Toledo Area Parent – Not your mama’s cloth diapers

Here’s the latest article published in Toledo Area Parent. It’s about a cool little store called Squishy Tushy. They carry all sorts of cloth diapers and accessories. Find it online at Toledo Area Parent or in the September issue.

Cider house rules!

I thought about summer yesterday, but this morning was perfectly autumn. Cool, in the mid-fifties and dewy glistening grass.

So I packed the kids up and headed to the cider mill. We were first in line and first out the door with warm cider and donuts. I feel so much better now. Considering I was up shortly after five with a crying tot, thinking the day was going to suck, that’s saying a lot.

Fighting the urge to fall over tired, but filled with yummy apple goodness, I’ll do my best to take on the day. Bring. It. On.

What summer?

If there is a pace to summer, a slower-sipping-iced-sun-tea-you-made-yourself kind of pace, we haven't found it. Or if we did, it didn't last long. 

I don't normally complain about summer changing to fall, but I'd like to enjoy more of it before the back-to-school, whoops, it's already Thanksgiving, melee begins. So, I decided to fill our schedules with every possible summer fun kind of activity these next couple weeks. With the exception of a (crossing fingers) cider mill visit, we'll be swimming, golfing, playing tennis, chalking, walking, hiking and triking our way around the area. Sounds fun, right? 

Well, even if I'm aiming a little high, I hope we can enjoy these last days before school bells and backpacks bursting with homework. What are your end of summer plans?

London 2012 Closing Ceremony

Here's a link so you can check out highlights of the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics, featuring performances by One Direction, Pet Shop Boys, George Michael, Annie Lennox, Jessie J, Taio Cruz, Spice Girls, Liam Gallagher, Muse and more.

http://sports.yahoo.com/photos/olympics-london-2012-closing-ceremony-slideshow/

Findlay Area Family - Tons of Back to School Tips

My latest articles published in Findlay Area Family offer tips on everything from first day jitters to healthy lunches. Check out the great advice from teachers, dietitians, counselors and moms in Edible Energy and Study Guide. You can find more online at Findlay Area Family or in the August issue available now.

Photo: Alphabet Soup by Kristen Gibson

Best of the British (Olympics and Music)

Rumors are swirling around the Twitter-sphere about whether Sir Paul McCartney will be singing Hey Jude, Yesterday or Imagine at the Opening Ceremony. Hopefully, they won't pull the plug on him like they did at a recent jam session with The Boss. Whatever he has planned, it's sure to be historic. Other rumored performers include: The Who, Muse, The Rolling Stones and Adele. Wondering what else is planned? This link from the London Olympic website explains everything from Receiving the Head of State to the Parade of Athletes and the Official Opening of the 2012 Olympic Games.

http://www.london2012.com/spectators/ceremonies/opening-ceremony/

They note: A total cast of 15,000 will take part in the London 2012 Opening and Closing Ceremonies, which will be watched by an estimated audience of four billion. Tremendous, awesome, incredible when you think about the number—four billion!

As far as the Closing Ceremony goes, the London 2012 Organizing Committee (LOCOG) announced that the Ceremony would be titled ‘A Symphony of British Music’. The theme will celebrate the fact that music has been one of Britain’s strongest cultural exports over the last 50 years. Organisers will work with some of the country’s most globally successful musicians, along with some of the industry's stars of tomorrow. http://www.london2012.com/news/2012/02/olympic-closing-ceremony-to-be-a-symphony-of-british-mus.php

In honor if the London Olympics and British music, I’m posting a Best of the British Playlist. Several years ago while visiting our sister in Chicago, we strolled into a Virgin Mega Store and I found this CD. I’d really like to tell the person(s) who compiled this I dug the list then, and I still do. It’s filled with popular artists, but some of the selections are unexpected. Not everything is stellar, it's just a sampling of British music, but I highly recommend Bus Stop, Tubular Bells (suspense/horror film fans will recognize the tune) and the acoustic version of Days Go By. Definitely worth a listen.

Cheers!

1.    Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield

2.    Heroes by David Bowie

3.    Church of the Poison Mind by Culture Club

4.    Ever Fallen in Love? by The Buzzcocks

5.    Right Here, Right Now by Jesus Jones

6.    A Message to You Rudy by The Specials

7.    Girls on Film by Duran Duran

8.    Bus Stop by The Hollies

9.    If You Leave by Orchestral Maneuvres in the Dark

10. It’s My Life by Talk Talk

11. More Than This by Roxy Music

12. Days Go By (Acoustic version) by Dirty Vegas

http://www.london2012.com

Spanish-Style Toasted Pasta with Shrimp

You could say I like to experiment in the kitchen. When just a child, I pulled all the pimentos out of a jar of olives and stuffed each one full of cottage cheese. Do you know how hard that is? Olive openings are pretty tiny and trying to get anything in there by hand is difficult. I tried several methods including fingers, spoons, knives and eventually got it in there with a fork. Well, it was really just a single fork tine, but I did it. It required plenty of practice and patience. Apparently, I had a lot of free time then, more than I seem to have since I got older. (Anyone else suddenly have a taste for bleu cheese olive martinis. Anyone? Too early?)

When I was offered the opportunity to test this seafood paella, my adventurous side took over and I thought, This might be fun, I’ve never made paella before. After peeling and deveining what seemed like all the shrimp in the sea, wrapping and breaking pasta noodles into just the right size pieces and creating a week’s worth of dirty dishes, I ended up with an impressive dish for sure. I’d tweak it for our family’s tastes, but if you want one of those serious dishes for serious company, this could be it.

I’d make sure to allow yourself plenty of time. Oh, and get the fishmonger to peel and devein the shrimp. I would have, except I was tight on time and bought the only fresh shrimp available.

Here’s a helpful Cook’s Illustrated video, they make it look so easy!

You can find the recipe on their site or in the July/August 2012 Cook’s Illustrated issue. I highly recommend serving the aioli along with it, yum! Here are some work in progress photos as well. Enjoy!