Before it gets too hot to turn on your oven, try these cookies from Sarah Magid, recommended by Kate:
It took me several weeks after the grand opening to get myself to the new Cambridge Public Library, but on my first visit I stopped in my tracks to check out a selection of new books placed at the check-out desk. At the top of the display was Sarah Magid's Organic and Chic: Cakes, Cookies, and Other Sweets That Taste as Good as They Look, a delightfully pink and pretty cookbook dedicated to organic pastries and baked goods. I checked it out, renewed it, checked it out again, and have enjoyed practically every recipe I've made.Before it gets too hot to turn on your oven, try these cookies from Sarah Magid, recommended by Kate:
It took me several weeks after the grand opening to get myself to the new Cambridge Public Library, but on my first visit I stopped in my tracks to check out a selection of new books placed at the check-out desk. At the top of the display was Sarah Magid's Organic and Chic: Cakes, Cookies, and Other Sweets That Taste as Good as They Look, a delightfully pink and pretty cookbook dedicated to organic pastries and baked goods. I checked it out, renewed it, checked it out again, and have enjoyed practically every recipe I've made.
Today, Kate recommends a great place to get messy with your kids:
"Although I generally enjoy apartment life, I do occasionally regret that we lack an extra room in which my daughter could give free (e.g., messy) reign to her artistic creativity. Given the chance, she loves nothing more than to cover herself in paint and glitter up to the elbows -- with some in her hair for good measure -- and we just don't have a space in which she can easily do that at home. Happily, the newly opened Muckykids Art Studio in the Porter Square neighborhood of Cambridge offers just the solution.
Today, Michelle Stern of What's Cooking shares her killer applesauce recipe:
One of the Mommy & Me cooking classes I teach is called Eating the Alphabet: From Apples to Zucchini, and I figured I couldn't go wrong starting with something familiar but undeniably delicious: applesauce. Kids love it. Grownups love it. And it's insanely good when made from scratch. I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Perri via Facebook:
Baby girl turns 1 this week and I wanted to find a cute T-shirt or onesie for her to wear on her special day. I saw a couple of cute (non-cheesy) items in Chasing Fireflies but unfortunately do not have time to order. Any ideas of local shops that might have some fun, cute, sassy, non-cheesy birthday gear?
Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from @papaproducts via Twitter:
Hey @bostonmamas do you have ideas for places to go out to Easter brunch/dinner with little kids? Have you seen a roundup of spots anywhere? Thanks!
I field a lot of inquiries here at Boston Mamas and I've been thinking for some time about sharing some of the reader Q&A I typically engage in via e-mail with the community at large (as I've seen my friends Gabrielle and Jo-Lynne do so well on their blogs). As a result, I just wanted to share that tomorrow I'll be launching a new series called Dear Boston Mamas, in which I'll periodically post reader Q&A. I hope you find the series useful and entertaining, and of course feel free to comment in if you have recommendations beyond those I've made. And if you have questions, send them in; I'm always happy to hear from readers!
Today, parent educator Hetti Wohlgemuth of Alphabet Soup 4 Parents shares her five Boston area café faves to enjoy with or without the kids:
"I'm not a homebody. I never was; even having two daughters within two years, we were always on the go. Or if I got some much needed alone time, I'd head out the door and find a place to read the newspaper or write in my journal. My go-to retreats? Independently owned coffee houses. Here are a few of my favorites in the Boston area:
Amidst the sadness of attending two funerals within one week, I have taken heart in the reconnection and reflection that can occur around such events. On Friday we hosted one of my long out-of-touch relatives following the family funeral, and to lighten the mood I decided to make lemon meringue pie. This dessert is a bit more involved than recipes I typically post here, but it was so ridiculously good that I wanted to share it for those looking for a lovely and lemony dessert. The pie served as the perfect cheery welcome over which we were able to reflect on lives lost and celebrate existing relationships; fittingly, Laurel said the meringue looked and tasted like happy clouds.
In the vein of spring cleaning, here's a new use for old spices. Instead of simply trashing stale spices, line them up on the counter with a bowl, mixing spoon, measuring spoons, and spray bottle (less messy, plus adds longevity to the project), then let your kid go to town. The more variety (color, smell, shapes, e.g., cardamom pods) the better. Laurel loves pretend playing that she's making a stew or science experiment, we get entertainment mileage by repurposing a household item that we'd otherwise toss, and if you're feeling particularly pedagogical, you can build in some math moments via measurement.
Today, from Kate, because waffles are good any time of day:
Like many other young brides, I received a waffle iron as a wedding gift. My main association with making waffles was a positive one: my father would occasionally make sausages and waffles -- on a waffle iron, practically antique, that had belonged to his mother -- for Sunday supper when the weather was cold and all other cooking inspiration failed him. With my own kitchen and my own iron, however, I struggled to make decent waffles: no matter what recipe I tried, they came out dry, cake-y in a bad way, and not amenable to softening with melted butter and syrup. So, the wedding waffle iron sat on a shelf neglected.
Today, Tracy shares a recommendation for the book Simplicity Parenting. Read on for Tracy’s thoughts on the book, as well as to learn how to win a copy of Simplicity Parenting:
"As a parent and clinical psychologist, I frequently am asked for parenting book recommendations, and I have always found this a difficult task. For one, I haven’t met many books that I find useful enough to be a go-to general recommendation. Another issue is that many parenting books seem to offer lots of strategies and tips in a very general way, which doesn’t help you tune in to your parenting instinct. Or they espouse a great philosophy of parenting with no or very vague ideas about what this philosophy would look like on the front lines, so to speak.
In Laurel’s 5+ years of birthday party going, we've seen a variety of home and off-site party ideas, but yesterday we experienced something very cool and different from the typical house or play gym party: a New England Aquarium On-the-Road birthday party.
Today, a peanut butter primer from Jules, because as she and I agree, a day without peanut butter is a day without joy:
I LOVE peanut butter. I mean, really, really love it. I remember joking to my husband when I was pregnant for the first time that if our son had a peanut allergy, we might have to house him elsewhere. I eat peanut butter with sweet things, savory things, salty things...fish, chocolate, noodles, and most often, off a big kitchen spoon right out of the jar.
Laurel and I spend a lot of time in the kitchen together and I continually remind myself to let go of perfection and control so she can really experience the cooking and baking processes. And it’s paid off. Check out my guest post for Michelle Stern’s What’s Cooking with YOUR Kids series, where I share how letting Laurel take charge in the kitchen resulted in a fine meal (and some time for me on the couch!). Enjoy!
Today, Kate shares details on Cambridge's new community hub:
The City of Cambridge is blessed with a beautiful new public library. After years of public debate followed by years of construction, the library building in which I spent many happy childhood hours has been largely subsumed into a welcoming, sunlight-filled addition.
One of my favorite ways to make a lazy weekend morning feel special is with scones. And these currant scones by Martha Stewart are simple in composition (without any forethought I had all the ingredients on hand) and are easy enough to whip up while everyone is still lolling around in jammies. I made these scones last weekend for company and they were a huge hit; light (um, seeming), flaky, and delicious. And everyone was happy to simply nibble these special treats alongside fresh fruit. Easy peasy.
This spring-like weather is utterly delicious, and if your kids want to create colorful flowers to match (while nature catches up), consider this Alex Toys Giant Paper Flowers Kit. My in-laws got this kit for Laurel and she loves the resulting pretty paper blooms. The kit includes an impressive quantity of colorful, decorative-edged tissue paper sheets + pipe cleaners (enough to make 30 flowers). Simply stack and accordion fold the paper, twist fasten with pipe cleaners, and fluff the flowers. It's a lovely, creative, and affordable away to have flowers all year long.
I stopped drinking coffee several months ago and since have been consuming a lot of herbal tea. And our friend Taina recently introduced us to a fantastic tea blend (inspired by her mama friend Jess) that I’ve been enjoying daily (I am, in fact, enjoying a cup right this minute). One batch is great to share with friends after dinner, or to enjoy through the day, whether it sits stove top at home or in a travel thermos at work. And it seems to me that the citrus-ginger blend could help stave off, or at least soothe, winter colds.