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Those baby carrots are so ... sexy?
Like I do anytime my toddler needs a little extra coaxing to eat her food, I turned to YouTube. This time, I was looking for kids eating baby carrots. Seeing other kids do the same thing seems to work wonders.
I was very curious to stumble on a clip called Baby Carrots | Eat 'Em Like Junk Food | Indulge. This one has a beautiful lady very seductively taking a bite of a baby carrot, and a Barry White-esque voice narrates in the background. While I wondered if this "Indulge" clip had too much innuendo for younger kids (probably is more of a PG 13 clip), I glanced sideways and was astonished to see my daughter biting her baby carrot just as the lady in the clip slowly bit hers. That clip led me to Baby Carrots | Eat 'Em Like Junk Food | Future, above, which rivals many sci-fi films. It had the carrots exploding in all kinds of cool. ... Read more
What's your favorite Christmas cookie?
Mommas, start your ovens! It's baking time again, and if you need some ideas or have a cookie exchange coming up, check out the hall-of-famers from the annual cookie report compiled by our colleague Janet Keeler.
I've struggled with finding the right annual Christmas cookie in our house because, in my opinion, chocolate chip is not a Christmas cookie. That's an everyday cookie, though fabulous. A Christmas cookie needs to be spiced or nutty or layered or decorated. It only comes out this time of year. But then you get finicky young tastebuds, and my attempts to woo them from the chocolate chip have so far fallen flat. ... Read more
Taste test: fruit pouches for kids
I get a lot of "healthy snacks for kids" sent my way to test and I have to admit that my kids now run for cover when I bring them home. Most of them are heavy on the sugar and just too weird for their finicky palates. Give me a good old apple any day.
But we've noticed that there's been a glut of individual pouches of mashed-up fruits marketed as an attractive option for parents. With my kids ducking under the tables, I was grateful that TampaBay.com's Taste Test team took this on, because I am intrigued by the idea. They are portable, nutritious and pleasingly packaged. And, they must be catching on because we've been seeing them at every local grocery store. ... Read more
MOSI, Chipotle host dinner and a movie
Have you been intrigued by the push for a more sustainable table? The grassroots movement promotes fresh, locally-grown products and on Thursday, Chipotle Mexican Grill is hosting a "dinner and a movie" fundraiser at the Museum of Science and Industry. Guests are asked to make a $10 donation at the door ($5 with a student ID) and all proceeds benefit the Sweetwater Organic Community Farm, Tampa’s urban organic farm and education center.
Then they will show a screening of the film FRESH, a 72-minute film about the sustainable food movement. The first 100 people there get a free burrito dinner, drink and T-shirt. The event begins at 7 p.m. at MOSI, 4801 E Fowler Avenue in Tampa.
--Sharon Kennedy Wynne ... Read more
Free scary face pancakes Friday at IHOP
IHOP restaurants will celebrate Halloween a little early this year, offering kids 12 and under a free Scary Face Pancake on Friday. Called the No Tricks – Just Treats program designed to provide kids with a safe and fun Halloween event, the Count Spatula “design-your-own” scary face Pancake includes an oversized signature buttermilk pancake with a whipped topping mouth and strawberry nose, served with two mini OREO cookies and candy corn on the side to allow kids to create their own Halloween hotcake. The deal is available Friday from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. at IHOP restaurants nationwide. ... Read more
Taste test: Yogurt for kids
We love colleague Kathy Saunders' team of expert tasters as they tackle everything from gourmet coffee to frozen pizza. Recently they took on yogurt aimed at kids.
It's nothing new to see food manufacturers targeting children through advertisements. It's also common for companies to alter their products to appeal to children. Sweetening yogurt and packaging the fruity flavors in decorative cartons is one popular way to get the attention of children and parents at the grocery store.
The testers, who include a registered dietician, restaurant manager and personal chef, decided to see if those youth-friendly yogurts were any good.
Here's what they found: ... Read more
Does Box Tops for Education promote junk food?
Our friend and former colleague Dalia Colon has another interesting story over on HealthyState.org, about the hugely successful Box Tops for Education program. Started in 1996, it has contributed about $400 million to American schools. I will admit if I have two cake mixes to choose from, I'll pick the one with box top because I see how much my son's school has gotten from it.
But does it encourage families to buy junk food? Box Tops started with General Mills cereals and has expanded to include more than 200 food and non-food products, from Green Giant broccoli to Bisquick baking mix to Hi-Liter markers. But, as the story notes, many of the participating products are far from a health teacher’s dream: Betty Crocker SuperMoist cake mixes, Cocoa Puffs Brownie Crunch, Pillsbury Big Deluxe Cookies, Spider-Man Fruit Flavored Shapes. ... Read more
Easy breakfasts to start the school year off right
Leave it our intrepid food editor Janet Keeler to come up with tons of great ideas for stress free breakfasts to start the school year off right. Read this helpful article by Janet and know that a fellow working mom has your back.
I like her thinking that by focusing on breakfast, you can let your blood pressure ebb over the crappy school lunches. "As a parent, I've always tried to send my wolverine off to school with a decent breakfast. Just like dinner, I have more control there, or so I think. Bookend the days with healthy meals and a rogue lunch here and there won't matter as much."
Great thinking. Here's just some of her suggestions: ... Read more
Can your family embrace Meatless Mondays?
I got an email from celebrity chef Mario Batalli endorsing the Meatless Monday campaign from the Environmental Working Group. It's aimed at us non-vegetarians to give up meat just one day a week for health and environmental reasons. Batalli, who is no stranger to braised veal or specialty sausages, has Meatless Monday options now at all 14 of his restaurants and will serve at least two vegetarian options, whether entrees or pastas or pizzas.
He's not the only one. In June, Aspen, Colo., became the first city in the country to launch a comprehensive Meatless Monday campaign, with local restaurants, schools, hospitals, charities and businesses promoting plant-based meals on Mondays. Durham County, N.C., Washington, D.C., and San Francisco recently proclaimed Mondays as "Meatless Mondays." City schools in Baltimore and some in New York observe Meatless Mondays in their cafeterias. ... Read more
Bagging lunch just got easier
Tired of spending a fortune in takeout lunches? I had to pass on this discovery I made: Like Lunchables for adults, Easy Lunch Boxes make it, well, easy, and I've been finding that I look forward to toting my lunch to work. Come fall, my third grader will be using this as well. I know I'm sounding like Billy Mays, but I was not given this product. I saw it and bought it and wanted to give props to the mom inventor who came up with this easy system.
I have long admired the crafty moms who whip up bento creations to make lunch interesting and nutritious. But I'm a slacker, and I know I will never muster the organization and creativity it takes to make cheese in the shape of birds or rabbit-shaped apple wedges. Just. Not. Happening. Still, you can't do an article on people who make bento lunches without being affected while packing lunches. ... Read more
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THE AUTHORS
E-mail Sharon Kennedy Wynne:
wynne@tampabay.com
E-mail Kate Brassfield:
katedaphne17@gmail.com