (Running Press, March 2007). She is the former publisher of Eating Well magazine and the founder of a natural baby product line Baby Spa®. Missy is currently on the Culinary Arts faculty of The New School, in New York City, and operates The Sneaky Chef workshops, which is a program of cooking classes and demonstrations that teach families how to eat healthier. She is a contributor to Parenting Magazine, ediets.com, and education.com, and available to individuals, groups and businesses for private cooking instruction, workshops and personal coaching in The Sneaky Chef methods and recipes. Missy lives with her family in Westchester, New York. For more information visit www.TheSneakyChef.com.

Fence Me In!

“You don’t mind driving the kids both ways to soccer practice today, do you?” User Mom said brightly. “I figure since you’re going there anyway. . .”

“I put you down as little Jane’s emergency contact with the school,” Assuming Mom announced to me. “I mean, you’re home all the time. . .”

We’ve all been there, haven’t we—stuck in that uncomfortable place where we’ve said “yes” one time too many. It happens to everyone, regardless of sex, race or creed, but in my humble opinion, we mothers are at a higher risk than other people. After all, we WANT to please people, to be acquiescent and kind. . until we DON’T want to be that way anymore. Until we’re so fed up that we stomp our feet, stick out our lower lips and roar—“NO!!! NO MORE!!!”

Boundaries are beautiful things. This is something I am learning more and more as time goes on. My former MO looked something like this: I would say yes, over and over again. . .I would keep a happy smile on my face at all times and offer to be there for everybody. . for crying out loud, I was the room mother for my oldest daughter’s class for five years running! And then something would happen—the last straw, as it were. And I was finished. I would simply end the relationship or the activity that was causing me such stress and angst.

I’m learning, though, that boundaries enable us to maintain some level of relationship or activity without giving of ourselves to the point of complete draining. It’s not easy; it’s a delicate balancing act. And it involves saying no with a smile on my face. To User Mom, I might have to answer brightly, “Well, yes, I do have to go anyway, but we have plans after practice, so it would probably be better for you to take little Sammy yourself.” For Assuming Mom, I would likely would warn her that I can’t commit to being home if the school nurse has to call. Of course, if I were home, I would be happy to help out.

I struggle with not holding grudges against the people who continue to assume that I’m there to make their lives easier. I work hard to maintain those friendships at the same time that I maintain those boundaries. It’s wonderful when the reward is a true relationship of give and take, where neither party feels exploited or presumptuous.

When you intentionally create and maintain boundaries in your relationships, you’ll be far less likely to experience frustrations that build to the point of explosion. Practice it. Say “no” at least once a week. Say it with a smile and without guilt.

Sometimes being fenced in isn’t half bad.


Tawdra Kandle is stay-at-home, homeschooling mom of four children who range in age from 9 years to almost 21 years. She and her husband of over 22 years live in central Florida, where he is in seminary. Tawdra spends most of her precious free time writing and reading, and she loves to travel. She is also a resident writer for Taking Time for Mommy. View more of her Articles HERE