A Kid free Lunch at Moby Dick’s
By Molly

This past weekend my kids went to stay with my parents giving my husband and I some kid free time. So on Saturday afternoon after seeing the best lobster rolls on the Cape list I decided to try Moby Dick’s in Wellfleet (not on list but recommended by a friend plus they have steamers). There offerings include mussels, chowder, calamari, crab cakes, raw oysters, salads, clam bakes, grilled fish, fried seafood, lobster roll, sandwiches, burgers, chicken, and even a veggie burger plus desserts. It is a totally kid friendly restaurant with outdoor seating as well (but you might want bug spray) the kids menu includes chowder, cheeseburger, hot dog, grilled cheese, fish and chips, grilled salmon, chicken tenders and Kraft mac & cheese. Another advantage to Moby Dick’s is it is BYOB!


My husband and I arrived at Moby Dick’s a little past noon and it was quiet. The menu is listed up on the wall with prices plus printouts of the specials. I knew I wanted steamers and was deciding between a steamed lobster or a lobster roll; I went with a lobster roll platter.  You order at the counter by the entrance of restaurant and then they bring the food to you. We choose to sit in the upper dining room which is more open and you have a better view the other dining room is more cozy. My steamers came quickly and were still very hot. They were sand free and so sweet they required no butter for dipping and were definitely worth the $11. The lobster roll came as I was finishing up the steamers which was perfect timing. The platter came with slaw and fries neither of which were very good (next time I would go with just the lobster roll). The lobster roll was nicely stuffed with lots of sweet claw meat and just a touch of mayo and some bay seasoning on top which I could have done without because I felt like it detracted from the lobster flavor. I enjoyed the lobster roll and it was definitely was better than average but not as amazing as I hoped it would be and at $26 the price was a little steep. I would have liked to try the amazing looking desserts that included frappes, Moby’s Key Lime pie, Blueberry Crisp, Lemon Sorbet, Ice Cream, Lemonade Freeze, Strawberry Shortcake, Moby’s Ultimate Madness,  and Fudgy Wudgy Chocolate Cake but I decided Moby’s Ultimate Madness which is a brownie, vanilla ice cream, hot fudge and whipped cream might make me not feel well as my body is not accustomed to really eating shellfish or much dairy anymore. The good news is I didn’t seem to have any issues from eating the shellfish and I now wish I had gotten the Moby’ s Ultimate Madness as I do love a homemade brownie sundae!


Have you been to Moby Dick’s what is your favorite thing to get there? Where else do you like to get steamers and lobster rolls from?   ​

 
TICKETS 

To help ensure a comfortable customer experience (shorter lines), tickets will be limited to this event.  Attendees are urged to purchase tickets online at ftfa.eventbrite.com 
for one of two options:

General Admission:  $5
 VIP Hour:  $20

VIP Hour
For those foodies that want a little more out of their festival experience, the VIP hour is for you! Taking place from Noon- 1:00 PM, the VIP Hour provides:

early access to the festival
no lines (limited tickets are sold for VIP Hour)
one free dessert
a koozie from Food Truck Festivals of America

 
Wicked Etsy Market
 
This year’s Cape Cod Food Truck Festival will feature the 2016 Wicked Etsy Market.  Wicked Etsy is a group of New England-based artisans who run their own individual shops on Etsy.com. Taking part in Wicked Etsy 2016 are over 60 local and regional artists.


Ticket Information
 
For more information please visit www.foodtruckfestivalsofamerica.com . To purchase VIP or General Admission tickets, visit ftfa.eventbrite.com.

The Cape Cod Fairgrounds are located at 1220 Nathan Ellis Highway in East Falmouth. Parking is available on-site.
 
The Cape Cod Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival is supported by Cape Cod Broadcasting radio stations including WQRC-FM (99.9 the Q), WOCN-FM (Ocean 104.7) and WKPE-FM
​(Cape Country 104).

For the very latest news please follow @FTFofAmerica on twitter and “like” us on https://www.facebook.com/FTFNE.

Overall I was quite impressed with the quality and efficiency of the McDonald's business.  In recent years there has been a huge push towards healthy and sustainable options for meals.  After touring McDonald's behind the scenes and learning more about the company and their efforts towards healthy options and sustainability, I feel very comfortable allowing my child and family to eat here.  Not only has McDonald's made tremendous strives towards healthy options, but they also give back to the community.  Thank you to McDonald's for allowing us an opportunity to learn more about the business and to see how much thought goes into the business behind the scenes as they continue to improve for their customer base!

By: Suzanne Golden, M.S., CCC-SLP

Did you know that speech-language pathologists also treat feeding/swallowing disorders?  Often, an SLP’s role in feeding/swallowing is seen in skilled nursing facilities or with elderly patients who are at risk for aspiration.  However, SLPs also provide feeding/swallowing therapy for children!  

What is a feeding disorder? 

Feeding disorders may involve part or all of the three phases of swallowing.  
 
·        The oral phases includes sucking, chewing and manipulating food in the mouth to get it ready to swallow 
·        The pharyngeal phase includes starting to swallow, moving food down the throat and preventing food from getting into the airway. 
·        The esophageal phase includes opening and closing the esophagus (the pipe that food goes down) to let food into the stomach 

How do I know if my child may have a feeding disorder?

Most children naturally develop the skills needed for safe and efficient chewing/swallowing. However, if you notice that your child is having trouble eating or swallowing, you may want to seek the help of an SLP.  Here are some red flags for feeding development:  

• Refusing to eat
  
• Experiences pain or discomfort while eating (may arch or stiffen the body)
   
• Refusing certain types, tastes or textures of foods
   
• Excessive amounts of time to eat (more than 30 minutes for a meal)
  
• Coughing, choking or gagging while eating
  
• “gurgly” or “wet” sounding  voice after eating/drinking
  
• Increased stuffiness or watery eyes while eating
  
• Excessive drooling or loss of  food out of the mouth while chewing 
  
• Frequent vomiting 
  
• Below average weight and weight gain

What are some implications of feeding disorders in children?  

• Risk of aspiration (food or  liquid entering the airway) or penetration 
  
• Risk of pneumonia or repeated upper respiratory infections 
  
• Embarrassment about feeding and mealtimes
  
• Risk of malnutrition or dehydration

My child has some of the symptoms you described above! What should I do now? 

·        Talk to your child’s pediatrician about your concerns 
 
·        Call a speech-language pathologist who works with children with feeding disorders 

·        Begin keeping a diary of your child’s intake and document any other information that may be important (episodes of choking, vomiting, etc…)

For more information about feeding/swallowing disorders please visit www.asha.org or consult a local
SLP today!

Toddlers and Children can be such picky eaters that at times we often shake our head in amazement that they get enough nutrition!  They go through phases where they only eat bread or yogurt or whatever their particular favorite is.  I personally find myself worrying constantly if my son gets enough vegetables in his diet.  We do pretty good with fruits, carbs and dairy in our house and try to mix the veggies in with things like smoothies, muffins, scrambled eggs and sandwiches etc.  But sometimes I am singing the veggie blues! 

This past weekend, despite refusing to at any veggies, I decided to try some veggie croissants!  You only need a few things and it takes about 20 minutes to prepare these tasty morsels!  Plus the kids can help you which is a fun way to integrate learning, math and cooking all together!

You will need the following:

* your own dough or precut croissants (I LOVE Trader Joe's or Pillsbury)

* an assortment of your choice of veggies finely diced.  I used brocoli, onion, zucchini and squash above.

* Cheese - I used a Mozzarella that had hints of a BBQ flavor which I found at Windfall Market.  If there are dairy allergies, try a soy milk cheese or rice milk cheese.

* Although mine did not have chicken-you could add this in for protein :)

Tasty Tuesday is a weekly blog on Cape Cod Mommies featuring a quick and easy recipes for families.  If you have a recipe that you would like to share with us, please email us at info@ccmommies.com! 
Happy Eating!

My name is Ashley, and I live a half priced life.  I live this type of life to survive, to feed my family, to save money for things I could otherwise not afford like unexpected car repairs or an emergency trip to the dentist.  Sometimes I wish I had a "lavish life"-one where I wouldn't have to worry so much about my household budget, or how high the heating bill will be for a particular month.  I do my absolute best in life in every aspect of my personal existence, but no matter how hard I try- I struggle with being healthy.

You see, sometimes I feel like "being healthy" is a luxury
In the modern world, women are not only the primary caretakers of their family; they are also contributors to the female workforce.  Women face quite the conundrum when it comes to taking care of themselves.  At the end of workday, after homework, dinner, bath time, and bed time- who the heck wants to exercise?  Also, who wants to wake up at 4am before the kids to fit exercise in?

Humans aren't rabbits, so why eat bowls full of salad day in and day out?  Personally, I need variety and depth in my food.  I need two bites of  a brownie (if not three) to satisfy a chocolate craving, and gosh darn-it sometimes I need an ice cream sundae!  Yet, I always feel guilty when I  steal a naughty nibble because I know I'm not going to get the extra exercise I need to burn those additional calories.

Woman-guilt, it's a *bleep*!
So, what happens if you can't afford a membership to the gym, or a sitter to watch your kids while you go to the gym, or even someone to help with the kids so you can exercise at home or go out for a run?  What happens if you don't have the money to purchase healthy foods all the time?  What happens if you can't make the time, or find the time to exercise because your schedule is so busy with work and family that you can't even see straight at the end of the day?  What happens if you don't have a family to care for, but work 6-7 days a week to survive, allowing you little time to pay attention to your own needs?

What happens?!?!
 Being healthy becomes a luxury.  I would love someone to prove me wrong on my theory, or at least give me magical
powers that will allow me to wake up at 4am without feeling psychotic. If you could also throw in a mute button for my extremely loud and co-dependent cat, who yowls at me, at the top of her lungs, waking up my kids the minute my feet
hit the floor- well that would be awesome too!  Seriously though, this post is meant to generate response- whether you agree or disagree with my theory.

I want to know
Do you feel the same way I do? Or, do you have tips to share with readers who feel this way?  Share with me the good and bad, the thoughtful and helpful, your opinions and point of views-on my site The Savings Momma

Please, don't misunderstand- I do exercise and I do eat as healthy as possible.  I was just one of those people not blessed with amazing genetics, and for me- being healthy and staying healthy is an everyday struggle.  I assure you, I do not sit on my duff, eating from my couponing stockpile, drooling on my couch. Promise ;)

Artificial food dyes are made from petroleum and approved for use by the FDA
to enhance the color of processed foods. Many food choices for adults and
especially marketed and showcased to children contain artificial food coloring
that can have negative effects upon little people’s behavior, impulse control,
attention, ability to focus, learning, thinking, and energy level. Children are
particularly susceptible to the effects of food dyes, especially those with ADHD
and ADD.


Certainly, the consumption of sugar has the effect of 'juicing' a kid's system, but the food dyes in the pile of daily sweets are more likely the primary culprit! It should come to no surprise that countless kids are taking ADD or ADHD medications. This may be due to the over indulgence of technological gadgets, too much screen time, information and stimulation overload or it may have a huge relation to the type and amount of food dye being consumed!

While food additives and colorings have been around for decades and are found in everything from pudding to potato chips to soft drinks, it is growing mountain of recent studies linking food coloring to hyperactivity in kids that is creating waves from angry parents, urging the FDA to ban foods containing them — or at least require a warning label.

Artificial food dyes might be an easy target for elimination because they aren't essential to food. In fact, food dyes are added simply for their color to make foods fun. They serve no health purpose whatsoever. The most dangerous of
the bunch is Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6, which make up 90 percent of the food dyes on the market. Studies have linked these top dyes to impaired brain function, hyperactive behavior, difficulty focusing, lack of impulse
control in children. What is most scary is that the use of these food dyes and artificial additives have gone up fivefold in the past 50 years, giving a great indication of how much junk food people are consuming. This gives perfect reason
to why more than two thirds of Americans are overweight, hovering on the borderline of obese.

 Special Note:
 Red No. 40 is the most widely used food dye in terms of pounds consumed, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. It is found in cereal, gelatin, candy, baked goods.

 Yellow No. 5 is the second most widely used food dye, according to CSPI. It is found in soft drinks, pudding, chips, pickles, honey, mustard, gum, baked goods, gelatin and other foods.

Yellow No. 6 is the third most widely used food dye. It is found in cereal, orange soda and other beverages, hot chocolate mix, baked goods and many other foods.

 Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder affects 3 percent to 5 percent of U.S. children, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Symptoms include fidgeting, excessive talking and abandoning chores and
homework. The condition is usually diagnosed in childhood and can continue as an adult.

Sadly, the FDA, after analyzing 35 years of scientific studies regarding positive correlation between children’s consumption of food dyes and ADD and ADHD, they claim there is no conclusive proof that food dyes cause hyperactivity
in most kids, (although it suggests that some kids with ADHD may be particularly sensitive to them). The FDA stepped forward to say that, “there is also bodies of literature that does suggest that food colorings are not as benign as people
have been led to believe." This is concerning to me, as the FDA should listen to the concerns of the public and at the very least, list whether or not food items meant for consumption, are produced with artificial food dyes or coloring. This
action should be taken regardless of what the FDA claims to be inconclusively not harmful to children and not a factor on their behaviors.

As a parent, if you are concerned about artificial food coloring, dyes or flavors, there is no harm in cutting out food dyes as best as you can. A good key in removing the dyes is to understand that food coloring is most likely not going to be found in fresh broccoli or other fresh fruits and vegetables (may be found in frozen or canned vegetables). They are going to be found in processed foods, candies, ice creams and other concentrated sweets. Read labels and be
picky when it comes to the health of your family. Try to purchase and eat less processed foods. You may begin to see big differences in your children’s behavior, moods and attention spans.