Mommy FTW

I was walking down Myrtle to the Post Office this morning and I decided to duck into Mr. CoCo to see what it looked like. Overall it seems pretty nice – it’s basically like a smaller version of Elly’s on DeKalb. They’ve got a small selection of produce which looks decent (for a bodega) lots of organic grocery items, and some frozen foods that Cameron likes to eat, including Dr. Praeger’s stuff.  I’m a little disappointed that they seem to be shrink wrapping some of their produce (see some of the peppers in the picture) – but overall, its not too shabby, and that’s more of a pet peeve of mine.  I asked the woman at the register if they were really open 24 hours, and she said yes.  So if anyone needs some organic milk at 2 am – you know where to check!

The Produce

The Frozens

I know that I never felt as much a part of the Fort Greene / Clinton Hill neighborhoods as since I’ve had Cameron – mostly because I spend so much time walking the streets, playing in the playgrounds and parks, and meeting my neighbors.  Anyways, that’s why I do posts about neighborhood news – because I know most of my readers live in this part of Brooklyn, and I think they want to know whats going on in their ‘hood….

I was walking today down Myrtle to go visit the Pratt Post Office and I saw two new businesses opening – both are going to be Grocery options with Organic Items – one smaller than the other.

Two New Grocery Stores for Myrtle Ave. Bring it on!

You can learn more about them on the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership website.  The store opening in the Walgreens Building (375 Myrtle Avenue between Clermont and Adelphi) is going to be opened by people who run a few Organic and produce markets on Fulton.  The smaller grocery, Mr. Coco says on the awning that it will be open 24 hours – that could be interesting.  It is located at 414 Myrtle Ave.   I wish them both luck!  And I hope the quality of the food is good – we could sure use that!

Now, on to the Post Office.  As you may know the Pratt Post Office is closed for repairs.  I finally got a note in my mail about it!  I went today to the Mobile Unit to pick up my P.O. Box Mail.  There are two Mobile Unit trucks parked at the Post Office during the hours of 9-4 M-F and 8-1 on Saturday.

Skip the Mobile Unit on Myrtle and head around the corner for some real service!

The truck out front only sells stamps – so don’t bother waiting in line there for anything else.  There is another truck parked in a small alley on the side of the post office which handles giving out the packages and the P.O. Box Mail.  Be sure to bring your ID if you need any of those items!

Earth’s Best certainly isn’t the cheapest baby food on the block, but the quality is good, and their food is organic, so I try and buy it for Cameron when I can.  I found that on their website they have several coupons you can print to save yourself a few bucks.  Here’s a few of the offers:

Check the Earth’s Best site for more coupons and offers!

Yesterday I was talking to a few moms about Cow’s Milk vs Goat’s Milk for babies over 12 months.  According to one mom Goat’s Milk is a better choice for several reasons – it’s more easily digestible, and is less likely to cause lactose intolerance in your baby (and later in life) and is closer to human milk.  I did a little research to learn more for myself.  I found this article which explains the differences between the two milks – here are some highlights:

Unlike cow’s milk, goat’s milk does not contain agglutinin. As a result, the fat globules in goat’s milk do not cluster together, making them easier to digest.

Goat’s milk may also have advantages when it comes to allergies. Goat’s milk contains only trace amounts of an allergenic casein protein, alpha-S1, found in cow’s milk. Goat’s milk casein is more similar to human milk.

Goat’s milk contains slightly lower levels of lactose (4.1 percent versus 4.7 percent in cow’s milk), which may be a small advantage in lactose-intolerant persons

Goat’s milk contains 13 percent more calcium, 25 percent more vitamin B-6, 47 percent more vitamin A, 134 percent more potassium, and three times more niacin. It is also four times higher in copper. Goat’s milk also contains 27 percent more of the antioxidant selenium than cow’s milk

Goat’s milk contains less than ten percent of the amount of folic acid contained in cow’s milk which means that it must be supplemented with folic acid in order to be adequate as a formula or milk substitute for infants and toddlers.

Read the rest of the Article HERE.

If you are interested in trying Goat’s Milk – the next step is finding it!  I’ve been told that Fairway sells it, and so does Fresh Direct – 32 Oz is $6.99!  This mom has a little bit of sticker shock, I must admit!

$6.99 for 32 Oz? Holy Cow... er...Goat!

So is Goat’s Milk right for your baby?  I suggest doing a little more research and talking to your pediatrician.

At Cameron’s 12 month check up I was talking to our pediatrician about how to get him to eat eggs.  Sometimes he goes for scrambled eggs, and sometimes not….  She suggested trying french toast.  For Cameron, it was love at first bite!  A mom asked me the other day for my recipe.  I don’t really have one (I never measure) but here is a rough estimate:

1 egg

1/2 cup whole milk

dash of cinnamon

pat of butter for in the pan

4 pieces of whole wheat bread

French toast and strawberries!

I whisk up the egg, milk, and cinnamon and then dunk the bread in for a few seconds on each side.  Then cook in the pan with the butter until nice and brown on both sides.  I always make extra (Cam usually only eats 1/2 – 1 piece per serving) and keep it in the fridge.  It reheats well in the microwave.  Serve the toast with fruit and a touch of maple syrup if you like.