Are you a daycare provider in Durham Region? Feeling a little isolated in your job? Childcare Providers Unite is the group for you.

Childcare Providers Unite is a FREE group that meets once a month in Oshawa. We meet the 2nd Wednesday of every month at the Early Years Centre at 500 Mayfair Avenue in Oshawa at 7 pm. Come out and meet other providers!

We discuss all kinds of child related topics, share craft ideas, schedules, recipes and many free workshops too. We also have planned group tours as well for those of you who are mobile.

This is a great group of women who can help you with some of the isolation we feel in our job of being a home provider.

For more information, please check out our website Childcare Providers Unite ]]> http://durhamregiondaycare.com/2010/08/26/childcare-providers-unite/feed/ 0 http://durhamregiondaycare.com/2010/08/26/childcare-providers-unite/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DurhamRegionDaycare/~3/JoAtRU8nt_U/ http://durhamregiondaycare.com/2010/08/20/scratch-sniff-watercolour-paint/#comments Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:37:24 +0000 Tamara http://durhamregiondaycare.com/?p=500 1 Tbsp. powdered drink mix (unsweetened is best)
1 Tbsp. warm water
Muffin tins or baby food jars
Small mixing bowl
Mix the water and drink mix in a small bowl.
Paint on paper the way you would with any watercolour paint.
Use different drink mixes for different colors/flavours (grape, cherry, lemon, etc.)
Let paint dry overnight before scratching and sniffing.

I’m all about telling my kids what they are eating too, but we have gotten in the habit of asking them to try it first and then tell them. It’s worked so far.

Being Sneaky

by Kim Corrigan-Oliver Your Green Baby

 As many of you know I am not a big fan of the sneaky approach to getting your kids to eat their vegetables; I think it is very important they learn to like them as they are. There are so many ways to get them interested in eating their vegetables and I think the sneaky route back fires in the end – one day they will eventually find you sneaking vegetables into their meals and all trust will go out the window.

But, there is always a but; I have a great recipe for your today. Not only does it have two great vegetables in it, it is also an excellent replacement for a kid favourite – macaroni and cheese. This version is dairy free, vegan and if you use quinoa or rice pasta like we do, it is also gluten free.

I usually make the sauce, mix it well with some quinoa macaroni, sprinkle brown rice bread crumbs on top with some extra nutritional yeast and bake for 20 to 30 minutes; absolutely delicious.

Pasta Sauce

1 small eggplant, cubed

1 small cauliflower, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 tsp turmeric

1 Tbsp fresh thyme

2 ½ cups water

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 Tbsp olive oil, drizzle on sauce after cooking

Put all ingredients into a pot, except olive oil and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook without a lid, stirring occasionally until most of the water has evaporated and vegetables are tender.

Puree the mixture with a hand blender, pulse for more texture or completely puree into smooth sauce.

Drizzle with olive oil before serving.

Serve over your favourite pasta.

Let me know if it passes the taste bud test of your little ones.

Tamara

Strawberry Necklace Craft Our Strawberry Necklace is an original summer craft for kids to make – with the added benefit that they can wear it proudly! You will need: A peach or nectarine stone, washed and with any bits of fruit removed Red acrylic paint Green craft foam Cord Strong glue Instructions: Paint the stone with red paint and leave to dry. Cut a length of cord long enough to go around your neck. Glue to the stone. Cut a stem and leaf shape from the craft foam and glue this to the top of the strawberry. Tie the cord and wear your pretty, summery necklace! Activity Village – Strawberry Necklace Craft

 by Kim Corrigan-Oliver Your Green Baby

Don’t think you can afford organic food on your family’s grocery budget? Think again. With a few simple tips, you can become a savvy organic shopper and your family will reap the benefits.

Choosing to go organic is an easy decision to make when you understand the advantages. First and foremost, by choosing organic you are avoiding pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals used in conventional production methods. These chemicals have been shown to have adverse effects on our health and health of our children, and many of them are known carcinogens.

Second, by choosing organic food you are taking a huge step towards helping our environment. With a reduction in chemicals for production, and care and support for the soil, organic farming is better all round for Mother Earth. And last but not least, organic food just tastes better. If you don’t believe me – try it! Be warned though, you may have a hard time going back.

Organic food is more expensive then conventional food simply because it costs more to produce. Organic food can only be labelled organic if the farm it comes from has followed very stringent guidelines that prohibit the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, genetically modified seeds, or crop radiation. Following these guidelines, paying for yearly farm inspections to maintain certification, and the manual labour required to control insects and weeds, means higher prices for organic food for the consumer.

While most parents want the healthiest foods for their kids, and agree that organic is the best way to go, it’s hard on the budget to always choose organic fruits and vegetables. Here are a few simple ways to stretch your organic dollars.

Eat seasonally and locally.  As consumers, we are used to buying the produce that we need all year round. When buying organic, we need to alter that thinking. Organic foods are grown and harvested according to seasons. If we buy our organic produce locally and in season, it’s much easier on the wallet. Buying organic food that is not in season or grown elsewhere will be more expensive.

Visit your local farmers’ market. Buying directly from the farmer cuts out the middle man, and you get to talk to the person who is responsible for growing your food. Many small family farms my not be certified organic – this is after all a long, tedious, expensive process – but nevertheless use organic farming methods. It pays to chat with farmers about how they grow their produce; you may just find organic foods at very reasonable prices.

Join a CSA. CSA is Community Supported Agriculture. Some CSAs are certified organic, and even those that are not tend to practise organic farming methods. Again, it pays to talk to the farmer. When you join a CSA, you buy a share of the farmer’s bounty, giving the farmer access to guaranteed funds to help support their farm and crops. This is a mutually beneficial partnership for both farmer and member.

Grown your own. The best way to know for sure how your food is grown and to cut costs is to grow it yourself. Growing your own is very rewarding – avoiding pesticides and other chemicals, and using organic fertilizers and your own compost produces beautiful and delicious vegetables. It is so satisfying to head out to the garden each afternoon to pick food for your dinner. You gain a whole new appreciation for the food on your plate. If you have never grown your own food, start small – a patio tomato plant or some fresh herbs. You will be amazed at how satisfying and cost effective it is.

Use these lists. The U.S.-based Environmental Working Group (EWG) has compiled two lists for consumers – The Dirty Dozen and The Clean Fifteen (see below). The Dirty Dozen lists the 12 foods you should buy organically; they use many different chemicals in their production and have high residues. Your organic dollars are best spent on The Dirty Dozen. The Clean Fifteen on the other hand are foods with little chemical exposure in production and low residues. You can save your organic dollars on these foods. With a few simple tips you can stretch your dollars a little further, enjoy organic food and feel good about what you are doing for the environment, your community and your health. Happy eating!

The Dirty Dozen

Peach, Apple, Bell pepper, Celery, Nectarine, Strawberry, Cherries, Kale, Lettuce, Grapes (imported), Carrot, Pear

The Clean Fifteen

Onion, Avocado, Sweet corn, Pineapple, Mango, Asparagus, Sweet peas, Kiwi, Cabbage, Eggplant, Papaya, Watermelon, Broccoli, Tomato, Sweet Potato

Sunderland Country Day School is holding a Garage Sale and

Food Drive on Sunday, August 15th

Enjoy!

Tamara