BlogHer 2010 Adventures (Podcast #113)

Our trip to New York last week for the annual BlogHer 2010 conference was a whirlwind mix of meeting fellow bloggers, dining at fabulous restaurants, and working on a project with Why Milk on the importance of eating a healthy breakfast every morning. We dished all about our adventures on this week’s Cooking with the Moms radio show, so we hope you’ll tune in.

With well over 2,000 (mostly women … that’s where the “Her” in BlogHer comes in) bloggers in attendance, there were plenty of interesting people to meet including Wendy from Wendolonia (she’s one of our fabulous Facebook fans as well as a pro at making beautiful bento box lunches and snacks for her two young sons), Christine from Gotta Break Some Eggs (a cooking school for tweens and teens and a food blog to go with it), Jennifer from Savoring the Thyme (she was one of the other bloggers nominated — with us — for the FoodBuzz Best Family Food Blog award last year), and Amanda, from Food on the Table (be sure to check out her weekly No Whine Wednesday post).

We don’t know too many children who could resist a snack like this one.  If you’re looking for back-to-school lunch box ideas, Wendolonia’s weekly This Week in Bentos is the place to go for inspiration.

Liz with new pals, Beth of My Point of View and Christine from Gotta Break Some Eggs

The Meal Makeover Moms, along with hundreds of other bloggers, pose for a blogger-only Milk Mustache ad (the secret to the ’stache’ is in the milkshake)

On our first day at the conference, we spent some time at the Got Milk booth talking up the benefits of eating a nutrient-rich breakfast (full disclosure: We were compensated for our work on this project). Did you know that according to a recent study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 20% of kids and 32% of adolescents are breakfast skippers?  Yikes. Breakfast is truly the most important meal of the day because it (1) helps kids concentrate, (2) improves kids’ performance in the classroom and on the playground, and (3) helps maintain a healthy body weight.

Milk is naturally nutrient rich, and what could be easier than starting the day with a bowl of whole grain cereal topped with your favorite fresh, dried, or even frozen fruit, and a glass of low-fat milk? Milk is rich in calcium and vitamin D for strong bones, protein for lean muscle, and B vitamins for energy. One of our favorite get-breakfast-on-the-table-fast strategies that we shared with bloggers is this: After dinner, prepare the table for the morning. Have your kids set the table with colorful placemats, napkins, bowls, spoons and cereal boxes as part of your dinner wrap-up routine. When alarms sound, you’ll be ready for the morning meal.


For more information on breakfast, you can download our Back-to-School Checklist, our Milking the Moment article, and you can even enter the “Unlock Their Potential” sweepstakes for cool educational prizes.

There is no shortage of great places to eat in the Big Apple. Two of our favorites were Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain and A Voce in Columbus Circle featuring Missy Robbins’ authentic Italian cuisine.

Cedar Planked Pacific Salmon with Wild Mushrooms and California Flat Leaf Spinach at Bar Americain

Peach Pie with Blueberry Sherbet at Bar Americain

Other BlogHer 2010 and NYC highlights:

Blogger extraordinaire, Susan Getgood from Marketing Roadmaps, signs copies of her new book, Professional Blogging for Dummies

Liz runs into Laura Giardina who represents Fiber Gummies, a company Liz has consulted with this year

Our cookbook editor, Wendy Smolen, spends the afternoon working with us on our book manuscript!

For more photos from our adventures at BlogHer, visit our Flickr page.

August 12, 2010 | Filed Under Breakfast, CulinaryAdventures, Podcast | 3 Comments 

Quinoa Breakfast Cereal

I don’t know about you, but it’s not too often my children request quinoa … especially for breakfast. But my son, Josh, who recently turned 15 and eats more at lunch than I do in an entire day, is pretty much hooked on a recipe for Quinoa Breakfast Cereal that I discovered in Debra Stark’s new cookbook, Blue Ribbon Edition.

This recipe is packed with high-quality protein and lots of good-for-you calories, so when Josh has it for breakfast, I feel good just knowing he’s starting the day off right. Janice and I promised to share this super-easy recipe with all of you a few weeks back … so here goes!

Quinoa Breakfast Cereal

Makes 3 Servings

  • 1 cup quinoa (I rinse it well in a mesh strainer)
  • 2 cups water or milk of any kind
  • 1 apple, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon coconut flakes
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup almonds or walnuts, ground
  • 1 tablespoon ghee (I used unsalted butter)
  • Sweetener options: Maple syrup, honey, agave, or stevia

1. Combine quinoa and water or milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add apple, coconut, cinnamon, nuts, and ghee. Lower heat, cover pot and simmer about 15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

2. Serve with the sweetener of your choice. Note from Debra: Try adding raisins, dates, rosewater, cardamom, or whatever variation floats your boat.

Print Recipe

Quinoa is perfect for people following gluten-free diets or for anyone looking to add interesting, fiber-filled, protein-rich grains to their diet. If you have a favorite quinoa recipe, feel free to share!

July 7, 2010 | Filed Under Breakfast, Fruits, Grains | 13 Comments 

Pancakes on Patriots’ Day

Do you have one favorite day that you look forward to each year? I do. For me, it’s Patriots’ Day, a civic holiday in Massachusetts which commemorates the battles of Lexington and Concord, the first battle of the Revolutionary War. I’m no war buff, but I do love a good pancake. On Patriots’ Day, my sleepy little town of Lexington, population 30,000 (okay, maybe we’re not so little), marks the holiday with a reenactment of Paul Revere’s ride, various skirmishes between the Minutemen and the Redcoats, parades, a 5K road race, and the oh-so popular Pancake Breakfast.

Simon attends the annual Pancake Breakfast … something he’s enjoyed since making the transition from baby food to solids!

All morning long, locals and visitors start the day with a hearty meal, stacked with nostalgia.

Members of the First Baptist Church help raise money for charities like Habitat for Humanity and the Lexington Food Pantry.

With three local churches to choose from, this year, we decided to dig into an all-you-can eat pancake feast at the First Baptist Church. The pancakes were amazing. Served on real china, they came out hot and light — they actually tasted more like crepes than pancakes. The pancakes are made from scratch versus a mix, and the recipe is an “antique,” handed down from the minister’s mother. One of the members actually shared the recipe with me.

Patriots’ Day Pancakes
Feeds a Huge Crowd

  • 15 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup cream of tartar
  • 1/4 cup baking soda
  • 1/4 cup salt

Mix 10 cups of the dry mix with 12 large eggs and 1/2 gallon milk.

Print Recipe

Here are a few other images from this year’s Patriots’ Day …

Simon and Josh wait for runners to cross the finish line during the Lion’s Club 96th annual Patriots’ Day 5-Mile Road Race.

The annual Lexington Patriots’ Day Parade attracts huge crowds.

A group from the Lexington Community Farm Coalition propose a new community farm that would bring fresh, local produce and hands-on educational programs to the community.

My husband, Tim, thinks our excitement over Patriots’ Day & pancakes is a bit “over the top.” But then again, he’s British, and he clearly hasn’t gotten over the fact that the English lost the Revolutionary War!  As for me, I can’t wait for next year …

April 24, 2010 | Filed Under Breakfast, CulinaryAdventures, GivingBack | 3 Comments 

Cuisinart Waffle Maker Winner

Two weeks ago, we posted a new recipe for Banana Brownie Waffles along with a giveaway for a Cuisinart 4-Slice Belgian Waffle Maker. Over 260 entries later, we’re pleased to announce that Ellie B., a mom of two from South Riding, Virginia, is our official winner.  Here’s what she had to say: I am the only member of my family who does not like pancakes. I just don’t like the mushiness of them. But I love the crunch I get from a waffle!

Your blog and Facebook comments kept us laughing out loud, and the waffle recipes many of you shared including Whole Wheat Waffles topped with berries from Amy at Super Healthy Kids had our stomachs growling.  A nice surprise came from Kristen over at EatingRD who made our Banana Brownie Waffles in her heart-shaped waffle maker and then posted the delicious results to her blog. We encourage all of you to read Kristen’s post and to try the decadent yet healthy peanut butter mousse recipe she whipped up as a special topping!

Here are just a few of the many comments we received during the giveaway:

> Katie: We do not own a waffle maker, but my 5-year old son has been asking for one for months. I occasionally buy frozen waffles, but we usually just eat a lot of pancakes. We like your pumpkin chocolate chip pancake recipe. It would make my son so happy to have our own waffle maker.

> Shelley from My Journey to Fit:  I love waffles but sadly have been without a waffle maker for more than a decade (I know, the humanity). I would love to win this and would use it to make some protein-packed waffles – I’ve seen recipes floating around the blog-o-sphere, but never bothered to write them down because I don’t have a waffle maker … yet.

> Bethany: One of my favorite memories, when I was a little girl, is of my dad making waffles every Saturday morning. He always had a secret ingredient, usually apples, carrots or zucchini. My brother and I would even wake up early just to eat these waffles. We love waffles and would love to have a Belgian waffle maker so we could try your waffles.

> Kim: Would love, love, love a modern waffle maker! My grandmother’s waffle maker is tucked away in a drawer (think black and white woven thread-wrapped cord). My son loves whole-wheat waffles for breakfast on school days, and I’d love to make them from scratch.

> Jen: This recipe sounds awesome!! We would LOVE a new waffle maker! The last time I used mine, I was cleaning it up a bit before using and apparently got it a little wet. Plugged it in and POP!! I killed it.

> Paula from Gulf Coast Cottage: We love Belgian waffles. If you use club soda it helps to make an extra light waffle that is delicious. Topped with fresh fruit and a dollop of whipped cream, it’s perfect for a weekend breakfast. The waffle machine is a great way to bring family together to do something fun!

> Susan:  My son loves waffles in the morning, and our favorite waffle recipe is Buttermilk Pecan Waffles, a recipe I found several years ago in A Taste of Home magazine. They are tender and delicious.

> Sandy: We use Pamela’s wheat-free/gluten-free pancake & waffle mix. I love it because unlike so many mixes, this one still expects you to separate the eggs and beat the whites stiff for folding in after other ingredients are mixed … the single must-have step in great waffles. The mix begins with brown rice flour and then incorporates other really nutritious items like ground almond meal. It also makes great pancakes and whether or not you are gluten free, this mix rocks.

Thanks again for all of your wonderful comments. For those of you who own a waffle maker (or shall we say, a waffle maker that’s still working), we hope you’ll try our Banana Brownie Waffles. And when our new book comes out — which we absolutely promise will be some time in 2010 — you will also have an opportunity to try our new pumpkin waffles … a recipe we just created but are keeping locked up in “the vault” until book #2 is published. Happy waffle making everyone.

Our new Pumpkin Waffle recipe will be in book #2!

February 22, 2010 | Filed Under Breakfast, Fruits, Giveaways | 3 Comments 

Next Page »