Strollerderby : foodmomiac

Strollerdery Playdate: Breakfast Of Champions

Amy S.F. Lutz — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:08:00 GMT

Breakfast is a touchy subject in my house. My sister and her husband (who are both professional chefs by training) and their soon-to-be-three kids live with us ("us" being me, my husband, and our five kids) and Keri and I have very different ideas on what makes an acceptable morning meal. All I really care about is that my kids head off to school with something in their bellies that will last until lunch, so I'm okay with enriched bars, graham crackers with peanut butter, and any number of things. Keri basically thinks breakfast, whenever possible, should be a sit-down affair featuring homemade pancakes or waffles, eggs, etc. You can read about our Breakfast Bar Wars here and here .

Although I still believe I'm right, Keri pretty much won, because hey, if her husband is willing to come down to the kitchen at 7:15 to make buttermilk pancakes, who am to tell my kids not to eat them? So it was more a moral victory than anything else when I found out famous foodie Danielle Altshuler Wiley - aka Foodmomiac - basically agrees with me.

Frankly, Danielle has even lower standards than I do (Cinnamon Toast Crunch? We buy our sugar cereals from the organic section, thank you very much). She attributes this to a couple of factors: one, she never cared for breakfast as a child, and resented being forced to eat it; two, she's too busy in the mornings to break out her skillet and to clean it up afterwards; and three, she invests a lot of time and energy in creating delicious, well-balanced lunches and dinners for her family, and she thinks that's sufficient.

So, where do you stand? Is a sit-down breakfast a wholesome ideal to which we should all aspire, or is my sister's desire to turn every meal into a huge production destined to nurture in our kids an unhealthy obsession with food?

Strollerderby Playdate: What Are These Things You Call Grocery Lists?

Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 12:47:00 GMT

While I love to cook, I am not what you'd call a meal planner. And even though I love to write out a nice, long, comprehensive grocery list, the contents rarely take into account specific recipes. In fact, I like to rationalize all this laziness and ill-preparedness by thinking of myself as a stellar impromptu chef, whipping up healthful and happiness-inducing dinners in thirty meals without any sort of Rachael Raying or ramekins filled with ingredients prepped and planned the previous Sunday night. Really, though, I am just lazy and ill-prepared. Not so with these mamas. These mamas have their meals mapped, their meticulous Whole Foods list checked off and probably know where all the proper lids to each Le Creuset pot and pan is in the pantry.

For that, I honor thee, ye who put your wedding china to good use and house at three kinds of salt in sealed canisters, ye Meal Planning Mamas. I bow to you and I wonder if you have any crushed tomatos I could borrow for tonight's pasta:

CityMama's foodielicious family meals that realistically incoporate sandwiches, deep fryers and date nights. Love her love her love her.

Lucky Charm and microbrew overloads don't stop Foodmomiac from getting all organic with the kids.

Diva Mom Vicki is insistent about staying out of the kitchen on the weekends. But during the week, it's on yo.

Post-holiday schedule re-entry means loads of meal planning delight for An Ordinary Mom.

And when all else fails, Mommy Cracked's embracing my kind of supper spontaneity.

Photo credit: grocerylists.org

Strollerderby Playdate: What's Up in the 'Hood

Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 22:02:00 GMT

I've been completely consumed with the details of my own life and this afternoon, for the first time in over a week, checked in on all the blogs I know and love and read like I am the well-intentioned but nosy next door neighboor of each author. As I clicked on through the list of blogs, making my way down my feed reader list, I felt a bit like I've returned from vacation and was stopping in with muffins and mis-delivered mail at each doorstep. There I was (not so) casually asking, "Sooooo, how are things?" And now, leaning over my fence in your direction, here's the skinny on the folks on the street:

Doug's got more than A Little Chaos with this whole moving thing. I bet these people throw a kickass garage sale.

Meanwhile, Stephanie's taking time off from her Adventures in Babywearing for a chance to spin the wheel. Yup, that Wheel, my friends. Give her a hand. Or at least an E.

Sarah's showing the Goon Squad something scary this Halloween. And it's not masks or goblins. Just plain old, nearly outdated wedding hair.

MetroDad's just back from his 20 year reunion. And as if that's not goss fodder enough, he considered taking a hooker along. Oh, to be that hooker. But with a heart. And possibly better boots.

Foodmomiac's wandering around London. And as if that wasn't enough, she's sleeping in and digging into meat platters (whatever that means, Danielle). I hate her.

Strollerderby Playdate: Around the House

Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 11:01:00 GMT

After having a spirited conversation about our homes and how big they are (or aren't), I thought it might be fun to peek in on what is actually going on inside those 4BR/2BAs and adamantly 700 sq ft/1 BA abodes for today's Playdate. Whether moving or staying put, getting into full summer activity mode or philosophically contemplating big parenting dilemmas like booger-avoidance, these mamas will give you a tour of the haps in their homes:

Susan at Friday Playdate is determined to HAVE FUN, DAMMIT! even though she's a bit crabbers that the house her fam's moving out of is so keen on pissing her off.

Danielle and the Foodmomiac fam are doing moving prep and pack, too. She's stuck on switching her daughter to a good old neighborhood school, all over a pound of (why do you do this to me, Danielle?) buttery lobster.

Wacky Mommy is tired. And old. And experiencing some big time neighbor bulb-lust. You will totally relate. Well, as soon as you find your own purse.

The Sarcastic Journalist is all oogy over germs outside the house -- at the grocery store, at the children's museum and in the kiddie-snot smeared all over her face. I'd say eewww but we all get it. Oh, do we get it.

On Magpie Musing, somehow laundry and sexual promiscuity are connected in one lovely little classic nursery rhyme (and no, it's not Hey Diddle Diddle).

Strollerderby Playdate: Parents Who Cook Edition

Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 11:03:00 GMT

Happy Monday! It's the start to another week, a week in which you may or may not be turning off the TV or eating local. Whatever you've got going on this week, you've gotta eat, right? And the kids. The kids do, too.

Stroll with me as we check out what yumminess parents around the interwebs are cooking up.

Foodmomiac is a Chicago mama who has been testing our her local CSA delivery. I don't know about you, but I'd eat that.
New Jersey-based Izzy's Mama has been making cupcakes and Izzy's been reviewing them.
My friend Darlene has been dreaming about hummus in Portland.
Picky Fingers in San Francisco has me wishing our Hawaii trip were tomorrow instead of a month away. Aloha pork, indeed.

Have Picky Eaters? Try The Full Meal Muffin!

Alisyn — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 23:22:00 GMT

I just love Vegan Lunch Box.

Every time I pop over there, Jennifer McCann has some new and completely awesome recipe, tip, or piece of advice for her loyal readers - most of whom are vegans and/or vegetarians, some of whom (like me), are guilty omnivores looking to expand their horizons. I've made more than a few of her signature vegan dishes, including the vegan twinkie, and they all rock.

The Full Meal Muffin is her Jennifer's latest invention: a hand held main course with all of the good stuff (fruit, veg, whole grain, iron, calcium, protein) you could ever hope to get your child to ingest in a single day - in a single serving! I made a batch this morning, and they were devoured by even my extremely "selective" eater. I served it with yogurt for breakfast, and think it would be great for lunch, with some carrots and hummus, or dinner, served along side a bowl of hot soup, and a crunchy green salad.

Check out the plethora of great recipes (and Jennifer's mad food presentation skillz) online - or buy her new book.

[Photo via veganlunchbox.blogspot.com]

Yummy in Your Tummy: Top Food Blogs for Family and Kids

Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 16:01:00 GMT

Cooking is an issue near and dear to my heart, and cooking for my family is an even nearer and dearer issue. I chronicle my family's food exploits on my food blog, and am always on the hunt for new inspiration.

The Well Fed Network is asking people to vote on their favorite family- and kid-focused food blogs, and there is plenty of inspiration to be found among the top candidates, especially if you are at your wits' end dealing with a picky eater. The nominees are:

Vegan Lunchbox

Sweetnicks

Cooking with Anne

Daily Tiffin

Gastro Kid

All great choices, but they left off a couple of my faves: Foodmomiac (now with video!) and our own Patti Nichols' new food blog Cookin' (In The Kitchen of Love). As Jacques Pepin would say, "'appy cookeeng!"

[photo credit: BBC]

Gift Crisis? Let Moms and Moms-To-Be Help

Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 12:01:00 GMT

Chanukkah is almost over, Christmas and Kwanzaa are around the corner, and if you're like me, you haven't bought any gifts yet. (Yes, I know it's not about that...but it kind of is.) If you despise shopping malls and are overwhelmed by the barrage of catalogs that have been jamming your mailbox since early October, help is here.

Moms and moms-to-be that like shopping way more than you have made it their business to put together some righteous holiday gift guides. Look them over and buy what they suggest. After all, mama knows best.

San Francisco's own mama-to-be Maggie Mason has put together her annual Mighty Goods gift guide, and more importantly, her covet guide. Print it out and leave it somewhere where your partner will find it, like wrapped around his or her Crackberry.
Motherhood Uncensored and Mom-101, the fabulousness behind Cool Mom Picks have a comprehensive guide with suggestions for everyone on your list, even your babysitter. (Hint: we got ours an iPod Shuffle, big hit.)
The always delicious Foodmomiac has put together a tasty gift guide for the food lover in your life, including many choices under $15.
And, our very own Dutch is not a mom (although he made his wife one by "impregnating her"), but he created a kick-ass gift guide anyway. If you are an "indie sonofabitch parent," this one's for you.

Happy shopping!

[wagon shot courtesy Mighty Goods' Covet Guide]