Our family loves winter. Snow is awesomely-wonderfully-fun and versatile. You can use it for snowball fights, skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, and snow angels. But most importantly, you can use it to build. From the time our son was barely able to walk, my husband Dave was out there building forts (Who’s the bigger kid, eh?) Afraid of collapsing tunnels, a real danger that takes the lives of a few children each winter, my husband diligently builds a wood structure upon …
How to Make Real Snow Cones
Growing up in Northern Ontario, winter meant lots and lots of snow. That’s all we knew. Staying indoors all winter wasn’t an option. And we didn’t have 24hrs a day TV, video games, iPads, and other electronic devices. We actually played outdoors. We would build houses (forts were for boys after all!) We would make walls, chairs, beds, even snow telephones. We could spend hours out there in our make-believe world. Snow was our real-world outdoor Lego. If you are having difficulty tearing your …
The Great Cinnamon Bun Taste-Off
We have a birthday tradition in our family … and of course it involves food! You get to choose a special treat breakfast. For the past three or four years now, my son consistently has chosen cinnamon buns for his birthday. I’ve always been a little scared of making anything with yeast except for pizza dough. But I ventured into bread-making this year and my confidence is at an all-time high. I decided that I couldn’t take the risk on the day of his birthday to …
Make-Ahead Baked French Toast Casserole
There are many reasons to want to prepare meals in advance at this time of year. Perhaps you have house guests and you’d like to serve something delicious and hearty for breakfast, but you don’t want to be in the kitchen while everyone else is hanging out. Or maybe you want to wake up Christmas morning and enjoy a casual and relaxed atmosphere but still serve something special. Or you’re just lazy and this recipe is simple enough for your spouse to prepare. Whatever the reason you want a quick, …
30 Must-Read Children’s Christmas Books
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas ... everywhere you go (sorry, I couldn't resist!) One of the things I get most excited about at Christmas is the wonderful mood people are in (except at the malls) and the general feeling of goodwill toward all. Even typically cranky people tend to lighten-up during the festive season. I know I’m sounding all Polyanna over here, but let me live in my little corner of Pleasantville for a while, won’t you? There are some sweet …
