Yummy in My Tummy
Tuesday Top Five: Navigating Eastern Market with Your Kids
March 17, 2009
Tuesday Top Five--Navigating Eastern Market With Your Kids
Back before we had kids, my husband and I used to smile at the families we'd see at Eastern Market on Saturday mornings, hoping for the day it would be us pushing a little newborn in a stroller or giving a big kid tastes of fruit. And as it turned out, both our kids has Eastern Market excursions while they were still tiny babies.
So, I've gotten pretty good at negotiating the crowds and figuring out which stalls are worth a stop and which ones need a pass, and now I have figured out several good ways to keep little kids entertained while we peruse the stalls to see what's new and fresh.
-- Travel light. You'll be carrying bags, probably pushing a stroller or pulling a wagon, and maybe juggling a bulky watermelon or frozen chicken or something. Stuff a diaper and some wipes, if you need them, inside a pocket or in your smallest possible purse and leave your big diaper bag at home. Because you will hit people with it. Don't ask me how I know.
-- That stroller or wagon? It takes up space. Respect the flow of traffic and if you need to stop and confer with your kids or partner about something, pull off to the side out of the main flow of people. My absolute pet peeve is the people who are all "Oh, look, strawberries!" and stop dead in the middle of the walkway.
-- The best food can be found in Sheds 3 and 1 -- humanely raised meat and pastured eggs in Shed 3 as well as exotic vegetables and good quality fruit. Shed 1 has local and organic produce, as well as the kind of stuff I have felt the market has needed for years-- small vendors just getting started who are trying to build and audience for their products. Of course, everything but Shed 5 is shut down until spring and everybody is crammed in there.
-- Keep your kids fed and they'll be happy. Almost all the stalls hand out samples of their stuff, and a preschooler can happily graze their way up and down the stalls. We also love the popcorn at Yoder's stall.
-- Lunch options abound: Russell Street Deli (they also sell soup in the stalls that is to die for), Supino Pizza (awesome, I cannot say enough good stuff about them), and the legendary $3 sausage sandwiches at Eastern Market Seafood -- $3 for a pita stuffed with your choice of three sausages from a list of anykind you can imagine and some I have never heard of.
Spring is on the way, and Eastern Market is one of the best parts of it. And one of the best parts of Eastern Market is watching the families introduce their children to the delicious sights, smells and tastes.
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Celebrate Chocolate Chip Cookie Week!
March 09, 2009
Hey! It's Chocolate Chip Cookie Week! As far as I am concerned that just might be better than Christmas, because I love, love, LOVE chocolate chip cookies more than any other food. Even a bad one is still pretty good, and a great one is a little slice of heaven.
Kids love making cookies, too. My daughter loves to bake with me, and now that my son is old enough to nibble a little "people food" he's soon to be in on the fun. And of course, baking is a great way to teach math skills like fractions and counting.
Not into baking --or afraid having a whole batch of warm, delicious cookies and their equally delicious dough around will derail your weight loss efforts (okay, that's probably just me)? Try Avalon International breads -- their cookies are exactly what you'd make if you had access to only the finest organic ingredients. Traffic Jam and Snug's are also wonderful. Not going to be near Midtown? Trader Joe's (the ones in the bag, not the round containers) are awesome. And Gayle's Chocolates in Royal Oak bakes 'em up with oatmeal and dried cherries inaddition to chocolate chips, a variation I have swiped and always make for friends to rave reviews.
So whip up some cookies, grab some cold milk and celebrate!
NOTE: If you haven't entered the Dan Zanes ticket and CD giveaway, please do! I have ten CDS sitting right here on my dining room table waiting for a good home, and there is a family four pack of tickets available as well, waiting for one lucky winner!
To enter, send an email to beingsavvydetroit@savvysource.com with your favorite music that you enjoy with your kids -- could be actual "kid's music," or not. Winners will be drawn at random. The contest ends Friday and let's just say your odds are REALLY good right now!
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Tuesday Top Five: Kids in Candy Stores
February 25, 2009
There's a reason "like a kid in a candy store" is used for someone who is just having a wonderful time. Bring a kid into a real, old-fashioned candy shop and watch their faces --even if they have never tasted refined sugar before (yeah right) their eyes will just glow, captivated by all the bright colors and sweet smells. And these days, finding cheap thrills are important, and real candy stores are about as cheap as they come. Let your child choose a few things and watch them practically wiggle with excitement, for as little as a few dollars.
Here are some of the better candy spots around town:
Rocky Peanut Company : Top off a trip to Eastern Market with a spin through this busy, charming store. In addition to their justifiably famous nuts, there's a deli, coffee bar and aisles of speciality food and bulk items. But the thrill for the kids is the barrels of bulk candy in one corner of the stores. Chocolate, saltwater taffy, hard candy, and more tempt the kiddos. They recently went self-serve, so give your child a bag and let them go to town.
I Want Candy : Location is key to success in business, and the owners of I want Candy hit the jackpot there. Why? This small bulk-candy store is right next to the play area at Oakland Mall, and better yet, it's between the play area and the exit. They have a nice selection of inexpensive, yummy candies that allow for a quick treat for the trip home from the mall.
Doc Sweet's Candy Company : This newish place in Clawson specializes in old-fashioned candies, the kinds of things your parents and grandparents remember. And hey, if you or your kids can't find anything to please you, there's always candied scorpions.
Gayle's Chocolates : This upscale chocolate emporium is not especially kid-friendly -- everything is right at eye level or worse, slightly above, and the centerpiece candies are enclosed behind fingerprint-magnet glass. But it's worth spending awhile saying "Don't touch. Put that down. Look with your eyes." to enjoy these out of this world chocolates. Full disclosure: I worked here in college and lived on a steady diet of Gayle's wares (ahhh, the metabolism of a 21-year-old), so I have very definite favorites. The coffee bar features delicious hot chocolate and their speciality, the hot raspberry truffle. They take a raspberry truffle and melt it into hot milk, and yes, it's as delicious as it sounds.
Chocolate Bar Cafe : Fans of the former Alinosi's in Grosse Pointe Woods can enjoy their fine chocolates and traditionally made spumoni at this new tenant in the old location. There's now coffee and espresso as well as the ice cream and fresh-baked cakes, cupcakes and other yummy things.
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Nursing Help Downriver
January 15, 2009
As a mom still nursing my second baby (I've made it almost a year! Whoo-hoo!) I am both a big fan of breastfeeding and aware of what a struggle it can sometimes be. Experience was not a boon when I had my second, either because each baby is different. Having someone who knows a lot, who has been there too and who is willing to help can be a godsend. And getting to know other moms who Read more...
Cook Better, Have Fun, for Free!
January 14, 2009
And another giveaway! Katie from Being Savvy Toronto is giving away a copy of the Personal Trainer: Cooking game for Nintendo DS --that's the one with the commercial where Lisa Kudrow and what I presume to be her daughter makes Kung Pao chicken with the game. I love this idea -- if you or your kids already have the DS, why not use it for something that's actually going to make you Read more...
Find a Kid's Meal for Free
November 19, 2008
With all this talk of the domestic auto industry on the verge of collapse, foreclosures, recession, and so on, thoughts naturally turn to hiding under the bed and not coming out until things improve saving money. Okay, perhaps you have better coping skills than I do. In any event, we're all looking to save money wherever we can. Eating at home is, of course, one of the best ways to do Read more...
It's That Wonderful Time of Year Again!
October 01, 2008
Happy October!! I love fall, love it love it love it. As far as I am concerned, this is the most wonderful time of the year, forget about the holidays. The crisp air, the cool nights, warm fuzzy PJs, cider mills, doughnuts, pumpkins, boots and sweaters for you and tights and vests for your little ones -- AND we get Halloween and Thanksgiving? What more could you want from a season? Let Read more...
I Scream, You Scream: Savvy's Ice Cream Extravaganza Tour 2008
July 25, 2008
For me, it's not summer without ice cream. Oh, who am I kidding, it's not, say, Tuesday without ice cream, even in the winter. So I am uniquely qualified to write this post and let me tell you, the research has been lovely. We're looking at some of the best places to get ice cream around town. Let's start with my most frequent splurge: Ray's Ice Cream on Coolidge north of 13 Mile in Royal Oak. Read more...
Tuesday Top Five: Dinner Table Destinations
July 22, 2008
Like many people, I am curious about other cultures and countries but find I don't often have the resources for a long trip abroad. One really worthwhile way to get a taste of other cultures literally is to seek out authentic restaurants serving the cuisine of the owner's native land. And while we're no NYC around here, we have a great variety of ethnic restaurants throughout the metro area that Read more...
Three Days in Detroit, Day 3: Suburbia, Seals, and Sweet Shopping
July 10, 2008
So far during our "Three Days in the D" we've stayed mostly in the city, and there's certainly a lot more to do here that I could tell you about in my limited space here. But the suburbs have a style and personality all their own, along with a few don't-miss landmarks. Start off along Woodward Avenue, itself a landmark (and the easiest way to get from most points downtown to the suburbs since Read more...
Three Days in Detroit: Pigskins, Pucks and Puppets
July 09, 2008
So yesterday, we soaked up a little culture in the Midtown area. Today, we're visiting another major part of life around here our sports culture. We're the City of Champions, Tigertown, Hockeytown. The Tigers are playing extremely well after a slow start, the Pistons made it to the Eastern Conference finals this year (and the last several), the Shock's dominated the WNBA, and the Red Wings are Read more...
Three Days In Detroit, Day 1: Museums, Muffins and More
July 08, 2008
First of all, hi! Welcome! We don't get a bunch of tourists around here, so if you mention to the average Detroiter you encounter that you're from out of town, you're sure to get a tremendously warm greeting. When the Super Bowl was here in 2006, the main rap on Detroiters was that we were almost too helpful and enthusiastic. So if you don't pick up the papers (government scandals du jour, Read more...
Party Town: Cityfest With Young Ones
July 03, 2008
One of the best things about my job is that if I have a concern about something to do locally, you probably do too. One big worry, this year, is navigating my beloved Cityfest with the big scary two-kid capacity stroller. It's crowded, after all, and people aren't always that willing to make way for a massive piece of baby gear. So I called Cityfest's press representative, Peter VanDyke, and Read more...
Take It Outside -- Dinner, That Is!
June 30, 2008
Although it's been just a tich rainy lately, it's been perfect summer in many ways not too hot or chilly, light breezes, and sun. In other words, summers like this are among the major reason we live in this state! This is the kind of weather that makes me want to eat every meal outside, and we pretty much do. And my fellow Michigander apparently feel the same way even restaurants with mediocre Read more...
Tueday Top Five: Birthday Ideas
June 03, 2008
This is especially a fun topic for me since I have a birthday this week, and since I have a preschooler who is way, way into birthdays I have a feeling at least one of our activities will be preschooler-focused. It's not a birthday without cake, and my cake of preference (and my daughter's favorite to help me make) are actually cupcakes. Delicious, cute, portion-controlled (unless you eat Read more...
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