Inspections of licensed child-care facilities in Maryland are now online, we report today. Now how come they had to wait until my kids were in actual school to start this? I used to angst mightily over these decisions.

Now the question is: If your child is already in a day-care situation you're happy with, are you going to check this site and risk upsetting the apple cart? Or do you want to know everything you can know about the place where your child spends her days?

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Child Care
        

Moms being mad at dad is a very hot topic right now on parenting.com because of a poll in which 1,000 mothers dish about their husbands, reports the New York Times' Motherlode blog. Basically, according to the Times' summary, lots of women feel their husbands' lives haven't been taken over as much by the children. A lot of them are mad that dad can't "multitask," also known as changing a diaper while participating in a conference call and building blocks with your toddler.

Two thoughts:

1) If you read the summary, it sounds like a lot of women are, indeed, p.o.'d at their spouses even though it's 2009, already. But if you look more closely, you see that the angry (at least those cited by the Times) get to 50 percent -- at the highest.

So...the other 50 percent -- or more -- aren't mad at dad? That's actually pretty interesting to me.

2) Though I like everyone else am occasionally mad at dad -- that's only human -- I am more frequently in awe of my husband's skills with our children. Yesterday, he stayed home to handle the kids' day off from school with major aplomb, taking care of two playmates as well. Best of all, he built them all a killer four-room fort in the basement. I would never have come up with that idea.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Father's Day Tuesday
        

Baltimore crime beat blogger Peter Hermann has an interesting post on a group of Cub Scouts from Bethesda whose cars were broken into while they were visiting Baltimore's National Aquarium. The police were sent to the wrong address, but the kids and their chaperones didn't know that's why no one showed up to help them. The adults tried to explain what happened on the way home, and to put it into perspective.

Peter asks whether fifth-graders could understand the distinction between "hurting a car" and "hurting a person." Yes, I say. Definitely.

He also wonders what you would have told your kids, who may believe the police are infallible, in this case. I would have hauled out my "everybody makes mistakes" chestnut. (Usually this is how I'm using it: "Everybody makes mistakes -- even Mommy.")

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 1:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

I'm passing along a good Valentine's solution for today's Tip Sheet, from Travel Savvy Mom via the always-helpful Parent Hacks.

Instead of having your child hand-make and/or sign a valentine for each of the 20-odd kids in his class, he can make one big, beautiful valentine -- and you can take a picture of him holding it. Make 20-odd prints, and the work is done.

(AP photo)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Tip Sheet Thursdays
        

This weekend you can take your family to Circus Silliness, the Great Scale Model Train Show, or a musical about Nate the Great:

Thursday, Jan. 29:

Stories for Sleepyheads: Wear your favorite pajamas to enjoy bedtime stories and fun from 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at the Annapolis branch of the Anne Arundel County Public Library. Children ages 2-6 with adult. Free. Call 410-222-1750 or visit aacpl.net.

Duct Tape Bags: Create a trendy hand bag from duct tape at 6:30 p.m. at the Savage branch of the Howard County Library. Ages 11-16. Free. Registration required. Call 410-880-5975 or visit hclibrary.org.

Year of the Ox: Learn about the Chinese New Year with crafts and stories at the Mountain Road branch of the Anne Arundel County Public Library at 7 p.m. Ages 4 and up. Free. Call 410-222-6699 or visit aacpl.net.

Friday, Jan. 30:

Groundhog Day: Celebrate Groundhog Day with stories and activities at the Aberdeen branch of the Harford County Public Library, 10:15-11 a.m. Ages 2-6. Registration recommended. Free. Call 410-273-5608 or visit hcplonline.info.

Nate the Great: See a musical about the boy detective performed by TheatreworksUSA at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Amoss Center, Thomas Run Road, Bel Air. Ages 6 and up with adult. Registration required, Tickets $7-11. Call 410-836-4211 or visit www.harford.edu/cultural.

Circus Silliness starts Saturday...

Saturday, Jan. 31:

Circus Silliness:  Circus Silliness features comedians, clowns and acrobats in a benefit for the Community College of Baltimore County's performing arts scholarships and programs at 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at CCBC-Essex. $15; seats can be reserved at 443-840-ARTS (2787).

Great Scale Model Train Show: The Great Scale Model Train Show takes place this weekend at the Maryland State Fairgrounds. See operating model layouts and free train movies and browse 750 tables of merchandise. The show runs 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday at the fairgrounds, 2200 York Road, Timonium. Admission is $9 per person or $18 per family; kids younger than 15 are admitted free. Show your hand stamp from Saturday and get in free Sunday. Call 410-730-1036.  

"Dude, I Wrote That": Learn how to write magazine and newspaper articles with teen author Paula Chase-Hyman at 1 p.m at the West County branch of the Anne Arundel County Public Library. Teens. Visit aacpl.net or call 410-622-2277.

Sleight-of-Hand Workshop: Magician Mike Rose teaches magic tricks and provides props at 2 p.m. at the Hereford branch of the Baltimore County Public Library. Teens. Registration required. Call 410-222-6277 or visit bcpl.info.

"Kemistry for Chids": Conduct fun experiments while learning about science from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Anita C. Leight Estuary Center, 700 Otter Point Road, Abingdon. For ages 8+. $3. Register by calling 410-612-1688 or visit otterpointcreek.org.

Sunday, Feb. 1:

Luck of the Dragon at the Walters: This will be the theme of the next month of weekend drop-in art activities at the Walters Art Museum. Activities are 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. 410-547-9000.

Get a head start on college admissions: Students in grades 8-10 and their families can learn how to prepare for getting into college at 11 a.m. at the Rosenbloom Owings Mills JCC in this workshop to be led by Craig Meister of Tactical College Consulting. 

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 7:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Things to Do
        

Yes we can, babies. A new Barack Obama board book is out to tell the page-tearing set all about our 44th president.

Kids can learn about Obama's parents, see a map of places where he grew up and went to school, and check out the vehicles that the president uses. Best of all, your little politician can put his picture in a pseudo-frame on the last page, under the words "future president." All for only $10.95.

Like Obama, this book seems just a bit, well, precocious. Kids typically outgrow board books by the time they're 3, don't they? Yet this one isn't exactly "One Fish, Two Fish." (To wit, this sentence: "Obama graduated from Harvard with a Juris Doctor degree in 1991.") And there are passages from the Constitution to explain the president's powers.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Books
        

Here's a recipe special for all of you on liberal leave today with your school-is-closed-again! kids.

It assumes you have either some leftover sweet potatoes or canned pumpkin on hand.

Here's a shocker for regular readers: my kids actually really like these muffins, even though they're full of other healthful things like oats and walnuts.

I adapted this recipe from cdkitchen.com. It originally had a streusel topping, but that, to me, defeats the purpose of the sweet-potato muffin. And I think these are quite good without it.

They're also surprisingly moist...

And they freeze well. Perfect to have on hand for busy mornings.

Sweet Potato Muffins

Makes 16-18 muffins

1 1/4 cup uncooked oats

1 cup flour

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup mashed sweet potato or canned pumpkin

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine dry ingredients (oats through salt) in one bowl and moist ingredients (sweet potato through vanilla) in another. Stir together until just moistened; do not overmix.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake 15-20 minutes.

--Adapted from CDkitchen.com

(Sorry, no time for nutritional analysis today. We’ve gotta bake. Now.)

(Photo by me)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

To get dinner on the table in the dead of winter, we need the humor -- and ease -- of Peg Bracken.

If you're my age (40-ish) or younger and you don't know who that is, take a look on your mother's cookbook shelf. There's a good chance Bracken's famous I Hate to Cook Book is still there.

This recipe is in a version of the cookbook, from a chapter called "The Daily Anticlimax," otherwise known as the weeknight family dinner. The real joke is that this recipe, like others of Bracken's, is quite tasty and really couldn't be easier. Besides olive oil, the title tells you everything you'll need.

The only hitch for my kids was the unfortunate coincidence of the Lunar New Year this week...

My son had learned that day that he was born in the year of the Sheep, so he refused to eat much of this dinner on principle. My daughter basically sided with him, though she was born in the year of the Snake.

Lamb and Lemon

Serves 4

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

eight 1-inch thick loin or rib lamb chops

Lemon slices for garnish, optional

Heat the broiler. Mix together olive oil, lemon juice and lemon rind and brush over lamb chops. Broil about 4 inches from the heat, 7 to 10 minutes on the first side, depending on how pink you like your lamb. Brush them occasionally as they broil and after you turn them over. Give them about 6 minutes on the second side. Garnish with lemon slices.

From "The Compleat I Hate to Cook Book," by Peg Bracken

Per serving: 414 calories, 40 grams protein, 27 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat, 1 gram carbohydrate, 0 grams fiber, 128 milligrams cholesterol, 113 milligrams sodium. Analysis by registered dietitian Jodie Shield.

(Photo by me)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

It's time again to ask your questions about how to parent for the Monday Consult. I'll try to get an expert to weigh in on your most pressing concerns. Or, just something that's been bugging you.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: The Monday Consult
        

It’s already time to think about spring sports and summer camp. Which brings up the question of how much say tweens should have in the matter. I’ve adhered to the rule that once they start an activity, such as joining a sports team, they must stick with it for the season. “You’ve made a commitment,” I say. “People are counting on you.”

Sometimes that’s made for some less than enthusiastic play. When my tween was younger, he discovered early in the season he hated soccer. That meant I watched a good many games in which he walked around the field or stood in place while the ball passed by him.

Other parents have a different philosophy. Rather than forcing a child to do an activity he or she hates, it’s better to let him or her quit, they say.

Now that it’s time to sign up for spring sports and summer camp, I’m asking the kids what they want to do, but the truth is they don’t always know. Several times I’ve had the experience where they say in February they don’t want to play baseball, and then in April, when their friends are playing, they are sorry they didn’t sign up.

Last summer, my older son was furious when I signed him up for art camp. He thought he would be bored. But he loved it and can’t wait to go back. Last year, he was on the verge of quitting band; this year, he made the county honors band and says he intends to play through high school or even college.

So what do you do when it comes to enrolling the kids in extracurricular activities? Do you let them decide? Do you sign them up even if they don’t want to do it? Do you let them quit if they don’t like it?

(AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 7:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Teens
        

Kelly asked us for help with a familiar problem – getting a 2-year-old ready for a new sibling. I turned to Marian Edelman Borden, author of The Baffled Parent’s Guide to Sibling Rivalry.

Borden says that in the first few weeks after a new baby arrives, parents should expect both delightful moments when the kids interact beautifully, and moments that aren’t so pretty. It’s all normal. Here are some of her e-mailed suggestions:

 “Accept the inevitable. As much as you want to create an instant loving bond between your children, there will be times when your older one (and even tually your younger child) will be frustrated that he’s not the center of the universe or doesn’t have your full attention. That’s okay. Encourage him to verbalize his emotions, or help him with the words if he’s not able to put what he’s feeling into language. Compliment him when he’s been a big help or shown great patience.

 “Hunger and fatigue are your enemies. Often sibling rivalry isn’t the product of deep-seated emotions, but of just being tired and hungry. Try to make sure your older one stays on his nap schedule and eats regular, healthy meals. Take the time for yourself to eat healthy meals, and sleep when you can.

 “Big brothers and big sisters are still pretty little. Your older child may regress – asking for a bottle, waking up in the night, having toileting accidents – as he figures out his new life as a sibling. Dig deep and have the patience (and definitely a sense of humor). Don’t insist that he be the “big” boy all the time. This too will pass.

 “Schedule some one-on-one time every day with your older one. As hard as it is -- and there are days when you can’t see how it’s possible to eke out another waking minute -- be sure to spend a little time when it’s just the two of you. When the baby is sleeping, read to your older child instead of doing another load of laundry. Or if you’re going to do the wash, have him help you fold the clothing.

 “Get organized and plan ahead. To reduce your older one’s frustrations, think through how to cope with daily tasks. For example, when you feed the baby, have a basket of books and quiet toys that you use to keep your older child engaged and close by. Prepare a snack and drink for the big brother so he can keep you company. (Make one for yourself too!).”

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: The Monday Consult
        

Since we're all still thinking a lot about our new president, I thought we'd mark Father's Day Friday today with a roundup of thoughts about the role of fathers in Barack Obama's story. His own father, that is, and the father he has become to two young daughters.

--You can listen to reviews and discussion of Obama's memoir, Dreams from My Father, from the Diane Rehm show.

--The Washington Post's On Faith blog reports that the story of Obama's absent father has been turned into an anti-abortion ad that aired during the new president's inauguration.

--In case you missed it, here's the father-focused speech Obama delivered last Father's Day on the campaign trail, courtesy of Politico. The video of the speech from YouTube is above.

--Here's the Obama administration's agenda on family issues from the new whitehouse.gov.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 7:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Father's Day Tuesday
        

For today's Tip Sheet, we turn to the very helpful March issue of ShopSmart magazine. They've looked into when you can accept used baby items, and when you shouldn't. In this tough economy, that's helpful information.

Here are the tips, straight from the magazine's press release:

Bath products:

Safe: Used baby bathtubs are fine as long as the lining isn’t full of mold or mildew.

Not safe: If the tub has an odor of either of these, say no thanks because they can be hard to remove. Also, skip secondhand bath seats, bath rings, and inflatable tubs since they have been responsible for many deaths among babies.

Car seats:

Safe: A car seat that has all its original parts and labels, has never been in a crash, and fits your car and child is OK.

Not safe: Products more than six years old are outdated, and most likely too run down to be considered safe.

Cribs:

Safe: Any crib that was manufactured after the year 2000 should be fine, as long as it is not broken or missing any pieces. (Or, I would add, recalled. You can check the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall site here.)

Not safe: Prior to 2000, cribs were held to different safety standards, and will not be acceptable for your baby, even if you slept soundly in them. Any crib with cutouts in the headboard, and corner posts over 16 inches pose serious risks for a child’s safety.

High chairs:

Safe: Say yes to a hand-me-down high chair if it has a five-point harness to prevent your child from climbing out and a fixed crotch post that prevents him/her from sliding out the bottom.

Not safe: Old-fashioned wooden high chairs with removable trays or arms are considered dangerous and uncomfortable for the baby, in addition to not being up to newer product safety standards.

Strollers:

Safe: Strollers made after 2007 when new safety standards were published are safe.

Not safe: Any stroller made prior to that date, or that has missing, loose, or broken pieces.

Toys:

Safe: Stuffed animals and most children’s books make fine hand-me-downs. In the case of lead contamination in used toys, there are many home lead inspection kits which can be purchased for under $20 which will tell you whether the toys are safe.

Not safe: Avoid any toys that are chipped, as well as any small parts that can fit through a tube of toilet paper, since they present serious choking hazards for small children.

Used clothing:

Safe: As long as buttons and snaps are on tight and none of the thread is unraveling from the fabric, the used clothing is fine.

Not safe: Pass on any article of clothing with drawstrings because they pose a strangulation hazard.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Tip Sheet Thursdays
        

Ravens, King day, inauguration...have we had enough excitement this week? The coming weekend seems pretty calm by comparison. But here are a few things you might want to do with the family:

Thursday, Jan. 22:

Baltimore Boat Show: The boat show continues through Sunday at the Baltimore Convention Center. Children's activities will take place at KidsCove, including paddle boat rides and an appearance by SpongeBob Square Pants from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. Free for kids 12 and under; $5 for youths 13-15; $10 for adults. More details here.

Friday, Jan. 23:

The healthy convenience store: Port Discovery will debut a new permanent exhibit, the Royal Farms Convenience Store and Fill’er Up Station, today. The store will be a model of an actual Royal Farms store with kid-friendly features. Free with museum admission.

Saturday, Jan. 24:

City middle school fair: Trying to pick a middle school for your child in Baltimore city? Baltimore City Public Schools will hold a middle school choice fair this morning from 9 a.m.- noon at the Roland Patterson complex cafeteria, 4701 Greenspring Ave. For information: 410-396-1796.

Sunday, Jan. 25:

Dad documentary: Happy SAHD, a documentary on local dads whose creator posted here the other day, premieres at the Creative Alliance at the Patterson at 4 p.m.

"Carnival of the Animals": Kinetics Dance Theatre will perform Carnival of the Animals at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday at the Howard County Center for the Arts, 8510 High Ridge Road, Ellicott City. The 35-minute performance features the music of Camille Saint-Saens and the poetry of Ogden Nash. Tickets are $5; reserve at 410-480-1686.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Things to Do
        

Our friend Kris Henry, writer of the local Forge Flyer blog, was brave enough to take her son, Jack, to D.C. to try to witness yesterday's inauguration first-hand.

I asked her to write her account of the day. Hint: the lifelike cardboard cutout of President Obama in the photograph is about as close as they got to him.

Here's Kris:

(Photo courtesy of Kris Henry)

After going back and forth in my mind about whether or not to attempt to attend Barack Obama's inauguration, I had decided to skip it. Then a friend who lives in D.C. urged me to come stay at her house Monday night and make the trip with her and her husband Tuesday morning. At the last minute, I took her up on her offer, bringing my 6-year-old son and leaving my preschool-aged daughter home with my husband.

On the drive down Monday evening, I tried to impress upon my son, Jack, the momentousness of the occasion. I started to explain that not that long ago, black people were not even allowed to eat in the same places as white people. He interrupted me and said, "But Martin Luther King changed the world." I agreed that King and many others had changed the world and that was why we were able to have Obama as our next president and that it was something he'd hopefully remember forever.

On inauguration day, we hopped on a bus and arrived a few blocks north of the Mall around 8 a.m. My friends had tickets to the event, so we split from them and headed to the nearest checkpoint entry. This is where things started to go wrong. Jack and I were squished in the middle of a huge crowd that took up an entire intersection and the surrounding streets for several blocks. All was fine until an ambulance tried to get through, forcing people to smoosh up against others even more. The ambulance stopped in front of us, attempted to back up (almost hitting several people) and then moved forward a few feet and sat idling.

During all this sandwiching of people, Jack got pretty freaked out and said through some tears, "This was not a great idea!" Meanwhile, my cell phone kept getting text messages from The Washington Post about entrance points being jammed. Jack voted for going back to our friends' house and watching on TV. So we pushed our way through the crowds, bought some Obama gear from street vendors, then hopped on an empty bus back up to Mt. Rainier.

We ended up watching the inauguration on a big-screen TV at The Artmosphere Café on Rhode Island Avenue and having a lovely time, clapping, crying and cheering with a small, happy group of Obama fans.

Were I to attempt such a thing again, I would have
a)    arrived earlier
b)    planned to enter the Mall through a less-crowded area farther from the action
c)    considered the ramifications, though it luckily didn't occur in this case, of having a 6-year-old trapped in a sea of thousands of shoulder-to-shoulder crowds who suddenly yelled, "Mom, I have to poop!"

Even though the day didn't go exactly according to plan, I'm still glad we tried and I think that seeing the crowds and feeling people's energy made an impression on Jack (and on me) that couldn't be matched by simply watching it on TV here at home. And despite a few tears, Jack was ultimately glad to be on the scene and was particularly thrilled by his new Obama hat and t-shirt.

I'll wait until he's older to expect any deeper meaning to sink in.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

So I woke suddenly at about 3:30 this morning, seized with free-form worry about kids. This wouldn't be an unusual event, except that the kids weren't mine. They were Sasha and Malia Obama.

Now of course this doesn't make much sense, since the darling Obama girls have everything they could need and want, and most importantly, two parents (plus a live-in grandma) who obviously adore them and put them first. Still, there are several plausible explanations for my disrupted sleep:

1) Let's just say it: I'm a completely neurotic mom.

2) The proximity dream theory applies -- the girls, not far from the ages of my own kids, couldn't help but creep into my subconscious after I'd watched them on television for hours yesterday.

3) With their father's swearing-in, Malia and Sasha are now, in a sense, America's children. They're part of the energy and youthfulness of this new administration, but they're also vulnerable kids, and the moms and dads among us know how hard it may be for them to live under the microscope.

Did any of you wake up worried and wondering why, too?

(Associated Press photo/Jae Hong)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Every once in a while, I vow to seriously cook ahead on a Sunday -- to prep and freeze mountains of meals for the future, which we will pop out and cook on weeknights without breaking a sweat.

On the few occasions when I have kept this resolution, I've turned to the book Fix, Freeze, Feast, by Kati Neville and Lindsay Tkacsik. It's set up for this kind of bulk cooking and buying, and even has helpful cooking instructions in label form that you can copy and tape onto your frozen bags of food. Those are great to have if you like to cook for new moms, friends who are sick, etc.

Anyway, we recently tried the bulk Beef Fajitas recipe from the book...

(Photo by me)

I thought it might work for the kids because fajitas come in parts: You can eat just the steak, or the steak and veggies, or everything with a tortilla, with cheese or not.

These weren't a hit with the young ones, but it was easy to whip up a quesadilla (which my daughter does like) with a spare tortilla and some of the cheese. But the adults were big fans, which is good, because there are more packages of prepped fajitas waiting in the freezer...

Beef fajitas

Makes 4 entrees, with 4 servings each

1 tray (about 6 pounds) boneless top sirloin steaks

1/2 cup lime juice (takes about 5 limes)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

8 teaspoons minced garlic (about 24 cloves)

4 large onions, cut into strips

4 large green bell peppers, cut into strips

4 two-gallon freezer bags or grocery bags, labeled with recipe title and date

4 one-gallon freezer bags

4 one-quart freezer bags

On hand for cooking each entree:

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

10 flour tortillas

1 cup shredded Mexican blend of four cheeses, or cheddar cheese 

Sour cream, salsa, guacamole, or other fajita toppings

Blot steaks with paper towels and trim excess fat. Cutting across the grain, slice each steak into narrow strips. Divide beef evenly among the 1-gallon bags.

Whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, oil, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Divide the marinade evenly over the beef. Into each bag of beef strips measure 2 teaspoons garlic. Seal.

Divide onion and green pepper strips evenly among the 1-quart bags. Seal.

Into each of the 2-gallon bags, place a bag of beef in marinade and a bag of onions and peppers. Seal and freeze.

To cook one entree: Completely thaw one of the packaged entrees in the refrigerator. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers and stir-fry until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove vegetables from skillet and add beef. (Note: if you add the marinade with the beef, you'll get a moist, stir-fried kind of steak, but not the sear of a classic fajita. If you prefer the sear, pour the marinade into a separate skillet before you cook the beef, and boil it to add as you like to the seared beef at the end.)

Stir-fry beef until well-browned, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat and return vegetables, stirring to combine. Serve with tortillas and cheese. Add fajita toppings as desired.

--Adapted from Fix, Freeze, Feast, by Kati Neville and Lindsay Tkacsik

Per serving: 826 calories, 47 grams protein, 39 grams fat, 13 grams saturated fat, 68 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams fiber, 108 milligrams cholesterol, 1,673 milligrams sodium

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

By now, you've probably planned how you'll mark the inauguration of Barack Obama today.

Maybe you have the day off because your kids do, or maybe -- like me -- you've gone to work, but will be trying to watch from your desk.

Or maybe this wasn't your president of choice and still isn't, and you're wondering how to navigate that with your kids amid all the excitement over Obama.

I'd like to hear what you're doing and how your kids are reacting to the big event. (Associated Press photo/Lynne Sladky)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

The February issue of Family Circle magazine has an interesting article about how to cope when  growing tweens/teens rebuffs their parents' hugs and kisses. It's natural for kids to become more physically distant as their bodies grow and change and as they seek to become more independent, the article says. And while it is a phase the kids will eventually outgrow, there are alternative ways to stay close now, the article says. Among the suggestions: blowing kisses, playing physical games like touch football, giving them a shoulder rub or back scratch when they're on the computer.

My boys have different levels of tolerance for open affection. Ironically, the 12-year-old is more likely to give me a hug in public than the 7-year-old. This past weekend, however, I found a way of getting close that they both seemed to like or at least not mind. The article suggested sitting next to your kids on the sofa as you watch a favorite TV show. Sunday we sat together watching the Steelers and Ravens play, and both boys tolerated my touches and hugs as they cheered on the players.

Do you have other strategies for keeping kids close? As a mom of boys, I know just one side of the story. Do those of you with girls find it harder or easier to give your growing tween a hug?

Posted by Liz Atwood at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Teens
        

Kate Dino asked for guidance on how to handle situations in which kids are regularly exposed to “less than desirable behavior” from adults. “Seriously, how do you talk to them about the fact that Grandma's a racist or Daddy's got a drinking problem?” she asked.

I asked Bonnie Compton, who runs a parent coaching business in Ellicott City called Parenting Partners, to tackle this one. Here’s what she e-mailed back:

“Just as a parent would prohibit children from watching an inappropriate TV show or movie, it is important to monitor and set limits around your child's time spent with family members who may exhibit inappropriate behavior.

“As a parent coach and child therapist, I often remind parents that it is important to be pro-active rather than reactive. By recognizing that a family member is capable of exhibiting undesirable behavior and to avoid the negative consequences of that behavior, you will want to control the encounter. If you allow your child to maintain a relationship with that particular relative, there are several things that you can do:

 “Plan structured activities for your child and family member. Make sure that the activity is fairly short, about 1-2 hours long, and either be present with your child during the visit or ask another responsible adult to monitor the activity.

 “Speak with the family member in advance and share with them your expectations for the visit, such as no racist comments, no drinking both before or during the visit, etc. Explain that if these behaviors occur during the visit, that you will end the visit and reschedule at another time.

 “Before your child visits with the relative, explain in language appropriate to his developmental level that sometimes people make mistakes or have difficulty behaving appropriately. Remind your child that it is your job as his parent to teach responsible behavior and keep him safe, and that if you or the child feel uncomfortable during the visit, you will (both) leave.

 “If you feel that your family member's behavior is out of control and it is unsafe for your child to be around them, then you need to make the decision either to confront your relative about their behavior and/or keep the child away from the relative. This may mean that you have to remove yourself and child from your living situation, or prohibit any visits with the relative. This is a difficult decision to make, but again it is your responsibility as a parent to keep your child safe.

“It is often helpful to talk with a therapist as you deal with life stressors and try to examine difficult family relationships.”

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: The Monday Consult
        

Before you SAHDs get all mad at me, consider a) this is Stephen Colbert and b) a dad, Gus Sentementes, sent this along:

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 3:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Today's Father's Day Friday guest, Michael Ivan Schwartz, isn't a dad himself. But he's gotten to know a group of Baltimore-area stay-at-home dads who gather on Wednesdays, and he's made a documentary about their lives that will premiere at 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25 at the Creative Alliance at the Patterson.

That's a trailer from the movie, "Happy SAHD" (for stay-at-home dad) above. You can read more about the movie here.

Here's Michael:

"I’m not a father. But I did make a movie about dads--stay at home dads--SAHDs as they are sometimes known. I followed around a dozen of these men in the Baltimore area for a year.

"You may know a SAHD. Perhaps you’ve seen one at story time at the library. Or caught one pushing his child in a swing at the playground. More than likely you observed a SAHD and thought he was just a dad taking the day off.

"In my year of SAHD watching, I observed what I believe to be a pretty unique community of men. Men I admire. Men being dads…full-time. The first time I met up at one of the dads homes, a group of them were walking over to the local park and a middle-age, female neighbor looked baffled as a crew of 10 dads and 15 kids came out of the house next door. She asked, “What’s going on here?” And one of the dads explained they were a group of stay-at-home dads. She responded, 'I had no idea!'

"Another time, when a handful of dads were at a park, my friend Jeff and I were chatting away while his 2-year-old twin daughters wandered the playground. We were about 20 yards away, keeping an eye on the girls while discussing his life as a SAHD when a random woman went up to one of his daughters and asked her if she was OK.

"As I edited the stories of my SAHD friends into my documentary, I saw some common themes. These dads love taking care of their kids. And despite the funny looks, odd comments and even disdainful glares, they are happy being SAHDs. It takes a certain type of guy to live this way. As Chris, the founder of the Baltimore Dads group explains, 'They are less guarded and more secure about things because they’re willing to take a different role in society than is normal.'

"Child development experts agree that dads play a significant role in their kids lives…whether by their absence or their presence. And these dads are very present during their children's formative years. My hope is my movie will help give these dads their day in the sun. And perhaps Charm City Moms will give these guys some more respect…as they say, “Until you walk a mile in their shoes.” So, moms—trust me, these guys have walked a mile in yours."

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 7:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Father's Day Tuesday
        

I don't know about your kids, but mine never met a crust they liked. Not only do they leave the crusts behind on their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but they won't even eat the crust at the edge of a piece of pizza.

Of course, the crust is said to be the healthiest part of a piece of bread. And in these times, who wants to waste all that crust?

Fortunately, I found a few tips for using up crusts at helium.com, which advises keeping a bag for your crusts in the freezer. Here are a few ways the site recommends using them:

--Make sweet or savory croutons.

--Use instead of French bread to top French onion soup.

--Make stuffing. (I'm not sure about the Pineapple Stuffing the site describes, but you could use crusts to make any kind of stuffing or strata. And because the bread would soak up liquid, your kids might not even notice it was once the dreaded crust.)

--Use in meatballs or meatloaf.

And if you want to make a cute crustless sandwich without resorting to Uncrustables, our friend Annelies of Lunch Nugget shows how to do it here.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Tip Sheet Thursdays
        

Since Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a Monday holiday for schools and many parents, this week's short list of activities extends over the three-day weekend. (Some schools will be off on Inauguration Day as well, but that seems like a separate post. If you know about activities planned for students off school Tuesday, please post them in the comments.)

Thursday, Jan. 15:

Winter wonder party: Kids 6-12 can enjoy a beat-the-winter-blahs party with indoor snowmen (wonder how this works) and festive games at 3:30 p.m. at the Southeast Anchor branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore.

Creative workshop: Kids ages 11 to 17 can create and share their own poetry and hear a performance from a spoken-word poetry group at 7 p.m. at the Catonsville branch of the Baltimore County Public Library. Registration required; call 410-887-0951.

Jammie movie night: Come as you please -- pajamas welcome -- for a "classic children's flick" and popcorn, starting at 7 p.m. at the Linthicum branch of the Anne Arundel County Public Library.

Friday, Jan. 16:

Teddy Bear Circus with Beale Street Puppets: Watch a 10 a.m. performance at Rainbow Theatre, Slayton House, in Columbia. $5 in advance; $6 at the door.

Also on Friday...

(Photo of the 2007 Martin Luther King Jr. parade in Baltimore by Baltimore Sun photographer Christopher Assaf)

Inauguration story time: The downtown Barnes & Noble store, 601 E. Pratt St.,  will host an inauguration-themed story time at 11:30 a.m., including a craft. Call 410-385-1709.

Saturday, Jan. 17:

"Fulfillment of the Dream Weekend": The Reginald F. Lewis Museum hosts activities to honor King's legacy from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. today and noon-5 p.m. tomorrow, including a scavenger hunt, stories about freedom and courage, and a craft. Recommended for kids 6 and up. Free with museum admission. 

"I Have a Dream Weekend" at Port Discovery: Special programs at the downtown children's museum will celebrate the King holiday Saturday through Monday, including quilt-making demonstrations a performance by a cheerleading team, cookie decorating, interactive story times and more. Local children will portray well-known African-American figures from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday. The weekend coincides with the opening of a new traveling exhibit about a black cowboy on the Chisholm Trail, called "Joshua's Journey." Events are free with admission. 

Read with Karma Dogs: The Towson branch of the Baltimore Public Library brings in dogs from the H.E.A.R.T.S. program for school-age children to read to at 11 a.m.

Sunday, Jan. 18:

Presidential dentures: Take a look back at George Washington’s teeth – or lack thereof – at the National Museum of Dentistry in Baltimore. The first president had only one natural tooth left when he was inaugurated in 1789; he made do with dentures of ivory from elephants and hippos, according to the museum. You can see the exhibit on Washington from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 31 S. Greene St. for a special admission price of $1. Call 410-706-0600.

Dinosaur Egg Hunt: Kids can look for "dinosaur eggs" and make their own fossils at Marshy Point Nature Center from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. $3 for member children; $5 non-members.

Monday, Jan. 19:

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. parade: The annual parade in Baltimore starts at noon, traveling south along the civil rights leader's namesake boulevard from Eutaw Street. Details here.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Day at the Walters: The Walters Art Museum hosts a free family festival from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. with art activities related to peace, heroes, and dreams and performers with stories about the civil rights movement. 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday celebration:  The Reginald F. Lewis Museum offers films, performances and stories from 10 a.m.m-5 p.m. for a special reduced admission price of $5; kids under 6 get in free.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Things to Do
        

Another attempt at upscaling the kids' grilled cheese has gone awry. But it made a good dish still worth telling you about.

This recipe for Croque Monsieur (a French version of grilled ham and cheese) comes from a cute little cookbook for kids from Abigail Johnson Dodge, called "Around the World Cookbook." It's got international recipes that kids can make, along with fun facts about the countries themselves.

This Croque Monsieur had the traditional sauce that makes the sandwich extra creamy and, I think, yummy, but the kids were outraged at this intrusion on their familiar dish. They theatrically scraped it off and ate the components...

(Photo by me)

So next time, I will leave the sauce off theirs. You should feel free to do the same. I also used Monterey Jack cheese instead of the traditional Gruyere to keep from further offending them, and it worked well -- but did need a little zap in the microwave to melt completely after the bread was cooked.

Croque Monsieur

Makes 4 sandwiches

6 tablespoons butter (divided use)

5 1/2 teaspoons flour

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Salt and pepper

8 slices sandwich bread

8 slices Gruyere or Monterey Jack cheese

8 slices baked ham

Make the sauce: Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is bubbling but not browned, about 2 minutes. Pour in the milk. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is boiling. Continue whisking and boil 2 minutes. Move the pan from the heat. Whisk in the mustard and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread a bread slice with about 2 tablespoons sauce. On top of the sauce, arrange a slice of cheese, 2 slices of ham, and another slice of cheese. Spread 2 tablespoons more sauce and top with another slice of bread. Repeat to make 3 more sandwiches.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet over low heat. Add 2 sandwiches. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Use a spatula to turn each sandwich and cook until the cheese is melted, about 4 minutes.

Move the sandwiches to a plate. Press down gently on each and cut in half. Repeat with remaining butter and sandwiches. Serve right away.

--From "Around the World Cookbook," by Abigail Johnson Dodge

Per sandwich: 630 calories, 29 grams protein, 39 grams fat, 23 grams saturated fat, 41 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 753 milligrams sodium. Analysis by registered dietitian Jodie Shield.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 7:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

I'm looking for parenting questions that an expert can answer for upcoming Monday consults. What's been on your mind?

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 2:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: The Monday Consult
        

So the Rainforest Cafe in Towson Town Center has closed. It's bittersweet news for our family, because I had the worst restaurant experience of my life there -- and also, in a way, some of the best.

The best came because my children fell in love with the theme of the place from an early age. I still remember my daughter, only about 2, being reluctant to leave after boogeying around the table to something by the Miami Sound Machine as the "thunderstorms" and whooping "animals" made noise above her.

"I just want to dance a little more," she sighed as we left.

Another time, my son saw a slightly younger friend who was a little scared of all the action -- and went over to his table to calm him. And I was tickled when my husband requested that we have Father's Day dinner there. He knew he could actually enjoy his glass of wine and steak (which might not have been the best we could get, but parents learn to compromise) while the kids were entertained.

The worst experience? When my in-laws were in town and wanted to treat us to dinner someplace that the kids would like. On this special occasion, we were saddled with a waitress who was as uncaring as she was slow. The last straw came when she finally delivered everyone's meals -- except for my daughter's grilled cheese sandwich. I had to hunt down a manager to ask where the kitchen was, because I wanted permission to make it myself.

Then when the sandwich finally came -- after everyone else had given up waiting and eaten -- they still charged us for it.

I'd like to say we never went back, but my son wanted to take his best friend on his birthday. What are you gonna do?

In one sense, I'm happy that my kids are outgrowing their passion for bells and whistles (or, in this case, chest-thumping monkeys) when we go out to eat. In another, the passing of the local Rainforest Cafe is an important scene from their childhood gone. In a strange way, I'll miss it.

(1999 photo of the Rainforest Cafe in Towson by Baltimore Sun photographer John Makely)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

We were without cable for a few days last week, which at times was a blessing and at others a curse. On the one hand, the kids played games and found creative ways of amusing themselves (we went through a lot of duct tape), but on the other hand, there seemed to be more arguing and whining about being bored.

The cable is back now, but I have redoubled my efforts to ration out the TV. I’ve put blocks on all the channels so if the kids don’t do their homework, no TV. If they’re not listening, no TV. When they try to sneak a peak to find out the code when I’m punching it in on the remote, I threaten to call Comcast and turn it off altogether.

Now that they seem too old for timeouts and too young to take away the car, withholding TV privileges is the one method of discipline I can enforce on my tweens. It’s not a perfect solution. I can’t control what they watch when they visit friends. And they still can spend too much time on the computer or playing video games if I’m not keeping an eye out. But they like TV well enough that they aren’t willing to risk going without entirely.

So far, it’s working, but I’ve been a mom long enough to know it’s probably a temporary victory. But for now I’m grateful for the technology that makes it easier for me to enforce the rules of the household.

Are you using the TV blocks? Any other tactics for disciplining your tween?

Posted by Liz Atwood at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

A while ago, blog reader Michelle asked for help for a teething baby. I asked Dr. Daniel Levy, a pediatrician who chairs the oral health task force of the Maryland chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, for his tips. (In the past, he's advised us on jogging strollers and how to handle a 4-year-old who thinks Motrin is a treat.)

Here’s what he wrote back:

“Teething, or the eruption of the first (deciduous, or "milk," teeth) commonly occurs in infants in the period between 4 months and 18 months, with the average around 6-12 months. The bottom two teeth (lower incisors) tend to erupt first, followed by the middle or lateral upper incisors.

“This phenomenon may be accompanied by mild pain at the site of eruption. Typically, small pits form in the gums... followed by swelling , and then the appearance of teeth. Occasionally, an eruption cyst forms at the point of eruption, looking like a blood blister.

“Babies vary in the pain they experience, but most of the discomfort may be relieved with acetaminophen drops or ibuprofen drops. Anything cold helps as well. Teething rings, frozen and stale bagels, cold carrots, etc. make life more bearable for baby.

“We discourage topical teething remedies that can be purchased over-the-counter, because they may retard the gag reflex if used excessively. As an alternative, try mixing a teaspoon of Benadryl liquid with an ounce of Maalox, chill the concoction, and dab it on the gums for relief.

Levy also wrote that “the notion that fever is associated with teething is an old wives' tale!”

“Don't forget, as soon as teeth erupt, they should be brushed twice daily with an infant tooth brush and a tiny dab of children's toothpaste,” he wrote. “A first dental appointment should be arranged at 1 year of age.”

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: The Monday Consult
        

Did that get your attention? In lieu of a Guest Dad today, I bring you an interview from Paul Nyhan of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, who writes the Working Dad blog for that newspaper's web site. He talks to Heidi Raykeil, author of a new book on the sex lives of parents, about how dads can help solve the delicate problem of how children tend to cool off the za-za-zoo.

My favorite quote from Raykeil re: dads: "My question to you guys is, 'How are you initiating?' Saying it has been six days, two hours and 30 minutes since we last had sex is not the right way to initiate sex. So it doesn't turn into fighting about not having sex -- because that doesn't make us hot.' "

Thoughts?

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Father's Day Tuesday
        

Here's a tip on a unique preschool class. Kennedy Krieger Institute is looking for 3- to 4-year-olds who are developing typically to take part in an integrated class with children who have autism spectrum disorders.

There will be 8 children in the class, says the institute (5 children with autism and 3 typically developing peers) and the class will be run by a master's level special educator and two teacher's assistants. The class will meet from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday at 3901 Greenspring Ave. The class starts Monday (and ends July 31), but I'm told there's still time for families to volunteer to participate.

I'm told there will be a "minimal cost"; if you're interested, call Marguerite Adams at 443-923-7585.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Tip Sheet Thursdays
        

Here's our short list of things to do this weekend, including the Russian American Kids Circus on Sunday:

Thursday, Jan. 8:

Hearth cooking: Preschoolers can learn about hearth cooking in early America at 11 a.m. today and Saturday at the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House. The hourlong program, for children 3-5 accompanied by an adult, also features stories, games and crafts. Free with admission to the museum at 844 E. Pratt St. Reservations required; call 410-837-1793. For more information, visit flaghouse.org. (Saturday is also the last day to see the museum's exhibition of miniature dollhouses.)

Nature storytime: Listen to stories about nature 11 a.m.-noon at Eden Mill Nature Center, 1617 Eden Mill Road, Pylesville. Registration required; call 410-836-3050. Free.

Talk about "Twilight": Teens can discuss Stephenie Meyer's popular book at the Hamilton branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library 3 p.m.-4 p.m. Free. 

Save at Port Discovery: Admission to the downtown children's museum is discounted to $6 this afternoon 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m., which is nearly half off the normal price.

Friday, Jan. 9:

Itsy-Bitsy Yoga: Bring your baby (up to 10 months) and a yoga mat or towel to the Arbutus Library at 10:30 a.m. for some infant yoga. Registration required; call 410-887-1451.

Baby Signing: Howard County General Hospital in Columbia offers instruction in 100 basic signs to help your baby communicate, from 9 a.m.-noon. $40 includes a review DVD. For parents and babies up to 12 months; participants are asked not to bring older children. Space is limited; call 410-740-7601 or register online.

Saturday, Jan. 10:

Wolves in Winter: A Moonlight Hike: Take a hike to find evidence of the wolf's legacy at 7 p.m. at the Marshy Point Nature Center.

Meet Rufus: A tale about a shy little dog will be performed by Blue Sky Puppet Theater at 2 p.m. at the Cockeysville branch of the Baltimore County Public Library. For school-age children. Free.

Sunday, Jan. 11:

Russian American Kids Circus: This circus of children from age 6 to 16 shows off juggling, precision balancing, and more at 3 p.m. at the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. Tickets are $12-$26.

Free Family Sunday at the BMA: The theme of today's family workshops at the Baltimore Museum of Art is "Moby Dick Visits the Museum."

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 7:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Things to Do
        

The economy is so bad that even pretty cheap Chinese takeout food has become a luxury. And since January is the month when we all look at the scale and gasp, it's also not a great time to indulge in delicious but fattening crispy Orange Chicken.

The good news about this recipe from the latest annual cookbook from Fine Cooking is that it replicates the takeout version really well. Serve it over rice and you've got a quick, affordable family meal...

(Photo courtesy of Fine Cooking Annual, Vol. 3, by the editors and contributors of Fine Cooking. Taunton Press, 2008. Photographer: Scott Phillips.)

OK, it was a little too adventurous for my kids. But still... 

Orange Chicken with Scallions

Serves 4

1 large navel orange

1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1⁄8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 pounds chicken thighs or boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes (skin removed)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

2 extra-large egg whites

1⁄3 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch

4 tablespoons canola or peanut oil

1 bunch scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced (keep whites and greens separate)

Using a vegetable peeler, shave the zest from the orange in long, wide strips. If necessary, remove any large patches of bitter white pith from the zest strips with a paring knife. Juice the orange into a small bowl and mix with the soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes.

Sprinkle the chicken with the salt. In a mini chopper or food processor, process the egg whites, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt until smooth. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the cornstarch batter.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet or large stir-fry pan over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Using tongs, transfer about half the chicken to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, flipping every minute or so, until the chicken browns and crisps all over and is firm to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes. With clean tongs, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Add the remaining oil to the skillet and repeat the cooking process with the remaining chicken; transfer to the plate.

Put the orange zest strips in the skillet and cook, stirring, until they darken in spots, 15 to 30 seconds. Stir the orange juice mixture and add it to the pan. Let it boil for about 10 seconds and then add the chicken and the scallion whites. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce reduces to a glaze and the chicken is just cooked through—check by cutting into a thicker piece—1 to 2 minutes. If the chicken isn’t cooked through but the glaze is cooking away, add a couple tablespoons of water and continue cooking. Serve sprinkled with the scallion greens.    

Adapted from Fine Cooking Annual, Vol. 3, by the editors and contributors of Fine Cooking.  

Per serving: 614 calories, 39 grams protein, 31 grams fat, 6 grams saturated fat, 44 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams fiber, 237 milligrams cholesterol, 1,013 milligrams sodium

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

So this morning, my 5-year-old son had an unusually anxious look on his face. I asked him whether he was worried about his visit to the ophthalmologist today to check on how a scratch on his cornea is healing. He said yes.

I told him not to worry. Then his sister piped up, with an entirely straight face: "They're just going to put you in a big machine with a lot of scary things that pop out at you."

As he looked horrified and I admonished her not to scare her brother, Leah said calmly:

"Mom. I'm a big sister. Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?"

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

 Yesterday, Sasha and Malia Obama started their new school. Seven-year-old Sasha enrolled in second grade at Sidwell Friends school in Bethesda and 10-year-old Malia joined the fifth grade class at Sidwell’s middle school campus in the District of Columbia. And while they are the daughters of the man who will soon be president, the sisters are still kids who must face the task of fitting in and making new friends.

Coincidentally, American Girl has just introduced Chrissa, its "Girl of the Year" for 2009, who is described as “a friendly, creative girl who finds the courage to stand up for herself...” According to her story, her family moves to a new town and Chrissa wants to make a new friend, but she encounters “a mean group of girls that make it hard for her to fit in.”

In real life, children aren’t always courageous and the endings aren’t always happy. As a parent, it’s often hard to watch on the sidelines as our tweens negotiate the shoals of friendship. The peer pressure they face can be intense, but even the president of the United States won’t be able to “fix” all the friend problems his girls will probably encounter in the years ahead.

In the case of my boys, I have reluctantly intervened when I thought spats with friends might lead to blows, but I know the emotional damage can be just as hurtful as physical damage when kids turn against each other.

Do you have any guidelines for how and when to intervene when your kids have friend troubles? How do you walk the line between being supportive and helpful and yet letting the kids work things out themselves?

(Photo by Baltimore Sun photographer Elizabeth Malby)

Posted by Liz Atwood at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Tip Sheet Thursdays
        

The fresh start of a new year is a good opportunity to review your family’s emergency plans. What should your kids be expected to do in a disaster? How do you prepare them without scaring them?

The American Academy of Pediatrics has an excellent family-friendly guide to preparing for disasters. Here's the full menu of resources, including lists of emergency supplies to keep on hand. Meanwhile, here are some pointers on how to prepare your child for emergencies:

--“Tell children that a disaster is something that could hurt people or cause damage,” the organization’s site says. “Explain that nature sometimes provides ‘too much of a good thing’-- fire, rain, and wind.”

--Teach kids how to call for help and when to use each emergency number.

--Designate a family contact who lives outside your town and instruct your child to call that person if you’re separated.

--Teach children to keep personal identification with them at all times.

--Every six months, go over your family disaster plan (including two escape routes from each room) and quiz children on it.

(Photo by Baltimore Sun photographer Kenneth Lam)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: The Monday Consult
        

Winter break is almost over, and I'm sure that for some folks, it can't come soon enough. Most school systems around here have been closed since Christmas Eve, but Howard County schools got a jump on vacation and have been shut since Dec. 19.

Once you've gotten through all the holiday celebrating, how do you entertain your crew during a vacation that long? Our reporter Jonathan Pitts would love to talk to Howard County families about what they're doing. If you're interested, give him a call at 410-715-2812 or e-mail him here.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out
        

On our first Father's Day Friday of 2009, I thought I'd give Guest Dads a break and point you to two interesting articles I read recently about dads' parenting style -- and whether the different ways they approach their children actually help keep a family in balance.

This piece from parenting.com talks about how moms are often quick to think dads are too lenient, rough, or noncommittal with their kids. That they're not protective enough. But often, their different approach works and helps kids learn to try new things.

This piece in the Dickinson Press, which responded to the parenting.com piece from the perspective of a single mom, argues that the laid-back, go-ahead-and-roughhouse approach of most dads instills an important resiliency in kids.

Your thoughts?

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Father's Day Tuesday
        

One of our New Year's resolutions is to be more frugal (oh, yours too?). For those whose kids aren't allergic, peanut butter fits right into that plan. Dollar Savvy magazine has a slew of tips for using peanut butter to vary your cooking -- and you can hold the jelly. Here they are:

"For a yummy glaze on ham steaks, combine 3 tablespoons orange marmalade, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, and 1 tablespoon water. Broil the ham steaks and when they are nearly done, add the glaze to one side and broil until the glaze is lightly browned, about 1 minute.

"To make an Asian-style dipping sauce for beef, shrimp, or chicken, whisk together 3 tablespoons peanut butter, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon apple-cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon peanut oil or vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Blend until smooth.

"For a simple, fun appetizer, spread peanut butter into the grooves of celery sticks. Then for sweetness, place a few raisins on top and drizzle with honey.

"To breathe new life into chocolate chip cookies, replace half of the butter with peanut butter in your favorite recipe.

"To make a novel wrap out of grilled shrimp, combine peanut butter, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and parsley until smooth. Grill some shrimp and serve in a tortilla wrap with shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, chopped onions, chopped cucumbers, and the peanut sauce.

"To give creamy potato soups or vegetable soups an Afro-Caribbean flavor, stir in a few tablespoons of peanut butter.

"For a mid-afternoon snack, spread 1 slice of raisin bread with 3 tablespoons peanut butter, then top with 2 tablespoons raisins and 1 tablespoon honey. Add a dash of ground cinnamon if you like. Top with another slice of raisin bread. Cook the sandwich in a buttered griddle until browned on both sides.

"For banana muffins with a twist, replace half of the butter or shortening in the recipe with peanut butter. Top the muffin batter with a sprinkling of shredded coconut before baking.

Photo by Baltimore Sun photographer Algerina Perna

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Tip Sheet Thursdays
        

Happy New Year! Here's a short list of things to do with the family before school starts up again (for most, that's next Monday). If you have a Bank of America card or a zoo membership, sounds like it's a good time to get to one of Baltimore's museums...

Thursday, Jan. 1:

Zoo members get in free at the B&O Railroad Museum: This month and next, Maryland Zoo members get free admission to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum (while the zoo is closed). Show your membership card. Train rides are $2 for adults and $1 for children 2-12.

Friday, Jan. 2:

Preschool Story Time: Kids 2-5 can listen to stories and take part in activities and songs with an adult at 10:30 a.m. at the Towson branch of the Baltimore County Public Library.

Saturday, Jan. 3:

Free museum admission: Show your Bank of America card and get in free to the Flag House Museum today and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African-American Culture today and tomorrow. More information here.

Learn about bark: Kids can learn how to identify different types of trees in winter by their bark from 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the Anita C. Leight Estuary Center, 700 Otter Point Road, Abingdon. Cost is $8 per family. Registration required; call 410-612-1688. For more information, visit ottercreek.org.

Family game day: Bring your family and favorite games (or use those provided) to the West County branch of the Anne Arundel County Public Library. 1-4 p.m. All ages.

Art and the city: Drop in with the family to the Walters Art Museum today and tomorrow to create street signs, community portraits, and other art themed on cities past, present and future.

Sunday, Jan. 4:

Myths and legends in art: The theme of this week's Free Family Sunday at the Baltimore Museum of Art is "Myths, Fables, and Legends in Art." Activities start at 2 p.m. Free.

Meet the critter: Meet animals at the Irvine Nature Center in Owings Mills. 2-2:30 p.m. 443-738-9200 or visit explorenature.org.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Things to Do