Friday, May 14, 2010

Hummingbird Order, Next Meeting?

Hi, Mamas:

Are we planning to get together on the 22nd? We could meet at my house, or mix things up.

If we're going to meet next week, we might want to think about Hummingbird orders. You can post about items you're interested in getting in the comments.

I hope all is well with you!

Busy Children in the Kitchen

I just got back from watching Babies -- what a lovely experience! It was fascinating to watch little ones being raised in such different cultural settings. And, of course, there were lots of little chubby bums and round faces!

Anyhow, the film reminded me that I've been meaning to ask you all for tips about keeping children happy and busy while dinner is being prepared. Most of us are probably involving children in the cooking. Are there any kitchen tasks that your children particularly relish that we may not have tried yet? And what else are they up to, aside from cooking and cleanup? I haven't tried letting my children make potions or doughs of their own design yet. Any ideas about how to make potions more manageable in terms of wasted food and big messes?

Here's a list of what has been helping me get the job done lately. Please, please post your own tips here, too!
  • Washing windows with a spray bottle of vinegar and water
  • Washing up the dishes, at the sink or (for variety) in a dish tub set out on a towel on the kitchen floor (I have to vary the scrubbing tools periodically to keep their interest up)
  • Playing ice cube hockey with a tray of cubes for each boy and a couple of wooden spoons (they also love to scrub the floor with a big scrub brush and then dry it with towels at the end of the game...most of the time)
  • Watering plants with a spray bottle on the mist setting
  • Restaurant play (props include carbon copy receipt pad, boxes with tea towels over them for tables, and lots of onions and potatoes from an easily-reached basket)
  • Paper route play inspired by Dav Pilkey's book Paperboy (rolling up sheets of newspaper and securing with rubber band, filling bag, deliveries on vehicle, etc.)
  • Cracking nuts
  • Simple independent outside chore for older child (feeding hens, picking herbs, borrowing something from or delivering something to next door neighbor, etc.)

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Easy Spring Salad Dressing

My neighbor shared this super easy way to dress a salad. We have been using it lots with the lettuce, spinach and radishes from our garden.

Place your greens and other veggies in a bowl. Sprinkle with sea salt and toss thoroughly. I think the salt wilts the greens just a bit. I let it sit salted while I do other dinner prep. Then pour some olive oil and lemon juice on the salad and toss thoroughly again. A little parmesan for a finishing touch and that's it. It is surprisingly caesar-esque with very little effort. Alder likes the radishes, turnips, cucumbers and avocados. Aaron and I like the whole raw leafiness of the salad!