In the Garden

If you've been following this blog for a while, you know the tone of yearning in my writing when I dream about owning a home with a yard and a fruitful garden... Well, the next best thing is having a friend who has one! Freida has been immensely enjoying the benefits of the Berkowitz's (remember Zalmy?) backyard and garden these past few months. We head over there every week on Wednesday morning (the day her garden-savvy dad comes out from Huntington Beach to tend the earth and plant and reap) and hang out in the shady haven. She digs and rakes, and scouts for worms in the dirt, munching on garden bounty straight from their vines as she plays. Her garden-guru, Zevi, teaches her how to identify and uproot weeds, keeping the vibrant garden plot clean and cared for. :)

I'm such a strong believer in the importance of teaching children that food comes from a much more valuable place than the market! Watching the fascination on Freida's face when she sees fresh basil (an all-too-familiar kitchen ingredient) growing from the earth (I guess windowsill herb gardens are not nearly cool enough) was completely priceless! She walks around the garden looking at all the tags and asking Zevi which plant is where and which flowers will bloom which vegetables. It's totally adorable, and it makes me so happy to know that she is learning about the earth's resources and also able to begin to understand the concept of making specific "food group" blessings over food.

It's also incredibly peaceful to watch her pick and munch on her own choice of veggies. The sugar snap peas are out of season just now, but for a kid who only ate peas of the frozen variety, she sure consumed her fair share of fresh peas in this garden! Loved knowing all the crunchy consumption was not just fresh garden bounty, but organic, to boot!

It's just so satisfying to know that my ever-curious little person is slowly learning about where food stems from and a bit about how to tend the earth to make it grow there. (Thanks Berkowitz Family!!!!!)

Weekend Round-up!

This iLog totally made me smile. What do you know? Lag BaOmer meets 2011! (Humor aside, this wooden iPad charging dock would make for a fabulous Fathers Day gift, don't you think?)

Here are some other links from around the web that I have been meaning to share:

- A shocking and most fantabulous Target collaboration!!!

- Honest Pinocchio - most charming of classroom supplies.

- San Francisco audacity!

- Summer decorating tips from the pros via Anthropologie.

- Most awesome baby moccasins: gilded leather + neons stitching.

- H.D. Buttercup's "Almost-Giving-it-Away Sale"!

- Shout-out of thanks to those creative and childish minds at Classic-Play for the mention!! :)

Also, if you are in the greater Los Angeles area, my supermom of a sister-in-law's (Esther Schwartz) closest-to-homeschooling preschool, Gan Chai, is now open for 2011-2012 registration!! If you want the benefits of homeschooling + the social and developmental achievements of a preschool that will help instill independence and cultivate young jewish pride - visit Gan Chai online for more information. Freida is a die-hard fan! :)

Wishing you all a lovely weekend! Enjoy the food + fire festivities!!

Banana Wraps

My mom used to make these for us when we were little, and Freida goes nuts for them!! Some people call these "banana dogs" or "banana bites", but Freida pretty much dubbed it the "banana wrap" - which works. :)

This yummy little treat is quite actually a full and well balanced meal for a little one (or a big one, for that matter). It's anatomy is rather basic: tortilla, peanut butter, honey, banana. Bingo.

(Obviously, the point of this is a healthy on-the-go snack/meal i.e. go with whole wheat wraps and natural peanut butter!!)

Just spread the PB...

Drizzle some honey...

Add a ripe banana and wrap it up!

If you pinch/fold the bottom end, you can give it to them like this (banana dog-style):

Or you can then slice it into chunks (banana bites), and bump up the fun with some chopsticks!

This nutrient-rich line-up makes it a full meal due to the soluble fiber in the whole wheat wrap, abundant protein + fat in the peanut butter, vitamin/mineral-laden honey, plus the carbs/fiber/vitamin C/potassium of the banana.

Especially in the summer, when the activity level (and consequently, the exhaustion) is cranked up a notch, a well-fed child equals a well-behaved child. And that, my dears, equals a happy mama!

Blackberry + Ginger: Oatmeal

I added some extras to our common breakfast this week, and it turns out I hit the kid-friendly jackpot with this antioxidant-loaded concoction: Oatmeal with honey, some whole milk, blackberries, and a bit-more-than a dash of ground ginger. Freida was wild about it!! I know it sounds odd, but seriously - try it! Was so damn good! Plus, the added nutrients of the berries and the ginger-heat make for a much more fiber-full and beneficial breakfast than the plain ol' instant stuff.

I think this is also a fabulous baby food - especially when trying to introduce little buds to a variety of new tastes. Just cook and puree the blackberries first for babies under 6 months.

(And also note that blackberries have the same allergen rating as blueberries and strawberries, so this is really for the more liberal approach to baby solids...)

To developing little palettes! Enjoy!

Growing Green

The first time I caught glimpse of a Woolly Pocket was inside the flagship Splendid boutique on Robertson blvd. I initially walked into the store in order to get a better look at that awesome wooden horse, when the wall of foliage took my breathe away!

The basic concept behind the Whoolly is a modular gardening method made of flexible, breathable, and foldable containers. Designs available for placing on flat surfaces as well as those for hanging along walls is what sets these "pockets" aside from the normal nursery-packs; enabling anyone with vertical space to create an urban garden.

Was so excited when I opened up the latest CB2 catalogue to discover they are featuring a Whooly Wall Pocket this season for $39.95!!