Five ActivitiesTo Do With Your Kids During The Summer

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The summer vacation is a few days away and after nine long schooling months, your children will be expecting much. They have been waiting all year for those 90 days to rest, play and have the greatest summer ever. But after a couple of days, and if you didn't send them to summer camp, routine will kick in and they will spend most of their time infront of the TV, lying down on that couch, bored to death. They could play outside in the afternoons, but what else? What can we do to help them fill those 90 days and turn them into the most enjoyable, educational, fun adventure ever?

1- Decide to make a summer crafting project: Crafting is, without any contradicition, a very important activity. Your child will put his energy, mind and skills to finish his work. I asked my 4 years old  to choose between two crafting projects: an airpot and a farm. Well for some reason she decided that making an airport will be fun! During this summer we will keep you updated about our project, we will post how-to's crafting articles and show you step-by-step how to make an airport yourself!

2- Funny Scholastic Exercises: Make learning fun and help your child maintain the improvement he made during his school year. Review together all the topics he learned by creating an educational game or printing out enjoyable exercises. My daughter is in pre-school, and I will be posting the exercises that she'll work on this summer.

3- Cook together: When your children are involved in the kitchen they will eat better because they will feel more comfortable with your recipes, they will accept new ingredients since they have, step-by-step, followed and participated in the cooking procedure.
What I personally suggest, is for you to put a menu with two options and make them choose between those two. That way, they will feel that they are in control of that meal time that has always, or most of the times turned into a fight! They will be responsable of the choice they made and obligated to finish their plate. " You cannot be a chef if you don't taste and eat everything" this sentence always work with my daughter since she loves being a chef like her father. And even though she was one heck of a picky eater now she eats everything and tastes everything. Check out our recipes they could be useful since they are easy, quick and healthy!

4- Play dates: Before school is over make sure to take her best friends phone numbers, talk to their parents and schedule a play date every week or two. You will help your children, especially if they are young like mine, stay in contact with their friends; that way going back to school won't be as hard as it is expected to be.

5- Organize family trips: trips to the beach, to the mountain, family picnics, or camping trips. A time spent with the family is always treasured.

How To Be Super Mom wishes you a great super duper summer!

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Lettuce, Bulgarian Cheese and Walnuts Salad

This Salad is so refreshing during summer. The taste of orange and mustard dressing coating the cheese is Superb!

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 small romain lettuce
150 g Bulgarian Cheese
50 g chopped Walnuts
Dressing: Mustardy Orange Dressing

Directions

Shred the lettuce into large pieces. Don't use the knife, the lettuce will loose all its nutrients. Shred the leaves with your hands.
Put the lettuce in a serving dish, and crumble the cheese all over the leaves.
Spread the chopped walnuts, add the dressing and toss all together.

Tips

          - After washing the lettuce, let them stand in water, vinegar and salt for

            5 minutes.

          - Chill the salad before serving
          - Always choose Romain lettuce for your salads.
          Romain lettuce is a highly nutritious leafy green it contains, per head,
          17% protein, 206 mg calcium, 44% RDA of Omega-3, more Vitamin C
          than an orange, 6 mg of iron, rich in Vitamin B, Water, Vitamin A,
          mineral rich.

Mustardy Orange Dressing

A light tasty dressing!

Ingredients

1 cup orange juice

2 tbsps Mustard

Ground black pepper to taste

Salt to taste



Baked Rigatoni With Meatballs

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves
1 bunch of basil
1 kg pureed tomato
400 g Rigatoni
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

For the Meatballs

2 tbsps fresh parsley leaves
500 g lean minced beef
125 g grated Parmesan cheese
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 egg
3 tbsp olive oil for soufflé dish

Directions

Finely chop garlic
Chop Basil leaves
Pour the pureed tomato in a frying pan and add 2/3 of the garlic, the basil and a pinch of salt
Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 10-12 minutes; there should be some liquid left in the pan
Season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Wipe the frying pan clean

How to make the meatballs

Chop the parsley leaves
Put the minced beef, 1/4 of the Parmesan, the chopped parsley leaves, remaining garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Add the egg.
Mix all the ingredients in the bowl with your hands until they are thorougly combined.
Shape the mixture into meatballs
Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan.
Fry the meatballs in batches until they are brown 2-4 minutes

Bake the Rigatoni

Heat the oven to 190 C
Brush the inside of the soufflé dish with olive oil
Boil the rigatoni for 8 to 10 minutes
In a saucepan, stir the pasta and sauce together until the pasta is well coated with sauce
Spoon 1/3 of the previous mixture in the dish, spoon half the meatballs, sprinkle with 1/3 of Parmesan
Repeat those steps, add the remaining pasta sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan.
Bake for 35 minutes.

Bon Appétit!

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Garden Salad

Ingredients

5 leaves romain lettuce
5 leaves lollo rosso
2 medium carrots, grated
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
3 lebanese cucumbers
Black ground pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Dressing: Sauce Maison

Directions

Shred the lettuce with your hands, this way it won't loose any of its vitamins.
Cut cucumbers into round slices
Toss all the ingredients together
Bon Appétit!!

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The luck arches the closing ozone.

Cabbage and Tomatoes Salad

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 small cabbage
2 medium tomatoes
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1/2 tbsp dried mint

Dressing: Sauce Maison

Directions

• Finely chop the cabbage
• Slice the tomatoes into a julienne cut( long thin cut)
• Add the fresh parsley
• Add the dried mint
• Pour the dressing and toss all together

Bon Appétit

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Sauce Maison

This is one of the most simple salad dressings ever and it goes with almost any kind.

Ingredients

1 cup oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
Pepper and salt to taste

Introducing Solids

When should you introduce solids to your baby?

After many readings I decided to simplify this answer in few words to give you all the information you need without you having to read pages and pages to get to your desired answer.

Most of the pediatricians advise the start of solids when the baby is 5 ½ or 6 months:

1. His digestive system isn’t ready until he reaches 6 months
2. By six months of age the intestines are more mature and able to filter out more of the offending allergens. This is why it's particularly important to delay solids if there is a family history of food allergy, and especially to delay the introduction of foods to which other family members are allergic.
3. The tongue and the swallowing mechanisms may not yet be ready to work together. Prior to four months of age, a baby's swallowing mechanism is designed to work with sucking, but not with chewing.

How to start:

1. Only introduce solids at lunchtime to avoid bedtime disturbance, and start between feedings that way your child won’t be starving and will accept new food easily.
2. You should give your baby one new food at a time and wait 4 days before you introduce a new one. Meanwhile watch for any allergic reactions like diarrhea, rash or vomiting. If any of these occurs contact your pediatrician.
3. Remember that your baby may only want a teaspoon at first
4. Don’t force it, if your baby doesn’t want it, try again another day.

*Don’t make mealtimes a performance, with you turning every spoonful into a fast running train or driving airplane. Your baby probably won’t eat anymore and in fact may refuse food just to enjoy the show. When he doesn’t want anymore, just call an end to the meal. ~Sarah, health visitor~ 

(Scattergood, Emma. The first-time parent’s survival guide, ward lock book, UK, 1998)

Please download the UNICEF booklet a start4life. It will help you have a good start of solid introduction (http://www.unicef.org.uk/BabyFriendly/Resources/Resources-for-parents/Weaning---starting-solid-food/)

Good Foods to start with 

(all the following information were taken from the UNICEF booklet a start 4 life)

From 6 months

First foods: mashed or soft cooked sticks of fruit and vegetables like parsnip,

potato, yam, sweet potato, carrot, apple or pear, all cooled before eating.

Or try soft peach or melon, or grabbable bits of soft ripe banana or avocado.

Or baby rice mixed with your baby’s usual milk.

*My pediatrician never advise the use of rice cereal or any other processed food.

Next foods: soft cooked meat such as chicken, mashed fish (check very

carefully for any bones), pasta, noodles, toast, pieces of chapati, lentils, rice

and mashed hard boiled eggs. Also, full fat dairy products such as yoghurt,

fromage frais or custard (choose products with no added sugar or less sugar).

Cow’s milk can be used in cooking or mixed with food from 6 months.

Cups: introduce a cup from around 6 months and offer sips of water with meals.

Using an open cup or a free-flow cup without a valve will help your baby learn

to sip and is better for your baby’s teeth.

From 8-9 months

Gradually, in this time, your baby will move towards eating 3 meals a day.

It will be a mixture of finger foods, mashed and chopped foods.

From 12 months

Your baby will now be eating 3 meals a day, chopped if required, plus mum’s

milk or cow’s milk and healthier snacks like fruit, vegetable sticks or toast and

rice cakes. They can now drink whole cow’s milk and have full fat dairy products.

Choose full fat because children under 2 need the extra fat and vitamins in full

fat dairy products. From 2 years old if they are a good eater and growing well

they can have semi-skimmed milk. From 5 years old, 1% or skimmed milk is ok.

References:

Murkoff, Eisenberg and Hathaway. “What to expect the first year”, Workman Publishing, New York.

Scattergood, Sarah. “The first-time parent’s survival guide”, Ward Lock, UK, 1998

UNICEF, “start4life”booklet, (http://www.unicef.org.uk/BabyFriendly/Resources/Resources-for-parents/Weaning---starting-solid-food/)

Father's Day Card and Picture Holder

This will make a perfect gift for a traveling father,

 it's a card and a photo holder in the same time.

Supplies Needed

• 4 Construction Papers (any color)
• White Marker
• Glue
• Scissors
• Zigzag scissors
• Your kids Picture 

 

Directions

Choose one of the construction papers and cut out a 14*24 cm rectangle

Choose another color, and cut out, using the zigzag scissors, a 12.5*22.5 cm rectangle
Glue it in the middle of the first rectangle

From the same basic construction paper cut 9*18  cm parallelogram, and glue it as seen in the picture.

From a third construction paper, cut a 11*11 cm square, and glue it as posted.

Cut out from the 4th construction paper the shape of a tie, you can use the pattern we posted earlier( click)

Glue it as posted

Cut from the basic construction paper, a 11* 23cm rectangle and glue it to the back. To hold it better you can use a glue gun.

Put glue only on the borders to be able to enter the pictures.

Write a small quote using the white marker

Place the pictures you chose in the back pocket you made

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Homemade Facial Masks

A dear friend of my mom's gave us those recipes and they are truly amazing. Your face will actually glow.

1- Oil and Salt Face Peeling:

2 tsps Salt
2 tbsps Olive Oil


Mix Both ingredients and rub them between your fingers. Apply a liitle on your face while gently scrubing the surface of your cheeks, forehead, nose and chin. Wash your face with lukewarm water and dry it gently with a washcloth.

2- Yogurt and Rice Powder Mask and Peeling

1/4 cup yogurt
2 tbsps Rice Powder

Mix them together, then apply the mask to your face and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
Scrub gently to remove all dead cells.
Wash with lukewarm water and dry your face gently with a washcloth

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Potato and Crab Salad

Ingredients

6 small russet potatoes

3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

400g processed crab meat, sliced

200g sliced, pitted black olives

1/2 carrot, grated

3/4 cup light mayo

1 tbsp white vinegar

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dried dill

1/4 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp oregano

Directions

Place potatoes in a large saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook over medium-heat for 30 mns, or until tender. Drain, peel and dice while still hot. This is what will make the salad fluffy. Cover and refrigerate until cold.

in a large serving bowl, toss together the potatoes, eggs, crab meat, black olives and carrot. Chill until ready to serve. 

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Grilled chicken marinated in a zesty italian dressing

Ingredients

• 2 kg skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tbsp onion powder
• 1/2 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp basil dried
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp salt

 Directions

Combine all the ingredients and poor over chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator over night. A zippy bag works great. Cook on a grill or in the oven.

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Grilled Salmon

Parenting: The reason behind thumb sucking

Before worrying about how to stop our children bad habits, we should always understand the reason behind their behavior and we should learn when is the right time to start considering such behavior a problem.

Today we will be talking about thumb sucking the most natural act in all babies. When they are born children suck their thumb due to the sucking reflex that helps breastfeeding, some ultrasound revealed that babies start that sucking process from the womb. This reflex disappears at about 4 months of age; thumb sucking is not purely an instinctive behavior and therefore can last much longer.

A baby could suck a thumb, fingers or even his whole hand, this will help him feel comfortable when he is hungry, sad or sick. He may also use his thumb to fall asleep at bedtime and to lull himself back to slumber when he wakes up in the middle of the night.

Most infants suck their thumbs. Toddlers suck their thumbs too. Little by little, most children stop on their own between ages 3 and 4.
Although your child's habits may bother or even worry you, relax. In most cases, a habit is just a phase in the normal developmental process and is not cause for alarm.
If it lasts after your child turns 5, then you could consider it as a problem cause in most cases it will lead to dental problems; his teeth could become improperly aligned. A child may also develop speech problems, including mispronouncing Ts and Ds, lisping, and thrusting out the tongue when talking.

In some rare cases, thumb-sucking after age 5 is in response to an emotional problem or other disorder, such as anxiety. A child with this type of problem needs to be evaluated by a doctor.

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How to get your child to sleep alone

How to make a Father's Day Handmade Card

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Follow the Super Mom steps to make this cool handmade card

 

Supplies Needed

2 A4 Construction paper ( any color)

Glue

White pen 

Colored pen

2 buttons ( any color)

Scissors or a punch

Directions

• Fold the A4 paper in half
• Cut from one of the halves a 4 cm width rectangle
• On the other half, measure 4 cm from the top then cut 3.5 cm from each side

• Fold the cuts to form a blouse collar

• On the other construction paper, draw a tie. You can use this pattern if you desire.
• Cut it off with using scissors or if your kid was younger than 4 he can use a punch

• Glue the tie

• Glue both sides of the collar

• Decorate your tie with stripes, dots or you can even glue colored stripes or colored dots that you will cut out from another construction paper.

• Striped Tie

• Cut an eight * five rectangle from a construction paper of your choice, fold it from the top just like a blouse pocket.

• Cut a small triangle to form the handkerchief
• Glue the handkerchief, then the pocket
• Using the white pen, draw the stitches. But be careful this is supposed to be a folded shirt so don't draw the stitches all around the shirt! 
• Follow my steps please

• Glue the bottons on the bottom of the collar

• Write Happe Father's Day or any other sentence you like, you can even pick a quote from www.quotegarden.com

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Father's Day Pencil Cup

Farfalle with Tuna, Mushrooms and Cream

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Total cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 60 g (2 oz) butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 125 g (4oz) button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup (250 ml/8 fl oz) cream
• 450 g ( 14 oz) can tuna in brine, drained and flaked
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 500 g ( 1 lb) farfalle

Directions

1. Heat the butte and olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and stir over low heat for 3-5 minutes, until the onion is soft.
2. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the cream, bring to the boil, then reduce the hear and summer until the sauce begins to thicken. Add the tuna, lemon juice and parsley and stir until heated through. add salt and pepper, to taste.
3. While the sauce is cooking, add the Farfalle to a large pan of rapidly boiling water and cook until "al dente". Drain thoroughly, then return to the pan, Add the sauce to the Farfalle and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Variation

You can use a can of salmon, drained and flaked, instead of tuna.

Note

Farfalle, attractive pasta made into the shape of a bow or butterfly, comes in various sized, as well as flavors other than the plain, such a tomato or spinach.

Recipes: Feta, Tomatoes & Olives Pie

Preparation Time: 35 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the filling :

300 g red tomatoes, peeled and chopped

200 g feta, diced

100 g black olives, pitted and diced

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp garlic oil

For the dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour

125 g butter, chopped

60 g Parmesan, grated

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 egg

pinch white pepper

pinch black pepper

dried thyme

Directions

• Sift the flour into a large bowl and add the butter. 
• Rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. 
• Stir in the Parmesan, thyme and sesame seeds. 
• Make a well, add the egg and mix well with your hands until the mixture comes together, add a little cold water if the dough is too dry. 
• On a lightly floured surface, press together into a ball, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes. 
• Roll out on the pie tin and bake for 10 mns or utnil golden. 
• Cool.
• Mix all the filling ingredients together, spread them all over the pie. 
• Garnish and serve.

Bon appétit!

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Meatballs Fusilli

5 tips on making Father's Day a special day!

Anyone can be a Father, but it takes someone special to be a Daddy.

So why don't we make that day very special, I know my husband deserves a unique celebration!

5 tips on how to make Father's Day so special:

1- Breakfast in bed: Our weekly mornings are usually crazy, get the kids ready, drive them to school and don't be late for work.  Well let's have a quiet morning that day, and offer daddy a delicious breakfast in bed:
                           * French toast and coffee
                           * English cake and tea (Click)
                           * Pancakes or Crepes with strawberries
                              and chocolate (Click)
                           * A Lebanese style breakfast: Labneh, olives,
                              fresh mint, white cheese, eggs and tea.
                           * A fruit salad with almonds and nuts
                      
2- Relaxation Coupons : Offer daddy limited use coupons. Make a deck of small cards and write down something that daddy would really love and don't forget to limit their use or else you will hate father's day!!!
Coupon ideas:   * Take in charge of his daily chores
                          * Prepare him a tv snack
                          * Let him watch his favorite action movie with no kids
                            interruption
                          * Prepare him a relaxing bath with candles and beer maybe.
Yeah, well these coupons are more of a gift from you to your husband since you will be doing most of the tasks. 

3- Make daddy his favorite lunch and let the kids participate in the cooking or invite him out to his favorite restaurant.

4- Offer him handmade gifts that your kids prepared. It could be a pensil cup, a father's day card or a photo frame.

5- Choose him the perfect gift: You know your husband best, and he might be giving you signs of what he really needs! Mine is singing that : "I saw that beautiful 800$ mobile"song that I am trying to ignore!!!!


David M. Gottesman once said :"Fathers, like mothers, are not born. Men grow into fathers--and fathering is a very important stage in their development". Since we all know how important fatherhood is to both our husbands and kids why don't we play the main role in making father's day this year an unforgettable memory!

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How to be Super Mom Delicious HotDog Sandwich

Something as simple as a HotDog Sandwich could become one heck of a meal with "How To be Super Mom"

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 15 hotdog fingers, chopped
• 1 onion, cut into julienne strips( long thin stripes)
• 1 green pepper, cut into julienne strips
• 1/3 cup sweet corn
• 2 tbsp Soya sauce
• 4 tbsp grated, processed Mozzarella cheese
• 4 small French baguettes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

Directions

• In a preheated pan, pour the olive oil and the onion, stir for 2 minutes, on High heat.
• Add the green pepper and stir for an extra 2 minutes.
• Add the chopped HotDog, corn, Soya sauce, salt and pepper
• Stir for 5 mns or until the HotDog becomes brownish
• Cut a French baguette in half
• Put the Hotdog mix and a little bit of Mozzarella
• Grill it, and serve it warm.
• Bon Appétit!

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Recipes: Meatballs Fusilli

Preparation time: 30 mns

Ingredients

• 250g colored fusilli
• 400 g ground beef
• 2 medium onions
• 10 g Parmesan
• 500 g tomato sauce
• 1 green pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium carrot
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup water
• parsley leaves
• salt
• black pepper to taste

Directions

• In a preheated pan, on a High heat, fry 1 finely chopped onion with olive oil, add chopped garlic, diced carrot and diced pepper
• Leave the vegetables cook on Medium heat, meanwhile combine, in a bowl, ground beef with one minced onion and Parmesan. Shape into meatballs.
• Add them to the vegetables and cook on High temperature 
• When the meat is almost done, add the tomato sauce, wine and water, season with salt and pepper. 
• Simmer for 5 mns.
• Boil the Fusilli for 7 minutes, add them to the sauce and simmer for 5 extra minutes.
• Decorate the plate with fresh parsley leaves
• Bon appétit!

Add this easy delicious recipe to your How To Be Super Mom manual! 

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Let's Craft: Father's Day Pencil Cup

 Daddy will be very proud to put this pencil cup on his desk!

Supplies Needed

• A photoshop picture of your kids
• A cylindrical carton box
• Glue
• Scissors
• White paper
• Laminating paper

Directions

 Put glue all over the cylindrical box







Stick the picture on the box

Cut the paper extra ends
Glue the inside and cover with a white paper for a better finish




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