Granola Bars: Grab-and-Go Chemicals or Nourishment?
Kids Food / Lunch Box / On the Go / Snacks

Granola Bars: Grab-and-Go Chemicals or Nourishment?

Granola bars stir up quite the controversy at our house.  My kids want to bring them to school for snack, but a nut-free school means no granola bars with nuts of any sort.  That rules out a lot of the granola bars on the market.  Then when we look at what’s left and examine what ingredients are actually in the remaining granola bars things really start to get interesting.  Let’s just say we’re left with…well, not much. (more…)

11 Comments
01/16/2011
Kids Food / Snacks / Sweet Treats

The Holidays and Marshmallows – The Final Chapter “Hot Cocoa”

A few nights ago we took our boys to see the holiday light displays on “Candy Cane Lane”.  As we rolled our minivan slowly through the streets behind the rest of Los Angeles, we spotted a neighbor selling hot cocoa to benefit the Eagle Scouts.  What’s more festive than a cup of hot cocoa, brightly colored light displays and holiday music on the radio, right?  We bought each of the boys a cup and as they sat cozy in the back, sipping the warm drink and slurping the marshmallows out one-by-one, I realized that it was probably time to take a deconstructed look at instant hot cocoa.  I was pretty sure those drink packets weren’t as innocent and idyllic as they seemed.  Turns out I was right.
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1 Comment
12/26/2010
Kids Food / Sweet Treats

The Holidays and Marshmallows – Part 2 “Rice Crispy Treats”

Last week I mentioned that we’d delve into a couple of well-known holiday marshmallow traditions.  Rice Crispy Treats are definitely up there on the list of the go-to recipes for cookie exchanges, school holiday parties, and as a treat for Santa after he’s made it down a few chimneys.  But I’d bet that if Santa knew those treats contained a chemical banned in eleven countries and an additive suspected to cause abnormalities in the brain, hyperactivity in children and cancer, he’d probably pass.  Just a hunch. (more…)

2 Comments
12/19/2010
Kids Food / Sweet Treats

The Holidays and Marshmallows – Part 1

A couple weeks ago my son pulled an old bag of marshmallows from the pantry.  With a look of pleading on his face, he asked if he could “Puhleeez have one” of the stale puffs of corn syrup.  I found myself staring at that bag I’d had in the pantry since the first summer campfire more than eight months ago and realized that in addition to being an integral ingredient in summertime s’mores, marshmallows also play a big role during the holidays.  They top sweet potato casseroles on Thanksgiving, are mixed into holiday fudge and cookie recipes and make a fun dreidel craft/dessert when pierced with a pretzel and dipped in chocolate.  They also top our cups of hot cocoa as we wait for Santa to come, and are an important ingredient in the ever-present rice crispy treats that grace our school bake sales and holiday parties. (more…)

6 Comments
12/12/2010
Dinner Table / Kids Food / Lunch Box

MmmmMac & Cheese

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What kid (or adult for that matter) doesn’t love macaroni and cheese?  It’s warm, gooey deliciousness screams “comfort food” –  especially on a cold winter day.  But a boxed product we’ve come to know as macaroni and cheese doesn’t even contain “cheese” in the pure sense of the word.  In fact, the word “cheese” is only found on the last line of a long list of ingredients.  So what do we do when our kids only want “the orange macaroni and cheese”?  And what if your kids cringe at the site of…ready…gasp…bread crumbs on top of baked macaroni and cheese?  Is this sounding familiar? (more…)

7 Comments
12/05/2010
Kids Food / Sweet Treats

Thanksgiving

As the sun rises on Thanksgiving day, I will reflect on my life’s blessings.  Above all else I am thankful for my husband and children who bring constant moments of clarity to a sometimes unclear world.  I am thankful for the support of my family, the laughter and comfort of my friends, and those special moments of peace, when I can center myself, breathe, and appreciate all these gifts in my life. (more…)

0 Comments
11/19/2010
Is Your Popcorn Coated in Lighter Fluid?
Kids Food / On the Go / Snacks

Is Your Popcorn Coated in Lighter Fluid?

As we head into fall, I find that my family starts to crave the cozy goodness of fresh popcorn.  It’s a perfect after school snack on a gray afternoon and it makes a delicious accompaniment to a Sunday movie.

I know on the surface it may seem easier to grab a bag of microwave popcorn and throw it in for three to five minutes.  But is it three minutes to fresh popped corn or three minutes to a chemical coated health risk?  You be the judge… (more…)

6 Comments
11/06/2010
Kids Food / Lunch Box / On the Go

Peanut Butter and…

When you think of peanut butter what ingredient first comes to mind?  Peanuts?  Good.  What else needs to be added to make it peanut butter?  Was your answer nothing?  You’re right!  Nothing!  But many of the nationally recognized brands of peanut butter contain other ingredients like hydrogenated oil and sugar.  I grew up on Skippy Peanut Butter so I automatically bought what I knew (or thought I knew) for my kids.  But now that I am looking at labels before buying products, I am steering clear of many of my good ol’ standbys.  (more…)

3 Comments
10/10/2010
Kids Food / Sweet Treats

Ice Cream Sandwich and Pimple Cream: The Common Ingredient

You ready for this one?  I’m not even sure if I’m ready to write about it, but it is DEFINITELY a food story that needs to be told.  Over the summer I took my boys to a popular indoor playground in Los Angeles.  You know the ones where your kids climb, swing, slide and basically wreak havoc for several hours in a padded room while you try desperately to tune out the constant drone of screaming?  Yup, that’s the one. (more…)

4 Comments
10/03/2010
Breakfast Table / Kids Food / On the Go / Snacks

Breakfast Bars – Amp Up or Fuel Up?

Last week a friend suggested we take a deconstructed look at breakfast bars.  As a working mother of two under four, her mornings are busy and rushed yet she wants to provide a healthy start to her kids’ day.  One day in a pinch, she picked up a nationally recognized brand bar for the following morning’s breakfast.  Ten minutes after eating the bar, her son was bouncing off the walls.  That little self-proclaimed “health” bar, had turned a quiet morning into a wild, stress-filled kickoff to the day.

Aren’t school mornings challenging enough? (more…)

20 Comments
09/26/2010