droolicious : eating

Milk Meets Its Match

Lisa Mulcahy — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 02:00:00 GMT

So your kid says he doesn’t like the moo juice? Try kick’in it up a notch with these tasty straws.

Kids from down under have had them for a awhile, and now this Aussie company has expanded distribution to the U.S. Sipahh Milk Flavoring Straws, $15.16 for a sample pack of ten, contain all natural flavor beads that dissolve on contact with milk. Pick from strawberry, chocolate, banana and cookies & cream.

Play With Your Food: Fred & Friends' Food Face Dinner Plate

Aaron Burgess — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:30:00 GMT

The Food Face Dinner Plate by Fred & Friends borrows a concept from our of our favorite old-school drawing toys and transfers it to a modern kids' plate (minus the metal shavings, of course). There's no guarantee you'll be able to scoot those veggies past the funny face's beard and into your little one's tummies -- but at least you'll have fun trying.

Made from food-safe, high-fire ceramics and available mid-April for $7.99 -- add it to your wish list now at Spoon Sisters.

A Geography Lesson While They Eat

Erin Behan — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:31:00 GMT

Excite kids about history and geography with Kiikkerland's place mats. The reproductions of the U.S. states as they were in 1885 are almost too pretty to spill food on (in which case you could use them as posters, wrapping paper, book covers, etc.). Up close and personal, you'll be impressed by the detail of cities, rivers, landmarks, etc. The pad of states--46 in all, just like in 1885--are printed on a heavy stock and are a real bargain for $12.95 at X-tremeGeek.

If you're more of the European persuasion, Kikkerland has place mats for you, too. I could only find them on the Kikkerland website, however, where they go for a steeper $18. It's still cheaper than a plane ticket.

Breakfast Buddies

Lisa Mulcahy — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:28:00 GMT

There comes a time for most toddlers when a “top ten list” of foods is decided upon and they’ll eat nothing else. Usually comprised of chicken nuggest, bananas, perhaps peanut butter, deviating from “the list” often sparks either a tantrum or hunger strike. Recently I’ve tried to introduce hard boiled eggs without much success. I may try these egg cosies.

I know, the word cosy sparks images of 1970s crocheted toaster covers and toilet paper holders but these bad boys from Brooklyn’s Abitare are cute as can be without the kitch. Made in Germany, the two felt egg cosies, $19.50, are affectionately named David (the bunny) and George (the chick).

Go Ahead, Kid, Rake Your Food In

Erin Behan — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:52:00 GMT

Leave it to the Danish to design children's cutlery whose odd shape defies traditional expectations, and models form on function. Designed by silvermaker Kay Bojesen (who also created time-tested kids wooden toys), this cutlery set has flat handles, which are easier to grasp for small hands. The foodpusher is less fork, more rake without tongs. To get your baby's hands on the heirloom quality pieces, you'll have to shell out $45 at Babygeared.

Mess Kit 10% Off

Lisa Mulcahy — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:05:00 GMT

After a long weekend of non-stop eating with a toddler in tow I’ve decided this is a must have for the holiday season.
If you’re bringing your little mess maker to someone’s house for a meal be advised that messes are bound to happen. The best you can do is to be prepared and try to contain it. Mullins Square’s mess kits, $31.50, (shown here in disco dot) have all the accessories to avert a dining disaster. The laminated spill mat is a generous 42 inches and comes along with a velcro bib, spoon and washcloth.

The Bach & Beethoven Lovin' Bib & Burp Set

SunnyChanel — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:12:00 GMT

If you are one of those “must play classical music at all times for my baby” type parents, well Bach and Beethoven lovin’ mommies and daddies, have we got the Bib and Burp set for you. My Retro Baby offers up the Classis Composers Bib & Burp Cloth Gift Set ($32). The set is 100% cotton and the bib is chenille backed for some cozy meal time fun. If this is music to your ears, you can get yours here.

7 Days of Feeding - Puppet Club Dining Set

SunnyChanel — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 22:57:00 GMT

You don’t know what I understand? Why, when a set of parents are hardcore foodies, how the offspring of said parents could show such distain and dread at the dinner table? My husband and I, well, we like to eat…a lot. Our kid? Not so much. That’s why we try to make meal time an event. Music, lights, action. Having an attractive and fun dining set helps make dinner time much alluring than just food on a simple plain plate. Enter the Puppet Club 6-piece Dining Set. This set includes a versatile bowl/cup, a easy to scoop out plate, a bonus piece that can be an egg cup or condiment holder, and best of all the smiley face donning silverware doubles as finger puppets. When you’re sick of telling your kid to eat their veggies, have the fork tell them. $50 here.

ABC Kids Expo 2008: Calla High Chair

Chris Ford — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:48:00 GMT

The Calla High Chair is kind of a puzzle for me, because while the shape of the chair really makes it stand out, even from all the other "modern" highchairs at ABC, it's still just a high chair. It's still just a piece of furniture with a very limited practical shelf-life that your kids are going to inevitably make very, very messy. But your kid has to sit somewhere and eat, right? More details after the jump.

The Calla highchair was designed by Yves Behar for Fleurville and has all of the normal high chair type stuff - a tray, a foot rest etc. It's also height-adjustable, raising all the way up to bar height (which is a nice feature). But what you're really purchasing is the look. It really was something to look at - I'm pretty sure there isn't a ninety degree angle on any part of it.. And although they didn't allow me to take a picture I still wanted to write about it.

The chair is a bright yellow and will undoubtedly stand out in your home, so it might be a hard fit with the rest of your decor. I suppose though that if you've got a room full of furniture already that the Calla would be at home in, then you probably aren't worrying about it standing out. And you probably aren't sweating the price either.

The Calla highchair will be available in the Spring of 2009 from Fleurville for a retail price of $580. Check it out at callachair.com.

ABC Kids Expo 2008: Snacker Catcher

Chris Ford — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:28:00 GMT

It was fun to check out all the new products from the brands that we all know, but it was also fun to find new products from people who had a good idea and are trying to make it happen. The Snacker Catcher, a "big snack" tether, is one of those products.

It basically looks like a pacifier tether - you clip one end to your child's clothes and you cinch the other to a large piece of food (like half a bagel or a cookie or something. Then when your child inevitably drops it, it won't fall on the ground.

Each Snacker Catcher is BPA free and has gone through the lengthy FDA approval process (which isn't something I've seen before in a product like this). There are four ribbon styles available and each should retail for around $9.99. Check them out at Bebalee.com.

ABC Kids Expo 2008: Stokke Table Top

Chris Ford — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:30:00 GMT

Leave it to Stokke to take a simple concept like the placemat and step it up a notch. The Stokke Table Top isn't really a placemat, but more of a whole table top eating and playing system. The way it works is there is a clear plastic no-slip mat that contains spills, and inside the mat you put inserts that are appropriate for a particular age group. It comes with six different patterns that are appropriate for 6 months - 2 years, 18 months - 4 years and 3 years - 8 years.

Hopefully you'll get a full eight years out of it, because at a retail price of $89.99 it's going to cost you.

Check out all the information about it over at StokkeUSA.com

Retro Splash Mats to the Rescue

Erin Behan — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 21:40:00 GMT

Elizabeth's post about the Mimi the Sardine splash mat got me wondering what other cool splash mats were out there (that, and my 5-month-old is nearing solid food age). I'm liking this Strawberry Fields Retro splash mat available at Divas and Drooligans ($24.95). The mat is 44 inches by 44 inches--which from what I've been reading about small children and eating habits, might mean ordering two, or three, or using one as a bib for yourself--but know that it's a little larger than standard size. And that even when covered in things like smashed avocado, your floor will still look relatively cool.

ABC Kids Expo 2008: Kaboost Deluxe Portable Chair Booster

Chris Ford — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:05:00 GMT

We've written about Kaboost before. It's the portable chair booster that allows your child to sit at the proper height of the table, eliminating the need for a separate high chair. The new product they are showing at ABC is the Kaboost Deluxe, which is a normal Kaboost with a travel bag (sitting on the chair in the picture) in the (Deluxe only) charcoal color.

There's no doubt Kaboost is a cool concept, and one thing I learned from the rep at ABC was that Kaboost will fit any four point chair, including a Stokke Tripp Trapp. This kind of seems like it's defeating the purpose of a Tripp Trapp in the first place, but they said they had customers who weren't happy with the height of the Tripp Trapp and the Kaboost was the perfect solution. The other interesting thing about a Kaboost is that it increases the base of any chair it is underneath, thereby increasing the overall stability of the chair.

Kaboost Deluxe, $41.95 from Kaboost.com. (And if you've already got a Kaboost, you can pick up the travel bag for $9.95).

ABC Kids Expo 2008: Mate Stay-Put Mat and Plate From Skip Hop

Chris Ford — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:02:00 GMT

Everyone knows and loves the diaper bags from Skip Hop, but it's the new things that aren't diaper bags that got me excited this year at ABC. The first really cool thing I saw was "Mate", the toddler plate, placemat, spoon and fork set.

The Mate has a skid resistant place mat that the plate and utensils snap into, but the best thing (other than it looks good) is that the plate is microwavable. All the parts are dishwasher safe and are BPA, PVC and Phthalate free.

Mate Stay-Put Mat & Plate will retail for around $20.00 and will be available October of 2008. It's not on the web site yet, but you can still check out SkipHop.com

ABC Kids Expo 2008: Dina Ultra-Slimline Folding Highchair From Bloom

Chris Ford — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:02:00 GMT

There were a lot of great products from children's furniture maker Bloom at ABC, but the first thing I'm going to write about is a band new nifty little folding highchair called "Dina."

As you can kind of see from the picture, the Dina highchair is a fully functional, full form high chair. It has a built-in tray so it isn't for sitting table-side, but the cool thing about it is that it folds up completely flat, to a form factor of about two inches wide. It folds even with the seat cover (sold separately).

The Dina High Chair is not quite available in stores now but will retail for around $300 for the chair and $40 for the pad. It's not up on their web site now, but you can still check out BloomBaby.com.

Eat on What You Drink

Erin Behan — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:04:00 GMT

CB2 (Crate and Barrel's cheaper, "more fun" spin-off) isn't your normal stop for kid-related paraphernalia, but their new placemats are perfect for catching kids' inevitable plate-runoffs and teaching them about recycling. Did I mention they're very chic? The mats are made from shredded juice boxes and no two are alike. They are waterproof, moisture-resistant and CB2 promises they "won't crack, splinter, or chip." Just $6.95 each at CB2.

Put Your Own Photo on Candy with My M&M's

Chris Ford — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:20:00 GMT

Looking for a party favor or birth announcement gift that you've absolutely never seen before? The melt-in-your-mouth-not-in-your-hand candy M&M's has recently launched "My M&M's," the customizable, printable chocolate. And it just might be that perfect party favor.

The process itself is pretty simple. You upload a photo to the web site, enter a message (if you want one) and it gives you a rough approximation of what the candy will look like. Then apparently a "graphic specialist will work with the photo(s) you uploaded to provide the best reproduction quality possible." Which means that it's more than a computer that will decide how the candy will look, which makes me trust the whole process a lot more.

It's not cheap, but it's not incredibly expensive either. They have all sorts of packaging options from gift bags, glass boxes to teddy bears, but the minimum order seems to be three 7 oz. bags for $12.99 each ($38.97). You can also get a five pound box for $162.50 or a ten pound box for $312.50, which seems like a lot, but for something like a wedding might be one of the less expensive things in the party budget.

Check out all the options at MyMMs.com.

Tips for the Picky Eater from The Toddler Cafe

SunnyChanel — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:01:00 GMT

My toddler is going through an interesting phase. She’s fasting. Not for a political issue or because she’s doing one of those colon “cleanses”, no, she’s just more interested in drawing, playing or torturing our dog instead of consuming any kind of food. All our usual menus are met with a pushing of the plate or a furious shaking of the head. Enter the cookbook The Toddler Café – Fast, Healthy, and Fun Ways to Feed Even the Pickiest eater. Recipes like the Banana Hot Dog, Swamp Soup and Treasure Triangles will entice your toddlers with their originality, tastiness and fun. The recipes include “Toddler Tips” to make eating even more enjoyable with interactive activities. Tonight we’ll try the Minty Pea Pops and the Monster Mash, Hopefully this will convince her meal time can indeed be as fun as playtime. By Jennifer Carden from Chronicle Books $14.95

7 Days of Must Haves: Tiny Diner Placemat

SunnyChanel — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:17:00 GMT

Even though we opted to have offspring, my husband and I wanted to try to make sure that our little one wouldn’t cramp our style, well, not too much. One thing that we used to love to do was dine out: Italian, Thai, Indian, sushi, we’d drag our girl everywhere. At first she’s just sleep in her car seat carrier while we ate. But as she started on solids, she was hungry to be part of the family meal. One thing about babies...

Japanese Food Containers Are a Lunch Box Alternative

Chris Ford — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:06:00 GMT

After finding the Japanese wooden toys made by Decole last week I've been checking out their other products, and I've found another good one. These plastic food containers are far from necessary, but they are cute and might be good enough to use as a lunch box.

Made in two different colors and designs, each container is 5.5" wide x 4" tall and are dishwasher and microwave safe. There's no handle to carry them around, but for young pre-schooler it could make a fun nursery school lunch alternative. And unlike the Pot-au-feu, these are available in the U.S.

Decole Food Containers, $13 each from SugarPineBeauty.com

Is That Bacon in Your Hair, or Are You Just Happy to See Me?

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:03:00 GMT

Don't be alarmed -- it's just your food staring back at you. Developed by a pair of dads who've drawn from their advertising and design careers to launch a side venture into kids' goodies, Playful Trayfuls give picky eaters the perfect outlet for playing with their food, as well as a great excuse to eat the creations afterward. Build silly faces out of healthy treats, and delight as the kiddoes play cannibal -- hey, no one said encouraging smart eating had to be pretty.

The trays, which come in his (green; pictured above) and hers (blue, below) designs, as well as a "sibling" set, are made from the same durable, dishwasher- and microwave-safe food-grade plastic that goes into many lunchroom trays. They're also large and heavy enough to sit sturdily atop your dinner table, even if they may be a bit too large for that Ikea high chair you're rocking.

Grab one for $16.95 or a pair for just under $30 at Playware Products.

Jessica Alba Gives Tastybaby

Chris Ford — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:58:00 GMT

Mom-to-be Jessica Alba had a baby shower last weekend, and as a party favor to the guests she gave out goodie bags from Tastybaby. I'm not sure exactly why most shower guests would want or need a blue "eco-tote" bag full of organic baby food and recipes, but I'm guessing it didn't cost Jessica Alba much anyway. [UPDATE: According to a rep from Tastybaby, the bags contained a bottle of champagne and the "Life's A Peach" baby food - the makings for the Bellini's that were served at the shower. Baby food and booze? Now you're speaking my language. -mdd]

Tastybaby is an organic baby food company, and if stuff like that matters to you (organic, that is) it looks like they have some good products. Most of the items come frozen and have cute names like "Life's A Peach" and "Peas On Earth". You're going to have to be ready to pay for it though - most items cost $5.99 for three 3.5 oz servings (or $0.57 an ounce).

Tastybaby is available at select Whole Foods, Bristol Farms and online here.

Also, check out Aaron's comprehensive break down of organic baby food on Droolicious: Baby Food Porn: 10 Sources of Natural Num-Nums

African Designs on Products from Marimekko

Chris Ford — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:23:00 GMT

We've written about products from Finnish textile and design company Marimekko before, so here's another cool one to add to the list. Designed by Olivia Toikka, the Opari pattern is based on his "Afrikan kuningatar (Queen of Africa) children's fabric pattern".

There are bibs, aprons and children's dishes. (I'm kind of partial to the apron pictured). All of the textile products will be a little different, as they are cut from a bigger piece of cloth with the pattern.

Mug and Plate, $47. Apron, $18. Tray, $25. All from Unicahome.com. The bib seems to be out of stock and discontinued unfortunately.

7 Days of High Chairs: Antilop High Chair from Ikea

Chris Ford — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 02:40:00 GMT

This week we've shown you some cool high chairs, and we've shown you some pretty crazy looking high chairs too, but my pick is easily the cheapest.

My favorite traditional high chair (that is, a chair with a tray attached) is the Antilop high chair from Ikea. It's functional, modern, and will cost you a whopping $23.99. And that's with the tray.

The Antilop high chair has been working well in my family for years. It's functional, cleans very easily, and is perfectly simple. There is a seat belt for squirmy kids, and unlike a lot of other monstrosities out there, it won't be an eyesore in your kitchen. And it's so cheap, you can be a big spender and do like I did and buy one for Grandma and Grandpa's house too.

Antilop High Chair from Ikea, $18.99 for the chair and $5.00 for the tray.

Tripp Trapp: Not a High Chair but a Transition Chair

Chris Ford — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:01:00 GMT

If you're looking for the perfect high chair for your brand new I-just-started-eating-solid-foods son or daughter, then check out some of the other chairs we've written about. However if your child has outgrown that high chair and you're looking for something better than a booster, then the Tripp Trapp from Stokke might be the chair for you.

The Tripp Trapp from Stokke (or KinderZeat in Europe) is a clever design that allows the seat and foot rest to adjust as your child grows. I guess the theory is that if young legs aren't swinging about (as they would in a normal dinner chair) then your child will be less fidgety at the table. Better than that though is the way it looks. Reminiscent of the Rietveld Zig Zag chair, it's a chair you won't mind having to look at every day.

There are cushions you can buy, but I think they kind of ruin the look, not to mention they become one more thing to keep clean. There's even a plastic enclosure so an infant won't fall out, but I don't recommend that either, Leave the high chairs for the babies, and this chair for the big kids.

Oh, and one last thing. Having just purchased my second, I'm definitely not a fan of the new strap system they've implemented (you can find pictures on their web site) I prefer the old lap belt only. But as a chair for kids who have graduated to the family's table, it's still my favorite.

Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair is available in many colors for $229. Find a local dealer here.