I often talk about super-mom ideals, and how I can never live up to them. However, a few months ago I was introduced to a book that taught me how to make artisan-quality bread from home — a definite super-mom high! The book: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day ($18 at amazon.com).

It is amazing because it’s really easy.

The simple “Master Recipe” can be used to make artisan french-style loaves, sandwich-bread loaves, sweet rolls, pizza and more. It calls for only four ingredients:

6 cups Flour
3 cups Water
1-1/2 TBS Yeast
1-1/2 TBS Kosher Salt

Unceremoniously pour all ingredients into a large bowl (I use a 6-quart food storage container with lid). Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. Let rise at room temperature for two hours, and the dough is ready to use. You can also refrigerate and use the dough for up to two weeks — this capability is the real beauty of the recipe.

When you want to make a loaf, put flour on your hands and a cutting board, pull out a hunk of dough and work into a ball shape (keep in mind you’re not kneading the dough here, just quickly working it into a ball). Place ball of dough on cutting board and let set while oven preheats to 450 degrees. If you have a pizza stone, place this in the oven to preheat as well. Once oven is ready, dust a little flour on surface of ball and make several shallow slashes using a serrated knife. Alternatively, at our house we will sprinkle a bit of garlic into olive oil, brush onto the top of the ball; sprinkle on parmesan cheese; and then slash. Place dough on stone and cook for 30 minutes.

By eliminating all the fuss that generally accompanies bread making, this book’s approach is totally doable. I have virtually stopped buying bread. I never buy baguettes or french loaves because the ones I can make at home are so much better (not to mention cheaper). I can also use this recipe to make sandwich bread although from time to time I’ll still buy sliced whole wheat bread to have on hand for a quick sandwich.

Pasta has always been my fall back when I don’t know what to make for dinner. When I make my own bread to go along with it, the meal has an instant upgrade, and I now never have to feel like we’re “just having pasta.” Also when someone invites us over for dinner, we will often bring one of our fresh-baked loaves. (There is another super-mom moment!)

With this dough I also made my first-ever batch of cinnamon rolls, which my family loved so much we’ve now decided to make them a Christmas-morning tradition. Cinnamon Rolls are a bit more time consuming than the other bread recipes, they take about 10-15 minutes hands-on time, so still super fast compared to the traditional way of making them. The super-mom trick here is to make up the rolls the night before and set in the fridge so all you have to do in the morning is pop them into the oven.

If for nothing more than the pizza, keeping this dough on hand is well worth it. With this refrigerated dough, I can make pizza quicker than I can pick it up or have it delivered. Plus the homemade pizza recipe in this book actually tastes as good as delivery. I don’t like frozen or take-and-bake pizza, and I generally think any homemade pizza tastes too soggy. So when I made pizza with this dough, I was surprised at how much it tastes like delivery. Last week my husband made a BBQ Chicken Pizza that was better than the kind we’ve always ordered from California Pizza Kitchen. Even though we have a Little Caesars around the corner with $5 large pizzas anytime, we have not ordered a pizza since I got this book last November — shocking, I know!

It is not often that I can say a book I’ve read has changed my life, but as strange as it may sound, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day has truly changed the way my family lives, eats and much more.

If you’re interested in whole-wheat recipes or need gluten-free, also check out the newest book from these authors Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day.

As if parents needed one more thing to worry about, this year we have to add Swine Flu to the list. The 2009 H1N1 Type A Influenza Virus (the official name for Swine Flu) is supposed to be particularly severe, but unfortunately the symptoms are like regular flu symptoms, which means you and your doctor won’t know, just based on symptoms, if it’s Swine Flu.

The regular, seasonal flu is already easily confused with a cold. So along with stocking up on antibacterial gel, you might want to brush up on the distinctions between a flu and cold with following chart.

Comparing the Symptoms

Is it Serious?

If your little one has the flu, watch for the following symptoms that signal a child needs urgent medical attention:

• Have fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Have bluish or gray skin color
• Are not drinking enough fluid
• Are not waking up or not interacting
• Have severe or persistent vomiting
• Are so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Have flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and a worse cough
• Have fever with a rash
• Have a fever and then have a seizure or sudden mental or behavioral change.

Adults with the flu and experiencing any of the following symptoms should seek urgent medical help:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Flu-like symptoms that improve, but then come back with worsening fever or cough

Surprisingly children actually love a good, spooky tale every now and then. With Halloween just a few weeks away, now is the perfect time. Here are some of our favorite Halloween books:

	Pumpkin Pumpkin. This beautifully-illustrated book contains minimal words and is great for new readers (or parents wanting to hurry along bedtime). It begins with a little boy planting a seed that eventually sprouts and turns into a big pumpkin.
	The Ghost Family Meets Its Match. A personal favorite, this spellbinding story chronicles the history of a large house built in the 1880s. Left empty by an African explorer, a family of ghosts moves in. The ghost family scares off would-be buyers for decades, but in the 1980s a family moves in that strangely isn’t repelled by all the ghosts’ nasty tricks. Perhaps they have a secret of their own?
	One Witch. A wicked counting story that follows a witch as she prepares an “oozing stew” for all her Halloween guests (including you!) Your little one will enjoy the fascinating, yet creepy illustrations.
	The Witches’ Supermarket. An intriguing story about a little girl who stumbles into a secret grocery store just for witches. Luckily it’s Halloween and she’s dressed as a witch. The detailed illustrations of the supermarket — the produce section is stocked with “poison apples” and “goatweed” — are fun to read for kids and adults alike.
	Trick or Treat? Board Book. Perfect for even the youngest trick or treaters, this life-the-flap book is filled with all the spooky favorites: a pumpkin, bat, spider and owl. On my daughter’s favorite page the flap reveals two children in their Halloween masks.

Packing lunch is probably one of the last things on a Mom’s to-do list each day, so it’s easy to see why PB&J makes pretty regular appearances. Don’t get me wrong, I love peanut butter, but if you are looking for a way to liven things up — and maybe even add a few extra nutrients — I have some ideas for you:

Upgrade the bread. Switching to a whole-grain bread can make a big nutritional impact. Shop carefully though, making sure the packaging says “whole grain” and not just “100% Wheat.” Labels can be deceiving; if you’re not sure how to spot the real whole grain read this. Also consider switching to whole-grain pretzels, crackers, etc.

Try tuna sandwiches. Of course there will always be a few picky eaters out there that won’t take to tuna, but a lot of kids enjoy the mild and satisfying flavor. Plus tuna sandwiches are the perfect hiding place for veggies like cucumbers, celery and carrots. If you’re worried your kiddo might object, don’t mention anything about “fish” — for all they know, it could be chicken. Speaking of which, if the tuna isn’t working out, chicken salad sandwiches provide a lot of the same benefits and might be easier for your child to swallow.

Forget the fruit snacks. Although they are called “fruit” snacks, there is not much fruit in them. Plus your dentist will thank you for leaving out these sticky numbers. Give your child fruit snacks the way Mother Nature intended. Some kid-friendly favorites: grapes, blueberries, bananas and cut-up melons.

Watch the juice. Packing a juice box is a good idea — especially if you freeze it beforehand so it can double as an ice pack to keep the whole lunch cool — but you need to be picky about which juice you choose. Look for one that contains no added sugar. Since a child’s recommended daily intake of juice is fairly low (for kids age 6 and under, it is just 4 to 6 ounces a day), try watered down juices like R.W. Knudsen’s Sensible Sippers (with the Berenstein Bears characters on the box), which have a nice flavor but a lot less sugar. Better still, you could try good old H20!

Pack some love. Including a note from Mom on the napkin is a great way to help your child feel loved, which might be just the reminder they need if they’re having a rough day at school.

What are your sack-lunch tricks?

I have never been known for being frugal, (certainly not when I’m craving things like Bettye Mueller pumps), but I’m really trying to watch my pennies lately, so throwing away money on extra postage — even if just a few cents — is really annoying. Standing in line at the post office is definitely out, so to figure out the amount of postage needed I use the post office’s online Postage Calculator.

Still it takes way too much brain power to figure out which stamps to use of the ones I have on hand without overpaying. What I really want is someone to tell me exactly which stamps to use so I can pay exact postage without any complicated equations. Coincidentally some brilliant person somewhere created a tool that does just that.

I found the coolest online tool for creating slideshows: Animoto. Actually, calling this a “slideshow” is an understatement because the software remixes your photos with your choice of tunes and very cool, Hollywood-style effects that are spectacular. Even your kid-less friends who never quite get why a baby face covered in mashed carrots is adorable, will enjoy these home videos.

Create 30-second shorts for free or if you want to go longer they are $3 each. You can also get an annual All-Access Pass — it is $30, but trust me, you will get so addicted that it will be well worth it.

This morning as I was contemplating what to write (I’m trying to get back into the groove after my brief hiatus), I couldn’t help but think about an experience my husband and I had on our cruise. As we were walking back to the ship after a day of fun in Ensenada, Mexico, we passed sitting on the sidewalk a mother, grandmother and two children — the little girl asleep on the concrete. Upon boarding our ship we sat down for lunch at the all-you-can-eat buffet and both teared up at the abundance we have when there are others who lack so much. I was always taught that it is a blessing to live in the United States of America, and it truly is. Happy Fourth of July!

Want a truly meaningful gift for Father’s Day? How about showing Dad just how important he is.

Dr. Meg Meeker, a pediatrician specializing in adolescent health, recently wrote Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Fathers Should Know. She explains in detail how a father is essential to the well being of children, particularly daughters. Meeker claims that girls with fathers who are involved in their lives have higher self-esteem; quantitative and verbal skills; and are more likely to go to college. She warns that feminist rhetoric causes many dads today to feel their role is of little importance. The book offers a truly unique perspective on fatherhood that is both eye opening and encouraging.

I can’t think of a better way to make Dad’s day.