What Produce to Buy Organic

Here's a nice way to spend your organic dollar wisely. The hard-working analysts at the Environmental Working Group have compiled an updated listing of pesticides in produce. You can download a handy wallet guide to the "dirty dozen" and "cleanest twelve", and save serious kishkash on conventional onions and avocado while making sure to buy most of your favorite fruits organic. Just look at the worst two - how do you like them apples? Of course, if you've got the means, it does the environment good to buy them all organic. They've got a fascinating full dataset of all 43 fruits and veggies as well.

For those too busy to click through, here's what you need to know:

The Worst (Buy These Organic):

1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Pears
9. Grapes (imported)
10. Spinach
11. Lettuce
12. Potatoes
    

The Best (Lowest in Pesticides):

1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn (frozen)
4. Pineapples
   
5. Mango
6. Asparagus
7. Sweet Peas (frozen)
8. Kiwi Fruit
9. Bananas
10. Cabbage
11. Broccoli
12. Papaya
    

Collapse-a-Burp

Everyone knows the "over-the-shoulder" approach to burping, and that works just fine. If you want to take your infant burping technique to the next level, though, try this tip from my twin-in-law:

Sit your young infant on your knee, and support their upper chest and jaw with your hand, so that their head doesn't fall too far forward. Let their torso collapse forward a bit, bounce your knee, and pat their back with your other hand. Professional-grade burps, every time.

Cooling Down Hot Food

Clinical Tip: Cool way to make hot food edible - Contemporary Pediatrics

Children often have to wait a long time for food to cool before they can eat it safely. This is especially true for pizza, oatmeal, soup, and casseroles. Adding ice cubes cools food quickly, but the ice makes the food soggy, or dilutes it, as it melts. Instead, I tell parents to go to the housewares section of a good department store and buy a set of novelty plastic, liquid-filled "ice cubes" shaped like seashells, trees, hearts, or stars. They can keep the cubes in the freezer ready to add to hot food or float in a bowl of soup. The food cools quickly, and children enjoy watching the shapes sitting or floating in the food.Warn parents to make sure that the child doesn't try to bite into the plastic shapes or eat them. Parents also should inspect the shapes before use to be certain the liquid contents have not leaked. After use, the plastic shapes can be cleaned with soapy water, rinsed, dried, and "recharged" in the freezer for the next time they are needed.