This Page

has been moved to new address

Parent Club

Sorry for inconvenience...

Redirection provided by Blogger to WordPress Migration Service
body { background:#123; margin:0; padding:20px 10px; text-align:center; font:x-small/1.5em "Trebuchet MS",Verdana,Arial,Sans-serif; color:#ccc; font-size/* */:/**/small; font-size: /**/small; } /* Page Structure ----------------------------------------------- */ /* The images which help create rounded corners depend on the following widths and measurements. If you want to change these measurements, the images will also need to change. */ @media all { #content { width:740px; margin:0 auto; text-align:left; } #main { width:485px; float:left; background:#eec url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_main_bot.gif") no-repeat left bottom; margin:15px 0 0; padding:0 0 10px; color:#333; font-size:97%; line-height:1.5em; } #main2 { float:left; width:100%; background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_main_top.gif") no-repeat left top; padding:10px 0 0; } #sidebar { width:240px; float:right; margin:15px 0 0; font-size:97%; line-height:1.5em; } } @media handheld { #content { width:90%; } #main { width:100%; float:none; background:#eec; } #main2 { float:none; width:100%; background:none; } #sidebar { width:100%; float:none; } } /* Links ----------------------------------------------- */ a:link { color:#9db; } a:visited { color:#798; } a:hover { color:#fff; } a img { border-width:0; } #main a:link { color:#347; } #main a:visited { color:#666; } #main a:hover { color:#68a } /* Blog Header ----------------------------------------------- */ @media all { #header { background:#357 url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_cap_bot.gif") no-repeat left bottom; margin:0 0 0; padding:0 0 8px; color:#fff; } #header div { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_cap_top.gif") no-repeat left top; padding:8px 15px 0; } } @media handheld { #header { background:#357; } #header div { background:none; } } #blog-title { margin:0; padding:10px 30px 5px; font-size:200%; line-height:1.2em; } #blog-title a { text-decoration:none; color:#fff; } #description { margin:0; padding:5px 30px 10px; font-size:94%; line-height:1.5em; color:#abc; } /* Posts ----------------------------------------------- */ .date-header { margin:0 28px 0 43px; font-size:85%; line-height:2em; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.2em; color:#586; } .post { margin:.3em 0 25px; padding:0 13px; border:1px dotted #bb9; border-width:1px 0; } .post-title { margin:0; font-size:135%; line-height:1.5em; background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/icon_arrow.gif") no-repeat 10px .5em; display:block; border:1px dotted #bb9; border-width:0 1px 1px; padding:2px 14px 2px 29px; color:#333; } #main a.title-link, .post-title strong { text-decoration:none; display:block; } #main a.title-link:hover { background-color:#fff; color:#000; } .post-body { border:1px dotted #bb9; border-width:0 1px 1px; border-bottom-color:#eec; padding:10px 14px 1px 29px; } html>body .post-body { border-bottom-width:0; } .post p { margin:0 0 .75em; } p.post-footer { background:#fff; margin:0; padding:2px 14px 2px 29px; border:1px dotted #bb9; border-bottom:1px solid #eee; font-size:100%; line-height:1.5em; color:#666; text-align:right; } html>body p.post-footer { border-bottom-color:transparent; } p.post-footer em { display:block; float:left; text-align:left; font-style:normal; } a.comment-link { /* IE5.0/Win doesn't apply padding to inline elements, so we hide these two declarations from it */ background/* */:/**/url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/icon_comment.gif") no-repeat 0 45%; padding-left:14px; } html>body a.comment-link { /* Respecified, for IE5/Mac's benefit */ background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/icon_comment.gif") no-repeat 0 45%; padding-left:14px; } .post img { margin:0 0 5px 0; padding:4px; border:1px solid #586; } blockquote { margin:.75em 0; border:1px dotted #596; border-width:1px 0; padding:5px 15px; } .post blockquote p { margin:.5em 0; } /* Comments ----------------------------------------------- */ #comments { margin:-25px 13px 0; border:1px dotted #6a7; border-width:0 1px 1px; padding:20px 0 15px 0; } #comments h4 { margin:0 0 10px; padding:0 14px 2px 29px; border-bottom:1px dotted #6a7; font-size:120%; line-height:1.4em; color:#333; } #comments-block { margin:0 15px 0 9px; } .comment-data { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/icon_comment.gif") no-repeat 2px .3em; margin:.5em 0; padding:0 0 0 20px; color:#666; } .comment-poster { font-weight:bold; } .comment-body { margin:0 0 1.25em; padding:0 0 0 20px; } .comment-body p { margin:0 0 .5em; } .comment-timestamp { margin:0 0 .5em; padding:0 0 .75em 20px; color:#fff; } .comment-timestamp a:link { color:#fff; } .deleted-comment { font-style:italic; color:gray; } /* Profile ----------------------------------------------- */ @media all { #profile-container { background:#586 url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_prof_bot.gif") no-repeat left bottom; margin:0 0 15px; padding:0 0 10px; color:#fff; } #profile-container h2 { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_prof_top.gif") no-repeat left top; padding:10px 15px .2em; margin:0; border-width:0; font-size:115%; line-height:1.5em; color:#fff; } } @media handheld { #profile-container { background:#586; } #profile-container h2 { background:none; } } .profile-datablock { margin:0 15px .5em; border-top:1px dotted #7a8; padding-top:8px; } .profile-img {display:inline;} .profile-img img { float:left; margin:0 10px 5px 0; border:4px solid #bec; } .profile-data strong { display:block; } #profile-container p { margin:0 15px .5em; } #profile-container .profile-textblock { clear:left; } #profile-container a { color:#fff; } .profile-link a { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/icon_profile.gif") no-repeat 0 .1em; padding-left:15px; font-weight:bold; } ul.profile-datablock { list-style-type:none; } /* Sidebar Boxes ----------------------------------------------- */ @media all { .box { background:#234 url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_side_top.gif") no-repeat left top; margin:0 0 15px; padding:10px 0 0; color:#abc; } .box2 { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_side_bot.gif") no-repeat left bottom; padding:0 13px 8px; } } @media handheld { .box { background:#234; } .box2 { background:none; } } .sidebar-title { margin:0; padding:0 0 .2em; border-bottom:1px dotted #456; font-size:115%; line-height:1.5em; color:#abc; } .box ul { margin:.5em 0 1.25em; padding:0 0px; list-style:none; } .box ul li { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/icon_arrow_sm.gif") no-repeat 2px .25em; margin:0; padding:0 0 3px 16px; margin-bottom:3px; border-bottom:1px dotted #345; line-height:1.4em; } .box p { margin:0 0 .6em; } /* Footer ----------------------------------------------- */ #footer { clear:both; margin:0; padding:15px 0 0; } @media all { #footer div { background:#357 url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_cap_top.gif") no-repeat left top; padding:8px 0 0; color:#fff; } #footer div div { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_cap_bot.gif") no-repeat left bottom; padding:0 15px 8px; } } @media handheld { #footer div { background:#357; } #footer div div { background:none; } } #footer hr {display:none;} #footer p {margin:0;} #footer a {color:#fff;} /* Feeds ----------------------------------------------- */ #blogfeeds { } #postfeeds { padding:0 15px 0; }

May 06, 2011

Mother's Day Recipes | Life Made Delicious

Happy Mother's Day to all!

Tho I'm not big on Mother's (or Father's or Grandparents') Day (call me grumpy) I am big on family brunch.  Take all afternoon on a Sunday, eating, hanging, playing, ignoring the laundry...is what I call a day well spent.

So Mother's Day Recipes alert!  Get your Quiche on this Mother's Day.

And White Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries then Three-berry Trifle.

Call Sunday whatever you will...but enjoy it all that you can ;-)



Disclosure: I am part of the Life Made Delicious Blogger program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Labels: , ,

May 05, 2011

Baby Blues, blogs and Breathing

A peek behind the blog...it's blue dear readers. Very blue.

Yes, the baby blues are back in da house this week. So very tired. And sad. And lonely. Amazing since I am hardly ever alone (baby always by my side...or breast...mainly breast...cluster feeds suck - forgive the pun).

And I think to Shrek and onions and how both have layers...just like parenthood. On one layer I am completely blues-ish and on a higher layer I get that I am blues-ish so am doing what I can to push the blues layer under. See. Onions, Shrek and Me. Layers people. Layers.

So you'll notice I'm pimping up Parent Club. Changed the header. Re-formatted the sidebar. It's for my layer. Renovating Parent Club gives my mind and energies somewhere to focus which is good for the soul. It's gives my blues a boost. At least I think it does.

Walks in the sunshine are just as good. But less tangible. With the blog I can say "See I put in a new header!" It is a thing-done. Whereas a walk is a thing-experienced. Both good against the baby blues.

As is breathing. Deep breathing. Knowing the baby blues is a normal, hormonal, mom-moment. Just keep breathing and it will pass.

Right?


If you've got the blues...I recommend the #zombiemoms over at twitter. A great bunch of pregnant, new and seasoned parents up day or night. Put that hashtag at the end of a tweet and watch a community come alive.


I wrote about the baby blues HERE (and merci again for all the comments and support and virtual hugs)

Labels: , ,

May 03, 2011

Healthy Habits | Killer Condiment Conundrum | Theresa Albert

Its barbecue season and what could be faster, tastier and healthier than a little something grilled? From tofu and veggies to burgers and dogs, anything on a bun is beloved by our backyard and cottage culture. You carefully choose the leanest meat and whole grain bun but what you top it with could be a slather of unsuspecting empty calories. Here is your condiment guide in order of worst to best, choose wisely and slip back into your skinny jeans come the fall. Heed not and risk looking like the sausage yourself.

Worst to Best Burger Toppers

5. Mayonnaise or anything made with mayonnaise

All commercial mayos are made by thickening some kind of liquid fat into a solid. Either the traditional whipping of oil into eggs is used or the lower fat treatment of using a corn or seaweed derived thickener, the concept is still the same:fat. Delicious, creamy fat that will cost you about 100 calories per tablespoon no matter which brand you buy. Tartar Sauces and “sandwich spreads” are no better; they deliver no nutrients and too many calories. If you simply must have your mayo opt for President’s Choice Blue Menu or Hellmann’s Half the Fat because either will cut your calories down to half. Heed this, though, even then, they are more caloric than the next worst spoonful. (Yogurt makes a decent substitute)

4. Barbecue Sauce

This bold bounce to your bun packs a punch but most formulations begin with sugar and water. Mixing in a proprietary blend of tomato sauce and spices makes each version a flavor all its own and everyone has their favorite. Offering almost no nutritional value for its 300-400 mg of sodium (almost 1/3 of a healthy day’s dose) in 1 tablespoon is a crime before you even consider the 30-40 calories. There is one on the shelf that provides the taste without all the calories and that’s Kraft calorie wise at a decent 10 calories per tablespoon. (It uses more water and corn-thickeners to reduce the load but keep the consistency) You don’t get a break on the salt, though.

3. Ketchup

Treasured by children and loved by all as the condiment of choice for just about everything. Ketchup takes the middle spot for the fact that it relies upon one of earth’s healthiest vegetables. Albeit, this is a high salt, high sugar way to get that vegetable, but still. Most formulations do start with tomatoes or tomato paste that is thinned down with vinegar and water and seasoned up with salt, spices and sugar. The top few brands weigh in at about 20-25 calories per tablespoon delivering about 10-15 % of your healthy day’s amount of salt. The No Name brand is a little lower though the formulation looks about the same so expect it to be a little thinner (higher in water). Heinz has a low sodium version that will save about half the sodium and PC blue menu has one that uses sucralose to reduce the sugar (and that has its downsides too!). Even with the “improvements” this red spoonful is still middling at best.

2. Relish

Now we are moving to the better side of the bun. Not all relish is created equal; you can still stumble if you choose sweet green, zucchini or chili. All offer little nutritional benefit and about 15-25 calories per tablespoon which is about the same as ketchup. But there is a rising star here that can deliver huge taste for a mere 4 calories per tablespoon: Bick’s Dill Relish is the pick of pack. It does dose with the same kind of sodium found above but for much fewer calories in the end.

Best in Class!

1. Mustard

All you have to do is avoid the honey mustards and mustard blends and you can’t go wrong. Each and every mustard on the shelf is lower in calories than anything else you are going to squeeze on your dog. And they are little super heros packing much more than they seem. Made from mustard seed which is a high anti-oxidant spice that has anti-inflammatory properties. If it is colored at all it is usually with trace amounts of turmeric which is another potent anti-cancer spice. Rarely made with sugar (thus the “avoid the honeyed versions” note) and only mixed with vinegar and very little salt it offer zing for a caloric pittance. There are some outstanding gourmet formulations on the market that are truly worth trying but even the cheapest brand of yellow ballpark mustard is worth adding.

Theresa Albert takes on the challenge of demystifying myths surrounding food and health.  Millions learned just how smart and funny she is through her Food Network Canada Show called Just One Bite! She has authored two books published in both Canada and in the US: Cook Once a Week, Eat Well Every Day and Ace Your Health, 52 Ways to Stack Your Deck.
Read her at www.myfriendinfood.com

Labels: ,