Are you a "Tiger Mother"?

So I am usually opposed to using this blog as a platform for controversial issues, but I just couldn't help myself when I saw Amy Chua on the Today Show.  She was promoting her new book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.  Now keep in mind that I have not actually read this book and I was trying to keep an open mind when listening to her speak about the book and how it was a recollection of her journey through motherhood, raising her two daughters using a strict cultural philosophy.  In the interview she explains that the foundation of her family was one of love and respect, and in the next breath she is telling of how she used verbal threats and name calling to achieve excellence with her children.  Frequently throughout the interview she compares "Western" and "Eastern" parenting styles, which seemed to be a huge generalization and almost an excuse to defend her extremist ways.

It's not surprising that this book has grabbed the attention of the media, child development experts, and most of all parents.  It sounds like Chua's approach to parenting is highly controversial, forcing us to examine the fine line between wanting our kids to succeed, and demanding excellence at the expense of our children.  I guess success is all relative.  Chua is a Law Professor at Yale and her children are both on their way to academic success, but I wonder how they interact and maintain relationships with people.  Although the importance of education and learning has always been held high in my family and my husband's, it is clear that social and emotional factors play a key roll in a child's development.  In this interview, Chua boasts that her children were never allowed to attend play dates or play on the computer.  The true irony is that, as I watched this interview, my 15 month old son was watching a Baby Einstein video on my computer, and after the interview was finished we left for a play date.  I guess my "roar" is more like a "meow".

Watch the full interview at the link below:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/41005969/ns/today-books/

Related articles

• "Tiger Mother" Amy Chua Defends Herself to Stephen Colbert [Video] (tv.gawker.com)
• Amy Chua's 'Tiger Mother' Gets New Title In Chinese (huffingtonpost.com)
• Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua (guardian.co.uk)

Cleaning Green

                           Image via Wikipedia

During my first pregnancy I started to be concerned with using harsh chemicals for cleaning.  I guess I never thought about it before that, because when cleaning the bathroom or the kitchen I would spray a thick foam of "Scrubbing Bubbles" or some other store bought surface cleaner and wipe down the bathtub, sinks and counter tops.  I never really thought about wearing gloves, or whether I was inhaling those chemicals while I sprayed them.

After Dylan was born, I was also concerned about what I used to clean things that he would come into contact with such as bottles, nipples, toys, highchair, etc... Now that he is mobile and getting into everything the same concern is there, except it extends to all surfaces around the house including carpet, tile, refrigerator, toilet, area rugs, trashcans, you name it, if its within reach Dylan will either touch it and/or put it into his mouth.  So here are some ideas for "chemical free" cleaning solutions.  Most of the ingredients may be things that you have around your house already.

NATURAL AIR FRESHENER
Mix 1 cup lemon juice and 1 cup water in a spray bottle.  Spray when needed 

NATURAL DEODORIZER AND SCRUBBER 
To disinfect porous surfaces rub a lemon over surface to clean and deodorize onion and garlic smells and to disinfect any bacteria that may be living on the surface. Also use on wooden cutting boards, cutlery, and bowls.  Also use citrus to remove coffee and tea stains from cups.  Simply sprinkle a pinch of salt on a piece of orange or lemon peel and rub the marks off, then wash as usual. 

MICROWAVE OVEN CLEANER
Use lemons to disinfect and clean your microwave oven.  Open the microwave door and remove excess debris using a damp cloth.  Set cut lemon wedges into a microwave safe bowl of water. 2 to 3 cups of water should be sufficient and 2 to 3 tbsp. of lemon juice is a simple alternative if fresh whole lemons are not available.  Place bowl in microwave oven for about 2 to 3 minutes or however long it takes to boil water in your microwave. This creates the lemon soaked steam that will cut the grease.  Let bowl stand in microwave for at least 10 minutes. The water will be very hot and by letting it stand, there is time for steam to build up inside microwave oven.  Remove bowl carefully from microwave. Set aside.  Wipe the inside of the microwave with a warm damp cloth or rag. This will remove the surface grease.

 

STAINLESS STEEL POLISH

Olive oil is a safer and more effective shining agent than many cleaning standbys, such as ammonia, which can dull and even corrode chrome and stainless steel.  Use a few drops of olive oil on a soft, dust free cloth and wipe down stainless steel surfaces.

NATURAL HAND CLEANER AND EXFOLIANT  
Sugar is abrasive and works great if you have dirty, greasy, or oily hands.  Simply rub them with 1 Tbs. sugar and rinse with warm water.  This also works great for softening calluses and removing dead skin from hands and feet.

 FURNITURE POLISH
1/2 teaspoon oil, such as olive (or jojoba, a liquid wax)
1/4 cup vinegar or fresh lemon juice
Mix the ingredients in a glass jar. Dab a soft rag into the solution and wipe onto wood surfaces. Cover the glass jar and store indefinitely.

VINEGAR DEODORIZER
Keep spray bottles filled with straight 5 percent vinegar in your kitchen and in your bathroom and use them for cleaning.  The smell of vinegar will dissipate within a few hours. Straight vinegar can be used for cleaning the toilet rim. Just spray it on and wipe off.

Vinegar Spray: Straight vinegar reportedly kills 82 percent of mold. Pour some white distilled vinegar straight into a spray bottle, spray on mold and soap scum, and let set without rinsing if you can put up with the smell. It will dissipate in a few hours.

Read more at Suite101: More Environmentally Safe Household Tips: Save Money with These Alternative Green Solutions http://www.suite101.com/content/more-eco-friendly-household-tips-a209095#ixzz1C5Jkq0cu

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html#ixzz1C5IY5Wva

For additional idea on Green Cleaning check out the link below:
http://www.rebuildingtogethersacramento.org/pdfs/green.pdf

Colorful Solutions

Happy New Year everyone!  Here at Mush Homemade Baby Food, we have a lot of exciting plans for 2011! These changes include improvements to our website, new locations for our baby food classes, and the addition of guest writers for our blog.  So keep your eyes open for these new developments!  In the meantime we will continue to bring you great homemade baby food ideas, baby product reviews, and anecdotes about the trials and tribulations of motherhood.  So lets start the year off with some "colorful" information, shall we?

Colorful foods seem to be more appealing, this is true for adults and for children.  If your baby is at the stage of eating pureed foods, you know for sure that those bright orange, green, red, and yellow colors are as natural as they come.  But what about babies that have progressed to finger foods and those toddlers that eat a wide variety of adult food?  How do we know that what they are eating isn't loaded with artificial food dyes?

While blue 1 and 2, red 3, and yellow 6 sound like something you may find in your child's crayon box, they are actually artificial food dyes that are used to color candy, beverages, baked goods, and tons of other things that we eat everyday.  These artificial colors are approved by the U.S. and may contain toxic substances and are actually banned from use in other countries because of their potential link to some types of cancers and disorders.  Pretty scary.  So next time you reach in your pantry for that food coloring, think about reaching for some other pantry or crisper items that may color your food just as well.  All the following suggestions are based on coloring about 1 cup of butter cream frosting. You may have to experiment with quantities of natural dyes until you achieve the color you want when coloring other foods.

Yellow/Orange: Add 1 tsp of turmeric for yellow color. Turmeric gives you an eggish color and is great for making tofu more appetizing without changing the taste. Stale turmeric is fairly flavor neutral.  Also try orange or lemon zest, ground cumin, saffron, carrot juice, or chamomile tea to produce a yellow or orange color.

Pink/Red/Purple: Use blender to puree about 14 fresh or thawed frozen raspberries, mix juice directly into the icing using a metal strainer to separate the seeds from the juice.  This creates a blush or pale pink.  Beet, blackberry or pomegranate juice works great for a dark red/purple color.  Again you will need to puree the blackberries and pomegranate seeds in the blender and separate the seeds from the juice using a metal strainer.

Green: Puree 1/2 avocado until smooth to produce a pastel green color. Mix this into your frosting.  Steamed and pureed spinach will give you a dark green color.

Sources:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2302808_make-natural-food-coloring.html#ixzz1ACiUswS

http://www.greenissexy.org/2008/02/27/recipe-of-the-month-5/

Related articles

• What is Food Coloring Made Of? (brighthub.com)
• Do Food Dyes Harm Kids? The FDA Finally Wants to Know (food.change.org)
• FDA will finally look at link between artificial food dyes and children's behavior (mnn.com)

Cheers!...Baby (and Mommy) Mocktails

In my New Year's preparations for this evening, I started thinking about all of the fun non-alcoholic drinks that could be served up at this year's celebration.  I have always loved frozen drinks and smoothies, so why not serve up some healthy beverages suitable for even your littlest New Year's guests! 

Smoothies are a great way to get extra fruit and veggies into your little one's diet.  They are also great for soothing sore gums from teething, and they pack an extra punch of vitamins and calcium. 

The following smoothie recipes are suitable for babies who have been introduced to yogurt, milk, wheat, soy, berries, and citrus with no adverse response (typically for babies 9 months and older).  Always use judgment when making these baby smoothie recipes for your baby and be sure to consult your pediatrician with any food allergy questions.  These recipes generally make enough for one adult and one baby. 

Carrot & Banana Smoothie

• 1 1/2 cups carrot juice
• 1 cup apple juice
• 6 ounces plain yogurt
• 1 ripe banana (frozen if desired) 

Directions: Put all ingredients in blender and puree until consistency is very smooth. Process longer for babies, less for older toddlers who can handle a little more texture.  For less sugar replace 1/2 apple juice with water.

Fruit Fusion Smoothie

• 2 bananas
• 1/2 cup of frozen raspberries, blackberries or strawberries
• 1 cup fresh or frozen peaches or mango pieces
• 1 cup orange or pineapple juicepineapple juice

Directions: Mix all ingredients in a blender until desired consistency is reached.  For smoother, richer consistency replace 1/2 cup frozen peaches or mango with plain or fruit flavored yogurt. 

Winter Chiller Smoothie

• 1/2 cup plain, vanilla or banana yogurt
• 1/2 cup milk (or soy milk)
• 1/2 cup cranberry juice
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
• dash of cinnamon
• 1 frozen banana

Directions: Combine everything in a blender.  Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. 

  

Banana Pumpkin Smoothie

• 1 cup milk or plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin (or homemade puree pumpkin)
• 1 banana
• dash of cinnamon or nutmeg

Directions: Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.  Serve immediately.

Source: 
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/babysmoothiesrecipes.htm
http://babyparenting.about.com/od/beveragerecipes/a/cbsmoothie.htm

Making Room for Baby

With Christmas less than a week away and the new year right around the corner, I can hardly believe that in about 5 months we will have a newborn in the house!  It seems that this pregnancy has been flying by, and May will be here before we can blink.  I have to admit, the thought of having 2 little ones under the age of two is a little scary.  It feels like we just started to get the hang of this parenting thing, and before we know it we will be starting again from square one. 

We just started to plan out the logistics of the bedrooms and the nursery, which has started to make it very real that our new bundle of joy is coming.  With Dylan we must have looked at a million and one crib sets and went back and forth on whether or not to do a "convertible crib."  I of course, wanted the beautiful sleigh crib that converted to a full sized bed...which in my naive pre-baby mind, envisioned him using throughout the years.  Luckily in the end we decided on a regular Graco crib that looked nice, but didn't cost us an arm and a leg (under $150).  Good thing, because as soon as my son could pull to stand, he started gnawing on the sides of the crib, scraping the wood off with his teeth!  We have since covered the sides with plastic protectors.  Anyway, I am pretty sure that even if the crib converted to Lamborghini, Dylan wouldn't be using it anytime after the first few years.

As for the changing table, I had never been fond of the design of a traditional changing tables.  After being married to my husband for 3 years, I have learned practicality is the spice of life.  And we decided on an IKEA dresser (under $80) that was a good height to put the changing pad on top.  The best part is that we will use it long after he is out of diapers. 

I had always wanted some sort of rocking/gliding chair in the nursery so that I could have a comfy place for nursing or rocking baby to sleep.  Well if you have ever looked into the price of new arm chairs or gliders they are pretty pricey.  I knew that I couldn't justify spending $300-$400 on a new rocking/gliding arm chair.  So luckily I was able to find a gently used arm chair with a rocker bottom on craigslist for $50.  It was red and blue plaid, which I have to admit was hideous, so I bought a armchair cover online for $30 and for about $80 I had a perfect chair for the nursery.

So if we learned anything from the first time around, it is that you can plan for the perfect looking nursery to bring baby home to, but after a few months, it really doesn't matter how much or how little you spent on the furniture or the bed linens.  Oh by the way, we never even bought a crib bedding set.  You can't use the quilt unless you are planning to hang it on the wall, and the bumper needs to come out before baby starts rolling.  I bought two cute valences from Pottery Barn Kids on clearance for $10 each, and a matching crib skirt for $15.  So if you are willing to shop around and get a little creative, you can put together a cute nursery without compromising your little one's college fund. 

Click "Like" and Mush Homemade Baby Food will donate $1 for Toys for Tots

It's hard not to get caught up in the hustle bustle of the holidays, but it is important to remember that the holidays are just as much about giving, as they are receiving.  So in the spirit of giving, from now until December 23rd, Mush Homemade Baby Food will donate $1 to Toys for Tots for each new "Like" we receive on our Facebook Business Page. Simply click the link below and then click "like."Feel free to share this link with your family and friends!

Mush Homemade Baby Food Facebook Business Page

Here are some other holiday donation ideas.  They are all quick, easy, and don't have to cost you a fortune...and the best part is that it will make you feel really good!

Donate canned goods or dry to a local food pantry or shelter. For less than $5, you could provide several meals worth of canned vegetables or fruits to a needy family. Even something as simple as a box of macaroni could provide a family with a meal this holiday season.  Women's shelters are always looking for unexpired formula for babies, so all you breastfeeding mommies who received those free Similac and Infamil canisters in the mail, dig them out and donate them before they expire!

Donate used clothes, coats, and hats to local shelters. Clean out your closets and gather all the used clothes, coats, and hats you have not worn in ages.  Baby clothes are also in high demand at local women's shelters, so open up all of those Rubbermaid bins in your garage and donate some of those outfits your first or second baby never wore. 

Donate your spare or lose change. Take what change is left over from your latest purchases and set it aside each day. By the end of the month, you will be surprised at how much money you have accumulated. Donate the spare change to a local charity or to the Salvation Army.

Donate a toy.  Make room for all those new toys your little one will receive this year by donating some of the old ones to a child that is not as fortunate.  It will set a great example for your little one and it will free up some space in the garage.

Holiday Countdown

There are 22 days until Christmas, but who is counting?  Is it me, or did the holidays just sneak up on us this year?  It sure feels like this past year has flown by, and when I think about last Christmas I realize how much our life has changed in a year.  Dylan was two months old last Christmas, and obviously had no clue what was going on.  This year he still has no idea about Christmas or the holidays, but he loves tearing paper so I am assuming that he will love unwrapping his gifts and playing with all of the empty boxes from his gifts.  And I know for sure he will love sampling all of the holiday cookies!

Cookies have always been a huge part of my family's holiday traditions and over the last few years I have tried to keep up that tradition my making a couple of batches of at least 4-5 different types of cookies to give as gifts or bring to holiday parties.  Unfortunately most of the cookies never make it out of the house...meaning I eat them all myself.  So this year, in an attempt to prevent me from acquiring gestational diabetes and to provide healthier cookies for Dylan (and my husband), I have found these low sugar, low sodium recipes for tasty holiday treats.

Applesauce Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup(s) flour
• 1 teaspoon(s) cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/2 cup(s) your favorite nuts
• 1 cup(s) quick oats (not instant oatmeal)
• 1 cup(s) applesauce
• 2  eggs
• 1/2 cup(s) vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix the dry ingredients in the largest bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in the other bowl. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Blend them well.
3. Spoon the dough for these drop cookies onto the greased cookie sheets.
4. Bake the dough for 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Allow the cookies to cool before eating them.

Source: http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/applesauce-cookies-recipes-sugar-free

Brown Sugar Crackles

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 3 baking sheets with cooking spray.
2. Stir together all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Beat together brown sugar, butter, oil, eggs and vanilla in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth, making sure no lumps of brown sugar remain, about 1 minute. Stir in the dry ingredients until completely blended. (The dough will be stiff.)
3. Divide the dough in half and press each half into a flat disk. Roll out one of the disks on a lightly floured surface to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out cookies with a 2-inch round cookie cutter, placing the cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough. Press the scraps together and cut out additional cookies. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until they are puffed in the middle and browned around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Let stand for about 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutrition:

Per cookie: 77 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 11 mg cholesterol; 13 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 0 g fiber; 89 mg sodium; 15 mg potassium.

Source:  http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/brown_sugar_crackles.html