To combat the spike in TV viewing, the Smart Television Alliance has just announced the OutSmart the Summer Spike! campaign to raise awareness about the need for busy parents and caregivers to make smart viewing choices and to use technology to control what their children watch.

The Smart Television Alliance believes that if you’re in control of what’s on the screen, you can actually bring educational time to a long summer outside of the classroom. How do you go about doing this? First, start is by signing a petition to TV producers demanding more educational and age-appropriate programming for kids.

Also, look for Smart Television Alliance’s Summer TV Tips blog posts to find out how you can use your kids’ favorite shows as inspiration for learning, while the show is on, and after it’s over. (And while you’re over there, check out the post I wrote for them – Remote Control: It’s O.K., Mom Said We Can Watch TV.)

If you don’t feel like going to the Smart Television Alliance’s blog ever day, you can sign up for Smart News to get tips and other great information sent right to you.

The recipe for Blackberry Cake was submitted by Elsie Cumpton of Worthington, KY to American Profile magazine. She remembers sending this moist cake by mail to her husband when he was stationed in Germany in the US Army back in the ’50s.

It would probably be a great cake to mail to our service people overseas, too. If this is something that appeals to you (it would be a wonderful activity to do with your kids) check out The Soldier’s Angels – Angel Bakers project.

Try baking the cake in the morning with your young early risers when it’s still cool out. If you have kids like my son, Nathan who wakes up at 6 a.m. or earlier, this will keep them busy for awhile. (And I won’t give you a dirty look if you decide to have a small slice for breakfast.)

Later in the day, take a few slices with you on a picnic or a bike trip to the park or beach. I’m guessing it’s so moist that you can eat it with your fingers like sponge cake.

Blackberry Cake
Serves 12

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup vegetable shortening
2. 3 eggs
3. 2 cups sugar
4. 1 cup blackberries, fresh or frozen
5. 1 cup buttermilk
6. 1 teaspoon baking soda
7. 3 cups all-purpose flour
8. 1 teaspoon salt
9. 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
10. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
11. 1 teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
2. Cream the shortening, eggs, and sugar with a mixer at medium speed. Add the blackberries.
3. Mix the buttermilk and baking soda in a small bowl. Combine the flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves in a large bowl; mix well.
4. Add the buttermilk mixture and the dry ingredients alternately to the creamed mixture; beat well. Pour into the prepared cake pans.
5. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Do not overbake. Cool on a wire rack. Serves 12.

Nutritional Information:

Per serving: 360 calories, 18g fat, 6g protein, 48g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 330mg sodium.

First, to get us in a berry good mood, from Sylvan Dell Publishing comes Blackberry Banquet for children ages four to eight . Author Terry Pierce tells the story of forest animals squeaking, tweeting, slurping, yipping, and chomping over the sweet, plump fruit of a wild blackberry bush. When a bear arrives to take part in the feast, chaos strikes.

Like all Sylvan Dell books, the last few pages feature a “For Creative Minds” educational section with fun facts and other activities.  (You can also view it online on their website along with Teaching Activities, quizzes: Reading / FCM / Math, and Learning Links.) I learned that even foxes like to eat berries – who knew?

Terry got the idea for her newest picture book while vacationing in Oregon. “Blackberry Banquet came to me one day when I was approaching my favorite wild blackberry bush to pick berries for making a pie,” she explains. “As I neared the bush, a flurry of animals fled from it, and it made me start thinking about how we’re not the only animals who enjoy such a sweet treat!” (You can read an interview with Terry on the Sylvan Dell site.)

The For Creative Minds section also includes a blackberry recipe. As we all know, blackberries are pretty expensive. Luckily, we have a large bush growing in our yard. If you don’t, investigate if there is a farm in your area that allows families to pick berries. Otherwise, substitute frozen or another (cheaper) kind of berry.

Blackberry Smoothie

To make the smoothie even healthier, sneak in some protein powder, ground flax seed, or wheat germ. Use low or no fat yogurt and 1% or skim milk. You can also use half yogurt/ice cream and half milk.

Ingredients:

1. 1 c. vanilla yogurt, ice cream, or milk
2. 1/2 c. fresh or frozen blackberries
3. 1 small to medium banana
4. 2 to 3 Tbs. sugar to taste depending on berries (skip this step if you’re using flavored yogurt or ice cream).

Directions:

Use a blender on puree or high speed to mix. Pour into tall glasses. The smoothies taste even better if enjoyed outdoors.

This month they’re featuring an incredible Usborne Summer Reading Set for ages five and up. It’s only $26.99 – that’s a savings of over $25. If I didn’t own these books already – I love Usborne and used to sell them -I’d be first in line to order this set from Apple Children’s Books.

The Summer Reading Set includes:

• Vacation Things to Make and Do – This fantastic book will banish boredom during school breaks forever. Easy step-by-step instructions show you how to make a pirate cutlass, fairy wings, bouncing bats and more! The book comes with over 800 stickers to use with the projects in this book.
• Summer Activities – This book contains over 50 stickers to use with the projects and on homemade cards and gift activities.
• Great City Search – A bustling train station, a crowded shopping street and a busy hospital are just a few of the places you will visit. The Great City Search is packed with fascinating facts about cities and the people who live and work in them, and will provide countless hours of puzzle-solving fun.
• Puzzle Journey Under Sea – Imagine reading about a sunken wreck and then going on the expedition to find it. That’s just what happens when Jon, Dirk and Ally become the crew on an amazing futuristic submarine.
• 50 Travel Games and Activities – This fantastic pack of cards is full of fun games and things to do while traveling. Just choose a card, then follow the simple instructions on the back. These are great to bring on roadtrips and vacations.
• Little Book Vacation Activities – You’ll find ideas for a new activity every day: drawing, painting, making things, cooking, gardening and even dressing up. With easy-to-follow instructions and illustrations, this handy little book is guaranteed to keep boredom at bay the entire summer.

It’s an incredible deal for some awesome Usborne Books. Plus, it’s a small investment to keep your kids busy and reading this summer. Click here to order from Apple Children’s Books.

While you may be thinking, “Oh I can get these books at Barnes & Nobles or Amazon,” you can’t buy the set at $25 off. Also, Apple Children’s Books has an incredible Lifetime Replacement Policy. If your child drops their book in the pool or spills breakfast all over it, they’ll replace it at half the retail value plus shipping and handling. Try getting another book vendor to do that.

So what are you waiting for? Order the Usborne Summer Reading Set from Apple Children’s Books today.

Summer’s Just Around the Corner

Summer, huh? Well, I don’t know what’s going on in your school district, but this week is my children’s last real week of school. Next week it’s clean up time, field day, parties and preschool graduation.

Like me you may be in a slight panic thinking, What am I going to do with these kids all summer? Thank goodness there are such things as library summer reading programs, summer camps, visits to parks, zoos, and the rec center, and playgroups with friends.

Lucie will be attending a preschool summer camp three days a week. I have Nathan enrolled in several mini-camps at his school, including a book club and a writing club. He’ll also be learning American Sign Language and the principal (who’s also our town’s mayor) will be taking a group of kids to the state capitol building in Denver for a field trip.

Both kids will be participating in a week-long soccer camp and a career day at school. Plus, I’ve signed them up to help with a community service project that two teachers are supervising.

We’ll be doing some camping as a family, too, and before we know it August 18 – the first day of school – will be here. Then I’ll have two kids in school full time. I’m so exited!

How RIF Can Help Keep Kids Busy This Summer

With an Olympic summer just around the corner, RIF has put together The World’s Most Athletic Booklist for children of all ages. The list contains books representing Olympic sports, and is available for free at RIF.org.

“Experts agree that children who read during the summer gain reading skills, while those who do not often experience learning losses,” said Carol H. Rasco, president and CEO of RIF. “Reading Is Fun Week is the perfect time for parents and educators to encourage children to read for fun during their summer vacation.”

The RIF website provides free resources to encourage summer reading. Visitors to the website can also send a children’s art e-card to spread the joy of reading, and explore RIF’s literacy activities, like Reading Is Fun bingo.

RIF also provides parents with reading tips, including how to:

• Help children start a reading journal
• Find a fun book series for children to read
• Relate what you are reading to outdoor activities
• Be a reading role-model and talk about books

So this summer, partner up with RIF and spend some quality reading time.