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That’s how MAM refers to strawberries….it’s not just strawberries, it’s a tummy rubbing, “Mmm…strawberries” every time. The girl loves strawberries, and so do I. That’s why I knew she would love the California Strawberry Commission’s website for kids, Strawberryville.com.

Strawberryville is filled with fun activities and facts about delicious, nutritious strawberries. My daughter is enamored with the fact that the strawberries have legs and sunglasses. She’s a little young for most of the activities, but she enjoys watching the animation on the screen. School-aged kids would definitely enjoy checking out the matching and trivia games, along with some of the easy to make, kid friendly recipes.

This year California is experiencing a bumper crop, which means that the vitamin-rich fruit should be readily available at a store near you. There are hundreds of recipes available at the California Strawberry Commission’s website— Strawberry Shrimp Ceviche, anyone?

One of my favorite combinations is Strawberry Spinach Salad. It’s always tricky to find a tasty, low-fat dressing to go with it–there are plenty of full-fat options, but low-fat options are hard to find. Last summer when I was posting for Tales from The Scales, I shared a yummy, lower-fat salad recipe. Here it is, again, with the disclaimer that the sugared almonds make it not-so-healthy, so proceed with caution. (plain almonds or mandarin oranges are good alternatives)

Spinach Strawberry Salad

8 cups fresh baby spinach, about 8 oz
2 cups slice fresh strawberries, about 8 oz

Sugared Almonds

½ cup slivered almond
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp water

Dressing

5 tsp balsamic vinegar (12 year old is best)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp liquid honey
1 ½ tsp poppy seeds
3 tsp finely chopped fresh olives
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

1. SALAD: Break off root ends and tough stems (if any) and discard.

2. Place spinach in a large bowl, add ice and cover with water; set aside to chill.

3. SUGARED ALMONDS: In a small saucepan, combine almonds, sugar and water.

4. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until sugar is almost completely melted and nuts are golden, stirring occasionally- (there will be unmelted sugar on nuts).

5. Spread almonds on a large plate; let cool and then break into small pieces.

6. (Make ahead, as nuts can be stored in an air-tight container for about 3 days).

7. DRESSING: In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, honey, poppy seeds and chives.

8. Drizzle in olive oil and whisk until blended.

9. Now whisk in mustard until well blended.

10. Whisk in salt and pepper to taste.

11. Remove spinach leaves from water, pat dry on paper towelling and break into pieces.

12. Add to a large mixing bowl.

13. Add sliced strawberries and toss lightly to mix.

14. Add dressing and toss gently until spinach and berries are lightly coated.

15. Add almonds, toss lightly and serve.

16. TIP: Packaged ready-to-use baby spinach can be found in the produce section of most supermarkets.

17. There are 8 cups of baby spinach in (one- 6 ounce) package.

18. NOTE: Only make enough salad that will be eaten at this one time serving. The salad will get somewhat soggy if kept for another day.

I found the above posted on recipezaar.com (posted by William Anatooskin)

This post is part of a blog tour hosted by Mom Central.

But in my sleep deprived state, I am more sympathetic than usual. And having forgotten where I was going more than once, I get it.

This morning, MAM is still sound asleep, so I’m indulging in the Today Show. They just finished a segment on hot cars and how dangerous it is to leave your kids in the car…and how to prevent it. The obvious thing would be to, you know, take your kids out of the car. But sometimes that doesn’t happen, and tragedy strikes. How can a mom forget her child? As someone who’s done the crazy out the door-to the daycare-to work on time- do I have everything dance for awhile now, I can almost see it. Especially with a sleeping child or one who doesn’t talk.

So how do you fool-proof yourself to keep your child safe? There were two excellent ideas–one was to put something in the car seat whenever your child isn’t in the car, and then when you put your child in, keep the object in the front seat as a visual reminder. The other idea is to put your purse in the backseat, so that before you get out of the car, you’re going to get into the backseat for your purse, and see your child. I also have to say that MAM’s daycare almost always calls me if I don’t call them if she’s absent, which I think is a fabulous double-safety check.

Just something to think about……

Ok, maybe not your teeth, but how about your teeth-brushing implement? I’ve made it a habit to bring my own shopping bags. I recycle everything the local recycling plant takes. I’ve wrapped my hot water heater in a heat saving blanket. I run my theromostat on an energy star program. I’ve started using kinder, gentler cleaning products.

But what about disposable, limited use items? Things like toiletries are a little harder to adapt. Everything is made of plastic, and nothing lasts too long.

Preserve tootbrushes, by Recycline, can help in the tootbrush department. I learned about this product a few months ago, and haven’t bought any other toothbrushes since. Preserve toothbrushes are made of recycled plastic, and what’s great is that when you are done, you can print out a mailing label and send it back for more recycling. Yesterday’s yogurt container becomes today’s toothbrush and tomorrow’s picnic table. How cool is that?

Preserve toothbrushes are now available at Target stores for $2.04. Click here for a coupon, and give them a try. They have toothbrushes for adults, and have them for children too.

This post is part of a blog tour by MomCentral