by Katy Killilea

Every year when the weather warms up, I experience culinary amnesia. Tell me, what do we eat again when it’s hot outside?

There’s always grilled X plus fruit salad, but I have several cookbooks to recommend that are organized by season. This seems to be an increasingly popular way to write cookbooks, or maybe I’ve just become more aware of it. These offers tons of recipes that are perfect when the weather changes and you need to change gears too.

For warm weather cooking ideas, here are my tried-and-true recommendations:
• Great Food Fast (from the Kitchens of Martha Stewart Living)
• A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen by Jack Bishop
• Fresh Food Fast by Peter Berley

These three books are all geared toward those of us who cook while helping others take off socks and re-attach Bionicle legs. Another thing they have in common is an emphasis on fresh ingredients in dishes that are easy to prepare. And if you have food that is easy, yummy, and lets you keep your cool on a hot day (or warms you up on a snow day), you are all set.

One other good option: buy sushi and eat it on your lawn.

Grocery News is occasional posts about food items. Sharing great discoveries, tips and ideas helps make parenting a little easier. Share your food thoughts with us by clicking comments below or contact us with your story ideas.

Here is a follow-up to our post, Toys for Iraqi Kids. The boys and I rounded up stuffed animals they were given as infants that they never used (most still with tags on them). We used the shipping supplies we received free from the United Postal Service and we shipped eight stuffed animals in a medium-sized box (weighing 3lb, 12 oz.) to an APO address for $6.65. You only pay for domestic shipping, insurance, and confirmation for your package because it is going to a U.S. Army base. From there, the U.S. government takes care of getting packages to Edmay Mayers, a member of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who is currently stationed in Iraq and distributing toys to Iraqi children. She is there until November 2007 and will accept donations up until she leaves.

We wish for the safety of all those currently in Iraq.

By Nancy King

I’m big on routine. I like things to follow a certain order and have a certain familiarity to them. Maybe it fools me into thinking that life can be controlled or at least made less chaotic and surprising. Who knows why, but yesterday, I broke with routine and braided my daughter’s hair. She’s five-and-a-half, and every morning, in the few minutes we have before school to get dressed, make breakfast, eat breakfast, find shoes, decide on what to bring as a “share item” and get out the door, I brush her hair and put it in the same hairstyle: loose with each side swept up in a colored hair tie. Yesterday, perhaps because of the warm weather or because her hair’s getting long (she’s growing it for Locks for Love), I decided to arrange her hair in two braids. She was happy to go along with the experiment–she’s not burdened by my need for sameness and order–and when I was done, I stepped away to check out her new look. And that’s when my eyes welled up. I had no idea what prompted the tears and blinked them away quickly. But now I know: in that moment, my daughter looked different to me–beyond beautiful, sweet, and maybe a shade older. And that brought tears to my eyes. Everyone says children change all the time, a bit every day, every hour. And it’s true. But in that moment, I actually saw her change and grow–and grow away from me. It’s what we expect; it’s what we as parents prepare our children for–and prepare ourselves to accept. But I suppose I wasn’t prepared to see it so clearly early yesterday morning. I can put her hair back the way she used to wear it (she slept in her braids last night and insisted I make new ones today), but I can’t turn her into the person she was yesterday, last week, or when her hair was brand new and tinged with red before it turned blonde. And that’s precisely as it should be, but I will still cry for the little girl who is growing up with me and away from me.

Thinking Moms is a column written by Moms. What are you thinking about? Submit your comments, thoughts, ranks or raves for posting on Thinking Moms.

Here is a listing of local parades on Memorial Day - Monday, May 28, 2007. Check our Weekend Picks for other great things to do.

RHODE ISLAND
• Bristol - 9:30 am. Parade goes from North Burial Ground, pass VFW Post 237, where wreaths will be placed, to the Veterans Honor Roll Garden, where program will feature Town Clerk Louis Cirillo. Light meal will follow at the Bristol Train of Artillery on State Street.

• Coventry - 10 am, Parade starts from McArthur Boulevard and Main Street, to VFW Post 9404 on South Main Street, with stops at memorials along route.

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My picnic basket is an old cooler from Target and I use it often. Any time we have the chance to eat outside and save ourselves a trip to the broom closet, we take it. Also, the fact that I have a Tupperware fetish makes packing the picnic a thrill for this mommy.

My favorite, most-used Tupperware is the Sandwich Keeper (pictured). These are just the right size for two PB&Js on standard sandwich bread or for any kind of wrap. They also are handy for keeping a packet of graham crackers from getting smashed to smithereens in your picnic basket.

I like to pack a dishtowel to use as a napkin or placemat–paper napkins get carried away by the breeze too easily. And I have a blanket in the back of my car for picnic seating.

We almost always have PB&J or egg salad sandwiches, cut-up fruit or carrot sticks, and some kind of inoffensive snacky thing to share with whomever else is around: maybe veggie booty or graham crackers. If the fridge is stocked, I also like to pack those cute Babybel cheeses–the red wax-wrapped circles. For drinks, I always bring water for everyone, chocolate milk for the boys, and Diet Coke for my caffeine fix. And I usually pack something for dessert, though I try to keep that under my hat until the children have eaten something more sustaining.

My ideal picnic would have lots of salad greens, cold poached salmon, roasted vegetables, real forks, and iced whiskey in a Spiderman thermos. So far this has never happened. Maybe this summer…

What’s in YOUR picnic basket? Occasional posts about picnic food contributed by our readers. Want to tell us what’s in YOUR picnic basket? Send your ideas to Kidoinfo. Todays post was contributed by Katy Killilea.

Get ready for summer—a time for trips to the beach, the park, and outdoor concerts. Once you know where you are going, what will you pack to eat? I invite Kidoinfo readers to share what goes in your picnic basket, including recipes if you wish. I know I have my usual picnic routine, but I look forward to some fresh ideas and tips. Enjoy your holiday weekend; hope you get a chance to spread a blanket and have a picnic.

Contact Kidoinfo to tell us What’s in YOUR picnic basket?

It is Bill “Bojangles” Robinson’s birthday today (1878-1949). He was a dance legend, perhaps the greatest tap dancer who ever lived. He started dancing at age 6 and continued dancing most of his life. National Tap Dance Day celebrates him and honors tap dance as a uniquely American art form.

Celebrate this day.
• Play your favorite music and get your kids up and dancing.
• Read your kids Rap A Tap Tap by Leo and Diane Dillon about Bojangles’s life.
• Introduce your kids to some amazing dancing. Watch the films Singin’ in the Rain (1952) or The Band Wagon (1953) with Fred Astaire.
• Watch Sesame Street - Let’s Make Music (2000) and see the amazing dance troupe, STOMP.

The third Pirates of the Caribbean movie opens at theaters tomorrow. Although I am looking forward to seeing what Captain Jack Sparrow is up to, this is not a movie for children of all ages. Disney’s marketing for the film, however, may lead you to believe it is appropriate entertainment for every age.

Kids are definitely fascinated by pirates. My boys have been since they were three. Learning about pirates leads them into all kinds of exciting adventures. Here at Kidoinfo, we are posting a series of fun, safe, and creative ways for kids to experience the world of pirates. Our first post was about Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, and the many spin-offs from his original tale. Today we have a great list of pirate books. Look for more things pirate in the future at Kidoinfo.

Pirate books for kids of all ages. My boys’ preschool teachers at Child’s Play compiled most of this list. It was definitely the year of the pirates in their classroom.

• Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC by June Sobel. Illustrated by Henry Cole. (Ages 2 - 5)
• The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate by Margaret Mahy. (Ages 2 - 5)
• How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long. Illustrated by David Shannon. (Ages 3 - 7)
• Pirates Don’t Change Diapers by Melinda Long. Illustrated by David Shannon. (Ages 3 - 7)
• Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs by Giles Andreae. Illustrated by Russell Ayto. (Ages 4 -8)
• Tough Boris by Mem Fox. (Ages 4 -8)
• The Old Pirate of Central Park by Robert Priest. (Ages 4 -8)
• Pirate Pete by Kim Kennedy. (Ages 4 -8)
• Pirate Pete`s Giant Adventure by Kim Kennedy. (Ages 4 -8)
• Pirate Mom (Step Into Reading: A Step 3 Book) by Deborah Underwood
• Grandma and the Pirates by Phoebe Gilman. (Ages 4 -8)
• The Night Pirates by Peter Harris. Illustrated by Deborah Allwright. (Ages 4 -8)
• Edward and The Pirates by David McPhail. (Ages 4 -8)
• The Pirates of Bedford Street by Rachel Isadora. (Ages 4 -8)
• Do Pirates Take Baths by Kathy Tucker. (Ages 4 -8)
• One-Eyed Jake by Pat Hutchins. (Ages 4 -8)
• Everything I Know About Pirates by Tom Lichtenheld. (Ages 4 -10)
• The Pirate’s Eye by Robert Priest. (Ages 5 -8)

Click on comments below and share your favorite pirate books with our readers.

I believe Good Night Moon is on the “top ten list” of required items for new parents (along with diapers, wipes, car seat, etc.). This book written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd was one of the first books we read to our boys when they were babies. It was not long before my husband and I had the story memorized.

Good Night Moon is like a spoken lullaby for kids. Its simple text and lovely childlike pictures help ease the transition from day into night as the narrator says goodnight to everything in the room. I have fond memories of my boys’ development—from listening to the story to their slowly joining in the story by pointing to the objects on the page as we read aloud.

Margaret Wise Brown (1910–1952) has touched the lives of many kids with her writing. Celebrate Margaret Wise Brown’s birthday. Read or reread Good Night Moon, The Runaway Bunny, and discover her other books.

I remember when I was a kid traveling in our car, I always wanted to know, “Are we there yet?” And I did not want my brother on my side of the backseat. This was before car safety seats–when you could curl up in the back seat with a book or toy. And if I dropped something on the floor, I could just pick it up myself. Now that I am the parent, I know what it feels like to hear, “Are we there yet?” seventeen times before we’ve even left Rhode Island! I dream of sitting up front (when my husband drives) with a hot cup of coffee and a pile of magazines–and no interruptions.

Even if “no interruptions” is a fantasy, here is how I try to at least minimize the interruptions.

• Stock the backseat bucket with new books from the library that the kids have not seen yet.
• Restock the CD player with music, or audio books that everyone will enjoy or load up your iPod with your kids favorite music for them and listen to your own favorite music up front!
• I prepack a travel bag of goodies (to keep up front) with things like magnetic playsets, toys, puppets, etc., that the boys have not seen in a long time or are new for the trip. When everyone is getting a little cranky or bored, I pull out surprises from the travel bag.
• Load up on snacks - water, crackers, carrots, and sandwiches. I try to avoid bananas or anything too mushy that I will be living with and smelling for the next month.
• Bring a change of clothes, diapers (if necessary), wipes, and plastic bags (for car sickness or soiled clothes).

Magnetic playsets by Imaginetics are great for traveling. Find themed sets such as, At the Farm, Dinosaurs, Mr. Potato Head, My Little Pony and more at Creatoyivity at 808 Hope Street, Providence, RI.

Click on comments below and share your travel tips.