Food

Do you live roughly 20 miles from any good ethnic cuisine so deep in the wilds of Connecticut that there is no take-out save the local pizza joint? Well, I do. And after years of city living this can be a crushing situation at times.

Last week while trekking around the circumference of the local Stop & Shop, loading up on the usual for my family of five, I paused in front of the meats. Staring at the ground turkey I wondered if it would be meatballs, burgers or Bolognese. And then I sighed. And then I had a vision. I could cook ethnic food. I could choose one country a week and for the 3-4 dinners where my husband and kids were all present, I could cook from that country. Extra bonus: We might even discuss the country- where it is and what the staples are - and learn something! Not to mention that the kids would be expanding their palettes by experiencing a variety of herbs and spices in different cuisines.

[UPDATED: August 10, 2012]

Granola bars are a snack that kids love and parents can feel good about giving their kids - or so the ads say. But many granola bars aren't much better than candy bars and are loaded with sugar, fat, trans fats and high fructose corn syrup. I found a really easy recipe for granola bars on AllRecipes and I've been making our own ever since. We whip up a batch every weekend for the upcoming week - perfect for back to school time. You could also make more and freeze them. The kids love them and love making them. It's fun for them to eat healthy snacks they've made themselves.