Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in san francisco, CA

Trader Joe's

by Michael Rohde

May 05, 2009

I've never met anyone who said they didn't like Trader Joe's. After all, what's not to like, you get balloons for the kids, free samples, and the groceries are awesome. Yes, I just wrote that groceries are awesome (I think that's proof I'm no longer in my 20's and am a bona fide parent). Plus, if you shop smartly, their prices are cheaper than some big chain grocery stores.

I realize that TJ's is not a unique SF experience; after all, they are nationwide. So, why do I bring them up now? It's simple, really, they just lowered prices on select items. If you've never been, or if you've been neglecting your local TJ's, it's time to pay them a visit.

I also understand they have a cookbook (Cooking with all things Trader Joe's) on sale. Would that be a good Mother's Day gift? I guess that depends on the Mother...

Here's a top 10 list of favorite items (special thanks to my Facebook friends for contributing their faves):

10. Wine selection. Whether you prefer the two buck chuck or TJ's own label, they've got a large selection of great wine (and beer).

9. Tarte flambé

8. Their frozen desserts and organic strawberry lemonade

7. Carne Asada

6. Free balloons for the kids

5. Free samples (you probably saw this one and #6 coming a mile away)

4. TJ's frozen 4 cheese mac & cheese and the pesto tortellini bowl (guaranteed the kids will eat it every time)

3. They have their own peanut butter cups

2. Joe joe's (their version of the Oreo)

1. Salsa. We love the double roasted salsa and I have it on good word, from two different sources, that the peach salsa is da bomb. Apparently, it's really good served on pork chops, grilled chicken, and I'm guessing it wouldn't be bad on salmon either. That's it. Ten reasons to hit TJ's and get some groceries, balloons, and snacks.

BTW, if you want to connect on FB (I'm Mike Rohde, I use the same profile pic there as I do here), send me a note that you read my posts and I'll accept. I'm also on Twitter (jimmyjames70). Fair warning: my tweets are split between discussing Xbox 360 video games and my kids. The kid tweets are usually on Fridays and the weekends. If you let me know you're reading these posts I’ll be sure to follow you back.

See you on the other side.

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The Joy of Crockpot

by Michael Rohde

April 06, 2009

My kids have reached the age in which they aren't quite ready to help cook dinner, but they are more than curious to see what Dad is doing in the kitchen. Cooking is time consuming enough, but with four little hands tugging on your pants and incessantly saying, "Uppee" and "See," cooking time suddenly doubles. Plus, there is the peril of opening and closing a hot oven door while two nosy-bees are hovering near by. And I'm sure you know it's no joy to stir a pot, or do any kind of sautéing or pan frying, while holding a toddler who insists on "seeing."

That's why I've come to learn the joy that comes from a crockpot. You simply toss everything into the pot, put it on low, and seven to nine hours later you have a delicious meal. There's still prep work involved, but if you do that the night before, then the morning work is a piece of pie (or more like a whole chicken, or rack of ribs, or three pounds of pork butt).

Side note: Here's a good reason to love Trader Joe's. Even though they don't sell three pounds of pork butt (they only have the tenderloin or the chops), the employees still get a slight smile at the mention of "pork butt" when you ask them if they carry it…

Most of you probably already know about the joys of crockpot cooking, so here are a couple of modern-day tips to help with new recipes and grocery shopping. These tips help if you have an iPhone or a similar PDA.

• Download the free AllRecipes application from the App store. This handy-dandy application has a DinnerSpinner, which provides helpful suggestions if you're all out of ideas. You can choose from meal type, ingredients, and cooking times. AllRecipies not only includes the recipes, but it also has helpful comments from other users and nutrition information. You really couldn't ask for more. In the last two weeks, I made the Fragrant Lemon Chicken and the Honey Garlic Chicken. I'm planning on making the BBQ Pork Sandwiches just as soon as I get my hands on three pounds of pork butt (sorry, couldn’t resist mentioning "pork butt" one last time). The only downside to this application is that you need to be in range of either a wireless network or have a 3G connection, otherwise, the recipe might not download. And if the recipe does not download while you're at the grocery store, then you're out of luck as to what ingredients to purchase, which leads me to the second tip.
• You can make a grocery list a couple of different ways using your iPhone. You can use the Notes app, which comes with your phone, or you can download a To Do List app. I use DoBot ToDos as my To Do List application. It was free and it works pretty well. Both apps work without need of a clear signal, so you're good to go no matter where you are.

There you have it: crockpot + AllRecipies + To Do List = easier cooking.  Read more...

Homemade Flour Tortillas

by Graham Charles

January 22, 2009

Here's another fun cooking project to do with kids, and even better, one that doesn't involve cookies! They never turn out round, of course, but that's half the fun. We're also fond of adding a little food coloring -- nothing like a pink tortilla. (By the way, our recipe calls for vegetable shortening, not an ingredient everyone has around. I highly recommend it, though -- it makes some  Read more...

Chopsticks in my Day Bag

by Graham Charles

January 12, 2009

Among the less typical but nonetheless essential components of my diaper bag (it retains that name despite the absence of diapers) is this: training chopstick holders. Fern loves Asian food, and since we live in a town enriched mightily by cultures that arrived from the other side of the Pacific rim, we have no shortage of options. We drop by our favorite -- Xiao Loong on West Portal -- at  Read more...

Winter Toy Reviews

by Graham Charles

December 02, 2008

The Savvy Moms-in-Chief have asked us to take a look at some of our favorite toys over on the national site; here are my first five favorite toys and what I had to say about them. Want more? Click on the "Books, Toys, and More" link above. Radio Flyer Sports Coupe My daughter has been a Radio Flyer nut since she first saw a wagon outside of a hardware store. Something about the  Read more...

99 Things to Do In San Francisco Before Kindergarten, Part 8: Sticking Around the House Like a San Franciscan

by Graham Charles

December 01, 2008

I'm closing in on the this list of a hundred things every San Francisco kid must do. This week, I thought I'd stay at home and write up some S.F.-inflected indoor activities.   71. Have a face-painting and dressup party. (Nothing says San Francisco like a feather boa.) 72. Make homemade presents for your friends and relations -- very post-consumerist! 73. Plant a California native plant  Read more...

Baking Bread with a Toddler

by Graham Charles

November 21, 2008

As we enter into cooler weather, indoor pursuits beckon, and what could be better than baking with a toddler? I'm all over the "easy" way -- buy some pre-made dough, roll it out, and cookie cutter it to death -- but I've found that this bread recipe is nearly as easy and allows for a lot more fun, to boot. It's derived from a no-knead bread recipe I found in the New York Times ( here's the  Read more...

Nurturing the Little Cook with a Learning Tower

by Graham Charles

September 29, 2008

We love to cook with our 2-year old Fern, but it can be really tricky. Our first experiments were carried out on a tarp, with a then 18-month old mixing and kneading at our feet -- but we kept tripping over her. Then we tried shipping all the cooking out to the dining room where Fern could at least sit, but wound up mostly making a mess in hard-to-clean-up spots. Besides, she's like  Read more...

Cooking with the Kids: A Quick "Cup" Cake

by Graham Charles

September 24, 2008

My daughter Fern, who's now 2 and a half, has been nuts for participating in the kitchen lately. I've got a few activities set aside for her -- a container of rice that she can measure, for example -- but really, she prefers most of all to actually prepare food that she'll later eat. Spreading her own peanut butter is easy enough (although a bit of a mess!) but I've also started to  Read more...

Saturday is for Sou Boereg: The Armenian Festival is Here!

by Graham Charles

September 17, 2008

Last year, my wife, daughter, and I stumbled upon the 50th Anniversary of the Armenian Food Festival , held at St. Gregory's down on Brotherhood Way, and we plan to go for the next 50 years at least. The event had everything a cultural gathering should: an old guy wearing World War II ribbons expounding on how Armenia founded world culture, his wife pointing out the Armenian features of  Read more...

Savvy Urban Hiker: The blackberries are back!

by Graham Charles

August 25, 2008

Time to send your kids into the underbrush again! Blackberries have been popping out on sunny hillsides since July, but now's the season for the fogberries: the super-tart smaller blackberries that didn't get quite as much sun as their midsummer cousins. There are dozens of little blackberry pockets around town; here are a few of my favorites: Mountain Lake Park in the Richmond.  Read more...

Kid-friendly gourmet dining: Pauline's Pizza

by Mike Adamick

July 11, 2008

I write a blog about my adventures around the city with my daughter, Emmeline, and hardly a day goes by that I don't get an email from someone about to visit San Francisco who wants to take the kids to a nice, family friendly restaurant that doesn't also feature anybody in animal costumes or free balloons on the way out. I always recommend Pauline's Pizza -- a white table cloth restaurant that  Read more...

Top 5 Extra-Preschool Activities

by Mike Adamick

June 17, 2008

If you've got a little explorer on your hands who loves all the classes and activities found in preschool -- and really, who doesn't? -- these classes may be perfect if you're looking for a little extra enrichment ... or maybe just a little break for yourself. At the Yoga Loft on Divis, on the third Tuesday of every month, babies get a chance to take their parents dancing! At least that's the  Read more...