My six-year-old daughter loves oven roasted Jerusalem artichokes, and that’s a good thing, since they have taken over our garden. I call Jerusalem artichokes our survival food, as they grow so easily, spread like wildfire, and are ready for eating throughout the winter and early spring.  Sure, they are a pain to clean, but that is a small price to pay for a homegrown meal in the winter.  My family will never starve, as we always have Jerusalem artichokes.

Jerusalem artichokes are not artichokes, and they do not come from Jerusalem.   They are often called sunchokes, as the plant grows very tall in the summer and blooms a golden flower.  Sunchokes are native to the eastern US and were first cultivated by Native Americans, although they don’t take much cultivation, in my experience.  According to Wikipedia, “Jerusalem artichokes have 650 mg. potassium per 1 cup (150g) serving. They are also high in iron, and contain 10-12% of the RDA of fiber, niacin, thiamine, phosphorus and copper.”  Jerusalem artichokes offer an important source of potassium for those trying to follow the 100 Mile Diet and thus avoiding bananas.

Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes 

Wash and cut the tubers into about 1/2-1 inch pieces, the more uniform, the better.  Place the cut sunchokes in a glass baking pan and drizzle with olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.  Add crushed garlic (2-3 cloves for a 9″  x  13″ pan). Read more »

Sometimes I think I’m like most parents: I want my kids to have a childhood, a real childhood. I don’t expect it to be pain-free — who among us got that? — but I believe it can also be filled with wonder and joy and laughter.

There are plenty of other times, however, that I feel like I’m not like any other parent I know. We restrict television to some carefully-chosen videos. My kids have never walked through the door of a McDonald’s, and they still have no idea what a Happy Meal is. They don’t use the computer. I regularly weed out the many Disney princess products that are given as gifts, crossing my fingers that my daughter won’t notice a toy’s sudden absence (she usually doesn’t).

What’s my problem? other parents sometimes ask. What’s the big deal?

To me, the big deal is this: there’s just something that feels wrong marketing products — most of them bad for kids — to children who are too young to understand what an advertisement is. There’s something offensive about turning a child into a consumer.

That’s why I was excited when I got an email from a fellow parent inviting me to participate in Healthy Children, Healthy Planet, a 7-part class series from the Northwest Earth Institute.

Read more »

Baby Logic DVD - Early Development (Anti-ADHD/ADD)

Delightfully cheerful music accompanies baby fun shapes while introducing the ABC’s and 123’s! It’s what babies want to hear and see, and what you want them to learn!

Bliss Living: Diaper Bags, Baby Gifts, Designer Diaper Bags, Free Shipping.

Other than the human voice, music is the original interactive medium. It remains the most beneficial learning resource for newborns, infants and babies today. For maximum brain development, babies require appropriate stimulation, and special care must be paid to avoid over-stimulating them. Over-stimulation may lead to other problems down the road, most notably, ADD. Therefore, high-quality music that is age-appropriate and effective is the best way to give a baby the proper start in life.