A couple years ago, my kids and I took a trip with my mom to visit my aunt and uncle. We had a great time seeing relatives and exploring near their home in the mountains of Montana. And my uncle took my kids for rides on the 4 wheeler- an experience they still gush over today. We had a wonderful time, and during the course of our stay I learned something: my aunt is a fantastic cook! She made us incredible oatmeal pancakes which have become a favorite at my house.

Oatmeal Pancakes

2 cups oatmeal

2 cups buttermilk

2 whole eggs

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup flour

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• In a large mixing bowl, combine oatmeal and buttermilk. Let soak 1/2 hour.
• Add the rest of the ingredients to the oat mixture.
• Spray a skillet with cooking spray and use an ice cream scoop to drop batter onto medium hot skillet. Cook until golden brown, flipping once. (I use an electric skillet, which is a lot easier.) Serve with a fruit saute such as apples or peaches, syrup and nuts.

I have made them with regular milk, and they turn out fine (but are missing the little tang of buttermilk.) I’ve also substituted unsweetened applesauce for the butter- the pancakes are a little flatter and stick a bit more, but are otherwise great! These pancakes are great with blueberries mixed in to the batter. Give them a try this weekend, and I bet you’ll agree there never was a tastier way to eat oatmeal! And many thanks to my aunt and uncle for such a memorable visit- we’ll have to do it again soon!

A couple times a month (usually on a Friday after a long week) we like to plan a family movie night. We frequently make homemade pizza or pop popcorn, then we set up a kids’ table in the family room and put in a movie. It’s a lot of fun! (And yes, I know eating in front of the TV is a bad idea, but if you only do it once in a while it’s a great treat.) The only tough thing about family movie night is picking the movie. My husband and I insist on an actual, full length movie- not a series of episodes of Thomas the Tank Engine or something like that. My daughter likes Barbie movies, my son likes Bob the Builder. My daughter enjoys involved plots but thinks characters like Jafar from Aladdin and Ursula from Little Mermaid are too scary. My son falls asleep if there isn’t enough action. So how do we find common ground? Through recommendations from friends and memories from our own childhoods, we’ve come up with several that make everybody happy. Here is a list of our favorites in no particular order.

1. Nim’s Island: A newer adventure movie about a girl who is left alone on an island and has to save it and herself. It’s a really fun adventure, but there are some scary moments (mainly a couple big storms) that we discussed ahead of time. The main character is a very adventurous, smart girl which my daughter loved! We had a group of neighbor kids over to watch this once and had an island party with old luau decorations- lots of fun!
2. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: A classic with lots of adventure and fun songs. Who wouldn’t love a really cool car that flies? And my kids love when the kids help catch the bad guys!
3. Mary Poppins: Another classic, full of fun! We especially like the rooftop dance by the chimney sweeps.
4. Herbie Movies: The newer one (Herbie Fully Loaded) with Lindsay Lohan is alright, but my kids prefer the classics, especially the Love Bug. The car is funny and full of antics. But you may find yourself explaining some things: the characters get the car drunk, and there is a scene with hippies (which didn’t make sense to my kids.)
5. Pixar Movies: (Our favorites are Cars, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc., The Incredibles and Toy Story) They can be a bit scary for little ones (Monsters, Inc. and The Incredibles come to mind) but they are also fun to watch for children AND adults.
6. In Search of the Castaways: When I was a kid, I loved anything with Haley Mills in it (Parent Trap, Pollyanna, etc.) This movie may be hard to find, but the adventure is fun. After we watched it, we found ourselves in an interesting conversation with our 6 year old about stereotyping and how different cultures were portrayed in old movies.
7. Curious George: If you’re looking for something for young kids that won’t get them too worked up before bed time, this is it. Curious George is short and sweet with some really funny moments and great music.
8. Space Chimps: I came across this one on Netflix and didn’t know what to expect. It’s about chimps who go to space (duh) and end up saving a planet from a horrible leader. We were pleasantly surprised when the kids loved it and my husband and I laughed through the whole thing! It’s goofy and lots of fun, and we’re going to get it again.

I made this list for two reasons: First, when I talk to other parents about movies, they often say “Oh, I forgot about that one- but I loved it!” so I thought I might jog some memories. Second, I’m running out of ideas! What movies do you and your kids enjoy? Leave a comment with your favorite(s) and maybe we’ll all have a family movie night this week. Popcorn, anyone?

There is something magical, sometimes even transforming, about a goal.  Little goals lead to bigger goals, and bigger goals are built by achieving the little ones.  So naturally, as a lifelong runner, inspiration was flooding out the door when I flipped to the back of this month’s Runner’s World magazine and read about Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, a NASA astronaut.   I couldn’t lace up my Asics fast enough to run outside.  I was filled with inspiration from an incredible woman who had a very big goal.   There is nothing quite like seeing this brilliant, modest, fun mother achieve her lifetime dream of going to space.  And the things she has accomplished along the way, including an incredible level of fitness, are mind-boggling!

So, this week, Dorothy, you are the healthy highlight.  You are an inspiration, and reminder that with the right work-ethic and dedication, goals of any size can be achieved. Our thoughts, prayers, and wishes will be with all of the Crew of STS-131 on April 5, 2010!  Godspeed (I think you achieved that at your 3:05 marathon).  And for those of you who haven’t read Runner’s World, it is filled with great stories, training tips, and inspiring people, so be sure to check it out.  It may help you achieve your own personal fitness goals.

While swapping recipes, the Flying Hen and I found out that we had a favorite cookbook in common, the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.  Our mothers used older editions of the book and my Rooster even admits to being impressed with the wide range of topics covered in this timeless kitchen reference.  So on a recent trip to the bookstore, the familiar red and white checkerboard cover on a kids cookbook caught my eye.  It was Better Homes and Gardens Snack Attack!

Our kids like to help out in the kitchen, but those times seem to be getting fewer and farther between once school started.  I wanted to get the kids involved in the kitchen again and still fit it into our school schedule.  Better Homes and Gardens Snack Attack! is full of fun recipes for kids to make, and the bright illustrations and large recipe photos caught their eye right away.  And I was happy to see a short list of ingredients for most of the recipes.  We already own a few kids cookbooks that don’t get used because the recipes were either too complicated or the photos just didn’t make the food look appetizing to kids.  A recipe can be tasty and healthy, but if it doesn’t look fun to make it will probably be skipped right over.  We jumped in and tried the Wonton Chips, Groovy Smoothies, Ham ‘n’ Cheesy Calzones, Crispy Chicken Dippers, Double Decker Delights, Lunch Box Oatmeal Cookies and Zippity Pop Popcorn.  So far the kids have had a blast making their snacks.

Better Homes and Gardens Snack Attack! comes with over 40 recipes.  In addition to the easy instructions and minimal ingredients, the snacks are reasonably healthy (any breaded items are baked, and you can choose how organic/whole grain/fat free you want to go with the ingredients).  Several of the recipes would also be great for party snacks or playdates.

If you’re looking to have fun with your kids in the kitchen take a peek at Better Homes and Gardens Snack Attack!