Quirky Christmas by William G Bentrim

Quirky Christmas is now available at an online store near you (aren’t they all) very soon but I had the honour of reading an advanced copy of this delightful tale perfect for a coming Christmas.

The characters are delightful as we meet the squirrel named Earl who goes by Quirky because of his unique appearance and many personal characteristics. Quirky is a nickname very suitable for this crazy creature who proves he’s not just quirky, he’s caring. We also meet his friends, Stubby and Art who are also kind of strange in their own ways but all equally wonderful. We also meet Reggie – the typical bully in the neighbourhood who refuses to share.

A very effective story written in a heart-warming way which teaches readers how to overcome obstacles and make friends despite first impressions.

The illustrations are drawn and simple but effective and eye-catching. Make sure Quirky Christmas is something your children unwrap soon so that you can treasure literacy, a good story and heart warming tale for years to come.

Thank you for reading,

Sarah Butland


Jamie Oliver is Making a Difference in America

BananaBoy is making a difference in Canada and you can help! I have recently created a petition for you to sign in support of bringing more healthy foods to our schools, just like Jamie is doing for the school’s in the United States.

The support for Jamie Oliver’s newest petition to remove flavoured milks from the schools in the United States has been tremendous but he still doesn’t stop his effort with getting more signatures. Only I’m not able to sign it because I’m in Canada. A lot of people have been publicly voicing this same concern and even though we’re not in the USA and our children do not attend their schools we are showing that our support goes beyond our countries borders.

But let’s show our own government how we feel about sending our children to eat foods that are making them unhealthy and eventually obese.

Adventures of Sammy and BananaBoy are all about supporting a healthy today just as Jamie Oliver is.

So come on over to sign my petition today and share it with friends and family. I hope to forward this to my local premier at the end of May 2011 depending on the amount of signatures collected. This is the information on the petition:

I was the first signature, will you be the second?

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland


Back To School With Yummy and Healthy Lunches

Are you tired of or did your kids complain when you made the dreaded peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Can’t pack peanuts because of another student being allergic to peanuts? Here are some ideas I’ve found that bring the excitement back to school lunches.

Kid-Pleasin’ Chili

1/2 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
2 cups Progresso® red kidney beans (from 19-oz can), drained, rinsed
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed tomato soup
1 soup can water
1 tablespoon instant minced onion
2 to 3 teaspoons chili powder
  1. Cook beef in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain.
  2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.
Serve With
Have the kids help by sprinkling the chili with shredded Cheddar cheese or fish-shaped crackers.
Substitution
The next time you make this super-quick soup, try adding a can of whole kernel corn, drained, with the beans.

All your child has to do is heat it up in the microwave and enjoy!

*This recipe is courtesy of BettyCrocker.com and was reposted with their permission.

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland

www.SarahButland.com