Today's Kool Idea: Summer Reading Programs at Your Local Library

The summer has been a unique challenge to finding ways to entertain the kids, especially since they are not participating in camp this year. Yes folks, The Daily Kool is doing their own family camp this time around...you'd be amazed at how many things you can do with your kids this summer without breaking the bank. From free/$1 movies (check out Regal and AMC) to bowling (www.kidsbowlfree.com), parks to pools, there really are plenty of things to do on a budget. Summertime will be over before we know it though, and our children are already experiencing the "summer slide" syndrome...when school starts up again, many kids will be backpedaling to recapture the 3 months of learning that they have lost from the previous year. How do we encourage our children to keep their minds active during the summer?

Believe it or not, the best answer is at your local library...it is absolutely the best bargain in town! We were astounded at how many terrific programs the library offers over the summer to help motivate kids to keep up with their reading. This is not just bluster either...there have been many studies proving that children who participate in summer reading activities have a significant advantage when school starts again in the fall. Most libraries have state-sponsored summer events which include storytelling, music, creative arts and other performances. We have attended some terrific puppet shows and our oldest son even learned a few tricks from a yo-yo profession who performed last week. How "kool" is that?

You should have seen our four year old at the library last week. He now has his very own library card (just like big brother), personally and painstakingly signed by him...he's so proud! Grandma Marie, one of the senior citizen volunteers, gave both kids their own reading journals...every time they read a book, they just write down the title and color in one of the spaces. When the journal is filled, they get a prize...so simple, yet so exciting for them. There are also fabulous summer programs for teens and adults...the library truly has something for everyone.

The long, hot days of summer provide lots of time to read. Summer reading programs at your local library are a great way to help foster your children's love of books. They also create a wonderful opportunity to bond with your kids...no matter how adept they become at independent reading, our children still love being read to as well. Take the time to see what your local library is offering this summer...it might just surprise you. Relaxing and reading with our children has definitely become The Daily Kool's favorite summertime activity.

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Today's Kool Idea: Passover Matza 101 Cookbook

Okay, by now our fans should all be aware of The Daily Kool's obsession with food. If not, you haven't been reading our stuff! Call us crazy, but we particularly like the challenge of cooking for the Passover holiday. It's not as easy as you would expect, especially since many traditional ingredients (bread, flour, legumes, etc.) in our recipes are forbidden during Passover. After all, how creative can we really get with matzoh?

That's just the question neighbors Jenny Kdoshim and Debbie Bevans asked when they wrote Matza 101. This innovative cookbook takes an original approach to Passover recipes, with matzoh as the main ingredient. We like that this hardcover book has a spiral binding, making it easy to stay on the right page. We also appreciate how detailed the directions are, making each recipe virtually foolproof. In Matza 101, the authors demonstrate an simple process which enables the home cook to manipulate matzoh, resulting in endless possibilities in the kitchen. The procedure is to basically dampen the matzoh until it reaches an al-dente, lasagna noodle-type texture. Please be aware that it may take a little practice to perfect, but when you do...watch out! Can you imagine the possiblities now?

Passover is a particularly difficult holiday for many children with finicky pallettes. Matza 101 has truly guided us in creating delectable dishes that even our kids love. A particular favorite were the Matza Mini Franks...simple, but oh so yummy! Another winner in our household is the recipe for Matza Veggie Calzones. We have sampled many recipes from this amazing cookbook. This year, we are going to try our hand at Chicken Pot Pie. From baklava and cannolies to knishes and gefilte fish enchiladas, Matza 101 has given our family a smorgasbord of delicious recipes that have to be tasted to be believed. We have given you a recipe to try out, courtesy of Matza 101...the only modification that we have made is to use jarred pasta sauce as a time-saver. Though it doesn't compare to homemade, it does simplify the recipe for the beginning Passover cook. Enjoy, and have a wonderful holiday!

Matza Cheese Lasagna

Ingredients:
1-2 jars of pasta sauce (3-4 cups, depending on preference)
6 sheets of matzoh
2 cups of cottage cheese
2 cups of ricotta cheese
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 to 1 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
1/4 cup chopped fresh italian parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
   
2. Set aside 1/2 cup EACH of the mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.
   
3. Mix all of the other above ingredients in a bowl, except the matzoh and sauce.
4. Grease a lasagna pan (with a little oil or cooking spray) and place some of the pasta sauce in the bottom.
5. Cover the bottom of the pan with two sheets of matzoh side by side.
6. Top the matzoh with 1/3 cup ofthe cheese mixture, and top with about 1 cup of sauce.
7. Repeat the layering and end with the sauce.
8. Top with the reserved mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
9. Place in oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until melted and bubbly.
   

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Today's Kool Idea: Read Across America with Dr. Seuss

This is an extra-special day for those of us at The Daily Kool. Dr. Seuss (a.k.a. Ted Geisel), arguably the most beloved children's book author of all time, was born 105 years ago in Springfield Massachusetts. To celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday, the National Education Association is sponsoring its 12th annual Read Across America event. Across the country, thousands of schools, libraries, community centers, and more participate by bringing together kids and books for this special reading event. Dr. Seuss's imaginative, whimsical and endearing books have instilled a love of reading for generations of children.

In honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday and Read Across America, The Daily Kool would like you to join us in our commitment to read with a child today. With inspired rhymes and inventive illustrations, Dr. Seuss books are the perfect gift to delight and encourage young readers. The Daily Kool family will be celebrating Read Across America by taking some time this morning at a Books, Blankets and Bagels event at our children's school. Imagine...a picnic breakfast, book exchange and community storytime...well worth taking a break from work to enjoy reading with our kids.

Our children are so excited about our Read Across America event; however, which book to read has inspired quite the controversy in our household. We all have our favorite Dr. Seuss book, and since there are 44 options to choose from, our children are in a heated debate as to which is the absolute best Dr. Seuss book of all time. We finally got the list down to our personal top three...


This book is a collection of four stories of Dr. Seuss's most winning stories; the Sneetches is by far the most popular in our family. An unforgettable tale of the unfortunate Sneetches, Dr. Seuss demonstrates the absurdity of stereotypes with this charming story. A tale of the "haves" and "have-nots", the Sneetches are bamboozled by one Sylvester McMonkey McBean ("the Fix-it-up Chappie"), who teaches them that pointless prejudice can be costly.


Gerald McBoing Boing has personal meaning to our family. It is about a young boy who has a difficult time fitting in because he cannot speak words...he can only make sounds. No one understands him and he feels left out just because he is different. Dr. Seuss teaches us how our quirks make us special when Gerald becomes successful and famous after enduring ridicule and scorn.




It's the 50th Anniversary of Dr. Seuss's Happy Birthday To You...how can this not be one of our top picks? The great Birthday Honk Honker bird guides us through the kind of special journey we all deserve, just for being born. Dr. Seuss gives us such a positive and creatively expressed message that everyone should be spoiled rotten at least one day a year!




Please join The Daily Kool in celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday and Read Across America! Pick your favorite childhood Dr. Seuss book and read it to your loved ones. Have a party with Horton in The Jungle of Nool, practice your best Cat in the Hat tricks and ask your kids about the "Place You Will Go" when they grow up. Have birthday cake for breakfast and Green Eggs and Ham for dessert. Whatever you do today, celebrate life with your kids, Seuss style. Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Today's Kool Idea: MindWare Coloring Books

It is almost impossible to live without any stress. We admit that sometimes stress can make life more exciting. In fact, Americans actually seem to have become addicted to the kind of over-scheduled, hurried and tense lifestyle that is so common amongst us. However, if we allow stress to get out of control, it can harm our relationships, enjoyment of life, and especially our health.

Unfortunately, we are passing our stress-addictions onto our children. How many of our kids are over-scheduled with after-school activities and obscene amounts of homework? What ever happened to the days of lazy summers, and simple neighborhood play? We overheard a child in our son's elementary school complain the other day that he just wanted to go to sleep early that night...no doubt about it, our children are as stressed out as we are.

It is important for us to teach our children the necessity of taking a time out for rest and relaxation...and no, we don't mean sticking them in front of the television. Odds are, with the shows that our kids watch, they still won't be able to wind down from their day. Would you believe that good old-fashioned coloring is a proven stress reliever?

Our older son came home from school today upset about a science quiz he took today. To be honest, it was a tough day at work for us parents also. So, after dinner, we sat down at the table with our two children and some Mindware Coloring Books. We have to tell you...these books are amazing! What a terrific outlet for creative expression, and it worked well for the whole family. Yes, the designs are pretty intricate for younger ones, but we were able to pick a simpler one even our four-year-old could do. We had so much fun; this was a perfect opportunity to keep us relaxed while sharing the more difficult parts of our days. Mindware Coloring Books are definitely addictive (our children didn't want to stop), and we all felt better as we admired each other's artwork. Colored pencils and thin magic markers were the tools of choice for our artwork (as opposed to crayons and thicker markers).

It is our jobs as parents to set a good example for our children. A relaxed family is a happier one...you and your children deserve to take some time for more calming and pleasurable activities. We at The Daily Kool think this is so important, we will continue to feature family activities that encourage conversation, relaxation and just plain togetherness. Mindware Coloring Books are equally "kool" for adults and children.

Here's an idea: If your Mindware Coloring Books are too complex for your younger one, make a simplified design just for him. We took a regular piece of construction paper (light color) and several objects around the house. For example, for a circle motif, just take a cup (Dixie or other), and trace slightly overlapping circles on the paper. Get as creative as you want (Lego's for rectangles, post-it pads for squares). Your younger child will love the feeling that comes with doing the same project as the rest of the family!

Today's Kool Idea: Kindle 2

We at the DailyKool love to read all kinds of books, from romance to classics, science-fiction thrillers to autobiographies. Books can stimulate our imaginations and intellect, and is (in our opinion), the healthiest addiction to have and to instill in our children. Unfortunately, with technological advancements, there are so many other exciting and thrilling options available for entertainment, resulting in a loss of skill and passion for reading that is worth mourning.

Most of us have heard of Amazon's, commitment to bridge the gap between reading and technology with their innovative e-book reader called the Kindle. Launched in November of 2007, the Kindle sold out in its initial offering in 5 1/2 hours, and remained out of stock until April 2008. As of yesterday, Amazon's latest upgrade, the Kindle 2 is available nationwide to us voracious readers. Kindle 2 features improved battery life, 20% faster page-refreshing, an audio option for those of us who like our books read to us, and enough disk space to hold an estimated 1,500 books. Incredibly thin and lightweight, the Kindle 2 comes with over 240,000 books available for download. Amazon boasts many incredible features with this product, including a high-resolution electronic ink screen, adjustable text size, newspaper and magazine downloads, bookmark and annotation capacity, etc. With all these features and more, the Kindle 2 is arguably the best e-reader on the planet.

That said, the DailyKool must confess that we will probably not be purchasing this product just yet. Sure, we are impressed with the state of the art technology that Amazon has brought its customers...we are just unwilling to pay the hefty $359 (plus $9.99 per book) price tag for it. Though it is not a worthy investment for us, we can absolutely see its value for those with different lifestyles from ours, especially for the frequent business (or recreational) traveler. As Joseph Addison once said, "Reading is to the mind as exercise is to the body." The Kindle 2 is undoubtedly a really "kool" idea, and we applaud Amazon's continued efforts to keep us reading.