Kids and Commercials

(Photos courtesy of Jupiter Images)
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I think the television is an incredible source of learning and entertainment - it's just a matter of choice. When it comes to TV and our kids my husband and I are pretty strict about what they watch. We record shows and they watch them when it's "TV Time" but there is no easy way to block out all those commercials. Of course PBS and a few others are a great non commercial sources but what about all of the rest. Since the shows we watch are for the most part pre-taped it's easy enough to skip through advertisements but they do occasionally slip in.

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I recently found a cool website called, "The New American Dream". Below is a small excerpt about commercialism and children I found.

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Facts About Marketing To Children
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Advertising directed at children is estimated at over $15 billion annually – about 2.5 times more than what it was in 1992.

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Over the past two decades, the degree to which marketers have scaled up efforts to reach children is staggering. In 1983, they spent $100 million on television advertising to kids. Today, they pour roughly 150 times that amount into a variety of mediums that seek to infiltrate every corner of children’s worlds.

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The average American child today is exposed to an estimated 40,000 television commercials a year — over 100 a day.

PBS Great Performances Presents - Peter and the Wolf

I just saw this Oscar winning film on PBS last evening. It was just amazing!! The expressions on Peter's face are the best I've ever seen with this type of ani-claymation.

One small word of warning if you do want to watch the film and there are young children in the room - the duck is eaten by the wolf.

Peter and the Wolf

Sergei Prokofiev's or should I say Suzie Templeton's - "Peter and the Wolf" is given new life in this innovative new animated interpretation, which won the 2008 Oscar® for Best Animated Short Film. It was made at Poland's award-winning Se-ma-for animation studio and took five years to complete.

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Suzie Templeton's enthusiasm for what she does is just contagious!! What an amazing artist!!

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Dinner with Nana and Papa - a.k.a. - My Parents

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Still on my Ellie Kreiger cooking jag... I am planning to cook and serve dinner for my parents tomorrow night. These opportunities are rare and I love having both my mom and dad all to myself for an evening of conversation and the inevitable old stories.
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On the menu:

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Salmon Florentine
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2 (10 ounce) packages frozen spinach, thawed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup minced shallots

2 teaspoons minced garlic

5 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, rinsed and patted dry

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using your hands, squeeze spinach of all excess liquid.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook for 3 minutes until they begin to soften. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool approximately 10 minutes. Add ricotta and stir to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.

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Using your hands, pack approximately 1/2 cup spinach mixture on top of each salmon fillet, forming mixture to the shape of the fillet. Place fillets on a rimmed baking sheet or glass baking dish and bake for 15 minutes, until salmon is cooked through.

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Per Serving:
Calories 375, Fat 18 g; (Sat Fat 4 g, Mono Fat 7 g, Poly Fat 5 g) ; Protein 44 g; Carb 12 g; Fiber 5 g; Cholesterol 103 mg; Sodium 585 mg Excellent source of: Protein, Vitamin A, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium Copper, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium, Vitamin C, Good source of: Iron, Zinc, Fiber

Photographer Julia Fullerton-Batten

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I'm always on the lookout for unusual or creative photography. These photos by Julia Fullerton-Batten really caught my attention. This particular series entitled: Teen Stories - I completely get. The photographs are described as hypnotic, slightly unnerving, juxtaposing teenage girls at the moment of facing maturity, many of which are involved in everyday leisure activities, at home, in the garden, at the swimming pool, or at the beach. Many of her concepts in this series, are in part: fairy tale (Alice in wonderland) with surreal twists. She depicts this in a completely unique way.
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I think we women all can remember that time in our lives when we were still just little girls in our minds - going along as we had any other day - when suddenly the world began to view us differently. We seemed to become young women overnight. I can remember walking home from the pool one summer in my bikini and as I came through the front door my father told me - in a somewhat firm voice - to put something on and not to traipse all around the neighborhood like that. I was completely confused and hurt by his reaction but many years later I realized that he knew something I didn't. I wasn't being viewed the same way anymore. My girl- like mind had not caught up to my woman- like body.
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The Gift Of Pure Being

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Many, many years ago I happen to see a made for television - mini series movie. It was based on Ray Bradbury's - The Martian Chronicles. By all indications this was a low budget sci-fi re-run, but one amazing conversation stood out for me and has to this very day. It was in a scene on Mars between a Martian (ghost) and an Earthling (Rock Hudson). Suddenly this B movie said one of the most profound things I had ever heard. I thought this dialog could be found in the original text of Ray Bradburys book but I have since learned that the scene was based on a short story by Bradbury, not part of The Martian Chronicles. I hurriedly wrote down the words and have kept them close at hand all these years. I was reminded of it recently - so I thought I'd share it.

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The Earthling asks about the "secret of life".

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"Secret …. There is no secret. Anyone with eyes can see the way to live …. By watching life, observing nature, and cooperating with it. Making common cause with the process of existence …. By living life for itself, don't you see? Deriving pleasure from the gift of pure being .… Life is its own answer. Accept it and enjoy it day by day. Live as well as possible. Expect no more. Destroy nothing, humble nothing, look for fault in nothing. Leave unsullied and untouched all that is beautiful. Hold that which lives in all reverence. For life is given by the sovereign of our universe; given to be savored, to be luxuriated in, to be respected."

White Kitchens

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Here are some lovely kitchens - mine too (above) - done in white - my favorite!!

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Modem Meltdown

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I received quite a few emails wondering if all was well since I had not posted a blog in the last few days. I am fine -- but my old modem is not. I have a brand new one, thanks to AT&T, and FedEx 2 day delivery.

I'm a happy girl!! Let the blogging resume!!

Yellow Pineapple Cake

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My son's 1st grade teacher recently shared a recipe for Yellow Pineapple Cake from the book - Sugar Free Toddlers, by Susan Watson. I made it and my kids loved it!!
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Thank you Kristy!!
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Yellow Pineapple Cake
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1/2 cup chopped apricots (you may use dried)
3/4 cup crushed pineapple, well drained
2 eggs
1/4 cup veg. oil
1 1/4 cup milk (you may use 1/4 cup of coconut milk instead of 1/4 cup milk)
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/3 cup unbleached white flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
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Puree apricot pineapple, with ¼ cup of milk in a blender or food processor until smooth. In a large bowl combine, fruit/milk mixture, the remaining 1 cup of milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. Add the rest of the ingredients (except coconut). Beat well. Stir in the coconut. Coat an 8 x 8 baking pan with veg. spray and then pour in batter. Cook at 350 for about 15 to 20 mins. or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool before cutting into slices.
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What's In Season - April

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April

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n = newly in season

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p = peak of season

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w = winding down

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Vegetables
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• artichokes (p)

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• asparagus (p)

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• avocado, Haas (n)

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• beans, fava (n)

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• beets (n)

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• broccoli

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• cabbages

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• carrots

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• celeriac / celery root

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• chard (w)

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• fennel

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• garlic, green (w)

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• greens: collards, dandelion, lettuces, nettle

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• kale (w)

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• leeks (w)

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• mushrooms, morels (p)

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• nopales

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• onions, spring

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• onions, sweet: Texas (n)

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• peas: edible pod (p)

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• peas: English / shelling (n)

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• spinach (w)

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• spring salad mix (p)

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Fruits

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• grapefruit

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• orange, navel (w)

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• rhubarb, field (p)

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