We are thrilled to introduce a new monthly series on our blog by Carla Sulliver, Founder & Mommy Muncher at MiniMunchers.com, the fabulous site especially dedicated to one of our favorite topics – kid-friendly restaurants!

Kid-Friendly Restaurants in TriBeCa

Some people think that dining out with kids means McDonalds or the local pizzeria. Yes – there is a time and a place for a Happy Meal or a slice but I, for one, have choked down enough pizza and chicken nuggets for a lifetime! There are so many options in NYC for families, restaurants that actually WELCOME children, that you really never have to suffer a bad meal (or high-fat, cholesterol, etc.) again!

MiniMunchers.com is excited to bring you our top suggestions, by neighborhood, each month. To get the ball rolling, we have three great suggestions in TriBeCa that will be sure to please both the adults and Minis in your family!

1. Moomah – A great spot to bring your tot in TriBeCa. Not only is the extensive menu local, seasonal AND organic (with dairy-free and gluten-free choices) but kids are encouraged to play while they eat with incredibly beautiful and engrossing (yeah) art projects! If you visit on Friday or Saturday the back room (“Funky Forest”) is open for kids to run around and explore! Moomah is definitely worth a special trip downtown (and it’s very close to Century 21 if your kiddies will allow you to squeeze in some shopping ☺).

2. Landmarc – TriBeCa’s Landmarc has one of the most extensive children’s menus that I have ever seen, Landmarc really knows what kids want – from standards like macaroni and cheese and chicken fingers with fries to green eggs and ham, PB and Nutella or a petit filet mignon. Chef Marc Murphy also treats adults to a wonderful meal, the ceaser salad and onion soup are great standouts for appetizers – and the Mussels with fries (served with ketchup and a mayo sauce!) and fish and pasta entrees are savory! BONUS, if your kids/your tip ☺ are really good – your server might bring cotton candy to the table for dessert!

3. Cercle Rouge – A typical French bistro during the week – but on the weekends this adorable restaurant features a very entertaining magician at brunch! Ok – so they do have the standards, (french fries, chicken fingers, grilled cheese, etc.) but tots of all ages are enthralled by the tableside magic show and balloon creations – a great diversion so adults can actually enjoy what they eat (how novel!)!

Visit www.MiniMunchers.com for the complete children’s menus of these great restaurants and over 220 many more!

See you next month when we will cover Gramercy/Union Square!

I know that I am probably the last one to find out on this, but I seriously wish someone had filled me in! After a long and arduous search for a decent pair of shoes for my 2.5 boy, I have finally found the most amazing brand of kids shoes. They’re called see kai run and they are exactly what they claim: Perfect first shoes.

see kai run shoes are so stylish and made of beautiful soft leather which makes them super comfortable. It’s like a nice/fashionable pair of shoes that you can actually wear in the playground. The company was started by a mom (so you know I am a big fan) that searched for shoes that would allow her son to play at home and in the park. She searched and searched for shoes that would be healthy for his growing feet but would also be stylish and functional. When she couldn’t find them, she started see kai run. Did I mention that they are affordable? Most of the shoes are around $40 but they often run sales and some are available for as little as $24. Oh, and extra bonus, they donate 5% of profits to charities serving children. see kai run makes shoes for kids from 0-8 years of age. Now why didn’t anyone tell me sooner?

You can purchase them on the see kai run website or on add them to an order of diapers on diapers.com and get free shipping if you place an order of $49 or more. Easy peasy.

New York Family and the American Camp Association have joined forces to offer us FREE Camp Fairs all around town this weekend and next. If you are thinking of sending your 3 to 15 year old to camp this summer, I highly recommend checking out the Camp Fairs to do your research. In attendance will be over 60 camp directors of both day camps and sleepaway camps. With so many amazing options to choose from, you’ll be able to scope them all out in one place at one time. Making life easier… now this is what I’m talking about. Oh, and don’t forget to pre-register at newyorkfamilycamps.com to secure your gift bag and to be eligible for their Grand Raffle for a family vacation.

Dates and locations:

Upper East Side
Saturday, Jan 22
St. Jean Baptiste High School
173 East 75th St

Upper West Side
Sunday, Jan 23
Congregation Rodeph Sholom
7 West 83rd St.

Downtown
Saturday, Jan 29
Friends Seminary School
222 East 16th St.

Park Slope
Sunday, Jan 30
** VENUE CHANGE ** The Grand Prospect Hall
263 Prospect Avenue (between 5th and 6th Avenues)

For more information, visit newyorkfamilycamps.com

I learned about this awesome company while attending BlogHer in NYC in August – It’s called thredUP and it’s a clothing exchange for kids! Just put your child’s outgrown clothes in a box and then receive a box with clothes that fit from someone else. Genius!

Forget spending zillions of dollars on back to school clothes AND recycle! thredUP helps parents exchange boxes of outgrown kids clothing for great gear that fits, at $13 per box! Search their online stock by gender, size, type of clothes (tops/bottoms) and season. thredUP manages quality control, but you must follow the golden thredUP rule: send only what you’re willing to receive.

How it works:
1. PICK – Browse boxes of kids clothing by size, season and gender & pick one you’d like to receive – all you pay is shipping
2. LIST – Prepare a box of gently loved outgrown kids clothes (free USPS boxes are sent to you at registration) and list it
3. SEND – When your box is picked, send it on request – we even schedule the home pick-up & delivery!

Easy peasy! Now get those kids some clothes that fit!
www.thredup.com

Our family loves lasagna almost as much as we like to eat healthy. So, in honor of back-to-school I whipped up my Classic Healthy Lasagna. It all started with a recipe from the “Bride & Groom First and Forever Cookbook” by Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford, a terrific recipe book that we were given for our wedding almost five years ago. The health nuts that we are, I “adjusted” the recipe to suit our family’s needs and found what we think is the perfect combination of rich and delicious while still being healthy. It’s a great freeze dish – put it in individual tupperware containers, date it and throw it in the freezer. It’s great to heat up for a busy weeknight or perfect for a new mom to keep in the fridge. Before I had my baby, I froze about 20 pieces and they were a lifesaver in the first few weeks of new parenthood. Try it and let me know what you think (in the comments section below) – you won’t be disappointed!

iKid Healthy Classic Lasagna Recipe

8 ounces ground turkey meat
8 ounces Italian turkey sausage, removed from castings and crumbled
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6 cups (or 52 ounces) marinara sauce (I favor the Fairway brand since they do not use sugar – I suggest either making your own or else buying a fresh marinara preferably with no or low sugar)
8 ounces low fat ricotta cheese
8 ounces low fat cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup grated parmesan cheese, preferably parmigiano reggiano
1 package (8 ounces: 12 sheets) whole wheat lasagna noodles (preferably no boil)
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Combine the ground turkey and turkey sausage in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Season with the kosher salt and 1/4 tsp. of the pepper. Cook until the meat is lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a medium bowl. Add the marinara sauce to the meat and stir to combine. Set meat sauce aside.

Mix the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, and parmesan cheese in a medium bowl. Season with the remaining 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper. Set aside.

Cover the bottom of the prepared baking dish with 1 cup of the meat sauce. Arrange a single layer of lasagna noodles (3 sheets) on top of the sauce. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce evenly on top. Add half of the cheese mixture by spoonfuls evenly over the meat sauce, then scatter fresh basil leaves on top. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles, 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce, the remaining cheese mixture, and the remaining basil. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles, 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce, and a final layer of lasagna noodles. Spread the remaining meat sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Cut into 9 or 12 pieces and enjoy!