Results tagged “food and drink”

Summer is on the horizon which means its time for you to start coming up with some plans for summer fun. It’s going to be hot so why not cool off with a homemade treat? The new Zoku Slush and Shake Maker makes milkshakes and slushies in seven minutes or less by just mixing the frozen inner core with your liquid of choice like juice, coffee, chocolate milk, and ice cream and soda. Available in four different colors, it’s probably best to get one for each member of the family so no-one will have to share their yummy treats when it’s time to cool off this summer season.

We’re barely into cold and flu season and my kids have complained of a sore throat at least six times already. While it’s tempting to just throw them a cough drop, for kids under the age of 5, they are considered a choking hazard and even then I don’t trust my kids to not run or jump and eat them at the same time. Now there’s a new product on the market that offers everything a cough drop does but in the form of a yummy lollipop that any kid will be happy to eat. Sold in a pack of 15, Lilapops are an all natural cough drop made with honey and marshmallow root to sooth sore throats. They contain NO artificial flavors, dyes, dairy, soy, gluten, eggs, nuts or medicine. Lilapops come in a grapeberry flavor and are the perfect size to stash in your diaper bag or purse because you never know when that sore throat will sneak up on you or them.

With the rise of Pinterest and everyone getting all crafty with their parties, you always have to be one step ahead of the Jones’ next door. In fact, my family is just headed into birthday party season with three happening within the next four months. While it’s fun, it’s also very stressful to get everything to look perfect. Thankfully, I have found the perfect party shop that doesn’t have cartoon characters glaring at me or astronomical prices attached to the products…meet Shop Sweet Lulu. A one-stop shop for party packaging like candy tubes, bakers twine, popcorn bags, cake stands and stripy straws, you’ll have the best decorated party on the block without ever having to step into a store and everyone will want to know your super secret party shopping place.

Ever since I had my first baby six years ago, I marvel at the advances that have been made in baby gear. There is always something out there to make your life easier and so much better when it comes to having a baby in tow. I would have loved to have had the option of baby food pouches instead of toting glass baby food jars everywhere. As if that wasn’t enough, specially made gadgets to make homemade baby food just keeps getting better too. Infantino has just introduced the Fresh Squeezed Squeeze Station which allows you to make your own baby food pouches for easy to-go feeding and storing. After you make your homemade baby food puree, you can fill up to three pouches at a time by inserting the squeeze pouch, pouring in the puree, press down each filled tube to fill each pouch and it’s ready to go. Each squeeze unit includes the base, 10 pouches and caps, 3 tubes, one press and fridge magnet to indicate freshness and date of when pouches should be eaten by. Additional pouches can also be purchased so you can keep them handy for making big batches of food and everything is BPA-free and is dishwasher safe. Making homemade baby food just got so much more appealing…don’t you think?!

Whether you’re bribing your toddler to get out the door or perhaps you’re rewarding your kids on a job well done or maybe you just want a little sweet treat for yourself, whatever the reason, candy is always a good answer. Star tennis player, Maria Sharapova, has just debuted a candy line, Sugarpova, that is not only super sweet to eat but is also so cute to look at too. With both gummy and sour varieties, each candy has a “personality” like flirty, chic, spooky, sporty, cheeky and silly, and the shape of the candy corresponds to its personality. While it’s a little too early to shop for Halloween candy, I think this is sure to be a sweet hit for upcoming goody bags and holiday candy bars.

Most of us are thinking “greener” these days. From recycling to conserving water, we’re taking steps to lessen our footprint on the earth. When it comes to packing the kids’ lunches, though, we often head straight for disposable containers, juice pouches and bags. It’s true, they are very convenient (no washing later), but that’s a lot of bulk going into landfills. If going green is your goal, consider stocking up on reusable lunch bags and containers this school year. Old-school Thermoses are actually eco-friendly in this way, plus they keep drinks and foods hot or cold, depending upon your needs. And the cute bags just may make them more interested in eating those carrot sticks you packed.

July is national ice cream month and there’s no better way to treat yourself during the summer than with this cold treat. While as much as our kids would love to eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it’s just not possible without getting a huge tummy ache. Share in the icy treat for dessert, make your own and celebrate the day with these fun ice cream finds.

After all my friends and family started having kids, it started to get really expensive to buy holiday gifts for everyone. In recent years we’ve gone away from giving individual gifts and instead are giving one nice gift that the whole family can enjoy. And what does one whole family like with such diverse personalities? Food, of course! Food is one of the things that is universally given on a holiday and it is the one thing that is never returned. Here’s a few of my favorite food gifts this year that the whole family will enjoy…now and for years to come!

I don’t know about you but it’s finally, finally our turn to head back to school this week and as it turns out, we were ready in every department except the lack of ingredients to have a fantastic first day of school lunch. So immediately after I dropped my daughter off at the kindergarten classroom, snapped a few photos and had a few tears, I went to the grocery store to get prepared for the lunchtime battle. Last year I remember her coming home sometimes with her full lunch intact and not impressed by my attempts at PB&J sandwiches accompanied by dried-out carrot sticks.

Tapping into my creative side, I’ve come up with a whole new lunch menu this year that will hopefully get the kids as excited to eat as I am to make. Remember, you don’t have to be a gourmet chef to prepare a nice lunch for your kids, but what you can do is make it as healthy and tasty as you would want it to be. My golden rule: if I wouldn’t eat it, why would you expect them to?

Make it a wrap or a roll 

Get your kids excited for lunch again! Take something as simple as a turkey and cheese sandwich and creatively make it into a wrap on a whole wheat tortilla with a bit of hummus to keep the sandwich moist and fresh, and if your kids are really adventurous, a few leaves of spinach. 

Another option is to fill the ingredients of the sandwich horizontally so you can then roll it like a piece of sushi and then cut it into bite-size rolls. It’s a sushi sandwich! Add your child’s favorite ingredients to create only a wrap that they could love to eat so you know there won’t be any trading going on at the lunch table. Great combos are cream cheese and jelly, salami and cheese, turkey and cheese, peanut butter (or other nut butter) and jelly or honey, and ham and cheese. 

Shape it and stick it 

If something is in a cool shape, tell me they won’t be at least curious to try it. It seems to work with Play-Doh so I’m betting it works with fruits and vegetables too. My new favorite thing to do is take whatever fruits and vegetables are in season, for fall it’s apples, grapes, peaches, plums, nectarines and melon, and make them into fun shapes with the Kotobuki Vegetable Cutters, $10 for 6, at amazon.com. 

Another great trend in lunches is to take the ingredients and make a kabob on a stick for them to eat. You can add pineapple chunks, banana slices, grapes and cheese onto a stick to make a healthy snack that they’ll think is fun to eat. The same goes for sandwiches, cut it with their favorite cookie cutter shape and they’ll gobble it right up!

Have them mix their own trail mix snack

This is one of my favorite things to do as an adult and the kids have actually caught onto the idea this year. Every week, we make a new trail mix to have as a healthy lunch time snack by mixing a few of our favorite ingredients like raisins, almonds (or your favorite nut), chocolate chips, dry cereal (like Cheerios), pretzels, dried fruit pieces like apples, peaches, apricots, blueberries and cranberries. 

Build your own sandwich

Some kids prefer to have everything separate so when the time comes, they are able to make their own meal. In our house, we love making cracker sandwiches instead of using bread. By adding about 8-10 crackers, pieces of protein like lunch meats and cheese and perhaps their favorite dip or spread (like hummus or ranch), they can make their own lunch time meal. 

Serve up healthy versions of treats

My daughter was complaining that all the kids at school had special treats like chips and cookies in their lunch. Well, not to be outdone, I created a healthy version of chips and treats for her to bring to lunch. Instead of potato chips out of a bag, we made sweet potato chips. Having a treat in the lunch box is definitely okay too, it’s just hard to know if they actually eat that first. We love making healthier cookies like oatmeal raisin and pumpkin and zucchini bread to add as extra treats.

Today is one of the biggest BBQ days of the year and probably one of the most popular days for eating ice cream, popsicles and cotton candy late into the hot summer night. What could be a better way to celebrate other than making your own homemade treats right in your own backyard (or kitchen). Gather the kids to help and have fun making and then eating these yummy summer treats. Oh, and did I mention that it’s also National Ice Cream Month…dig in!

By now you’re thinking, it can’t be really be THAT hard to find a good sippy cup, can it? Well actually it can and it’s almost as daunting as trying to find the right baby bottle that fits your child’s needs. Some sippy cups spill, some have straws, some cups require a huge amount of sucking power (good for those that like the bottle), some are better for traveling, and some are insulated. Not to worry, we’ve tested tons of sippy cups and have found some great ones (and some not so great ones) to share with you that will make life that much easier in making the huge transition from the breast and baby bottle to a “big kid” sippy cup!

“No that’s my pillow!” Ugh…how many times have you heard that fight in your house recently? If your kids are anything like mine, they all want the same thing and they think everything is theirs. However, we are easily solving those pillow fights with the adorable personalized pillows from Sarah + Abraham. Not only are they personalized by name but also by skin tone, hair color, hairstyle, eye color and eye shape (you can also include glasses) — making the character on the pillow look exactly the owner of it. Available in a 12X12 pillow size, it comes in a variety of fabric colors for both boys and girls. 

It seems that moms make cupcakes as often as they their change clothes these days. Whether it’s a school party, playdate or just for fun, we all know that cupcakes make everything better. Well now you can kick it up a notch with the unique and playful cupcake sleeves from Roundabouts. Be creative as you can and imagine your cupcakes turning into sushi rolls, a gumball machine or perhaps, a rootbeer float. It’s as easy as 1-2-3, just wrap and decorate…now that’s what I call a great cupcake! To view the entire selection visit, www.roundaboutsleeves.com.

Moms are awesome and really, we make the world go round. But unless it’s Mother’s Day, sometimes our good deeds go unnoticed. No one thanks you for cooking that wonderful Martha Stewart-esqe dinner last night and no one thanks you for picking them up from school every single day. While it’s definitely a thankless job and we love doing it, sometimes it’s nice to be appreciated. It’s time to take a stand and show them just how great they really have it with these five simple ideas that any…and I mean ANY mom can accomplish.

1. Show them you’re crafty
Moms can do anything—especially with the help of the Internet and all the fabulous blogs that have popped up in the past few years. It’s time to show off your craft skills. Your daughter wants a tutu but you can’t find the one she wants — no problem, just follow the how-to from The Crafty Crow, a children’s craft collective leading you to all the how-to steps for the easiest kid’s crafts. Your daughter will dance for joy and you handmade it just for her. Now that’s totally impressive!

2. This mom can bake
Short of hosting your own bake sale, there’s nothing like a nice plate of homemade cookies or a fun dessert to get the kids (and husband) ooohing and aaahing. For the most delicious and kid-friendly recipes that will get you more hugs and kisses than any mom could hope for, visit the Picky-Palate.com. She makes the most amazing Bakery Style Cookies and Cream Cookies out of Oreos…devine!

3. Be the best multi-tasker
The main difference between dads and moms is their ability to multi-task. For some reason, women are able to juggle a million things at once while dad has to throw up his hands in defeat as the three kids just crumble at his feet. Mom on the other hand can throw little Joey his frisbee, help Annie with her math homework and manage to cook a big pot of homemade spaghetti and meatballs all at the same time. Yes, it’s a talent but it’s surely enough to impress the family that mom can do it all at once (although, she may go to bed at 7 P.M.) Need a little help in this department? Try getting organized with these funny Knock, Knock pads, $8.

4. Be spontaneous
Perhaps a weekend trip to the local zoo is in order or maybe it’s time to play hooky from school and work and take the kids to a local museum for some bonding time with mom, while also remaining educational. Whatever you plan, just make sure it’s spur of the moment and it’s fun for both you and the kids. They’ll be so impressed that you planned a special surprise outing just for them that you might just earn the title of “mom of the month!”

5. Take a time out
Nothing makes the kids and the husband appreciate you more than when you actually disappear for awhile. Take a few hours to go relax at a spa or meet up with a girlfriend for lunch and you’ll definitely be welcomed with open arms when you get home. After a few hours of dad’s cooking and not-so-great multi-tasking skills, they’ll be really impressed with everything you magically do and you’ll be so refreshed from your time away, you’ll be happy to clean their dishes again.

There’s Oreo creme under that fudge! Oreo Fudge Cremes are a thin, fudge covered cookie with an Oreo creme twist. Try them in Original, Mint and now Peanut Butter Creme and Golden! Visit Oreo.com/FudgeCremes.

If you’ve been struggling to keep your kids at the table long enough to ask them ‘how their day was’, perhaps you need to perk up the environment with a placemat from Modern Twist. Pleasing to the eye because of their modern designs from hip, independent artists, the placemats can be colored and doodled on with washable or dry erase markers. You’ll love them because of their clear design and how easily they clean-up with a damp cloth and they’ll love them for being able to freely draw at the dinner table while waiting for sister to finish her peas. Portable and free of BPA and all the other nasty chemicals, Modern Twist placemats will go far beyond just your dinner table!