Whining 'N Dining

Le Petit Lunch Set

Reusable sandwich bags are ALL the rage in school lunches these days. It's even cooler when you discover bags like the Le Petit Lunch Set, which I happened upon on Etsy.com today. (If you don't already know about Etsy.com, I would LOVE nothing more than to be the very one who shows you the fabulous site for handmade goods. Many of which are made by other mamas and daddies out there).

The Le Petit Lunch Set is made with 100% unbleached cotton and is machine washable. It's a 7x7-sized bag, which is basically your standard Ziplock sandwich bag size.

Now I'm hungry for a sandwich (oh and some almonds, too).

News Alert: FAQs on Swine Flu from USDA

Swine flu. One more thing for us to worry about. Ugh.

According to the USDA FAQ page, no one can become sick with the swine flu from handling uncooked pork. Some people have wondered about this, so I thought I would post the link.

At any rate, it's one less thing to worry about right now.

Try This: 5 Preschooler Sandwiches

As the year quickly goes, so do our school lunch ideas (at least for me they do!).

Food blog by LA cooking school Zuma Organics gives parents 5 new sandwich ideas to entice their preschoolers. Even the hard-to-please set will get excited about sushi sandwiches, star-shaped sandwiches and the "pizza grill" sandwich. Click here to read more.

 It sounds like Bonnie will be serving up more fun lunch ideas for the preschooler this week, so stay tuned.

(photo courtesy of Zuma Organics)

Toddler Meal Strategies

Can't get enough of toddler meal strategies?? Thought you might want to check out my guest blogger post at Baby Friendly LA.com. For those of you in LA, my friend Rosina at Baby Friendly LA has the scoop on all things hip, cool for families in LA. This super chic gal is mom to her little Ava and a great resource for LA mamas. Check it out if you're in the area.

Click here to read my post, "Fed Up".

Happy Earth Day! Reduce Your "Cookprint"

Happy Earth Day, everyone! 

We've all heard about our carbon footprint and many of us have taken steps to reduce it. But have you ever thought about your "cookprint" (a.k.a. your cooking carbon footprint )? I hadn't until recently.

"Cooking Green" author Kate Heyhoe would like us to consider that "appliances account for 30 percent of our household energy use, and the biggest guzzlers are in the kitchen.” Her eye-opening book claims that it's not what you cook, but how you cook that can reduce your carbon footprint. She's gives readers tips on how to cook greener with your favorite recipes.

Check out this interview with the author in today's Washington Post.

Are you cooking green? If so, I'd love to hear how.

A Sweet Strawberry Treat

I heart strawberry season. It's really my very favorite of all the fruit seasons. Strawberries, especially the ones you can buy at the farmers' markets, are ripe, plump and juicy right now.

As a kid, I loooved dipping strawberries in sugar as a special treat. So it's no surprise that I enjoy this recipe for an easy spring /  summer dessert. Plus my daughter is always into dipping whenever and wherever possible.

Ingredients:
Big, plump strawberries
1 cup creme fraiche (I buy mine at Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup raw sugar

Directions:
1. Clean strawberries.
2. Put 1/2 cup raw sugar in bowl and 1 cup of creme fraiche in a bowl.
3. Dip strawberries in creme fraiche and sugar.

Toddler Test Kitchen: Lily Pad Pancakes

Just in time for spring, we recently made these green Lily Pad Pancakes  (courtesy of The Toddler Cafe cookbook). Made with both pureed peas and whole peas, they are perfect for enticing the veggie averse kid. Plus you can dip the finished product in yogurt, which makes for a fun snack or dinner addition. My daughter helped me make them, and we both polished off every last bit.

Ingredients
8 ounces (about 1.5 cups) of frozen peas, thawed
2 Tbsp. water
1 egg
3 Tbsp. flour (I used whole wheat)
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. baking powder
Vegetable oil (or olive oil), as needed
Plain yogurt for serving

Directions
1. Set aside 1/3 cup of peas.
2. Add rest of peas to blender with water and egg; blend until smooth
3. Pour mixture into a medium bowl and stir in the  flour, salt and baking powder and gradually mix with a fork or whisk.
4. Stir in the reserved 1/3 cup of peas and let batter rest.
5. Place about 2 Tbsp. oil in a saute pan and warm over medium heat until shimmering.
6. Drop 1 Tbsp. of batter into the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes until you see bubbles forming around the edges. Then, flip and cook the second side until lightly browned.
7. Repeat 6 until batter is gone.
8. Serve warm with yogurt. (you can add a touch of curry powder to the yogurt for a little kick)

Happy Cooking and Happy Spring!

Muffin Tin Monday

Let's face it....Mondays can be somewhat of a "blah." So I love any idea to make Monday a little more fun.

Fellow blogging mama at Her Cup Overfloweth initiated the "Muffin Tin Mondays" idea. She takes a muffin tin and fills it with healthy foods based on a theme / story / frame of mind / whatever. Like her "springtime" muffin tin (see left photo from Her Cup Overfloweth). {clockwise from top left: Blood Oranges (Flower Petals), Toast with Jam (butterfly wing), Yogurt (With a sad little flower on it!), Apple with Butterscotch chips (Ladybug), Toast with Jam (butterfly wing), Sliced Banana (Bunny Ears)}

If you follow the above link to her site, Michelle features several photos from other mamas' Muffin Tin Monday fun. You can join in, too, if you submit a photo to her Flickr stream and then leave a comment on her blog to let her know.

I'm going to give it a try myself to see how my whine 'n dine girl likes it. Since she's really into stories, I just might create some storybook themed muffin tins. We'll see.....

A Purple Easter

It's a purple Easter. Why? Whining & Dining has turned purple to show our support for the Spohr family, a family here in LA, who tragically lost their precious 17-month old daughter, Maddie, this past week. Maddie struggled with breathing problems on and off throughout her short life due to her being born 11 weeks premature. The news of her death swept through the blogging and Twitter communities last week, and people showed their support through donations to the March of Dimes and her family, blog posts, tweets, etc. One mommy blogger even arranged food delivery for the Spohr family via the Internet. It's been amazing to witness the support from many. Many who are complete strangers.

In celebrating Easter, we are reminded that Jesus broke bread and drank wine with those closest to him during the Passover Feast. I hope that you are doing the same with the ones that you love today (or that you did this past week for Passover). That you are enjoying a special feast that's full of joy and laughter. That you cherish every precious moment with your family and friends. And mostly, that you are filled with the hope that Easter offers us. Just as we remember Jesus today, we remember those family members who are not with us and we remember Maddie.

News Alert: Yogurt Bacteria Helps Fight Tooth Decay

Yogurt fights tooth decay??

You better believe it says BASF, the world's largest chemical maker. They claim to have found a way to prevent cavity-causing bacteria from attacking teeth, a development that could be seen in toothpaste, mouthwash and even candy as early as next year. Click here for the rest of the story.

Certainly don't stop brushing your teeth and your kids' teeth as this in no replacement for good oral hygiene. Think of it as a way to enhance your already beautiful smile. Just more evidence that yogurt has some serious superpowers.