Looking for an, er, interesting way to celebrate the 4th of July holiday this year? How about with food! Sure food will play a crucial role in your celebration--it generally does--but why not toss things up a bit this time around, and even make it fun for the kids?

We're considering doing a menu of all red, white and blue foods. Yes, blue foods. Now we all know there are no naturally occurring blue foods--unless you count blueberries amongst your tally--but it's a fun treasure hunt to think of and then collect foods that are blue (if not naturally so) along with their easier to uncover red and white versions, all in the name of patriotism.

Red foods include strawberries, tomatoes--if you're feeling adventurous, and I'm decidedly not this holiday weekend--as well as cherries and various other kinds of fruit. One could twist on that and include red meat in the menu along with ketchup. White foods, while not that healthy, are in abundance. You have white bread, potatoes (and therefore potato salad?) as well as eggs (sans the yolk), milk, yogurt and various kinds of cheese. You could also go the white meat route with this one. And the blue foods? Well, other than the blueberry and some types of edible flowers, the only blue foods I can think of are Popsicles and Icees. You could dye pasta blue, as I did once, for blue pasta salad, but I don't think anyone would eat it. There are also blue potatoes and blue Terra Chips as well as blue corn tortilla chips. Dessert could always be blue--no one seems to fear blue icing.

Can you think of any 'blue' foods to include at a picnic or celebration this Fourth of July?

Pic of blue eggs by the_moog.

When he was younger, my nephew managed to shove a pea so far up his nostril that he ended up spending several hours in the emergency room while the doctors and nurses tried to get it out. Eventually, they did. Not long after, however, he did it again. Luckily, this time, his mom was able to get it out and avoid another trip to the ER.

Apparently, my nephew isn't the only one to have tried this stunt. MomLogic has a list of the top ten things kids stick up their noses, along with the dangers and what to do about them. French fries are not one I would have expected to see on the list, but Crayons -- the same shape and size -- certainly are. Scarily, Kleenex is on the list, since young children may not quite get it that the tissue is supposed to stay on the outside.

Of course, the classic pea is there, along with its cousin the bean. Interestingly, jelly beans are not on the list -- I know my sister once came to the revelation that jelly beans would fit perfectly in her dog's nostrils; luckily she never actually tested her theory. The important thing here, I guess, is that you always have to keep a close eye on your kids -- and their noses.

Diplomats in Geneva recently set new limits on the amount of certain kinds of bacteria allowable in baby formula as well as the level of natural toxins in some types of nuts. They also tackled the amount of gluten permissible in products labeled 'gluten-free.' The safety standards will apply to all internationally shipped foods.

The outcome of the standards is to hopefully affect hygiene practices and therefore reduce the amount of contamination of two kinds of bacteria in powdered formulas which have been known to cause illness and death in infants. Foods labeled gluten-free would not be able to contain more than 20 milligrams of gluten per kilogram, nor could they contain wheat, rye, barley or oats. Regulations were also set for the amounts of aflotoxins in almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios. Aflotoxins are known carcinogens in lab animals.

Over 170 countries claim membership to The Codex Alimentarius Commission responsible for making these decision, which also includes the European Union. Other topics for consideration are frozen foods, flavoring, tomatoes (no surprise there given the United States' recent issues with them) and mineral water.

It's officially summer. To me that means long evenings, watermelon and picnics. Preferably watermelon served all day at the picnic and into the long evening. While I never grow tired of picnic food--burgers, potato salad and pasta salad come to mind--by the end of the summer many people do. The Minimalist over at the New York Times has compiled a list of 101 ideas to ratchet your picnic dining experience up a notch. I was interested enough in trying something new to give the menu a glance, but my critical eye looked for easy, simple recipes and ingredients I'd be able to both pronounce and unearth at a local supermarket while still tending to my number one job, being a mom.

Some of the recipes are familiar or simple enough. Make egg salad and add curry powder to make curried egg salad. That sounds yummy. If I had kids old enough to eat egg salad they might freak out though. The cornflake chicken bites seem more the kid-speed. If you're going to take the time to make fried chicken you might as well throw cornflakes on it and make it bite-sized for your little ones. I would definitely give that one a try. Other recommendations include some that can be store-bought, which is simpler and easier if not cheaper. My aunt never arrives to any event without a deli-bought relish tray. Does it really make a difference if she or someone else is cutting up the vegetables? I don't think so--they crunch just the same.

The 101 ideas provide something for everyone and some recipes are easy enough to make, to modify or to buy at the store. That makes for a good picnic. The kids might be confused by the non-picnic basics though. Worst case scenario? Make some of these for the adults and stick with the hotdogs and burgers for the kids. But perhaps try to get them to try some egg salad with curry in it, just for fun. Jsut don't forget the watermelon.

What about you? Any great ideas for a little something different at the picnic that even the kids will enjoy?

Do you know what's for dinner? Mom and blogger Stephanie O'Dea does, and chances are she's cooking it in one of her five Crock-Pots. In January of this year, Stephanie made a New Year's resolution that she would cook at least one meal a day using a Crock-Pot. Not only has she stuck to her commitment, she's created a blog to share her experience and her recipes. A Year of CrockPotting (misspelled to catch the Google searches) details her menu hits (Original Crock-Pot Taco Soup) and misses (Overnight Quinoa and Brown Rice Pudding).

Stephanie's resolution recently caught the attention of famous kitchen diva Rachael Ray, where Stephanie got a chance to show her stuff. The show will air July 23rd, where she'll show Ray's viewers how to make Crock-Pot creme brulee. I had the opportunity to talk to Stephanie this week about her experience on the show, as well as her year of Crock-Potting and she had a lot of good stuff to share with ParentDish readers.

I'm one of those moms that cares a lot about the food my family eats. Even as food costs rise, we've cut back in other areas in our budget so that we can continue to buy organic and locally grown meat and produce.

But by far, the most important thing I do to ensure that my family eats healthy, well-balanced meals is to COOK. That is why I found myself particularly peeved as I read a Time Magazine cover story entitled "How America's Children Packed on the Pounds."

In summing up the answer to the dilemma presented in the cover story title, the author describes "a long multifront war" on childhood obesity as such: "Parents are fighting it in the home....... Policymakers are fighting it as they study the growing body of research..... Doctors are fighting it as they deal daily with the ills associated with childhood obesity. And perhaps most important, teachers, mentors, and public role models are fighting it as they help kids navigate a culture that fosters fat but idealizes thin....".

Teachers, mentors, and public role models are the most important front in this war??!! I have a serious problem with the assigned hierarchy. In fact, this mentality, which inevitably leads to millions of wasted tax dollars, makes my blood boil!

A child's food preferences, habits, and his/her relationship with food are determined at HOME. Teachers, mentors, and public role models (whatever that means) can do precious little once the mold is set.

If America thinks that real solutions to childhood obesity lie in government campaigns such as the $125 million "VERB" campaign aimed at preteens and featuring Miley Cyrus, they are either grossly naive or, more likely, in serious denial. The campaign's budget was eventually slashed, which Time Magazine described as the government "dropping the ball."

Actually, parents are the ones "dropping the ball." We don't need another million-dollar government study to figure out that childhood obesity increased at about the same time that the once sacred family meal became optional and even non-existent in some homes.

If your child is a latch-key kid who heats up his dinner in the microwave or if eating take-out in the car on the way to soccer practice has replaced good food and conversation around the family table, you may have a genuinely good reason for your family's meal arrangements. And that's fine by me.

My problem is not with your particular arrangement (to each his own), but rather with our national denial. We blame McDonalds, school lunches, commercials, video games, the government -- the list goes on.

To combat childhood obesity, kids don't need government funded celebrity campaigns or mentors as much as they need parents who take the time to plan and cook nutritious meals that family members are expected to attend.

Why do we insist on complicating things so much? It's the family meal, stupid.

For more information about Rachel, visit her website at www.rachelcamposduffy.com.

Would you use the new milk jug? Or, are you wedded to the cardboard cartons of what is soon to be the past? I remember when I was a kid and we got milk delivered to our house every week in a glass bottle. Nothing tasted more refreshing. By the time I was a teen those days were gone and we got cartons. Now, those cartons are being replaced by something less expensive to produce and more environmentally sound.

Sound good? It is. Still, the new concept has some consumers fuming, or at least perplexed. The problem with the new milk jug is that it SPILLS. Kids drink more milk than anybody, and this new design, being favored by places like Wal-Mart and Costco, which is becoming more available by the day, is not easy to use.

Kids have trouble pouring anyway, but the new milk jug, so foreign in its design to many, makes that simple task more manageable. Some sellers have taken it upon themselves to educate consumers on the how-to, to make pouring from the jug easier. Folks still are a little unnerved by the square shape of the jug--and they're not convinced the same old milk is in there. I had the same problem with Parmalat. Now I love it, but it was hard getting used to it at first.

What about you? Had any experience with the new milk? And???

Lesley Porcelli over at Gourmet isn't a mom yet, but she's well on her way and pondering what kind of eater her kid will be. Like a lot of non-parents, she readily admits that she has strong opinions about successful parenting, particularly when it comes to feeding the child. And when it comes to picky eaters, Porcelli is pretty sure that parents are to blame.

Her theory goes something like this: If the whole family sits down to eat together and nobody makes a big deal out of what is on the plate, the kid will happily chow down without complaint. If a parent assumes the kid wouldn't touch a lasagna with a ten foot pole and therefore doesn't bother to offer it, chances are good that the kid will subsist on nuggets and fries until maturity.

I think Porcelli has it only partly right. Kids aren't blank slates waiting to be molded into actual people. Even as they try their first bites of solid food, they are individuals with their own likes and dislikes. From her first bite of pureed chicken as a baby, my Ellie disliked meat. She gobbled up the fruits and veggies, but spat out anything that tasted of animal. I don't know if her aversion was about texture or taste, but to this day she would sooner eat a plate of green beans than a bite of chicken. For Ellie, it isn't about not wanting to try new foods (she loves crab cakes and calamari), she just doesn't like meat.

That said, I do think parents can - and should - influence what foods their child will consume. The old "just take one bite" routine works well for us and is the reason we can all enjoy a plate of calamari together. But in the end, I don't worry too much about my picky eater. After all, I lived off bologna and mustard sandwiches as a kid and I survived just fine.

Breastfeeding ain't easy. While it's clearly the best choice, in general, for a baby's nutritional needs, it can be difficult. That's why it's so important for doctors and hospitals to encourage and support new mothers in breastfeeding and why access to an experienced lactation consultant is critical in those first hours and days after giving birth.

Unfortunately, a lot of women in Canada don't breastfeed their babies and now there will be two less lactation consultants for the women giving birth at Burnaby hospital outside Vancouver, British Columbia. Consultants Renee Hefti-Graham and Linda Good resigned after the Nestle Corporation organized a presentation -- featuring cocktails and dinner -- at the local Hilton hotel. The presentation was to be about baby nutrition and formula which violates the World Health Organization's 981 International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes.

The two consultants quit after their manager said the guidelines from the WHO on the promotion of breastfeeding by hospitals were just "propaganda" and would not denounce the presentation. "We just didn't feel supported," said Hefti-Graham. All moms should be given as much support, training, and encouragement as they need to help them breastfeed if they can. That a hospital would participate in an event like the Nestle presentation that clearly violates the WHO marketing code is a very sad state of affairs. Hopefully, they can changes to be more in line with the WHO and the needs of the babies they deliver.

Like any good mom, Gail Jordan wanted to do something special for her son's 21st birthday. Her idea was to put a picture of her son, David, on a birthday cake. The kicker? David, who was five months old in the picture, was not wearing a diaper, so you could see his bum in the picture. The mom with a good sense of humor thought they'd have a laugh--boy was she wrong.

The Asda grocery where Gail requisitioned the cake flat out refused to produce the dessert, saying the nudie pic constituted child pornography. The powers that be (were?) at the Asda finally acquiesced and let Gail use the picture, but only after they put a Perez Hilton-like censor over the bare bum. Gail didn't have time to get another cake made up so she settled for the star-covered bum bake.

Gail said she understood the rules but that common sense should also play a part in the decision. As she points out, the world is full of ads featuring baby bottoms--namely, those for diapers and wipes. I can't imagine what Asda would make of the Coppertone ads from my childhood, where a little dog is pulling down the bikini bottom of a young blonde girl, who, by the way, wasn't even wearing a top!

You may say tomato and I may say to-mah-to, but for a while there last week, tomato lovers were ready to call the whole thing off. Salmonella saintpaul, an unusual strain of the bacteria, has sickened nearly 200 people in at least 17 states and has been linked to tainted tomatoes.

Slate explains how tomatoes can become contaminated with salmonella, a bacteria that lives only in the intestinal tracts of humans and animals. In general, the most common culprits are contaminated water supplies, manure, or run-off. Though tomatoes get a good washing before they're packaged for sale, when the surface of the tomato is compromised -- such as when it's picked from the vine or sliced with a knife -- the bacteria (if it's present) can get inside, which means no amount of washing is going to help.

Washing can eliminate a large portion of bacteria, as well as dirt and pesticides. In fact, most health experts recommend washing your produce in cool water, drying completely, then storing immediately in the refrigerator (if the food in question is meant to stay cool). They also suggest that you throw produce away when it starts to go bad. Though this won't necessarily protect a person from an outbreak like the ones we've seen recently, it's still good food hygiene.

Depending on who you talk to, Summer officially started yesterday evening. In short order, the street fairs and other summer festivals are set to make their debuts, if they haven't already. Amidst all the fun, thrills and excitement, the lights and sounds--and smells--of the fairs, there's another main reason people of all ages travel to such things: The food. It's deep-fried, a lot of it, it's greasy, and it sure is tasty. It also presents some precariousness for a parent of a child with a serious food allergy. After all, who knows what exactly is in that stuff? Most of the time, we'd rather enjoy it and not know.

Dr. Amal H. Assa'ad, a member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology warns parents to inspect every molecule of food their children may come in contact with, and recommends children with severe allergies such as peanuts and tree nuts carry an Epi-pen with then at all times. I would add to that, from personal experience (I have one of these life-threatening allergies) that you SHOULD ALWAYS WEAR YOUR MEDICAL EMERGENCY ID BRACELET. As my CPR instructor noted, if my throat is closed up and I can't speak, and I'm not wearing my bracelet, no one is going to know I have a nut allergy and to give me the Epi-pen shot.

I hate to say this too, but parents should consider packing and bringing snacks they know are safe to any event, whether it be a potluck or a street fair. Sure, the food is tempting, but most of the people selling it didn't make it, don't know what's in it--oils, for example, are known to be terrible allergens but most servers don't know if what they're serving was made with peanut oil or soy oil--and don't understand how severe the consequences can be when the provide misinformation. Bringing your own food is sure to be healthier, too. Dr. Assa'ad also recommends that parents who suspect a child may have any sort of allergy get it checked out immediately. Honestly, as a kid, I never did. I just had the reaction and we thought, ok, we'll avoid that FOREVER. It's not a great way to navigate through the endless purveyors of things that smell delicious, but could be deadly.

Parenthood is definitely an ongoing lesson in generosity. As the parent of two small children -- one who is only 4 months old, one who will be three in August -- my days at home with them revolve entirely around their needs and their schedules. I sometimes think it's the most challenging aspect of motherhood: the fact that I often can no longer do what I want, when I want. Like when I want to lie on the couch and flip through a magazine and instead I have to "feed" and "care for" the kids, GOD.

I feel like I'm getting fairly adept at striking a good balance between my own pursuits and child-wrangling -- catching up on freelance work during naptimes, hitting the gym when Daddy can take over for a while, reading books during that one solitary minute between when my head hits the pillow at night and I fall into a slack-jawed, drooling coma -- and while I may sometimes begrudge the unexpected intrusions on such beloved activities as watching Battlestar Galactica without interruption (I tried to introduce a diaper-pooping and bottle-demanding moratorium between 9 and 10 PM on Fridays but the baby totally blew me off) I have to confess there's one particular aspect of parenthood where I have not been able to find my reserves of motherly selflessness, and that is this:

I hate sharing my meals.

There! I said it. I hate sharing my meals with my toddler. I know, could I BE more greedy and selfish and downright miserly? Next I'll be saying how I hate sharing my precious, precious oxygen, and could he breathe somewhere else, that'd be super.

Really, though, I prepare specific diet-friendly amounts of food for my meals, and when my kid gleefully ignores his delicious fattening macaroni and cheese that I would dearly LOVE to eat with my bare hands in favor of picking pieces of tofu out of my low-cal stir fry -- the very same tofu he flat-out refuses to touch if it's offered to him on his own plate -- well, what can I say, I HATE THAT. Ditto: the banana slices in my cereal, pieces of my rice cake, spoonfuls of my yogurt. I love my kid and honestly I would and do give him anything within reason but still: DUDE STOP BOGARTING MY FOOD.

Does your kid do this too? Or do you not notice, because why would you care if your sweet child wanted some of your food, it's not like you're some kind of SELFISH HAG.

Hey moms and dads -- give yourself a pat on the back. The NPD group recently found that fruit is now the number one snack food for kids under the age of 6, bumping cookies -- a longtime favorite -- out of their number one slot.

They also found that, in general, parents are making subtle changes to feed their children healthier foods at snack times. Compared to moms who participated in the survey in 1987, today's moms are less likely to serve their kids soft drinks, cookies, cake and fruit juice. Because kids are often grazers, snacks make up a large portion of their daily calories, so what they're eating at snack time is important.

Popular snacks today include yogurt, fruit, granola bars, bottled water, and fruit snacks. Health experts say that while snack food choices are improving, we still clearly have a lot of work to do, because nearly everything on that list is highly processed. Some nutritionists would like to see parents re-think snack foods altogether, and feed more meal-like foods at snack time instead.

For a few healthy snack ideas, check out the gallery below. What's your child's favorite snack time food?

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When I was a teenager, I hung out a lot in San Francisco's famous Japantown where my compatriots and I would descend on the American Fish market for a Wonder Bar. Looking back, I'm not sure if it was so much the ice cream or the company of the girls in our group, but I sure have a fond spot in my memory for the Wonder Bar.

I suspect most people have a similar story of a childhood favorite. If you weren't lucky enough to live near J-town, you may have had roaming gangs of ice cream trucks in your neighborhood. These days, those trucks are not so common anymore but you can still get a whole host of similar treats in your grocer's freezer section. WGAL in Pennsylvania took a look at some of the ice cream novelties available and rated them on flavor, appearance, and overall impression. Sadly, the Eskimo Pie Dark Chocolate bar, which sounds so promising, did not fare well, but something called the Blue Bunny Vanilla Champ! Cone did -- it took highest honors.

The test didn't include the Wonder Bar but hopefully it will provide you with some important info when faced with the selection at the store.