Cooking for a Toddler
We are pretty lucky. Parker is a good eater and he will try just about anything. So for the most part he is eating whatever we are eating. However there are still times when he doesn’t want or like what we want for dinner. For example, we like spicy curry and while he’ll eat a curry he won’t eat anything that has any spice to it.

Instead of having to cook two different dinners on the spot I’ve made it easy on myself by freezing a few of his favorite casseroles into toddler meal sized portions. This way it only takes a few minutes from freezer to plate and it is completely stress free.

Here’s what I do:
1) Cook up a casserole – I’ve found the broccoli supreme recipe works well and I’ll share another recipe Parker really likes below.
2) Let it cool
3) Scoop into a muffin tin and place in the freezer, let freeze overnight.
4) In the morning, pull muffin tin out of freezer and allow to thaw for a few minutes to make removal easier
5) You may have to use a knife to help ease the contents out. Place each portion into a big freezer Ziploc bag, labeled with the recipe name and date.

*Note: remember when using the toddler meal sized portion you are reheating not cooking so reduce your microwave to 50%, make sure to stir and test for temperature before feeding your child.

Here is a great healthy casserole that freezes up well and Parker loves. The recipe made enough for the three of us to have dinner one night and make up six-toddler meal sized portions for the freezer.

Veggie and Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:
• 1 box (500 mL) CAMPBELL'S® Cream of Chicken Easy Cooking Sauce
• 3/4 cup (175 mL) uncooked long grain rice or Quinoa
• ½ tsp (7 mL) chili powder
• 1 tsp Herbes de Provence (you can buy this or make your own)
• 1 cups (250 mL) chopped onion, red and green pepper strip mixture
• 1 cup (250 ml) frozen mixed veggie (peas, carrots, corn)
• 4 (about 1 lb/500 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions
1. Mix cooking sauce, rice or quinoa, herbes de provence and chili powder in shallow 2 qt (2 L) baking dish. Spread evenly with vegetables.
2. Top with chicken. Sprinkle chicken with cheese. Cover.
3. Bake at 400°F (200°C) until chicken is cooked through and rice or quinoa is tender – about 50 minutes. Remove cover and broil until cheese is golden and bubbly – about 3 minutes. Stir rice and let stand 5 minutes before serving.


Enjoy,
~Sarah

Labels: casserole, Cooking, dinner, Recipe, toddler, toddler meal sized portions, Veggie and Chicken Casserole

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Window Safety
It is very upsetting to hear about the news of a child getting injured or killed by falling out of a window. Our hearts ache for the child’s parents and we worry about the safety of our own children.

Most tragic falls are preventable.

However, between 1990 and 2000, records from 15 children’s hospitals across Canada show 362 children ended up in emergency wards after falling from windows. In 2007—in Toronto alone—10 children either have tumbled out of windows or from balconies.

In the USA the numbers are even higher. With about 12 children 10 years old and younger dying each year, and more than 4,000 are treated in hospital emergency rooms for window fall-related injuries.

To keep your children safe, in addition to close supervision, you should also:

• DON'T allow children to play near windows, balconies or decks unsupervised
• DON'T keep furniture or other climbing hazards near windows or on balconies and decks
• DON'T underestimate a child's mobility. Children begin climbing before they can walk
• DON'T rely on screens as safety devices. Screens keep bugs out - not children in
• DON'T underestimate how quickly young children can learn. Children may be able to unlock doors and windows to gain access to dangerous areas without you realizing it

· DO educate children about risks and dangers associated with windows and balconies
· DO install and maintain window and door safety devices
· DO ensure that safety devices have emergency release mechanisms so that they do not impede emergency escape or rescue
· DO complete a safety check with your child's caregiver to ensure they understand potential

Safety devices included:
Window locks – which like baby cupboard locks should keep your child from opening the window.

Window stops or wedge – which should stop windows from opening more than 4 inches. The main downside to using these is that you will have to leave the windows mostly shut when your children are around.

Window guard or gate – which allows you to place bars across the open space of a window. The upside to using these is that you can open the windows and not have to worry about your child falling through them.

You could use a combination of the two methods, installing window guards on a few windows that you often open for ventilation and locks or stops on the other windows that you usually keep closed.

Window and door safety devices should be available at your local hardware, safety, or child specialty stores.

For more information and printable colouring pages and games to help you teach your children about window safety please visit The Partners Promoting Window and Balcony Safety website at www.windowandbalconysafety.ca

Labels: Children, safety, Window Safety

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Want a Child that has Interests Beyond Miley Cyrus and Updating their Facebook Status?
If so, the answer is this: exposure, exposure, exposure. The idea is to make sure your children are exposed to experiences that will expand their horizons and pique their interest in things outside of the mainstream and/or pop culture.

Take them to the theatre (and by theatre I do not mean the next big blockbuster by Pixar). Don’t get me wrong I love movies but live theatre is an amazing experience for children so don’t be shy to take them to live performances geared towards kids or even just a local Nutcracker performance next Christmas. Then, when they're teenagers you might be able to move on to Puccini operas or at the very least Phantom of the Opera ;-)

Surround them with books! Read to them when they're little, give them books as gifts as they get older and go on trips to the library to search the stacks for their next great read. Books will expand their imaginations, develop their language skills and (bonus for you!) keep them occupied without the din of Hannah Montana going on in the background!

Give them access to as many creative tools as you can. I once read that Stephen Spielberg’s parents always had old videocameras lying around for him to use and that was how he first started making movies. Not everyone can afford a video camera but if you can have a cheap camera, painting & craft supplies and musical instruments available to them they might tap into their creative side and become the next Spielberg.

Encourage them to try all different types of sports & outdoor activities. I’m talking ALL types; swimming, soccer, golf, karate, dance, hiking, gymnastics, yoga, rock climbing, etc. And do try not to get all gender-specific on them, maybe your daughter will love wrestling or your son will be an incredible ballet dancer. If they show interest let ‘em go for it!

Give them a taste of “culture”. Most kids these days, and most adults for that matter, could do with a dose of old-school culture. Art museums, opera, natural history museums, classical music. You can introduce these things to them at young age, though you may want to start in small doses to see if they have any interest and to avoid boredom. Pop into an art museum for a quick 1/2hr visit. Try to pick an really engaging exhibit, perhaps art installations or quirky modern art as opposed to Monet. Or perhaps the first time you take them to see a live orchestra pick a time when they are revising modern hits instead of Tchaikovsky.

The idea is that by exposing them to all of these types of things at an early age you are giving them a chance to find out where their passions and interests lie and at the same time giving them an appreciation for different facets of life.

~Laura

Labels: art, books, classical music, creativity, Culture, museums, theatre, well-rounded

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10 Ways to Go Green With A Baby

1. Breastfeed –by breastfeeding you’re not only giving your child the best possible food but you are being environmentally friendly. Just think of all the bottles, washing, liners, formula manufacturing and packaging that go along with formula feeding.

2. Make your own baby food – there is no need to buy jarred baby food when you can make it yourself. You save some money and the environment the impact of manufacturing, transportation and garbage generating packaged baby food.

3. Use cloth diapers – ok so it’s a bit more work but over all using cloth diapers can not only be the environmentally responsible thing to do but can save close to $1500 over 3 years (according to one study I read). Just think what you could do with an extra $1500!

4. Use face cloths instead of wipes – you’ll need 3 or 4 or maybe more wipes to clean up a messy diaper which just end up in the trash or you could use face cloths with warm water and launder them with your cloth diapers. Again a little more work but it will save you money and water is much nicer on your baby’s bottom.

5. Buy items that you can use for extended periods – i.e.: infant-65lbs convertible car seat instead of infant car seat and than front facing car seat, convertible crib, stroller that converts to double stroller etc.

6. Buy second hand – babies and kids grow so fast it sometimes seems like a waste to buy new because they are in that size for such a short time.

7. Be willing to accept hand-me-downs – many parents cannot wait to unload their stocks of baby wears taking up valuable space in their house. Reap the benefits and take them off their hands. Save some money, the environment and your friend’s sanity all at the same time.

8. Make your own when you can- do you knit, sew, or bake? Make use of your talents. You can knit a blanket, sew a fitted sheet or bake your own teething cookies.

9.  Wood toys instead of plastic – pretty self-explainable. Wood toys will run you more money but they do tend to look newer longer and you can resell them when your children are done with them for more than a second hand plastic toy.

10. Share resources with other parents. You can exchange books, magazines, toys, and home made food.

Labels: baby, budget, environmentally responsible, green living, second-hand, used

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