The importance of not overcooking your boiled eggs

Lots of great new posts to come, but first I thought I'd write about the incredible, edible egg so let's "get cracking":

A. Theme songs have been catchy for a long, long time. But then, I've also watched this like 20 times in a row trying to figure out what the heck the kids in the first scene are eating - I'm sure they didn't have french toast sticks back in 1980!

It all starts with my older son, whom I fear may turn into a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or maybe just peanut butter. In my quest to provide a wholesome and diverse set of lunch options, I have hit the brick wall otherwise known as childhood creature of habit and it's only week 2.

Recently I've had a hankering for egg salad; it is yellow after all. That's it! I thought. Big CL loves eggs, ergo he will like egg salad. Wrong! Luckily, I like egg salad - someone has to eat that large batch I whipped up. In fact, I'm waiting right now for my bread to toast so I can enjoy a nice sandwich.

I've consulted several sources to find a delicioso recipe because, let's face it, there are some pretty bad egg salad sandwiches out there and it's hard to imagine something worse than runny or gray eggs on soggy bread... Joy Of Cooking doesn't cut it - I'm actually quite miffed that one of my most beloved books utterly fails in this regard. The Joy's recipe would be the most bland one ever if not for the pinch of curry powder it calls for... So, I'm still on the hunt for that kick-ass preparation.

Most standard recipes call for Dijon mustard, paprika, celery and/or lemon juice along with mayo and S&P to taste. I always use celery, mustard (either Dijon or mustard powder) and lemon juice but am on the lookout for suggestions. Some of the more intriguing additions I have come across (that go in the egg mix and not just separately in the sandwich):

dill

chives

curry powder

capers

pickles/relish

shredded carrot

chopped cucumber

minced/chopped red or green onion

pimento-stuffed green olives

hot peppers

horseradish

bacon

tea

The horseradish reminds me of wasabi, which reminds me of tamago sushi. I'll have to try a Japanese-inspired version using furikake or just roasted seaweed (nori). I have also seen in several places and came to this on my own, too, the substitution of sour cream or Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise - definitely two thumbs up for Greek yogurt here.

A few little egg-cellent tricks I've picked up over the years that make all the difference:

• Don't overcook your eggs unless you are serving Green Eggs and Ham. 8-10 minutes at a gentle boil is plenty (the moister the yolk, the less mayo you will need).
• Place the eggs in the water when you set the pot on to boil and not after the water is boiling, or you risk cracking the shells. Better yet, use eggs at room temperature.
• Dunk the eggs in an ice bath after removing from the water to stop the yolks cooking any further.
• In terms of egg salad, toast your bread and it won't be soggy (especially if you are packing lunch for school or work).

While 80% of the egg salad sandwiches out there are horrid, a good egg salad on a pumpernickel bagel is very hard to beat, unless you add bacon and then it's game over.

WOW. Refusal to have C-section = child abuse and neglect?!

Women take note! Especially those of you of child-bearing age.

I cannot believe this report, but it's true. Sort of. On the surface, a New Jersey woman's newborn child was removed from her custody because she refused a C-section and "behaved erratically" while in labor.

Show me a woman who is not erratic while in the throes of labor. Seriously, the baby was born vaginally and was fine, yet still removed from the mother's and father's custody at birth. Also, the hospital in question apparently has a C-section rate of 44%, while the national average is around 30% (and of which as much as half may be medically unnecessary). Hmm...

Not being a legal expert, I can only imagine what kind of precedent this case might set for women across the country, if these were the only facts in the case. However, there is more to this story than meets the eye (isn't there always?). While the lower court judge sided with the state of New Jersey that the mother's refusal to cooperate (i.e., have a c-section) was evidence of child abuse and neglect, upon appeal the court reiterated that there was "substantial additional evidence of abuse and neglect."

Nonetheless, one of the issues before the appeals court was the question of whether the refusal of a C-section is tantamount to child abuse/neglect/endangerment. And on this question, I believe the appeals court, in its majority opinion, fucked up punted:

Where we part company is his discussion of whether V.M.'s [the mother's] refusal to consent to a cesarean section (c-section) can, as a matter of law, be considered an element of abuse and neglect.

On the record before us, we do not agree that the issue need be decided.

I guess I can't say I am surprised by this or that I blame them for dodging the question. But I wish they'd had the balls to address it, like Judge Carchman did in a concurring opinion:

I concur in the result reached as to both V.M.[the mother] and B.G. [the father]. I am of the view that even with the limited concession of DYFS as to the narrow utility of V.M.'s refusal to have a c-section, the issue remains extant and requires a level of judicial scrutiny.

Consideration of V.M.'s refusal to submit to a c-section, in my view, is improper and beyond the legislative scope of the child protective statutes.

Here is the post from Momlogic; you should also check out the post at the NY Times blog Motherlode. As a rule, I don't generally read the Huffington Post but this is actually a pretty good analysis. And here is the New Jersey court ruling (pdf) for those so inclined to read.

Regardless of the details in this case, what this illustrates to me is the vast geographical differences in doctor's attitudes and hospital procedures. The approaches to birth and the predominant medical attitudes are not uniform across the country in the least. Meanwhile, the U.S. has one of the highest C-section rates of any developed nation. Bottom line: PREGNANCY IS NOT AN ILLNESS OR A CONDITION NECESSARILY WARRANTING TREATMENT. Delivering a baby (or babies as may be the case), for a great many women, is a natural process that requires minimal-to-no intervention.

Tastes like green

My older son, let's call him Big CL and my younger one Little CL, will be starting kindergarten this year (I can't believe it!). So in trying to maintain his sense of excitement while downplaying any associated anxiety, I've been looking for lunchboxes. I thought that: A) These were not still in existence, and B) All kids now buy their lunches.

Wow was I wrong.

A. I definitely had a real lunchbox with matching Thermos, but honestly don't remember what was on it. I DO remember bringing my lunch to school in a brown paper bag with my name in calligraphy letters in the sixth grade, though.

(I realize this post may jump the back-to-school hoopla. I did quite a bit of research that I don't want to get stale, and I know several other moms and dads of pre-kindergartners out there may be in a similar boat. So, onwards and upwards!)

"It's much easier to be for going green than it is to actually be green. Especially if you have kids." This is the argument I often hear, that it boils down to convenience over conscience. But frankly, I think that is a false dichotomy and having children is all the more reason to be green. Besides, my research into lunch boxes proves being eco-friendly is convenient for kids of all ages, too.

First place for creative ideas, inventive menu options and how-to's goes to Lunchinabox - hands down the most inspiring site I found. Other cool kids lunch gear:

• Lunchboxes (more soft lunch box options for girls AND boys than KooKoo)
  
• Kids Konserve has stainless steel lunch box kits
• Clickety Click bento-style BPA-free boxes and accessories
• Silicone baking cups (only if you are going the bento box route)
• The Wrap-n-Mat and snack bags at Reusablebags.com (note to Wrap-n-Mat: you need more cute/chic pattern options!)
• To-Go Ware (good options for grown-up kids)
• For background, tips and other goodies you might click over to The Daily Green, Good Housekeeping, or Center for American Progress.

Honorable mention goes to Lunch Box Cards (heart-warming idea but save your $$ and DIY) and Hoohobbers (like the design but has more girl-oriented color options). I wasn't all that impressed with Land's End or Pottery Barn Kids - though you don't have to question the quality/durability, not a wide enough selection and the PB options I suspect many boys will rather quickly grow out of.

After asking Big CL what kind of character he wanted on his lunch box (I presented a narrowed down list of three options), he of course picked D) none of the above. He wanted a Sponge Bob lunch box ($12.95 at Lunchboxes.com). I also bought a set of Wrap-n-mats, and he already has his own Sigg bottle. Because he loves Japanese food, I will probably get some boxes and a few extra sets of kid chopsticks (Bed Bath & Beyond) or make them, too.

Vacillating on vaccinations

I want to be serious for a moment. I will try not to get overly science-y or too serious, but I've been thinking a lot about the topic of autism and vaccinations recently, especially given April is National Autism Awareness Month.

On the subject of vaccinations, many parents increasingly deciding not to vaccinate, and the possible links to autism from vaccinations, Heather Armstrong over at dooce pretty much sums it up for me:

And I put myself in the position of the mother of that ten-month-old baby who caught the disease because they happened to be at the doctor's office at the same time as the infected boy. A ten-month-old baby whose immune system is such that there is a possibility of death. And I realized, I do not think that I would ever be able to forgive the parents of that infected boy. That is my raw, honest emotion toward that scenario.

That our children do not have to fear death from diseases like measles or polio or whooping cough is a miracle made possible by modern technology and science. And I guess the crux of this really complex problem for me is that as the number of parents who choose not to vaccinate their children increases so does the likelihood that these diseases will become a problem again. [Read her full post here]

What I want to say on this subject, particularly as a mother who has had to make this same decision, is this. Celebrity spokespeople like Jenny McCarthy can do great things for an issue by increasing awareness of it, but please don't substitute stardom or first-hand experience for expertise. The only expert in the clip below is the pediatrician:

Deciding whether to vaccinate your child is a weighty decision, and one that I believe is still best made between you and your pediatrician.

Learn more about the issues - research the hell out of it - and draw your own fact-based conclusions. But do not be swayed solely by who can argue a point better, what so-and-so starlet/hunk thinks, who had the best sound bites, etc. Likewise, do not make the mistake of believing your resulting encyclopedic knowledge substitutes for a medical degree; it does not, but hopefully it will elevate the level of conversation you may have with your doctor. And recognize that your decision might not solely affect the life of just your own daughter or son.