Make Your Own Crackers

This afternoon I was asked to make crackers. I admit, making crackers at home is a bit uncommon, but this was not the first time that one of my son’s friends was visiting and when the kids asked for crackers, I said, “we don’t have any but we can surely make them.” I received the prompt query, “make them?”

Yes! Make them!

There was a time, not that long ago, when, if you wanted something to eat, you had to make it. Bread, pasta, sauce, soup – you name it. We have all become too accustomed to the idea that food is a product that can sit on the shelf in a neat little box and last forever until we have the urge to eat it RIGHT NOW! There is something to be said for the time and effort that it takes to make the foods we eat. I (and many others) would argue that we would all be more respectful of the food we eat if we took a little more time actually preparing the food in the first place.

As great as eating at a restaurant can be, the effort that it takes to make something from scratch shows in your food in ways that almost no restaurant can copy. When we make food, we are connected to it in a way that cannot be replicated at the drive-through.

If we can teach our kids the value of hard work and effort as it relates to what we eat, they too will respect the food in ways we cannot imagine and experience genuine joy eating and sharing their creations with others.

Back to the crackers. After a moment of amazement at the thought of making them ourselves, the kids were eager to jump right in and do it on their own. With a little oversight, they did a great job mixing, rolling, and using cookie cutters to shape the crackers. I know they thought they tasted that much better too.

For a cheesy cracker recipe check out this one.

Got a question for Chef Daddy? Ask in the comment section below and he’ll answer in an upcoming post.

For more from James, check out his own blog at: www.jamesschulman.blogspot.com, follow him on twitter @jamesschulman, and find his other Chef Daddy posts at www.BlackBerryMom.com

 

Choosing The Right Sunglasses For You

Choosing the right pair of sunglasses can be a daunting task! There are so many styles of sunglasses, designers and colors to choose from that its very overwhelming.

Start off by making sure that you’re buying the right frames by finding the best style of sunglasses for the shape of your face.

-       ROUND shapedfaces work well with geometric or angular shaped sunglass frames

-       SQUARE shaped faces work well with a round or oval shaped sunglasses which will actually help soften up an angular face

-       HEART shaped faces work well with rectangular or oval sunglasses that attract attention away from a bigger jaw line

-       LONG faces need an oversized pair of sunglasses that will take some attention away from the length of the face and add some width to the face at the same time

-       OVAL faces can wear any style of sunglasses you want!

Once you’ve chosen the most flattering style that compliments your face, think about whether or not you want a lightweight type of frame or something a bit heavier which you might feel a little more around your ears and nose.

I wear a lot of hats all year round, so I gravitate toward glasses that have an aviator shape, which feel very light weight on across my face and they won’t bump into the hat on my head.

I would suggest investing in at least two pair of sunglasses, with UV /polarized protection from the sun and in some safety colors like black, brown or a silver or gold frame that will work back to anything in your wardrobe. When you are in the market for something new and fun add a brighter color like red or coral and try a popular trend like a cat eye for fun. Purchase your trendy glasses at a discount store to save money, especially if you have a knack for losing them (like I do).

I would also recommend purchasing your sunglasses at a store where you can try them on instead of guessing on line and it always helps to have a friend in tow for a second opinion and one more reason for a shopping get together!

Lessons From The Lorax

I recently took my kids to see Dr. Seuss’s “The Lorax”, and I use “recently” loosely.  Let’s be real, to me it was the other day but in actuality it was probably two months ago.

Anyway, a little background in case you missed it…the people in the story live in a town called “Thneedville,” a kind of fake, Disneyworldish looking place where real trees no longer exist, and where a slimey entrepreneur, who’s name escapes me, became a billionaire by selling bottled air.

Can you imagine, paying money for something bottled that you can get for free?  But people buy it, and consume it by the case load, have it delivered to their houses, …..  Okay, point taken….

Then the story goes back in time to explain how the trees were used up, telling about the Lorax, this little creature who lived in the woods and tried to save the trees.  (My kids favorite line was “I am the Lorax, I speak for the trees.”)

Anyway, it made me think.  And with Earth Day being just last week, it made me think even more as I searched for sources of inspiration to touch on in my classes this past weekend.

I found a great article in May’s issues of Yoga Journal, my source of inspiration for a lot of things.  The article discussed amazing, life-altering innovations from people throughout the world to try to reverse the damage that’s been done to our environment.  It was truly inspiring, and my take away was that even small steps can make a huge difference.

If we all just do what we can, that’s doing a lot.  Right now, I have no life altering innovation dreamed up to help save our planet, and let’s face it, I do drink my fair share of bottled water.  But I’ve been trying to make some changes, to do my part, to be more aware, and hopefully that will make a difference.

A few fantastic quotes from the article that hit home with me:

• Everything in life starts small.
• The beauty of small acts is that they cannot be stopped.
• There is no inconsequential action, only consequential inaction.
• Real transformation originates from the bottom and moves outwards.

Apply those thoughts to saving the planet, to any other cause, or to something more personal as starting a workout regimen, a healthy eating plan, a new career path……  Whatever it is, everything starts with baby steps.  Rome was not built in a day…..

 

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.  It’s not”.

Dr. Seuss – “The Lorax”

 

Take one of Stefanie’s classes at CorePower yoga studios throughout Chicago corepoweryoga.com. She is on the schedule as Stefanie C. She also works with private clients in their homes so think of her for your next party or corporate event. Either write her a note on the blog, or call her directly at 646-642-3391. Catch up on Stefanie’s prior posts at www.BlackBerryMom.com

 

 

 

 

 

Losing 5 Extra Pounds

I started writing this post in my head last week, while I was on vacation with my kids, visiting our family for spring break/Passover/Easter. And well, then one thing led to another, as they often do, the kids finally went to bed, I had to put together some stuff for taxes, and well, by then mama was wiped out and it just didn’t happen.  So, fast forward a week, and here we are.

I had high hopes for this spring break in Florida and just how productive I was going to be.  In all my free time I was going to write a lot of posts to stockpile, practice and do all the work I needed to for the yoga sculpt training I was in the midst of, workout everyday and knock off the 5 extra pounds I’ve packed on lately, finally read some old magazines…

Did I mention I traveled with my kids?  Did I mention my husband was on a business trip and was unable to join us for our Florida excursion?  Did I mention we were visiting my family and husband’s family, celebrating 2 holidays, and trying to catch up with a few old friends as well? Did I mention I sometimes overestimate what I can do and then stress out over all I have not accomplished and lament that there is not enough time in the day?

So, guess just how productive I was on this trip?  That’s right folks, you guessed it, I did not one of those things on my “to do” list.  At first I beat myself up about it, but then the yogi in me realized to accept it and embrace it.  Eventually I was able to embrace and enjoy this fun break from our everyday routine with my kids, spend some good quality time with family, catch up with a few friends, and celebrate the holidays.  We played, we swam, we ate well (too well!), the kids stayed up late, heck we even rode a camel!

And, guilty pleasures of all guilty pleasures, I stayed up late reading the Hunger Games.  I got hooked.  First novel I’ve gotten hooked on and finished since last summer.

So I learned that sometimes you just need to let go, you need to recharge the batteries, regroup, and realize what your priority is.  The other stuff will wait.  You’ll get to it all, eventually….. Well, possibly not the old magazines……those got tossed at the airport since my luggage was overweight……yet something else that found an additional 5 pounds.

 

Namaste,

Stefanie

Take one of Stefanie’s classes at CorePower yoga studios throughout Chicago corepoweryoga.com. She is on the schedule as Stefanie C. She also works with private clients in their homes so think of her for your next party or corporate event. Either write her a note on the blog, or call her directly at 646-642-3391. Catch up on Stefanie’s prior posts at www.BlackBerryMom.com

It’s OK To Eat Right 90% Of The Time

Sometimes you have to raise the white flag and suck it up.

As someone who makes almost everything from scratch for my family, chases down local produce, and avoids HFCS, every once in a while even I have to relax my standards. I can’t always account for every meal my kids eat. I can’t always get them to eat their veggies (which in a mostly vegetarian house doesn’t leave them with much).

I can’t always insist that every drop of milk and bite of dairy that they eat be organic and locally sourced nor can I always know the farmers and cows by name and…you get the idea.

One of our jobs as parents is to understand when “rules” are ok to break, when it’s ok to loosen up a little and deal, when it’s ok to go outside our own comfort zones to make our kids happy (or quiet them down when they’re hungry and we’re in the middle of nowhere).

This happened today. I was out running errands with my daughter and she was hungry. We stopped at a cafe and I had the choice of giving her either a sweet (e.g., cookie or brownie) or yogurt, which I knew A., wasn’t organic and B., was likely made with tons of added sugar. For me this was almost a no-win situation, but she was hungry and we weren’t going home yet. I knew that the better option was the yogurt; it would at least have some protein and fruit (and in this case it was also fresh), and in the end I made my decision and moved on, not worried that she would sustain any long-term hurt by eating the occasional sugary treat or non-organic snack.

We try hard to feed our kids the best food we can find, and 90% of the time I can make a good choice about what they eat; the other 10% of the time I have to take a deep breath, try my best, and not worry too much.

Got a question for Chef Daddy? Ask in the comment section below and he’ll answer in an upcoming post.

For more from James, check out his own blog at: www.jamesschulman.blogspot.com, follow him on twitter @jamesschulman, and find his other Chef Daddy posts at www.BlackBerryMom.com

 

 

Fabulous Trench Coats and Rain Boots

Be fashionable in the April Showers.

April showers will be here soon enough, and while that might put a damper on your desire to break out a cute sundress, I try to stay positive and break out the most fashionable rain gear out there!

Let’s start with the classic trench coat. Trust me, a trench coat is a piece of outerwear to invest in, it will never go out of style and will keep you warm and dry.

A beige trench is always classic (think Burberry) but a spin on this traditional look could be wearing a bolder color trench coat, like a red or green that will make the trench coat look more modern and a pop of color is always fun.

Take it a step further, and get a fun fabrication, like a shiny nylon, and look even more fashion forward.

Break out those wellies! Whether you want the traditional Hunter boots in a dark green or a fun rain boot style in a bright pink with polka dots on them, the selection is endless. Go for a shorter shoe-like feel if the thought of putting another boot on drives you crazy. There are many lengths and patterns available and really cute ones for the kids!

Remember to finish off your look with a colorful oversized, lightweight scarf wrapped around your neck. Also consider a rain hat if you aren’t a hood person.

Now there’s a reason to go singing in the rain!

Read more about Alison’s Passion for Fashion at www.BlackBerryMom.com

 

Yoga to Enhance Soldiers Lives

Lauren Walker, a yoga instructor, presented an idea to Brigadier General Mike B. Kelley, PhD, Vice President for Student Affairs at Norwich University.  If students or cadets were given the opportunity to study yoga intensively along with their regular classes, she believed it might add to their resiliency and create better soldiers.

After getting the green light, Lauren began a program of yoga, energy medicine, and journalling, that gives the cadets a chance to understand which actions are appropriate in any situation even during the hardships of combat.

It is the University’s hope that this program will prove successful and become a model for training cadets and soldiers before they deploy as part of the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Model that the DOD has set out.

Each of Lauren’s students have anecdotally tallied great achievement in discernment, focus, maintaining stability and calm in the face of chaos.  These skills have yet to be tested in the battlefield, only in drills, but so far the results are encouraging.  On April 15, the New York Times will feature an article about this amazing program and the opportunities it presents for the US Military.

Norwich University, the oldest private military college in the United States, is very forward thinking.  They have started many programs over the years that have become DOD standard protocol, including allowing black and female members of the military into the Corps of Cadets.

Adding yoga to their curriculum is yet another instance of how they believe that a full education can not only benefit their cadets, but actually enchance their chances of coming home safe and whole after having served in combat.

Introduce Kids to New Foods and New Holidays

 

As parents we are constantly trying to expose our children to new things, whether it’s a new song, new movie, or a new kind of food. One great way that I have found works wonders is to wrap the experience up in an event.

All too often we want our kids to try a new dish that we have slaved over only to have them decide before they try it that they don’t like it (“how do you know you won’t like it until you try it?”). One way to increase the odds is to create a mini-celebration meal around a holiday. This both provides a great opportunity to try new foods and learn and share about a holiday your family may not be that familiar with. This is pretty easy to arrange because there are holidays going on all year.

Just this past month there was Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day, and now Easter and Passover. Each of these holidays has its own cultural and culinary history and offers up the opportunity to make some creative dishes, while also taking a minute to explore the holiday’s traditions. And who doesn’t love an excuse to talk at the dinner table about something other than school and work?

You can also include some silly ones too. It was Theodore Geisel’s (Dr. Suess’) birthday on March 2nd. Green eggs and ham anyone? What a great way to get the kids involved in the cooking. Have them help out in the kitchen, enjoy their creations, and then read the book together…

Turning a meal into a bit of an experience is a great way to take the everyday to the next level – make a couple dishes that tie to the holiday, put on some holiday-appropriate music (because every holiday has some), and take a minute to do a little research to share some factoids at dinner about the holiday. Or better yet, challenge everyone to come to the table sharing something new that they learned about the special day.

 

Got a question for Chef Daddy? Ask in the comment section below and he’ll answer in an upcoming post.

For more from James, check out his own blog at: www.jamesschulman.blogspot.com, follow him on twitter @jamesschulman, and find his other Chef Daddy posts at www.BlackBerryMom.com

 

Lace Is Perfect For Spring Dressing

 

Being the girly, girl that I am, anything with lace always catches my eye.

Good thing that lace is a hot item for Spring/Summer fashions!

Not only is lace a timeless fabric but also it can make you look very different depending on how you decide to wear it.

For us girly types, wear a lace blouse or dress and you will feel classic and feminine instantly. For more sex appeal, wear a black lace camisole under a fitted blouse or cardigan (great for a first date) with a pair of dark fitted jeans and a kitten heel.

Who said tough girls can’t wear lace? Wear a sweatshirt or t-shirt and add lace trim patches to it, throw on your ripped jeans and motorcycle jacket and you still have your bad girl status to boost about!

If you are intimidated by a lacey look and think it’s too much for you, try a shoe or handbag with lace detail on it. It is a good way to experiment on adding lace into your wardrobe.

You can’t go wrong wearing lace it really is a must have!

Read more about Alison’s Passion for Fashion at www.BlackBerryMom.com

 

Help Others Dress For Success

Do you have any new or gently used business clothes (for men or women) that you aren’t wearing?

The Junior League of Orange County is partnering with the Regional Economic Community Action Program of Middletown, NY for a “Dress for your Future” clothing drive taking place from now until April 29.

New or gently used Men and Women’s business and professional attire is being collected at the following six locations throughout Orange County:

• Dress Barn, 88 Dunning Rd. #37, Middletown,
• Dress Barn, Rt. 300, Newburgh,
• Jacobowitz & Gubits, 158 Orange Avenue, Walden,
• Focus Media, 10 Matthews Street, Goshen,
• Marlu Costumes, 590 Mullock Road,  Port Jervis,
• Pine Tree Elementary, 156 Pine Tree Road, Monroe

Please flip through your closet, certainly you have something you can donate to someone without…