Good Press

There's no school tomorrow in our district in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. If you want to treat your children to special breakfast, consider this Blueberry & Raspberry Baked Oatmeal. Back in August, for the first day of school, I made this the night before and popped it into a cold oven while she got ready. My girl, not usually a heavy breakfast eater, ate this. And the leftovers were pretty good the next day too. I think I omitted the banana because we don't care for it. This is a good and easy recipe for a school day or a day off. BLUEBERRY & RASPBERRY BAKED OATMEAL makes 6 servings 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, divided 1/2 tsp. baking powder 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon Pinch of salt 1/4 cup maple syrup (I used sugar free) 1 cup milk (I used skim) 1 large egg, lightly beaten 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2-3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced 1 cup blueberries...

My 8-year-old daughter brought home some classwork from school and I just had to share it because it is food-related. I delight in her wit and insight daily. "If I could make an unappetizing pizza, I would start with the crust. It would have celery inside the crust. Then I would put peas, harvarte, pumpkin, acorn nuts and chopped up apples." by A, age 8 She likes these ingredients individually (well, maybe not the acorns) and in other dishes but what makes it unappetizing is combining them. Her father hates peas. What other 8-year-old in my area knows about or has had Havarti??? I'm so proud. Thanksgiving Acrostic Poem by A, age 8 Turkey Hot potatoes Apple pie Nuts Key lime pie Sweet cranberry sauce Giving Thanks Ice cream Vegetables Ice Tea Nice food Glad to be me I'm glad she's her too.

A parenting rite of passage has been stripped from me the same year my only child starts kindergarten. We met my daughter's teacher at an open house and received some of the paperwork we need to fill out. Among the documents was the school handbook, in which I read this little gem: Under "Unauthorized Articles" "FOOD: New state [that'd be West Virginia] policy prohibits homemade or unpackaged food items to be brought to school. Snack or party treats must meet nutrition guidelines and come in unopened." A literal reading of the first sentence would lead you to believe that you can't send chocolate-chip cookies in a lunchbag. I wouldn't be surprised since some schools have banned peanut butter because of allergies. But I think the second sentence gets at the meat of the message. Don't send homebaked goodies for your child to share with others. So I can't send cupcakes decorated like groundhogs on Feb. 2 or snack mix in plastic food service glov...