Shift in bedtime routine helps kids adjust to daylight-saving time

Assistant professor of Pediatrics Jennifer Chambers, M.D.(University of Alabama at Birmingham)offers some tips to resolve potential sleep issues:

• Stick to the schedule. Be strict with your children’s normal bedtime in the week prior to the time change. If bedtime is 8 p.m., start your bedtime routine early enough that they can be asleep by bedtime or a little earlier.
• Eat meals on time or 30 minutes earlier. Meal times help set the day's routine more than anything else.
• Put kids to bed a little early the night of the time change so that they wake up earlier. (You can savor this last night of easy bedtime after the kids are asleep.)
• Don't let them sleep late the first morning of daylight-saving time; you need them to be tired by bedtime. Early morning sun will reset the internal clock faster than anything else, so get them outside early in the morning if possible.
• Shift naps earlier and do not extend them the first week. Some may be tempted to skip a nap in hopes this will make the child go to bed earlier, but some children will not rest as well during the night if they are overtired.
• Explain daylight-saving time if your child is old enough to understand. They will be less likely to resist going to bed “early” if they understand it. Many children will find it intriguing and ask a multitude of questions about the ability to change time.
• Be a little lax with bedtime the week after the time change. Set bedtime 30 minutes later than normal during this week to make the transition smoother and return children to their regular bedtime the next week, after their bodies have adjusted. But, still begin the bedtime routine at the regular time so they can calm down and get sleepy. For more details ....

Waffles

Waffle batter uses very basic ingredients and are easy to make. You can keep this batter in the refrigerator with covered for up to a week. These waffles are very tasty with butter and maple syrup.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup All-purpose flour (or) whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. Baking powder
• 1 1/2 Tblsp. White Sugar
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1 Egg
• 1 cup Milk
• 2 Tblsp. unsalted Butter, melted

Method:

• In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. 
• In a small mixing bowl whisk the egg and milk together. 
• Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture all at once; stir until smooth.
• Stir in the melted butter.
• Pour this mixture onto pre-heated hot waffle iron.
• Cook until golden brown.
• Serve hot with fruits and whipped cream.

Note:

• Alternate 1/2 cup Vegetable oil for Butter.
• You may need spray your grids with a non-stick spray this depending on your waffle maker instructions.

Mini Crescent HotDog Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 can Pillsbury® Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
• 24 cocktail-sized hot dogs*

Directions

• Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Unroll a can of the dough; separate into 16 triangles; cut each triangle lengthwise into 3 narrow triangles.
• Place hotdogs/sausage on shortest side of each triangle.
• Roll up each, starting at shortest side of triangle and rolling to opposite point; place point side down on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown, switching position of cookie sheets halfway through baking.
• Remove immediately from cookie sheet; serve warm.

Note:

* This recipe I used chicken hot dogs and cut into cocktail-size.

Blueberry Muffin

I used to make muffin from ready-made mixes like Betty Crocker or Fiber One.But today, I tried recipe from this book(The New Best Recipe) . It is really yummy and came out very well.

Ingredients:

• 3 Cups All-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. Baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. Baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 10 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter (1 1/4 stick), softened
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 large Eggs
• 1 1/2 cup Plain Yogurt
• 1 tsp. grated lemon peel
• 1 1/2 cups Blueberries

Method

• Preheat oven to 375°F.Adjust the oven rack to the middle-lower part of the oven.

• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together, beating until fluffy.

• Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated after each one. Beat in the grated lemon peel.

• Beat in one half of the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Beat in one third of the yogurt. Beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients. Beat in a second third of the yogurt. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients and then the remaining yogurt. Again be careful to beat until just incorporated. Do not over beat. Fold in the berries. If you are using frozen berries, defrost them first, drain the excess liquid, and then coat them in a light dusting of flour.

• Use standard 12-muffin muffin tins. Coat each muffin cup lightly with olive oil or grapeseed oil using a pastry brush, or with a little butter. Or use one of those convenient vegetable oil sprays. Distribute the muffin dough equally among the cups. Bake until muffins are golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Test with a long toothpick (we use a thin bamboo skewer) to make sure the centers of the muffins are done. Set on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin and serve slightly warm.

Note:

• Add 1 Tbsp. flour if you are using defrosted frozen berries.