Moms are the ultimate multitaskers; at the park the other day I met a mom who was knitting some groovy socks while looking after her son. I used to be an avid knitter, but I had never seen anything like the little knitting pouch wristlet she was working from and I had to try tracking one down.
A super stylish option is the GoKnit Pouch from KnowKnits ($18; available at KnitPicks.com). Made of lightweight, ripstop nylon fabric (in hot pink, lime green, or turquoise), this pouch has a loop that can go over your wrist, belt loop, or purse strap and includes an interior snapped guide loop to keep your yarn in order. Measures 6 inches in diameter by 8 inches tall.
Moms are the ultimate multitaskers; at the park the other day I met a mom who was knitting some groovy socks while looking after her son. I used to be an avid knitter, but I had never seen anything like the little knitting pouch wristlet she was working from and I had to try tracking one down.
A super stylish option is the GoKnit Pouch from KnowKnits ($18; available at KnitPicks.com). Made of lightweight, ripstop nylon fabric (in hot pink, lime green, or turquoise), this pouch has a loop that can go over your wrist, belt loop, or purse strap and includes an interior snapped guide loop to keep your yarn in order. Measures 6 inches in diameter by 8 inches tall.
Holiday brunches ought to be enjoyed; you’ll be able to do just that with this terrific make ahead Prosciutto & Goat Cheese Strata from Epicurious.com. This dish (first enjoyed at the home of fellow food lovin' friends) is a winner every time. And it’s easy enough to substitute spinach for prosciutto to accommodate vegetarian guests.
Oh how I love the holiday butter cookie. Here’s a terrific, simple cookie recipe that I picked up from a departmental secretary when I was in graduate school. As if it wasn’t enough to just have a butter cookie, this recipe involves wrapping the butter cookie dough around Hershey’s Kisses and rolling the finished product in powdered sugar. Brilliant!
Pursuant to my last post, Auntie Sha-Sha has renewed my faith in the fact that elegant, hand crafted ornaments can in fact be made quickly and glue-free.
Sharon made a fleet of amazing bell cranes (shown) for Laurel, and confirmed that they were simple to put together. Fold a paper crane using origami paper. Thread ribbon through the top of a bell (she used 1/2 inch bells and 1/8 inch satin ribbon, about 16 inches long). Hold the ribbon ends even and together and tie a knot about 3/4 of an inch up from the top of the bell. This knot will sit under the belly of the crane (to fix space between the crane belly and the bell). Thread the ribbon ends through a needle with a large eye and insert needle in existing hole in the bottom of the crane and poke a hole through the top point. Pull the ribbon all the way through and tie a knot at the end.
For non-denominational cranes, you could forego the bell (leave a longer ribbon end under the belly and snip to separate), or replace the bell with a different trinket (e.g., snowflake, dreidel, photo).
I know a lot of hip and stylish grandmas out there, but they get little focused due in the retail market (try Googling the topic and among your first hits will be medication pill boxes). An inquiry from a friend/reader from Los Angeles - whose mom is about to become a new grandma - inspired me to collect some gift ideas that have proven to be winners with grandparents.
Artwork, including anything from sticker collages to scribbles to paint, is at the top of my list; an inexpensive frame adds a professional finish. If you have an infant, however, other picks include photo gifts such as albums, calendars, or photo coasters (ordered easily through services such as Kodak EasyShare Gallery
My mom, a traditional Korean lady, always impresses me with her fearlessness in the kitchen. And given her interest in culinary assimilation, it wasn’t unusual for a family meal to include traditional Korean fare and, say, a tray of lasagna or fried chicken she had just taught herself how to make.
So I’ve learned that mixing it up at the dinner table is a good thing. If you are on side dish duty tomorrow and want to bring a starch slightly off the traditional path, try the Rice Pilaf with Currants and Pine Nuts from Nick Stellino's Mediterranean Flavors
(shown; available at Amazon). The homey warmth of this dish will blend well with, yet add a little cultural kick to, the holiday table.
Isn’t it ironic that holiday hosting can be a source of honor, joy, exhaustion, and irritation practically all at the same time?
Show your appreciation to the holiday hosts who no doubt are losing sleep this week over redecoration, cleaning, and food preparation. Candles or soaps from the delicious Pacifica line are an elegant and environmentally friendly choice. Pacifica’s pillar and soy wax candles are clean burning and made by hand using paraffin or vegetable-based soy in small batches; soaps are handmade using biodegradable, vegan, vegetable glycerin soap base. Both products are infused with essential oils and other fragrance enhancers, and the results are good enough to eat; we especially love the unusual, rich Mexican Cocoa soap (shown, $6.95). Products are offered individually, or in prepackaged gift sets.
Available at Whole Foods and many other gift stores and bookstores. Click here to search Pacifica's (impressively accurate and comprehensive looking) vendor lists for the US and Canada.
Comfort food season is here, and what better way to celebrate than with a dish that hides vegetables like no other?
Laurel goes berserk when I make lasagna; as in, eats adult sized portions and asks for more. And the best part is that this recipe is packed with vegetables and protein, and I recently made adjustments to improve the nutritional content further (e.g., replacing typical ricotta cheese with tofu – seriously, you can’t even taste the difference and the dish sits much better in the belly). The resulting recipe is easy to knock together, packed with good stuff, and yummy for the whole family. Click here for the recipe.
There typically is a village ready to welcome a baby into the world, and now you can acknowledge all the players with the clever, playful movie poster baby announcements from 5starbaby. Created by graphic designer and father of three Peter Malamas, these A-list announcements are unique in offering the ability to detail what a collectively happy occasion the birth of a baby truly is. In addition to the typical baby specs, you can include the names of your loved ones, pets, and particularly fabulous birthing staff in the “cast list,” as well as personalized “baby reviews” from the soft-hearted critics corner.
These announcements typically are printed on premium glossy photo paper at 5 x 8 inches (click here for information on alternative sizes), and cost between $2.75 - $3.50 per announcement, depending on quantity. Mention that you heard about 5starbaby from Boston Mamas to receive 20% off your order!
An innocent day of clutter purging can completely fall off the rails when you hit the nostalgia box. Or boxes.
Knowing this, I dutifully avoided the four intimidating boxes of letters and nostalgia that trailed me on 5 moves in the last 8 years. Recently, though, I was inspired to action when my friend Marcy sent me an item from her own paper purge (a flyer from my college violin recital). I asked Marcy for tips so I could follow suit; here are her terrific suggestions (paraphrased, with a couple of my own suggestions in parentheses):
It’s hard to imagine where we would be without plastics, but the Sigg Kids Bottles
makes a good argument for an alternative beverage holder for your babe. Cutely patterned and constructed of lightweight, seamless aluminum, these bottles are tested for 0.0% leaching, so you don’t need to worry about chemicals from plastic getting into your child's digestive system. The bottle features a non-corrosive lining, solvent-free paint on the exterior, and a leak-proof screw top that kids can open themselves.
As I’ve written earlier, when relocating with kids – and all of their associated gear – it’s time to hire professional movers. For our recent move we used Careful Carriers. This small operation was the least expensive of several companies I called, and they were top notch. Personally, the moving team was considerate, polite and friendly; professionally, they were punctual, efficient, and freakishly strong (I can barely heft one crate of books, much less 3 crates on my back). The team also was incredibly sweet towards our babe, who was – understandably – slightly freaked about the sight of these dudes walking out of the house with all of our stuff. Laurel especially warmed to the mover who helped her dad put the crib together in the new house.
Careful Carriers offers local and long distance residential/commercial moves. Tel: 781-641-0376.
There are few foolproof things in life, but let me share one of them with you.
This recipe for scallion pancakes takes a mere 5-7 minutes to prep, and won’t last long coming off the skillet. If you’d like to channel the unofficial Korean mantra “leave no food scrap behind,” root around in your refrigerator for interesting leftovers; for Korean pajon, scallions often are replaced by other assorted chopped vegetables or cooked meat.
This past weekend we celebrated my daughter’s 2nd birthday. In contrast to last year’s giant, lunatic three-tiered birthday cake (some of which, it occurs to me, is still in our freezer), I decided to go simple. Just cupcakes. But then of course the day before the party I started to obsess about Laurel not having her own cake. I called my mama pal Paige and the “awww!” elicited by the mere mention of a cute little mini cake rendered me powerless in the pantry.
After comparing recipes from a few of my baking references (for this particular project, The Cake Bible and Williams-Sonoma Mastering: Cakes, Fillings & Frostings) I realized that the cupcake recipe I posted earlier is pretty much equivalent to standard 9-inch two-layer butter cake recipes. After some fuzzy volume estimation, I decided to double the cupcake recipe (i.e., to render 48 cupcakes), but only make 3 trays of cupcakes (36), splitting the remaining batter between two 6-inch cake pans. This worked perfectly and easily; the result was a beautiful mini cake flanked by a fleet of super cute cupcakes. Never mind that the babe was so busy munching on edamame that she barely acknowledged the cake, candles, and song! It’s the thought that counts, right?
Click here for an updated version of the cupcake recipe with instructions on how to make, assemble, and frost 36 cupcakes + one 6-inch layer cake. You, too, can be a lunatic baker.
I’m writing on the heels of a local move that went impressively well, both logistically and toddler-istically; I thought I would pass on moving tips before the packing peanuts go to my head.
Logistical suggestions: 1) hire movers (once you have kids – and all of their gear – it’s time to stop hitting up your friends for moving help); 2) confirm your moving appointment (we would have been waiting around a long time had we not done this); 3) line up an extra set of hands to help with your kid(s) if you are moving on the weekend (Auntie Sha-Sha was a godsend on moving day); 4) ruthlessly prune your belongings; and 5) if possible, donate or sell items before or during your move. You’ll not be surprised by the correlation between discard rate and remaining packing time.
Kid-specific suggestions (they require more description and thus, separate paragraphs…):
1. Keep as many variables constant as possible. For example, if you’re thinking about weaning or potty training or transition to a big kid bed, wait until after the move. Set up your babe’s bedding and critical comfort objects as soon as you get to your new home. Keep to your basic routines as best you can.
What’s not to love about Global Girlfriend? This online fair trade boutique offers unique handmade items made by women's non-profit programs and cooperatives worldwide. Proceeds support a host of women’s organizations, including Rosie’s Place in Boston.
Global Girlfriend offers apparel and accessories, jewelry, gifts, and décor items. A great pick is the Bold Silk Cosmetic Bag in pink and orange ($12). Made from 100% silk, this bag is handmade by a Southern Indian fair trade group that provides sustainable employment, competitive wages, as well as free meals, health care and education for employees and their children.
A Danish friend who conducts African safaris once told me that hippos are “mean bastards.”
Well, you’d never know it by looking at the cheery Modern Basics Big Boo Hippo Throw Blanket ($40). I just discovered the unbelievably cool site of Design Public, a small team that creates the coolest in home furnishings and accessories for babies, kids, adults, and critters.
The hippo blanket is available in blue, brown, green or pink; the fleece throw measures 40 x 30 inches.
Every now and then my husband does something in the kitchen that makes me go berserk. Two weeks ago it was coming up with a recipe for the best broccoli salad ever.
Inspired by a so-so version at a café near work, and the need for us to get some vegetables in us, Jon developed this recipe and can produce it in 20-25 minutes flat. The stovetop cooking is minimal, which is key given this summer’s steamy heat.
I now ask Jon to double the batches; single batches don’t last long around our house. Even the toddle bug will ingest some of the vegetables due to the yummy “sauce!”