Children's Book Review: From Head to Toe

From Head to Toe
Written by:  Eric Carle
Published  by: HarperCollins, 2007
32 pages

from goodreads.com:
Are you ready?
Here we go
Move yourself
From Head to Toe

I can do it! That's what kids will say when they wiggle, stomp, thump, and bend across the pages of this book. Laughter and squeals of delight will abound as boys and girls (and their elders, too) participate in the action.

* Our family is a big fan of Eric Carle and we own many of his books.  I love his easily identifiable art work and this book does not disappoint.  This book is filled with animals that can make different movements, asking the reader, "Can you do it?"  It was a fun read, with my daughter reading and the family mimicing the movements of the animals.  Definitely an active participation type of read!

Family Rating:  1 1/2 thumbs up.

Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies

For some reason I'm not a huge chocolate fan, but I love red velvet.  I don't know why and probably shouldn't because of all the red food coloring.....but I don't eat it (or make it) very often.  I saw this recipe and bookmarked it.  When I saw I that I already had all the ingredients I HAD to make them that day!  They're super easy to make since the recipe uses cake mix as the base.  Just be warned this recipe does call for a 2 hour chill time before rolling and baking. Like the title mentions, these are gooey, soft cookies. I am not a big crunchy cookie fan, so these were right up my alley.  Of course the kids loved them (heck, they like any cookie -store bought or homemade!).  I did end up giving them an extra sprinkle of confectioners sugar after they cooled and I plated them. My picture does not do them justice.  Check the link below to see the pic of why I HAD to make these!

Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies
tasteandtellblog.com
http://www.tasteandtellblog.com/2012/01/red-velvet-gooey-butter-cookies/#more-3727

Ingredients:
8-oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 box red velvet cake mix
confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Instructions:
In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the cream cheese and the butter. Beat in the egg, then the vanilla. Beat in the cake mix until completely combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Roll the chilled dough into tablespoon sized balls. Roll in confectioners' sugar, and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up!

Parenting Book Review: Help! There's a Toddler in the House!

Help! There's a Toddler in the House!: Proven Strategies for parents of 2-6 year olds to Survive and Thrive through the Mischief, Mayhem, and Meltdowns
Written by:  Thomas M. Reimers, Ph.D.
Published by:  Boys Town Press, 2011
220 pages

from goodreads.com:
Toddlers and preschoolers are unpredictable, and their antics often keep parents guessing: Why won't my five-year-old eat his veggies? Why does my two-year-old keep biting her sister? Why can't my three-year-old stay in his own bed? Why must I repeat myself every time I tell my daughter to do something?

The naughty as well as challenging behaviors of young children can drive even the most patient parents to their wits' end. In these pages, parents learn how to cope with and correct many of the most common behavioral problems that little ones demonstrate.

* Having a 3 year old and an almost 6 year old, I thought this book sounded very useful.  The author, Thomas M. Reimers, is Director of Boys Town's Behavioral Health Clinic and has written many articles on chilcdren's behavior.  For a new parent this book would be very helpful.  I've read enough parenting books and magazines that there wasn't a lot of new information for me in this book.

I did like that each chapter was broken down into a specific behavior (tantrums, potty training, mealtime, agressive behavior, etc.).  Reimers then
explained the behavior and gave step-by-step instructions and strategies to help parents change the negative behavior.

I'd like to think that my husband and I are doing a good job of raising our kids and we really don't have major behavior issues that we need to deal with.  However, one point that stuck with me from the book is there should be three positive interactions for every negative interaction with your child.  Reimers notes, "We sometimes have a tendency to focus on what is wrong rather than what is right. Likewise, there is a tendency for parents to take their children's positive behaviors for granted."  Since reading this book I have tried to praise my children more for making good choices and exhibiting positive behavior. 

Reimer provides resources for parents including additional reading and picture book titles that can be read with children.

Overall I think this is a worthwhile read if you have a specific behavior that you would like to change in your child. 

Mommy Rating:  one thumb up.

Cabbage Cakes

I like cabbage but don't know many ways to cook with it besides coleslaw and noodles with cabbage and onions(a favorite of mine!).  I ended up finding this recipe on allrecipes and made it as a side dish to go with the slow cooker cranberry chicken that I posted yesterday.  These were easy to make.  I served them with some plain yogurt on top, although I ended up preferring them plain. Without the sugar of a normal pancake batter these were definitely savory.  I felt they lacked a little in flavor and were missing something, but wasn't sure what. The kids weren't big fans of these.  I ended up eating some leftover for breakfast the next morning.  

 Cabbage Cakes
allrecipes.com - by MRSPINK

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small head cabbage, cored and sliced thin
1 onion, thinly sliced
black pepper to taste
1 1/3 cups plain yogurt
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
butter (optional)

Directions:
1.Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the cabbage and onion; cook and stir until the vegetables are soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Season with pepper, and set pan aside to cool.

2.Whisk together the yogurt, milk, vegetable oil, and eggs in a bowl until evenly blended; set aside. Stir together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet mixture into the well, then stir until well combined. Fold the cooled cabbage and onions into the pancake batter.

3.Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and butter or oil if necessary. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

Family Rating: So-so.

Product Review: Thermos Brand 10 oz. Food Jar

When my daughter started Kindergarten I wondered what I would send her for lunch everyday.  I don't like her eating the same thing everyday but we wouldn't have the convenience of an available microwave to heat lunch up, like we did when she was at daycare.  I figured that I'd try using a thermos so I could send her in with leftovers and/or hot food for lunch.  I bought this thermos shown from Amazon.com, back in September.  Once it arrived, we immediately started using it to send her lunch in.

Every day I would ask her, "How was your lunch?  Too hot, too cold, or just right?"  Surprisingly, she would tell me it was just right, but then again, she doesn't like her food very hot.  It's hard to believe but I only decided to "test" the thermos this past week. I tried it using some leftover Mexican rice that I had made earlier in the week.  Around 8:30 in the morning I prepped the thermos as I normally do when sending her in with lunch.  First I filled the thermos with hot water and let it sit for a few minutes.  I usually let the hot water sit in the thermos for 10-15 minutes while we finish up breakfast.  Then I poured the water out, and after microwaving the rice for 1 minute 45 seconds I spooned the rice into the thermos.  I closed the thermos and left it on the counter and then went out and did the weekly grocery shopping.  Around 12:30 when my son and I were getting ready to eat lunch I checked the rice in the thermos to see if it was warm.  Since I normally like my food piping hot, I was pleasantly surprised to find the rice was warm enough for my liking.  

Amazon.com sells these 10 oz. food jars in all different designs including,  Barbie, Cars, Minnie Mouse, Tinkerbell, and Toy Story 3.  The prices currently range from $9.78 to $18.68, depending on the design.  I've sent the thermos filled with soup, mac and cheese, pasta with butter and cheese, pizza cut up into bite-sized pieces, and chicken nuggets, for my daughter's lunch. It sure beats a peanut butter and jelly sandwich everyday.  Since we've cut back on her buying school lunch since she doesn't have enough time to eat it, she can at least enjoy a hot lunch!

*Disclosure:  This product was purchased by myself.  I was not compensated for the product or for this review.  I am just a fan of the thermos and wanted to share a great product with you!

Childrens' Book Review: Too Purpley!

Too Purpley!
Written by: Jean Reidy
Illustrated by: Genevieve Leloup
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2010
32 pages

from goodreads.com:
Too purpley, too tickly, too puckery, too prickly!

There is not a single outfit in the closet that our little fashion plate wants to wear. She tries on everything, but nothing is quite right. And the outfits are getting wilder by the minute!

It's a scene that is all too familiar to parents, wrapped up in a package that is all too difficult to resist: a playful rhyme scheme and colorful, textile-driven art.

* The color and cover of this book is the first thing that caught my eye.   The girl in this story goes through a ton of outfits having a complaint about each one.  The story is told in short, descriptive, rhyming phrases. The illustrations are colorful and cute with some outrageous outfits.  Fortunately for me, my daughter is pretty good about wearing what I pick out for her and not complaining too much! For picky dressers, this book will surely please!  Unfortunately, we couldn't relate very much.
 
Family Rating:  So-so.

Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts with Cranberry Sauce

I saw this recipe and the super short ingredient list and wanted to try it.  However, the original recipe called for a 4-6 pound frozen turkey breast.  I didn't have a turkey breast so I thought that I'd try it with chicken breasts.  Like I've mentioned in previous posts, I have difficulty with the cooking times on my slow cooker.  It tends to overcook food, so I often program the slow cooker for less time than recipes call for.  I think even using frozen chicken breasts (they were cut thin) this recipe cooked in less than 4 hours. The flavors were good, a little on the sweet side from the cranberry sauce.  Talk about easy and with so few ingredients, it was super easy for a weeknight meal.

Slow Cooker Chicken Breats with Cranberry Sauce
recipe adapted from Cooking Light Message Boards, posted by Molli526


Ingredients:
2 pounds chicken breasts, frozen
1 can cranberry sauce
1 package Lipton Onion Soup

Directions:Put all of the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on Low for approximately 4 hours.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.