Levain Bakery

Levain bakery....oh my. My husband and I ended our date this past weekend with a trip to Levain. We had heard several Levain accolades and could wait no longer to try the "best chocolate chip cookies in Manhattan."

Yes, it is true. There are some really, really good chocolate chip cookies here in NYC (I also like Jacques Torres and City Bakery to be specific) but these take the cake (or cookie?).

It may have to do with the fact that the cookies are humongous. Yes, 6 ounces huge. Our cookie was about 5 inches wide and about 1.5 inches tall. If you live in Manhattan, or plan a trip here sometime soon, you will want to give these a try.

The bakery is on 74th and Amsterdam, and is teeny tiny (and not really all that stroller accessible). Make sure you ask for one right out of the oven, they are not quite as amazing when they cool down.

If you don't live in Manhattan, you can still have your Levain Cookies- at a price. You can get 4 cookies delivered to your door for $22 + shipping.

Even though it could be argued that the cookies are worth that much, there is another option. You can try to hack the recipe at home. There are several websites who have posted their attempt at cracking the Levain Bakery recipe. I haven't tried these out yet, but trying to make a cookie that closely resembles Levain's may become my new found hobby.

Conversations With A Cupcake

Picky Palate

Recipezaar

Lisa Michele

This video shows the Levain owners in action.

Top photo via

Bottom photo via

Community Supported Agriculture

Last week's weather was a taunting  preview of a path towards spring, sun, grass, park days and farmers markets.  Unfortunately, MN won't see spring for another three months or more {sigh}.  But this doesn't deter me from some spring time planning.  It is time to find your CSA farm.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) "consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes...the community's farm...In return, they receive shares in the farm's bounty throughout the growing season, as well as satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land and participating directly in food production." (for more read here: National Agriculture Library)

We participated in a CSA farm in Baltimore, MD and had a terrific experience.  It works like this.  Before spring, you sign up and pay for a share of the farm's harvest.  We had a summer share, May through October.  Some farms may have spring and winter shares as well.  Each week we picked up a wax box full of the farm's harvest, recipes (necessary for those greens I've never tasted before) and newsletters.  We split our share with friends (which we will do again this year) and had enough food for both of our families.  Each week we took turns picking up our share and dividing the goods among us.  

Many of the CSA farms are certified organic as ours was.  They also offered fresh eggs.  We were allowed unlimited access to pick-your-own strawberries and blackberries when they were in season.  The farm offered discounted rates for shareholders who volunteered to work on the farm.  I've heard of farms offering baked goods such as bread and pies. In some cases farms will have a meat share as well. As you can see there are many options out there.

A good resource for finding a CSA close to you (they are all over the country) is Local Harvest.  By entering your zip code, the site will find the nearest CSA farms.  Keep in mind that many farms offer different pick up locations which in our case saves us a 45 minute drive.  Two things that were important to us when choosing a farm was 1) are they certified organic and 2) are they still within driving distance so we can participate in any farm events.  

Its fun to see as a family where your food is coming from and to feel connected with the farm.  I love that we can directly support our local farmers and that my family will be eating the best the earth has to offer.

Healthy Eating

Do you have a picky eater?  So do I.  Here an idea to help your child make healthy food choices since my 5 year old is all about choices and I'm so done with candy.

Following the current food pyramid, I made my own out of paper. It shows all the food groups.  After finding out my daughter's suggested servings in each food group, I drew the appropriate number of lines to achieve in a day.  With a needle, thread some ribbon through buttons and through each end of the pyramid.  Tie loose ends on the back side.  

The plan: let your child move the button after eating a serving from a particular food group.  Then when they are hungry they can make a choice from a group that is lacking.  Even though I made a pyramid for each of my girls, this is mostly for my oldest who is beginning to understand that we eat to keep our bodies healthy.  I don't intend to use it forever, maybe a couple of weeks.  Hopefully we will recognize how to make better food choices.  I say we because its a good reminder for myself especially with the holidays coming.

MyPyramid.gov is a great resource for using the food pyramid. This is a good place to start your nutrition search.  For more healthy knowledge, read the book "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy."  It is an excellent, must-read for the nutritionally conscious! It can be found on Amazon for as low as $3.72.

Mommy's School Supplies

   

So I'm officially old. I don't feel older on my own birthdays, rather I feel the aging every time one of my kids blows out their candles, and every time they reach a new milestone. I'm developing a new wrinkle this week in preparation for my first day of school. That is, my first child's first day.

Although the preparation for it has been fun, I think I may be the only one crying on the first day (my little one would drive herself to school if she could). Anyway, to make the blow a little easier on myself, I've found what I can only call my "Mommy School Supplies." These would be things you won't find on the list from the school, but Mom feels so good to have! Enjoy back to school--for all of us!

Citrus Picks "Mommy School Supplies"

1. Boden Clothing

2. Munchler lunch bags

3. Mabel's Labels

4. Cupcake Courier

5. "Lice Free Zone" products

6. Cheryl & Co. 3 words for you: best. cookies. ever. Why make an after-school snack yourself when these taste soo-o good?

LARABAR

I mentioned Larabar in my last post about healthy kid's snacks, but I felt like they really needed a post of their own- due to the fact that these bars have been a mainstay in our house for so long. Larabar bars are really unlike any other kind of "snack-bar" I have experienced. I think this is why the Larabar take a little time to get used to- because the first experience is a surprise texture-wise.

Larabar is known for its very limited ingredient list. For instance my 22 month-old's favorite flavor (Apple Pie) has an ingredients label that reads: dates, walnuts, unsweetened apples, almonds, raisins, and cinnamon. That is it. Nothing else. No preservatives, no added sugar, color, nothing. Even more impressive are the Cashew Cookie bars that only have 2 ingredients: dates, cashews.

How do they taste? I really do like so many of their flavors. My favorites (in order): Peanut Butter Cookie, Key Lime Pie, Lemon Bar, Apple Pie, Cherry Pie, and Pistachio. The Apple Pie and Cherry Pie flavors are particularly good if you heat them up in the microwave (10 seconds) and then add a few scoops of Vanilla Ben & Jerry's on top. Very good. Not exactly healthy, but very good.

I am not a huge fan of the many chocolate Larabar flavors. "Chocolate" and "healthy" never really work for me in a food product though. I like to consume real dark chocolate bars and pretend like the antioxidants from the dark chocolate cancel out any ill-effects the cocoa butter may have :).

My 22-month-old and 4-year-old LOVE the Apple flavor. It is also the only flavor they will eat. On a busy morning my 22-month-old eats the Apple Pie Bar in the stroller for breakfast. We had far too many mornings like this during last school year. My 6-year-old will not have anything to do with Larabar- any flavor. Of course, that is standard protocol for her when it comes to snack bars.

Larabar will soon be coming out with a new line of organic bars especially designed for children called Jamfrakas- which is set to launch late summer/early fall of this year. I am excited to find out what my kids think of these.

You can typically find Larabar at Costco- in the Apple pie/Cherry Pie/Cashew Cookie variety pack for around $18. You can find an assortment of flavors at Vitacost for $18 + $4.99 flat shipping. Amazon also carries Larabar- for between $20-$25 a box (eligible for super-saver-shipping). For your first experience, I would recommend visiting a health food store (like Whole foods/Trader joes) where they are sold individually so you don't have the whole box commitment until you find a flavor you like.

Coconut Fun

I remember as a child, pleading with my mom on grocery trips to "Please, please, please buy a coconut!" I was sure it would be something absolutely awesome. I had seen palm trees in pictures. They were tropical, beautiful and exotic. I was SURE that one of those coconuts must be absolutely delicious. Plus, I had tried a Mounds Bar, so I knew it would be.

Of course, after listening to me beg week after week, my mom finally relented, with the promise: "you think this will taste good, but you are not going to like it." She was right. As usual.

Years later, it was my turn in the grocery store. My 6-year-old perks up at the sight of a funny looking coconut in the produce section, "Oh, mom, mom! Can we get one of these?!?"

"Um, you really want one of those?"

"Yeah, yeah, these things grow on palm trees, mom!"

I relented. It is hereditary. But, on the trip home I decided that this little coconut could be a teaching opportunity, not just a bad purchase decision. And so it was.

image via wikipedia

Technically, the coconut you purchase at the grocery store is the "seed" of the coconut tree. The husk has been removed, and it is fully mature. The coconut (husk and all) is a part of the drupe family which makes it a fruit. So, essentially you are eating the seed (endosperm) of the coconut fruit when you crack the shell (pit) open.

A coconut makes a great seed discussion. It is a seed of mega-proportions. My kids were quite impressed to find out that if we planted the full coconut (husk and all) in soil, it would indeed become a coconut palm.

You can watch this YouTube video to teach you a little bit about the coconut, and to see one way to open it. Note: he is using the back of a knife, not the sharp edge.

To open mine, I opted to use the directions found here. I would definitely drain the coconut first before opening it by puncturing the "mouth." If you read the directions, you will be able to easily locate the "mouth" of the coconut. I used a small screwdriver to do this, and it was actually quite easy. I would definitely sample the coconut water. If it is a mature coconut, the water will not be so great -it is supposedly only tasty when the coconut is young- but still an experience, albeit slightly unpleasant. I used a hammer to open the coconut (once again using the above directions) and found it not quite so easy. I am sure our neighbors downstairs assumed we were starting some sort of home improvement project during our coconut cracking session, because it took quite a few whacks.

Prying the coconut meat off of your cracked coconut shell is no easy task. Some people bake the uncracked coconut in the oven at 325 for 30 minutes, and claim this allows the meat to detach from the shell easier. If you do this you need to pierce the eyes of the coconut before baking, and make sure you let the coconut cool down before hammering away.

When you have successfully pried all of the coconut meat off, there are all sorts of things you can do with it, which is good- because chances are your kids will not gobble up the raw sampling they receive. Here are some yummy ideas:


Homemade Coconut Milk

Coconut Custard Pie

Fresh Coconut Cake

Coconut-Cashew Basmati Rice


The next time we are in Hawaii I am going to make a point of sampling the coconut water of a fresh coconut, which is supposedly delicious. I am hoping to find this guy around to help me remove the husk.

Healthy Food Finds

My 4 and 6-year-old girls are pretty willing to try just about anything food-wise. My 4-year-old even loves green peppers. So, it has been quite an adjustment getting used to the eating habits of my 21-month-old son. He is just about the pickiest thing out there....and he is super skinny to boot. So, if I can get an morsel of nutrition in him- I am doing cartwheels and backflips.

Here is a sampling of what has worked in our house lately with my picky eater:
You are probably familiar with the Clif brand. They are the makers of Luna Bars and of the standard Clif bars. Very tasty treats as far as energy bars go- and widely available, you can even get them at Walmart.
I was excited to see that Clif had branched out to some products specific to children.
We have only ordered the Chocolate Brownie, Chocolate Chip, and Peanut butter flavored Zbars (no wonder he likes these:). Zbars also comes in Blueberry, Apple Cinnamon and Honey Graham flavors, which I intend to try next. These bars are organic, have 3 grams of fiber, and are fortified with 12 vitamins and minerals (including Iron and Calcium). My son loves these, and my daughters beg for them too.


Another item from the Clif Kid line that we are fans of is the Clif Twisted Fruit. These "taste like Twizzlers, only better"- that is a quote from my 6-year-old. This product has no artificial colors, no added sugar, no preservatives, and really does taste great. We have only tried the Strawberry flavor, but the others: Sour Apple, Pineapple, Tropical Twist, and Grape all sound fantastic.

I ordered these Clif products through Amazon, because it is currently the cheapest price I can find (and the most convenient) a box of 48 Zbars goes for $25.38 , and an 18 count box of Clif Twisted Fruit goes for $13.32.

FruitaBu is another product that has been a hit at our place lately. These are essentially a Fruit-By-the-Foot with an organic twist. So that means no preservatives, no added colors, no added sugars. We have tried the grape and strawberry, which were both awesome and passed the picky eater test. They taste better than a typical Fruit Roll-up product- much more like actual fruit. These are the same price (per roll) at FreshDirect (if you live in NYC) than they are in bulk at Amazon.

Another snack our kids love (and fight over) are LARABARS, but that is another post entirely. I will do that one later.

Is there a healthy snack (packaged or homemade) that your kids just love? Let me know about it! I am always looking for new ideas.

Dinner Creativity

This is something fun I have started doing lately with my kids. I make bread dough in my bread machine (using the dough setting) and instead of baking an actual loaf, I let my kids create their own bread creations. Usually we pick a theme like, "what I did today" or "what is something I love?" The fun part comes in trying to guess what the sculpture is supposed to be. The pan above has a paintbrush, a smiley face, two flowers, spaghetti and meatballs, and a snowman- not that you couldn't tell already :).
After the creations are formed, you need to let the dough rise for one or two more hours and then it is ready for a brush of butter and a bake in your oven (you will decrease baking time from your typical loaf recipe). The kids love making and eating their dough creations. I love hearing their stories from school that often accompany these masterpieces. I also love that I can make dough in my bread machine with just 5 minutes (or less!) prep time. Anyone have an awesome bread recipe? I would love to try it!

Father's Day Bouquet

For my birthday this year, my wonderful husband sent me this lovely bouquet of chocolate strawberries via ediblearrangements.com. It was delicious and hit the spot. I was turning 30, and needed some chocolate to help me mourn the loss of my 20's. The thought I had after we devoured this creation-and was dismantling it- was, "hey, I could do this!" So, immediately the wheels started turning: Fathers Day 2008 would include a homemade edible arrangement hack. For any of you who would like to follow along, here are some step-by-step instructions.

Gather your supplies. You will need:

• Vase of some sort. I used the same vase my edible arrangement showed up in.
• Bamboo BBQ Skewers. I used 6 inch skewers (ordered from Fresh Direct) if you can't find 6 inch, you could just use 12 inch like Edible Arrangements did, and break them in half.
• Strawberries. As many as you would like. I used 16.
  
• Chocolate. Expensive Chocolate is better, of course. But, I know most of you are paying $4 a gallon for gas, and need a break somewhere- you can make it with chocolate chips if you want- here is a recipe for chocolate chip dipping. I used 10 oz of german dark chocolate, but had some left over- you could probably use 8 oz.
  
• Nuts. Optional of course. I used chopped almonds.
  
• Coconut. Again, optional. I didn't use this because I couldn't make it to Whole Foods this week. Edible Arrangements uses the finely minced dry coconut flakes- not the sweetened coconut you would buy in a bag in the grocery store.
  
• Lettuce (washed). Edible Arrangements uses a fresh head of lettuce as the "frog" to hold the strawberries in place. I think that is a great idea.
• Kale. This is used to hide the head of lettuce. Wash the Kale thoroughly- I tend to find little caterpillars hanging out in the leaves (esp. if you buy organic).
  

First step is to wash the strawberries and let them dry. They need to dry COMPLETELY. This is important. The chocolate will not adhere to wet spots on the strawberries. Keep the stems on, for now at least- and it will make dipping easier.

Prepare your double boiler. If you have a double boiler you can just pull it out and you are ready to go. If you are double boiler-less like me, you can Macgyver your own. Just take a glass, heat resistant bowl (think Pyrex) and fit it over the top of one of your pots that has been filled 1/3 full of water. Break your chocolate up into little squares, and place them in the glass bowl. Place on a burner on Low and let the chocolate melting begin.

Here is what your chocolate should look like when it is ready. Do not let it get too hot. If it has a few lumps left it is OK, the chocolate will continue melting while you are dipping your strawberries.
Dip your strawberries in the chocolate. You can either use a toothpick, or one of your wooden skewers for this. Or, you could just hold onto the green end of your strawberry while you dip. I actually think that holding onto the green end is the easiest (but only have a picture of me using the skewer :) After the strawberries are dipped they need to be placed on a flat surface (or cooling rack) and then chilled in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

While the strawberries are chilling, create your base. You need to remove a substantial amount of the outer leaves of the head of lettuce. Add a few to the inside of the vase, the rest can go in your dinner salad tonight. You will keep the small ball that is left over.

Take that ball- and press it firmly into the vase. It should fit very snug. This will be the base of your arrangement.

Add a skewer with a piece of kale attached. Push the skewer in until just an inch is poking out. Then, press your strawberry on. When you are done placing all of your strawberries, you may want to add additional kale to the arrangement, to cover up any iceberg lettuce poking through. I used toothpicks for the touch-ups.

Here she is, in all of her glory. Next time I would use the coconut too. I like the color variation it provides in the arrangements. I am sure that Edible Arrangements would agree that their creation is prettier than mine turned out- but I am still proud of the result. And, I think my husband will have no complaints.

Snyder's Snacks

We have been loving Snyder's snacks at our house lately. My 19-month old son is one of the pickiest (and skinniest!) little guys out there, so I am always trying to find foods that he won't reject, which have some nutritional merit.

He loves these Organic Oat Bran Sticks by Snyder's. Loves them. They are easy for his little fingers to hold because they are about 1/2" thick and 2" long, so they make a great stroller snack. I think he also loves them because he is teething again, and they make perfect molar teething sticks.

They taste great (I am known to sneak a few now and then:) and have 2 grams of fiber per serving, thanks to the added oat bran and oat flour.

Also of note in the Organic Snyder's line: the Honey Wheat Sticks, and the Pumpernickel and Onion Sticks. All of these can be found on Fresh Direct (for you NYC grocery delivery fans) for less than $3 a bag.

Also really great: Utz Organic Seven Whole Grains Pretzel Sticks -they don't sell these at Fresh Direct, but I have found them at several Duane Reade pharmacies around town.

Sensible Snacks

I am always on the hunt for portable and nutritious snacks for my kids. Having something stashed away in my stroller or bag to stave off my children's hunger pains until mealtime, often keeps us away from the hot-dog stands that seemingly adorn every street corner here in NYC.

Our family recently tried out the Variety Pack of "crunch-dried" (essentially freeze-dried) fruit from Sensible Foods. My children have had freeze-dried fruit before, but this was the first time I had been able to find it packaged individually according to serving size. Previously, I had only been able to find it in larger containers that I had to portion out.

Hands-down my children's favorites from the variety pack were the Apple Harvest and the Sweet Corn. They quickly gobbled these varieties up. The Sweet Corn flavor is very good, and actually tastes like a crunchy corn on the cob. Very fresh tasting. They also really liked the Cherry Berry Mix, and the Orchard Blend.

The Soy Nuts were a hit with my 18 month-old son and my 4-year-old-daughter, but my six -year-old was not a fan. My personal favorite was the Tropical Mix, although I will say that none of my kids were too excited about it- claiming it was "too sour." Oh well, more for me:).

I really prefer to give my children freeze-dried fruit over the conventional "dried" fruit options. Dried fruit (with the exception of raisins and cranberries) tends to be preserved with Sulfur Dioxide-unless you buy organic. I am really not a fan of this preservative, which is one you really should especially stay away from if your child has asthma.

Another bonus is the fact that the shelf-life for freeze-dried fruit is longer than dried fruit. This makes it preferable for food storage, or for Emergency 72-hour-kits. Also, it is considerably more light weight than the dried fruit option- and every ounce counts in that diaper bag I am toting around town. Also, my children tend to like the texture of freeze-dried food more than "dried" fruit because the dried fruit can tend to be rubbery. Freeze dried fruit has a crispy chip-like texture which is easier for little ones to chew.

Every packet of the Sensible Foods line is all-natural (most are organic), Non-GMO, preservative free, and is equal to one serving of fruit/vegetable. I would recommend trying out the variety pack, to see what flavors your family prefers. Sensible Foods products are available at SensibleFoods.com and at Amazon.com

Who wants to tried some Sensible Foods Products? The folks at Sensible Foods are giving away a variety pack (16-pack) of their products to one lucky reader. Enter by Friday 3/28/08 at midnight by emailing me at citruscontest@gmail.com with the SENSIBLEFOODS in the Subject line. In the body of the email answer this question : "what four fruits can be found in the Cherry Berry packets?"

Easter Basket Veggies

Here is another easter basket "candy-alternative" idea. I saw some jelly bean "carrots" for sale at a local grocery store here in NYC, and thought I could create something just as cute- but easier on my wallet, and my children's blood sugar :).

To make these you will need:

• Annie's Organic Cheddar Bunnies (or you could use Goldfish if you don't have an organic market nearby, definitely not as festive though:)
  


• Disposable Frosting Bags -you can buy these at most craft stores
  


• Green Ribbon - for your carrot "foliage"
  

Just pour the crackers into the frosting bags and tie them off with the ribbon. I had to crush a few of the bunny crackers near the carrot tip to make them fit all of the way down to the point of the carrot. If you have any other Easter ideas/traditions you would like to share, leave a comment with this post!

If you haven't already entered in the Nix Socks give-away, make sure that you do! Read the following post and enter by Midnight on Friday.

Sarabeth's Jam

I would love to tell you that I make my own homemade jam. I don't....and probably won't start anytime soon, because Sarabeth makes a better jam than I could ever concoct in my tiny kitchen.

Sarabeth is an actual person, not just a pretty name for preserves. She is a fellow New Yorker who actually whipped up her first batches of this deliciousness in her Manhattan apartment. In the 1980's Sarabeth and her husband opened bakeries and restaurants on the East and West sides of Manhattan. Since then, Sarabeth's has grown to include a bakery/cafe in Chelsea and another restaurant at Central Park South.

I came across Sarabeth's for the first time while shopping for jam on FreshDirect (online grocers). I was impressed by the ingredients labels of this line of jam. For the most part, her jams are made of just fruit and cane sugar- nothing else, which is probably why they taste so amazing. Sarabeth's offers a wide variety of flavors, many of which are quite unique. I am very partial to the plum-cherry and the pineapple-mango flavors, both of which are also very good warmed up and served on ice cream.

For those of you outside of NYC, there is hope....if you are willing to pay the price. You can order Sarabeth's jam online for about 10$ a jar + shipping, or you can just wait for a restaurant to open near you- supposedly there are more restaurants in the making, locations TBA.
Sarabeth's jam here in NYC will run you about $7.50 for an 18 oz jar. You can purchase the jam at pretty much any NYC grocery store, FreshDirect, or at the restaurant locations themselves.

Froose

My kids are recovering juice addicts. This “unhealthy relationship” with juice started after I stopped nursing them as infants, and continued well into their childhood years. My two daughters could together consume an entire 64 oz bottle of apple juice in one day – which became a very expensive habit to support. As we prepared to move out here to NYC, I imagined myself trying to carry all of these jugs of beloved apple juice back to my apartment from the local grocery store, and that thought put an end to it all- cold turkey.

Of course, this new family rule was not met without protest. My favorite memory from “juice-rehab” was my (then) 5-year-old saying in her voice of dramatic desperation, “Mom, I am L-O-N-G-I-N-G for apple juice.” Her requests for her beverage of choice were definitely entertaining, but not effective- I stood firm in my "no-juice" resolve.....for about 9 months.

When I came across Froose, it made me rethink my "beverage" ban. I discovered Froose on the internet, and it is marketed as a new juice concept for kids. Froose contains juice (of course) but it also contains organic brown rice, which helps to boost nutritional content and provides the product with 3 grams of fiber per 4 oz box. There are no preservatives and no artificial colors in Froose. This made the part of me that spent four years in college studying Nutrition very intrigued.

I was excited about this product- so I purchased it for my kids knowing that there was a high chance that that it would be rejected, due to their keen ability to detect (and reject) all things nutritious- especially whole grains.

Froose can currently only be purchased online at Froose.com. They are currently in the works with several major grocery store chains (including Whole Foods) to bring this product to a supermarket near you. I will say that the current price (.75 cents a box) is a little steep, but when you consider that less-than-half-eaten apple out on the countertop left by "you-know-who" was the same price, it seems more reasonable.

The true test came when my children tried Froose for the first time. There was silence in the room for about 2 minutes while they focused solely on drinking and breathing :). The silence was only broken by the gurgle of their straws sucking air out of the bottom of their empty juice boxes. The "drought" was over, and they were ecstatic to have juice in the house again. They now lovingly call it “Moose Juice” in honor of the moose on the package.

We are definitely never going back to the “good old days” of juice drinking, but I will say I will be keeping Froose around the house for a possible “once-a-day” treat, and for those times in life that really warrant a portable beverage (picnics, road-trips, field trips, etc.)

Okay, so who wants to try some Froose?? The folks at Froose have offered to give away a variety case (that means 40 juice boxes) to a lucky reader of my blog. Email me at citruscontest@gmail.com and put FROOSE in the Subject line. In the body of the email answer this question: Froose is currently available in what three flavors? At the end of the contest, I will randomly select a winner from those who answered correctly. Contest will end on Thursday (3/6/08) at midnight so get typing!