Raspberry Cream Cheese Heart Tarts (Makes 10-11 Heart Tarts)

• 1/2 Cup Raspberries
• 1/4 Cup Whipped Cream Cheese
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 1 Double Pie Crust Recipe or 1 14 oz Pre-Made Pie Crust*
• Water
• 1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 10 Raspberries for Icing or 2 Tbsp Juiced Raspberries
• 1 Tbsp Milk or Water

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Place the raspberries, cream cheese and honey in a bowl. Using the back of a fork, mash the raspberries with the cream cheese, leaving some pieces of raspberry intact.
4. Roll the pie crust 1/4 inch thick and using a heart shaped cookie cutter (my heart cookie cutter is about the size of my fist), cut out hearts (or, if you are using packaged pie crust just unroll and cut out hearts).
5. Place one heart on a lightly floured work surface and place 2 tsp of the cream cheese mixture in the very center, leaving a 1/4″ border around the cut-out.
6. Lightly dip your index finger into a cup of water and “brush” the border with the water (this will allow the two sides of the heart to adhere to one another).
7. Top with another heart and take the tines of a fork and gently press down along the edges to adhere (making sure the cream cheese mixture stays inside the heart pocket). With a toothpick, poke some holes in the top of the heart to remove any air pockets.**
8. Place on a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
9. While the hearts are baking, take 10 raspberries, place in a strainer and press down with the back of a spoon to release raspberry juice into a bowl — should be about 2 tbsp of juice depending on how juicy the raspberries are.
10. Whisk in the milk and slowly pour in the powdered sugar to make icing.
11. When cool, take a spoon and spread the raspberry icing over the hearts.
12. Serve.

* You can use prepared Pie Crusts too such as Pillsbury or your favorite brand*
* To Freeze: place hearts on a cookie sheet and freeze for one hour. Remove hearts and place in a ziploc bag, label and freeze up to 3 months. When ready follow steps 7-11, adding an extra 3 minutes to the baking time.

Oatmeal Chocolate Sea Salt Cookies (Makes 4-5 Dozen)

• 1 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar (light or dark)
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 2 Large Eggs
• 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
• 1 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 3 Cups Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 12 oz Bag Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Sea Salt Flakes (I use Maldon Sea Salt)

** Do NOT use iodized salt on top of the cookies.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Using a standing or hand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy and fluffy, about 4 minutes ( I know 4 minutes seems like a long time, but it makes all the difference).
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, and vanilla until thoroughly combined.
4. Stir the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl.
5. Slowly add the flour to the butter/sugar mixture until combined.
6. Stir in oats and chocolate chips mixing well until combined.
7. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet.
8. *Press down each cookie and top with a few flakes of sea salt.
9. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Cool and serve.

You can also bake them in silicone individual muffin tins as I did in the picture for 18-20 minutes.** After step #8, place sheet tray in the freezer for several hours, remove cookies to labeled zipper bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake according to directions in step #9.

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.

Let’s get to know the enemy before we talk about prevention techniques. Tooth decay or cavity is an irreversible infection of the tooth caused by several caries-producing bacteria. These oral bacteria attach themselves to the tooth surface by a sticky substance called plaque. As bacteria feeds on the sugar we eat, it produces an acid from the breakdown of the sugar. It is this acid exposure that attacks the tooth and destroys its surface over time. Oral hygiene is the primary line of defense against tooth decay. Healthy eating and drinking not only plays an integral role in overall health, it can have a profound impact on oral hygiene.

Prenatal Parental Oral Health and New Born Oral Care

Dental decay is a transmittable infectious disease. The bacteria can be transmitted from either parents especially the mother or even the siblings to an infant through saliva. It has been well documented that the type and the strength of the oral bacteria of a baby are in most cases identical to the mother.

• During pregnancy and the first few months after birth, optimize your oral health. This will minimize the transfer of the bacteria to your baby.
• Scientific evidence suggests that chewing Xylitol gum 2-3 times a day by the mom would significantly decrease the bacterial transmission to the baby. Xylitol is a natural sugar that can be found in some fruits and vegetables ( berries and mushrooms) that has been shown to have anti-bacterial properties against the oral bacteria.
• Avoid saliva-sharing behavior, such as sharing spoons, cups, and cleaning a dropped pacifier or toy in your mouth.
• Wipe your baby’s gum with wet gauze 2 or 3 times a day. Xylitol wipes are also available.

Baby’s First Year Oral Care After Teething

The first year is probably the most important time for caries prevention.

• Start brushing the baby’s teeth twice a day as soon as they erupt with a super soft tooth brush. No tooth paste is needed.
• Avoid saliva-sharing
• After the eruption of the top teeth, avoid nursing or bottle feeding at night time.
• Minimize sugar containing drinks (juice or milk) with sippy cups
• Minimize sugary snacks in between feedings (dry cereals and baby cookies)
• Your baby’s first recommended dental visit to a pediatric dentist is at 12th month.

Toddler and Elementary School Age Dental Care

• Brush their teeth twice a day (after breakfast and before bedtime). You can use non-fluoridated tooth paste until they are able to spit out the tooth paste.
• Start flossing them at age 3.
• Pack them healthy snacks for school. Avoid dry fruits, dry cereals, high sugar containing snacks and potato chips. Be creative and find some healthy yummy snacks to pack (yogurt, cheese, crackers, fresh fruits, pretzels). If you want to give them a sweet treat choose the ones that are less sticky like gummy bears.
• Minimize juice and eliminate soda.
• Reduce snacking in between meals.
• Xylitol gum chewing 3 times a day has shown to significantly reduce oral bacteria in kids.
• Routine dental visits at least every six months.

Following the above guidelines will ensure lifelong healthy habits and beautiful confident smiles for years to come.

Dr. Shoreh Selki has been practicing pediatric dentistry for over 18 years. She maintains private practices in Encino and Agoura hills. Dr. Selki lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three children.

1. Make sure you know what you want to do for Valentine’s Day. For instance, do you want to go out to dinner, have a romantic meal at home, receive a gift, exchange gifts with your sweetie, pretend the day doesn’t exist? If you don’t know what you want, how can you expect your spouse to?
2. Communicate with your partner about what it is you want. It’s important to be clear about your expectations and to be able to share your thoughts. You don’t necessarily have to plan the whole day out, but you do need to be clear if you have certain expectations that, if not met, will lead to strife in the relationship.
3. Are you a mind reader? Most of us are not. Understand that your partner might not be a mind reader either, and that to expect them to be, is unfair and ultimately will lead to disappointment.
4. Be realistic about what the day means in the context of your relationship. Many believe it is just a Hallmark holiday and put little value on its importance. Some use the day to express love and affection that on other days is more difficult for them to do.
5. Show love, appreciation and affection to the people in your life. You have no excuse, on this day of love, not to lavish it on the special people that you love.

Whatever it is that you want your Valentine’s Day to look like, it is important to understand your own expectations and then express them to your partner. So often I hear women complaining that their guy bought the wrong gift or picked the wrong restaurant. If you have an idea of what is “right,” you and he deserve to know what it is, so you can both be happy on this pressure-filled day. Remember that Valentine’s Day comes once a year, but that expressing love and affection in a relationship is something that needs to happen every day. Love is an action word that needs to be practiced regularly.
Happy Valentine’s Day!

Samara Fabrick is a licensed psychotherapist in Beverly Hills specializing in life issues.

FOOD
Let’s Have a Cart Party
These are the best carts in town. I always get the bbq cart with burgers, hot dogs and corn; the snow cone machine and cotton candy machine. When you get two carts the third one is free!
Www.letshaveacartparty.com
310.246.1230

Cari In Cari Out
Cari’s food is always fresh and tasty. She can cater a party for 20 or 200 and cooks for children and adults. I have had her do a small sit down dinner at my place that was a big hit too.
cariincariout@me.com

DJ
DJ Groovy David is amazing. He played all the songs the girls wants and played all the perfect games so it wasn’t “babyish”. David has great eneregy and the girls all loved him!
Www.groovydavid.com
david@groovydavid.com

Entertainment
Magician Simon Coronel will make your event an astonishing experience. He keeps kids glued to their seats and adults asking for more tricks.
Www.simoncoronel.com

Anita Braids is the only entertainment you really need for a small all girls party. She is the best there is. She designs her own hair clips and matches her hair pieces with the theme of the party. There is not a girl in town who doesn’t love Anita’s braids, feathers and tatoos.
Www.anitabraids.net
310.203.1508

Parties by Stacey
If your kids are younger, Stacey has the most professional characters in town with the best prices.
www.partiesbystacey.com

Little Saplings
Make a garden and have the children at the party go home with their own plant they can nurture and care for. All of the kids love Ruth and she is so knowledgable about planting and can help you create your own garden at home.
Www.littlesaplings.org
littlesaplings@me.com

With the New Year come new anxieties and expectations about the year ahead. You set goals or resolutions you promise you will stick to, but when the swell of the semester is under way, so goes the promises to yourself.

Here’s the deal – there is nothing more demanding than what we expect of ourselves. Throw away the looming list and get real. Below are a few tips to keep yourself accountable to your wants so that you can be the best person possible for your family, friends and co-workers.

Ask yourself – what do YOU want? No matter how many people rely on you, you have to take care of yourself first in order to take care of others. Make yourself the priority.

If you need to lose a few pounds or 50 pounds it’s going to take more than your will power and a Google search diet to get you there. You NEED support. If you have a friend that’s looking to lose a few pounds, become a team. Set a big picture dream for yourself but don’t look at it for too long, as it will become overwhelming. Sit down with your pal over a skinny latte and make small weekly goals fun and fabulous to achieve together!

Groupon, Living Social, Travel Zoo – there are deeply discounted classes you can try in your neighborhood without having to shell out a fortune or become a member.

Be an explorer. Try a new class a week for a month with your buddy and rate them together. The one’s you like the most, buy a package of 5 or 10 and commit to finish them then find another class to start. Mixing up your routine amidst your daily routines will keep your workouts and mind refreshed as well as your muscles working at peak. Keeping your workouts different will make your muscles work harder for your burning more calories and keeping you toned.

Hire a trainer. Get a bunch of your pals together and hire that dream trainer that costs a fortune but that you can split among the group. Make your home or office your gym every week. It’ll take the intimidation out of ‘having’ to go to a gym or wear the right cute clothes or find parking. When you arm yourself with your best girls, you will work harder, have fun and torch calories. You get a specially designed workout for you and your friends and that takes a lot of the guesswork out.

My mommies have such a hard time carving out time for themselves and their friends that I actually started running a time for two picnic specials where I would come with a healthy lunch for the both of them. Pick your favorite restaurant or get a specially made low cal lunch from some of my favorite local chefs and I’ll come to you with the kettle bells, the sandwiches and you’ve got yourself a great afternoon where you can get your workout and girl talk in all before the kids come home from school.

Take at least five minutes a day to breathe. I’m not kidding – even if it’s in the carpool lane while waiting to pick up the kids. Shut off the phone, put on the classical music station or smooth jazz, sit there and breathe deeply for five minutes. Not four. Be still. It’s amazing how much gets done or resolved in stillness. All the craziness of life slows down around you if you can just take a pause.

Become a healthy family. You don’t need a ton of time to fit exercise in. My last article on LA Mom Magazine taught us how to integrate small bits of fitness into your every day. When you have the whole family on board, it makes it more fun. Check out the archives or email me for ideas.

Finally, give yourself a break. Don’t give yourself a hard time if you miss a class or workout, if you have a brownie or two or if you have a meltdown. Each mistake or misstep is an opportunity to try again. The more you practice mindfulness and new healthy routines, the easier it will be.

Resolutions are pressure. Routines are much easier and it starts with a new mindset and one thing at a time. Eventually it becomes a practice and is effortless to attain the goals you want for yourself. The big picture won’t look so big if you start with the small details first. And, if it’s not fun or if it seems too hard or too much work, it will never work.

No one wishes you an unhappy New Year so remember –keep it simple, keep good people around you to achieve your goals and you will have a happy new year!!

Laurie Searle is a personal fitness trainer, yoga teacher and writer in Los Angeles. For more information you can email Laurie at YogaAndFitnessToGo@Gmail.com

Now that it’s a New Year, you and your spouse can begin to plan sound money habits and it is never too early in your child’s life to start teaching your children. You can start the concept of giving allowance so that children learn natural consequences of using money. Allowance affords a hands-on, direct approach to the use of money that your words can’t teach; money requires teaching by show and tell.

Here’s a positive plan I have used through the years of working with children and families. I have read some excellent educational books on money and children by Neale Godfrey, noted author of seventeen books, such as “Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Financially Responsible Children” and “Ultimate Kids Money Book” and a great CD-ROM called Money Town for children Pre-K through High School. Ms. Godfrey, the Chairman of the Children’s Financial Network, Inc., is an educator whose mission is to educate children and their parents about money. She has been working in this field for over thirty years and is a pioneer in the teaching of values, confronting money issues and improving life skills in a curriculum called LIFE, INC.: The Ultimate Career Guide for Young People which serves over one million middle and high school students.

The plan is simple – give allowance weekly by paying your children $1.00 each week for each year of how old they are. Begin the allowance process at age 4; please read on because you and your child(ren) will learn how to place the allowance money in specific chambers – to learn intensely where this money will go. You can buy “Money Savvy Generation’s chambered piggy bank” with 3 or 4 compartments or (use three jars or storage containers): that are designated for Spending, Savings and Donations (Charity) and teaches children how to save, spend, and donate and, if a fourth chamber were used, that would be for investing (teach about the future). Remember to give your young child his/her allowance in quarters and dimes so they can divide the coins and learn their importance.

Lori Mackey, author of “Money Mama and the Three Little Pigs” is the founder of Prosperity4Kids and she uses at 10-10-10-70 system for teaching kids to budget. “When your child gets their first dollar, we suggest that you teach them to save 10%, invest 10%, give 10% to charity and live from 70%. When you give them a dollar, you give them two quarters and five dimes.”

Your child will divide (early on with your help) his/her allowance into these three containers on a weekly basis. Only the Spending jar can be used to buy something that is desired and parents can make rules in this area. If, for example, you do not permit allowance to be spent on sweets, your child must abide by family values and limits. This process of having spending money and finding out how much desired purchases cost reinforces good money habits: we can buy it, if we can afford it!

Savings are for future desires that are hopefully attainable within two months for the youngest of the allowance recipients; older children can learn more patience and longer range goals. As for Donations/Charity, it is never too early to begin teaching your children the values of helping those less fortunate or donating to a cause that is important to them, such as saving wildlife, helping the zoo, helping their community with green projects and environmental clean up campaigns. Charity is about helping people and these lessons must be part of learning at home and having them modeled by parental involvement.

Money skills MUST be taught to kids, just as your will teach them to “Say NO to drugs” and about the “Birds and Bees”, necessary basics should include the teaching of money habits. The allowance plan is the basis for raising fiscally responsible kids and they must begin learning at an early age. The “4 Money Lessons for Children to Master” by Sheyna Steiner for Bankrate.com are a must to complete before sending your child to college: 1. Learning how to budget 2. Making and dealing with spending decisions 3. Understanding the rewards of work and 4. Delaying of gratification.

Another educator in the field on money and children is Greg Karp, author of “The 1-2-3 Money Plan: The Three Most Important Steps to Saving and Spending Smart” who recommends breaking money down into three components. Greg says, “I give my kid three Tupperware-type containers. One is labeled ‘save’ and one is labeled ‘spend’ and one is labeled ’give”. Every week, I started them off with $5.00 so two would go to ‘spend’, $2 would go to ‘save’ and $1.00 would go to ‘give’ and the $1.00 would be the amount they take with them for charity to church (or to Sunday or Hebrew School or their classrooms for caring projects),” he says.

Bottom line, no matter how you give allowance (easiest is by corresponding to age) make sure there is a component breakdown that reflects good values and good money sense. The allowance is not given for chores completed or grades earned. It is a valuable and expectable component that should be given on the same day every week to develop expectations for the future when a paycheck will be anticipated and put to good use. When kids are about 12 or 13 years old, encourage them to have neighborhood jobs such as baby-sitting, yard work or dog walking. You can wean kids off of a portion of their allowance by the time they are sixteen years of age when they can work part-time or have summer jobs.

I hope this review gave you a background to build money-smart kids and to eradicate poor money skills. Please take the time to read some of the recommended books with your spouse and create together a money plan that reflects your values and a weekly allowance plan for your children. Meet with your kids to review your conscious approach and to create a starting date for allowance implementation. Good luck on impacting your childrens’ future as financially savvy teens and adults.

Dr. Bin-Nun has her doctorate in Clinical Child Psychology and has a Masters’ Degrees in Education, Psychology and Marriage, Family and Child Counseling. Dr. Judy is an Educator and Artist and has her private practice in West LA and offers Teen Therapy Groups, Experiential Art Therapy and “Food For Thought” Cooking Therapy in her Venice Studio. Delta Pet Partner AAT dogs are part of her practice. drjudithbin-nun.vpweb.com or www.castoffz-artfulrecycle.com

By Rebecca Casper
Q: How do I take care of my skin in dry, cold weather?
A: More exfoliation and more hydration. Enzymes and Hydroxy acids are the best. Stay away from harsh polishing beads that can actually make dehydration more intense and contribute to aging skin. Indoor heating systems literally suck the hydration out of our skin, so we need to remember drink more water as well. If you don’t already, now is a good time to start taking a blend of Essential Fatty Acids, like Omegas, to help keep your skin vibrant from the inside out.

Q: What is the best way to get quick results?
A: STICK TO A PROGRAM. Consistency is key–just like going to the gym. To get quick results and lasting results seek professional guidance and then stay with it.

Q: Is it true that if I start getting facials that my skin will get “addicted” to facials and I will constantly need to come in?
A: You won’t “constantly” need to come in, but you will most likely become addicted to the results! Everyone is different. Some are more apt to do extra steps at home so that they don’t have to see their skin therapist as frequently. Others can’t be bothered at home so they choose to get in office treatments more regularly. Your lifestyle needs to be factored in when you’re creating a regime with your therapist.

Q: What are your favorite products?
A: Ones that work and don’t cost a fortune! I love serums- they pack the most punch in repair and protection of you skin. Dr. Danielpour and Dr. Layke of the Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery Group have been formulating some great serums. My favorite is their “Firm & Repair” serum. It increases your skin’s hydration, elasticity, collagen production and brightens the complexion. A lot of action in one product- I love that.
As a consumer, so much of what’s on the market is just being marketed to you. It’s hard to weed through the claims and sales pitches, but ingredients don’t lie, so it’s a good place to start. Google ingredients to find out what you’re actually putting on your skin every morning and night. If you need help, call your Aesthetician and if they can’t help you, find a new one!

Rebecca Casper is the Clinical Aesthetician at Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery Group. She consults companies on new product development and is passionate about yoga, beauty & wellness. You can reach Rebecca at 310-275-6600.