Not your clothes, not your floors, your HANDs.

Wash your hands.
Wash your kids hands.
Wash strangers hands. Well, maybe not. That would be weird.

But, from one parent to another, a bit of advice.
1. Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands.
2. Then keep those hands out of your mouth and away from your face.

This may give you some help in fighting the dreaded gastrointestinal virus that is making the rounds in this neighbourhood.

And if all that fails, make sure you keep some oral electrolyte solution on hand (ie. Gatorade for adults, Pedialyte drink or freezies for kids). Keep this in the basement or freezer, because this virus never hits during the day ... always around midnight, when it might be a tad inconvenient to get to a store to go shopping. A tad inconvenient for sleep as well. Good luck.

I'm starting a new category to capture hilarious kids quotes ... OMB, or Out of the Mouths of Babes !

First up.

Mommy, and oldest kid (K1), sitting, cosy, under a blanket on the couch reading a story. The story refers to an antique (can you see where this is going) ....

K1 : Mommy, what's an antique.

Me : It's something very old (and, I should have said valuable, but I digress)

K1 : So, you're an antique?

Hmmm, let's just say 'retro' shall we?

I found this wonderful recipe over at the All Recipes site and had to share it. I'm not really sure why I have such an affinity for cookbooks, when I'm constantly trying the recipes I find online. Maybe I'm a wanna be luddite?

In any case, I make good use of the All Recipes site. So, I'll share my approach. First, I narrow down the food type (for example, cookies, chicken dinner, cake, etc). Next, if necessary, I'll add in any additional search parameters, such as, raisins, chocolate chips, almonds, etc. After that, I sort the results by ratings, and choose the recipe that has both a high number of reviews/votes, and a high rating (up to 5 stars are possible). Finally, I take a quick look at the 'most useful' reviews to learn any additional tips and tricks to improve on the end result.

In this example, the pumpkin bread, or Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread , has over 4000 reviews, and has managed to keep a 5 out of 5 rating.

While I can't take credit for the recipe, I can say I've increased the popularity of it ... every time I make it, people ask for the recipe. Okay, women ask for the recipe, men just eat (and eat, and eat). Just this past weekend, an acquaintance told me they gave out a number of these loaves in their Christmas baskets, after I passed along the website.

But don't wait for Christmas! This also makes a great school snack as it has no nuts, and keeps it's shape when sliced. I've only made it as a loaf, but I imagine it would be just as good, and quite cute, as mini loaves or even muffins.

So, here it is.

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree (i've used 14oz cans as well)
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions
1 .Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour, or spray, three loaf pans. You may need to turn your oven down to 325 if the edges appear to be browning (and pulling away from the sides of the loaf pan) before the center cooks.
2.  In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended.
3.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger.
4.  Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. You don't want to over mix this, or any other muffin/loaf mixture. Pour into the prepared pans.
5. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. I have found it takes closer to 60-65 minutes for these to cook in my oven.

Eh, voila ...



Think I'll share this over at my Adventures In Thriftiness website.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

Roughly translated, the more things change, the more things stay the same.

I was thinking about this the other day as I swept the floor (again), did the dishes (again), prepped some food (again), put away toys, trinkets, and clothing (again).

Hmmm, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

The kids are growing, learning and exploring, but some things never change. Namely, cooking for them, cleaning for them, and picking up after them. Oh, and the noise and commotion. It's constant. Like living in a never ending thunderstorm. Actually, that's not true, it does end. Every night around 8pm when they go to bed.

I had a little taste of change a few weeks ago. I was home alone in the house, with the kids in care or school, and me home from work. It was so quiet. I remember thinking that in 20 years, they'll be all grownup, and moved on, and it will be like this all the time.

Hmmm, think I'll need to get a dog.

Here's another product review for you, stemming from one of our Christmas gifts : the Hedbanz Game.

The game can be played with two to four players, and involves each player having to guess the contents of a card that they cannot be see (through deductive reasoning, if you want to sound really fancy-schmansy). 

The game begins with each player receiving a card, a plastic headband, and three chips. On their turn, a player places the card, without looking at it, on their respective headband. The one minute timer begins, and the player may than ask a series of yes/no questions, until they have enough information to make a guess, for example :

Am I a food?
Am I a vegetable?
Am I red?
Tomatoe?

If correct, the player gives back one of their three chips. The player that 'loses' all of their chips first, wins.

Why did I like the game? First, I was interested in playing. Second, and this might be why I was interested in playing, it didn't involve batteries, princesses, or screen time. Third, it did involve thinking.

This proved a little more challenging for the younger set, who just wanted to throw the cards around to see where they fell, much to the dismay of the older siblings. But, I would say it would be suitable for those age 6 and over, and would interest both genders.

Here's a screen shot of the game from Amazon, but I've seen it in almost every store that carries board games.

http://www.amazon.com/Spin-Master-Games-6014346-Hedbanz/dp/B003AIM52A

If you have toddlers you'll know how difficult it is to keep them warm when you head outside.
 
Actually getting multiple children dressed in winter clothing, and getting out the front door, in less than an hour, is a whole other post.

But assuming you get them dressed, keeping them dressed becomes your next challenge. Someone is always taking off a hat, losing a mitten or having their snowsuit hike up their legs - like their own personal snowsuit wedgie game - exposing bits of leg to the frigid air.

Sometimes keeping them clothed feels like playing 'whack-a-mole' ... you get one bit of skin covered, and out pops the next.

While I can't solve all of these problems, I can pass along one little trick I've learned. Although, I can't take credit for it. This little gem of an idea came to me via a shoe store salesperson.
 
We were shopping for winter boots a few years ago, when the sales lady suggested buying mitten clips? Mitten clips, for boots? Me thinks you're one clip short, I was saying to myself.

Agh, but not so fast. The clip isn't fastened to the boot. It's fastened to the snowsuit leg, and wrapped around the bottom of the boot. Kind of like those bungee tie down straps for cars ... but for kids and their snowsuits instead.

How does it work? The first clip is attached to the bottom, outside of one pant leg, then wrapped under the boot, and the second clip is attached to the bottom, inside of the snowsuit pant leg. That's it ... the mitt clip acts like a mini bungee that holds the snowsuit leg in place ... in the stroller, when walking, when being picked up, when tobogganing/sledding.

Incredible. Fantisimo, and just plain great. No more snowsuit leg wedgies. Snowsuit stays down, legs stay covered (and warm), and one less thing for mommies and daddies to worry about.

And just in case you can't quite figure out what I'm talking about. Here's the visual ...

We have had this toy in the basement for a few years, but the kids just found it again, and man do they love it. I had forgotten how much fun it is for kids of all ages. It takes batteries which is the only downside, but it's worth it.

Basically, the base of the elephant is made of hard plastic, and the trunk is made from soft, expandable, plastic. When the game is turned on, the trunk unrolls, straight up, and out shoot butterflies. Players stand around the elephant trying to catch the butterflies, and whomever catches the most, wins. Although most of the time they don't bother to count. They just want to play it again, and again, and again.




I found this information on Amazon : The Hasbro Elefun . But I've seen them at most toy stores.

Get rechargable batteries, you'll need them.

[I have not received any compensation for this review.]

As a long time cloth diaper user, I've have tried a number of different cloth diapers, and cloth diapering systems. Yes, there are 'systems' There are the prefolds (basically cloth that is folded to fit babies bum), the snap closures, the velcro closures, the all-in-ones, the separate liners, the 2 piece diaper/wrap combos, the one-size-fits-all-grow with your baby, and more.

My favourite, hands down, to date, are the Kushies all-in-one diaper. Yes, there is a little extra washing with the all-in-one (no reuse of the wrap, when only the cloth diaper needs to be washed). But for ease of use, and longevity, these win hands down.

There is a drawback, these are not cheap, The infant 5 pack is currently listed at $61.99 and the toddler 5 pack at $73.99. However, I don't think I have ever paid that much. I've usually bought them second hand, received them as a gift, or as a hand-me-down. Yet, even at full price, the benefits are worth it : you'll never run out of diapers (or laundry ), no funny chemicals against baby's bum, they'll last through many, many kids, and you can sell them when you're done (trying doing that with a disposable ... ewwwww).

I'm definitely not against disposables, I use them every night ... but I love the convenience of these cloth diapers. Cloth diapers and convenience ... bet you never thought you would hear those words in the same sentence! And no, I have received no compensation. This is just one moms opinion.

http://www.kushiesonline.com/Kushies-Diapers-s/240.htm

So, I'm driving one of my many kid trips, when a voice from the back asks ...

"Mommy, was God ever a teenager" ?

I was officially stumped.

This Arrowroot Biscuit  recipe  comes from the All Recipes website .

I like these cookies because they are easy to make, not too sweet, and suitable for young helpers. We make them at least once a month. Sometimes plain, sometimes with chocolate chips, and now with Christmas around the corner, we've been using cookie cutters and festive sprinkles. They make a great snack in lunches, or a nice treat during nap time with a cup of tea.

The link provides you with a single batch, but since I always double the recipe, I've provided my measurements (and my tweaking of the instructions) below.

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

2 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup arrowroot flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

(chocolate chips for decorating - optional)

Cream butter or margarine and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla.
Stir remaining ingredients together (except chocolate chips) and add. Mix well.
Roll 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface.
Cut with cookie cutter or into rounds (ie with the opening of a small juice glass) and transfer to greased baking sheet. Add one or more chocolate chips to shaped dough if desired.
Bake in 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven for about 8 to 10 minutes (I remove them just before they start to turn golden).
Allow a bit more baking time if rolled thicker.

Here's a shot of the dough being rolled out (you know, in case it wasn't obvious by the rolling pin)!



And here's the final product.

Note, if you let your kids add the chocolate chips, they will ALWAYS add more than one simple, little, decorative chocolate chip. They will try to cover as much surface area as possible with chocolate chips, until you are forced to ration the chocolate chips .. then again, maybe they're on to something. Most things in life are made better with the addition of chocolate.