munchy crunchy crackers

Homemade Munchy Crunchy Crackers Recipe

EAT, snacks By October 19, 2012 Tags: , , , , , , 1 Comment

One of my biggest pet peeves as a parent is that so many store-bought crackers are filled with excess salt and bad grains.  (And to purchase all natural ones can blow your food budget.)  So I was thrilled to find Jennifer Low’s recipe for crunchy munchy crackers in Everyday Kitchen for Kids.  It’s amazing to make your own crackers! These taste so good on their own, but you can also eat them with cheese, if you like. You will need a helper with the baking step.

Supplies you will need

baking sheet, parchment paper, bowls, measuring cups, measuring spoons, baking spatula, dinner knife, rolling pin, fork, pizza wheel, cooling rack (the metal kind for cooling cookies)

Ingredients

1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour (spoon in, level; see page 19)
1/4 cup (50 mL) whole wheat flour (spoon in, level)
1/2 tsp (3 mL) chili powder
1/2 tsp (3 mL) dry mustard
1/2 tsp (3 mL) white sugar
1/3 cup (80 mL) milk
2 Tbsp (30 mL) butter

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Cut three sheets of parchment paper, each the size of your baking sheet. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix the two kinds of flour, chili powder, dry mustard (be sure to use the back of a spoon to mash out any lumps), and sugar. Set aside.

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the milk and butter in the microwave at 50% power until the butter is melted (about 1 minute).

Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture. Use a baking spatula to scrape all the milk mixture into the flour bowl. Mix the ingredients into a dough, scraping sticky ingredients off the spatula with a dinner knife. When the dough gets too stiff to stir—keeping the dough in the bowl—use your hands to squeeze the dough against the crumbly bits and dry flour in the bottom of the bowl to work them into the dough.

Use a dinner knife to cut the dough into two equal-sized pieces. Put the first piece between two of the sheets of parchment paper you cut earlier. Put your rolling pin on the top sheet of parchment and roll out the dough to 1/16 inch (2 mm) (see “One- Quarter-Coin Rule,” page 17). To make excellent crisp crackers, it is very important to roll the dough that thin. First roll across the whole piece of dough to flatten it, then make it even thinner by rolling from the middle of the dough out to the edges. Press down hard. And just when you think it’s thin enough, roll it out again and check against the quarter coin. The dough puffs up a lot as it bakes.

Peel off the top sheet of parchment. Prick the rolled dough every inch (2.5 cm) with a fork. Use the pizza wheel to cut a checkerboard pattern into it. The squares should have about 1 1/2-inch (4 cm) sides. Don’t pull apart the squares of dough. Leave them exactly where you cut them, touching in rows. Slide the parchment paper—with the dough on it—onto a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

While the first batch bakes, roll out the second piece of dough between two pieces of parchment, prick and cut it the same way as the first. Bake this batch the same way as the first batch (either use a second baking sheet or cool off the first one and use it again). Keep the oven on after baking the second batch. You will still need to bake all the crackers again to crisp them.

Remove the baked crackers and parchment from the baking sheet. Put a cooling rack on the baking sheet. Pull apart the crackers into squares and place them on the cooling rack.

Put the baking sheet—holding the cooling rack and crackers— in the oven. Bake another 10 minutes or until the crackers begin to brown. Ask a helper to remove the browned crackers and put crackers that aren’t ready yet back in the oven for a few more minutes until they until they are also hard and crunchy.

Makes about 36 Munchy Crunchy Crackers.

We’ve also got Jennifer’s recipe for Real Mac ‘n Cheddar Cheese.

Jennifer is inviting kids to send in pictures of their favourite recipes from the book to her website www.kitchenforkids.com

Excerpted from Everyday Kitchen for Kids (Whitecap Books) by Jennifer Low
Photo by Ryan Szulc from Everyday Kitchen for Kids (Whitecap Books)

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Pregnancy Style Advice for Fall and Winter

FAM, GEAR, pregnancy, style By October 17, 2012 5 Comments

It goes without saying that being pregnant places demands on your wardrobe that your existing clothes likely can’t meet.  Dressing your pregnant belly shouldn’t be dreaded or seen as something that’s difficult but should be embraced as an opportunity to rise to the challenge of dressing your new shape.  Pregnancy in the summer may be seen as easier to dress with maxi dresses and loose t-shirts but believe it or not, there are some easy tricks and trends to implement for fall pregnancy wear.  This fall, there are some key maternity trends and modified runway trends to keep you and your belly always looking stylish.  Here are the UrbanMommies pregnancy fall winter fashion trends.

Tailored pieces.  Though it may seem easier to hide your belly under loose sweaters and baggy pants, that can actually make you look bulkier. It definitely doesn’t make you feel as pretty as a nicely tailored pair of jeans or jacket will either.  If staying fashionable is super important to you, you could go for a pair of maternity jeans that hits below your belly, though these will be a little more uncomfortable.  If you’re OK with wearing real maternity jeans, find a pair that fit you perfectly and have a nice tailored look.  If you can’t find a pair that fit you exactly right, get the pair that fits your belly best and then get the pants tailored at a seamstress.  Jackets for maternity wear this fall should also have a structured look to them.  Jackets are often the item that gets overlooked during a fall pregnancy but with the tailored trend this fall, the maternity jackets look great on everyone.  The jacket trend for this fall in maternity wear combines timeless and classic cuts to create a tailored jacket that will keep you warm and flatter your growing belly.  Just remember—get one size bigger than you need if you’re buying before the third trimester!

Colored Condiments.   If you’re a fan of colors but like to stay in earth toned hues, then you will love the color trend for maternity wear this fall.  Olive greens, mustard yellows and brick red (like ketchup!).  These colors really match the fall colors that surround you and generally look good when mixed together and with most skin tones.

Leather pieces. This is one fall runway trend that can be taken into maternity wear!  Even though pregnancy might not allow you to wear leather pants or a skirt, you can wear tops with leather pieces.  Leggings now come in stretch leather which would look great with a structured jacket or mustard sweater.  Keep in mind whenever you’re buying something with leather, to try it on, make sure it’s comfortable and that it will expand with your belly.

Prints and Details. Another trend that was translated from the runway to maternity trends for this fall is prints and details on different pieces.  Matching prints is the thing right now but if you feel that draws too much attention to your bump, then add just a splash of print to an outfit for some interest.  Details added to clothing such as appliques, zippers or beaded detail adds great emphasis to an empire waist.

Use these fall maternity trends as inspiration to spice up your maternity wardrobe this fall but always remember to invest in pieces that are stylish and comfortable!

Allie Samborn is a freelance writer based in Vancouver, BC.  She has covered a wide range of topics from fly fishing destinations to annual makeup trends. She has her BA in English Literature and a diploma in Fashion Merchandising.

See also:

Fall Fashion Trends in Pregnancy
Sexy and Pregnant: Hot Mamas to Be

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Chuck Hughes Veggie Sandwich

Chuck Hughes Veggie Sandwich

EAT, lunches By October 17, 2012 Tags: , , , , , 1 Comment

So based on recent research, we’ve discovered that kids toss away much more of their lunchtime food than we originally thought..  Oops.  Based on the outcome of the study, Hellmann’s partnered with Chuck Hughes to give parents a few new lunch tricks that will keep the school trash bins from filling up.  Here is Chuck Hughes Veggie Sandwich with a garlic mayo that will keep the kids wanting more.

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Chuck Hughes Kid-Friendly Chicken Fingers

EAT, family meals By October 17, 2012 Tags: , , , , , 2 Comments

We all know that creative lunches can be hard to figure out.  But recent research By Hellmann’s indicates that we might be wasting more lunchtime food than we originally thought.  More than two thirds (72%) of Canadian parents who were polled believe that their children do not throw away lunch items while almost a third (31%) of Canadian children admit they throw out some of their lunch items, and nearly half (46%) report that they regularly trade some of their lunch items with friends.  Oops.  Based on the outcome of the study, Hellmann’s partnered with Chuck Hughes to give parents a few new lunch tricks that will keep the school trash bins from filling up.  Here are Chuck Hughes Kid-Friendly Chicken Fingers. 

Just make sure they are kept nice and cold when you send them to school.  (We love the Land’s End Madbox for this feature)!

Ingredients

  • 2 Skinless Chicken breasts
  • Half cup of whole wheat flour
  • Half cup of Hellmann’s® mayonnaise
  • 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs or panko
  • 1 tsp of cajun spice
  • Half tsp of garlic powder
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Zest of a lemon

 

Steps

 

  1. Cut strips of chicken and dredge in whole wheat flour.
  2. Then coat the chicken with Hellmann’s® mayonnaise and toss in with the breadcrumbs, zest, cajun spice, garlic powder and Salt and Pepper
  3. Place Strips on a plaque covered with parchment paper. Pre-heat oven at 400 degrees
  4. Place in oven for approx 25 minutes flipping them half-way
  5. Serve with Honey-Mustard, ketchup and Caesar mayonnaise- see below

 

 

Caesar Mayonnaise….

  • Half cup Hellmann’s® mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp of chopped capers
  • zest of half lemon and 1 tsp of juice
  • 1 tbsp of chopped parsley
  • 2 tbsp of grated parmesan
  • Salt and Pepper

Mix everything in a bowl and serve.

 

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13 Year Old Activist Jonny Gray is the Anantara Roving Elephant Reporter

charity, FAM, International, ROAM By October 16, 2012 Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , No Comments

What do you think it would be like to have your passions and activism rewarded by being flown across the globe, given VIP access and hosted (along with your Mom) at stunning Thai resorts while you met elephants and reported on polo matches?  Cinderella meets Madagascar kind of movie, right?  Nope.  For 13-year-old elephant lover and polo enthusiast Jonny Gray of London, Ontario, the dream became a reality.  Named this year’s Roving Elephant Reporter for the 11th Annual King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament in Hua Hin, Thailand Sept. 12-16, 2012, he was given the experience of a lifetime.

As the Roving Elephant Reporter, Jonny became a star of the elephant polo circuit, delivering a television report and enjoying VIP access to all areas of the four-day event, including exclusive interviews with participating players, elephant experts, and celebrities.   Jonny and his mother, Jacquelyn Doucette, spent seven-nights stay at Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas Riverside Resort & Spa in Bangkok and Anantara Hua Hin Resort & Spa in Thailand.  UrbanMommies was granted an exclusive interview with Jonny and he shares about his love of animals, activism and his travels.

UM:  What first made you like elephants?

JG:  My first exposure to elephants was through the African Lion Safari near Cambridge, Ontario where we loved to watch the elephants have a bath. I fell in love with how they interacted with each other like a family and how they seemed so bonded with their trainers. I dreamed about seeing them one day in the wild on a safari but never thought it would be so soon!

UM:  When you were selected to become the Roving Elephant Reporter how did you feel?  Had to traveled overseas before?

JG: When I first got the news I won I was speechless and then I became scared because I was worried about the responsibility of being a reporter on this charity event. I didn’t know what to expect!  Eventually I became excited about traveling to a new part if the world and experiencing all it had to offer. I had traveled to Europe but never to Asia.

UM: What are 5 things you packed for the airplane?

JG:  The flight to Thailand was very long. It took us over a day to get there and we stopped in Belgium and India on the way. To keep me busy I packed my iPod for music, a good book, lots of snacks (gummy worms!!) and a travel pillow so that I could sleep.

UM: What would you tell other kids about rescued elephants in Thailand?

JG:  There are over 1500 elephants that live in captivity working on the streets in Thailand. Although most are treated as well as possible by their owners they still live a life of poverty without much to eat and poor living circumstances. Many people recognize that this is a big problem in Thailand and are making efforts to help them.  My experience is with the elephants which have been rescued by Anantara Resorts. They provide a wonderful life for thirty rescued elephants where they spoiled and doted on. You can visit these elephants and learn to take care of them if oh ever get a chance to visit Thailand!!

The charity polo tournament that I was reporting on helps to support these elephants as well as providing funding for an elephant hospital and ambulance, and even research with elephants.

UM: How would you advise other kids to become animal activists?

JG:  I believe that animal activism starts at home. My parents have taught me that animals need our respect and protection. We have always taken care of baby or injured birds, rabbits, chipmunks and mice that we have found on our property. We learned what they needed to eat and how to take care of them from the internet. We have also adopted dogs which needed homes and because we are on a farm we did the same with horses. Awareness that animals need our help, and learning about endangered species, is an important step towards being an animal activist. You can learn about the animal rescues in your community and see if they need volunteers, but even just spreading the word about these foundations helps to raise awareness about the needs of the animals in our communities. I think a great idea is to have a birthday party which ask for donations of pet food or toys instead of gifts to be given to your local animal rescue is a great way for kids to help!!

UM: You stayed at the Anantara Riverside Resort & Spas.  What were your favourite things about the hotels?

JG:  I had the privilege to stay at Two resorts in Thailand. The first one was the Anantara riverside resort and spa in Bangkok and the second one was their resort in Hua Hin. One thing I loved about the resorts was all the tropical plants that we don’t see in Canada. I felt like I was staying in the rain forest! The food was amazing too! However, by far the best thing about the Anantara chain of resorts was the people. They were so friendly and helpful they made me feel at home eventhough I was half a world away.

UM: Finally – tell me about the other activities you did while you weren’t busy reporting!

JG:  I was so busy in Thailand reporting on the tournament that I had to decide between two activities – a Thai cooking class and a trip to Monkey Mountain. Well, I chose Monkey Mountain because I heard it was an incredible experience and I was right! As we drove up the mountain we started to see monkeys occasionally and we were pretty excited because we had never seen monkeys in the wild before. At the top of the mountain, we met a lady who sold peanuts to feed to the monkeys. When we bought a bucket full from her, monkeys started coming from everywhere and suddenly there were hundreds of monkeys surrounding me wanting a peanut. It was crazy! The monkeys were so fast and they climbed everywhere to get a peanut, even on my head. I was really scared at first but after the peanuts were all gone, I got three more buckets just so I could experience it again!!

 

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5 Ways to Green your Halloween

GEAR, toys By October 16, 2012 Tags: , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Green Your HalloweenTake the spookiness out of Halloween with healthier choices that are easier than you might think. Start with these simple 5 ways to green your halloween – steps to avoid toxins, sugars and you’ll be well on your way to enjoying a safer, ‘eek-o’ friendly Halloween with your kids.

1. Non-Toxic Face Paint In its ‘Pretty Scary‘ report on heavy metals in face paints, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found an alarming 10 out of 10 face paints tested contained lead, a neurotoxin. Instead of gravitating towards a pack of face paint or make up from the likes of the dollar store that may or may not contain lead or other nasties, invest in a set of quality non-toxic lead-free face paints that will last well beyond Halloween. Another great option is to wear a reusable mask.

2. Healthier Treats Now more than ever Halloween treats with less sugar and additives than the average rocket or caramel abound. From organic chocolate to fruit bars and apple crisps, the possibilities are endless, you just have to keep an eye out. One to try are Bug Bites from Endangered Species Chocolate. Another alternative is non-food treats that last a little longer like recycled newspaper pencils, recycled crayon sticks, colourful soy rock crayons and if you want to really lead by example, compostable toothbrushes.

3. PVC-Free Treat Bags Avoiding PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and the poisonous chemicals it can off-gass is always a good idea, especially when it comes to items used by kids. Choosing PVC-free bags, backpacks, and toys means nasty dioxins won’t be leaching or off-gassing into the air and causing potential hormone disruption, respiratory issues and more. For Halloween, give the nasties a miss and go for a PVC-free treat bag like this Envirosax pirates bag or this pretty pink sweet treats bag. Both can hold up to 44lbs of goodies!

4. Swap a Costume Save money and reduce your carbon footprint by trading costumes with family and friends. Alternatively, go to National Costume Swap Day Canada and find a costume swap event near you. It’s a great way to change things up without spending a lot and let’s face it, does anyone really want to wear the same costume twice, even if you haven’t outgrown it?

5.  Make Reusing Part of Halloween Consider ways to decorate without buying new and you’ll not only save money but help teach your kids about the value of reusing. Here’s a great idea for making spooky eyes in the bushes with toilet paper rolls and for these clever ghost lights use old bleach bottles. Using what you already have around the house also works great for costumes. Make a jet pack out of pop bottles for your little rocket man or transform an old t-shirt into a scary skull for an easy adult costume. After the 31st, be sure to reuse your pumpkin for pie, muffins, scones or any of these 23 Ways to Use Pumpkin Puree. For the more adventurous, try a pumpkin hair mask or pinata from these 10 Fun Things to Do with Pumpkin.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. With just a little thought and planning, it’s easy enjoy a ghoulishly green Halloween!

– Louise Campbell, co-founder eco boutique Lavish & Lime

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Real Mac ’n’ Cheddar Cheese

EAT, family meals By October 15, 2012 Tags: , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Jennifer Low has done it again!  With a belief in teaching kids to cook healthy and fun meals, she has developed 100 brand new recipes that use no sharp knives, no stove-top cooking and no motorized appliances.  In her new book – Everyday Kitchen for Kids, she encourages children to experience the thrill of cooking for the first time.  We’ve been given a peek and can’t wait to get into the kitchen.  (But with stilettos instead of bare feet.)  Here’s a teaser for you – Real Mac ’n’ Cheddar Cheese.

Makes 3 cups (750 mL).

Supplies

2 1⁄2-quart (2.5 L) glass or ceramic baking dish, baking spatula, measuring cups, measuring spoons, foil (or lid of baking dish), bowls, whisk, wooden spoon.

Ingredients

macaroni

1 1⁄2 cups (375 mL) uncooked elbow macaroni
1 tsp (5 mL) vegetable oil
2 1⁄3 cups (580 mL) warm tap water

cheese sauce

1⁄4 cup (60 mL) unsalted butter
3 Tbsp (45 mL) all-purpose flour
1⁄2 tsp (2 mL) dry mustard
1⁄2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1⁄2 tsp (2 mL) white sugar
1⁄4 tsp (1 mL) onion powder
1⁄8 tsp (0.5 mL) chili powder
1 cup (250 mL) milk
1 1⁄2 cups (375 mL) pre-grated cheddar cheese

breadcrumb topping

1 Tbsp (15 mL) unsalted butter
1⁄2 cup (125 mL) dry breadcrumbs
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

In the baking dish and using a baking spatula, mix the macaroni with the vegetable oil until the macaroni is well coated.

Pour the warm water onto the macaroni. Cover tightly with a lid or foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Get help taking it out of the oven. Keep covered for at least another 15 minutes. The macaroni softens some more and the baking dish cools off a bit.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter in the microwave at 50% power (about 1 minute). Use a whisk to mix in the flour until smooth. Then mix in the dry mustard, salt, sugar, onion powder, and chili powder. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth.

Heat the sauce in the microwave on high for 1 minute (or longer, but only 1 minute at a time so it doesn’t foam over), until the sauce is bubbly and thickened. Get help removing the bowl from the microwave. Cool slightly so the bowl isn’t too hot to touch.

Stir the cheddar into the sauce. The cheese does not need to be fully melted in right now. Set aside.

Next make the breadcrumb topping. In a large microwave-safe bowl, heat 1 Tbsp (15 mL) unsalted butter in the microwave at 50% power until melted (about 30 seconds). Mix in the breadcrumbs and salt. Use the back of a wooden spoon to mash the breadcrumbs into the butter to break up lumps.

Get help uncovering the dish of macaroni (there should be some water left in the bottom of the dish). Using a baking spatula, scrape the cheese sauce onto the macaroni. Stir well. Spread the macaroni evenly in the dish. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top. Bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are lightly golden.

Jennifer is inviting kids to send in pictures of their favourite recipes from the book to her website www.kitchenforkids.com

Excerpted from Everyday Kitchen for Kids (Whitecap Books) by Jennifer Low
Photo by Ryan Szulc from Everyday Kitchen for Kids (Whitecap Books)

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Crock-Pot Lunch Warmer

GEAR, home By October 14, 2012 Tags: , , , , No Comments
crock-pot lunch warmer

The Lunch Warmer comes in purple, blue, black, red. It has a 20 oz capacity making it perfect for an individual sized meal!

No time in the morning to pack a warm meal for yourself or your children? Enjoy a comforting meal with the Crock-Pot Lunch Warmer. It warms food on the go, while still staying cool to the touch outside for safety. It’s easy to clean-just stick the removable food storage container in the dishwasher! You can even leave the warming base at work/school and use the detachable food container to transport meals back and forth. How about packing last night’s leftovers of Slow Cooker Lasagna for a nutritious lunch? Crock-Pot

 

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12 healthy breakfast ideas

12 Healthy Breakfast Ideas For Your Family

EAT, family meals By October 10, 2012 Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , No Comments

Truly the most important meal of the day, breakfast should not be skipped – especially for kids heading off to learn at school.  We’ve put together 12 healthy breakfast ideas, some of which can be made in advance and frozen.  Moms need to save all the time possible in the morning!

Smoothies are a fabulous option and a great way to add fruit and vegetables to the diet.  We like to ‘hide’ spinach in smoothies and disguise it with dark fruit like blueberries.

Mini quiche are great to make in mini muffin tins and an easy place to throw in tiny peppers, cheese, bacon and herbs.

Shaped pancakes are fun to make in huge batches and keep in the freezer.  You can pull out a few at a time for the kids and heat.

Breakfast wraps (we call them ‘hand snacks’) are fun with scrambled eggs, cheese and salsa.  Wrap the end in tinfoil and they become a great portable breakfast option!

Oatmeal from scratch is easy when you add mil to the oats and finish with with cinnamon and brown sugar.

Homemade muffins are fantastic for hiding pureed or grated veggies such as zucchini and carrot.  Here are our zippy zucchini ones.

Whole grain waffles that you can pop in the toaster make a great start to the day.  Try to opt of real maple syrup over the artificially flavoured ones..

Poached eggs on whole wheat toast are a favourite in our household.  You can skip the hollandaise to save a few calories.  And a ton of time!

Granola with a few hidden chocolate chips at the bottom of the bowl helps my kids eat everything.  Wink.

Scrambled Eggs and Smoked Salmon on brown toast is a great way to start the day, and packs a ton of lean protein.

Ham and Eggs is a great way to begin a day and the protein boost will help the kids retain the juicy tidbits they learn at school.

Cut up fruit with Greek yoghurt dip is a healthy snack, and you can make fun patterns with different shapes of fruit – a sailboat scene for instance.  Sprinkled with chia and hemp seeds, it packs a ton of omega 3’s. Enjoy your breakfast!!

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The 2013 Honda Accord Unveiling in Santa Barbara

auto, GEAR, ROAM, USA By October 9, 2012 Tags: , , , , , , No Comments

At the 2013 Honda Accord Unveiling in Santa Barbara, I realized that I am really not an auto writer.  I know.  Our readers have known that for ages.  But as I was grilled on social media by die-hard car journalists from the LA Times and highly technical publications, I realized that as a mom, my perspective is very unique and valid.  I admit, though, that I dropped a few comments like “What is torque again?” (With a valleygirl accent and a hair twirl) just to get their shocked reactions.  Snicker.

As a mom I look for vehicles with style and family-friendliness.  The 2013 Accord comes in a plug-in hybrid, coupe or sedan versions.  I drove them all, and also the manual transmission model.   Wow.  These things purred.  Peppy, spirited and fun to drive, I think I may have to take a look at investing in Honda stock.  Here’s what I loved about the new Accord.

Honda Link 2013 Accord1.  Honda Link.  I could go on and on.  Honda Link is a cloud-based system that connects you (safely) to the web.  Voice recognition, text messaging, audiobooks, digital music content, hand-picked radio stations, restaurant searches and Facebook audio feeds without having to mess with your mobile phone… perfect for kids and passengers.  You really shouldn’t tweet and drive, BTW.  And Honda is so safe they won’t even let you set up your Bluetooth or wireless texting sync when the car is moving.

2.  The plug-in hybrid.  Talk about quiet.  And fast.  It reminded me of driving my husband’s Jaguar.  Seriously.  (Except I kept forgetting the car was on and trying to restart).  When it comes to recharging, Honda says the Accord plug-in can get a full recharge in an hour from a 240-volt charger.

3.  Quiet.  The interior is so quiet that you have to blast music so you don’t lull off to sleep.  Great for babies.  There are lots of reasons for the lack of interior noise – one is that the dashboard is only one piece so not as much wind gets in.  The engine is coated in a sound-deafening shield-thingy too.

4.  Similarly, there is little drag.  The ‘sideburns’ of the car and exterior styling make it look fabulously sporty, but also improve the performance.  The coupe is sportiest of all, of course, and offers parents with teens going off to University enough room in the back for visits home while helping them combat the empty-nest state with a huge amount of cool factor.

Accord 2013 LED Lights5.  I can honestly say that I have never driven a car with a more responsive steering system.  It made me a little dizzy, as I like to ‘bop to the music’ and tend to ‘steer’ to the beat.   Another reason the auto writers were gaping at me. (And I was the only one driving in stilettos, of course).

6.  Holy trunk room.  We were joking that you could fit a couple of bodies in there.  The trunk was easy to close with one hand if you had groceries, an infant or multiple Vuitton sachels in the other.

7.  Lots of attention was paid to details such as where the stitching on the steering wheel falls as you grip it.  The luxury-lover in me was pretty happy with the design elements.

Lane Watch Honda8.  The side mirrors could be on the space shuttle they are so technical.  Not that a shuttle has side mirrors, but whatever..  To eliminate blind spots, Honda has developed a camera called LaneWatch™ that ‘sees’ into the next lane.  The image flashes onto your 8 inch dashboard LCD screen so you are never blind.  They’ve kind of fixed every frustration about driving, allowing you to have confidence in your ability and thereby be a safer driver.  Pretty smart.  If only Honda could make my hair look good when I don’t blowdry.  And make all of the mirrors in the world make me look skinny.  Ok.  I digress.

9.  There is an option to turn the Accord’s Lane Departure Warning sensor on or off.  Once I figured it out, I was really impressed.  And realized that I’m not a very good driver. Driving along I couldn’t figure out what was beeping at me.  Every time I got too close to a line on either side without putting on my indicator signal, I thought there were birds in the car.  Back to driving school for me. (Or maybe fewer riveting conversations with my drive partner Tanya Gordon).

10.  The forward collision warning was incredible.  And there is also a turbo-break thing that happens.  When the car senses you breaking suddenly, it will put even more force into the brakes, ensuring you stop on a dime.  (Which was incredibly fortunate when a distracted mom pulled over in a dangerous spot on the side of a  vineyard road and her toddler ran into the street.)  My heart is still racing.

11.  Talking to the car was a blast.  “XM Channel 72” and the sounds of Broadway filled the vehicle.  Better still – it only recognizes one voice at a time so my kids wouldn’t be able to change the tunes to the Disney Channel every five minutes!

Technical Stuff:

The 2.4-liter, 185 horsepower four-cylinder engine is rated at 27 MPG in city driving and 36 on the highway.  For the V-6 engine, the highway rating is 34 MPG and city rating is 21 MPG.  Pretty great – especially for a vehicle that handles beautifully and can go from zero to 60 MPH in a quick 5.6 seconds (Motor Trend).

Our take?  Honda enthusiasts, Moms, kids and tech-lovers will snap it up.  Fast.  And we’d certainly want it as a push present.

Honda Accord

 

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