LilSugar

Toy Box: Can You Say Sushi?

babysugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 06:00:44 -0800

Plastic chicken drumsticks and rubber grapes are SO yesterday.

Get with the times and introduce your babe to roe covered spicy tuna and California rolls with Melissa and Doug's Sushi Set ($15).

The fishy set of wooden rolled sushi, sashimi, wasabi, ginger, soy sauce and chopsticks fit perfectly in a cherry blossom adorned black bento box. The sliced sushi rolls are topped with Velcro enabling tots to stick them together and use the enclosed cleaver to chop them up like a real sushi chef. An added bonus, the kids will delight in playing "restaurant" as the menu is provided on the back of the box.

Sugarbabies: Sushi With a Side of Angel, Please?

babysugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:00:49 -0800

Can you stand it? Our girl FitSugar was kind enough to share her babes with us in the Sugarbabies group. A creative and crafty mama to boot, she whipped up these fabulous costumes for her girls for their trick-or-treating pleasure. Of the spooky festivities, mommy Fit said:

Halloween was a blast this year. The older they get the easier it is! My older sister wasn't lying. My daughter on the left was dressed against type and is an angel. My older daughter is piece of sushi - tobiko (fish roe).

We adore the nifty gear and the adorable faces inside them. We can't wait to see what they dream up for next year!

Don't forget to share pics of your Halloween cuties in the Sugarbabies group. We're posting the cutest kids from the spooky festivities so submit your photos now!

School Year's Resolutions: Lunch Box Makeovers

LilSugar — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:00:34 -0700

You've moved from brown bagging munchies to an eco-friendly lunch bag, so now it's time to upgrade its contents! Get out of the everyday sandwich rut and start getting creative with what you pack to sustain your kids.

Shape up. Simply changing the shape of the food you are packing can make a big difference. Use cookie cutters to create sandwiches that will put a smile on your lil one's face.
Roll it up. Use creative "packaging" to put a sandwich together. Wraps and pitas can add some interest to the lunch box, as can turning an ordinary tuna sandwich into a sushi-style roll.
Put it on a stick. String some fruit and veggies onto a stick for a mini-kabob that looks more enticing than fruit in a baggie.
Repurpose dinner. Cook up some extra pasta at night and mix it with fresh vegetables and some protein to make a tasty cold noodle salad.
Build it up. Put the ingredients for a nutritious sandwich in the lunch bag and allow the kiddos to build their own creation, in the order they want.
Make it brunch. French toast and fruit salad can easily make their way into the lunch box for a fun alternative.

For some added inspiration, check out these books filled with lunch-bag-ready recipes.

Enter to win a $1,000 wardrobe for your child from Tea Collection!

Mommy Dearest: Restaurant Battle Over Spilled Rice

babysugar — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:00:08 -0700

Mommy Dearest,

I recently took my two children (ages 1 and 3 years old) to a local sushi restaurant for lunch. As one might guess, my lil one managed to drop some rice on the floor during the meal. At the end of our meal, I took them to the restroom to clean up. Before leaving, I paid the bill, left a generous tip, and tried to rush out to the car with my exhausted tots. As I tried to exit the eatery, two of the employees blocked my path. One yelled, "You are a pig and you are raising a pig. You are worse than a pig. American children don't do this. You must be from some other place. I will call the police on you. You have to clean up. You are not leaving till you clean up. You are ruining my business. It was the cleanest place until you came. You are not welcome in this restaurant ever again. You are worse than a pig. You already made too much noise." Horrified and scared by her reaction, I apologized again and squeezed by the women. Still angry, one of the servers took a handful of salt and threw it at me but missed and hit my 3 year old in the back of the head.

I am sorry my children made a mess, but I left a lofty tip and apologized profusely. I would have cleaned up better, but my babies were reaching meltdown status. What else could I have done?

- Little Miss Messy

To see the response from Mommy Dearest, read more.

Little Miss Messy,

There's no denying that restaurant owners and other patrons often cringe at the sight of children walking through the door. While some tots are perfectly behaved diners, there are others that don't do so well in high chairs. Nevertheless, most every restaurant owner and manager can expect children to be part of their clientele and part of that expectation should include food on the floor, a messy place mat, and chance of spillage on the table. That being said, I believe parents should do their best to clean up after themselves and their tots before leaving the establishment. If it's not an option, the busser has to take on the task and a heavier tip may be appropriate.

However, no restaurant owner or employee should ever assault a customer, let alone a child! Her behavior - from the insults to the salt throwing - was unacceptable. I would never dine there and would tell any mommy friends to boycott the establishment as well. She could have addressed the situation in a more pleasant manner or kept her grievances to herself. The restaurant is lucky to not have lawsuit on its hands.

- Mommy Dearest

Submit a question for this feature at the Mommy Dearest Group on TeamSugar.
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You Know You're a Mother When: Cereal Dinners

babysugar — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 04:00:26 -0700

Before baby, when my husband was out of town or had dinner plans, I lined up sushi and sake dates with my girlfriends and headed out for some fun. Now that I am a mom, a 7 p.m. bowl of cereal is my idea of heaven.

When the sun starts to set and my oldest rascal gets hungry, I put on my mommy hat and whip up something creative, tasty and nutritious for her dinner. After bath and bedtimes, I'm back to the kitchen to cook up something for the old man and myself. But when he's out of town, you can bet a dose of Special K cereal does the trick.
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Is Your Child an Adventurous Eater?

LilSugar — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:00:40 -0800

Some kids eat absolutely anything from sushi to spicy lentil soup while other tykes stick to a bland diet of buttered pasta and PB&J. Most parents, however picky they may be, hope their tots will be the adventurous type.

Are your kids willing to try new foods?

Source

Kate Gosselin's Recipe: Cream Cheese Roll

LilSugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:00:05 -0700

If your tots are up for a kid-friendly twist on the traditional sandwich, Kate Gosselin (who recently shared her tricks for feeding a family of ten with us) offered up her recipe for a rolled treat and another similar version for more adventurous or adult palates.

Cream Cheese Roll

1 slice bread (all breads work well)
Light cream cheese
½ cucumber, sliced length-wise
1 slice smoked turkey

Trim the crusts of the bread and gently roll out the slice so it resembles pastry. Spread with light cream cheese. Place the turkey slice in the center of the bread. Add cucumber slices. Roll the bread similar to a sushi roll and cut into mini rolls.

To check out a more adventurous recipe that makes a parent's mouth water, read more.

Cream Cheese Roll – Option #2 for adults

1 slice bread (all breads work well)
Light cream cheese
½ avocado, sliced
1 slice smoked salmon

Trim the crusts of the bread and gently roll out the slice so it resembles pastry. Spread with light cream cheese. Place the smoked salmon in the center of the bread. Add avocado slices. Roll the bread similar to a sushi roll and cut into mini rolls.

Toy Box: Quiet Hours Knit Play Food

babysugar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:00:19 -0700

Tea and hand knit cookies anyone? I recently came across an online shop that sells some of the most darling toys I have seen in a while. Selling only artisan-crafted items, Quiet Hours Toys features an array of classically designed items that do not require batteries, screwdrivers or instruction manuals to operate.

I was particularly taken with the shop's knit play food. The collection includes everything from produce items and sweets - like sandwich cookies to sushi and each item is hand-knit. A welcome change from the crates of plastic food with fake labels, I can see my daughter and I sitting down for an elegant tea party featuring these delectable items. To see the entire knit food collection, read more.

View 8 Photos ›

Fancy Fun School Supplies!

babysugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:00:26 -0700

Certain smells evoke memories and when it comes to a fresh eraser, a box of crayons, a freshly sharpened pencil, glue, or markers, I am immediately thrown back to my second grade classroom with Mrs. Wright, who coincidentally was rarely ever wrong.

School rules are stricter these days, prohibiting some children from bringing fancy pencils to school for fear they may show up their classmates. To that end, I get it. But at home, I see nothing wrong with providing your youngster with supplies that will make them enthused about learning. If I were back in school, I'd be begging my mom for the yummy dessert erasers, the bunny scissors, and the sushi pencil toppers. My niece may be in for a back–to–school treat!

Rabbit Scissors ($10)	Dessert Erasers ($12)
Dog Stapler ($8)	Mini Globe Pencil Sharpener ($1)
Sushi Pencil Toppers ($5)	Ice Cream Pens ($4)	Skulls and Crossbones Pencils ($3)

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Have Your Beer and Drink it, Too

babysugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:30:41 -0700

During pregnancy, women often choose to give up things they love - deli meats, goat cheese salads and sushi to name a few. While most mamas-to-be ban alcohol from their prenatal diet, others allow themselves to indulge every now and again.

Enjoying a Dodgers game in L.A., Matthew McConaughey and his baby mama Camila Alves soaked up some sun and sipped on what appears to be a brewsky. Reportedly nearing her due date, I'd say she's safe to have her beer and sip it, too. What's your opinion?

Pacific Coast News Online