I am not sure about most families but we officially end our summer on Labor Day weekend. We all gather together at my uncle’s place in the mountains and celebrate with great food, family and friends. People from all over migrate to this small town carrying a covered dish and most also bring a musical instrument. While there will be some sitting around making music, some will be making food however all will be making memories.

With the beginning of fall we start planning our trip to the pumpkin farm. The kids talking excitedly about what kind of pumpkin they want that year, what costume they will wear and what parties they hope to attend and most of all what kind of treat we will prepare the day after Halloween. We started this tradition several years ago when the kids were little and they would bring in way more candy than they needed. “What do you do with all of the candy?” was something that we were always asking. So, we started making bar cookies the day after. Each child gets to pick out a cereal and some candy to make their bars with — things like Mom’s Best Naturals Oats & Honey Blend and Snickers, or Mom’s Best Naturals Honey Nut Toasty O’s and M&Ms. The possibilities are endless in the types of combinations you can come up with and the bars never turn out the same.

The time spent in the kitchen together is priceless. My kitchen is the hub of our home. It is well used and looks it. I remember once my son was asked what his favorite food was, and his answer? Anything my Mom makes. That makes me proud. It also swells my heart to know that my kids would rather come home for a meal than to eat out with their friends and that most of their friends would also rather be in the kitchen with us. So as our summer comes to a close and we draw together as a family and embrace our friends along with us I hope that you will join together as we prepare for many more days of “making memories” that lie ahead.

Elizabeth landed in NYC armed with her Mom’s Best Flip Cam, and spent the weekend chatting with bloggers about their favorite parts of the famed conference. Here are some of their responses:

Dietitian Elizabeth Ward recommends making sure your kids keep their energy and brain power up by going back to basics. She suggests starting the day with a mix of complex carbs and protein – think whole grain cereal with milk – and including additional proteins and fruit in their lunch bag.

Check out the video below for more of Elizabeth’s tips on packing nutrient-rich lunches and snacks to ensure that healthy eating will last all year long!

Breakfast

Breakfast is arguably the most important meal of the day.  Your child’s brain requires a constant flow of energy, also known as glucose. Breakfast helps replenish the nutrients the body called upon during the night to keep it running, and jump starts your child’s day.

Eating breakfast also prevents hunger that distracts kids from learning in the classroom.  Research shows that children who eat breakfast tend to have better short-term memory than their counterparts who do not eat the morning meal. But it’s not just any old breakfast that bolsters brain function in kids – studies suggest that consuming very high-calorie meals in the morning impairs concentration.

Use the morning meal as an opportunity to work in at least one of the three suggested daily servings of whole grains, which are relatively lower in calories and richer in fiber than their highly refined counterparts, such as doughnuts and packaged breakfast pastries.

A serving of whole grain cereals, such as those found in Mom’s Best Naturals cereals, keeps calories under control and helps the body to better regulate blood glucose levels, providing your child’s brain with a steady energy supply. Whole grains are also rich in B vitamins, necessary for constructing brain cells, and for the production of neurotransmitters, compounds in the brain that help nerve cells to communicate with each other.

Since children typically douse their cereal with milk, breakfast is a way to include dairy products. Dairy foods are packed with protein, which helps to keep kids fuller for longer, and they provide B vitamins.  Eggs are also an excellent protein source and a top supplier of choline, a compound associated with better memory.

Lunch

Your child loves PB&J sandwiches and wants one in his lunch box every day. How does the All-American sandwich fare as brain food? Pretty well, actually.

Nut butters, and seed butters, such as sunflower seed butter, are great sources of healthy fats, and they supply vitamin E, which protects cells, including those in the nervous system and brain, from damage. To boost nutrition, make nut and seed butter sandwiches with grated carrots, California raisins, or sliced bananas, and whole grain bread.

Your mother told you fish was brain food (well, my mother did, anyway) and she was right. Fish is an excellent source of the omega-3 fat DHA, which is essential to brain development. Research suggests that people who consume higher amounts of omega-3 fats perform better on tests of their mental skills. Canned light tuna is a safe, nutritious choice for kids, but how about trying salmon instead? Salmon is a stellar source of DHA.  Prepare salmon salad sandwiches on whole grain rolls for a change of pace.

Lean roast beef is an excellent sandwich filling choice. It’s filled with protein, and with a form of iron that is highly absorbable by the body. Iron helps kids stay energized and is crucial to nervous system and brain health.

Snacks

It’s tempting to rely on snack chips and sugary beverages when you’re packing snacks during the hectic morning rush or when your child insists on these low-nutrient goodies.  Mom, resist the urge!

Children get about 25 percent of their calories from snacks. That’s why snacks should be regarded as mini meals, and not as treats.

Send snacks to school that combine complex carbohydrate and protein so that your child’s brain gets the energy it needs, and he stays fuller for longer. Here are some suggestions:

• Hummus, sunflower seed butter, or peanut butter and baby carrots

• Trail mix made with Mom’s Best Naturals cereal, nuts or sesame seeds, and dried fruit

• Yogurt and fruit

• Sliced apple and cheddar cheese

Happy Eating!

Liz Ward

I have always encouraged imagination and creativity through play, as it’s not only fun, but educational too. If you give the kids a few supplies and a starter activity, and then just let them take it where they want it, they’ll have a blast!

• Running through sprinklers is a favorite childhood activity. Add in an umbrella, a bucket, and a big squishy sponge and watch what fun they will have!

• Fill a wading pool with water on a really hot day, dump in a big container of ice cubes, and let the kids try to get the ice cubes out of the pool with their feet!

• Some gardening tools, a bucket, and a place to dig will have them creating recipes extraordinaire. At our house, making outdoor salad is an everyday delight.

• Make a backyard obstacle course and let the kids help come up with activities to include. Play copycat where one person goes from point A to point B doing an activity of their choice (like skipping, hopping, galloping, or running backwards) and everyone else follows behind. Take turns being the leader. Be prepared for silliness.

• Run some relay races. Have some flippers? Let them slip them on and then try to race each other across the yard. Fasten cups onto their shoes with rubber bands and fill them with popcorn or Mom’s Best Naturals cereal. Let them try to race each other to a container and see who can fill it first. I guarantee the birds will be getting quite a tasty treat that day!

I could go on and on, but these are a few tried and true activities and I hope they inspire you to come up with even more ideas. Have a wonderful summer with your kids!

The trick is to limit the damage. Kids will clamor for summertime treats like corn dogs, fried dough, and ice cream, as sure as the sun will shine. Packing nutritious snacks to take to camp, to the beach, or to eat in the car makes it easier to resist large portions of restaurant food, get the nutrition you need, and save money.

Summertime Snacking Basics

These are my cardinal rules of noshing between meals:

• Treat snacks like mini-meals, and offer children foods that you would give them at a healthy meal.
• Pay attention to portions. Younger kids need about 100-200 calories in a snack, but active adolescents may need more.
• Feel fuller for longer and boost nutrition by combining foods rich in carbohydrate, such as cereal, bread, and crackers, with protein-packed choices like milk, yogurt, and peanut butter.
• Keep it safe.  When you’re driving to your destination, pack a cooler with ice to keep foods fresh.

Remember, you can’t take liquids with you when passing through security at the airport, so consider buying yogurt, milk, and juice before you’re ready to board.

Smart Snacking Strategies

Start your day with a balanced breakfast that includes whole grains, low-fat protein-rich foods like dairy and eggs, and fruit. You may not have the time to eat a proper breakfast before leaving home in the wee hours of the morning to pile into the car or to catch a plane. When you’re short on time, take a Ziploc bag of Mom’s Best Naturals cereal with you, and have it with a carton of yogurt and a piece of fruit later on.

Try these take-along mini-meals:

• Hard-cooked egg and whole grain roll
• Single serve low-fat microwave popcorn mixed with shelled pistachios and dried fruit, such as raisins or cranberries
• Trail mix made with Mom’s Best Naturals Sweetened Wheatfuls, raisins or dried cranberries, and nuts or sunflower seeds
• Container of Greek yogurt and whole grain crackers
• ½ sandwich and small serving of fruit
• String cheese and apple
• Mini whole wheat bagel spread with peanut, almond, cashew or sunflower seed butter
• Sliced red and green bell peppers, baby carrots, and single-serve containers of hummus or bean dip for dipping

And, always have water on hand to avoid purchasing sugary beverages such as soda, lemonade, and fruit drinks that pack in the calories, but little else.

With our busy lives, it may seem like a challenge to eat healthy, nutritious meals regularly. Who has time, between soccer practice and dance class and summer camps or school? Everyone, says dietitian Elizabeth Ward, if you keep your pantry and refrigerator stocked with essential ingredients for healthy dishes.

Elizabeth recommends keeping key foods on-hand so that you can whip up a nutrient-rich, delicious meal in just a few minutes, even when you’re on the go. She suggests keeping standard items, like canned beans, whole-wheat pasta, oatmeal, peanut butter, eggs, vegetables, and whole grain cereals, in stock.

Check out the video below for more of Elizabeth’s tips on what to keep in your pantry so that a healthy meal is always just minutes away!

Registered dietitian and mother of three Elizabeth Ward recommends the following tips for healthy snacking:

• Make snacks into mini-meals, not meal wreckers. Children get more than 25 percent of their calories as snacks, so it’s especially important to serve healthy foods that kids would eat at mealtimes.
• Snack healthy, all day long. Avoid common mid-morning snacks that are full of fat, sugar, and sodium by replacing them with snacks that combine foods rich in complex carbohydrates and proteins that will help keep them fuller for longer, and give kids the energy they need to play and learn.
• Minimize snacking by serving balanced meals. A balanced breakfast with fruit, milk or yogurt, and whole grains gets the day off on the right foot and prevents the hunger that can lead to snacking.

Check out The Today Show clip to learn additional smart snacking tips!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Clip provided by, and used in this blog post with express permission of MSNBC.

Father’s Day provides us with a special opportunity to show just how much we all care about and appreciate the fathers in our lives. It isn’t about expensive gifts that can be purchased at the local mall. It is about spending the day with that special man, showering him with love and devotion.

One of the traditions in our home is to make cookies. Bric’s favorite is Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies so he gets these every Father’s Day. Now, thanks to Mom’s Best Naturals Quick Oats, they turn out even better than before!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon or nutmeg (I like to use freshly grated nutmeg)
• 1 cup Mom’s Best Naturals Quick Oats

Directions

1. In large bowl mix the butter, shortening, sugars and peanut butter.
2. Add eggs one at a time.
3. Blend flour, soda, and salt then add to sugar mixture.
4. Add Mom’s Best Naturals Quick Oats.
5. Form into 1 1/2 inch balls (no need to press with fork like usual). Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

I hope that you will each spend this Father’s Day taking the time to cherish one another. Grab a box of Mom’s Best Naturals cereal and serve breakfast in bed. Or, gather the family around the kitchen and make a big batch of cookies to snack on and enjoy together throughout the day. Just make sure to connect and enjoy the day.

Being dedicated fathers and husbands often means doing the things that aren’t fun — at least in my house anyway. He is the garbage man, the repair man, the plumber, the gas attendant, the disciplinarian, and the list goes on. So we make sure that each Father’s Day Bric knows just how much we appreciate all that he does for us and how much we love him. As a Mom’s Best Naturals Mom, it’s about giving my best to make my family the best it can be.

Remember, quality is the most important ingredient.

We do not have big vacation plans this summer. Our plan is to pack in as many day trips to local attractions as we can, and to spend as much quality time together as we can.  One way that we work in quality family time during the summer is to have an afternoon snack together; sitting around the table, cooling off and resting for a few minutes.

One of our favorite snacks happens to be ice cream with a surprise on the top. To help keep the sugar down I drizzle a little honey and then sprinkle some Mom’s Best Naturals Oats and Honey Blend on top for a tasty treat on a hot summer afternoon. It is quick, easy and a lot healthier for us than ice cream topped with candy or a sugary topping. And the taste – let’s just say fabulous doesn’t even touch it.

Summer is about being carefree and having fun, so make sure you always use a fun colored bowl and spoon. It seriously makes all the difference in the taste.

Taking traditional ingredients that you already love and mixing them up to make fun and healthy snacks is a great way to survive the summer with your kids. If your house is anything like mine you will hear the screen door slam a million times a day with kids running in and out hollering through the house, “MOM, we’re hungry!” So grab a few boxes of Mom’s Best Naturals Cereal and create a few new snack ideas that your family will love. And please, let me know what you create, I am always on the lookout for new ideas myself.

Remember, quality is the most important ingredient!