A Few Favorites: Dreary-Dead-of-Winter-Addition!

Here are a few favorite things that are helping us to (barely) survive the dead of winter otherwise known as January:

A show you should really let your kids watch :

Peg and Cat is a new show on PBS that is witty and cute and smart all rolled into one. 

Books that you should really check out from your local library:

 The Bink and Gollie books are early readers about two very different best friends. They are are so cleverly written. All three of my older kids are totally smitten with Bink and Gollie. Each of the books is full of laugh-out-loud lines like this one:

"Bink," said Gollie. "The brightness of those socks pains me. I beg you not to purchase them."

 Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons. 

 Tales for Very Picky Eaters. A must for every parent with a child who complained about dinner time.

 Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds. One of Davis' favorites these days.

 Green has very few words but the illustrations are worth checking out.

 Sleep Like a Tiger by Mary Logue, for anyone who's ever resisted bedtime.

 Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett.

Journey. This wordless book is so beautiful and imaginative. 

Last but not least, Rabbit and Robot makes me shed tears of laughter every time I read it. A hilarious early reader about a sleepover that doesn't go exactly as planned. I'm not sure if it's because Rabbit reminds me more of my crazy 3 year-old or my OCD self, but I seriously love this book and am crossing my fingers that it's the first of many in a series. 

Recipes you should really try:

Golden Lentil Stew from Martha Stewart Living. I have not been successful in finding golden lentils so I subbed for the green variety and it is one of my favorite new soups. It's a little bit more complicated than I like for a week-night meal but it is really so delicious and like nothing else I've ever made before.

Stir-Fried Broccoli from MKK. For anyone who is tired of boring old steamed veggies. 

One Hour Whole Wheat Bread  from Real Mom Kitchen. It takes me closer to and hour and 15 minutes from start to finish, and it tastes delicious. My favorite whole wheat bread recipe ever. 

Indian Butter Chicken from MKK.  Ryan and I both agree that this is a restaurant-quality Indian dish. I'm drooling just thinking about it!

There you have it, a few of my favorites that I hope will brighten your dreary January day. And if you are one of my few friends/family who isn't experiencing a dreary January (shout out to CA, TX, and AZ!) then I am jealous of you. And I still hope these suggestions make your sunny days even brighter!!