How to Feed a Henry

Henry helped prepare this year's Thanksgiving dinner, including mixing the vinaigrette for our roasted Brussels sprouts side dish. At dinner, however, he only had eyes for Grandma's homemade cranberry sauce so I can't say for sure that this Brussels sprouts recipe is "Henry-approved". I can say that everyone else around our table enjoyed it and I hope your family will too. Henry shakes the vinaigrette for Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts. You can easily divide this recipe in half for a weeknight family meal. Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts ready for roasting. Ingredients 4 cups Brussels sprouts (about 1 pound) 4 slices bacon 2 Tablespoons olive oil 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 Tablespoons honey 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse Brussels sprouts and cut of the base of each sprout. Remove any outer leaves that are yellowed or have black spots. Inspect to ensure there ...

In my ongoing attempt to give Henry more independence and responsibility in the kitchen, I decided to reorganize our cupboards.  I have been meaning to do this for a while, but my motivation came while reading Amy McCready's book " If I Have To Tell You One More Time ". I have really connected with her positive parenting approach. One of her recommendations is to empower children by giving them many opportunities to make age-appropriate choices throughout the day. I hope t his lets Henry know that his input is valuable and respected. There are plenty of everyday ways to do this in the kitchen, such as offering him the choice between apples or grapes at breakfast.  Henry chose grapes for breakfast. McReady also acknowledges the importance of a child's environment for fostering independence. When a child can access things they need by themselves, then they can play an active role in making decisions about what tools or equipment they need to help contribute to th...

I voted "Yes" on Washington's Initiative I-522.  A few months ago, I wrote about GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in our food and the efforts in Washington state to require food labeling through Initiative 522 . While I had hoped to share more information on the topic, this blog has been on back burner for the past few months. However, I haven't forgotten about this important issue and I wanted to share with you why I voted to approve I-522. Henry thinks the Voters Guide makes a good coloring book. It really comes down to one simple fact: I want to know what's in the food that my family eats. Even if I end up buying foods with GMOs, I should be able to make that choice for myself and my family. GMOs should not be allowed to hide in our food. If GMOs are great advancements in agriculture and technology, then food producers and manufacturers should not be scared to come out in the open. Secrecy only creates fear and I don't want to be afraid of t...