As in the book, Bur Bur loves to go fishing, but he also enjoys eating several fish entrees, including his favorite “pink fish” – salmon.

Here is one of Bur Bur’s favorites – it is simple, healthy and he loves it!

Ingredients:
Organic salmon filet
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Ground pepper

Rinse the organic salmon filet in cold water and pat dry. Rub it with olive oil, season it with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Sear it on a cast-iron pan in the oven at 500◦ for 5-10 minutes or until done (the fish flakes with a fork).

That’s all there is to it!

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By JoAnne Pastel, President and founder, Farmer’s Hat Productions co-author Bur Bur and Friends book series

I will admit it: I am an advocate of organic foods. I worry about health and the safety of the food we eat – and especially what my son eats. I simply get more peace-of-mind thinking that the organic products are free of the pesticides, non-organic fertilizers, hormones and antibiotics that are used in conventional food production.

Organic defined
The USDA says that:

Organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge, bioengineering or ionizing radiation. All organic food must come from farms and processing plants that are certified by the government.

Did you read that last part about “synthetic ingredients,” “sewage sludge” and “ionizing radiation”?!?

In fact, a report by the Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that organic foods are no safer or nutritious than other foods. And the USDA doesn’t actually guarantee that organic is safer or more nutritious than non-organic. It simply certifies that the organic foods can limit your child’s exposure to pesticides and other potential contaminants in foods.

But to me as a mom, these things just do not sound safe or healthy. I am not really concerned about whether organic is more nutritious as some advocates claim, but I do like the claims that it is more environmentally-friendly. And I get more reassurance that with organic foods, I am helping aid the healthy development of my son’s growing brain and body.

It’s actually an emotional topic for many parents… I guess what it comes down to for our family is that I am choosing the widest margin of safety I can when it comes to organic vs. non-organic.

That doesn’t mean that I don’t indulge in a Dairy Queen malt or KFC every once in awhile, but my goal is to keep making choices that make our diets as high-quality as possible, as often as possible.

What do you think about organic vs. non-organic? Any comments are welcome!

P.S.: One important thing to note: “Natural” doesn’t always mean organic. Only the USDA Organic label certifies that a food is truly organic.

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By Kakie Fitzsimmons, Vice President and founding partner, Farmer’s Hat Productions co-author Bur Bur and Friends book series

As a mom it is really hard sometimes to pick your battles. (”How many times do I have to ask you to put your shoes on before you actually do it?”). Here are some strategies that seem have been successful for me. Hopefully they will work for you too. (more…)

By Kakie Fitzsimmons, Vice President and founding partner, Farmer’s Hat Productions co-author Bur Bur and Friends book series

I recall when my son had his first bike with training wheels. His initial attempt at using it was on a beautiful day for February in Minnesota.. It took about 20 minutes for him to figure out how to use the pedals.

He was getting very discouraged and frustrated – “OH - I can’t do this!” he would yell. I kept saying calmly, “Yes, you can do this, you can do it, and you just have to keep trying. Do you remember what perseverance means?”

He responded, “Yes, when you keep on keeping on, even when it is hard.” He was gripping the handles and ducking his head down towards them with concentration. Pretty soon he was saying over and over with determination, “I can do it, I can do it, I can do it.” Then it turned louder, “MOMMY! I’m doing it! I CAN, I AM doing this!”

There I was, reveling in the experience, cheering him on, knowing it was HIS moment. If there was ever a time to be fully present in that short time span and experience the joy in it, this was it. I was running behind him as he got it and the only way I can explain it was that my heart was truly smiling along with the ear-to-ear smiles on both of our faces. I had my hands high in the air and I was cheering, “Yaay!! I just KNEW you would do it Isaiah! I am so proud of you – you have perseverance.” To which he proudly said while nodding his head; “Yep, I have perseverance! I did it all myself!” He sure did. He was riding forward from being a preschooler to a boy.

As I reflect back on it, I realize that the experience was a symbol of him coming into his own independence and my growth as a parent in allowing that to happen naturally while celebrating it. Seeing his confidence blossom in those 20 minutes was an absolutely joyful, priceless experience.

I hope this blog offers other moms the opportunity to share their special stories and thoughts on the preschool years… And the balancing act of enjoying their achievements, but having to let go as they develop and grow!

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Bur Bur enjoys jokes and loves to laugh. Here are several of his favorite “Knock Knock” jokes:

1) Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Duane
Duane who?
Duane the bathtub please!

2) Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Sid
Sid who?
Sid down, you’re rocking the boat!

3) Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Ken
Ken who?
KEN YOU HEAR ME?!?!?

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At a recent routine trip to the pediatrician, my child’s doctor brought up the Body Mass Index (BMI). The BMI is a calculation that uses height and weight to estimate how much body fat a person has.

According to the pediatrician, the primary school years can set the foundation for a lifetime of eating habits. He also said that the main influence on diet and lifestyle in the early years is the parents.

If that is true, this will be an interesting one in our family: I am a health-conscious, organic food proponent – and my husband is a busy, on-the-go executive who is used to business lunches, eating out a lot, and chowing down peanut M&Ms and ice cream if he hasn’t had a chance to eat anything all day.

That said, instead of worrying about obesity and heart disease and other potential health problems, maybe the perspective is that my son will gain a balanced approach to food – i.e., healthy meals for the most part, with an occasional treat.

With so much pressure as a mom to make sure that our children are happy and healthy, it can get overwhelming trying to cover all of the bases! But I realized that rather than stress about where my son is on the BMI, I need to put it into context.

Medical experts admit that the BMI is not a perfect method, but it is a good barometer to check on how a child is growing over time. Also, as my friend pointed out, kids gain weight at certain times in their development – many times before a growth spurt.

If others have any tips for fostering a healthy lifestyle from an early age, forward them here! As many news reports indicate, childhood obesity and inactivity is a major issue in the United States.

Eating healthy and making sure my son gets plenty of exercise is the way to go!

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A recent study by the NPD market research group found that peanut butter and jelly is the #1 sandwich of choice for kids. My son would choose PB&J every day if he could, but I’ve been trying to “expand his culinary horizons” with some other sandwich choices…

Here are some that have passed the preschool taste test at our house:

Chicken pita wrap
• Fill a 6-inch pita bread with a mixture of chopped, cooked chicken, finely chopped apple or pear, with a dab of light mayonnaise. Tightly wrap and chill until ready to serve.

Ham-wich
• Arrange a slice of low fat ham, a slice of Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, some shredded lettuce, and a tablespoon of Ranch dressing on a flour tortilla. Roll up, tightly wrap, and chill until ready to serve.

Cookie-Cutter Sandwiches
• Let kids make their own special sandwiches by piling on deli meat (turkey, ham, roast beef), cheese, mustard, lettuce and tomato slices on wheat bread. Get out some fun cookie cutters and help them cut their sandwiches into stars, hearts or other shapes with cookie cutters. Kids enjoy creating their own special sandwich and the shapes make them more fun to eat!

Mini sandwiches
• Stack whole grain crackers with low-fat cheese slices and ham or turkey.

Apple pie sandwiches
• Mix cream cheese, walnuts, chopped celery (optional), apple and cinnamon. Spread on two slices of raisin bread. Enjoy!

If you have other ideas for creative and kid-approved sandwiches, please pass them along and post them here! I am always looking to find “out of the lunchbox” ideas!

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