Winter chill? Snow what … try making snow ice cream
Snow cream
Setting aside concerns for salmonella from raw eggs and pollution that might be captured in each falling snowflake, we made snow ice cream today.
It didn’t take long.
Beat 2 eggs, add 2 tsp. of vanilla, 1/2 cup of sugar and a little milk, and you have a sweet little concoction to add to the light and fluffy stuff that is resting several inches deep on your windshield. This was my sister-in-law Sandy’s recipe for snow ice cream. (She has to share this with me every time it snows, because I forget.)
After spooning up a bowlful, I placed the snow in individual cups and then poured just enough liquid fun to make the snow stick together in the consistency of ice cream. Yum!
The kids tried it, and one review was good. My 4-year-old scrunched his face and didn’t think it could take the place of a Braum’s yogurt “twist.” And my 15-year-old said it was nasty. But my husband and youngest daughter liked it.
This treat is one my husband and I remember having as children. Recipes might have differed, but it was something we looked forward to when it snowed. Whether true or not, you were always supposed to wait until the second snow. (This was our second snow. 
)
Bad weather days can quickly become good family fun when you make a little, simple effort.
– Linda Lynn
llynn@opubco.com
Two major recalls issued
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced two more major recalls.
Strollers:
Graco has issued a voluntary recall of their Passage, Alano and Spree strollers and travel systems. The hinges on the canopy pose a fingertip amputation/laceration hazard when the canopy is being opened or closed. These strollers/travel systems were sold at Babies R Us, Walmart, Target and other major national retailers.
There are 1.5 million strollers affected by this recall.
To see complete information about this recall, including model numbers, click here.
Cribs:
More than 630,000 Dorel Asia cribs have been recalled. The drop side hardware is faulty, causing it to detach and fall in some cases. There has been a report of one infant death by entrapment/strangulation and other infant injuries have been reported. These cribs were sold in Sears and Walmart stores.
For more information regarding this recall, including pictures and model numbers, click here.
-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com
New Year’s resolutions for kids
I came across an interesting post by the American Academy of Pediatrics. It lists 21 healthy New Year’s resolutions … for kids.
For preschoolers, it includes:
- I will clean up my room.
- I will brush my teeth twice a day.
- I will wash my hands.
For those age 5 to 12:
- I will drink milk and water, and limit soda and fruit drinks.
- I will apply sunscreen when going outside.
- I will play a sport or do another physical activity 3 times a week.
- I will wear my seat belt.
- I will be nice to other kids.
For age 13 and older:
- I will eat at least one fruit and vegetable every day and limit soda.
- I will choose non-violent TV shows and video games.
- I will help out my community.
- I will resist peer pressure.
- I won’t text or use a cell phone when driving.
For the entire list of resolutions, click here.
I have my own list of resolutions in regards to my 3-year-old son. Here’s my top 5:
- I will find time, no matter what, to read to him 20 minutes a day, every day.
- I will find a way to get veggies in his diet. (I think I said this same thing last January, too.)
- I will get him to think that cleaning up his play room is actually fun.
- I will be sure he stays active year-round. We’re starting off right with winter basketball.
- I will find some new and exciting places to bring him (taking suggestions!).
Do you have any resolutions you’d like to share? Comment here or email me at esmith@opubco.com.
-Erica Smith
School is closed; you have to work. Now what? The OKC Zoo has an option …
When school is canceled unexpectedly, what do you do with your children when you have to go to work? It’s a puzzle enough when the routine is normal, but when I woke up this morning, I learned that my puzzle had changed. The Edmond School District, like Oklahoma City and many others today, had decided to close.
So today working parents have a handful of choices, like most days like this: 1) Attempting to work from home (which usually works out fine for me as long as I don’t have technical glitches, which happened today); 2) bringing my kids to work with me (which happened today because of the computer glitches); 3) scrambling around to find backup childcare; or 4) taking a sick day. None of these options are easy choices for any parent. I’m thankful my bosses allow me to be somewhat flexible, within reason. Even at home, I can usually work fine, because my children are getting old enough to be independent. That still doesn’t feel like a good solution.
The Oklahoma City Zoo just might come to my rescue, Maybe it could help yours. Someone there had a brilliant plan to help parents out tomorrow. Take them to the “Cold Weather Safari Camp.” Pay just $20 to leave your child from ages 4 to 15 there from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Early pickup starts at 7:30 a.m., and children can be picked up as late as 5:30 p.m. Age-appropriate activities may include live animal encounters, crafts, stories, songs, discovery stations and more.
Children are asked to bring a sack lunch, but the zoo will provide morning and afternoon snacks. Call ahead registration is recommended, but not required. Attendance is limited to the first 100 children between the ages of 4 and 15. Call (405) 425-0218 for registration or information or go online to www.okczoo.com.
Do you know of any other organization offering such a great solution? I’d certainly like to hear.
~Lillie-Beth Brinkman (lbrinkman@opubco.com)
