I used to be a great parent. I knew exactly what my kids should eat, how to make them healthy meals full with vegetables they love. And then I had my first child 🙂 Somehow, when we become parents, we forget how we, as kids, used to hate vegetables. And despite the consensus in our…
Engaging children in meaningful conversations can foster deeper connections, enhance their communication skills, and provide valuable insights into their thoughts and feelings. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or caregiver, having a variety of conversation starters can be a wonderful tool to initiate discussions that are both fun and educational. This blog post presents a comprehensive…
Over the past year or so my sons have shown little to no interest in what I choose at the farm share each week. This has been a source of disappointment for me for two reasons: 1) I love walking through the selections with them and talking about their favorites as well as about new…
“By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Kikkoman and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.” I have a confession to make: I hate tater tots. Maybe it is because I never tasted one until I was in my late 20s…
As much as we may want to live in denial, we are about to enter what I like to call treat season, that time of year from Halloween through New Years when there are seemingly endless supplies of sweet treats. This is a time of year that used to stress me out both because of…
The boys and I are out in Colorado for a few weeks, which means lots and lots of time outside on fun adventures from hiking to visiting farms to riding horses. One of the activities that the boys have been most excited about this trip is apple picking in the horse pasture. And can you…
This is our dead week without school, camps, or travel plans and it was supposed to be a fun and highly productive week full of adventures with my boys and major things getting crossed off my to-do list. I had a vision: we were going to explore new playgrounds and go for bike rides, we…
Each Monday I teach a cooking class to a group of first through fourth graders at a local school. The focus of the class is on cooking healthy snacks and goodies, but it is also a way for me to start to teach them some fundamental cooking skills and concepts. This week I wanted to…
I don’t know about you, but I’m not even close to done with my holiday gift shopping. For some loved ones the gift purchases are clear, but for others it is tough to figure out the perfect gift. So this year I thought I would help all of you out by suggesting fun and helpful…
We all know the benefits of family dinners— less picky eating, lower risk of obesity and eating disorders, higher academic achievement, lower risk of teen pregnancy and substance abuse, the list goes on and on. And we all have that idyllic idea of what it should look like—perfect table manners, no tension, everyone together, beautifully…