Please Don't Help My Kids

A Patch blogger's post about not helping her children on the slide is being debated across the country.

  A Patch blog from Alameda, Calif., called “Please Don’t Help My Kids” has struck a nerve with readers across the country. Posted in September, the blog has taken off over the past few weeks as it has found a second life through social media sharing. The blog has 124,000 Facebook recommendations and 833 people have tweeted the blog. The blog is an open letter to other parents at the playground. The blogger Kate Bassford Baker’s basic request is for parents to not help her daughters on the slide. She wrote that she wants her daughters to do things and learn things on their own. Learning to walk up the slide’s ladder is the first step to learning new things and overcoming obstacles, she wrote. “Because, as they grow up, the ladders will …

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Mom's Cookbook

Making Two Ricotta Pies: Easy As...

Thanksgiving dessert couldn't be easier or tastier with this easy homemade holiday favorite kids and adults alike will love!

What’s better than making one ricotta pie for Thanksgiving? Making two! This recipe doubles so easily. Plus, you can make this pie in advance and freeze it. You can also bake both pies simultaneously. Pull this tasty treat out of the freezer one day prior to serving and let it thaw in the fridge for 24 hours and it will be ready to serve.  Ricotta pie is a staple in our family during many holidays, especially Christmas. It was typical for my grandmother to make this pie with anise extract, but I changed it up a bit and used a new recipe that called for a little bit of lemon juice and vanilla extract in place of the anise.  This is a nice, light ricotta pie, so after a filling Thanksgiving meal, it’s just perfect. Not too heavy and just one…

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Mom's Cookbook

Don't Skip the Shrimp Dip This Thanksgiving

This quick no-cook dip is the perfect recipe for Thanksgiving Day guests!

We moved to Dedham in 1992. It was a crazy time. I was still in high school, my parents had just bought a new house and my sister was getting married in just three short weeks of us moving in. We had to redo the whole house: paint, wallpaper, floors, etc. One thing always stuck in my mind: the kindness of a new neighbor. The doorbell rang during one of those hectic days and it was our new neighbor, Loretta, shrimp dip and crackers in hand. I remember tasting it thinking “This is such a good dip. It must have taken a long time to make!” We asked for the recipe - and I was so wrong. It is such a simple recipe. Three ingredients, plus the crackers and no cooking. How can you go wrong? When your guests start to arrive for Thanksgiving dinner, …

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Mom's Cookbook

End Zone Nachos Your Family Will Flip Over

These sweet and savory nachos can be made with the toppings you choose!

Let’s rewind a few months to the end of summer vacation 2011. My husband and I had a few (rare) days off together while the kids were just starting back to school. We planned a few daytrips, one of which was to Lincoln, R.I. to visit Twin River. Yes, we went to play the slots, but also we have another love for the place - LGAP (Lincoln Greyhound Adoption Program).  Long story short is that we have two beautiful greyhounds from here, but LGAP is no longer housed at Twin River because the dogs don’t race anymore (it’s all simulcast now). So what does that have to do with a recipe? Well, since we didn’t spend our time visiting the adoption center, we had a little extra time to grab some lunch.  We chose a trio of nacho dishes at Wicked Good: …

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Mom's Cookbook

Heavenly Halloween Pumpkin Treat

This fall pumpkin treat with buttery cream cheese frosting is sure to please.

I couldn’t let Halloween come and go and not squeeze in a pumpkin recipe. This week, I baked a sweet pumpkin recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation in my family. You’re going to love these little gems! Have the recipe handy because if you make them and share them, someone is sure to ask you for the recipe! These tasty treats are fantastic for a crowd. They make four dozen bars. What else is to love? Not only do the taste great and you can serve them as a snack or even for a fast before school/work breakfast.  So, if you’re heading to a Halloween party, bring them! Why not treat your co-workers to a homemade fall treat?  You can add nuts on top of the buttery vanilla cream cheese frosting and you can add raisins to …

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Mom's Cookbook

Jack-o-Lantern Fruit Cups Far from a Scary Sight

A healthier kid-friendly option to all those sugary treats you're sure to get.

Halloween is just around the corner and we don’t have any costumes in this house, but we do have a fun new recipe to try! Halloween is, of course, associated with candy and, usually, lots of it. Add that to the yummy baked goods and other sweet treats and you’re going to have a house on sugar overload. That’s why I picked a healthier recipe. I don’t usually associate fresh fruit with Halloween, but I saw this adorable treat that requires no cooking (so all you non-bakers out there, you can do this one!) and I thought it would be something fun for all of us to do together. I even got a “Wow! That’s awesome!” response.  When you are asked to bring a Halloween treat to school for the Halloween party this year or you’re looking for something …

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