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Top of Mind
No cookies for you, Ava!
A kindergarten mom group chat has gone viral over what the internet has dubbed "Oreogate." It began when a mom (Michelle) asked fellow parents to stop packing Oreos in their kids' lunches.
Why? Well, her daughter (Ava) isn't allowed to eat cookies at home, and seeing them at school triggered severe "lunchbox envy" and two straight days of tears.
The whole saga has been turned into an Instagram slideshow, complete with screenshots from the group chat. In one exchange, the upset mother admitted she contacted the teacher to get an approved snack list, which had the group chat HEATED.
You can read the entire exchange here. It's worth noting that the school did not take Michelle's side in this matter, and additionally, experts warn that hyper-control around food can actually backfire on a kid's long-term relationship with eating.
We've all heard the saying: an Oreo a day keeps the mental health issues away!
Did You Hear
🚗 Navigating the front seat milestone
Kids love begging for the front seat, but safety experts urge parents to wait until age 13. Front airbags deploy at up to 200 mph, posing severe risks to growing bodies, while riding in the back cuts fatal injury risk by 40%. Even if local laws differ, experts agree: keeping kids in back is safest. Don't let them guilt you into it!
🍼 The first whole-milk infant formula has arrived
Abbott is launching Similac 360 Total Care Made With Whole Milk, the nation's first ready-to-feed liquid formula using whole milk. Pediatricians note whole milk formulas aren't nutritionally superior to standard options, but there's been a growing demand for a whole milk option.
🥘 Your local international supermarket could save your dinner routine
Stuck in a dinner rut and tired of high grocery bills? Food experts say shopping at local international markets is an easy way to save money and shake up mealtime. Items like spices, produce, and seafood are often significantly cheaper. Plus, simple ingredient swaps, like fresh sauces or global flatbreads, can turn basic weeknight dinners into exciting family favorites. Get more ideas here.
📖 Full-length novels are disappearing from classrooms
English teachers are reporting a troubling trend. Full-length novels are rapidly disappearing from schools, replaced by short excerpts to prepare kids for standardized tests. Paired with shrinking attention spans driven by tech and AI, some teachers say middle schoolers have never read a complete book.
📚 Dolly to the rescue!
Thankfully, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program will continue after her passing. Here's how you can sign-up to receive free books.
Bites with Kiyah
Wait... you CAN roast gnocchi?!?
I was embarrassingly late to learn that you don’t actually have to boil gnocchi.
You can dump it straight onto a sheet pan with some olive oil, vegetables and Italian sausage, put the whole thing in the oven, and about 25 minutes later the gnocchi is golden and slightly crispy on the outside, but still soft and chewy inside.
Even better, this is less of a recipe and more of a formula. Use whatever vegetables you have, skip the sausage or swap in chicken sausage, and don’t be shy with the Parmesan at the end.
Ingredients:
1 (16–18 oz.) package shelf-stable gnocchi
12 oz. Italian sausage, sliced or removed from the casing and broken into pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
½ red onion, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Fresh basil, if you have it
Directions:
Heat the oven to 425°F. Add the gnocchi, sausage, tomatoes, zucchini, pepper and onion to a large sheet pan.
Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with the Italian seasoning, salt and plenty of black pepper, and toss everything together.
Spread it into a single layer—this matters! Give everything a little room so it roasts instead of steams.
Bake for 20–25 minutes, stirring once about halfway through, until the gnocchi is golden, the vegetables are roasted and the sausage is cooked through. Finish with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan and torn basil.
Make it yours: Swap in broccoli, mushrooms, asparagus or whatever vegetables need to be used. Leave out the sausage for a meatless version, or use chicken sausage instead.
What I’ve learned:
Some cooking rules aren’t actually rules.
Apparently, boiling gnocchi first is one of them.
Dose of Good
@weatherchannel I just know she deserves this break
Here’s a Question
The internet is divided over Oreogate! Where do you stand on parents asking others to change what they pack in their kids' lunchboxes?
Last week, we asked how supported you felt by healthcare providers regarding your mental well-being during postpartum, and "A quick check, but nothing more" came in at the top spot. "Very supported" and "Not supported at all" came in second and third, respectively.
