Every weekend, we make pancakes for breakfast, and try to change it up a little for variety – and added nutrition! Some weeks our experiments are well received, some less so.
This morning, I had some overripe bananas and a few bruised apples, so decided to give the recipe below a whirl. Turned out delicious – the kids ate the pancakes up like gangbusters (They really did, but mostly I just wanted to use that word in a blog post)!
1-1/4 cups of whole wheat flour (I like to use King Arthur Organic White Whole Wheat – it works for everything & can be subbed easily for regular white flour, but with added fiber & protein!)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 egg (my preference always being local from free ranging hens. You can also skip adding an egg, and use applesauce + a bit more baking powder as substitution.)
1-1/3 cups of organic milk (or, sub soy or ricemilk)
1 Tbs oil
1 Tsp vanilla extract
1 ripe banana
1 – 2 apples (depending on size)
Cinnamon or nutmeg to taste
Set the apples & spices aside. Put all the above ingredients in a blender (yep, I know, but really, it works so well for smooth pancakes!) & blend well. Peel, core, and dice the apples.
Pour the batter onto a hot griddle, and then sprinkle diced apples & spices on top. When the edges begin to bubble, wait just a bit longer than usual (the banana & apples make the batter a bit looser), then flip. The apples will brown & soften while the 2nd side is cooking, and, along with the spices, will smell heavenly.
Serve with real maple syrup & enjoy!
Traveling by car with children can be fun. Of course, it can also be boring for kids… which can in turn be frustrating or even dangerous for parents who are trying to focus on the road.
We just recently returned from a 6-hour (each way) road trip with four adults and two children. Here are 10 ideas which have worked to help keep my children occupied and my husband and I sane (and safe while driving!):
#1 – Wikki Stix! These things are the best $5 I’ve ever spent on a car trip. Similar to pipe cleaners in the awesomeness of range of motion and creativity – they are even more awesomely lacking in the one thing that makes pipe cleaners less-than-perfect: the sharp pointy eye-poking metal end pieces! Kids can make sculptures, wrap things up, and just play freely. They seem to be pretty much endlessly reusable as well. Creative play, no trash, no clean up… what could be better? Nothing, I tell you. Nothing.
#2 – Paper & a Pen. Quizzes, mazes, games, writing, drawing, folding, ripping… not sure much can beat the old paper & a pen for variety. But how to use them while confined to the carseat? Daddy came up with a great idea! Buy 2 clip boards, clip a note pad to each, then apply Velcro to the top of a pen (and secure with a zip-tie), and the other side of the Velcro to the top of the clip board and… voila! Instant flat drawing space, easy to pass around the car, & no lost pen. If you have younger kids (mine are 3 & just about 6), you can do the same with a crayon or washable marker.
#3 – Silly Bandz. Okay, okay. I even wrote a post about these. But really, on a car trip, they can be the best. Not only are they lightweight, and conveniently small, they can be wrapped efficiently and decoratively around things other than wrists – thing like: trucks, shoes, and dinosaurs. Busy hands are happy hands, I say!
#4 – Books. (Books, and more books!) Books with flaps, with stickers, with activities. I Spy books are fantastic, come in differing levels, and even my 3 year old can do them without assistance. The old standby Where’s Waldo is always popular. There are maze books, math books, word game books (like word find or fill in the missing letter or rearrange the letters to form words), dot-to-dot books, and of course good old coloring books! And, for the independent reader, a few brand-new stories or books makes a fun treat.
#5 – Trucks & Cars. Especially ones that move – wheels that turn, doors that open, dump trucks that dump, cement trucks that spin. The only ones I don’t recommend are those that make noise. ß Please, read that again, and let it sink in. Keeps the kids busy, yes… but the sanity of parents corrodes away just a bit with each press of the ambulance’s siren button, trust me.
#6 – CD with cool music. This one is fun for kids AND parents. Make a mix in iTunes that includes upbeat kids favorites intermixed with parents’ favorites and burn onto a blank CD and… everyone’s happy! My suggestions for the adults: They Might Be Giants, Barenaked Ladies, Owl City, REM, B-52s, The Beatles…. All these bands have some upbeat tunes with cross-generationally-appropriate lyrics (yes, I made that phrase up. It’s mine.). You can also put together a CD of quieter tunes when nap time (or rest time) is needed, and you’re still on the road. Honestly, nothing I’ve found changes the mood of the occupants in the car faster than music!
#7 – Flash Cards. And I don’t mean (necessarily) multiplication tables. You can find all sorts of interesting collections of “flash cards” which are appealing to varying ages of kids – from the standard letters and numbers to presidents, animals, colors, and geographical locations (I’ve found some super-inexpensive and uber-cool ones at the unnamed big box store that begins with a W). Sometimes just flipping through pictures, or sorting, or trading, (or…learning?!) is just what the kiddos need.
#8 – Snacks. The best road trip snacks are non-messy, and nutrient dense – in other words: don’t get your food at the rest stop vending machine! For travel, we like carrot sticks, apple wedges, bananas & clementines (they both come in their own packages!). Also good are gummy bears (Annie’s makes an all-natural fruit-juice based variety), bunny grahams, goldfish, dried cranberries (and mango and cherries), nuts, and string cheese! Bring a little cooler along for the perishables, and you’re set!
#9 – Travel Games. Sometimes things that are meant for travel are the best attention-keepers. On our last trip, we tried out a few travel games: Number Slider Puzzle, Magnetic Tangoes, and Textured Tangle.
The tangrams puzzle was hands-down my (and kids) favorite of the three, but I'm spacial-visual like that. The slider puzzle wins points for being retro & multi-generational.
#10 – Technology. When we’re on a LONG car trip, our no-TV policy goes out the window. We are fortunate to have a van with a built-in DVD, so we bring along some educational videos for when everything above has been exhausted. We’ve also been known to pass the iPhone back when all else fails. Who can resist a game of pac-man or some photo-taking along the way?
Okay, so what have I missed? Please share your favorite toys or games to bring along on a car ride!
A plugged or blocked duct is a milk duct that has obstructed milk flow. The obstruction could be at the nipple, or back further in your milk duct. It can be caused by something pressing on your duct (like an underwire bra or your diaper bag or even your arm when you sleep), dried/thicker milk blocking the pore/opening on your nipple (you can see this blockage on the nipple as a white spot), engorgement (from oversupply, incorrect latch, not emptying the breast completely at each feeding), infrequent feedings (from a sleepy baby, or one who is being put on a strict feeding schedule – DON’T DO THIS IT’S NOT GOOD FOR YOU OR BABY), yeast infection, or stress and not enough sleep (hello, new mommyhood!).
You can tell you have a plugged duct when you have tenderness (usually) only in one breast – in one area. In my experience, I was able to recognize a plugged duct when I’d feel a generally uncomfortable area of the breast, or an overfull/engorged feeling, that didn’t go completely away after a full nursing. The tender area becomes more swollen, firmer – like a wedge shape – warm, and painful to the touch as time progresses, and is not fully relieved after nursing. You may have a low fever and feel generally tired. If you experience a high fever, or suddenly feel very ill (flu-like symptoms), it is important to call a doctor, as you may have an infection - mastitis, which can be treated with antibiotics.
The good news is that plugged ducts are normal, they don’t require that you stop or even pause breastfeeding – in fact, you should nurse MORE and more often – and they can be fairly easy to clear up. Over my nearly 6 years of breastfeeding experience (my youngest son is still occasionally nursing), I’ve had several plugged ducts, and one case of mild mastitis. I believe mine were mostly caused by oversupply (I was tandem nursing), preterm baby who didn’t like to linger at the breast, combined with adjusting to mothering two children, and returning to work. Time, taking better care of myself, and early detection and mitigation helped me through my recurrent plugged ducts. Over time, I’ve tried pretty much everything.
If you determine that you have a plugged duct (ouch!), here are my suggestions for what to do:
1) Breastfeed. Breastfeed. Breastfeed some more. It is so important not to stop nursing when you have a plugged duct, even though it is uncomfortable. Baby is the best tool to relieve the plugged duct. Make sure baby is well-latched, is draining the breast effectively, and nursing frequently. If baby is falling asleep while nursing, or isn’t interested in nursing as often as you need to in this time, you can pump, or hand express.
2) Breastfeed in different positions. Try to point baby’s chin towards the swollen area – this may mean some creative positioning, but baby’s suction is extremely effective at loosening/dislodging the clog. You can also try lying baby on the bed, and dangling your breast down for nursing – use the benefits of gravity to help dislodge the clog.
3) Use Heat. I had a microwavable rice bag that I’d warm (not super hot – you don’t want to burn yourself, it hurts enough already!), and place directly on the swollen area while nursing. A hot shower with water directed on the area (though this can be painful as well) can help to soothe and loosen up the clog.
4) Rest. You must rest, and take care of yourself. Nap with baby while nursing in side-lying position, or, play the “sleeping game” with toddler on the floor. Ask someone to help you with the housework for a few days. Whatever you can to take it as easy as possible to allow your body to heal, do it.
5) Pump. When baby doesn’t want to nurse, you can pump to keep the milk moving. I found as long as my breast felt as “empty” as possible, the plugged duct was less painful. Pumping in the shower was helpful to me as the heat was relaxing, and pain relieving.
6) Nurse a Toddler. You may not have this option, but I was lucky enough to have my toddler available and willing to nurse when baby was sleeping. A toddler may be willing (& actually think its funny) to nurse in strange positions in order to dislodge the clog.
7) Pressure massage. I found this method to be extremely painful, yet super effective. You use the heel of your hand to apply strong pressure to the swollen area to move the plug out and down. Dr. Sears very clearly illustrates just how to do this, and I’ve followed it to the letter with success, so I’m copying directly from his website:
To do pressure massage, start at the edge of the lumpy area closest to your chest wall. Apply pressure to that area with the heel of your hand to the point just before it becomes too painful. Hold the pressure at that level until the pain eases off. Then increase the pressure again, (without moving your hand) and hold it until the pain eases. Continue to gradually increase pressure at that same site until you are pressing as hard as you can. Then pick your hand up, move it down toward your nipple about a half inch, and repeat the pressure massage in this area. Continue moving your hand a half inch and repeating the massage until you get all the way down to the nipple.
Source: http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/lecithin.html
8) Use a Needle. If you actually see a white “blister” on the nipple, it can be dried milk plugging the opening on your nipple, which can block milk flow and cause a swollen duct. Sterilize the needle, then gently insert into the blister to pop it. Follow with a pressure massage and breastfeeding and/or pumping.
9) Take Soy Lecithin. Once I started taking daily lecithin, my plugged ducts stopped recurring. The recommended dosage is 3,600 – 4,800mg/day. Soy lecithin is a fatty acid which acts as an emulsifier. There are no known contraindications to use while breastfeeding.
10) Vitamins. Up your infection-fighting vitamins & herbs, like: Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Echinacea, Garlic, Elderberry, and Probiotics.
11) Pain Relief. Take an anti-inflammatory pain reliever like ibuprofen which will help with swelling and pain.
11) Read up on plugged ducts:
KellyMom.com – Plugged Ducts & Mastitis: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/mastitis.html
Dr. Sears - Plugged Milk Ducts: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/t022100.asp
Dr. Jack Newman – Blocked Ducts & Mastitis: http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/22pdf.pdf