Make-A-Meal Mondays: Child-Friendly Traveling Trail Mix

Posted on April 25, 2011 by viviankirkfield

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Green buds are opening up on our Clematis vine.

Iris shoots are about 10 inches tall already.

The wild cacophony of birdsong woke me at 5:30 this morning.

SPRING IS REALLY HERE!!!

Although we may get a little more funky weather here in Colorado – yesterday was Easter Sunday and a dusting of snow covered the grass when I looked out the window in the morning – the signs of spring are evident.

The school year is winding down and families will be planning outings and trips. Some of them may have to be local…gas prices are on the rise again and it is quite costly to drive long distances.

But there is so much to do and see…even walking to a local park and having a simple picnic can be a wonderful experience for young children. On Wednesday, I’ll review a classic story by Miriam Cohen about two young girls whose parents provide them with an exceptional vacation…just steps away from their home.

Whether you drive or walk, here is a great recipe for a child-friendly trail mix that will keep little hands and mouths occupied.

CHILD-FRIENDLY TRAVELING TRAIL MIX

Great to have on hand – keep several zip-lock bagsful to grab when you have to run out to the store with your child – it’s a much healthier alternative to candy bars and chips!

You will need: 2 cups Corn Chex, 2 cups Wheat Chex, 2 cups Rice Chex, 2 cups pretzels (thin sticks or mini), 1½ cups mixed nuts or peanuts (optional), 1 Tb margarine (use the healthier non-hydrogenated kind or substitute butter), 2 tsp Braggs Aminos or soy sauce and a 13x9x2 inch microwave-safe baking dish.

1. Melt the margarine (you can do this in the microwave…just make sure you cover the dish), mix with Braggs Aminos or soy sauce and pour into the baking dish.

2. Add the cereals, pretzels and nuts and mix thoroughly to coat.

3. Microwave on high for three minutes.

4. Stir and continue to heat in the microwave, one minute at a time, until evenly toasted.

5. Makes about 2½ quarts. Store in an airtight container.

6. You can substitute the crispy or chex-type cereals you have on hand and eliminate the nuts if your child is too young or has nut allergies.

I often see young children in a shopping cart, fussy and hungry, mother frantically trying to grab the items she needs from the supermarket shelves. Just think how much happier everyone would be if the child had a little zip-lock bag of this trail mix. 🙂

This is the last day to enter the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop and Giveaway. One lucky winner will receive a copy of SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING. The Traveling Trail Mix recipe is only one of 100 child-friendly cooking activities you’ll find in this great resource for parents and teachers. Just click on the Hoppy Easter link above, follow my blog, and you might be the winner! And you can also check out the over 250 other blogs that are participating and offering prizes and giveaways!

Cinema Sunday: My Picks of Great Flicks: The Ten Commandments

Posted on April 24, 2011 by viviankirkfield

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Cinema Sunday: My Picks of Great Flicks: The Ten Commandments

This past week was filled with holidays, for people of both the Christian and Jewish faiths. Today is Easter Sunday and tomorrow will be the last night of Passover.

Have you seen The Ten Commandments lately?

The networks usually air it during these holidays and it was on TV last night…ALL NIGHT…it’s such a long movie, but, in my opinion, well worth the time invested.

Of course, I had to watch it…although I’ve seen it many time before and actually own a copy that my dad had purchased and then had sent it to me as a gift. My dad LOVED watching movies and had an enormous collection of VCR tapes. He was very eclectic in his movie viewing and enjoyed comedies, action/adventures, westerns, romances and thrillers. He’d worked, in an office on the distribution side of the movie industry, for Warner Brothers and other motion picture companies ever since he was a teenager and so movies had always been part of his life.

As a young child, I would watch television on Saturday mornings with my father…this was before Saturday mornings were flooded with cartoons for kids and cooking shows for adults. There was always a movie…The Thief of Baghdad, a 1940 film starring the Indian child-star Sabu, was one of our favorites. Perhaps it was the idea of having three wishes or maybe it was the fact that Sabu was such a little boy and the genie was SO HUGE…my dad was only 5’4” tall and quite sensitive about his lack of height. It must have made him feel better about himself to see this tiny person triumph. My dad also loved James Cagney movies…perhaps for the same reason, as the famous actor was only about 5’5” tall.

I’m always encouraging parents to spend “quality” time with their young children – reading, crafting and cooking – because participating positively with a child in these activities really does build self-esteem, develops their pre-reading skills, and creates a life-long parent-child bond. I don’t remember ever reading, crafting or cooking with my dad (my mom was the one who did those things with me)…but the time my dad spent with me, watching old movies on the television, was his way of participating positively…and it certainly worked!

I know this was going to be a review and recommendation of The Ten Commandments…it became a post on how my dad found a way to spend “quality” time with me. Perhaps The Ten Commandments doesn’t need any help from me. If you are looking for a movie that kind of explains the Jewish holiday of Passover and you love epic movie productions with a cast of thousands, and you like watching films with Charlton Heston and Yul Brenner and a host of other icons of Hollywood…get a copy and a BIG bowl of popcorn (or maybe two) and enjoy!

Just a reminder – tomorrow is the last day of the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop and Giveaway. The giveaway of a copy of Show Me How! ends at 11:59pm on Monday night. Just click on the Blog Hop link above and leave a comment telling me you have subscribed to this blog. You can get extra entries by grabbing my button, posting the giveaway on your blog or facebook or tweeting about it.

Healthy Habit Thursday: THE VITAMIN BAND

Posted on April 21, 2011 by viviankirkfield

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THE VITAMIN BAND

Is it a pill?

Is it a collection of musical instruments?

Is it a bracelet?

The answer to the above questions is NO!

The Vitamin Band is actually a unique children’s book by author and PhD. Olena Burda Lassen.

Ms. Lassen has developed a simple yet innovative technique that helps young children learn to play the piano while they learn about healthy eating and have lots of fun at the same time!

What could be better than that!

I met this amazing woman at a book fair and book signing a couple of weeks ago. Her book cover (a piano keyboard) was so engaging, I had to pick up the book and flip through it. And, once I had it in my hands, I knew I had to buy a copy to give to my two 5½ year old twin grandchildren. The book is so appealing and such a great resource, I plan on purchasing another copy to keep on my library shelves for reference.

Her website is a magical place and you will find information about how you can purchase the book, as well as free fun-filled activities for your children. You’ll also find her schedule of upcoming appearances and events. Each event is sure to provide an entertaining and educationally enriching time for your children.

The book is perfection itself…printed on eco-friendly paper using soy-based inks, this is a treasure you will cherish and utilize for many years to come.

Please stop by tomorrow for Follow-Me-Fridays: Where’s Miss Vivian. I visited the children at Trailblazer School this morning and I want to tell you all about it.

Also, don’t forget, the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop and Giveaway is going on right now until April 25^th and you can enter and win a FREE copy of my book, Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking. Just click on the above link and it will take you to the post that explains how to enter! Good luck, everyone!