Cooking with your children can be a great challenge...
I know...
However, I have realized that if you never start, then they will never learn!
The more you let them cook with you, the better they become and the easier it gets, and the cleaning diminishes...
What I mean by that is...
When they are little, a simple task like pouring milk in a bowl can leave a mess... But this gets better with time :)
Cooking is a great way to teach numerous things...
Mathematics : 1 egg plus 1 egg = 2 eggs ! Seems silly to a grown up, but for a 2 year old toddler this can be the beginning of logical thinking. Later on ... 2 pieces of a pie sliced in 8 = 1/4 of that pie! By the time my son was in 2nd grade , he "understood" simple mathematics! And impressed the teachers immensely! All thanks to cooking at home with Mama!
It can teach colors ... This is a RED apple, YELLOW apple, GREEN apple...
It can help concentration and manual ability! Getting your 2 year old to peel an orange...
I always incorporate general food knowledge... what is fat, what is sugar, what is protein ... So on...
And it can be a fun science experiment too ! Waiting for dough to rise, or mixing oil and vinegar for your salad!
So many possibilities to incorporate important child/parent time while making something basic and essential...
Your next home cooked meal !
The most important 2 things to remember while cooking with your children is:
PATIENCE (messes will happen)
CREATIVITY (finding different ways to explain, explore and discover)
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Beans, beans...
Beans, beans are good for the heart,
The more you eat? The more you ...
There's a lot more to that "toilet song" than just a good rhyme (I heard it for the first time, after my brother used a public stall on one of the numerous summer road trips... And when I heard it, I didn't stop repeating it from Ottawa all the way to Shediac (NB) !
Beans are an essential "brain nutrient" . It is a seed!
Where I come from, people eat beans at the yearly "cabane a sucre" gathering! Beans drenched in Maple Syrup! That's it once a year !!!
In fact, I hated anything made with beans. Until recently, when I got creative with them!
The more you eat? The more you ...
There's a lot more to that "toilet song" than just a good rhyme (I heard it for the first time, after my brother used a public stall on one of the numerous summer road trips... And when I heard it, I didn't stop repeating it from Ottawa all the way to Shediac (NB) !
Beans are an essential "brain nutrient" . It is a seed!
Where I come from, people eat beans at the yearly "cabane a sucre" gathering! Beans drenched in Maple Syrup! That's it once a year !!!
In fact, I hated anything made with beans. Until recently, when I got creative with them!
Black beans left to dry
Then stored in glass jars
Was a gift from a neighbor
This amount was enough for a huge
pot of chili...
and a little black bean salad :)
So it got me thinking...
These are basically dried, like the organic dried "in bulk" kind at the store.
Essentially a seed right...
I took an organic kidney bean/seed, soaked it in water overnight (kids love these kinds of experiments!)
and then my son planted it 1 inch deep in some of my compost/ super soil... And pouff ! Withing 5 days a sprout !
And then... BAM 2 days later !
My son woke up every morning for a week, running to the bean stock ! LOL
He found it so much fun, that he's brought enough "organic kidney beans" to his classmates for every child to try and grow their own plant...
I now get my beans from my 3 different kind's of bean strains:
-Dragon Tongue Bush Bean
-Golderbse (peas) herloom 16th century strain
-and the black bean seen above, which comes from my neighbor, he doesn't know the exact name...
So far it's been a fun activity, a great learning experience for my son, and a surprising "penny pincher" trick!
a few more recipe idea:
-Mashed beans with cheddar cheese/ baked in the oven
-Mixed bean salad with crunchy lettuce and onions, topped with a raspberry vinegar dressing.
-Adding beans to soups and stews adding wholesome protein and oh so much more ;)
-My son's favorite, crushed beans and avocado with salsa and baked tortillas!
Remember ...
The more you eat the better you feel....
So eat your beans at every meal !
;)
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Thinking about my child's future got me into composting
Four years ago, I found that starting a compost in the backyard, was a great way to teach my child about waste, recycling, growth, and rebirth. Every 2 weeks or so we go and turn it over. After a month, it starts to look less like “trash” and more like... well? Dirt.
And then finally it becomes fresh black/brown earth. And we soon realized, what once looked really gross and icky, now looks just like the expensive plastic wrapped, store bought black/brown earth.
Amazing! It really made me feel silly for having payed so much over so many years !!!
I could have done this back in my 1 bedroom apartment! I had plants in every window! And I bought bags of earth all the time !!! Yet I had a tiny balcony, were I could have/ should have had a tiny composting unit...
I compost everything that is an “organic matter”.Bones and things like chicken carcasses I through out, because they don't decompose fast at all... Paper and cardboard can be composted too, however they take longer. ( I ended up just putting it back into the next compost) I now put my paper and cardboard in the recycling container.
A composting unit can be as simple as 1 single trash can, close it up and let it decompose. If you want to be lazy about it just leave it out and CLOSED for a long time. Possibly a year! To speed up the process you can turn it over every once in a while. The fastest I got was 35 days, turning every 3 days.
I googled composting and found so much info that I won't even try to top it off here ;)
Basically, everything that once grew, can be composted … However I've gone a step further...
It wasn't long until we started using this soil, which made some rich nutrient food for our plants !!! Things started growing like … “WILD” !
Ask anyone who's been to my house... It's out of control !
My son tells people we live in a “botanical garden” .
Anyways, back to composting.
I'm now using my compost to help in growing certain veggies, that I've already eaten!
And my son already knows how to collect seeds, collect roots, plant, grow, compost, and eat!
And as I read him this post he replied: "And I'm showing and talking about it to my friends at school !"
Isn't that an essential basic in life...
And all this doesn't cost a penny !
Friday, March 19, 2010
Bad soft drink / bad soda pop
I will never forget the first coca-cola my son ever got.He was 6 years old and we were on vacation in Orlando Florida.
We were sitting outside a McDonald, waiting for a taxi to get us to a Science Museum called Wonder Works (a great, cheap place to visit if ever your in Orlando)
He sipped on my coke that I had dragged outside. Honestly usually I choose orange juice (in fact McDonald diners happen like once a year), but on this particular day I just craved a coke! (hey it can happen)
So without me noticing he sipped up the entire cup ! (And we all know that McDonald sizes are just out of wack!)
The taxi took for ever , or so it seemed... Because suddenly my (usually) well behaved son was running everywhere in a parking lot.
Seriously “like if he just got really high, and was totally out of his mind!!!”
He was so fast and out of control, a car almost hit him! And I'm quite a fast reacting person!
He heard nothing I said, and I had to physically hold him tight, until that taxi finally arrived!
Then in the 20 minute taxi ride, he was jumping up and down in his seat! He's never done that on any occasion before!
I remember apologizing to the driver, and told him it was due to the first soda pop he just drank!
The taxi driver was surprised, he says his kids drink that stuff all the time !!! And he agrees they're all hyper...
He calls that normal!
I associated this behavior with the soda...
And then I actually tested my theory a week later again, before the end of my vacation.
So within about 5 minutes of soda ingestion he becomes insanely hyper (where nothing can even be said to him, because he just doesn't listen) then as the energy level rises, mother stresses, child keeps acting up and anger develops... Finally within about a half an hour the energy level drops, mother is now fully stressed and angry, and child is starting to calm down... Only to get a “downer rush” …
Where suddenly nothing pleases the child, and an all around bad attitude develops, finally a few hours later, this soda leaves the body, and lets my child come back to normal...
Few...
This had brought me to better understand the huge problem we have with all these hyperactive kids!
Even my child found the “high” too much, and since I brought it to his attention that it was the soda doing this to him, he hasn't since asked for more...
Since that day, everywhere we go, even if soda is included, he politely says :
“No thank you, I'll take some water instead”
Keeping them active! A moving body helps a healthy brain
An active body increases a healthy brain.
I have noticed, with the help of a very attentive teacher, that on the days were my son gets an extra 15/20 minutes to actively play outside before entering the class room, he is actually more attentive for that 2 hour period, before the 1st break.
On most days I try to get him ready just a little earlier and a little faster, and then I entice him to go play... We have a dog which helps getting him going!
If he really doesn't want to, well then I go out, and start a game...
That's my trick, I take a little 2 minutes to initiate the activity :)
Whether it be biking to the mail box, creating a long jump circuit, timing a certain run around the yard, or timing 25 jumping jacks and 10 big huge "frog jumps" !
Anything... creativity is key ... If I only had front stairs as outside space, I'd turn that into a timing game of how fast he can run up, then down, then up down, then up down up down... One can expand the fun in so many ways!
His teacher noticed a change in the classroom within the first few days, and I saw the change at home, because he was suddenly remembering the lessons learned in class. Extra fresh air and exercise helped him on his way to concentrating and improved his "morning memory" ...
The best activities are the ones that don't cost anything, however the best "toy" I ever bought
was a trampoline ! Surrounded by a net, quite safe and oh so much fun !
He has played countless hours on it, alone or with friends, summer as well as winter, and the trampoline is going on it's 4th summer... Hours of joy laughter and ... "brain oxygenation" ...
:)
I have noticed, with the help of a very attentive teacher, that on the days were my son gets an extra 15/20 minutes to actively play outside before entering the class room, he is actually more attentive for that 2 hour period, before the 1st break.
On most days I try to get him ready just a little earlier and a little faster, and then I entice him to go play... We have a dog which helps getting him going!
If he really doesn't want to, well then I go out, and start a game...
That's my trick, I take a little 2 minutes to initiate the activity :)
Whether it be biking to the mail box, creating a long jump circuit, timing a certain run around the yard, or timing 25 jumping jacks and 10 big huge "frog jumps" !
Anything... creativity is key ... If I only had front stairs as outside space, I'd turn that into a timing game of how fast he can run up, then down, then up down, then up down up down... One can expand the fun in so many ways!
His teacher noticed a change in the classroom within the first few days, and I saw the change at home, because he was suddenly remembering the lessons learned in class. Extra fresh air and exercise helped him on his way to concentrating and improved his "morning memory" ...
The best activities are the ones that don't cost anything, however the best "toy" I ever bought
was a trampoline ! Surrounded by a net, quite safe and oh so much fun !
He has played countless hours on it, alone or with friends, summer as well as winter, and the trampoline is going on it's 4th summer... Hours of joy laughter and ... "brain oxygenation" ...
:)
Thursday, March 18, 2010
3 easy recipes to feed the brain in the morning
Feeding the brain...
The way we are able to process information partially relies on what we eat.
The brain needs certain nutrients to make neuron transmission possible.
These are NOT found in "Fruit Loops" !
These are found in naturally Omega rich foods.
Not just Omega added foods (like eggs and milk now has added Omega)
The easiest way to incorporate this into your diet is by adding seeds...
Most of our foods nowadays have no more seeds (seedless grapes, oranges)
There's fish too, but with our polluted water ways, I stick with seeds... Besides fish is not always a child's favorite either ;)
I have a constant variety in my fridge ... Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds... and lets not forget what we call "grains" are in fact seeds too.
Here are my simple tricks in getting the seed into your child's mouth !
Recipe 1 An apple a day keeps the doctor away ;)
1 Sliced apple
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
a dash of cinnamon
a little bit of honey
That's it , put the apples on a plate and sprinkle on the rest...
WOW !
How easy was that !!!
Recipe 2 Smart Smoothie!
1 avocado
250 ml milk (or the amount of liquid wanted)
a few ice cubes
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds (or any other ground up seed, if the seeds aren't crushed it will feel like there's full of pits in the smoothie, you want to be grinding these seeds, coffee grinder works well)
Mix all up in a blender... And VOILA!
Recipe 3 Eggs for the brain
1 large organic egg
a drop of milk
sprinkled with any seed, and a tiny bit of maple syrup
This can be made into a simple omelette,
letting the child believe it's a crepe!
And again... almost as easy as pouring a bowl of "Lucky Charms"
The difference?
Your child isn't wasting energy and brain power getting rid of preservatives, artificial flavors, and artificial colors (which are all essentially chemicals).
Instead the brain can actively concentrate and learn !
The way we are able to process information partially relies on what we eat.
The brain needs certain nutrients to make neuron transmission possible.
These are NOT found in "Fruit Loops" !
These are found in naturally Omega rich foods.
Not just Omega added foods (like eggs and milk now has added Omega)
The easiest way to incorporate this into your diet is by adding seeds...
Most of our foods nowadays have no more seeds (seedless grapes, oranges)
There's fish too, but with our polluted water ways, I stick with seeds... Besides fish is not always a child's favorite either ;)
I have a constant variety in my fridge ... Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds... and lets not forget what we call "grains" are in fact seeds too.
Here are my simple tricks in getting the seed into your child's mouth !
Recipe 1 An apple a day keeps the doctor away ;)
1 Sliced apple
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
a dash of cinnamon
a little bit of honey
That's it , put the apples on a plate and sprinkle on the rest...
WOW !
How easy was that !!!
Recipe 2 Smart Smoothie!
1 avocado
250 ml milk (or the amount of liquid wanted)
a few ice cubes
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds (or any other ground up seed, if the seeds aren't crushed it will feel like there's full of pits in the smoothie, you want to be grinding these seeds, coffee grinder works well)
Mix all up in a blender... And VOILA!
Recipe 3 Eggs for the brain
1 large organic egg
a drop of milk
sprinkled with any seed, and a tiny bit of maple syrup
This can be made into a simple omelette,
letting the child believe it's a crepe!
And again... almost as easy as pouring a bowl of "Lucky Charms"
The difference?
Your child isn't wasting energy and brain power getting rid of preservatives, artificial flavors, and artificial colors (which are all essentially chemicals).
Instead the brain can actively concentrate and learn !
The importance of breast milk... Something's we cannot repair later on ...
Ah , the eternal fight over breast milk...
It's quite simple, when you think...
We are mammals, hence where "Mamma" comes from...
We have milk, why spend money on something we have?
Unless, for some medical reason the mother can't produce milk...
My son was born 14 weeks prematurely, and my body only gave milk for 3 days. I tried a multitude of natural products to increase milk production, to no avail.
The birth of a human determines a lot of things in it's life...
One of them is the "gut flora" (microorganisms in the digestive tract)
This will determine future digestion, and therefor it will have an impact on the future health issues of your growing child... All the way to adulthood.
My little guy is 8 years old now, and has digestive problems since he made the switch from diapers to toilet !
No doctor has been able to help, and I even got some lethal advice at one point... Mineral oil was "prescribed" by his pediatrician to help pass feces... I visited her every 2 weeks... and yet the only change (at that time a 3 year old toddler) was loosing a good (worrisome) amount of weight.
I later found out that mineral oil cotes the stomach and therefor, food just "passes through" ... It was like I was starving my baby !
I found a herbalist, and her "Marshmallow root powder" helped immediately.
Nowadays, he's been complaining about stomach cramps.
And being put on a 2 year waiting list to see a gastro intestinal specialist, is the response I've gotten from our lovely health care system.
Being able to do more... I didn't just sit back and wait ... I researched again...
So now he's been on probiotics for 4 weeks.
He even comes home from school and takes it himself, because he is so happy that it works.
I don't know yet, how long it will help... Through trial, error, and time we can find solutions.
Whereas "waiting for a doctor's appointment" ... well... nothing gets done.
I do know, through much research that most "premies" have some digestive problems, and that brings me to understand the importance of breast milk!
Remember, it's your decision, and it's one that you cannot go back on ...
It's quite simple, when you think...
We are mammals, hence where "Mamma" comes from...
We have milk, why spend money on something we have?
Unless, for some medical reason the mother can't produce milk...
My son was born 14 weeks prematurely, and my body only gave milk for 3 days. I tried a multitude of natural products to increase milk production, to no avail.
The birth of a human determines a lot of things in it's life...
One of them is the "gut flora" (microorganisms in the digestive tract)
This will determine future digestion, and therefor it will have an impact on the future health issues of your growing child... All the way to adulthood.
My little guy is 8 years old now, and has digestive problems since he made the switch from diapers to toilet !
No doctor has been able to help, and I even got some lethal advice at one point... Mineral oil was "prescribed" by his pediatrician to help pass feces... I visited her every 2 weeks... and yet the only change (at that time a 3 year old toddler) was loosing a good (worrisome) amount of weight.
I later found out that mineral oil cotes the stomach and therefor, food just "passes through" ... It was like I was starving my baby !
I found a herbalist, and her "Marshmallow root powder" helped immediately.
Nowadays, he's been complaining about stomach cramps.
And being put on a 2 year waiting list to see a gastro intestinal specialist, is the response I've gotten from our lovely health care system.
Being able to do more... I didn't just sit back and wait ... I researched again...
So now he's been on probiotics for 4 weeks.
He even comes home from school and takes it himself, because he is so happy that it works.
I don't know yet, how long it will help... Through trial, error, and time we can find solutions.
Whereas "waiting for a doctor's appointment" ... well... nothing gets done.
I do know, through much research that most "premies" have some digestive problems, and that brings me to understand the importance of breast milk!
Remember, it's your decision, and it's one that you cannot go back on ...
"Parentability"
The ability of being a parent, or maybe...
The able parent ...
Perhaps,
The parent who is able
...
The parents ability...
Caring for our offspring...
Includes changing our abilities.
Welcoming advice and information...
I welcome you here.
Where I will share the knowledge I have gained through being a humble parent and a student of life
;)
The able parent ...
Perhaps,
The parent who is able
...
The parents ability...
Caring for our offspring...
Includes changing our abilities.
Welcoming advice and information...
I welcome you here.
Where I will share the knowledge I have gained through being a humble parent and a student of life
;)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
