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jillbcooks 5/28/2009 8:24:00 AM
My nieces live far away, too far for me to attend all their birthday parties. So, when they come visit me, I like to have a little birthday party for them, even if I am many months late or early. My sister lets me indulge in this and knows that the cake, prezzies and treats are as much for me as for them. We threw a Dora The Explorer party the last time they were in town, with party hats, cute plates and napkins, and, of course, a cake. My niece dug into the cake with her fingers and ended up with swirls of pink frosting around her mouth. They are visiting me this summer, so I am already thinking about how we will celebrate.
There is something about ca...
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birthday cakes, dairy-free, egg-free, photo gallery, smash cakes
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jillbcooks 5/26/2009 7:14:00 AM
Long weekends are great for weddings, especially ones where many guests are traveling. My sister, Liz, went to a wedding this past weekend in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The bride and groom are her neighbors in suburban Washington, DC. They live just a few doors down from Liz and her husband John, who are newlyweds themselves (and served amazing chocolate peanut butter wedding cake at their beautiful reception).
Because she knows that I love anything sweet and chocolaty, Liz sent me an email to share her recent baking project with me. Her friend, the bride, was planning an elaborate Viennese table at her reception, and Liz volunteered to make some goodies.&nbs...
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cake, wedding, bride, cookie icing, reception, truffles
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jillbcooks 5/21/2009 7:32:00 AM
As an author of cookbooks for children, I often get questions from parents about feeding kids—how much, what and how. While I have some practical experience in that area, I am primarily a food educator and recipe developer. In fact, I have struggled with eating issues myself. I was a super-picky eater as a child. If it wasn’t processed or familiar to me, I wouldn’t eat it. I think back now to my dinner plate at Thanksgiving when I was a kid—a scoop of corn, two dinner rolls, and the requisite piece of turkey about the size of a quarter. ...
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snacks, anxiety, children, conflict, feeding, healthy, Katja Rowell
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jillbcooks 5/19/2009 8:53:00 AM
That’s a lot of cookies, and they’ve all come from the initiative of Jeanette Cram and her “crumbs,” a corps of volunteer of bakers and helpers. Why did they bake all those cookies? To send to soldiers serving on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Through the Treat The Troops program, Cram has created a nationwide network to fulfill cookie requests made by and for deployed American soldiers living on the fronts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Treat The Troops’ Mission Statement explains that “‘...
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cookies, cake mix, chocolate cookies, Memorial Day, oatmeal cookies, sending cookies
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jillbcooks 5/14/2009 9:17:00 AM
I made a batch of Betty Crocker Blueberry Muffins last night, the ones that come with the can of real blueberries. They are easy to make and have simple directions, but I added an important first step: tearing off the Box Top and adding it to the envelope in my kitchen junk drawer. When the envelope gets pretty full, I tuck it into my husband’s lunchbox and send it off to work with him, since he is an administrator at a terrific school in St. Paul.
If you have kids, you probably know about the ...
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Box Tops for Education, budget cuts, PTO, school
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jillbcooks 5/12/2009 8:09:00 AM
I once heard some great advice for eating healthier: when you want to dive into something unhealthy like ice cream or chips, eat three healthy things first and then decide if you want the food you craved. By the time you eat one or two healthy snacks, chances are you’ve forgotten about the indulgence. I ddn't think it would work, but it did. After nuts, a bit of fruit, or a low-fat string cheese, I found myself forgetting about junk. I think this is a good practice for kids too, especially as they are home ove...
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kid-friendly, fluffy orange dip, fruit, healthy choices, summer
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jillbcooks 5/7/2009 7:34:00 AM
Happy Odd Day
Feeling listless or a little off kilter today? Odd even? Today is “Odd Day.”Today, 5/7/09, is one of only six dates this century that will feature three consecutive odd numbers.
I like days like “Odd Day” and like to use them as teachable moments for kids. A math teacher who delights in dates like today’s is even sponsoring a contest with a cash prize for creative celebrations of the date. According to www.oddday.net, “Prizes will be distributed to those who involve the most people in the Oddest Parade of Odd Characters, write the best Odd Ode, or create the best Odd Celeb...
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chicken breast recipe, cupcake, dinner party, odd day, seven layer salad
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jillbcooks 5/5/2009 8:53:00 AM
A concerned mom posed a great question on the Betty Crocker message board last week. Her daughter is an avid baker who aspires to be a professional chef when she grows up. The trouble is that the would-be chef enjoys making treats like cookies and brownies as hands-on learning, and perhaps enjoys too many sweets, according to mom.
As a cookbook author and recipe developer, I can definitely relate. Often it takes me a few tries to pe...
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Bake sale, baking, baking club, charity, children