Do you ever shop at Trader Joe’s?

I love this store!

No I am not paid to promote their store or their products, I simply like to share good finds with my readers.

Last week my daughter and I were invited to a friend’s house for lunch.  She served a cucumber dip with pita crackers for an appetizer.  At first I was hesitant to try it (since I am rather picky) but how could anything with the words “creamy” and “garlic” in the name be bad?  I am so glad I did, because it is awesome!

It is called:  Trader Joe’s Tzatziki Creamy Garlic Cucumber Dip.

It can be used as a dip or I am going to try it as a sauce when I make chicken pitas.

Idea of the Day:

Take a trip to Trader Joe’s if you have never been there.

If you are a Trader Joe’s shopper and love one of their products, please share it with us!

How do you keep your children hydrated in the summer months?

Last week we were sitting at baseball in our winter jackets and this week my kids are sitting under a tree with bright red faces complaining it is too hot.

In Minnesota you never know what the weather is going to do.  Therefore, parents must always be prepared.  As we enter the hot and humid days of summer, one question that comes to a parents’ mind is, “Are my children drinking enough fluids?”

Children sweat more and produce more body heat than an adult.  This puts them at a greater risk for becoming dehydrated while they are out in the heat.  This is why it is important for parents to be aware of ways to prevent dehydration.

I am thinking of making a batch of Gatorade popsicles just to be prepared.

Tip of the Day:

Read through a couple articles on dehydration before the hot summer temperatures arrive.

Preventing Dehydration in Preschoolers

Dehydration in Children

Dehydration and Youth Sports

Summer Safety

Is your pantry stocked with granola bars?

No one told me that when you have kids you should buy stock in Quaker, Fisher Price and Little Tykes.  This seems to be where a great deal of our money is spent.

My children are a big fans of the Quaker granola bars.  I have to admit that they are an easy snack.  Whether I pack one in lunches or bring them to the park for a snack, they are convenient.  At the same time I realize they are not the most healthy option.  Between the added sugar and plastic packaging, I wanted to find something else.

Therefore, our household decided to try making homemade granola bars.  We were all skeptical at first.  However two pans later, we are all (even my husband) rather addicted to our new snack.  Instead of being concerned about the quality of the granola bars, I now need to be concerned with the quantity.

Idea of the Day:

Make homemade granola bars.

The recipe that I like the best is from allrecipes.com

For legal/copyright reasons I cannot post the recipe on my blog, so here is the link to the recipe:

Chewy Granola Bars

The recipe does need a little tweeking.  They taste great but are still a little crumbly.  Some readers have added suggestions below the recipe, I simply have not tried any of them yet.

Did the Easter Bunny visit your home?

The Easter Bunny comes to our house each year.  He tries to not fill the baskets with too much candy, but there are the must-have favorites in each basket.  A milk chocolate hollow bunny, jelly beans, robin eggs and a few other unhealthy choices.

The problem of too much candy arises when the Easter Bunny brings candy, each set of grandparents deliver candy as well as a few aunts and uncles.  This leads to WAY TOO MUCH candy in our house.  Since we only let our children have 1-2 pieces a day, Easter candy usually is still around months and months later.

I have to admit I have a weakness for chocolate.  With all of this candy in the house, I find myself eating more than I should.  Therefore I did a little research on Easter candy.

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Do your children use silverware at each meal?

Today many children are lacking the ability to properly use a spoon, fork and knife.

Why is this? Finger Foods!

If your child’s diet mainly consists of french fries, chicken nuggets, pizza, sandwiches, etc., he/she does not need to use silverware.

Yesterday I discussed Jamie Oliver’s new series, Food Revolution.  In one of the episodes he was shocked to find out that in one of the elementary schools he visited, students were only given spoons.  This meant that from age five to around age ten, children were not learning to use a fork or knife unless it was done at home.

At our house, our kids use a spoon and a fork but it never occurred to me that we should introduce a knife at this stage.  It does make sense.  Children should learn silverware skills while they are developing their fine motor skills.

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