Book Review: FEEDING THE WHOLE FAMILY, by Cynthia Lair

As the title suggests, along with the wonderful Nikki Mcclure artwork on the cover depicting a child participating in the cooking process, Feeding the Whole Family, by Cynthia Lair, is a kid friendly cookbook. From the forward by Mothering Magazine's Peggy O'Mara, to the accessible and practical content, moms will find straight forward information and recipes to nourish their little ones. There is a chapter about "Raising Healthy Eaters," wherein Lair gives tips on being a good role model, not using food in a punishment-reward context, and what to do when your kid "won't eat vegetables." There are also a sections on lunch box meals, and what to feed babies.

I have been eating a whole foods diet for so long now, sometimes it's hard to remember that not everyone eats this way. For those that don't, this would be an excellent primer. Those that do will appreciate this book's simplicity and unassuming tone. I've tried several recipes with success, with the Coconut Peanut Sauce ranking as my favorite so far.

Feeding the Whole Family is Not vegetarian, but leans heavily in that direction and includes many vegan recipes. There are also plenty of options for those that prefer Gluten Free food. Of course I wish it were vegan and I wish it had photos but overall I think this is one of those cookbooks that will be heavily worn in no time.

Melts in Your Mouth

Summertime delicacies abound in the plant kingdom. My son's favorite is the magnificent melt-in-your-mouth raspberry. We usually buy them by the flat and have it eaten within a couple days. They are a bit expensive, but they are Packed with nutrition. You get a lot for your money in antioxidant power, vitamins, and luxurious taste. Raspberries are high in antioxidants and are known for containing the anti-carcinogenic substance ellagitannins. Manganese, vitamin C, folate, fiber, niacin, magnesium, are also found in raspberries.

They're good frozen or in jams and spreads, good in smoothies, pies and baked goods, but for me, the best way to eat raspberries are right out of the crate at the Farmer's Market (they never make it home in tact). If you do buy a flat, try to eat them in a couple of days before they start to mold. If time starts to run out, place them on a cookie sheet and freeze them individually before putting them in a bag so they don't stick together. Buy plump, deep red organic berries and savor.

Single Parent Movies

HBO is running Author! Author! today and no matter how many times I see this movie, when I run across it, I watch and I'm charmed. Al Pacino plays an almost-single dad who is a quirky playwrite and vegetarian. You see kids eating salads which I love, and swearing, which is amusing (and not pc). The fridge is loaded with greens and veggies and the parent is an insomniac--just like our house. It's warm and funny and I got a big crush on Al Pacino when I was a kid because of this movie. It's totally dated but still refreshing compared to much of what's being offered in cinema these days. This is comfort viewing....like coming home to milk and cookies baby.

Another great single parent movie: Chocolate--My favorite. The always awesome Juliette Binoche plays a wandering spirit chocolateier who wears beautiful clothes, charms a small town and finds love with Johnny Depp. When I was pregnant, Anouk topped my list for girl's names because of the cool little daughter in this movie.

Other single parent movis off the top of my head: The Holiday (Jude Law), Sixth Sense (Toni Collette), Sleepless in Seattle (Tom Hanks), Dan in Real Life (Steve Carell), The Martian Child (John Cusak), Erin Brakovich (Julia Roberts), Mermaids (Cher).

Another Reason to Buy Organic

Finally, a study to state the obvious and yet another reason to buy organic. Organic food is free of GMOs, so if pesticides aren't enough to scare the crap out of you, there has finally been a study to confirm that indeed Frankenfood isn't such a great idea. How it isn't common sense that one probably shouldn't cross a chicken and a tomato and then eat it, I will never know, but Journal of Biological Science has published a study conducted by a group of international scientists, stating pesticides and GMOs make people sick.

This is all frustratingly obvious to many of us, but okay, good, now it's on paper officially (again). The study states, "The health crises may be more important than the international financial crisis because of the lack of transparency of the regulators." Since over three quarters of our non-organic food supply contains GMOs, (and there are no labels alerting you) I would say you're really taking your health in your hands eating this stuff, and that's reason enough to buy organic, pesticides aside. What kind of culture poisons its own food supply to make money? Don't support it! Buy organic!

Product Review: OXO Salad Spinner--Awesome Summertime Kitchen Tool

I will tell you up front, this is expensive. But in my book, anything that encourages you to eat more greens is worth the money. I finally bit the bullet and bought this little salad spinner by OXO, and it has completely exceeded my expectations--I use it every single day.

The larger salad spinner was just too big for two people (one of whom is a four year old). This small(er) spinner is the perfect size to clean enough lettuce to make two Big salads. Before, I would try to clean my lettuce in the larger spinner and it would brown before I could eat it all. This one takes up less space in the fridge, it's more manageable, and there is no waste. It's also attractive to look at and you can serve in the stainless bowl. Forty bucks is a Lot to spend, I know. But for me, it's worth every penny.

Peas Please!

Sweet snap peas make a perfect summer snack. My kid loves them (I've finally convinced him to eat the whole thing, not just the sweet peas inside) and so do I. We keep a little bag of these in the backpack for a quick snack on the go, we put them in salads and enjoy them sautéed with other veggies and tofu. I look forward to these every year. Rich in B vitamins, iron, vitamin C, K and folic acid, peas are great for heart health, bone health, and energy levels. You start seeing them in the Spring and then they fade away toward mid summer. Choose firm bright green organic peas, preferably from your local farmer's market. Snatch them up if you see them, because they won't be around much longer.

Five Great Things About Being a Single Mama

There are downsides to being a single mom, no question. However, there are also plenty of great things about it too, and some of us are perhaps even better suited to single parenting. Almost half of all new moms last year were single. Where they are, I do not know because most of the people I know with children have spouses or live in mates. Sometimes I wish I had a mate, but most of the time I don't. Most of the time I'm grateful I don't. Men are awesome creatures, nothing against them, I just like the lighter stress load. Our small families are as much of a family as larger more traditional families with two parents. Let's celebrate our single motherhood and count some blessings.

1. You make up the rules. There is no struggle over parenting style, decisions, etc. That's huge.

2. You don't have to take care of another person. Sometimes having a mate in the house is like having another child (so I'm told). It can represent more work, not less, more stress not less, etc.

3. Spontaneity is more spontaneous. We do what we want when we want. If we want to get up and make cupcakes at midnight, we do! And we have. Charlie and Lola marathons, pizza in bed, sitting on the porch watching the moon way past bedtime... all those things, I suspect, would be more difficult or just wouldn't happen with a spouse in the house.

4. No in-laws. In-laws can be great, I know this from past relationships and have wanted to marry specifically to get those wonderful in-laws. But they can also make your life a living hell, which I know from married friends. And I think the latter happens to be the more common scenario.

5. Closer bond with child. For me, putting all my energy and focus into my relationship with my son leads to a deep intimacy and tight bond. I suspect if I had to put focus on another person, this bond couldn't be quite as close.