This week I’m bringing you three mom-inspired ways to feed your kids better and faster. Summer can be an especially trying time for parents. There is always a meal or snack to prepare. It doesn’t matter how newly remodeled your kitchen is, it’s no place to spend June through August.

We all know the Internet is packed full of more information than most people have time to wade through. That’s why I scoured the momosphere to find easy ways to feed your den. Mom entrepreneurs helping moms…I love it.

Making Summer Taste Better: Three Simple Ways
1. Weelicious. Model-turned-chef-turned-mom Catherine McCord blogs the most unique and simple recipes for babies through toddlers. If you have wee ones circling your feet, try some of her baby-tested concoctions. What makes this food blog different is that her recipes are actually fun to make! Common ingredients, little prep time…Catherine knows how to please the part-time cook. Try her natural rendition of fish sticks. No microwave needed!

Blue Corn Chip Crusted Fish Sticks Try it

You’ll also love watching her Food Network quality Weelicous productions. Double props for the fact that she cooks with her son Kenya right there next to her in true mom fashion. Warning: do not visit the website while hungry.
www.weelicious.com

2. Tastybaby. It seems as if a frozen baby food company puts out a shingle every other week. What makes this mom-owned company different is 1) they’re certified organic, 2) their website hosts a network of blogs and articles by parents and bloggers, and 3) it’s not just for babies.

With flavors like Bangoes™ (banana mango) and Corn in the USA, it’s hard not to be curious. With an entire recipes section of the website where the pureed fruit and veggies can be used to make everything from scrumptious corn muffins to Life’s A Peach Bellini’s (peach puree and champagne), it’s impossible not to fall in love. There isn’t a parent out there who isn’t actively trying to increase the fiber and nutrient count in their child’s daily goldfish cracker routine. Tastybaby makes it easy.

Corn in the USA Muffins More Recipes

Tastybaby is also on Amazon with free shipping included.

www.tastybaby.comÂ

3. OnTrack Fruit Energy Bars. I recently blogged on One Crazy Mother about a trip I took with my husband and two year-old to Canada. Kids have been making the news lately by being bumped off of planes for so-called “unruly” behavior. During the weeks leading up to the trip I found myself getting more and more nervous about how I’d keep my toddler entertained. It was her 4th or 5th plane trip but she’s a definitely wild card. Would the sticker book work? I had no idea.

In a moment of weakness I grabbed some Fruit-Roll-Up snacks and ended up giving one to her during the five hour ordeal. The only thing worse than the burst of high-fructose fueled energy that followed was the length of time it took me to scrub the sticky goo off of her molars. The new alternative to sugary fruit snacks? OnTrack Fruit Energy Bars by Bouquet of Fruits. They’re not in Targets (don’t faint), but they’re worth visiting the website and buying online for. Why? Because when the kids need a snack and they’ve had enough crackers to crash 500 Atkins diets, the fruit and nut combo will save your sanity. I loved having them as a pre-dinner 4pm alternative to a spoonful of frosting or other diet disaster. They’re natural, delicious and priced well below trendy sports bars.

Contest Alert! If you’d like to receive the OnTrack Prize Pack that I was given with all of the flavors, send an email to me at bunmizalob@gmail.com with your name, phone number and why you need a little more energy. More details here

www.ontracksnacks.com

Happy Eating and Stay Cool!

For most kids, Halloween is ALL about the treats, but it really doesn’t have to be! If you don’t feel like to contributing to the neighborhood children’s tooth decay, consider giving treats that are healthier.

Here are some suggestions:
• Cheese and cracker packages
• Naturally flavored and sweetened gun or sugar-free gum
• Small bags of pretzels
• Small packages of nuts or raisins
• Peanuts in the shell
• Fruit-Roll Ups
• Granola bars

If you are not opposed to sugar, but would prefer your treats to be natural or vegan, we suggest you visit your local natural food store. There are many natural candy companies that offer a big variety of candies. The one drawback, expect to pay more for these items. Natural products come at a higher price tag.

You could make a homemade treat. Unless you are in a neighborhood with close friends, we don’t suggest this approach. Most parents are trained to go through the Halloween candy and throw out unopened, unwrapped or homemade treats. If you decide to make your treats, wrap your homemade item up well, and add your name and phone number to the bag with the treat. If the parent recognizes your name, it will make them feel the treat is safe.

Halloween treats do not have to be edible
An alternative to avoiding the junk food challenges is to hand out a non-food treat. Today, many families are opting for this choice. With a little bit of thought and some clever shopping, you can find some really nice items for a few cents per item.

Here are few ideas:
• Cool stickers or temporary tattoos
• Halloween balloons, you can even rent a helium tanks and fill them on the spot
• Crayons, pencils, colored chalk or fun-shaped erasers
• Whistles or noise makers
• Rubber spiders, worms, or other equally creepy figure
• Spider, skull, or pumpkin plastic rings

Check your local dollar store for fun items. There is also plenty of time to shop online, and have items shipped to you. A quick search on Google will give you plenty more online shopping choices.

Halloween Day:
Start the day off right, with a festive breakfast of bagels, pumpkin cream cheese (recipe follows) and fresh apples. This meal also works as a great treat for a morning Halloween party at your child’s school.

Pumpkin cream cheese
Beat in a bowl:
8 ounces softened cream cheese
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup of canned pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Serve with toasted bagels and fresh apple slices.
Before your children venture out in their costumes, make sure they eat a meal before going trick-or-treating. Try the Incredible White Bean Pizza recipe below. It is fast and simple. With full tummies, they won’t be so tempted to dig into their bag of goodies before they get back home. Ask your kids not to eat candy while they are out.

Incredible Bean Pizza
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon oregano
1 pizza crust (like Boboli)
Shredded Mozzarella cheese
Fresh diced tomatoes
Chopped basil

Directions:
Puree first five ingredients in a blender and spread mixture over the pizza crust. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese, fresh, diced tomatoes and chopped basil. Bake in a 425 degree F oven until cheese is bubbly, about 10-12 minutes.

When your children arrive back at home, don’t let them take control over their bag or bucket of candy. Working with them, check the treats and keep only treats which are unopened. Be sure to inspect fruits and homemade goods for anything suspicious. While you are going through their candy, let them pick two or three treats that they can eat on this special night. Store the rest of the candy out of reach and out of sight.

Over the next few days or weeks, rationing the treats is the best approach. Allow your children to make their own selections, but tell them they can pick one large piece or two small pieces. If your children have trouble with this, do it for them (in advance). Just place small amounts of candy in bags, and let them select one of the bags. If there is just too much candy, consider donating some of it to a shelter. It will bring smiles to others.

Frustrated by the lack of healthy, good tasting prepared snacks for their kids, Mark and Maureen Hotchkiss started experimenting with energy bar recipes in their own kitchen to come up with something to send in with their kids’ school lunches. Finding a winning recipe in their ‘Propeller Bar’ recipe, the Hotchkisses branched out and whipped up healthy and good tasting options for more of their favorite baked goods. “We then began experimenting with other favorite baked goods like chocolate chip cookies, brownies, oatmeal raisin cookies, sugar cookies, banana bread and even pancakes,” say the Hotchkisses. “We kept at it until we came up with tastes and textures our kids liked while maintaining the nutrition and health goals we were after.”

An unexpected side-note from the experiments? Mark and Maureen’s children and their taste-tester friends loved to measure, pour, mix, set the timer, clean up and – not-so-surprisingly – eat their creations. Realizing there was a business in all of this, Kids Central Kitchen was born. Made of whole grains and lower in fat and sugar than traditional baking mixes, Kids Central Kitchen mixes contain no trans fats, hydrogenated oils, refined sugars, high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, artificial flavors or preservatives.

Some of the delicious options include oatmeal raisin, chocolate chocolate chip and sugar cookie mixes, chocolate brownie, banana bread, flip flop flapjacks mix and the original Propeller Bar energy bar mix that ignited the Kids Central Kitchen spark. Also available on the Kids Central Kitchen website: mixing bowls, smiley face mixing spoons, pancake rings in fun shapes, measuring cups and spoons and kids’ sized wooden kitchen tools.

Clever Parents faves include the Dinosaur Cookie Kit, the Rise & Shine Breakfast kit and Homerun Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Mix.

Get 10% off your first order with code ‘CLEVER’ and receive free shipping on orders over $50. Learn more at www.kidscentralkitchen.com

Watch Clever Parents TV Vidcast #33 to see the feature on Kids Central Kitchen.

If you have children, then you know they’re a magnet for hovering hounds and mooching mousers. Living in a busy home that includes kids, pets, and adults, the line between who eats what can sometimes become blurry! Picking up dog or cat treats at the store can seem pointless if your furry family member is gobbling up whatever the kids are eating. And it can be frustrating to constantly guard the toddler from eating the pet’s treats!

But hey, you’re in good company; humans have been sharing food with their animal companions since the beginning of our relationship with them. The practice dates back to the time when early human first invited their primitive pet into the sanctity of their home and, much to the animal’s delight, their kitchen. Perhaps it was a child that first earned the affection of a wild kitten or pup by sharing her lunch with them. Sharing food with our animal friends is a time-honored tradition that has helped bond our species together. Plus, it’s fun! It brings out the nurturer, the companion, and the guardian in us; even in young children. It feels good to share a special treat with a furry friend, and millions of animal-lovers do it on a regular basis.

Before you allow the kids to share their snacks, you should determine if it will help or harm your child and your pet’s health. Many of today’s processed foods are not good for any body; human, canine or feline as they contain rancid fats, sugar, and questionable chemicals. They offer little nutritional value when compared to fresh natural foods. Also many dogs and cats, like many children and adults, have negative reactions to ingredients they may be sensitive to such as dairy, wheat, yeast, and others.

Home-made treats are a healthy and delicious option to processed products. Nutritious treats and snacks can easily be made at home and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing exactly what you’re giving all of the members of your family. And children learn so much from the example set by adults, so preparing and enjoying healthy and delicious food is an invaluable habit to instill in them.

The following recipe is super-easy to make and so delicious that everyone in your house will want some. And that’s okay; it’s good for everyone…the kids, you, and your pets!

You’ll notice that the recipe calls for carob (a powder you’ll find in health food stores and many regular grocery stores) instead of chocolate. There’s good reason for the substitution: Cocoa and chocolate contain theobromine, an alkaloid that can be lethal for some animals, including dogs and cats. Plus, it contains caffeine, which most kids and pets definitely don’t need. So, hooray for carob, the chocolate alternative! Not only is it safe and delicious, but it’s nutritious as well, and contains 60 percent fewer calories than chocolate. Carob is a great source of calcium, vitamins, and essential amino acids. Plus, carob’s high pectin content makes it useful for digestive disorders, especially children’s diarrhea.

To get the most flavor and nutrients from your food, you’ll want to purchase organically-grown food whenever possible. Organically grown food is the fastest-growing sector of agriculture today, and for good reason: It has higher levels of nutrients, including cancer-fighting compounds, than most conventionally grown food. Plus, the Environmental Protection Agency warns that 60 percent of the herbicides, 90 percent of the fungicides, and 30 percent of the insecticides that may be used on non-organic crops are carcinogenic (cancer-causing). Children and pets are especially affected by these toxins.

If you cannot get organically-grown food, don’t let it deter you from enjoying the great taste and nutrition of fresh whole foods. Fresh food is much healthier than processed food products. Just buy the best quality that you can and be sure to wash all produce before using.

The following recipe is a great alternative to unhealthy sweets. This simple recipe will allow you to make delicious treats for you, your children and pets, and also treat yourself to peace of mind, knowing that it is actually good for all the members of your family!

Almond Fudge Logs

• 1 cup raw almond butter
• 1/2 cup raw shelled almonds, chopped
• 1/4 cup raw carob powder
• 1/4 cup raw honey

Combine almond butter, carob, and honey until well blended. Form into “log” shapes (if they’re too sticky, add more carob) or roll into 1” balls. Roll in chopped nuts, chill until firm, and slice logs into pieces. Keep refrigerated. Makes about 1 1/2 cups, or three 7” logs. Children love helping roll the fudge into balls and coating them in nuts (or try shredded coconut). If you have a baby less than one year of age, it is recommended to avoid honey, so use pure maple syrup instead.

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd. As we strive to make the earth a better place to live, there are many things you can do in your own home to make a difference and to teach your children about taking care of the world in which we live. Read on for fun activities, crafts, a yummy snack idea, a great EarthBall toy, a song and more!

Earth Day Activities (and beyond):
1. Plant a tree. Visit a local nursery and pick up seedlings (they’re often free) or a small sapling. You and your children can enjoy watching your tree grow from year to year. Measure it every year on Earth Day and talk about the difference you’re making in your world – one step at a time.
2. Teach your child about recycling. Involve your children in recycling your trash. Have them help separate the trash and talk about what types of items can be recycled and why it’s important. (Use recyclable bags at the grocery store, too!)
3. Pick up trash. Make a game of picking up trash on the playground, in the park or in a place that you frequent with your family. How much can you find?
4. Conserve water. Limit time in the shower, wash hands for a designated period of time (like the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday), wash your car less frequently, turn the faucets all the way off (don’t be a drip!), run dishwasher and washing machine only when they are full.
5. Save energy. Switch your inefficient incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs. You’ll save money on electricity bills, use less energy, reduce your carbon footprint and help stop global warming!

Earth Day Crafts & Fun Snack Idea:
1. Make leaf prints. Go on a scavenger hunt for a variety of leaves. Paint the leaves and then press them on paper. Talk about what you see.
2. Make a bird feeder. Cover an empty toilet paper (recyclable) with peanut butter and roll in birdseed. Hang with yarn.
3. Make Dirt! Have fun with your child making dirt and talking about the earth. Put some chocolate pudding in a cup, add crushed Oreos for gravel and rocks, and top with a gummy worm. (Watch for Vidcast #22 where two “experts” experiment with making dirt, then sing a song about the Earth.)

EarthBall:
Your kids will have the whole world in their hands with 16″ inflatable EarthBalls. EarthBalls are not only fun to toss around, they display NiteCities, allowing you to observe the world’s cities glowing brightly at night. Every EarthBall also comes with the 20-page Global Handbook that includes games, activities & resources for Earth adventurers of all ages. Visit ODTMaps for more.

Earth Day Song (borrowed from Henry’s preschool teacher – thank you Ms. Dorothy):
To the tune of ‘If you’re happy and you know it’
If you see a piece of litter pick it up
If you see a piece of litter pick it up
If we all pick up the litter
We will make the world much better
If you see a piece of litter pick it up.

Printables:
Visit Planet Pals for recycle kits kids can print, cut out and hang, plus a number of additional resources to help teach your children about the planet on which we live. www.planetpals.com

Episode #14: Meet Amber Lipson of Footsteps Clothing

Meet Amber Lipson, Clever Parents columnist and founder of Footsteps Clothing. Plus: No more lost mittens with The No Snow Snuggler and… The Banana Saver. Watch the vidcast on Clever Parents TV.

As a parent, where do you stand on the whole snacking thing?

Depending on which book you read / what your pediatrician says / what works for your family, you might do square meals or more frequent, smaller meals. One famous pediatrician even recommends leaving out an array of snacks out for a toddler, say, in a muffin tin, so that she can eat on the go all day.

But that wouldn’t work for us. First, we’re rarely inside the house for long periods of time. And I never wanted to be one of those parents whose cars and sofas are full of crushed Cheerios and crackers. (Not that crumbs are that awful. And not that our house and car are clean. But anyway.)

So we’re pretty much a three-meals-and-afternoon-snack kind of family—but it seems we’re going against the trend. A recent study by Business Insights says snacking occasions are forecast to increase 3.6 percent in the United States, compared to overall eating occasions, from 2004 to 2008.

The same report says fully 10 percent of Americans now forgo regular meals in favor of grazing. Wow!

Look for fast feeders to jump on the trend, catering to snacky consumers with a wider array of snacks and scaled-down meals. The move is aimed at us grown-ups who sometimes want a smaller meal.

But think about this: Snack-sized adult items might make decent substitutes for kids’ meals.

McDonald’s is catering to the trend by introducing several new Snack Wrap varieties. Pleased with the results of its summer 2006 launch of the Ranch Snack Wrap, McDonald’s recently rolled out more snacking options for customers, like the new Honey Mustard Snack Wrap. The chicken snacks now are available in both grilled and crispy choices. McDonald’s already had other snack items on the menu, including the Snack Size Fruit & Walnut Salad, Fruit ‘N Yogurt Parfait, and Apple Dippers, among others.

The grilled version of the Honey Mustard wrap is pictured here. It’s got chicken breast meat, cheddar jack cheese, lettuce, and a sweet and tangy Honey Mustard sauce, wrapped inside a flour tortilla. It’s offered for a promotional period at $1.29 at participating McDonald’s restaurants nationwide.

And at 270 calories, 18 grams of protein, and zero trans fats, it’s an option I’d consider for Baby A. What do you think?

Overall, this trend could create a much wider variety of dining options for clever parents and their kids. Now if only the chicken could be hormone-free….

What child doesn’t love pizza? Here’s a healthy way to give them a different snack alternative… mini pizzas!

* use a healthy cracker (like Kashi) or a whole wheat bagel as a base
* add sugar-free jar tomato sauce – we like ‘Garden Style’ Colavita brand
* sprinkle 2% milk shredded mozzarella on top
* optional: add dried oregano
* heat in the broiler or toaster oven

Enjoy!

A favorite snack of ours is dried cherries – we’ve never found any that live up to these: cherryrepublic.com. Yum.

- Morgan, mom to Charlie, 3 and Essie, 1

Looking for a healthy, easy snack on the go? A handful of almonds does the trick. Look for dry roasted with little or no salt and avoid the honey roasted or candy coated kind. Almonds are high in protein, fiber and good for you monounsaturated fat. At just over 200 calories for a quarter cup, they’ll provide just what you need to get you to your next meal feeling good. You can buy them direct from the orchard and avoid those high supermarket prices… one clever family we know got a deal by going bulk… $6.20/lb for 25 pounds at www.bellaviva.com and free shipping for orders over $69. Just pack the extras in big Ziploc bags and store them in your freezer.

Here’s a great easy snack for on-the-go tots… Kashi Mighty Bites. No transfats, they taste great, and they’re easy to take on the road with little to no mess. Put them in a snack trap and you’re good to go! Your toddler will love the ‘control’ of his own feeding, and you’ll love the fact that you’re not having to worry about every bite ending up on the floor. The snack trap is great for giving toddlers treats without having to worry about spreading the snack on every surface in site… see www.snacktrap.com to learn more.

- Sarah, mom to Ryland, 2

Emma loves fruit so she’ll generally eat whatever I give her, but to mix it up a little I buy the bags of frozen fruit and take a bit out each night in a dish to let it defrost. In the morning (or whenever I give it to her) I toss on a bit of vanilla or plain yogurt and she loves it. This way she still gets the good variety of fruits (they come in fantastic blends in those frozen bags) and it’s quite a bit cheaper than fresh.

Emma is also a fan of “shakes” – I just mix it with yogurt, milk and the fruit in the blender, she thinks it’s a super treat and she gets her fruit!

Now if you have ideas for getting veggies into her, those I’ll take!

- Megan, mom to Emma, 2

For a snack or part of her lunch (especially for Mother’s Morning Out) Isabel loves ham or turkey that is sliced thin and rolled up in a whole wheat tortilla with lite cream cheese spread on the tortilla first for the “glue” to hold it all together. After I roll it up I slice the roll into several pieces (like a sushi roll). It’s easy, she likes it, and she can feed herself with no difficulty.

- Jamie, mom to Isabel, 2

Who could forget ants on a log? It’s a simple, fun, healthy treat.

* Wash and cut celery into 2-3″ sections
* Fill with peanut butter
* Top with a couple of raisins

Yummy!

Here’s a snack that everyone is sure to enjoy. Using a popsicle tray (if you can’t find one, paper cups with wooden spoons work well), fill with the yogurt of your choice and freeze. This healthy yo-sicle is sure to put a smile on your little one’s face!