Food

Do you worry about your carbon footprint? Have you been putting off getting in touch with that organic farm? Are you looking for eco-friendly products? Well, look no further. This month’s issue of beijingkids explains just how easy it is to go green, or greener, in Beijing.
 
Read our top 20 ways you can help save the planet; find out how to cut back on chemicals in the home; get to know your local organic farmer and use our guide to locate organic and eco-friendly produce and products.
 
Elsewhere in the magazine, Kara Chin ventures into the deep blue with SinoScuba, and takes a trip to Tianjin. We explore Ditan Park and find out what’s beyond the Lama Temple. Our new Notice Board section lets you know what going on in your community. Jennifer McClelland introduces kid-friendly raw food cuisine, serving-up bite sized mushroom sushi rolls and a choc shake so delicious you’d swear it was bad for you.                             
                                              

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If you have a sweet tooth, you may want to head down to Fisheye Café in the Sanlitun Village this weekend. Lollipop Bakery will be offering a free mini cupcake with every hot drink purchased. If one mini dessert isn't enough, cupcakes will be available to purchase in more grown-up sizes.

Find Fisheye Café nestled between The Sanlitun Village and Yashow Market, just north of Coldstone Creamery.

You can tell a lot about a person by how they eat an Oreo cookie.

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Do you hand your daughter an unpeeled apple as an afterschool snack, or cut up carrot sticks to pack in a lunch for your son under the premise that the fruits and vegetables you buy are organic?

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It seems we've just gotten over the melamine milk scandal that killed six infants and caused serious illness to 300,000 more, when we stumble upon another piece of disturbing news. 

The Daily Mailreported that a number of female babies in Hubei have developed premature puberty. The babies, ages 4 to 15 months, have hormone levels comparable to an adult woman and have formed breasts. At present, the only thing linking each case is the use of infant formula produced by Chinese company Synutra. Synutra maintains their formula has nothing to do with the defects and thus far authorities have refused to run tests on the formula.

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Though the breezy autumn weather today in Beijing is a cause for celebration, there are many of us who are still feeling blue – whether it be due to trouble in the family, negative relations at work or storms in the area of romance. For our pill-popping culture these days, the quick fix for the blues are doctor-prescribed or even over-the-counter anti-depressants, plastic capsules that promise its consumer to be washed over by a sea of happiness.

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Blueberries are a great source of vitamin C and antioxidants, but we can’t tote around a zip-lock bag full of blueberries. That’s just unheard of.

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If you’re running out of activities to keep the kiddies occupied as the summer winds down, check out The Guardian’s suggestions for some fun kid-friendly recipes to keep little hands occupied. Let youngsters contribute to the family dining experience with easy to make falafel, tomato and sweetcorn salad and berry sundae with homemade chocolate sauce. Whether your children love to follow instructions or just need a starting off point for food imaginations to run wild, these recipes won’t disappoint.

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The summer break is drawing to a close, but while you’ve been away on holiday the team at beijingkids has been busy giving your favorite magazine an overhaul. We’ve got a brand new cover and a few shiny new tweaks inside. Be prepared to see new sections introduced over the next few issues and old sections revamped. We love it! And hopefully you will too.
 
This August is the pregnancy issue. We got two moms to scour high and low, looking for information to help newcomers and veterans alike navigate the maze of birthing options in Beijing. They found everything you need to know about hospital and natural births. For parents who are struggling to adapt to life with a baby, mom Sonia Cahill spoke with a therapist about postnatal depression and what you can do to spot the signs. If Chinese pregnancy traditions have always baffled you, Kara Chin is here to set things straight.

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Until recently, my only exposure to quiches was via my frequent trips to Comptoirs de France. I've now fallen in love with the delectable taste of these eggy creations (who knew eggs could taste that good!) My only complaint is that  quiches are often too filling for me to finish on my own.

So imagine my glee when I stumbled on a recipe for mini crustless quiches. Granted, I was drawn to this recipe because it saved me from the trouble of making puff pastry. Of course, the size of these cute little quiches appealed to me also.

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