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Healthier Southwestern Layered Bean Dip for Tight Ends

Bean dipThis guest article is by Nancy Grossi, author of the award-winning blog The Wife of a Dairyman. Nancy started her blog at the beginning of 2010, and offers a look into life on one of Marin's many dairy farms. One of her loves is cooking, and here's a recipe for a healthy Southwestern layered bean dip—perfect for Superbowl Sunday. (Another great game-day recipe is her easy pulled pork, linked below.)

I love football season. Actually, I'm not sure which I love more—watching football or eating the snacks (probably the latter). Since it's Superbowl Sunday, I thought this recipe might come in handy. In this recipe, I used reduced fat cheese instead, which reduced the fat and calorie count further than listed below.

Audition for a Marin Music Chest Scholarship

The Marin Music Chest has launched its annual scholarship audition program in its ongoing effort to provide financial support to Marin County students studying classical music. Students studying wind and string instruments, piano, and voice are encouraged to apply, and all scholarship applicants must be residents of Marin County for a minimum of two years and have at least two years of music study prior to the audition.

Junior Division instrumentalists must be between 10 and 13 years old and vocalists between 14 and 16. The Junior Division application deadline is February 10, 2012, and auditions will be held March 10, 2012. Senior Division instrumentalists must be between 14 and 19 years of age and vocalists between 17 and 24. The Senior Division application deadline is February 24, 2012 and auditions will be held on March 24, 2012.

Explore Science + You at the Bay Area Discovery Museum (and Win Tickets!)

Science + You at the Bay Area Discovery MuseumChildren visiting the Bay Area Discovery Museum can become young scientists at Science + Me, the museum's newest special exhibition. Developed by the Kohl Children's Museum in Chicago in conjunction with scientists at global health care company Abbott, this exhibition opened January 17 and runs through April 15, 2012.

Science + You offers a child-sized laboratory where children can explore how scientists impact health and wellness. Learn how science plays a vital role in keeping you and your body healthy through hands-on interactive exhibits and activities. On Saturday afternoons, meet scientists from Abbott Labs who will perform fun, interactive, and age-appropriate science experiments in the exhibition's demonstration area.

Children will enter the 1,200-square-foot exhibition as if they're entering a real laboratory, washing up and wiping their feet before they put on their white lab coats. Once inside, they'll learn about anitbodies, handle materials in a glove box, separate and and mix liquids and solids, view objects on video microscopes, and learn more about healthy foods and lifestyles.

Sugar Mama Cookies Offers Unique Creations for Birthdays and More

Sugar Mama CookiesInstead of a cake for your next birthday party, why not try offering custom sugar cookies? Sugar Mama Cookies, based in San Francisco, was started by mom Roxanne Pangilinan, whose unique, hand-decorated cookies are the highlight of many parties throughout the Bay Area.

All her cookies are made from scratch and baked to order and she offers gluten- and dairy-free cookies on requested. Pricing starts at $30 per dozen with an average price of $3–6 per cookie.

Popular designs include characters like Lightning McQueen from Pixar's Cars, Thomas the Tank Engine, Dora the Explorer, the Cookie Monster, and Elmo. Other shapes and themes are available of course—from a tutu/ballerina theme to a pirate theme party. Roxanne can even match an image from an invitation—customers will email her with their invitation or theme, and she'll get back to them with a few design options in a range of prices.

Chicken Skewers with Meyer Lemon Salsa

Chicken skewers with Meyer lemon salsaMarin 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.

Nicole's meal plan for this week features lamb chops with mashed sweet potatoes and onions, tofu stir-fry with spinach, lamb burgers with paneer and vegetable skewers, game day Buffalo chicken wraps, and these chicken skewers with Meyer lemon salsa.

Servings: 4–6
Cook time: 12 minutes

Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit, January 2012

Ingredients

  • 8 Meyer lemons
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped English hothouse cucumber

Family Dining with a View at San Francisco's Beach Chalet

The Beach Chalet viewWhen we head into the city for some fun, one of the places we like to stop for a bite to eat is the Beach Chalet at the western end of Golden Gate Park. Housed in a historic building, decorated with amazing WPA murals from the 1930s, that's also home to the Golden Gate Park visitor center, the Beach Chalet and its downstairs sibling the Park Chalet are both well worth checking out if you're in the area visiting the park, Ocean Beach, or on your way to or from the San Francisco Zoo.

Since the weather has been so amazing, we jumped at the chance to dine upstairs at the Beach Chalet with its amazing views of Ocean Beach and the Pacific Ocean. With its exquisite view, the Park Chalet is popular with tourists and out-of-town visitors, and can get pretty busy at mealtimes, so get there early to grab a table by the windows.

Many families opt for the more laid back Park Chalet, with its unique indoor/outdoor configuration. The Park Chalet features a big fireplace and an expansive lawn where kids can run around while mom and dad sample one of the Chalet's house-made beers, each of which is named after a San Francisco landmark.

Fresh Cookies the Modern Way at Modern Cookie Co. in Larkspur

Modern cookie company cookiesDon't you sometimes wish you could have the perfect cookie, made just for and served fresh out of the oven? Well you can do just that at Modern Cookie Co., Marin's new cookie bakery that recently opened in downtown Larkspur.

Modern Cookie specializes in hot, made-to-order cookies fresh from the oven. It works like this: choose your favorite cookie dough, select mix-ins—like house-made mini marshmallows, nuts, dried fruit, mini peanut butter cups, and chocolate chips, and add a finish such as a drizzle of honey, frosting, or fudge. They'll put it all together for you and bake it up. If pre-made cookies are more your thing, you can choose from a variety of cookies and cookies bars in their display case. They also make ice cream sandwiches using organic Three Twins ice cream.

Mompreneur: Misa Phutsangdee, Miss Go To Girl

Misa PhutsangdeeWhen Marin mom Misa Phutsangdee was rejected from grad school, rather than be disappointed, she used the experience to draw on her diverse range of job experience, become a "mompreneur," and start her own business, Miss Go To Girl Enterprise. We caught up with Misa and asked her a few questions about her and her startup.

To learn more about Misa and Miss Go To Girl, visit her online.

Please tell us a little about yourself. What's your background?

I have been married to my husband, Charlee, for five years. We have the most adorable four-year-old, Micah, AKA "Misa Junior" because he is a carbon copy of his mother! I graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A. in communication studies as well as graduating from C.L.I.B.C. with a B.A. in family counseling. I absolutely loved the communications program and wanted to continue my learning experience at SFSU. After finishing both degrees, I applied for graduate school. Twice. After the second year of anticipating the letter, I told myself that if I read, "We regret to inform you…" one more time, then God must have better plans for me than the master's program. And so, Miss Go To Girl Enterprise began...

Don't Miss the Magic and Comedy of Magician Jay Alexander at Marin Center

Jay Alexander show posterBe amazed and laugh yourself silly when Marin's master magician Jay Alexander and friends appear on the stage at Marin Center on Sunday, January 29 at 2 and 5 pm. Alexander has been amazing audiences around the world for twenty years with his funny, amazing, and intellectually stimulating magic show that will entertain children and adults alike. Featuring high-energy comedy magic that has been lauded by celebrities including Robin Williams, David Crosby, and Bono of U2, Jay Alexander has been seen on the Today Show, Good Morning America and MTV.

Tickets for either performance are $20. You'll not only be seeing a great show, but also supporting a great cause: 100% of the profits will go to Hamilton Meadow Park Elementary School in Novato for after-school, art, and music programs.

Look Out! Year of the Dragon and Your Money

dragonMarin Mommies presents another great article by Marin mom and financial planner Katy Song, CFP®.

For most of my clients, 2011 proved to be a year of getting on more solid ground (paying down debts, getting out of underwater homes, building up an emergency fund, and even taking a vacation). This was predicted for the Year of the Rabbit (2011), in which you were able to rest and have a little peace. Well, I hope you took the time to get prepared for the Year of the Dragon (2012)!

The Dragon is said to create excitement, unpredictability and intensity. This can bring out some wonderful behaviors like enthusiasm, but throwing caution to the wind can lead to unnecessary risks. Personally, I am ready for some excitement but want to steer clear of drama. So, what does this Year of the Water Dragon mean for your financial future over the next year?  Here is some advice based on Chinese interpretations of the year to come:

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