Buttoned Up » Give Back to Ovarian Cancer Research

Kids In The Kitchen

Anna — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:00:05 +0000

h4>Kids in the Kitchen

By Anna Allen

I am an aunt of five curious and creative little ones. When they aren’t building forts or dancing to Disney Sing Alongs, we are creating. I am so excited that they are now reaching the ages in which they can help in bigger, more extravagant projects. (Though, I must admit, I certainly miss cuddling them as sweet cooing babies!) My oldest niece Carolyn (who is five) and I love to make goodies when I babysit. We have made everything from quesadillas to puppy chow—and she was so helpful and enthusiastic! Attempting to cook with young kids can be a bit overwhelming, but here are some tips to keep in mind while taking on the challenge!

1. Safety is first.

Explain very thoroughly the importance of staying safe in the kitchen. From cleaning up water spills immediately to the seriousness of a burn. Emphasize the point of being safe most crucial when in the kitchen.

2. Allow yourself plenty of time.

Make sure to pick a project that focuses entirely on allowing the child to shadow you. Try not to pick a time to let them assist when you are trying to get your own tasks done. (Sunday supper, birthday cakes, etc.)

3. Find a recipe which is “kid-friendly”.

A recipe designed with kids in mind is the perfect solution. With the internet at our fingertips and such helpful books as William Sonoma’s The Kid’s Cookbook such endeavors should be fairly simple.

4. Have them equally involved with the cleanup.

This will allow them to see how much time and effort goes into preparing what they see as a simple meal, helping them appreciate the amount of work cooking entails.

5. Have fun!

Be sure to let your little one’s ideas flow. You may not prefer sprinkles on your pizza, but hey, you only live once! : )

Enjoy & Bon Appétit!

Give Back To Ovarian Cancer Research:

Take a minute to give back. Go to Kelly Ripa’s Cake Off For A Cause http://www.kelly-confidential.com/rd/0003/ from February 10th to the 19th. Why? Because Electrolux will donate $1 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund for every vote cast in the Cake Off. You will also get great tips on baking from Kelly and the Cake Boss himself. And don’t forget to enter to win yourself an Electrolux Induction Range

10 Tips for Organizing a Kitchen

Kristen — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:00:01 +0000

10 Tips for Organizing a Kitchen

By Kristen Andersen

1. Toss anything you don’t use:

If you are storing items in your kitchen cabinets that you no longer use, either pass it to a friend or relative, donate it, or sell it! If you haven’t used a particular item in an entire year it is safe to say you won’t be using it again. This will save space in your kitchen and time when you are hunting through a particular item for something you use more often.

2. Replace things that don’t work:

Take a good look at your kitchen items, if a pot always burns food, or the handle is loose, either fix it or replace it. Make a list of items you need and save up to purchase them.

3. Store frequently used objects in easy-to-reach locations:

Keep track of items you use most often and figure out where you will use them most. If you have holiday pans and cooking utensils, store them on high shelves or in the back of cabinets. For cooking tools that are used everyday purchase a jar and store it on the countertop, your items will be at arms reach during cooking, which will save time!

4. Create centers of activity and store utensils near where they will be used:

a. Storage or pantry: Be sure to go through your cabinets, pantry, and fridge to clear out items that are old or won’t be used. Be sure to donate canned food to a food bank!

b. Preparation: Keep all your cutting boards, knives, measuring cups and spoons in one place.

c. Cooking: Keep utensils that pertain to cooking next to the stove and oven such as pots and pans, pot holders, spoons, and spatulas.

d. Baking: Keep the following items in one location if you are a baker; flour, sugar, baking powder, a set of measuring cups and spoons. Try getting glass three glass jars and keep flour, sugar, and brown sugar on the countertop. The most common ingredients will be easy to access.

e. Serving: the tableware, serving dishes, napkins, placemats and anything else that you need to sit down and eat such as sauce, salt & pepper, sugar and keep these items near your table.

f. Cleaning: Keep the soap, gloves, dish pan, drying rack, cleansers, and towels close to this area for easy cleaning.

g. Waste disposal: place the trashcan near the cleaning and food preparation areas. (While preparing food, keep a bowl to dispose of waste as you work).

5. Clear the counter:

Reduce the number of objects that permanently reside on your countertops. If you only use the blender once a week store it underneath the cabinet. Any other knickknacks can be stored elsewhere.

6. Make a list:

Keep a list of supplies that are worn out or of side projects that you need to do. Writing them down allows you to tackle distractions later.

7. Tackle the paper:

The kitchen should be a place for food preparation and eating any mail, homework, newspapers can be put elsewhere out of the way. Create a new home for the paper in another room or if you must keep them in the kitchen make sure they are in a container and off the countertop where food is being prepared.

8. Clean as you go:

Perhaps this is the most important tip on this list. By cleaning as you go you’ll save yourself time and effort at the end. A clean kitchen is easy to work in and will save you from doing just as much work at the end of the meal.

9. Use a Lazy Susan

to store all of your spices and decorating items so you can easily see where in the cabinet they are.

10. Lower cabinets:

these cabinets can present various challenges, because it is hard to view and access items. Try installing a sliding cabinet so that you can see all pull out the drawer and see all the items at a quick glance.

Give Back To Ovarian Cancer Research:

The Lopsided Cake

Anne Marie — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:00:49 +0000

The Lopsided Cake

By Anne Marie Furie

When I was a kid we loved to bake cakes. I come from a rather large immediate family – 11 kids – so we baked LOTS of cakes for birthdays! We loved mixing the ingredients, adding eggs and trying not to get it all over the counter, mixing with a hand mixer that was too heavy for us until our arms ached. I liked buttering and flouring the cake pans – obviously this is before the Teflon pans and the non stick sprays!

But the funny think is, no matter who made the cake, no matter what oven shelf we put it on, no matter how we tried to prop it up to be even, the cake always came out lopsided. We never thought to cut the offending part off – why would you cut off part of the cake??? Sacrilege! We were too little too even understand that. We just tried to match up the lopsides together so it wasn’t so obvious – but it was.

And sometimes when we weren’t paying really close attention we would use two different size pans. It made for fun lopsided, ill fitting cakes, but we loved them.

So today when I see “professional” lopsided cakes at special events, it makes me smile. I always wonder if the baker secretly had a childhood filled with wonderful memories based on the lopsided cake. Imagine my delight when my niece Fiona had such a cake at her wedding! Isn’t it just so FUN?! (That’s her cake pictured above – so fun and such a reflection of the couple!)

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Being Your Family’s Documentarian

Cass — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:00:20 +0000

Being Your Family’s Documentarian

By Cass Comerford

This job normally falls on the shoulders of Mom’s. Not only are we tasked with laundry, groceries, meal preparation and a host of other tasks but we’re also our families’ documentarian. Its our little stories that will get passed down and shared, it’s the glimpses of our lives that we snap in a camera frame that will spur a memory of a treasured day and it’s likely our effort that will have a box of mementos in a linen closet to look through decades from now. I wanted to put together a list of tips to keep the job of documentarian fun and top of mind.

1. Use a tool like Evernote, a blog, a notebook anything to write down fun little moments, glimpses into the every day, a reaction to a birthday gift. Just write it down – a few words to trigger the memory. Here’s more on how I do that.

2. Pick up a plastic storage bin and keep it in a hall closet, as little pieces of memorabilia come up toss them in the bin (Our family holiday card, the tickets to Lexi’s first circus, the Polaroid from her first haircut with a lock of her hair taped to the back). At the end of the year go through the box – if it’s too much to store then weed it down (but take pictures of the stuff you’re getting rid of) and seal it up in one of those large Ziploc bags and label it with the year.

3. Take pictures. I think taking pictures is a great gift to yourself and to your future….I find that it makes me take in the moment, it forces me to be present in a way that I wouldn’t be if I were just observing. Behind the lens of a camera I can appreciate the icing up to the elbows….where I otherwise might be more concerned about finding a baby wipe. Pictures are not just for the special days; they’re for the everydays. A couple of tips, get down to whatever level the action is happening on, turn off your flash and turn on all of the lights in the house and occasionally go for the shot without the cheese faces…a serious girl doing a puzzle is often much better then a cheese face.

4. Create fun days. Doing fun things sometimes takes some effort – not necessarily a lot of money – but effort. A scavenger hunt, a surprise fancy dinner, a picnic, a tent set up in the basement for a mock-camp out, making surprise cards for loved ones, a walk outside where you look for butterflies and birds, a stack of old blankets and the challenge of BEST FORT EVER! Take the time to make these moments happen…not just because it’s fun for your kids but because it will be fun for you too.

5. Laugh. I remember one day when Lexi was really young we went to Target. About half way through the store she started with the shoulders up business face…any mom knows, shoulders go up and you’re in trouble. It was a mess. It was a bigger mess then I could even begin to handle. It would require a hose. I laughed. I was mortified. But I laughed because I was sure one day I would find it hilarious…and why not start today. Laughing turns things around. Just laugh, let the funny part of it frame your memory.

What do you do to serve your family as documentarian?

Give Back To Ovarian Cancer Research

Fully Baked With Kids

Sarah — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:00:54 +0000

Fully Baked With Kids

By Sarah Welch

Baking with children is a special event. Their little bodies, attuned to the promise of sugary treats to come, bounce around with anticipation, desperate to take on challenges that are often beyond their ability. Figuring out how to harness all that anticipation fruitfully can be quite a challenge.

Here are a few ways to enlist the help of a young child while you are baking without putting them (not to mention your sanity) at risk.

Make a big deal out of setting aside all of the ingredients.

I don’t know about your kids, but my three-year-old loves help mom get all of the ingredients out and ready. I stand in front of the pantry cabinet and hand him each item: a bag of flour, spices, sugar, etc. He places them on the counter top and makes sure that the spices are up to code (he can’t resist opening each spice bottle) to smell. The bonus for me is that little exercise eliminates the time I typically waste running back and forth to the pantry to get items as I need them.

Give them a grown-up task.

If I’m baking an apple pie, I let Will help me cut up the apples, and make a really big deal of it. At first I was terrified of the thought of him holding a knife. But then I realized, if I don’t teach him, who will? So, I set him up with his little Bjorn stool next to the counter so that he is high enough to be productive. I put a cutting board in front of him along with a quarter of an apple and give him a table knife to use. I demonstrate how to chop up the apple and he then follows suit on his own. It doesn’t matter if he makes a dog’s dinner of it – he feels like he’s contributing in a big way. Plus, it keeps him quiet and out of my hair for at least five to ten minutes! I always make a big deal out of including his bits into the mix.

Throw on an apron for good measure.

Kids love costumes and getting in character. Give them an apron and ask them to be your main chef. If you have a chef’s cap, all the better! You might find that they’ll take their duties more seriously if they are in character.

Let them do the mixing.

What kid doesn’t like turning on the electric mixer and going to town? Taking charge of the grown-up device with you standing by to help if needed is empowering and f-u-n.

Give them a few items to decorate if you can.

Whether you’re making blueberry muffins or gingerbread cookies – everything is more fun with a little flair. Give your littler helper permission to make the final product her own by adding a bit of flourish.

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Meet Alison Greenberg, Amazing Woman & Ovarian Cancer Survivor

Alicia — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:00:37 +0000

Meet Alison Greenberg, Amazing Woman & Ovarian Cancer Survivor

I want you to meet our close family friend, Alison Greenberg. Alison has always been an amazing woman. I am sure you know someone like her. She is the one with the most energy, the most enthusiasm for life and the one that everyone else counts on. Alison is a phenomenal wife, mother (2 grown kids) and friend. She lives in Los Angeles, California. Alison is also a 5 year stage 3 ovarian cancer survivor. She was kind enough to allow me to interview her. Lets help Alison and everyone else to raise money for the Ovarian Cancer Research fund by going to http://www.kelly-confidential.com/rd/0003/ and letting Electrolux give $1 for every vote cast in the Cake Off until February 19th.

Alicia: How were you diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer?

Alison: I had not been feeling well for months. I had sharp pains by my ovaries and had been to the doctor several times. They thought it might be a bladder infection or a gastro problem. This was July, 2004. It didn’t go away and in October it was getting much worse. I went back to the gastroenterologist. He was going to give me a test for something but as luck would have it his machine was broken and he said that we should do a cat scan instead just to be sure all was ok.

I had the cat scan and went to the internist for the results. I was alone because I certainly did not expect any bad news. There is no cancer in my family only heart disease. So there I was alone when the doctor told me (with tears in his eyes) that I had ovarian cancer and I would need surgery right away. It was October 2004. My surgery was in November and my treatments followed that. I was just 58.

Alicia: Where are you in your fight now?

Alison: I just celebrated 5 years of being CANCER FREE. I am at 3 months and 5 years to be exact.
For the first 5 years I went back to my surgeon every 4 months and the oncologist every 3 months. I have now graduated and now I see the surgeon every 6 months and the oncologist every 4 months. I also get a yearly cat scan. 50% of ovarian cancer patients have a reoccurrence so being vigilant about follow ups is a must.

Alicia: Why is raising money for Ovarian Cancer so important?

Alison: Ovarian cancer is very difficult to detect. By the time most women know they have it, it is too late. I feel very strongly that I want them to find means for early detection so more people can be survivors and have a great quality of life. Right now there is only a blood test (CA125) that is not very accurate with lots of false positives so it does not get used much. We need more. If we can do this we can save so many lives. That is why research money is so critical.

Alicia: What has being a cancer survivor taught you?

Alison: I have learned how incredible human beings are and how amazing my support system is. That is such a great gift.

I have also leaved that you need to be your own advocate. It you are a woman and you have abnormal bloating or pain in your ovaries. Go to the doctor and be your own advocate. Get answers and if you need to demand a cat scan. You need to look out for yourself and often you know if something is really wrong even when the doctors may not.

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Make Your Own Party Favor Lollipops

Amy Suardi — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:00:17 +0000

Make Your Own Party Favor Lollipops

by Amy Suardi of frugal-mama.com

The only problem with these lollipops is that they look so dang good that people think you just went out and bought them. So if you want to get credit for your efforts, I suggest either bragging shamelessly, writing “Made by Me” on the packaging, or making them kinda sloppily.

When my daughter was turning 5, we made these together (with her 4-year-old sister) for her Valentine-themed birthday party. We had a lovely time: the recipe is no-nonsense and the only non-supermarket ingredients are the lollipop sticks, which we found at a craft store. (Popsicle sticks could be substituted but wouldn’t be quite as elegant.)

Passion Pops

(adapted from Parents magazine)
Makes 16 pops.

15 caramel squares
32 vanilla wafers
16 lollipop sticks
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Valentine (or other) sprinkles

1. Unwrap caramels and melt them in the microwave according to the package instructions.

2. While the caramel is still warm, quickly spoon small dollops onto the 16 wafers. You may need to reheat the caramel mid-way.

3. Place a lollipop stick in the center of the caramel dollop, and top with another wafer to make a cookie sandwich.

4. Melt chocolate chips according to package instructions. (We used the microwave.) Dunk each cookie sandwich and allow the excess to drip away.

5. Decorate lollipops with sprinkles and set to dry on a wax-paper-lined cookie sheet.

6. Chill for 5 to 10 minutes or until firm.

Since we used these as party favors, we slipped the cooled pops into cellophane treat bags (also available at craft stores) and tied them with thin red ribbon.

They also look great sticking out of a vase or glass filled with red candies, like a bouquet of flowers.

For goodie bags, my daughter personalized paper lunch bags with crayon hearts. Children used them to carry home the Valentine’s cards they created at the party and a couple of lollipops, which they picked from a bowl before leaving.

Give Back To Ovarian Cancer Research:

9 Reasons I love The Cake Boss

Alicia — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:00:05 +0000

9 Reasons I love The Cake Boss

by Alicia Rockmore

I love the Cake Boss (Buddy). It is a show that we have a season pass to on our DVR and one that the whole family (me, Adam and our 8 year old, Lucy) loves watching. Now for the sake of full disclosure, we love Ace of Cakes with Duff Goldman on the Food Network as well and it is also ‘season passed.’ There is just something so interesting and amazing about watching the art (and yes, I mean art) of making these cakes. So with no further fan fare, here are the nine reasons I love The Cake Boss on TLC (in no particular order):

1. Buddy is a character – I love watching Buddy. He likes to complain and boss people around and he is just entertaining to listen to. Everyone is wrong. He is always right. Maybe because I have known people over the years like Buddy, but every time he goes on a rant, I laugh.

2. The Challenge Of “How Will They Do It – How will they make a ring box and a diamond ring cake? How will they recreate the buildings on Sesame Street (rice krispie treats)? I find that trying to guess how they will do it and make it happen in my head, is all part of the fun.

3. Where is the cake in the cake and does it taste good? Often the cakes have lots of components like modeling chocolate, fondant. I like to try to figure out what parts are cake and if the cake can possibly taste good. I have not idea but I have my doubts.

4. Family Dynamics Are Fun To Watch – The bakery is a family business and watching the family dynamics of everyone working together is just great theater.

5. Why Do People Want These Cakes & What Do They Cost? – Need I say more. How much do they cost and what makes these people decide to do them?

6. New Jersey – The Jersey Shore is a hit. The Sopranos was too. Watching shows based in the Garden State makes good TV.

7. Learn Things – I fancy myself as a ‘cook or baker when I want to be’ but that is not often. I find myself picking up tips (how to do an crumb layer of icing) that I tuck away (like money in the mattress) for when I might want to use them.

8. Watch Out Below – Everyone loves a falling cake. It is fun to watch and see what might go wrong. Will the cake fit in the truck? Will it melt? More often than not nothing happens but it is fun to see if it will. (tip: A great show for food disasters is Challenge on the Food Network. Great crashing cake disasters)

9. Final Reveal- I like the ending. Seeing the cake done and ready to be enjoyed by all!

The Event:

The flour was flying recently as self-proclaimed baking enthusiast Kelly Ripa and accomplished master baker and cake decorator Buddy Valastro, from TLC’s “Cake Boss,” joined forces at Manhattan’s trendy Chelsea Market to bake lavishly decorated layer cakes for a cause. The bake-off, held just in time for Valentine’s Day, was not a culinary throw-down; instead the pair was teaming up with Electrolux Appliances to host the first-ever Cake Off in support of the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.

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Modern Mom Cares And We Need YOUR Help Too!

Alicia — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:25:23 +0000

Modern Mom Cares And We Need YOUR Help Too!

Modern Mom is teaming with Electrolux http://www.kelly-confidential.com/rd/0003/ and a group of amazing women over the next two weeks to bring you:
(1) Interesting and useful posts that you will want to read
(2) EASY ways to help Ovarian Cancer Research

Who wouldn’t want to do that? Check back every day and you will find amazing new posts and be reminded of how you can help this great cause.

STOP.

Before you read even one word more, go to Kelly’s Cake Off, http://www.kelly-confidential.com/rd/0003/. You have now already helped to give $1 to support Ovarian Cancer Research. NOW….you can finish reading.

What Is Kelly’s Cakery?

Self-proclaimed baking enthusiast, Kelly Ripa, Buddy Valastro, from TLC’s “Cake Boss” and Electrolux are teaming up with a virtual campaign that offers Americans a sweet way to make a difference.
On February 9th, five teams of baking enthusiasts were invited to take part in Kelly’s Cake Off, http://www.kelly-confidential.com/rd/0003/where they used what they learned from Ripa and the Cake Boss, to decorate their own cakes. We need your help to select the winning cake and support a worthy cause. For every vote cast in the Cake Off, Electrolux will donate $1 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF).1

While you are there, get in on the decorating action and send your own masterpiece. Visit Kelly’s Cakery http://www.kelly-confidential.com/rd/0003/ to decorate and send your own special virtual cake to a friend, family member or loved one. For every cake sent, Electrolux will donate another $1 to OCRF.2 Plus, to help spread the word, everyone who sends a virtual cake will be automatically entered for a chance to win every baker’s dream: a stylish new Induction Range from Electrolux. The new induction range is perfect for melting chocolate and cooking delicate foods and sauces, more responsive than gas, and eco-friendly, too.

You can also check out top cake decorating tips and videos from Buddy. Even sign up to receive a call from Kelly on your birthday!

Visit Kelly Ripa’s “Cakery For a Cause” http://www.kelly-confidential.com/rd/0003/to support the fight against Ovarian Cancer.

About Ovarian Cancer:

Ovarian Cancer is the second most common gynecologic cancer.
Ovarian cancer causes more deaths than any other gynecologic cancer.

About Ovarian Cancer Research Fund:

The mission of the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund is to fund research to find a method of early detection and ultimately a cure for Ovarian Cancer. In support of our mission, we help patients and their loved ones understand the disease and its treatment, and provide outreach programs to raise public awareness. The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization.

PLEASE DO THIS NOW:

1 Electrolux will donate $1 for every day you log in or register and vote in Kelly’s Cake Off for a Cause and every day you log in or register and send a virtual cake to a friend with a minimum of $30,000 and a maximum of $40,000.

2 Electrolux will donate $1 for every day you log in or register and vote in Kelly’s Cake Off for a Cause and every day you log in or register and send a virtual cake to a friend with a minimum of $30,000 and a maximum of $40,000.

Cooks in the Kitchen

Sarah — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:00:27 +0000

Cooks in the Kitchen

By Kerry Lyons of http://lyonsdentriplets.blogspot.com/.

Although they are only a year old, our little Cubs are making their presence known and it is already painfully clear that there are far too many cooks in our kitchen! Dinner at our house, like dinner in most houses, is a chaotic time of the day… especially during the week. Here’s a typical scenario:

5:45 I get home from work

5:46 The babysitter runs for the train… like a bat out of hell, if I do say so myself!

5:47 I find myself literally pulled to the floor, under attack by five snot-nosed kids, all of whom are tired, hungry and in desperate need of attention. As I try to squeeze all of them onto my lap, they are knocked off by Finny, our very own big red dog, who then plunks his 80-lb rear right onto my dry-clean-only pants. I know I should be completely focused on the tykes before me but, I can’t help but wonder how much it will cost to get the snot, drool and dog hair removed from my work clothes.

5:55 I shake myself loose from the pile-up leaving a trail of angry, needy tots in my wake. I head to the kitchen in search of the leftovers I plan to reheat for dinner. Much to my dismay, they have disappeared and while I dig around hopefully searching for Plan B to appear in the Netherlands of the fridge, I feel several small bodies pressing against me, pushing the door open wider. Before anyone can say “what’s for dinner?!”, Kevin, Declan and Cormac have removed the motley collection of jams, mustards, dressings and sauces from the refrigerator door and have begun a jolly game of “Condiment Bowling”.

6:05 With the refrigerator door stripped bare, my eyes are drawn to the only remaining option for dinner tonight… Dinner Eggs! Again! The kids start whooping with joy at the time-honored family favorite of “breakfast for dinner.” It is at this point that Des gets home from work… wondering, once again, how it is that he ended up with a wife whose only specialty is Dinner Eggs.

6:15 Dinner is served! Scrambled eggs, whole wheat toast (with the jam I have now reclaimed from the babies), bananas and OJ… Bon Appetit!

As Finny diligently cleans up the crumbs on the floor, I finally exhale. It is now 6:45 and we’ve survived another weeknight dinner. It may not have been a gourmet meal but, in my book, it met all the basic nutritional requirements — with the added bonus of only ten minutes of prep time and the satisfaction of five contenders for the “clean plate club.”

In our house, dessert is the just reward for a clean plate… and, though it’s rare, the best of all possible desserts is cake! Assuming that you like to have your cake and eat it too, please visit to vote in the Cake Off — Kelly Ripa’s Cake Off For A Cause http://www.kelly-confidential.com/rd/0003/ Electrolux is donating $1 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund for every vote so, go vote and urge your pals to do the same!