Today, with a foot of fluffy snow outside and having just taught a class on homemade soup, I'm in soup mode. I love soup - it's simple and easy (it took me awhile to realize that the two aren’t the same), because measurements are totally up to you and you can use whatever you have in the kitchen. Besides, I’ve just discovered this homemade yeast bread that requires neither kneading nor talent and begs to be dunked into a bowl of soup – look for that in the next issue!

Your toddler is a huge fan of macaroni and cheese – and practically nothing else. Your preteen sneaks out the door without so much as a bite of breakfast. Your grade schooler has developed an acute case of sandwich phobia... sound familiar? Here are some parent-proven solutions to your top biggest mealtime challenges from Ann Douglas, author of the recently published Mealtime Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler, and Preschooler.

Help Your Child Avoid Foodborne Illness

Babies are at a greater risk for food-borne illness than older children or adults because of immature immune systems. So, whether you use commercial formula or food or make your own, follow this advice from the Alberta Home Economics Association's Food Safety Info Line when preparing to feed little ones

Some of the best family meals are cooked on a camp stove or over a fire pit and eaten at the campsite picnic table.