Whether you prefer to have an intimate, cozy day with your kids or throw a big celebration for all the mothers in the neighborhood, we have something for you. Unwind and enjoy a gourmet sit-down meal to include exquisite tray-passed hors d’oeuvres, organic fresh salad, a bold and flavorful entrée with a unique twist and a decadent dessert or enjoy a buffet or family-style meal so you can eat to your heart’s content.

We know why you do what you do. You teach by example and nurture with love. There are times you just sit back and think about the lessons you learnt from your mother or suddenly after tasting a dish you prepared, you think of how your mother used to prepare it. These are some precious moments which you are reminded about incessantly even after many years. Such reflections never fail to bring a smile on your face.

Eventhough Mother’s Day should be a day when you are pampered we all know that you end up in the kitchen doing all the work. If you’re family, like many of us, is too large for a restaurant then hosting an event at home is the way to go, but it doesn’t have to be stressful. Save yourself the time and energy of grocery shopping, cooking and serving.

Rowe Cuisine can give you tips on how to throw a stressfree event. Treat yourself and your family to a great Mother’s Day event without the hassle.

Executive Chef/Owner, David Rowe of Rowe Cuisine Catering and Event Planning has graced the culinary arts and event planning industry with over 30 years of experience. www.RoweCuisine.com

The following recipe may actually be one of my favorite weelicious recipes because of how versatile it is: I used the mix to make waffles this morning and the kids actually said they were the best I’d ever made!

This recipe makes a bit more mix than what you would normally find in a box of the pre-made stuff, but that’s a plus, especially if you have a house full of pancake lovers. Just keep the mix in a sealed container and anytime you want to make these, just add an egg, milk, a touch of oil and a scoop of mix for whole wheat pancakes or waffles that are sure to please!

Whole Wheat Pancake Mix (Makes 6 batches of pancakes or waffles- each batch serves 4)

• 6 Cups White Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Baking Powder
• 1 Tbsp Baking Soda
• 2 Tsp Salt

1. Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

Whole Wheat Pancakes and Waffles (Serves 4)

• 1 Large Egg, Whisked
• 1 Cup Buttermilk**
• 1 Tbsp Vegetable or Canola Oil
• 1 Cup Pancake Mix

Optional toppings:
• 1 small banana, sliced;
• 1/2 cup blueberries or raspberries;
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Whisk the egg, buttermilk and oil in a large bowl.
2. Whisk in the pancake mix until just combined.
3. Heat a large pan or griddle over medium heat and grease with butter or oil.
4. Pour about 1 tablespoon of the pancake mixture onto the griddle, making as many pancakes as will fit and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Flip the pancakes and cook for one minute longer and serve.

* Mixture can also be used in a waffle iron following manufacturers directions.

** If you do not have buttermilk you can make it by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of milk.

*** You may also substitute regular milk for buttermilk

Chocolate Muffins (Makes 12 regular-sized or 24 mini muffins)

• 1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 Cup Granulated White Sugar
• 1 1/2 Tsps Baking Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 3/4 Cup Milk
• 1/3 Cup Vegetable or Canola Oil
• 1 Large Egg, beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Grease 12 regular or 24 mini muffin tins.
2. In a medium bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, and the egg. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
4. Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full.
5. Bake 18 – 22 minutes (8-10 minutes for mini muffins), or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Citrus Parfait (Serves 2)

• 1 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 2 Small Oranges and/or Grapefruit, sectioned
• 1/4 Cup Grape-Nuts Cereal

1. Place yogurt and honey in a bowl and combine.
2. In a small glass cup, place 1/4 cup of the yogurt mixture.
3. Layer some cut sections of oranges and/or grapefruit and 1 tbsp of Grape-Nuts.
4. Add another 1/4 cup of the yogurt mixture on top of the fruit and Grape-Nuts and layer again with more fruit and Grape-Nuts.
5. Repeat to make the second parfait.
6. Serve.

Catherine McCord launched Weelicious in 2007, providing a solution to parents’ hectic lives by showing them how to cook recipes that are kid-friendly, quick and nutritious. With a background in culinary arts from New York City’s prestigious Institute of Culinary Education, and a passion for food, Catherine has developed recipes that appeal to a range of ages. Weelicious focuses on educating kids and involving them in the process with how-to cooking videos featuring Catherine’s own two children.

The big question remains: Can women really “have it all”? I tend to categorize myself in the “something’s got to give” camp—multi-tasking and juggling can take us just so far. As a matter of fact, recent studies have shown that our IQ drops by 10 points when we do two tasks at the same time. So, I am calculating that by noon each day, the IQ of women all around the globe has dropped exponentially!

It seems like we are feeling more exhausted and guilty than ever before because we are constantly reaching for the unreachable. Well research seems to back this idea as well. Studies show that women today are less happy relative to where they were forty years ago, and relative to men.

So, where do we go from here? The answer may be in the way we are defining a fulfilling life, or “having it all”.

I struck up this very conversation with Galit Dayan. She happens to be a mother of three, the wife of the Israel Consul General in Los Angeles, who has earned her PhD in Egyptology, and is now fully entrenched in a different career path—that of an organizational development consultant. For Dayan, “having it all” has a different connotation all together.

She has a degree as a consultant from Georgetown University. “If you want to be a consultant, the work first starts with yourself,” her professor announced on the first day of class.

This meant that she, along with all the students, had to do some deep work to hone in on their ideas of success and how they were going to work towards it. Galit now believes that “Having it all has to do more with redefining success, reflecting on how our goals in life motivate and drive us, and how we choose to release ourselves from limiting mindsets.” I, for one, wholeheartedly agree.

We all have a running story of how we define ourselves. Sadly we seldom take on the challenge of creating a new story that is empowering and positive. For many of us, we may first think about these ideas in our 40’s. Having facilitated a number of women’s groups myself, I see what many of us are tackling on a daily basis. We may want to bring a new level of enthusiasm into our life, or start a new career, but don’t know where to even begin.

Finding the answers to the following five questions will help direct your attention toward a more empowering and positive way of approaching growth and change in your life:

1. Are you keyed into where your passion lies? In working with so many women over the years, Galit notes that a common hurdle for many is retrieving their dreams and passion for life. Surely, as kids we all had some ideas what our adult self would be doing somewhere down the road. More likely than not, it was a life that was closely connected to our interests and passions. But as we grow older, those dreams fade and we make a detour—we chose a job that seems more realistic and that fits the bill. Years of twisting into shapes that will fit the spaces readily available to us can take us away from whom we yearn to be. Then at mid-life we try to discover what our life’s work may be. Finding a forum where you can explore those options is a good way of bringing renewed energy into your life.
2. Can you pinpoint limiting ideas you have about yourself that keep you in a cycle of guilt or inaction? Some common areas of concern for women are the following: What does being a good mother mean to you? How confident are you about your capabilities and how do you integrate your strengths into your life? The happiest and most successful people have tailored a life that concentrates on their strengths rather than what is normative. Their primary identity comes from their positive characteristics rather than concentrating on what is missing in their life. How much of your life and work is built around your strengths? After all, at the end of the day, we all want to feel good about what we are doing and feeling appreciated for it. If there is something to be done to correct an issue, how do you go about making it right?
3. What is the underlying motivation behind your goals and dreams? Could it be found in other activities? Galit gave me a good personal example. When she was younger, she wanted to be a doctor or an actress. A set of circumstances took her away from that goal and she went on to earn her Ph.D. in Egyptology. She feels that now her current profession as an organizational development consultant fits more within the bounds of her childhood dreams. “I always wanted to help people, and now I do that on a daily basis in this career. I also do public speaking, which feeds into my interest in interacting with a wider audience.” The big pay off to Galit, and to many others who embark on a different career path is the realization that the skills developed in a previous job also indirectly transfer to their next career. With some fine-tuning, we too can see if there is buried treasure in a second career path that nurtures our primary passion.
4. Do you put yourself in the right environment in getting the right kind of support for your growth? A gardening analogy is most appropriate for this question—some flowers and plants thrive in temperate zones and others in other conditions. We too need to be in tune with our own nature and know under which conditions we do our best. In what life situations do you thrive personally? Who are the people who energize you? Do you actively put yourself in situations where you are building your skills and experiencing the growth you want? For example a person who wants to become a writer should consider taking writing classes, go to readings and be in places that stimulate that type of creativity in her.
5. Are we actively refining and “weeding out” activities that no longer serve us or hold our interest? One of the misconceptions about identity formation is that once we become adults, we should be set on the kind of work we like to do, and how we want to experience life around us. This is nothing farther than the truth. We are constantly changing and in different phases of our life, our priorities change as well.

So what may have invigorated us a decade ago may no longer resonate with who we are presently. Nevertheless, we often feel we are losing a part of ourselves when we let go of those ingrained activities. There is comfort in knowing that it is appropriate sometimes to move on and step into a new challenge.

We all fall into the trap that we can achieve happiness with a set formula. But that magic formula is idiosyncratic and lies deep within our own blueprint of ourselves. This is precisely the reason for us to contemplate these questions, for each woman is unique and each defines success and happiness on her own terms.

There were so many points that resonated with me when I was talking with Mrs. Dayan, but the one that made the most impression on me and served as an empowering tool for her as well was the following statement: our work always starts with ourselves!

Angella M. Nazarian teaches psychology in local universities and facilitates adult personal development seminars for women. Her new book, Pioneers of the Possible: Celebrating Visionary Women of the World, was released February 2012 by Assouline.

Q: When do I know I’m ready for botox?
A: You should do botox before the formation of frown lines, crows feet or forehead wrinkles.

Q: I don’t want people to know I have botox. How can you make it look natural?
A: At Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery Group, we believe helping our patients bring out their natural beauty by enhancing and refining not changing their appearance. We are known for putting less botox than most surgeons. You can always add more but you can’t take it away.

Q: Typically, how often will I need to come in for botox once I start?
A: Everyone is different. We normally recommend three times a year but some people can come in twice a year depending on the strength of their muscles.

Q: If I’m going to a party and I want to get rid of my lines how far in advance should I come in?
A: Generally, at least a week is recommended for the botox to take effect. We have seen it take effect in 48 hours and sometimes as long as two weeks.

Q: Is botox safe during pregnancy and while I am breastfeeding?
A: Absolutlely not

Q: Can botox help relieve my migraine pain?
A: Yes. We have great success in alleviating migraine pain in the majority of our patients.

Q: Are there any long term detrimental effects from using botox?
A: No

At Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery Group, Dr. Payman Danielpour and Dr. John Layke are skilled Cosmetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgeons who are dedicated to using advanced surgical techniques to achieve your desired look. Visit www.bhpsg.com for more information.

Looking for a bigger adventure, check out the book, Twenty Miles per Cookie, by the Vogel Family. They left home on two bikes for a yearlong journey around the United States with their twin eight-year old boys! They learned science, geography as well as reading, writing and arithmetic, adding up all those miles they biked, while solving problems such as where to sleep when it rained and finding enough water while biking in the desert during 107 degree temperatures. They named the kindness of strangers their “American Road Angels” and had some incredible adventures as a family. You might not be ready for a year on the road, but it may inspire you to solve your own impossible challenges!

For those of you not ready to live on a bicycle, I have two great stay-at-home ideas. Check out the new website, http://www.discoverwater.org/blue-traveler/ from Project Wet. There are many games including Blue Traveler, a trip through the water cycle and the water detective activity that teaches how to use water wisely. Kids of all ages will enjoy their graphics and information. Try the incredible interactive learning resources from ABC Curriculum. http://www.abcurriculum.com/

I highly recommend the Live and Learn 21st Century Family Learning Modules. You will have hours of creative fun with these packets! Whatever way you bring more science to your child, I hope you enjoy the time together!

Lisa Niver Rajna, M.A. Ed. has over 12 years of classroom teaching experience and an additional 11 years working in camps and on cruise ships.

Take time to prep anything you can the night before. I like to chop vegetables for a stir fry or whip up a pasta sauce for instance the night before, so I can just quickly make it in the morning. It is also important to make sure to have all of your containers ready to go and your child’s lunch basket, bag or box all set to make sure the morning routine goes smoothly. There are some great companies that make eco-friendly containers and reusable carriers that I love and recommend.

Eco-Ditty
Sanctus Mundo
Life Without Plastic
Eco-Bags
Graze Organics
Kids Konserve
Laptop Lunches

Keep a lookout for a new book I am writing on organic lunches for kids, but in the meantime, check out the following recipes to help give your kids lunches a fresh start to a new school year!

grace’s daring sesame noodle oodle

This recipe is named after my super daring niece. She gave it her stamp of approval, so you know it’s good! I often serve this dish with an Asian-inspired salad and baked pears for dessert. Feel free to play with the recipe by adding different vegetables. Remember to cut up the noodles for any little toddler who is just getting the hang of chewing.

Makes 4 servings

• 1 package linguine noodles
• 4 tablespoons safflower oil
• 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Juice of 11⁄2 limes
• 5 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon liquid amino acids (such as
• Bragg Liquid Aminos)
• 3 tablespoons agave nectar
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons chili sauce
• 1 teaspoon wheat germ
• 2 pinches ground red pepper
• 1⁄2 cup fresh snap peas
• 1⁄2 cup chopped fresh broccoli
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro

1. Prepare the noodles according to package directions. Drain and pour the noodles into a serving dish. Set aside.
2. Combine the safflower oil, vinegar, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, amino acids, agave, sesame oil, chili sauce, wheat germ, and red pepper in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add the snap peas and broccoli. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Pour the sauce and vegetables over the prepared noodles. Mix well.
4. Top the dish with the scallions, sesame seeds, and cilantro. Garnish with an additional lime wedge, if desired. Serve warm with a side of mandarin oranges and a refreshing mint herbal tea.

tennie’s spanish veggie burger bites with flaxseed

Veggie burger bites are a perfect dinner. Kids go crazy for the flavor, and flaxseed provides extra nutrition. This dish is named after my children’s grown-up godfather because he can’t eat enough of it. The burger bites are full of bean protein and dietary fiber. You can serve them anytime of year, but they are great in the summer at barbecues and go well with sweet potato fries. Serve them chopped up for your toddler or on a bun with other fixings for an older child.

Makes 5 servings

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the
• baking sheets
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1⁄2 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup chopped celery
• 1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• Grated rind of 1 lemon
• Fine sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) kidney or black
• beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup dried panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
• 1⁄2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 1⁄3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with oil.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion, garlic, mushrooms, celery, and bell pepper until lightly browned. Add the flaxseed, soy sauce, lemon rind, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes and then remove the mixture from the heat.
3. Mash the beans and tomato paste together with a fork or potato masher in a large bowl. Mix in the onion mixture, egg, bread crumbs, cheeses, cilantro, and thyme.
4. Form small patties with approximately 2 tablespoons of the bean mixture. Place the patties on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until crisp. Flip the patties halfway
   through cooking.

Taking standardized tests annually from a young age helps prepare students for when it is time to take admissions exams like the ISEE, SAT and ACT. The testing doesn’t ever stop – think about the LSAT, GMAT, MCAT and then Boards and State Bars…and then professional continuing education testing.

Learning some helpful test taking and anxiety reducing tips now can help your child learn to cope with standardized testing for the rest of their academic and professional careers. Setting up good habits will help them become more successful in their approach to any type of testing.

Settling Fears
Between homework, pop quizzes and GPAs, our kids are well-accustomed to anxiety, but they’re not experts on managing their stress. Sit down and hear out their fears and insecurities, assuring them that you can empathize and expect only their best. Help them put their fears into words by asking, “What’s the worst that can happen?” Answering that question out loud will enable them to focus on the content of the exam rather than the consequences of not performing well.

Settling Stomachs
Give them tools to soothe nervous stomachs. Teach visualization and deep breathing exercises in case they get panicked during the test. Give them a positive thought to focus on and if anxiety gets the best of them, tell them to take a 20 second break from the test to reset and then go back to the task at hand.

Eat, Sleep, Test
The week of the test, set an earlier bedtime and make sure to eat a balanced breakfast that includes protein to boost their energy. Pack nutritious snacks and drinks as there are often snack breaks during exams.

Preparation
Test preparation for the ISEE, ACT or SAT is a crucial component to feeling confident and ensuring success. We recommend one-on-one test prep that includes teaching of concepts, both old and new, as well as test-taking strategies and techniques. Familiarity with the test is important and it is crucial for students to take several full-length practice exams in a test-taking setting.

Nathalie Kunin is the owner of Team Tutors, Inc. and an educational consultant in Los Angeles.

What is RSV, and what are the signs and symptoms of infection?
RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is a viral infection that is seen very commonly in young children. It is passed via contact with respiratory secretions or droplets of an infected person.

For most children, the infection will likely look similar to any other viral cold – runny nose, cough, congestion, and possible fever. The cough will typically worsen over the first several days often sounding very mucousy, sometimes slightly barking. Once it starts to improve, you may see a cough that lingers for around a week to 10 days.

For some infants and small children, the illness starts like a cold but it progresses into a lower respiratory tract infection called bronchiolitis. This is an infection of the bronchioles in the lung – the airways between the largest (bronchi) and smallest (alveoli) airways in the lungs. Not all children infected with RSV will develop full blown bronchiolitis. Your pediatrician will be able to determine the extent and severity of the infection by doing a physical examination and assessment. When bronchiolitis does happen, wheezing may occur. In more severe cases of bronchiolitis, the child may start to show signs of respiratory distress. These including breathing much faster than normal, nasal flaring with each breath, retractions of the chest/rib cage, and grunting. The child may also start refusing fluids, or may not be physically able to take the fluids due to the
respiratory distress.

What is the treatment of RSV?
Treatment for RSV depends on severity. If a child only has symptoms of cough and congestion, it is treated as any other cold with supportive treatments which may include nasal saline with suction or a humidifier. If your pediatrician detects bronchiolitis and wheezing, he or she may do a trial of a nebulized medicine called albuterol. This bronchodilator may or may not help your child, as it is not always effective with RSV. Should a child develop respiratory distress from the bronchiolitis, oxygen may be needed to support the child until the virus improves. Finally, intravenous fluids may be needed if fluid intake is impaired due to the respiratory status. Steroids or antibiotics are not
useful or indicated in the treatment of RSV unless there is a secondary bacterial infection.

How do you prevent RSV?
Prevention for most adults and children includes your usual prevention methods of hand washing and avoidance of contact with those infected. Most all children are eventually exposed to RSV at some point during early childhood, usually by the age of 2. For some young children with a history of significant prematurity, congenital heart disease, chronic lung disease, and some other significant disorders a vaccine prophylaxis is
indicated. Your pediatrician would be able to tell you if your child qualifies for the
Synagis vaccine, which is given monthly during RSV season. It is only indicated for these children with significant health issues.

When it is important to call your pediatrician:
Your child should be evaluated any time you notice a significant cough to make sure there are no lower respiratory tract infections. If your child has RSV, it is important to look for the signs of respiratory distress. Should he or she have fast breathing,
retractions in the chest, nasal flaring, grunting or worsening overall symptoms you should call your pediatrician right away or proceed to the ER. As in any situation, should your child have true difficulty breathing, you should call 911 for a medical
emergency. As always, your pediatrician is your best and most reliable source for any questions regarding your child’s health.

For more information about this topic you can visit www.healthychildren.org
www.cdc.gov/rsv/

Dr. Peter S. Waldstein is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at UCLA. Dr. White and Dr. Waldstein are both Attending Physicians at Cedars Sinai Medical Center with a private practice in Beverly Hills.