Repost: Delicious things to make with summer corn

I've contributed to the Orlando Sentinel's Moms at Work blog since 2010. The blog is changing content management systems and my old posts will no longer be available to the public, so I'm reposting them here, in the order that they were originally posted.


May 25, 2011

You may have noticed that there's a bunch of reasonably priced summer corn in the grocery stores lately -- or if you're especially lucky, you've got some growing close to home. It's so decently priced that I've bought a little bit each time I've been shopping lately, which has left me looking for clever things to do with it.

I was bored with corn on the cob, plain old boiled corn and corn chowder, so I was delighted to stumble on a lovely corn salad recipe. The recipe looked as though it would be delicious as is, but I substituted items I had on hand, for a modified version that came out like so:

Ingredients

5 ears of corn, (shucked, boiled and with kernels removed)

1 red pepper, roasted

3/4 cup of chopped red onion

1/2 cup of chopped mint

1 small zucchini, diced

1/4 cup feta cheese

balsamic vinegar

oil

chili pepper, to taste

salt, to taste

Repost: Could you travel the country with your family for a year?

I've contributed to the Orlando Sentinel's Moms at Work blog since 2010. The blog is changing content management systems and my old posts will no longer be available to the public, so I'm reposting them here, in the order that they were originally posted.


May 18, 2011

I'd love to be able to take a year off to travel with my family -- at least, I like to tell myself that.

My husband and I have fantasized about buying an RV and taking a year to introduce our daughter to every nook and cranny of the continental U.S., perhaps when she's in middle school.

It's likely to remain just a fantasy, though.

When I look at the preparations Orlando mom Britt Reints has made for a year-long trip with her family, it makes me rethink how I'd feel about doing the same with the people I love most. She's sold most of what her family owns, her husband's taking a year off from work and her family will be embracing homeschooling.

You know what? I may not be cut out to do all that.

First and foremost, RVs are expensive, and I think I can find better uses for that much cash. Also, I am absolutely a city girl, so although such a trip sounds great in theory, I'd probably be deeply unhappy spending so much time away from cities. And don't even mention camping, which would have to be a regular part of traveling with an RV. The mere word "camping" makes me shudder in horror  (I'm secretly hoping my daughter never wants to be a Girl Scout).  Finally, as much as I love my family, I think the minor things I find annoying about them and that they find annoying about me would be heightened if we had to spend so much time together.

Could you spend a year traveling with your family in an RV?

On Leonard Cohen's song 'Hallelujah"

This a lovely post about Leonard Cohen's song "Hallelujah," which reached greater heights upon the release of Jeff Buckley's cover of it.



An excerpt.



Enjoy:

"Transcendence is a strange thing, and even something as earthy as physical love can be the conduit for it. You can listen to the Leonard Cohen version of “Hallelujah” ten million times without getting half the buzz off it that the first ten seconds of the Jeff Buckley version gave me. And of course my opinion is not universally held. There are plenty of people who think that Leonard Cohen did it right and Jeff Buckley messed it up. But when I read about the song’s history, what had happened to it over time, I couldn’t help but think that somehow even though he was writing about orgasms, Jeff Buckley got at something more emotional and more fundamental than Cohen had been able to."

Repost: Judging other people's parenting choices -- on the Internet

I've contributed to the Orlando Sentinel's Moms at Work blog since 2010. The blog is changing content management systems and my old posts will no longer be available to the public, so I'm reposting them here, in the order that they were originally posted.


May 11, 2011

How would you respond if you knew someone had taken a picture of your child in public specifically to put the picture on a website dedicated to ridiculing a parenting choice you'd made?

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Too Big for Stroller, a website featuring pictures of children (albeit with their faces obscured) the photographer or writer judges to be too large to ride in a stroller.

This entire concept is unsettling, mostly because the writer, who admits that she has no children, has no idea why the "too large" children are in strollers.

Several of the pictures of children seem to have been captured at amusement parks, for example, which are places that can tire out adults and be completely brutal to small children. It's also possible that a child whose legs hang over a stroller is quite young but simply large for his or her age.  Although the writer says she's careful not to post photos of kids with physical disabilities, it's also entirely possible that some of the photographed children have some sort of physical, emotional or other developmental disability that the writer or photographer doesn't perceive.

And last, but certainly not least, I get that it can sometimes be fun to judge other people, but can we all agree that it's creepy to take pictures of other people's kids without permission, even if your aim isn't some sort of Mean Girls-style carping?

My daughter's still traditionally stroller-sized, but since my husband often isn't home by the time I take my afternoon run, I end up taking her along in a jogging stroller. I intend to do so for quite some time, and let me tell you, I'd be upset if a picture of her ended up on a website like this.

Wait, not upset. Livid. I'd be livid.

What do you think of this website? Are children in public fair game? Is it out of line to photograph other people's children and put the pictures on a website?

[h/t Jezebel]

Repost: What parents hope for their children, Tina Fey-style

I've contributed to the Orlando Sentinel's Moms at Work blog since 2010. The blog is changing content management systems and my old posts will no longer be available to the public, so I'm reposting them here, in the order that they were originally posted.


May 4, 2011

Tina Fey's new book, Bossypants, is on my to-be-read list, and I've really enjoyed several excerpts I've seen from it lately. I can't wait 'til I get a chance to dig into it.

One of the funniest excerpts I've seen is this one, called "A Mother's Prayer for her Child." It actually made me laugh out loud, especially since I, um, disappointed my own parents in a couple of these ways (sorry about the tattoos, Mom and Dad!).

Enjoy.

"First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither the Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, may she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her when crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Repost: Diaper prices are going up again

I've contributed to the Orlando Sentinel's Moms at Work blog since 2010. The blog is changing content management systems and my old posts will no longer be available to the public, so I'm reposting them here, in the order that they were originally posted.


April 27, 2011

Add diaper prices to the long list of items costing more these days because of increased prices for fuel.

Procter & Gamble has announced that it is raising prices for Pampers by 7 percent -- although the price of a box of Luvs will stay the same.

I didn't have the patience to deal with cloth diapers when my daughter was born, but as the cost of disposable ones goes up, I feel a twinge of regret about that.

Luckily, she's showing signs that she might be ready for potty training within the next couple of months. I'll be thrilled when I can remove diapers permanently from my shopping list and budget.

Have you noticed increased prices lately for other staples you buy regularly for your children?

Repost: How we dress our daughters and sons

I've contributed to the Orlando Sentinel's Moms at Work blog since 2010. The blog is changing content management systems and my old posts will no longer be available to the public, so I'm reposting them here, in the order that they were originally posted.


April 20, 2011

I'm not the first person to notice that today's kids seem to wear clothes that are much more mature than the ones kids wore in the past.

A couple of weeks ago, my fellow Moms at Work blogger Katie Powalski wondered whether today's mothers feel too paralyzed by the truths of their own pasts to curb their daughters' attempts to behave in too mature a fashion.

This week, it's CNN commentator LZ Granderson, who said he was appalled recently to notice an elementary-school age girl in clothes he thought appropriate for a much older woman.

Repost: Hitting is bad -- except when it's not

I've contributed to the Orlando Sentinel's Moms at Work blog since 2010. The blog is changing content management systems and my old posts will no longer be available to the public, so I'm reposting them here, in the order that they were originally posted.


April 13, 2011

In theory, I should be upset at the news that my sweet girl smacked another child.

I'm not. Let me explain.

For several weeks now, as my husband or I have walked the apple of our eyes into daycare in the mornings, another slightly older child appears, hugs our daughter and pulls her toward toys or the playground. Although it seemed a bit strange to us, our little one, whose vocabulary is expanding but not extensive, has never seemed to have much of an opinion about this daily happening.

That's over now, I think. As my husband said goodbye to our daughter at school recently, the older girl came up the way she always does, gave our daughter a bear hug and tried to take her hand to drag her toward the playground.

That's when things got interesting.

Repost: Finding swimming lessons for babies and toddlers

I've contributed to the Orlando Sentinel's Moms at Work blog since 2010. The blog is changing content management systems and my old posts will no longer be available to the public, so I'm reposting them here, in the order that they were originally posted.


April 6, 2011

In the past couple of weeks, a few opportunities have come up for my toddler daughter to spend time at pools or the beach.

I'm sure that as the weather gets and stays  hot(ter) this summer, more such opportunities will arise, which means...I really need to get hopping on getting her in swimming lessons.

Even though my husband and I know we'll always have to keep an eye on her when she's near any body of water larger than a drinking cup, we want her to know a few techniques for maneuvering in the water on her own. Although I'm just worried about safety, I think my husband wants Olympics tickets and secretly harbors the hope that we have the next Cullen Jones or Dara Torres on our hands.

To that end, I've found a few places in Orlando that offer swim lessons for kids:

Repost: Traveling without kids -- for the first time

I've contributed to the Orlando Sentinel's Moms at Work blog since 2010. The blog is changing content management systems and my old posts will no longer be available to the public, so I'm reposting them here, in the order that they were originally posted.


March 30, 2011

In a couple of weeks, I'm going away on a four-day trip to an out-of-state seminar.

It'll be my first time being away from my daughter overnight. Since my husband's schedule is such that he'd have to take full days off from work in order to pick her up from day care while I'm gone, my newly-retired mother has agreed to come to town to help him juggle childcare for those days.

Even though I know my daughter's every need will be met (and every whim indulged, if my mom has anything to say about it) when I'm gone, I'm still a bit sad about not being with her overnight for the first time in the year-and-a-half and change she's been on Earth.

That's why I've spent a little bit of time searching for tips for parents who travel without their kids.

Repost: Tantrums and backtalk: How much resistance do you allow your kids?

I've contributed to the Orlando Sentinel's Moms at Work blog since 2010. The blog is changing content management systems and my old posts will no longer be available to the public, so I'm reposting them here, in the order that they were originally posted.


March 23, 2011


(Warning: foul language)

Lately, tantrums are a thing in my household.

I wasn't prepared.

When there's something my daughter doesn't want to do, or Mommy or Daddy takes something out of her hands, she stomps a couple of times and drops to the floor. I'm aware that this is a normal developmental stage, but it worries me nonetheless. I'm not exactly sure when and how a normal toddler turns into an enfant terrible, and I really don't want her to come close to crossing that line.

For now, we find that ignoring her is a surefire way to get the tantrum to end quickly. Still, we're carefully watching to make sure this stage doesn't become something more.

The video above is a good reason why (although this family clearly has two obnoxious teens, one of whom films family arguments). There's probably not a direct route from unruly bambino to insufferable adolescent, but just in case there is, I want to make sure we take the path less bratty. If I'd spoken to my parents that way -- or even so much as ever raised my voice at them -- I have reason to believe that it wouldn't have, um, gone well for me. Heck, if I spoke to them like that now, they'd be furious.

How have you found balance between allowing your child to express himself or herself and yet maintaining standards for appropriate behavior?

Repost: How would you respond if your kid had legal trouble?

I've contributed to the Orlando Sentinel's Moms at Work blog since 2010. The blog is changing content management systems and my old posts will no longer be available to the public, so I'm reposting them here, in the order that they were originally posted.


March 16, 2011

Two sexual-assault cases that happened nearly a thousand miles apart are on my mind this week.

They stick out in my mind not just because they are a chilling reminder that although I don't want her to live her life in constant fear, I'll need to be proactive about teaching my daughter to protect herself -- and that I don't know how I'd respond if a child of mine was accused of committing such a crime.

Take the new case involving Edwin MacFarlane, for example. Edwin, you may remember, was the teen accused of briefly taking a toddler from an Orlando-area store this past summer. He was arrested, although he claimed he'd been trying to help the girl find her mother. The Orange County Sheriff's Office investigated, and the case received national attention.

Edwin's mother, Mildred Roman, was his champion during this episode. She said repeatedly that he was innocent. There were lots of people, including Sentinel columnist Mike Thomas and Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings, who agreed. No charges were filed against Edwin.

Then on Monday came the news that Edwin, 15, has been charged with sexual assault on a 15-year-old girl. The attack came on a school bus, authorities said. Edwin is accused of fondling the napping girl against her will, touching her breasts and putting his hand in her underpants, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Repost: Savory oatmeal: My new cooking obsession

I've contributed to the Orlando Sentinel's Moms at Work blog since 2010. The blog is changing content management systems and my old posts will no longer be available to the public, so I'm reposting them here, in the order that they were originally posted.


March 9, 2011 Late last week, I was apparently the last person on Earth to finally understand that savory oatmeal is as delicious as sweet oatmeal.

Now, it's as though I can't get enough. Basically, the idea is to use steel-cut oats the same way you'd use rice with any other dish.

I felt especially silly when I Googled the concept and discovered that there are dozens of savory oatmeal recipes around. A few:

*Savory oatmeal with scallions and soy sauce

*Savory oatmeal with eggs, black pepper and cheddar

*Savory oatmeal with manchego cheese, sausage, hazelnuts and pesto

Sometime this week, I'll be making a mushroom risotto (ris-oat-o?) that is basically the same as a regular mushroom risotto, except that I'll be using steel-cut oats in place of arborio rice.

My daughter likes rice, and although she's rejected this new oatmeal formulation once, it usually takes her at least three tries before she actually likes something. I'm confident that she'll be a fan by the end of the week.

Have you ever made savory oatmeal? Are there any other ingredients or staples in your kitchen that you use in an out-of-the-ordinary way?

Repost: Willow Smith is coming, and I'm scared

I've contributed to the Orlando Sentinel's Moms at Work blog since 2010. The blog is changing content management systems and my old posts will no longer be available to the public, so I'm reposting them here, in the order that they were originally posted.


March 2, 2011

I'll admit it: Willow Smith terrifies me.

This week, the new single by the child star in the making and spawn of Will and Jada hit the airwaves. It's called "21st Century Girl."

Sample lyrics: Give me an inch/ and I'll take a mile/Danger is beauty/I'll face it with a smile AND 21st century girl/I do what I like/21st century girl/I'm taking you for a ride

Check it out here:

Repost: Music soothes the savage toddler

I've contributed to the Orlando Sentinel's Moms at Work blog since 2010. The blog is changing content management systems and my old posts will no longer be available to the public, so I'm reposting them here, in the order that they were originally posted.


Feb. 23, 2011

We've always played a lot of music in our house, but I've found lately that I'm leaning on it as something of a parenting tool.

When my daughter's fussing because I've taken her crayon away rather than let her color on the floor or put the tissue box out of her reach so she won't pull out every single tissue (grrrrrr), sometimes just turning on music will quiet her and get her to start dancing.

Does that make me a lazy mom? Probably, but I'm OK with that, because it keeps the peace. And oh, how I relish peace in my home.

Of course, my newfound reliance on music has made me scrutinize some of the thousands of songs my husband and I have collected (circa 2003, we scanned all our CDs into iTunes and gave the physical copies away) over the years.

Repost: Recipe: Slow cooker chicken curry

I've contributed to the Orlando Sentinel's Moms at Work blog since 2010. The blog is changing content management systems and my old posts will no longer be available to the public, so I'm reposting them here, in the order that they were originally posted.


Feb. 16,2011

Last week, I  shared with you how much I love my slow cooker. I'd intended to put my recipe for slow cooker chicken curry in the comments in a timely fashion, but time got away from me.

So here it is, for all who have requested it:

Ingredients:

2 1/2 - 3 tablespoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 can coconut milk

1 teaspoon salt (optional; I don't cook with much salt, but I hear people like the stuff)

1/2 - 1 teaspoon cayenne (optional, if you want some heat)

1 small onion, chopped

1-2 small potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 carrot or parsnip, chopped

6-8 chicken thighs (I usually de-bone and take skin off)

Mix the first nine (or eleven) ingredients in your slow cooker. Then add your chicken and toss to cover with sauce. Top with vegetables; I usually don't toss with sauce, but you can. Cook on low about 7 hours.

Serve with pasta or rice (or rice and peas if you've got 'em).

Repost: Slow cookers: The world's best working-mom tool

I've contributed to the Orlando Sentinel's Moms at Work blog since 2010. The blog is changing content management systems and my old posts will no longer be available to the public, so I'm reposting them here, in the order that they were originally posted.

Enjoy.


Feb. 9, 2011

Oh, how I love my slow cooker.

When I was a kid, I wasn't all that happy to eat food from the slow cooker. My mother and grandmother used it rarely, and when they did, it was mostly just to cook beans.

That was then, this is now.

A few years ago, I started using my slow cooker regularly and grew fond of it. Now that I'm a parent, it's absolutely indispensable.

What else frees me to chase a toddler around the house -- or go to work all day -- yet still have a balanced, delicious, home-cooked meal at dinner time? The slow cooker! All praises be to the king of kitchen devices!

Repost: Keeping the kids' art projects from taking over the house

I've contributed to the Orlando Sentinel's Moms at Work blog since 2010. The blog is changing content management systems and my old posts will no longer be available to the public, so I'm reposting them here, in the order that they were originally posted.

Enjoy.


Feb. 2, 2011

This week, my daughter's cubby at daycare held a little surprise: her first "school" art project.

I'm keeping this first one, but I haven't made a decision about what to do with the hundreds likely to follow. Should I keep a physical file of all or some of them? Scan them to keep in some digitized fashion?

It turns out that I'm not alone. In a New York Times story about children's artwork, several parents described how they ruthlessly curate their kids' drawings and paintings -- sometimes even throwing the pictures away in front of the kids.

How do you decide which art projects to keep and which ones to "disappear"?

Repost: Sometimes it's worth it to take a moment to enjoy it all

I've contributed to the Orlando Sentinel's Moms at Work blog since 2010. The blog is changing content management systems and my old posts will no longer be available to the public, so I'm reposting them here, in the order that they were originally posted.

Enjoy.


Jan. 26, 2011

Yesterday afternoon, as a dangerous line of storms made its way toward Central Florida, my husband and I scurried to complete our normal daily chores earlier than usual, just in case there was a power outage.

Usually, our daughter is in bed by 7 p.m. or so -- 7:30 at the latest -- leaving us time to complete the chores in the hours after she's placed in her crib. Last night, though, we made lunches, laid out today's clothes, got the house in something like order and got ready for bed in record time, by 6 p.m.

By her normal bedtime, the storm was bearing down on the region, so naturally, she was a little nervous at the sounds of the thunder and heavy rain on the roof of our 80-year-old home. She resisted going to bed easily.

So you know what? We didn't make her. I'm glad we didn't. Instead, we all piled into our bed for some extra fun. She amused us by playing clapping games with us, using her growing vocabulary and pointing on our command to various parts of her face (she's no longer confused by 'ears'!). Sure, she went to bed close to 9 p.m., but I'm delighted that we got to spend that time with her, especially in such a relaxed way and -- this is crucial -- with nothing else on our minds or schedules.

Just after he put her to bed, I turned to my husband and said, "We are so lucky."

"Yep," he said.

We really, really are.

Are we connected via Tumblr?

I'm Anika Myers Palm. And yes, I have a Tumblr.

Repost: Catching a cold from daycare? Yep.

I've contributed to the Orlando Sentinel's Moms at Work blog since 2010. The blog is changing content management systems and my old posts will no longer be available to the public, so I'm reposting them here, in the order that they were originally posted.

Enjoy.


Jan. 19, 2011

In just less than three weeks at daycare, my daughter's already caught her first cold.

I knew it was going to happen and even that it would come sooner rather than later. On the first day that my husband and I dropped her off, there was a breathtakingly adorable cherub popping around my daughter's classroom with a bright smile -- and a runny nose. Did I mention that runny noses are my personal Kid Kryptonite? I'd rather deal with the foulest diaper than even the most mild runny nose.

This past weekend, the kid was more clingy than usual. Then the sneezing, runny nose and cough arrived. It's so early in the year that I spent most of the weekend sending up silent prayers that she'd feel better so I wouldn't have to burn sick days quite so soon. Nursemaids Mommy and Daddy kept track of her temperature and dosed her with fluids, the occasional taste of infant/toddler Tylenol and many, many hugs.

By Monday morning, my prayers had been answered: she was feeling better and back to normal (which for her, means she's a vector for entropy) . All's well, yes? You'd think so, but you'd be wrong. My throat started hurting about midday. On Tuesday, I felt so bad that I had to leave work early. Even now, I'm pretty sure my bloodstream is at least a third Dayquil.

I can't win.

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I'm Anika Myers Palm. Are you following me on Twitter? Do I follow you? Let me know.

Repost: Making lunch for school is more pressure than I can handle

I've contributed to the Orlando Sentinel's Moms at Work blog since 2010. The blog is changing content management systems and my old posts will no longer be available to the public, so I'm reposting them here, in the order that they were originally posted.

Enjoy.


Jan. 12, 2011

My daughter's switch from a one-on-one caregiver situation to daycare has come with a wrinkle I sorely underestimated: I have to make nutritious, healthy lunches daily.

The daycare points parents who want a hot-lunch service to a third-party provider, but since I think $4-$5 a day is a little steep, I won't be going that route.

I think a lot about what works and what doesn't work. So far, in the week and change she's been in "school," my lunches have been hit-and-miss. Buttered corn was a big success. She inhaled the leftover macaroni-and-cheese with spinach in it,  but the spaghetti with toddler-friendly fusilli pasta came home untouched.

Repost: Baby starts daycare -- and she's OK. Her parents are another story.

I've contributed to the Orlando Sentinel's Moms at Work blog since 2010. The blog is changing content management systems and my old posts will no longer be available to the public, so I'm reposting them here, in the order that they were originally posted.

Enjoy.


Jan. 5, 2011

It turns out that my daughter is much more resilient and independent than even I thought she was.

Yesterday, she started daycare for the first time. She had previously been receiving one-on-one care from a caregiver, but it became clear a few months back that she thrived in the presence of other children, so my husband and I started to search for a place that might be a good fit.

We found one, filled out the paperwork and promptly started worrying about how she might react. Would she spend all day crying? Would she be so distraught that she wouldn't eat all day? Would she play with the other children? Would the teachers comfort her when she became frustrated?

Are we connected on Pinterest?

I'm Anika Myers Palm. You can follow my Pinterest boards.