A little love from Orange County Register… November 10, 2009

I am positively blushing–but excited–about my coverage today in the Orange County Register.

“Orange County Fare: A Culinary Journey Through the California Riviera,” the first cookbook produced by the Junior League of Orange County in more than 20 years, is a finalist in the cookbook category of the 2009 National Best Books Awards sponsored by USA Book News. The book focuses on fresh California-style cuisine – colorful dishes easily mastered by the home cook.
One of the recipes featured is by Rebecca Lacko of Capistrano Beach. Here’s a closer look:

Rebecca Lacko of Capistrano Beach donated her recipe Chicken Sausage Crostini to the Junior League of Orange County’s cookbook, “Orange County Fare: A Culinary Journey Through the California Riviera.”

Q. What was it like to be included in the new Junior League cookbook?

A. I was absolutely flattered to have my recipe appear in the same book with chef Jeff Lavia, chef Jamie Gwen, Richard Nixon, John Stamos and Vanna White. The proceeds from the book directly impact our Orange County neighbors and friends.

Q. What is your recipe?

A. I was pleased to donate my recipe Chicken Sausage Crostini (Page 21) to JLOCC, which devotes its trained volunteers and resources to five community projects focusing on the improvement of the lives of families in our community. The current projects are Orangewood Mentoring Program Activities, Florence Crittenton Services, CHOC Reading Program, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Emancipated Youth Program, and Orangewood Kinship. Through these projects, JLOCC returns more than $50,000 and gives more than 1,500 volunteer hours to the Orange County community each year.

Q. What is your full-time job?

A. Mother to two young boys, produce a national column on green living, and write for a variety of national publications and Web sites.

Q. What were your career dreams as a kid?

A. I always wanted to be in some creative field – writing, painting or singing, although I can barely carry a tune. I can remember relishing the idea of being able to live anywhere in the world while weaving stories for readers or painting scenes from my adventures on canvas. And I always wanted lots and lots of kids.

Q. When did you become interested in writing about food?

A. I began writing about food and nutrition more than six years ago. It seemed natural and effortless because I am always thinking about eating good food and I want others to join me. I’m also curious about how different kinds of food and spices can heal or provide specific nutrients, and how they grow or earned a peculiar name. Creating and sharing a nutritious meal with friends and family is, in my opinion, a great act of love.

Q. How so?

A. Humankind has been gathering to eat since the dawn of time, and it is a ritual that honors and nourishes everyone at the table. When we can make something that tastes good, fuels the body and is pleasing to the senses, we have in essence, created art. This may seem a lofty perspective on something as routine as eating, but when you stand back and study the process of preparing food and feeding others, there is a lucid beauty to the task.

Q. Why do you think volunteering is important?

A. We all know in our hearts how important social programs are to those in need. Living in close proximity to the ocean, we also are reminded to be good stewards of our environment. However, studies prove volunteering benefits the volunteer the most. When we give, we truly receive. A community can only be as healthy, vibrant and active as its members are willing to make it. As Dr. Albert Schweitzer remarked, “The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.”

“Orange County Fare” is available at www.orangecountyfare.com ($29.95), as well as Friday through Sunday at The Christmas Co. at the OC Fair & Event Center (fairgrounds), 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa. For more information, visit www.jlocc.org.

ABOUT REBECCA LACKO

Born and raised: Ontario, Canada

Food heroes: chefs Bobby Flay, Alice Waters and Tanya Petrovna

Family: husband, Joseph; two sons, Joseph, 4, and Noah, 2

Favorite quote: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” – Marianne Williamson

Hobbies/spare time: reading, going for walks or hikes, traveling, cooking, painting, yoga and dance, playing with her kids

Motto: “When you look at your troubles from God’s point of view, you realize that everything is working together for good. Meet every circumstance with forgiveness and joy.”

Working on: a fiction book about an Orange County-based family, and beginning the outline for a nonfiction book that will be a series of essays about living by design

Las Vegas with the kids (slideshow) October 16, 2009

Creating Family Traditions: Make your own, have fun, and grow closer October 12, 2009

We all have a handful of cherished family memories—things we did with our family which comforted us when we were little. These traditions may have included decorating the Christmas tree, or visiting a special relative in the summer, or even humorous and mundane things like a certain dish mom used to make—terribly.

Why not begin creating your own special traditions? They can be solemn or downright silly, whatever suits your brood. I’m going to use this page to begin a list of ideas of creative new rituals to try with my kids and husband, to build lasting memories, learn more about them and the things they value, and to simply share quality time with the people I love most.

Her are some ideas:

1. Create a Family Phrase Book.

Rather than downloading and printing pics for the photo album, why not start a compendium of all the cute, zany, hilariously unintelligible and downright heart-melting things your kids say? (This idea comes from my inability to assemble a scrapbook, overridden by my desire to remember all the precious moments. My husband keeps our photos organized on the computer, not to worry!)

• “Hey, do you want to go to Christmas? Get your raincoat!”  Now that Joseph is three, his imagination has run wild. His “raincoat” was a scarf he’d pulled from the front hall closet. Hey, I’d love to go to Christmas. (Joseph, age 3)
• “I can feel my poops in my nose.”  Joseph rather poetically said this when he caught the aroma of, well, his toots. It took us a moment to decipher it, and then we all cracked up. (Joseph, age 3)
• “I can’t want it!”  This was his rendition of “no thank you” for a while. Can a person not be able to want something? We finally convinced him to decline in a more dignified manner, but to this day, my husband and I replace “no” with this puzzling phrase. (Joseph, age 3)
• “I make you beautiful, mommy.”  This was Joseph’s reassurance to me one day when I was disappointed about something. I don’t remember what the let-down was, but I am certain that whatever beauty I have, my family is responsible for it. (Joseph, age 3)
• “I made a rainbow by planting seeds and sprinkling with milk.” Joseph said this after seeing a rainbow one morning. (Joseph, age 4)

2. Play “Something Nice Happened Today!”

This is a fun twist on counting our blessings. It requires little ones to think about the events of the day, and pick out the highlights. It builds a sense of abundance and joy. Life looks pretty good when you consider how many wonderful things happen every day. Remember, this exercise has nothing to do with “big” things like winning the lottery or getting a raise, or a puppy, or what-have-you. This is about finding joy in the everyday. For example:

• “I met a new friend at the park and we played pirates!”
• “I wrestled with Daddy and I won!”
• “I drew pictures with my crayons, and built a spaceship with my Legos.”
• “I took my race cars into the bubble bath!”
• “I read a new book.”

Moms and Dads can offer their own blessings. These can be as simple as saying “I saw you sharing with your brother and helping him” to something much more meaningful. The significance of this to share with your child what you consider a blessing, what is important to you. Showing gratitude for your child’s contribution to your life firms your bond and increases self confidence.

3. Keep record of the most unexpected moments of parenthood

When you were pregnant, you spent hours thinking about how life with baby might be. When your little cherub arrived, reality turned out to be a lot more work—and a lot more unexpected!– than you ever imagined. Children love to hear stories about themselves, especially things that happened when they were “little”—the sillier the better!

• Total obsession with Star Wars. My husband brought home the Star Wars Lego Wii game, long before either my 2- or 4-year-old were old enough to see the movies. It stirred something very deep and primal in them. They are absolutely obsessed with using “the forest” (the force), spaceships, planets, and “wight sabers.” At night, they request the Star Wars theme-song in place of lullabies, and wish ardently to collect all the Star Wars Legos kits that are find beyond their intended age range.

E-Cloth green cleaning is cost-effective and chemical-free September 17, 2009

Several months ago, I was asked to test the E-Cloth, a series of job-specific microfiber towels that require only water to clean every surface inside and outside the home, from delicate glassware to over-burdened outdoor grills.

While some consumers still purport that green products “cost too much,” or are “just a marketing gimmick,” with E-Cloths you don’t have to buy green products—in fact, you don’t need to buy anything at all. Besides, while some sustainable products might cost a little more at the checkout counter than conventional products, there are much bigger, and much longer-term savings that show up in the health of your family and the health of the planet.

What took me so long to give them a test-run? I was hugely skeptical. How could a mist of water and a set of hand towels get my house “clean enough”? I have two sons, a husband, and a pet–all conspiring against the cleanliness and freshness of my home. In my case, the motivating factor was guilt; I’m embarrassed to admit I still hadn’t broken my paper towel habit, and with an E-Cloth Starter Pack at my disposal, I had no excuse.

First, a quick overview on why paper towels no longer make sense for household cleaning:

• Cleaning with microfiber eliminates the use of energy for the manufacture, transport and disposal of paper towels.
• Paper towels are used once then thrown away. Used paper towels cannot be recycled so they create a large volume of landfill waste.
• Manufacturing paper towels from virgin fibers (far and away the most produced) leads to deforestation and typically involves chlorine bleaching to make them whiter. Chlorine is a toxic chemical that releases carcinogenic dioxins and furans.
• No run off and disposal of the chemicals used to manufacture paper towels.

I began with the kitchen pack, consisting of a General Purpose Cloth for thick grease and dirt and a Glass & Polishing Cloth for glass, light cleaning and final polishing. Amazingly, the fiber technology penetrates and removes dust, grime, oil, grease and even bacteria. The most two most surprising results were how easily stuck-on kitchen messes came off, and the consequential gleaming shine of my counter tops.

For years, I only used biodegradable, phosphate-free household cleaners , and I understood that spraying, waiting for the product to sink in, and scrubbing were the three steps of the cleaning process. With the E-Cloth, a light mist of water and an immediate sweep with the cloth lifted even the most offensive of kitchen messes without requiring the help of my own “elbow grease.” Cleaning was literally effortless, without the surface film typcially left behind by cleansers. My surfaces are now the cleanest and shiniest they have ever been. I am, in fact, shocked by how well these products work. Tile, countertops, stove tops, glass windows and bathroom surfaces are literally “squeaky” clean, with zero residue or bacteria, without effort. For family members with respiratory problems, the prospect of entirely chemical-free cleaning brings much-needed relief.

According to the National Research Council, no toxic information is available for more than 80% of the chemicals in everyday-use products. (Click here to view a video about our exposure to household chemicals on mygreenside.org.) In the U.S. there are no legal requirements for listing ingredients on the labels of household cleaning products. Household chemicals don’t come under the jurisdiction of the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) .The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) only regulates pesticides, and the focus of Consumer Product Safety Commission is limited to acute poisoning hazards.

However, as mentioned in Clorox Green Works to Boost Company Image and Sales?, regular use of toxic cleansers chronically expose family members and pets to known, cancer-causing carcinogens. Studies have shown that we spend over 85% of our time indoors. The EPA reports that indoor air quality is often times much more polluted than outdoor air. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 23 million people–including 6.8 million children–have asthma. Young children crawl on the floor, then put their hands in their mouth transferring chemical residue. While the human body is accustomed to most common home bacteria, our bodies are not equipped to fight cancer-causing toxins. Since household cleaners were the third largest category of substances associated with calls to poison control centers, the Soap & Detergent Association (SDA) recommends protecting children from cleaning chemical exposure by only cleaning when they are out of the house.
 E-cloth’s only cleaning companion is distilled water, guaranteeing this product is:

• Non toxic
• Non allergenic
• No skin irritants
• No toxic residue
• Unscented
• Completely safe to use around children and pets
• Reusable (E-Cloth promises 300 uses)
• Cost-effective
• More effective than any product this tester has used.

So what is to stop me from buying a case of microfiber cloths at Costco? Does using the E-cloth brand make any difference? “Microfiber” is a general term used to describe a wide variety of materials fabricated using ultra-fine fibers. There is a large disparity in quality from one microfiber to another. Understandably, inexpensive microfibers do not clean as well, and are not as durable as premium microfiber.

Small fibers are best suited for cleaning because they possess far more “cleaning edges” to pick up dirt. Clearly, the more fiber strands per square inch, the more capability the cloth has to cut through, collect and absorb grease, dirt and liquids.

E-cloth’s fabrication creates microscopic texturing with each fiber being about 1/100^th the width of a human hair. A standard E-cloth has 500 million strands per cloth. While Costco, for instance, doesn’t offer that information, its site specifies that its brand, “Will soak up to 7 times its weight in liquids, and leaves surfaces 99% bacteria-free without expensive disinfectants.” Before purchasing microfiber cloths, be sure to do your research.

Using microfiber cloths saves money, time, and will eliminate paper towels’ carbon footprint and landfill waste, along with air and water pollution that chemicals create.

For more info: Check out the E-Cloth website and/or order products.

E-Cloth won the Good Housekeeping UK 2009 Green Living Award, is recommended by the British Allergy Foundation, and Greensburg’s GreenTown.

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Family Day-tripping to Dana Point, California August 31, 2009

This article is from my Parenting column on the LA. Edition of Examiner.com. Please visit to SEE PHOTOS of Dana Point!

Dana Point Harbor has something for every member of the family. Located midway between Los Angeles and San Diego, Dana Point Harbor is gorgeous, and easily accessible–by boat, bike or car! Divided into the East and West Basin, both operate as a separate marina. 

Nestled between the basins, you’ll discover curious waterside shops, a variety of restaurants, ice cream shops and walking paths. When my sons and I met up with photographer Kristianne Koch and her children, Merrik and Maliea, one morning for breakfast, we chose Coffee Importers, 2008 Best of Dana Point gold medal winners for best healthy choices, best breakfast, best sandwich, and (of course!) best coffee.

Our children are all aged four and under. While we look forward to the day when we can enroll them in Dana Point’s sailing school for kids, kayaking or windsurfing, our little ones enjoyed spotting “humungous” crabs in the water, petting the many dogs walking by, and spending the day examining tide pools, floating on a surfboard and making sand castles on Baby Beach.

A native of nearby San Clemente, Kristianne grew up visiting DP Harbor. Here is her Top Five List of Things to Do:

1) Tidepools/Dana Marine Life Refuge Low tide brings tide pool adventurers to the far west side of Dana Point Harbor. 

2) Baby Beach It’s safe to go back inthe water! OC Weekly rated water quality at Baby Beach grade  F over they years, but 2008 saw an improvement with a fair C. This year, Baby Beach received straight A’s from April to October, and during year-round dry weather, reports OC Weekly. (Dana Point recently received a federal earmark to study pollution in the area, so that might help prevent this year’s grade from being a fluke.)

3) Whale watching Whale watching and novice-to-expert fishing trips run daily out of Dana Wharf.

4) The Ocean Institute Nestled against the bluffs in Dana Point Harbor, this nonprofit organization is closed during the week for ocean preservation classes but facility tours are available Thursday and Friday at 4 pm. Open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays. Thursday & Friday: 3:30pm 45 min.
$2.00 per person, members are free.

5) Happy hour at Wind and Sea  Merrik and Maliea love to talk to people out the big windows overlooking the sidewalk.

There are numerous waterfront choices for dining, from the casual to the romantic. Catch an early breakfast, or watch the sun go down with a glass of wine and a memorable dinner.

Harbor Deli 
Tel: 949.496.0424
New York Style Deli

Slice of New York
Tel: 949.496.1447
Italian Food

Jolly Roger
Tel: 949.496.0855
Casual Dining on The Waterfront

Jon’s Fishmarket
Tel: 949.496.2807
Fresh Pacific Caught Seasonal Fish

Proud Mary’s Restaurant
Tel: 949.493.5853
Family-owned Restaurant on the Waterfront

Wind & Sea Restaurant
Tel: 949.496.6500
Fresh Seafood and Steaks on the Waterfront

Beach Cities Pizza
Tel: 949.496.0606
Pizza with Homemade Sauce. Sandwiches, Salads and Pasta

Coffee Importers & Deli and Scoop Deck Ice Cream
Tel: 949.493.7773
Seaside Patio, Fresh Roasted Coffee Drinks, Pastries, Desserts, Bagels, Soups, Smoothies, Fresh Juices, and Ice Cream.

El Torito Restaurant 
Tel: 949.496.6311
Mexican Cuisine

Gemmell’s Restaurant (Rebecca’s favorite! Gemmell’s is very welcoming to children, but also a nice romantic spot for celebrations.)
Tel: 949.234.0063
Traditional and Classic Fine Dining

The Harbor Grill
Tel: 949.240.1416
Inventive, Fresh Seafood, Extensive Wine List, Premium Cocktails

Harpoon Henry’s Seafood Restaurant
Tel: 949.493.2933
On The Water Seafood Restaurant and Extensive Wine List

The Brig Restaurant
Tel: 949.496.9046
Great Home Cooking

The Beach House
Tel: 949.496.7310
Brunch, lunch or dinner.

For more info: Book a family photo session with Kristianne! View Kristianne Koch’s portrait portfolio, blog and personal/fine art galleries, or book a session. Or, contact her at kristianne.koch@cox.net or 949-702-7707.

The Ocean Institute
24200 Dana Point Harbor Dr.
Dana Point, CA 92629
Phone:(949) 496-2274
 

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At-home fetal monitoring no substitute for med eval August 26, 2009

This article is from my Parenting column on the L.A. edition of Examiner.com.

The joys and worries of pregnancy–especially the first time!–can be numerous. One way moms-to-be often comfort themselves is with an at-home personal fetal monitor (Doppler device). The sound of baby’s heartbeat is certainly reassuring, but can the sounds of a normal heartbeat give the entire picture of a growing infant’s health?

A hand-held Doppler device assesses the presence of fetal heart pulsations only at that moment, and it is used by midwives and obstetricians to check for viability or for intermittent monitoring during labor, explains Dr. Thomas Aust and colleagues from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Arrowe Park Hospital, Wirral in a recent article in the British Medical Journal.  “In untrained hands it is more likely that blood flow through the placenta or the mother’s main blood vessels will be heard,” say the authors.

The article outlines a case of a 27-year-old mom-to-be (at 32 weeks into her first pregnancy) with reduced fetal movements; She had first noted a reduction in her baby’s activity two days earlier but had used her own Doppler device to listen to the heartbeat and reassured herself that everything was normal.

Further monitoring by the antenatal care team was not reassuring and the baby was delivered by Caesarean section later that evening. The baby remained on the special care baby unit for eight weeks and is making steady progress.

Following this case, they searched the internet and found that a fetal Doppler device could be rented affordably by the month or purchased outright. Although the companies state that the device is not intended to replace recommended antenatal care, they also make claims such as “you will be able to locate and hear the heartbeat with excellent clarity.”

Speaking as the mother of two sons born in a birthing tub at home, assisted by midwives, I can agree that it is tempting to try to assuage worries for our baby’s health using a variety of methods; I purchased my own hand-held doppler at a drugstore (but it didn’t work nearly as well as my midwife’s. In fact, I put it aside because the intermittent, faint sound caused me more worry). The bottomline: A safe, low-risk birth of a healthy infant requires regular and attentive care by a licensed midwife or docrtor.  There are no appropriate subsitutes for experienced care by qualified health practictioners.

For more info: Read Dr. Aust’s article in the British Medical Journal.

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How to wash your car – the eco-friendly way! August 18, 2009

With two kids aged 2 and 4 years, I don’t have a lot of time to wash my car. My little one is horrified by conveyor-style commercial car washes, and my older one is a hose-happy water waster. Washing my car in the driveway is, by all accounts, one of the most “un-green” household chores, but pulling up to a playdate in a crud-encrusted VW is not so nice either.

The debate: Which is greener—commercial car washes or doing it yourself at home?   Commercial car washes use power, land, and harsh detergents that may leak into the environment. However, the amount of water used for washing a car at home can be anywhere from between a whopping 80 to 140 gallons of water, while commercial car washes average less than 45 gallons per car, according to International Car Wash Association.

More importantly, federal laws in both the U.S. and Canada require commercial carwash facilities to drain their wastewater into sewer systems, so it gets treated before it is discharged back into the great outdoors. (1972 Clean Water Act). By contrast, when car owners wash their vehicle in the driveways, a combination of gasoline, oil and residues from exhaust fumes, and car wash detergent goes directly into storm drains funneled toward rivers, streams, creeks and wetlands, poisoning aquatic life wreaking ecosystem havoc. (Household waste water enters sewers or septic systems and undergoes treatment before it is discharged into the environment.)

Responsible at-home car washing techniques It is important to note there are several benefits to washing your car at home: you get a decent work out, save money, receive vitamin D from the sun, and may use less water than commercial washing (see how below), and will most likely do a more thorough job than an automated car wash. Also, when using environmentally-friendly products, you can safely involve your children in the chore! The keys to creating an eco-minded home car wash are
a. use less than 45 gallons of water (piece of cake!) and,
b. to decrease harmful run-off.  

Here’s how. Choose a biodegradable soap specifically formulated for automotive parts, such as Ecover’s Carwash and Wax. or Simple Green’s Car Wash. I like Ecover because its two-in-one wash/wax saves on water use, time and money. Also, I’ve noticed my car stays cleaner, longer.
Or, make your own biodegradable car wash by mixing one cup of liquid dishwashing detergent and 3/4 cup of powdered laundry detergent (use ONLY chlorine- and phosphate-free and non-petroleum-based products) with three gallons of water. This concentrate can then be used sparingly with water over exterior car surfaces.

Playing Quarters. My approach is to wash the car in quarters; First, I give the entire vehicle a quick but thorough rinse down. Next, I sponge on the car wash detergent to only one quarter of the vehicle. Then, I carefully rinse just the section I washed, and immediately chamois off to avoid streaks. I do all four quarters one at a time, then concentrate on wheels/rims, then move on to glass and interior polishing. This greatly reduces the volume of water used, and ensures a streak-free finish.
I’m also toying with idea of parking on an old bed sheet to collect more product and run-off, then washing it with my soiled micro-fiber sheets from household cleaning, and simply hanging to dry.   Also, try this advice from Helen Coronato, author of Eco-Friendly Families: Mix baking soda and water together to make a paste to shine hubcaps and chrome bumpers. A sprinkle of baking soda followed by vacuuming can freshen and clean floor mats and interiors. After long road trips, clean bugs and dirt from the windshield by sprinkling baking soda on a damp sponge, rubbing and rinsing. Stubborn stains on your car, often caused by tree sap or road tar can be eliminated by applying your baking soda paste to the stain for 10 minutes and then rinsing with a damp sponge.

Ecover also offers an excellent Car Glass and Interior Spray which leaves the car smelling fresh and new-car-ish, but not perfumey. (It also works beautifully on exterior chrome finishes if you really want your car to have that shiny, freshly-detailed look.)    Another option is avoid water altogether using a waterless formula, such as Freedom Waterless Car Wash, applied via spray bottle and then wiped off with a cloth. This method is especially handy for spot cleaning, or while using my “quarter approach”  

For more info:  The International Car Wash Association offers this advice for Car Wash Fundraisers Kids and parents planning a fundraising car wash event should know that they might be violating clean water laws if run-off is not contained and disposed of properly. The temporary measurement of wastewater flows from a professional car wash is hampered by the traditional plumbing design of the sewer outfall. Non-intrusive meters such as ultrasonic meters or magnetic meters are commonly used in the water industry to measure flows with entrained materials are large amounts of particulates. These types of meters require a stretch of unbroken pipe to which the meter can be attached. Most sewer outfall pipe at car washes is buried under asphalt or concrete, under the floor of the bays or the parking lot. Future design of car washes should consider leaving a stretch of outfall pipe with access through a meter box sufficiently large enough to install temporary non-invasive metering equipment. This would ease the job of a car wash owner/operator wishing to demonstrate the water losses at their facility from evaporation and carryout.  

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Top 10 Foods to Help Little Ones Sleep Better June 22, 2009

We’ve  certainly had our issues with bedtime. Both our boys require strategic, point-by-point operations before they will agree to close their eyes for the night. We’ve tried everything (and I do mean everything) to put them to sleep, including altering their dinner options to encourage a restful sleep.

Regardless of the book or manuals you read, what works and doesn’t work in parenting is often learned through trial and error. As far as the foods we’ve  been choosing before bedtime, apparently we’ve been following the wrong tack.

While many stand by a high-protein pre-bedtime routine, (citing the side benefits of turkey because it contains sleep-inducing tryptophan), researchers have nixed this connection. It turns out turkey, like most foods, just doesn’t contain enough tryptophan to put you to sleep, explains Elizabeth Somer, R.D., author of The Food & Mood Cookbook: Recipes for Eating Well and Feeling Your Best

This comes as a surprise to me. As a former macrobiotic, I thought I knew a thing or two about the food-mood connection. Instead, Somer recommends we choose light but high-carbohydrate snacks in order to boost levels of serotonin (the brain’s sleep chemical) without overloading  the digestive system. Of course, it never hurts to wash them down with something warm and soothing, such as a cup of herbal tea (chamomile or lemon balm) or warm milk. Perhaps I’ll try incorporating a little tea-party ritual with the boys before bedtime.

The Top 10 Foods to Promote Sleep
Try one of these yummy foods about an hour before bedtime. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that your little one (and you!) get a good night’s rest tonight!

• A 4-ounce baked potato topped with salsa
• Half of a whole-wheat English muffin or raisin bagel drizzled with honey
• 1 slice whole or multi-grain bread smeared with almond or cashew butter
• Half a cup of pasta topped with marinara sauce
• 2 cups air-popped popcorn
• Fresh strawberries dunked in a little fat-free chocolate syrup
• A handful of oyster crackers and one piece of fruit
• A small slice of angel food cake topped with berries
• A frozen whole-wheat waffle, toasted, with maple syrup
• Half a cup of pretzels   

Camping at Lake Piru June 9, 2009

Get brave and dirty! Try a campout with your preschoolers!

 Last weekend, we took the kids camping at Lake Piru in Los Padres National Forest near Ventura, Calif. Our boys, ages 2 and 4 years, were very excited, and spent the week before our trip ”practicing” in their turtle-shaped tent at home. My husband has his father’s old 1985 speed boat, and we were curious about how our little ones might fare on a cruise about the lake. (They’ve been boating on it since birth, but each time seems to be an entirely new adventure!)

The campsite at Lake Piru is a lot less rural than I’d hoped—Tiny spaces in a former oliver orchard butting up to neighboring campers on either side—and while the fabulous sunsets, and chocolate brown cows on the surrounding picturesque hills created a tranquil setting, the overall “campground” aspect felt a little more like tailgating than getting back to nature. Like all things in life, even strangers camping only 50 feet away (with their late-night banter and dubious musical tastes) have a silver lining; So much exposure to other campers allowed our children fleeting interactions with other young ones new to the concept. The boys also made friends with rollicking doggies of all shapes and sizes, and (truth be told) I’m neither ready to go “deep woods” with a 2- and 4-year-old just yet, nor am I ready to stray too far from a decent coffee place when I know I’ll be spending the night on a blow-up mattress.

The economy what it is, the boat launch was virtually deserted all weekend, with only a lone skier on the lake, although it is a popular spot for trout, northern black bass, catfish, bluegill, sunfish and crappie fishing. We enjoyed high-speed rides with our friends and little guys, who were both giggling hysterically and urging their father to go faster, faster! When we let down our anchor in a quiet bay, they thought nothing of jumping right in the lake–I was so impressed! 

One unexpected benefit of the empty boat launches was the combination of wide open space and the perfect kite-flying wind caught between the mountains and water. (My husband scoffed when I packed a kite: “how do you suppose we’ll fly a kite in the woods?”) When I pulled out our Mater and Lightning McQueen kite, the boys cheered! The string was nowhere to be found, so I removed the kite’s tails, connected them, and we used them as a makeshift string. The wind picked the kite right up, and we were off and running! 

While we had packed a toy bulldozer and an excavator, along with some sand toys, the boys ignored them. They were too interested in exploring rabbit holes, and collecting sticks, and throwing stones into the woods. One thing that surprised me was the ongoing ordeal about who was going to collect the water and help scrub the dishes after every meal. To be fair, I put them both to work, but they weren’t happy about it. They each wanted to be “the one” who helped. (This is the kind of debate I’d like to see more often!)

Each night, the boys were exhausted. When we tucked them into bed, the would roll about in huge fits of giggles—they were so thrilled to be sleeping in a tent! They were giving us big kisses and hugs and cheering, and it was nothing short of adorable. Until early in the morning, when our littlest early-riser had me up at 5am, walking the perimeter of the campground, again and again, until around 8 am, when he finally settled down enough to eat breakfast—or rather, pick the chocolate chips out of the otherwise nutritious trail mix.

Check out the slideshow! After reviewing our fun, I realized we all need our hair cut.

Hacking Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters Ride At Disneyland May 13, 2009

As one of millions of parents who has watched Pixar’s Toy Story movies ad nauseam, paid the sizeable entrance fee to Disneyland, stood in endless lines to experience the magic of a 2-minute ride with their offspring, shouldn’t we grown-ups enjoy just the teeniest edge at a few rides?

Dad Danny Sullivan thinks so. A few years ago, he posted his tips for hacking the Buzz Lightyear ride in Tomorrowland at Disneyland in order to post the day’s highest score. Summer is almost upon us, and many will be visiting The Magic Kingdom. Now is our chance!

As Rex says in Toy Story 2: “You know, they make it so you can’t defeat Zurg unless you buy this book. It’s extortion!”

I have to sheepishly admit why I’m personally so interested. My husband is a lifelong video game fanatic—He has played it all. I barely played Pacman back in the day, and aside from a little Bejeweled, I’m hopeless. However! When we went on this ride, I held both my squirming boys while working our ion blasters, and he rode by himself, unecumbered. When the ride was done, mysteriously I’d scored THREE times the points he had! Could I be the next person to defeat Emperor Zurg? Could I?!?

 Read Sullivan’s tips here. To infinity, and beyond!