Food Magnets for Kids

I'm an avid Pinterest user (dcmaedel, in case you'd like to follow me!), and like many, I pin way more recipes, crafts, and exercises than I can actually try in my lifetime.  That said, Pinterest is a great way to find inspiration and solve the everyday problems we all face.  For example, how do you teach your children about healthy eating in a way that doesn't leave them either completely tuning you out or running to the neighbor's house for blue box mac'n'cheese (sorry avid blue box eaters - I prefer the kind with real cheese and cream)?  One potential method is using food magnets - pairing pictures and words make it easier for the toddler to communicate and learn, while putting the pairings on magnets turns learning about healthy foods into a fun game.  

I have seen many versions of this idea on Pinterest, varying from simply pairing pictures and words on a magnet, to also including food group and daily serving information so the child can participate in his/her own food planning (that pin is here).  K is a bit young to understand daily serving needs, but using shapes to show food groups is a great way to introduce her to the concept, so my version of the magnet project includes those.  Taking the magnets one step further, I realized my husband and I could also use them as tools to make it easier to select healthy foods for K's meals - so I added serving suggestions and recipes to the back of each card.  The result?  Fun and very informative little magnets that make all our lives easier!

If you'd like to make your own magnets, you are welcome to start with our template, which is available via this link.  The only disclaimer: the pictures on these magnets are from indiscriminate Google searches, and I have not obtained specific rights for their use.  To make the magnets, print out the first two pages of the template, then print out pages three and four on the back side of the same pages.  Next cut out the individual foods, laminate (I used the Purple Cows Laminator), and put magnets on the back.  For the magnets, I used magnet tape, which already has a sticky side and is easy to cut to size. 

K has already started playing with these magnets, and has used them to tell me she wants an apple (or "appy," as she calls it) or blueberries.  She hasn't quite figured out that the magnets are supposed to live on the fridge, so they are starting to appear on metal surfaces throughout the house.  I guess the next lesson will have to be in toddler organization... :o)

Homemade Snack Bags

When K first started going to daycare, we sent her with several full bottles of milk to get her through the day.  As she got older the bottles shifted to baby food, followed shortly thereafter by finger foods.  There is only so much space in the little refrigerator she shares with her five classmates, so finger foods were stored in small Ziploc baggies (rather than rigid plastic or glass containers), which could easily be made to fit whatever space remained in the fridge.  Every day, several baggies went in to daycare only to be left in the trash after snack time, and I started wondering if there were a better way.  Combine that thought with my newly-purchased sewing machine, and an idea was born.  After a few rounds of prototyping, these easy, half cup sized snack bags were born!  You can even personalize them, which is great in the daycare setting.  These bags are water resistant, and best used for mostly-dry snacks like Cheerio's or cold quesadillas.

---

You'll need two patterns of cloth, matching thread, a length of sew on Velcro, and iron-on laminate material.  For the cloth, select a fun and dark pattern for the decorative outside, and a plain, lighter pattern for the inside.  The darker and more complex the outside, the less likely it is that dirt and stains will show.  For the inside, having a lighter color enables you to see if any small bits of food are left in the bag.

Cut the outside cloth into ten inch by six inch rectangles - one per bag you want to make.  It is much more efficient to make several bags at once, rather than making each bag separately, so you can repeat the same step for each bag before moving on.

To make the inside of the bag water resistant, you can either use some form of iron on laminate or buy cloth that already has laminate on it (e.g., polyurethane laminated fabric, aka PUL).  I used Iron-On Vinyl, which was simple to use and readily available on Amazon, but is not specifically intended for food use.  According to the product manufacturer (Thermoweb), Iron-On Vinyl is BPA and lead free, but does include a plasticizer (DIDP), which has not been tested for direct food contact.  If you are worried, I understand PUL is better.

Before cutting the interior cloth to size, apply the laminate to the side you want to be visible on the inside of the bag.  Then cut the laminated cloth into as many ten inch by six inch rectangles as you want bags.  You will now have a pair of rectangles per bag.

Put the right side (i.e., the side that is visible when the bag is done) of both rectangles together, and pin.  Then sew on three sides with an eighth of an inch seam allowance, leaving one short side open.

Turn the bag inside out, so the right sides are showing.  Use a pen or something similar to make sure the corners are pushed out as much as possible. 

 

Iron the bag flat using low heat on the non-laminated side of the pouch.

To close the open end, fold end over and sew flat.  This is now the "top" of your bag.

Cut a pair of Velcro strips (with one rough side and one soft side) to match the narrower width of the as-sewn rectangle.  Sew the rough Velcro strip on the laminate-side of the top of the bag, over the sewing line you just made to close the rectangle. 

If you would like to personalize the bag, print names on a neutral cloth that matches the bag pattern using the directions found on instructibles.com, then cut the cloth to about three quarters of an inch around the name.  Fold the cloth over to more tightly frame the name and pin.

Sew the name onto the center of the outside top of the bag.  This edge will serve as the flap, so sew the name on such that it is right side up from the edge.  This way, when you close the bag the name will appear right side up.

Next, sew the soft Velcro strip about a quarter inch from the bottom of the outside of the bag.

Finally, flip the bag such that the laminate side is up and the top is away from you.  Fold the bottom of the bag up such that when you fold down the top flap, the Velcro strips touch.  Pin the bag in this shape, then sew along the sides, starting at either the folded bottom of the bag or the very top of the flap, and going the entire length of that side.  Congratulations!  You now have a half cup snack bag!

Kids Wall Clock

How can you tell if you have too much time on your hands?  By seeing how many simple things you turn into complex art projects, of course!  Maybe it's the perfectionist in me, or maybe it's that we only have one child (and thus have *way* more time to devote to her than we should), but a few months back I decided K needed a custom made clock for her big-kid bedroom.  

My free-form kids wall clock.

Backing up a bit - K has been in her nursery since September 2011, and it is about time she had a new space of her very own.  But how does a parent make a fun bedroom that isn't too over-the-top?  I started by perusing Pinterest for ideas, and went to Jo-Ann Fabrics to find a patterned cloth for overall color inspiration.  After using the pattern to select colors (a grey-purple for most of the walls, with blue, green, and yellow for accents), I used the fabric to fashion a valence for the window.

The color inspiration - in valance form.

Grandma came into town for the holidays and volunteered her talents/expertise for painting K's room.  The result was amazing!  I also found a great line of children's artwork from Etsy seller Trafalgarssquare, and purchased a few prints.  Finally, rather than add clothing storage in the form of furniture, we installed a closet organizing system so K could easily reach her hanging clothes. 

A playful mishmash of colors and floating animals.

At this point the bedroom decor had pretty much everything it needed but the right wall clock.  I was originally looking for a cloud clock to go with the hot air balloon theme of the artwork, but was amazed to find that no such thing seemed to exist on Amazon, Ebay, or the world wide web.  After spending so much time and effort to make the rest of the room fit, it felt wrong to settle with just any old wall clock.  Once again enter Pinterest - and the idea to make a free-form wall clock from parts.  My clock's mechanism and arms came from Clockworks, its body is a square of cardboard covered with the patterned cloth I mentioned above, and its numbers were cut out of black paint chips using a scrapbook letter cutter.  This ended up being a bit more expensive than the typical wall clock (~$30 for the clock parts, plus a bit more for the owl cloth), but it turned out really well.  Little K will be able to enjoy this clock for years to come!

The clock from the side.

Pumpkin Protein Muffins

I love muffins.  Seriously.  But they tend to have so many empty calories - white flour, sugar, butter... how can you really enjoy a muffin if it doesn't help you check off some of the healthy to-do's from your daily list?  Well, with a little inspiration from a clean eating blog and a few rounds of baking trials, I think I've found the solution.  This muffin recipe still includes a little sugar, but I use palm sugar which is less refined than white sugar.  I also include some wheat germ for an additional nutritional boost.  You can use any protein powder you like, but for nutrition calculation purposes my recipe uses Whey Factors 100% Natural Whey Protein - Double Chocolate flavor.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
- 2 1/2 c (~310g) whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 1/2 t baking soda
- 4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1 T ground ginger
- 2 T wheat germ
- 2 scoops protein powder
- 1/3 c palm sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 c canned pumpkin
- 1 1/2 c nonfat greek yogurt
- 30 g walnuts or pecans, chopped

1) Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350F.  Line 15 muffin tin cups with silicone muffin liners (or use paper if you prefer) and spritz the bottom of each liner with olive oil.  Set aside.

2) In a large bowl, whisk the first seven ingredients (through protein powder).  Make a well in the center of the ingredients.  Set aside.

3) In another bowl using a blender at high speed, beat the next four ingredients (sugar through yogurt) until frothy.  Pour this mixture into the well in the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.  Batter will be sticky.

4) Divide the batter equally among the prepared muffin cups.  Top muffins with chopped nuts.  

5) Bake ~18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.  Do not over-bake.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from the cups.  Serve warm (or reheat in a microwave) with your topping of choice.

Nutritional information per muffin (according to Sparkrecipes.com):  155 Calories; 2.8g fat (0.5g sat; 1.1g poly; 0.4g mono); 30mg Chol; 155 mg sodium; 105 mg potassium; 26.8g Carbs; 4.2g Fiber; 8.3g Sugar; 8.0g Protein.

---

Ingredient Notes 

• Whole wheat pastry flour is a finely ground whole wheat flour that feels more like white flour in baked goods.  You should be able to find this in your local equivalent of a Giant or Safeway in the same general area the other Bob's Red Mill products.  If not, it can be ordered on Amazon or on Bob's Red Mill website. 
• Wheat germ is the most vitamin- and mineral- rich part of the wheat kernel.  Two tablespoons are about 50 calories and contain 2 grams of fiber, and 4 grams of protein, not to mention a handful of healthy vitamins and minerals.  You can find it at your local grocery store, on Amazon, or on Bob's Red Mill website.
• Palm sugar is a less refined sugar option that can be simply substituted for brown sugar on a one to one basis.  You can find it at a store like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, or get it on Amazon.

Backpacking the Grand Canyon: Lessons Learned

The group in front of the Back-Country office before the trip

In February, my husband and I undertook hiking into (and out of) the Grand Canyon with my father, cousin, and a couple of friends.  Although the overall experience was *amazing*, there were definitely parts that we could have prepared for better.  I really wish I had tried backpacking on a smaller scale prior to attempting such a huge undertaking so we could have had fewer hiccups on the actual adventure.  For others interested in also trying a strenuous backpacking trip as a first go, here are a few of the lessons I learned on my first backpacking trip.

The view from Cedar Ridge.

1) Downhill treks are *much* more difficult than uphill.  Before the trip, I mistakenly assumed the first day (7 or so miles, over 4,000 foot elevation decrease) would be easy relative to the level or uphill days.  Little did I realize that the downhill would tax my calf muscles until they sang.  I also noticed early on that my flat feet were not happy, with my Achilles tendons hurting the most.  It wasn't until almost a week after we got out of the Canyon that my tendons and calves started to feel better.  Still worth the trip, but just be forewarned that day 2 may be better planned as a rest day instead of as a 10+ mile hike.

I made it down despite the craziness!

2) Confirm that inflatable gear is good to go before traveling.  During the first night, my husband found out that the brand new Thermarest sleeping pad I got him for the trip wasn't holding air for more than about an hour or so. This may not have been much of a problem in summer months, when the ground is warm, but in winter a lack of air beneath you results in an infinite heat sink being effectively in direct contact with your body.  Major discomfort (and no sleeping) ensues. 

Our second night at Bright Angel Campground.

3) Check the weather predictions, and heed them.  Kinda obvious, I know, but I didn't think to do this right before we were on our way down the side of the Canyon.  I had instead checked the weather a week or so prior to the trip, which showed great weather for the entire window of prediction.  That window did not include Wednesday and beyond (we were staying in the Canyon Sunday through Friday).  When we were in the Canyon and talking with the Park Service about a revised itinerary (see 4 below), we found out that there was a predicted 15 inch snowfall on Wednesday.  That wouldn't be seen in the bottom of the Canyon (which hit 70F when we were down there), but would make hiking out a bit more treacherous.  That freaked me out quite a bit, and was part of the reason we changed our plans to get out of the Canyon by Wednesday night.  We really lucked out - the storm that was to have dropped said snow passed South of the Canyon rim and instead closed all of Flagstaff - but it could have been different, and we were not prepared for snow camping.

Sunrise in the Canyon.

4) Condition yourself for the trip by completing physical training in advance, and be honest as you're doing it if you need to turn around.  Not everyone was physically ready for this trip.  My husband and I had trained for it (I by running excessively; he by putting on an overweight hiking pack and completing climbs on the treadmill), but we weren't prepared for some of the curve balls that came along (see lessons 1, 2, and 3 above).  Thankfully, with the help of the Park Rangers we were able to revise our itinerary from one that involved ~10 mile hikes every day - no rest days - and a total of five nights in the Canyon, to one more within our group's capability range.  The National Park Service is *amazing* and I cannot say enough good things about Ranger Ed Foss.  We were also lucky enough to be able to send 30 pounds of gear out of the Canyon by mule (yay, Phantom Ranch!).  Having to carry that 30 pounds would have made the hike out *much* more difficult, as three of the four of us (the other two, extremely fit folks continued on the original itinerary) were at capacity even without it.  In the end, I'm glad we went through with the hike, and will be glad to have bragging rights for years to come, but the trip would have been even better without the worry that comes of not being physically ready.

The Park Ranger's humble abode.

5) Ask your group participants to test out food portions.  Early on in the trip planning period, I volunteered to make dinners and breakfasts for the group.  This seemed to be the easiest and most cost effective method of meal planning.  Having never gone backpacking before, I did some research online, decided to use dried foods, and proceeded to put together meals at about 500 calories for dinner and 400 calories for breakfast.  For most of the meals, this meant packaging multiple servings as a single dinner.  Following the trip, my fellow hikers gave me mixed reviews.  On one hand, the friend with significant backpacking experience indicated that the meals were way too large.  He couldn't for the life of him finish either the breakfast or dinner portions.  He did mention toward the end of the hike that he preferred all-day snacking, rather than eating large meals, to get the calories he needs for long, strenuous hikes, so that may have had something to do with it.  Separately, my cousin (who was in the fit group who stuck with the original itinerary) told me that the portions were just right.  All I can say is: if you haven't hiked with these people before, either leave them to establish their own food needs, or have them test out representative versions of your planned meals before the hike.  This will greatly help in planning the food weight you need to carry for the group. 

Enjoying a hot cup of coffee at the Bright Angel Campground at the end of day one.

6) For group hikes where weight is important, coordinate the small stuff too.  We had multiple deodorants (Seriously... deodorant for a hike where you aren't showering for a few days?  Let it go!), toothpastes, and antibacterial hand sanitizers.  These may seem like small items, but when the group is pushing weight limits, every ounce counts.  Likewise, coordinate snacks as well as meals.  There was *so* *much* trail mix in the group.  We didn't really need to carry that weight.

Day trip from Bright Angel Campground.

At some point in the near future, I'll also post about my new found experience with freezer bag cooking.

So much to do... so little time...

Hello, and welcome to my first attempt at long-term blogging.  My name is Kat, and I am an engineer/perfectionist/30-something mom in the DC area.  Ever since we welcomed our little one into the world (well, to be honest, since at least a few months before that), I have tried my hand at being Miss Super-Crafty.  There is something so alluring about the Martha Stewart image, even when you are a mom with a day job outside the home.  I really respect the woman who can stay at home, entertain/teach children all day, and still find time to clean house, cook for the family, and make everything from kids toys to home decorations from nothing more than a piece of twine.  I wish I were that woman.  Alas, I am not.  To be sane, I need my time away from K.  So, I focus a bit more on the crafty side of the equation.

My goal in making this blog is to document some of my attempts at making things for the children and for the home.  You are welcome to use anything you find here if it inspires you.  If not, then I hope you at least enjoy reading about the journey.