The BEST kind of festival

Tex -- who loves to eat above all -- must have thought that an International Food Festival is the best kind of event ever!!! Booth after booth of food! More food! and more food!



We are here just to EAT!!!



On Sunday the International Houses of Balboa Park had their annual food fest and we happily strolled among the tents.



Hungary seemed to pop up on every corner -- the hot dishes here, a few tents down - desserts, at their house - a whole patio full and as we walked by they were bringing out a portable table of more sweets. So, how could we not try something? The Langos bread topped with cheese, sour cream and melted garlic butter went fast. Everyone kept trying to grab another bite. Papa & Tex stayed behind to savor a sausage roll while Peanut & I went for a bathroom break.



Palestine and Lebanon offered delicious shawarma. We picked up some empanadas Argentina to see what Dora the Explorer eats at her abuela's luncheon.

While Tex hungarily glupped down anything offered, Peanut soon decided she just wanted a hamburger. Luckily, the America House was nearby. They didn't have hamburgers, but a hot dog made an acceptable substitute.



We saved some space for dessert from the House of Finland -- freshly made lettu (pancakes) with whipped cream and strawberries. Peanut wanted to go back for a second round of desserts so we picked up some pulla and other pasteries. The House of Finland organizes a number of annual events and the hostesses were all keen to tell us about the upcoming Juhannus festivities at Mission Beach. While the group can't sleep out on the beach, they promised a bonfire and plenty of action into the night.

Mother's Day

I had a very nice Mother's Day -- a collection of cards were part of my wake-up, papa had brought home flowers & pastries from the Swedish Royal Bakery and we spent the day among the flowers at Carlsbad's Flower Fields.

Ever since I had Peanut & Tex I've gained a new perspective on my mom, my upbringing and who I am today.

My mom raised two children mostly as a single parent which I now can imagine was an exhausting role. She did it without a family network around her since we lived in Florida far away from her connections in Finland at a time when an international phone call was only for emergencies and very special occassions.

As we all as parents must do at some point or another - I find myself channeling my mom. But, I hope more for the positive values she modeled and the self confidence she instilled.

I want Peanut & Tex to be nature lovers who feel responsible for maintaining and contributing to the Earth's well being. I always knew that I wanted my children to grow up running bare foot outdoors searching for ladybugs, snails and other creatures. I hope they grow up admiring the beauty around us and wondering about the amazing events of nature.

I want my children to respect themselves and others in their actions, words and intentions.

I want to encourage my children to be creative thinkers able to express themselves in arts, crafts, music, words and any other channel they can imagine. I hope they will believe in what they create and feel passionate about its value.

I want them to fall in love with books, stories, poems, tales, newspapers, magazines -- and the Internet as a way to discover new places, ideas and answers to their questions.

I want them to value education.

Its a long list and I could go on, but in these areas I am thankful to have a mother who has shown me how to teach these things. And, most of all, I'm thankful to her for raising me surrounded by these beliefs.

Still waiting for my 400 recipes to come pouring in

I still remember one of the first chain letters I ever received. It was hand-delivered by my friend who had walked across Ilomantsi with her father to bring copies of the letter to me and my sister. I was to copy the letter six times, add my address to the bottom of the list and send a postcard to the name at the top of the list. I would be continuing a chain that had been 'unbroken and traveled around the world many times', and would receive a pile of postcards from across the globe.

I'm not sure if the promised postcards arrived. But, then again, time moved at a different pace back then. Letters had to be hand-written, post-marked and passed along by various postal services at their leisure.

Ah, but the chain letters for the modern mom work much quicker! A baby book exchange (who could resist such a good cause!) encouraged you to photocopy or print out copies of the letter and their were only two other addresses to wait through. Peanut received four books: two from the US, one from Finland and one all the way from New Zealand.

The latest one I pushed ahead came via email. Its the first email chain letter I'd gotten. So quick and easy. Just a click-click copy/paste, delete the first email address, add your own, scroll through the online address book (click, click, click) and SEND!

Please send a recipe to the person whose name is listed in the number 1 position above (even if you don't know them) and it should preferably be something quick, easy, without very rare ingredients. Actually, the best is the one you know in your head, and can type out and send right now. But, feel free to consult your recipe files!

Then, copy this letter into a new email, move my name to the number 1 position, and put your name in the number 2 position.

Only your name and mine should appear in this list when you send out your email.

Send this to 20 friends.

You should receive 36 recipes. It is fun to see where these recipes come from! Seldom does anyone drop out because we can all use new recipes! The turn around is fast because only 2 names are on the list.

Again, the hook was too tempting to resist -- new recipes! Goodness knows, I need inspiration in the kitchen. peanut's papa always laughs at how I make shopping lists. I always start with 'chicken, pork chop or ground beef?' and grab random veg and carb side dishes that kinda go with the protein.

So, within minutes, I had sent a recipe to Name #1 (Salmon Chowder - nice for fall/winter and perhaps a recipe she didn't have). The instructions said to send to 20 friends and you'll get '36 recipes' in exchange. Hmmmm, I thought later that day. I'm no numbers whiz, but that sounds a bit low. I mean if everyone participated, my diligent 20 friends would move me up to position #1 and all send it to 20 of their friends, leaving hundreds out there to zap me their kitchen favorites. We should be in food paradise! I'll be unburdened of having to contrive of some meal plan for weeks, months, possibly the entire year!!!!!

Yet, now almost a week later, my mailbox has yet to receive a single recipe.....my poor family continues to eat pork chops with carrots and couscous or coconut chicken with mixed veg and noodles wondering when -- if ever -- they will get to taste something new......

Bye-bye summer

Labor Day seemed to really mark the end of summer - schools opened again, some leaves are already hinting at their fall glamor, our local "beach" was pad-locked and the days are growing shorter.

There was much to enjoy - the New England love for ice cream being one! As you drive along the winding roads, you're certain to run into a local ice cream stand often founded as a corollary to the diary farm. Usually just a small building marked by an over-flowing parking lot and lines of people in front of windows surrounded by huge boards filled with scores of ice cream flavors. Nearby our home, we went to the Bedford Farms Ice Cream stand where Peanut carefully balanced her own cone of "pink ice cream" as it slowly shrank in size. For the record, she nearly finished it all by herself!

The region is dotted with lakes and I was surprised to find so many with beaches -- on the map, at least! It turned out that many beaches are owned by the local community in which they fall and are closed to outside visitors. Only town residents can come splash and play. We were fortunate that down the road from our apartment was a 'pay & play' beach. Its just a small strip of sand on a lake, but when you're Peanut's size, that's all you really need to make it a beach. For $3 (paid to the lifeguards), we all got a spot on the sand. We arrived in the evening so we had the beach all to ourselves.

Little Tex spent his beach days lounging in our portable, pop-up baby cabana to protect him from the sun. I'm pretty fanatical about keeping Peanut coated in sunblock and Tex hidden in the shade since we come from such Northern backgrounds.

One lesson I'll remember for next summer is also about coastal beaches where parking is often limited to residents or priced up to $25/day -- either get there super early or invest in a regional beach parking pass. For example, by joining the Crane Beach Trustees for $150/year, you can get free admission to the beach for 4 family members. Coming from a part of Florida where our beaches were all free, its still a hard nut to swallow. Contrast it even further with Finland's idea of 'Everyman's Right' and it seems down right outrageous to charge such sums for public access!

Alaska Greetings

Earlier this week, Peanut & Tex received an Alaska care package from their Grandy & Nana, who are on their nearly annual adventure to the wilds of Alaska.



From the pictures we've seen, they are enjoying themselves as never before. Grandy is hauling in halibut (see picture) of sea-monster proportions with struggles that sound as if they could be the basis for a good fairy tale.

Whales, sea otters and other wildlife glide past their boat as they explore the coast. Grandy has made connections with one of the only other Finns in the area and his eagle eye spotted the local sauna one evening. They've been offered a turn "whenever they don't see smoke coming out of the chimney".




Even Nana gets a turn at the helm of their craft.




Inside the care packages were three unique tales from that great state. Peanut's already been enjoying the Alaska ABC's book from last summer. She'll often tell us that "D is for dall sheep going down" and "V is for vegetables in the valley".


This time, the little ones received The Alaska Mother Goose, Count Alaska's Colors, and Alaska's Three Pigs.


In the package were 6 cans of fresh caught salmon and two jars of hand-picked and lightly prepared blueberries. Yum! The blueberries tasted like blueberries which is not always the case when you buy a jar of jam from the store.

And for dinner tonight --- Salmon Burgers! Peanut's papa reminded me I couldn't just post the Salmon Burger recipe Nana had sent since she copied from the Alaskan Cooking cookbook, but certainly I can link to an Alaskan Salmon Burger recipe.

To melt your heart

Last night I was struck with a craving for a milkshake. After dinner, we asked Peanut if she'd like a milkshake, too.

"Yea, milkshake" was the quick reply and she dashed off to get her stuff ready for the car. Peanut has started saying 'yea' to questions and requests. Not 'yes', but 'yea'. I guess that shows how I speak most of the time :-) I'm not sure the last time we went out for milkshakes, but its not very often. Evidently, it was a monumental event for Peanut since she kept repeating 'milkshake' and trying to rush us out the door.

The local Jack in the Box is our shake supplier when we don't want to get out of the car and go into an ice cream shop.

I poured a little bit of shake into a cup for Peanut and papa passed it to her in the back seat. We drove off to head home.

A while later from the back seat comes a little voice "thank you, papa". Followed soon by a "Pia (as Peanut calls herself) happy". I'd never heard anything so sweet in my life - I could feel the tears swell up in my eyes.

More FOOD!

While on the topic of munching and food -- a favorite of all pregnant women, I'm sure -- we've been trying to get out to eat more frequently since it'll all be a distant dream once Tex arrives.

Peanut's papa and I had an amazing lunch date at the Seoul Garden off Royal Lane. From the outside it looks as if you are pulling up to a half-abandoned strip mall, but the lack of available parking gives a hint as to what's inside. Delicious and abundant Korean dishes. The interior was just shockingly modern, clean and efficient compared to what was outside. I had to get a bowl of dol-sot bi-bim-bap; its nothing fancy, but sooooo good on a cool winter afternoon.

Later that week, Peanut joined us for lunch at the Pho Republic in Irving. The waiter kindly sat us next to the fish tank so Peanut could keep somewhat busy while we enjoyed their Vietnamese dishes. So fresh, so light, just so tasty!

To close out 2006 baby-sitting season, Peanut's papa & I had a Friday night dinner date at The Keg Steakhouse and Bar. OK, we went there because they sent us Happy Birthday cards that offered a steak and lobster dinner -- yes, the entire dinner! We enjoyed a very crisp and fresh calamari appetizer, meat-meat-meat main dishes and a whopping piece of cheesecake for dessert. A few dishes came out cold (shrimp on the side and dessert coffee), but they didn't detract from the overall enjoyment of the evening.

When Auntie Em was visiting, she wanted to try out some down-home Texas-style BBQ. We're no experts, but had a good and no-frills lunch at Bartley's BBQ in Grapevine. Go for the rib platter!

Also in December, Peanut's papa & I ventured into the Big D for a dinner at Ferre Ristorante e Bar. It was the least satisfying of our outings. Our timing was poor in trying to reach the restaurant on Friday evening at 6.00 pm from the suburbs - traffic was just hitting its high point. Once in, I really appreciated the ambiance of a restaurant that was not a cookie cutter chain. Sadly, the food was not as tempting as the setting. Everything was just a bit off for our tastes -- a little too salty or a little too much pasta sauce.

We still have another month or two to try out some new places and I'm looking forward to every bite.

Munching our way into 2007

For New Year's Eve, we enjoyed a tasty Dutch traditional treat - the oliebollen - along with a small smörgåsbord of other delicacies and tapas-like dishes. Its sort of a traditional I'd like to keep going in our family. No one has to cook much and you get to dig into sweets & savories all evening long.

Peanut's papa was in charge of the oliebollen which we made outdoors on the grill. The dough rose nicely and was dappled with dried fruits such as raisins, apricots and cherries. Then you form balls of dough to drop into boiling oil to fry. Kinda like dough nut holes. When they come out and cool, you sprinkle a helping of powdered sugar on top and enjoy through the night.

We did manage to make it to midnight by spending an inordinate amount of time watching the World Championship of Poker on TV!! We'd never watched such a show before and somehow got pulled into the last rounds and just had to see how it turned out. Funny the things you end up doing on New Year's Eve as a toddler and expectant parent. Really, I was just impressed we were both awake at midnight ;-)

ICE, choo-choo trains, kippis with Auntie Em

Auntie Em finally made her way from Denver for a short, pre-Christmas visit with us. Peanut & I picked her up at the airport and decided to start the day at the Gaylord Texan resort to look in on the ICE! show.

We arrived ahead of any crowds and so had plenty of space to shiver in the frigid air. Fortunately, the handed out complimentary parkas and blankets or else we wouldn't have lasted very long. Even with the parkas, we were all wishing for hats, scarves and gloves. Peanut got to stroll in tucked under an extra blanket. I was shocked at how cold it was - after all, they advertise its only 9C. Why that's like spring in Helsinki, I thought, no big deal.....

I wonder if there's any truth to the idea that your blood thins/thickens in response to the climate where you live? I know my body has somehow adapted because really 9C used to be light coat/spring gloves weather to me. Now, my teeth were chattering and I just wanted to get in front of a warm fireplace!

We didn't spend any longer in the ICE show than was necessary to admire the wintery nightscapes and snap some photos.

Out we headed to explore the massive resort centered around its miniature version of the San Antonio Riverwalk and Alamo all decked out for the holidays. Naturally, Santa here is a cowboy and longhorns were more common than reindeer, but Peanut did get her first sightings of railroads and choo-choo trains. They seem to hold universal appeal to toddlers as we could barely pull her away. Only the well-placed and HUGE koi fish in the river around the restaurant tempted her to the lunch table.

Peanut had learned how to toast with the Finnish "kippis" at Thanksgiving and was quick to enjoy the toast with Auntie Em who somehow added a crazy laugh at the end, making it all the more fun!

Pulla time!

Grandma in Florida had made a special request for some 'rae' sugar from Finland last time Peanut's papa went there. 'Rae' sugar is in appearance the sweet equivalent of sea salt and is sprinkled on top of many Finnish sweet breads like 'pulla'. Last time I visited the IKEA food store in Frisco, I noticed that they stock it on their shelves, too.

Since Peanut & I brought the special delivery from Finland to Grandma and figured we should put it to use right away.

It was Peanut's first baking experience! She's been practicing at home with Playdough so I knew she'd be ready to handle making her own pulla rolls.

We pulled up a step-stool to the counter so Peanut could watch what all went into the mixer. She was also in charge of stirring the yeast, milk and eggs. After the requisite time for rising, Peanut was in the middle of the action with Grandma to begin rolling out the individual pullas. I could hardly get into the kitchen, she was so thoroughly in the zone!

Unfortunately for Peanut her bedtime came before the pullas were pulled from the oven. She must have had sweet bread filled dreams as she woke up and the first word from her mouth was 'pulla' (really!). After mama put on her slippers, we headed straight to the kitchen to give her a bite.

While I thought every crumb was delicious, Peanut clearly showed a preference for the 'rae' sugar and chopped almonds on top!

Table for one, please

"I'd like to sit all by myself -- like a grown up -- at my toddler-sized table. Well, not totally by myself. I'd like Pooh bear, Raggedy Anne, Ballerina Duck and Witch to sit with me."
... 10 minutes later...
"Now, I'd like to move to the recently rejected high-chair. No, I don't need any help. I'll just climb up myself and fiddle around with the clasp."
... 5 minutes later...
"All done. Now, I'd like to have a chair just like mama and papa's at the big table. No, no need to place that new booster seat you just bought on the chair. Yes, I know I can't really reach the table - its OK, I'll just kneel here."
... 3 minutes later...

Its mealtime at our house. Peanut's in toddler eating mode. That is, she's eating more or less, now and then. We thought that seating might be playing a role, in addition to just being an 18 month old. Changing the venue has helped. She enjoys her meals most of all when she's at her toddler table with her friends. It gives her some control over when she sits and for how long.

But, like all toddler parents, I worry about what she's not eating which seems to be a growing list each day. Fortunately, we can usually count on fresh veggies with dip, rye bread, oatmeal, cheese bites, Cheerios, waffles, eggs and fruit going in. Didn't see a lot of meats on that list, did you? Nope, neither did I. That's my biggest worry.

Dr. Sears has some super tips. I'll be trying them out 'spread it' and 'top it' during the coming week!

Most parents advocate for a strict approach - eat it now at mealtime or you'll go hungry and eat later. After all, toddlers won't starve themselves and can only eat what we give them, so there's no excuse for 'my baby will only eat crackers'. I suppose she won't unless you give them to her.

I've also dusted off my gourmet baby food cookbook for some fresh ideas and have been trying to think of ways to take foods/servings Peanut loves and apply them to other foods. For example, the girl loves corn on the cob because of its 'cob-ness'. Would chicken on a stick have the same effect? Dipping into ketchup and salad dressing is great; could we dip into a lentil puree? Pizza is just heaven. Perhaps its the single bite or that it comes in an interesting box? Could we make little boxes for pork chops & mashed potatoes?!

Big Tex says Step Right Up!

We made it to the State Fair of Texas right before they packed up this past weekend. What fun!

If it was deep-fried, we probably ate it. Fried Coke (yes, the drink!) was supposed to be the big hit this year. It certainly was a creative idea, but the stand selling it was oddly quiet and even somewhat depressing. I would've imagined excited employees whipping up batches, loudly proclaiming its wonders and serving it up with a big smile. But, no. There was no chatter, no big showmanship, no smile. We even tossed half the battery slush away.

Onto Fletcher's Corny Dogs... and deep fried cheesecake. Peanut's papa being Dutch was designated as our official lead taster. He thinks the cheesecake would be excellent if served cold. Rounding it out, the classic: funnel cake with powdered sugar. This even Peanut dug into heartily.

We cruised through the car show hangers checking out what's new. Peanut's papa 'tried on' a couple of cars. Peanut was busy pointing out all the wheels - one of her latests words.

Then we wandered into game row where all the balloons, basketball hoops, targets and other tests of your skills called us in. We couldn't walk through there without winning something for Peanut! $10 got us 7 darts to throw at a wall of balloons and a chance to win a toddler-size stuffed Curious George. Alas, we walked away with a glitzy frog pulled out from beneath the counter, but Peanut loved it anyway :-)

She even tried her own luck at a game where 'everybody is a winner!'. All you have to do is grab a floating duck from the whirling waters. She added a little stuffed butterfly to her prize collection that way.

The Fair also had a Petting Zoo (complete with kangaroos), displays of Texas agriculture, arts & crafts and all the other goodies that make a Fair. We had to skip the Midway this year since Peanut's too small and mama's belly is too big. Perhaps next time we'll get a sunset view of the Dallas skyline from atop the giant ferris wheel.

Avoid the "Terrible Threes"

According to the Dr. Sear's latest book "The healthiest kid in the neighborhood" - the "terrible threes" to avoid in foods for you toddlers are:

1. high-fructose corn syrup
2. hydrogenated oils, or "trans fats"
3. Any color additive with a number symbol attached to it (e.g., blue#1, yellow #5, red #40)

High Fructose Corn Syrup has been on my hit list for some time already, but it is hard to avoid! Insidious! In just about everything save for water. I know sugar isn't great for you, but at least I know that. The "sugar free" lable on so many foods should sound alarm bells rather than tempting you to reach for this supposedly healthier food.

Hydrogenated oils are also very common in many foods as are the color additives he lists. Even though we try to be aware of what the food we eat contains and try to make healthy choices, it isn't easy to find processed foods (including such things as pasta, breads, pasta sauce, waffles, vitamins, salad dressing and other everyday staples I won't be making anytime soon) without these three ingredients. They are cheap for manufacturers to include in foods and so they will continue to do it. I am encouraged though by the growing number of organic products available from local grocery stores and even Wal-mart and Target. You still pay a premium, but its just a matter of economic laws taking hold to bring the prices and costs down.

Prescription Prenatal Vitamins + DHA supplement

At the very first prenatal visit here in Texas, my doctor gave me a prescription for Citrical prenatal vitamins that included a DHA supplement. A prescription prenatal? Why? It costs $20 for a 30 day supply -- and that's with health insurance!

I had been taking a generic prenatal vitamin from the time we started thinking about having Tex since its important to get at least three months of folic acid in your system before pregnancy to help prevent some neural birth defects. With Peanut, I had taken the LadyVita vitamin for pregnant and nursing mothers which was available at the apteekki.

In the beginning, I asked the OB/GYN I had seen in Finland for a pre-pregnancy check-up which folic acid supplement to take. She looked confused and didn't understand why I wanted to take it. Hmmmm???

Then, once pregnant, I asked my midwife in Finland which brand of prenatal vitamin she recommended. She wondered why I would even be taking a prenatal vitamin. In her opinion, as long as I ate a healthy and proper diet, I didn't need any additional vitamins. "Those Americans just eat hamburgers and french fries so they are not healthy enough without vitamins," she scoffed.

Yes, that's probably true, but a pregnancy diet needs to be very carefully balanced and followed everyday in order to get the needed vitamins and minerals consistently. However, my philosophy during my pregnancy was to do everything in moderation and to continue doing those things I had prior to pregnancy (within guidelines of course!). I have virtually always taken vitamin supplements so that's what I planned to continue to do. I do follow a pregnancy diet and eat well, but know that I'm no nutrition expert and sometimes given to laziness in the kitchen.

Nonetheless, I was not wholly sold on the idea of prescription prenatal vitamin. My doctor explained its valuable because of the lower amounts of vitamin A and higher amounts of calcium as compared to generics. Most importantly, it came with the DHA supplement. DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid considered to be key to healthy brain, eye and nervous system development. My usual source has been salmon, but I know I don't eat it frequently enough.

Though there is no official FDA recommended daily allowance for DHA, the concensus (I found on the Internet) seems fall between 200 - 350 mg/day for pregnant women.

So, my current solution is this: continue with my generic prenatal because its so much cheaper, drink some extra milk/fortified OJ for more calcium and pick up the a separate DHA supplement available OTC for less the $20 I would pay a month for the prescription vitamin. As a bonus, each box of the Expecta brand DHA supplement comes with a coupon for $1.50 off your next purchase.

Honey, let me take care of dinner tonight!

Because I'm a sucker for coupons, I dropped by Super Suppers today with my 4th of July parade coupon for a free side dish. Honestly, I was just curious as to what they could do and if anyone can help me with getting dinner on the table, they're worth a second look.

The idea is that Super Suppers plans a number of menus each month, has the ingredients already chopped up and all you have to do is 1) bag & mix the ingredients or 2) have them bag & mix for you or 3) take a frozen meal to go. They also offer sides and desserts. While I only tried one, there would be a big benefit to coming in and prepping many more meals so you could be set for the week or two or even month!

Walking in, you see a number of mini-salad bar like stations where you can prepare the entrees. I decided to put together a quick & simple one since Peanut was with me. It involved frozen chicken breasts, pineapple juice, shredded ginger, teriyaki sauce, honey, uncooked pasta and chicken stock. In a couple of minutes I was ready to check out.

At home, it took about 40 mins to get the tasty meal (really, it was good) on the table mainly because of the time needed to defrost the chicken before cooking. I'm not sure that it was so much easier though I did save on chopping time. What I really saved on was the sometimes agonizing thinking of what on earth can I do with chicken tonight? And, when will I have a chance to go to the store?

The tab:

• Super Suppers says: With an average entrée price of around $3.00 per serving, you can save hundreds of dollars and 20-30 hours of your precious time every month!
• I paid $20 for a 4 - 6 serving entree (that is 6 chicken breasts & pasta to match). We probably pay around $7 for 3 chicken breasts and $2 for pasta. Then add in the pineapple juice and teriyaki sauce we don't have on hand. Then you're probably pretty close to even if we had bought the ingredients ourselves.
• Fill your Freezer Days -- at the end of each month as they prepare to change menus, Super Suppers discounts current menu entrees. Come by and stock up!
  

Bonus for new moms - they will assemble food for free for the first month after your baby is born!

Treats from the Coppell Farmer's Market

We finally made it out on a Saturday morning to the Coppell Farmer's Market. It was a small affair with many of the vendors selling the same produce - green beans, onions, blueberries, okra, potatoes, among other farm goods. I also peeked in on the herb seller and bread stand. But, the shining star to us was the grass-fed farm goods from the clean, natural and happy Rehoboth Ranch.

The ground lamb was made into small meatballs that Peanut gobbled down like nothing else! It was truly tasty and delicious. Mr. Hutchins had sworn that the whole chicken from his farm would be the best chicken ever to cross our lips; it was good, but not earth shattering.

Last weekend, he was there again with a couple of his girls. All three wore long denim dresses and long pigtails down their back or twirled up in buns. According to their brochure, the girls are just a small sampling of their 12 (!) children!

The beautiful story of Rehoboth is found in Genesis 26. Rehoboth is a place where “…the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land…” We thank God for His gracious blessings during this past year.

At Rehoboth Ranch, our animals graze contentedly on pastures that are not sprayed with herbicides or pesticides. We do not give our beef, lamb, or chicken any steroids, antibiotics, feed additives, appetite enhancers, or other synthetic chemicals. We feed no animal or food by-products to any of our animals. Beef, lamb, and pork processing and packaging are accomplished at a small, slow paced, family owned and operated USDA inspected facility, and each animal is individually scrutinized by an Inspector before and during processing and before and during packaging. The pastured poultry is processed at the ranch in our well equipped, state inspection exempt and registered processing facility which is meticulously run by our family members.

Coppell Farmer's Market
Located in Old Town Coppell at Bethel and Coppell Roads

Every Saturday (8 a.m. to sellout)
April 22 through November 18

The anti-milk baby

Since Peanut reached 12 mos old I've been trying to introduce milk to her, the baby that eats everything. Everything it seems, but milk. I mean really everything: lemons, Indian food, olives, corn on the cob -- on the cob, and practically everything made from milk.

I thought she'd eventually warm up to it. But, after a few days when she was still letting it all pour out of her mouth, I started going through the bag of tricks:

• heat the milk -> no
• slightly heat the milk -> no
• add favorite yogurt to milk -> no
• add LOTS of favorite yogurt to milk resulting in yogurt smoothie -> no
• give milk in sippy cup -> no
• milk in straw cup -> no
• milk in cup just like mama's -> no
• soy milk! -> no
• give milk while Peanut watches her favorite Nijntje video -> a few sips, but no

Next up are vanilla flavored soy milk and then, adding some chocolate to the milk.

In the meantime, Peanut gets cheese, cream cheese and yogurt at her meals to make up for all the milk she continues to refuse past her lips. The dr says most breastfed babies tend to protest for a while against milk that doesn't come from where breastfed babies think it should come from. And most will wean themselves entirely between 15 - 18 mos!

I never would have thought I'd be nursing Peanut this long though nowadays she only gets milk in the morning and evenings. She still is very interested at those times unlike at all the other feedings we easily dropped - she never once protested or tried to get mama-milk again during the day. I certainly don't mind the am & pm milks - they take all of 10 mins of my time, give me a chance to snuggle with Peanut and still work wonders in soothing her.

In the meantime, I keep trying to find ways to slip some milk into her - all suggestions welcome!

Sugar, get the HFCS out of my kitchen!!

I never thought I'd be reading the sides of food packages to MAKE SURE that they contain sugar - the real stuff. Not corn syrup. Not sacchrine. Not aspartame (yuck!!!). And, certainly not High Fructose Corn Syrup, a truly terrible invention that has oozed its way into practically every food item you can think of.

HFCS, as its known around our house, is worse than just empty calories. It actually goes further to harm your system by not registering a feeling of 'fullness' when you eat usually causing you to eat more. Or drink more Coke.

Go on - check your pantry, fridge and freezer - you'll be shocked how many foods contain HFCS. Heinz ketchup, waffles, pasta sauce, bread....on and on...its nearly impossible to avoid it. And, all those packages that catch your eye with 'Sugar Free', yep, its usually HFCS instead. I avoid them like the plague and search for that fattening (yes, but at least I know what I'm eating) SUGARY foods.

Interestingly (though not surprisingly), HFCS..

Currently, HFCS remains an almost uniquely American phenomenon.

In Europe, whilst HFCS is not specifically banned, the greater availability of cane sugar over maize would make it uneconomical to produce it there. American HFCS cannot usually be imported to the European Union because of the European Union's moratorium on the production and sale of genetically modified products.

Bring on the Straws and Straw Cups

The other weekend Peanut had her first taste of Mexican food at our local Cozymel's. She nibbled on some chicken mama had and really enjoyed the black beans, fajita shells, cheese and guacamole. I had forgotten her sippy cup so we asked the waiter for a child's menu drink cup with some water.

It was one of the sturdy disposable cups with a straw. Papa did some sucking through the straw imitations for Peanut and then we let her try. At first, it just kinda sat in her mouth. Then she started puckering her mouth around the straw and managed to pull up some water!

This week, I picked up a couple of 'straw cups' from Walmart to see how she would react to those. A friend highly recommended them and I can see why. No spill, the straws fold away to keep clean, and many of the cups can be cooled in the fridge to keep the drinks cold.

Peanut has also taken to her cup. I've never given her any food or drink in the car since I can't reach her when I drive, but today she had her straw cup and happily sipped away. When we reached the park, the cup was nearly empty!

Addicted to Cheerios

Peanut is totally addicted to Cheerios. The girl can always find room for a little o in her belly even if all the other food is gone and she's giving signs that she's full.

Just the mention of the word gets her attention!

Last night, she was done flinging her pieces of broccoli off her feeding table and was fidgeting. Her mouth already crumpled into a frown and impatient little baby grunts issuing forth.

Then mama pronounced the magic words -- Would you like some Cherrios?

A ray of enthusiam glows from her now smiling and angelic face. She literally snaps her head around into the direction of the pantry where she knows Cheerios come from. A peaceful baby awaits that Cheerios will be sprinkled onto her plate.

What did parents do before Cheerios!? Was there a time before Cheerios??!! I mean what finger food is more prevelant among the 8 mos old set than these little puffs of oat? So portable. So convient. Spills are no worry - there are no stains!

And with the recommendation of four out of five pediatricians, Cheerios seem to have cemented their place in the lives of our little ones.

Cheerios helps your child develop motor skills and is a good choice for little fingers because the O's are easy to pick up, firm, and resist crumbling.

Cheerios contains 14 essential vitamins and minerals that provide good nutrition.

Cheerios cereal is made with whole grain oats and provides a good source of fiber, an important nutrient for all ages.

Cheerios has only 1 gram of sugar per serving.

Cheerios has no artificial colors or flavors.

Cheerios has been trusted by moms for over 60 years.

Cheerios cereal tastes great and is fun to eat!