Marin Mommies presents this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog A Family that Eats Together, where she shares meal plans and recipes that will please foodies and children alike. Nicole is also the creator of the new Little Froglet line of children's activewear. Here's Nicole's meal plan for this week.

This is an old family recipe originating on the shores of southern Italy. It is simplicity at its best. If you can find ripe tomatoes use those as a substitute to canned plum tomatoes. This is one of those recipes where if your family doesn’t like fish they will love it after they eat this meal. With the kids, have them dunk their bread in the sauce first to get the taste of the salty tomato sauce. One taste and I promise they will clean their plates.

Servings: 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

My daughter wanted to do an original craft for St. Patrick's Day—the only criteria were that it was something she could do by herself, she could wear it, and that it was green. I remembered my son making a simple bead friendship bracelet a few years back, so we decided to make St. Patty's day versions. They're super easy to make, even for littler children, and are a perfect way to wear your green on St. Patrick's Day.

To make the bracelets, you'll need green plastic beads and green pipe cleaners. I found both of these at the Dollar Tree, but they're also available at most craft stores, like Michael's or Beverly.

To assemble, string beads—we alternated dark and light green shades—along a strand of pipe cleaner. Vary the length of pipe cleaner and number of beads depending on the size of the child's wrist. Leave about an inch of pipe cleaner showing at each end, and twist together to complete the bracelet. The one thing I did was to snip the pipe cleaner to size, otherwise, the ones we put together were 100% kid-made. My daughter was so proud that she made it herself, that she wore it to bed, even.

The fun and fantastic Ivy + Bean: The Musical is coming to Marin Theatre Company in Mill Valley! Produced by Bay Area Children's Theater, Ivy + Bean: The Musical is a fun and faithful adaptation of the first book in the New York Times-best-selling series about two second graders, outgoing Bean and quiet but imaginitive Ivy, who were sure they wouldn't like each other but end up best friends.

You can read our review of Ivy + Bean: The Musical here. It was one of our favorite productions from Bay Area Children's Theater!

While the tickets for the Marin Theatre Company production are already sold out, we're happy to announce that we're giving away a family four-pack of tickets to the opening-day performance to one lucky Marin Mommies reader! Tickets are good for the Saturday, March 23, 10:30 am show only.

To enter the giveaway, send an email with "Ivy + Bean" in the subject line to contests@marinmommies.com by 11:59 pm on Sunday, March 17, 2013. We'll choose a winner at random on Monday, March 18. Good luck!

Here are our picks for great events and activities for children and families this weekend. Find more events for the whole week in Marin and throughout the Bay Area in our Family Events Calendar.

Friday, March 15

• Dabbling & Diving Ducks: Golden Gate Playdate
  NatureBridge, Sausalito
  Friday, 9:30–11:30 am
  Waddle your way over to Rodeo Lagoon and take a closer look at the wet and wondrous lives of ducks! You and your preschooler will become duck detectives and use hands-on activities to answer questions like whether all ducks eat the same food, do ducks get wet, and do all ducks quack? Together, we will explore duck specimens, play games, and use hand-crafted binoculars to observe ducks in their habitats. Cost: $15 per child per session, one adult admission free with purchase of child ticket. Ages 3–5 welcome (pre-K). Pre-registration required here. Location: NatureBridge at Golden Gate, 1033 Fort Cronkhite in Sausalito. For more info, visit their website.
  
• Breakfast with Enzo
  Sports Basement, San Francisco
  Friday, 2 shows: 10 am & 11 am
  Enzo Garcia plays guitar, banjo, accordion, musical saw, Jew's harp, enzotar, appalachian dulcimer, slide flute, percussion and more. Enzo has been performing his family music show, "Breakfast with Enzo," weekly in San Francisco for the past 8 years, Recommended for children 7 and under. Drop in any time. Cost: $5 per person; siblings under 7 months free. For more info, call (415) 652-2474 or visit his website.
  
• Easter Bunny Photos at Northgate
  Northgate Mall, San Rafael
  Friday, 11 am–7 pm
  The Easter Bunny will be at arriving at Northgate Mall on Friday, March 15. Bring the little ones out to visit the Easter Bunny for photos and a free gift! The Easter Bunny is located in the Macy's wing. Photo hours: Monday–Saturday, 11 am–7 pm (Break: 1–1:45 pm and 4:30–5:15 pm) and Sunday 11 am–6 pm (Break: 2:15–2:45 pm). For more info, visit their website.
• Marinwood Camp Night
  Marinwood Community Center
  Friday, 5–7 pm
  Whether you are still looking for the perfect camp for your child or you still need to register, come to this event! Ask Marinwood staff your camp questions, register for camps, meet specialty camp instructors and sign up for swim lessons. Free bounce house and hot dogs! Location: 775 Miller Creek Road, San Rafael. For more info, call (415) 479-0775 or visit their website.
  

Saturday, March 16

• My Step, Her Stride: 5K Walk/Run & Festival
  Great Meadow at Fort Mason San Francisco
  Saturday, 8:30 am–3:30 pm
  Take part in the first annual My Step, Her Stride, a San Francisco 5K walk/run followed by a festival including music, dance, and food as well as prominent speakers addressing women’s and global issues, benefitting Women for Women International. Check-in begins at 8:30 am and the program begins at 9:30 am. Online registration is available on this site through Thursday, March 14 at 2 pm. Event-day registration is welcome at 8:30 am on March 16 (at a cost of $5 more). The event is on rain or shine. For more info, visit their website.
• Spring City-Wide Yard Sale
  MLK Parking Lot, Sausalito
  Saturday, 9 am–2 pm
  With over 90 different booths to browse through, the Sausalito City-Wide Yard Sale is truly a fun place to come and find some useful home items, gifts or secret treasures! Admission is free. The Sausalito Dog Park will be selling hot yummy food items to raise money for the park and there will be coffee donated by the local Starbucks in the morning so come early. Location: 610 Coloma Street, Sausalito. For more info, visit their website.
• Marin Country Mart Farmers Market
  Marin Country Mart, Larkspur Landing
  Saturday, 9 am–2 pm
  Enjoy the best local and organic produce, flowers, pastured meats, seafood, organic cheeses, yogurt and milk, breads, baked goods, pasta, confections, olive oil, and brunch and lunch offerings! Kids can take a pony ride and visit the petting zoo (10 am–2 pm), try out some arts and crafts (9 am–2 pm) and listen to family music (9:30–10:30 am). For more info, visit their website.
• Public Season at Audubon Canyon Ranch’s Martin Griffin Preserve
  Stinson Beach
  Saturday and Sunday, 10 am–4 pm
  Martin Griffin Preserve (formerly called Bolinas Lagoon Preserve) hosts one of the most studied Great Egret nesting sites on the West Coast. Each year visitors can enjoy viewing approximately 100 active nests in a grove of redwoods on the property. Martin Griffin Preserve includes bird and wildlife viewing platforms outfitted with spotting scopes and binoculars, eight miles of hiking trails, picnic tables, and an environmental education-focused bookstore and natural history exhibit. Open Saturday, Sundays and holidays from March 16 to July 14, 2013. For more info, call (415) 868-9244 or visit their website.
• Puppet Show for Preschoolers with Rebecah Freeling
  Book Passage, Corte Madera
  Saturday, 11 am
  Master storyteller and early childhood educator Rebecah Freeling presents a magical puppet show for preschoolers featuring her original stories and tales drawn from folk and fairy tale traditions. Free. Book Passage is located at 51 Tamal Vista Boulevard in Corte Madera. For more information, visit their website.
  
• Kids Club with Andy Z
  Northgate Mall, San Rafael
  Saturday, 11 am–noon
  Northgate has teamed up with National Geographic Kids to create activities and games that focus on discovery through play. Singer/songwriter Andy Z will entertain kids through music, movement, storytelling, and character puppets to create an experience that keeps kids engaged and adults entertained. Location: Kids Club area near center of mall. For more info, visit their website.
• Marin Theatre Company: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
  Belvedere-Tiburon Library
  Saturday, 11 am
  Through the magic of theater, Peter and Lucy will take you to Narnia, where the White Witch has cast a spell that makes it always winter. See them meet Mr. Tumnus the faun and conspire with talking animals to save Narnia. Come face to face with Aslan the Great Lion and cheer as Peter, Susan, Lucy, and Edmund courageously battle the forces of evil and discover that Love is the deepest magic of all. Location: in Founders Room at 1501 Tiburon Blvd.,Tiburon.For ages 5 and up. For more info, call (415) 789-2662 or visit their website.
• San Francisco's 162nd Annual St. Patrick's Day Festival
  Civic Center Plaza
  Saturday, 11:30 am–5 pm
  The colorful festivities surrounding the parade will showcase Irish culture through live performance and entertainment, arts and crafts exhibitors, food and beverage concessions, and children's rides and inflatables. The parade begins at 11:30 am at the corner of Second and Market Streets, where more than 5,000 participants from all over the USA will work their way City Hall. For more info, visit their website.

While not as iconic, renowned, or tall as southern Marin's Mount Tamalpais, Novato's Mount Burdell offers its own kind of charm and appeal for families looking for an easy outdoor outing. Mount Burdell Open Space preserve boasts plenty of wide fire roads and trails that are perfect for a hike with small children. Those after more challenging treks can head uphill and look for the seasonal Hidden Lake, hike to the top of the 1,558-foot peak for amazing views of the San Francisco Bay Area, and even drop down into neighboring Olompali State Park.

On our most recent Mount Burdell outing, we chose to stick to the relatively flat San Andreas and Big Tank Fire Roads and Michako Trail, all of which cross the sweeping grasslands that cover the lower slopes of the mountain. Due to our extended rainy season this year, there are still plenty of wildfowers and green grass on Mount Burdell. Keep an eye open for birds of all sorts, including red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures, and wild turkeys, as well as a variety of colorful butterflies. We even came across a pond of sorts—formed from part of a burbling stream—that was teeming with water bugs and tadpoles.

The fire roads and intersecting trails make for a good assortment of loop hikes that are suitable for a family with smaller kids who aren't going to be up for climbing up onto the mountain. These trails are popular with hikers, mountain bikers, and dog walkers. Keep in mind that the Marin County Open Space District (MCOSD) allows off-leash dogs on fire roads.

Speak to Me, Marin's premiere series of intelligent, inspiring speaking events for women, presents "Journey of Hope: A Story of Courage, Love, and Determination" a discussion with journalist, host, and reporter for E! Investigates Laura Ling on Tuesday, March 19, 2013, at 6:30 pm.

In March 2009, many of us remember hearing about the frightening experience of two foreign correspondents for Current TV who had been violently captured by soldiers along the Chinese–North Korean border and imprisoned in North Korea. Laura Ling and Euna Lee found themselves at the center of an international standoff between the US and one of the only countries with which it has no diplomatic relations. It was 140 days before President Bill Clinton and Laura’s sister, Lisa Ling, were able to secure the two women a pardon, which released and allowed them to return home. Laura will share her inspiring story of determination and courage as she recounts how she was able to survive her imprisonment, and how the experience has forever changed her view on life.

Are you getting worn down by bedtime challenges, morning-rush madness, dawdling, whining, and other challenging behaviors? Do you find yourself too often resorting to threats, bribes, or raised voices? Learn practical strategies to improve cooperation and discipline, strengthen character, and enhance your relationships at home. Based on the bestsellers by Faber and Mazlish, this entertaining workshop consistently receives rave reviews. Here’s what one participant said:  “…immensely helpful, practical, and insightful.”

This workshop is led by Julie King, JD. Usually a four-week series, it's being offered as a one-day intensive for those who can’t attend for four weeks.

Julie is a highly regarded Bay Area workshop leader and presenter who has been educating and supporting parents for more than 15 years. A graduate of Princeton University and Yale Law School, Julie holds certificates in organization development consulting skills and life coaching. She has also completed extensive training in conflict resolution, mediation, and coaching.

This workshop takes place on Sunday, March 17, from 10 am to 4 pm, and is for parents of children ages 3 to 8. The cost is $199 per person or $299 per couple; the fee includes a $10 workbook.

My daughter loves working with paint, so I thought this would be the perfect craft for her to make for St. Patrick's Day. These potato print shamrocks are a fun project for the little ones. We made a bunch of these cool shamrock prints and hung them throughout the house to decorate for the holiday.

This project is really easy and fun, and the kids think it’s neat that they’re using something they usually eat to create a colorful craft.

To make these potato print cards you'll need:

• One large russet potatoes
• A small heart-shaped cookie cutter

Moylan's Brewery and Restaurant has the distinction of being Novato's first (and to my knowledge only) brewpub. Operated by the same people who run Marin Brewing Company in Larkspur, Moylan's offers pub grub fare with some traditional Irish favorites thrown in, and a nice selection of good house-brewed beers to go along with it. Couple that with a reasonably priced kids' menu, and it's no wonder this is a destination for north Marin families.

Located in a distinctive building across from the Rowland Plaza Cinemas, Moylan's is an ideal place to grab a bite before or after the movies. The main dining room is a cavernous affair that can get noisy when it's busy, but that's not a big issue when you've got kids in tow, right? There's a long bar overlooking the brewing area, with several TV screens showing various sports games.

The kids were given the usual coloring menus and crayons. An added twist is that they could turn in their coloring sheets after dinner in exchange for a prize from the basket by the front entrance.