Organic: Choosing What Counts for Kids

I'm one of those people you could call "sporadically organic." I want to avoid feeding my kids pesticides and chemical fertilizers, of course, but I'm also baffled as to what really matters -- and how much of a premium I should really pay for that "organic" label.

The health blog in the New York Times has a nice little piece on "Five Easy Ways to Go Organic" that helps anxious parents hone in on the places where organic counts. Their five picks? Milk, potatoes, peanut butter, ketchup (!) and apples.

I was most surprised by this tidbit about the unassuming potato: "[C]ommercially-farmed potatoes are some of the most pesticide-contaminated vegetables. A 2006 U.S.D.A. test found 81 percent of potatoes tested still contained pesticides after being washed and peeled, and the potato has one of the the highest pesticide contents of 43 fruits and vegetables tested, according to the Environmental Working Group." Mmmm, blight-killer with those fries?

Mama's Cookin' Up Something... Cold

Photo from Flickr

Frozen corn (right out of the bag) and cold black beans and rice have been the big culinary hits this week in my house. I have a friend whose boys devour raw broccoli like it's potato chips. Have I been wasting my time by actually COOKING for my kids? What weird food things tickle your kids' fancy?