Banana Muffins

One of my very first posts was about my grandma's banana muffins. I love them. Ever since my friend Shannon revised my zucchini bread recipe and made it a bit healthier, I've been thinking I should do the same with these. Not knowing how, I reached out to my friend Marion and she gave me some simple adjustments to make them healthier without sacrificing their great flavor. Just made these and they are delicious. I did 3 versions (of course)... 1/3 plain, 1/3 with chocolate chops and 1/3 with chopped walnuts. The plain ones turned are great so I imagine the others are even better. We'll eat plain or nut for breakfast and chocolate chip for dessert. My kids go crazy for this stuff.

Grandma Tess's Banana Muffins

Adapted by Marion

1/4 c butter

1/4 c coconut oil (or a little less even)
1 c sugar (or a little less even)

1/2 cup apple sauce
2 eggs beaten
1 c white flour

3/4 c whole wheat flour

1/4 almond flour/meal
1/2 t salt
1 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
1/4 c almond milk 

1/2 t lemon juice
1 c mashed over-ripe banana
1 t vanilla
½ c nuts, optional

½ c chocolate chips, optional

Mix in order given. Butter muffin pans or use paper muffin cups. Fill muffin pans 2/3 full (you might end up with extra batter but don’t fill tins too high). Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes.

This batter made 18 muffins for me. 

Eat the Rainbow

I always tell my kids that you should eat a rainbow of colors every day. This usually falls on deaf ears. My friend Clare gave me the idea of putting a rainbow up in the kitchen. That's what she did and every night they talk about what colors the kids ate that day. My daughter is a sucker for a chart of any kind so I made a rainbow food chart for her and my son. My daughter is always tracking what's fair in our house so she suggested that mommy and daddy have their own rainbow charts too. Fair is fair.

At the end of a meal or the end of the day they get a star for every color they've eaten. This will be a good exercise for my husband and I too. He got zero stars today and I got one since everything we ate was white or brown. The kids rocked us. Time to practice what I preach.

If the kids do a great job all week, they get to pick a special ice cream shop to go to on the weekend. This is against the rule that food should not be used as a reward but what do ya do? I'm dealing with one issue at a time. This chart also helps train my husband that we can't go out for ice cream several times a week and that it should be a treat, not a regular occurrence. He's a sucker for taking the kids on ice cream adventures.

Purple is the toughest color to eat regularly. Eggplant and plums are great this time of year. We'll classify red grapes and raisins in the purple category. I am also going to count nuts and beans in the purple category because I'd love my kids to eat more of those.

Wish us luck!

Time to Get Creative!

My friend Michele shared this link on Facebook and I loved looking through all the photos and descriptions. I'm hoping to get out of my habit of rotating through a few sandwiches and sides so this is inspiring and helpful. Thanks Michele!

"School Lunch Roundup"

A Story of International Adoption

Such an interesting and heart-breaking story. We all take so much for granted, and this reminded me to be thankful for even the simplest things, like being able to walk down the street holding my daughter's hand.

"Untying a Birth Mother’s Hands"

Terpening Summer Olympics

My kids are obsessed with the Olympics. They watch for a bit and then they make their own Olympic Games, complete with bathing suits and body dives. This morning I kept my daughter busy for almost an hour making Olympic medals in gold, silver and bronze. I love when some wrapping paper, ribbon and tape can buy me an hour of relative peace.

Great Article!

Take 2 seconds this morning and read this...

What My Son's Disabilities Taught Me About 'Having It All'

Thanks Jen for sharing!

Ught Oh!

Only 4 weeks left of summer and so much left to do with the kids. Yikes. I'm feeling like a big failure.

Japanese Garden
UW Water Activities Center
Local Farmers Markets
U-Pick Farms
Woodland Park Zoo
Seward Park
Magnuson Park
Madison Park
Matthews Beach
Ella Bailey Park
South Lake Union Park
Seattle Mini-Ferry from UW to South Lake Union
Volunteer Park
Golden Gardens
Burke Gilman Trail
Discovery Park
Sculpture Park & the Seattle Waterfront
Pike Place Market
Kelsey Creek Farm Park
Ballard Locks
Monorail
Pacific Science Center
Space Needle
Mountlake Terrace pool
Seattle Aquarium
Chihuly Garden & Glass
Jetty Island
Bainbridge Island
Vashon Island
West Seattle
Gas Works
Ride the Duck
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Museum of Flight
Seattle Art Museum
Snoqualmie Falls
Enchanted Village/Wild Waves
Mariners Game
Sounders Game
Seattle Great Wheel
Vancouver

Reading Assignments

Lots of interesting articles here....


How to Raise a Child: ‘Teach Your Children Well,’ by Madeline Levine

A Final Message From My Mother

Two Classes, Divided by 'I Do'

Friends of a Certain Age: Why Is It Hard to Make Friends Over 30?

The 'Busy' Trap

Pinterest, Tumblr and the Trouble With ‘Curation’

The Making of an Olympic Sex Symbol

Love, Money and Other People’s Children

Small Farmers Creating a New Business Model as Agriculture Goes Local

(There is a photo with this article of Wilson Fish at the Ballard Farmers Market, and you can see Tim, the guy I buy my fish from every Sunday. He's the best. If you go there, wait for Tim and tell him I sent you. And tell him you saw him in the New York Times!)

Have you read anything interesting lately? If so, send it my way.

Enough Already!

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I can only take so much princess and I have hit my limit with the Disney packaged grapes. Seriously?!
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A Father, a Son and a Fighting Chance

I enjoy all the Modern Love articles, but some are more moving than others. This one brought tears to my eyes. A must-read.

"A Father, a Son and a Fighting Chance"

Schoooooooooooool's Out For SUMMER!

My daughter's last day of school is tomorrow so I've been gathering a list of fun things to do this summer. I was a bit nervous about how to fill the days before making the list. Now I'm worried there's not enough time to do all these fun things.

There are obviously a million other parks in the city. I tried to just list parks that offer more than just a play area.

Have I missed anything great? If so, let me know and I'll update.


Summer in Seattle with Bambinos List


Japanese Garden - one of my favorite places to take the kids or to hit solo

UW Water Activities Center - rent canoes or rowboats (they are open for business during Sound Transit construction, call 206-543-9433 for more info)

Local Farmers Markets - Ballard, University, Queen Anne, Capitol Hill, Columbia City and more

U-Pick Farms - take the kids to pick berries, then home to eat them fresh, freeze them or make delicious pies, crisps and cobblers (then bring me one since I don't bake)

Woodland Park Zoo

Seward Park - kids play area, ride around on bikes, walk through trails, make sure to hit Columbia City Bakery on the way!

Magnuson Park - play area, ride bikes

Madison Park - kids play area and beach area, pack a picnic

Matthews Beach

Ella Bailey Park - love this park, great view of Seattle

South Lake Union Park

Seattle Mini-Ferry from UW to South Lake Union

Volunteer Park - kids play area, wading pool, conservatory and museum

Golden Gardens

Burke Gilman Trail

Discovery Park

Sculpture Park & the Seattle Waterfront

Pike Place Market

Kelsey Creek Farm Park

Ballard Locks

Monorail

Pacific Science Center

Space Needle

Mountlake Terrace pool - with lazy river

Seattle Aquarium

Chihuly Garden & Glass - "they say" it's great for kids too

Jetty Island

Bainbridge Island - dying to try Hitchcock but without the kiddos

Vashon Island - perfect day trip... stop in at Bakery Nouveau in West Seattle on your way to the ferry, hit the farmers market, grab lunch at Monkey Tree, play at the park (if you have kids), then head home and catch the beautiful view of Seattle from the ferry.

West Seattle - what to do? where to go? open for feedback!

Gas Works Park - picnic and kite flying

Ride the Duck

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

Museum of Flight

Seattle Art Museum

Snoqualmie Falls

Enchanted Village

Mariners Game

Sounders Game

Robbcakes cont.

I've made these Robbcakes (Buckwheat Banana Pancakes) a few different ways now, but my most recent version is my new favorite. I add a little ground flax seed to make them feel healthy. Then I don't feel so bad serving them with a good smear of Nutella. They are so good. The kids gobble them up too.

Robbcakes

Buckwheat pancake mix which also requires:

1 egg
2 tsp canola oil
2 tsp honey
3/4 cup milk

Mix above ingredients until smooth, then also add:

1 t ground flax seed
1/2-1 banana, diced, then mashed until there are no more chunks
1/3 or 1/2 cup rolled oats (roughly 2 small handfuls)

Cook pancakes in a hot pan with:

Coconut oil

Then top with:

Nutella

Serve to children with big smiles!

Interesting Article

Mommy Wars: The Prequel
Ina May Gaskin and the Battle for at-Home Births

Get Flavored Milk Out of Schools!

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If you didn't watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, then you missed the episode where he fills a school bus with 57 tons of sand to represnet the amount of sugar kids consume from flavored milk in a week. Watch the video here. There is no reason for all this extra sugar when childhood obesity and diabetes rates are what they are. Watch HBO's The Weight of the Nation and you will agree. Schools should get rid of juice while they're at it.

This coming from someone who used to drink 6 cans of coke a day and fast food daily. Yes, people can change, get rid of bad habits and develop new healthy ones. I'm proof! :)

More info...

Bold Schools, Bright Future: The Flavored Milk Trend

The Hard Facts About Flavored Milk

Article Hour

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Here are some interesting articles you might enjoy. Happy reading.

Modern Love: What the Psychic Knew
The psychic's predictions were three-for-three. But what about the most important one?

Modern Love: Even in Real Life, There Were Screens Between Us
College students’ entries in this year’s Modern Love essay contest reveal a shift to technology-enabled emotional intimacy. Here is the winning essay.

We'll Always Have Darth
When preschoolers play games based on a movie they have never seen, something sociological is going on.

How My Daughters Learned to Eat Like the French
A preschool-level lesson in French food culture

A Chicken Without the Guilt
Why use the poor chicken as a machine to produce meat when you can use a machine to produce "meat" that seems like chicken?

Is a Calorie a Calorie?
A new book reminds us that weight loss isn't a simple matter of taking in fewer calories

A New Persian Empire Plants a Personal Flag
Bravo's new reality show "Shahs of Sunset" raises questions about the "Persian-ness" of modern Iranian-Americans.

The Top Man at 'Mad Men' Isn't Mad Anymore
Don Draper and hos colleagues will return on March 25 for a long-delayed fifth season, but Matthew Weiner, creator of "Mad Men," will reveal nothing about where the action will take it.

Is It Safe to Play Yet?
Some new parents are going to extreme lengths to protect their children from household toxins. But how far is too far?

Where Pimps Peddle Their Goods
Backpage.com and similar Web sites help find buyers for enslaved young girls.

The Best Nanny Money Can Buy
Why do some New York nannies earn more than doctors? Faulty economics (for starters), but also because they can groom horses and speak Mandarin.

VIEWPOINT: A Partial Defense Of Invisible Children’s Kony2012 Campaign
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Interactive Art

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I read about Ryan Molenkamp’s Portrait Challenge project awhile back and thought it was so creative. After people went nuts for the interactive art project at Bumpershoot, a new Portrait Challenge was presented at the Seattle Art Museum. (It's not currently showing. It took me a year to post this.) 

You could use this idea as inspiration for a fun kids art project for school, a birthday or play date, or you could make it a funny game for your next adult cocktail party or big birthday bash (everyone could draw the guest of honor). Some good clean fun that could be made all the funnier after a few cocktails. 

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The Nurtured Heart Approach

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My friend Jackie did the extensive training for The Nurtured Heart Approach and uses the approach for parenting her four children. It sounded like such an interesting approach that I asked to learn more. She recommended the book All Children Flourishing - Igniting the Greatness of Our Children because it's the easiest of the books to read and implement. I haven't finished the book but I was so excited about the strategy that I signed up for the one-day training when Howard, the founder of the Nurtured Heart Approach, was in Seattle awhile back. It was amazing, inspiring and eye-opening.

Side note: Most of the people at the training were counselors, teachers and principals. There are several local school districts that are adopting the approach because of it's effectiveness, especially with tough kids.

Since the training I have been trying to stay on course with the Nurtured Heart Approach because when I do, I can definitely see a difference in my daughter's behavior. The reason it's difficult to stay on course is because it requires more energy up front, but when you give a little extra up front, you get better behavior, less whining, fewer meltdowns and more. Sometimes I get off-track. I resort to yelling, bribes, time outs, taking away toys and privileges, and more... and not surprisingly, I get more and more of the bratty behavior. 

It's a confusing approach to stomach at first, because it turns everything you've learned upside down. It asks you to put in all your energy in when your child is behaving good, rather than bad, which is so often when mommy wants to quietly slip into the other room for a breather rather than risk disrupting the calm moment by interacting. I know I've been there.

It's not about saying "good job" all the time. It's about labeling good behavior with indisputable facts and creating inner wealth, thus promoting and rewarding the behavior that you want, not the behavior you don't want. It's hard to sum up in a blog post, but if you're interested in learning more, I highly recommend the book and strategy.

A Family Who Flies Together, Cries Together

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Interesting article on couples who dare travel with their children....

"It's Not the Carriers, It’s the Kids"

I wouldn't be surprised if the 200 people who "recommended Mr. Barr's comment" were the passengers on my Seattle-to-Honolulu flight last February. Every last one of them would have been justified in writing that children should not be allowed on planes after being trapped with George Terpening for 6 hours.

Here's an article explaining the good 'ol days of flying with kids, and tips for traveling with little ones now...

"Are We There Yet? When Families Fly"

The Real Deal Sex Ed

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Great article about a high school sex ed class....

"Teaching Good Sex"

I think every high school in America should have a teacher and a class like this. Why not educate kids on a subject they're all curious about while they're trapped in a high school classroom. There's such an opportunity there to help them think and act differently - to be more mindful, mature, respectful, confident and safe.

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How to Talk to Little Girls

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My friend Sarah sent me this article and it's a good one.

"How to Talk to Little Girls"

Worth reading if you have daughters, grand-daughters, nieces, little cousins, friends with girls, etc. (Basically, everyone should read this article.)
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