14 ideas for children's birthday parties

Child readers share their tried-and-tested ideas for children's birthday parties.

Little Ladybugs

My favorite birthday party for my daughter was her ladybug party.

We made edible ladybugs out of SnackWell's devil's food cake cookies. The children, mostly 2- to 3-year-olds, used craft sticks to cover the cookies in red icing and Junior Mints for the heads. I had a tube of black icing and placed dots wherever the kids showed me their bugs "needed" them.

I also gave out "bug boxes." Since the party was outdoors, one of the activities was to go looking for bugs, hoping to find ladybugs. We talked about what bugs eat and how the ladybugs like flowers. This discussion took place in front of a huge flower-shaped piñata, which helped me hold their attention.

The party favors were a book about bugs and the bug boxes. My daughter wore a cute dress with ladybugs on it. It was great!
Georgia Sanchez Austin, TX

Happy World

Last fall, we thought everyone needed some cheer after the events of September 11. So for my daughter's 4th birthday on October 12, we invited her friends and their moms and dads for a home-cooked lunch.

The decorations for the party doubled as favors -- happy-face balloons and blow-up globes. Other favors were happy-face stickers and globe-shaped pencil sharpeners. They also had fun stringing beads for colorful bracelets and decorating party hats.

We baked yellow and chocolate mini-cupcakes and arranged them on a round tray to form a happy face. After the candles were blown out, the kids got to decorate the cupcakes with colored frosting, sprinkles, and mini-M&Ms. Everyone had a great time!
Nancy Singer Olaguera Deal, NJ

A Day at the Fair

We started with foods from the carnival. We invited adults as well as children, so we had smoked sausages with green peppers and onions on hoagies, corn dogs, cotton candy, a lemonade stand, and french fries.

We had game stations -- pick-a-duck, throw a sponge at the clown (made of cardboard), toss a ping-pong ball into a goldfish bowl -- and a "prize booth" stocked with inexpensive prizes. We had face painting with water-based face paints, which can be bought at most party supply stores, for easy cleanup and no staining.
Tina Borek Church Hill, TN

A Real-Life Fairy Tale

Since children usually plan their next birthday party as soon as they finish opening the presents from the last one, my daughter had planned for nearly a year to have her party at a local arcade. When her 5th birthday finally rolled around, the arcade was closed for renovation. To counter the disappointment, I told her that instead she could have a party that she and I would plan and make everything for.

She came up with the theme of a fairy-tale birthday party. I found many ideas online and tweaked them for my own use. I also used the Internet to order party supplies like paper goods, decorations, and party favors. We printed invitations on scrolls of "parchment," which were hand-delivered and read like a royal proclamation. We decorated the party room to look like a castle, with banners and tapestries that we made ourselves, and addressed all the guests as Prince or Princess.

At the party my husband, the King, announced to his court that he needed brave knights and ladies to help him slay a dragon. The kids could prove their worth by participating in a royal tournament. Events were jousting, musical thrones, "Pin the Drawbridge on the Castle," and decorating royal scepters (cookies on sticks) and cloaks (handmade from inexpensive fabric). After the tournament, we "slayed" a dragon piñata and ate the castle-shaped cake my daughter and I had baked together.

Each child went home with a knight's helmet or princess tiara, a royal cloak, a royal scepter, and candy from the piñata. This party was a lot of work, but many kids -- and, most important, my daughter -- told me it was the best party they'd ever attended.
Jenny Tigay Meyerhoff Deerfield, IL

Winter Picnic

My daughter's birthday is in January, and I wanted to do something with a summery theme. I rented a room at a community center (depending on the size of your house, this could also be done at home) and played old-fashioned party games like pin the tail on the donkey. For lunch, I spread red-checked tablecloths on the floor and handed out brown paper bags packed with PB&J sandwiches, chips, and s'mores. The kids loved having a picnic!

I also made "ice-cream cones" by slipping store-bought mini-muffins into the cones, frosting the top, and adding sprinkles. For goodie bags, I passed out plastic buckets with bubbles and sand toys that could also be used in the snow or the bathtub.
Ruth Spiro Skokie, IL

Living Dolls

My daughter Hayley loves Barbie dolls, so for her birthday party, each guest was asked to come dressed as one of her favorite Barbie dolls and bring a Barbie-related gift. We had a Camper, Sleepover, Polynesian, Gymnast, and more living dolls. As the mother of the birthday girl, I even dressed up as "Rock" Barbie. Along with the Barbie cups, plates, napkins, favors, and cake, we played theme games such as "Pin the Hat on Barbie" and had a photo shoot.
Lynette Kittle Jupiter, FL

Sorcerer's Surprise

My son's 8th birthday was in January, and most of his second-grade classmates had seen the Harry Potter movie over the holidays. I started with invitations in the form of acceptances into the Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft based on the letter Harry received. I created letterhead on the computer and printed it on gold parchment paper.

When the children arrived (at gate 9 3/4 -- marked by a sign outside our door), they were divided into different Houses by the Sorting Hat: I'd made a hat out of blue felt and stars and filled it with the crests of all the Houses in the form of temporary tattoos. During the party, each House received points if one of its members won a game, used good manners, picked up after himself, or showed an act of kindness. Teams lost points for rudeness, poor sportsmanship, etc. (although this never happened because the children policed themselves in competition).

We played various games with Harry Potter themes, such as "Find the Golden Snitch" (a gold ping-pong ball was hidden with other balls, each marked with a point value -- the gold ball being the highest), with points tallied on a sheet on the wall.

The decorations were store-bought, but the tablecloth was inexpensive blue plastic strewn with star confetti. I used plain gold paper plates and utensils.

The points for the Houses were fixed so that everyone was a winner, and each child received an official-looking personalized participation award printed on gold parchment and signed by the headmaster (my son). We placed them in black plastic cauldrons I was lucky enough to find (I guess they were left over from Halloween) along with Bertie Bott's every-flavor jellybeans (regular jellybeans in cello bags, labeled as such and tied with gold ribbon), some Harry Potter glasses (Oriental Trading Co.), and other inexpensive but cool gifts -- tattoos, necklaces, mini-skateboards, and the like.

It was very successful -- the children talked about it all week!
Karen Koenig Resto Keansburg, NJ

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

For my son Mitchell's 4th birthday, I scheduled his party during an afternoon AAA baseball game. Parents were also invited. Mitchell opened his gifts and we ate cake before the game and gave out plastic bats and balls as take-home gifts. I also found baseball caps to be worn as party hats (which was also a good way to keep track of everyone in a large crowd!). Then we went to the game. If the kids got tired, their parents took them home. Mitchell had a great day and it was not very difficult to do. I could have had his name on the scoreboard during the middle of the 7th inning, but I didn't know if he could last that long!
Craig Elliott Park City, UT

Down on the Farm

My friend Dina had a great first-birthday party for her son. She sent out homemade farmhouse-shaped invitations and made a farmhouse out of a cardboard box. She had a kiddie "duck" pool and plush farm animals that the kids took home. She served picnic-type foods, including cupcakes decorated to look like farm animals. Her son was dressed in overalls. She did a great job.
Cindy Wilkins Streamwood, IL

All Aboard!

We live about 10 minutes away from a trolley museum that's perfect for kids. My son is a trainaholic, so for his 3rd birthday party we invited eight boys (and his two sisters) to the museum, which was small and easy to peruse. Then we all went on a fabulous trolley ride during which the museum staff stopped and sang to the birthday boy.

I had gotten little painters' caps and used fabric paint to decorate and personalize them so each was unique. We had cupcakes and juice at a picnic table in back of the museum and sent the kids home with a cool goodie bag containing little train whistles and their invitations, which we had rubber-stamped.
Karen Adashek Olney, MA

A Royal Tea

For my daughter Madeline's 5th birthday, the invitation I sent included this little rhyme: "It's a Princess Birthday Tea Party-/You may want to wear your princess dress./Will you be Snow White? Cinderella? We'll have to guess!/You can leave Mom and Dad at home, it's okay,/Because we're going to have a fun, fun day!/We'll make jewelry and paint our nails,/Eat cupcakes and tell fairy tales./We hope that you can save the date:/RSVP at 555-8, 1, 9, 8!"

To decorate, I made pretty tablecloths by taping flower wrapping paper to five little table-and-chair sets placed around the kitchen. I served cupcakes on tiered plate racks -- the kind used for tea sandwiches and cookies -- lined with doilies.

We had "activity stations" around the house. About three girls played at each station and rotated during the two-hour party. The stations included a manicure table with six colors of glittery nail polish to choose from; make-a-beaded-necklace (we used Powerpuff Girl beads, a dollhouse set out with about seven Barbies (good for independent play), and tables with crayon-cups princess coloring books. For the storytime wrap-up, we read Snow White while the parents arrived to pick up their children. This was the most fun and least expensive party I've thrown. My daughter speaks of it often even though six months have passed.
Stephanie Hager Newcastle, WA

A Magical Makeover

This year we had a dress-up party for my daughter's birthday. I got out my old makeup, unopened Avon and Mary Kay samples, and the girls did each other's hair and makeup. I put all their names in a hat, and each girl was responsible for drawing a name and making over a friend. I was responsible for anyone who wanted her hair in curlers, but the girls did the styling after I took the rollers out. I was able to find inexpensive boas and gloves, as well as straw hats. The girls used paint and scrap ribbon to decorate their own hats. The part the girls enjoyed most was the before-and-after photo shoot. We'll use the pictures to send photo thank-you cards by e-mail!
Beth Murphy Hudson Falls, NY

Keep On Truckin'

My 3-year-old son adores trucks, so I put "caution" tape all around the yard and deck and on the door. The kids got plastic construction hats instead of party hats. My husband drew a large backhoe on poster board and we played "Pin the Shovel on the Backhoe," and I filled several small resealable bags with dirt so the kids could have a "dirt-bag toss" into a toy dump truck. We set up a roll of paper alongside the house in the carport and let the kids go to town with washable paints and brushes, sponges, and rollers. My son wanted cupcakes, so I served his in the back of a toy truck with three truck-shaped candles.

The highlight was when a real fire truck arrived. All the kids were allowed to climb on it and take turns sitting in the driver's seat. The firefighters stayed for at least half an hour and talked to the kids (and several very interested adults) about the truck and gave all the kids fire hats. They do this free of charge in our area (though we did make a voluntary donation).
Diana Laird McLean, VA

Healthy Easter-Egg Hunt

My son's 3rd birthday fell on the day before Easter Sunday this year, so we had an Easter-egg hunt. The Thursday before the party we invited a few of his friends over to dye eggs. We used onion skins, beets, cooked berries, and a few drops of food coloring, along with wax crayons and stickers. We made a party out of the egg-dying chore by playing music and serving juice and pizza.

For the main party, first we designed baskets with glitter and stickers, then we embarked on the hunt for eggs, as well as stuffed rabbits and lambs, and bunny- and carrot-inspired toys (pencils, cars, etc.). We served grilled-cheese and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, deviled eggs, carrot sticks, and celery. For dessert, the children feasted on sugarless banana nut cake (Mani's Bakery in Los Angeles specializes in baked goods made without flour, sugar, or eggs, and everything tastes great). We had a great time.
Lys Wilcox Los Angeles, CA

Certain foods that makes your penis bigger!

Certain foods that can improve or increase your libido, as a result, the hardness and strength of your erection is enhanced because of the increase in blood flow to your penis secondary to an intense desire to have sex.

There are certain foods that can increase your libido or appetite for sex and makes your penis bigger and stronger. These foods can be very helpful in enhancing and spicing up your sex life.

• Raw oysters had been found to spice up sex and improve libido. They actually contain dopamine, a substance which is known to increase libido and high levels of zinc which can increase testosterone and sperm production. Raw oysters are considered classic erotic foods.

• Bananas are also believed to increase libido among men. This is because of the bromelain enzyme naturally found in bananas. It is also an excellent source of potassium and riboflavin which improves energy levels for an improved stamina during sexual activities.

• Avocados are rich in folic acid that aids in the metabolism of proteins. The result is an increase in energy. Moreover, avocados contain vitamin B6 that increases the production of hormones.

• Almonds and other nuts in general are great sources of essential fatty acids that provide raw material for healthy hormone production among men. They also set the mood for sex because of their natural scent which can aid in sexual arousal of females. Nuts are also good source of energy for a better sexual performance.

Barack Obama's diet

Obama says he skips salt and vinegar potato chips and mayo, will eat beets and asparagus only “if no other vegetables are available,” and drinks water over soda.
What is really Obama's diet?

Asparagus and Beet Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound asparagus
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 can (15 oz.) sliced beets
• 1 can (15 oz.) garbanzos
• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons roasted, salted pistachios
• Salt

Nutritional Information

Calories: 106 (28% from fat)

Protein: 5.2g

Fat: 3.3g (sat 0.3)

Carbohydrate: 16g

Fiber: 3.5g

Sodium: 210mg

Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Preparation

1. Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Cut spears diagonally into 1-inch lengths.

2. In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan, bring about 1 inch water to a boil. Add asparagus and cook just until tender-crisp when pierced, about 3 minutes. Transfer asparagus with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice water. Lift out when cold.

3. Dry the frying pan and add cumin. Stir over low heat just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour cumin into a wide bowl and add lemon juice.

4. Drain beets and garbanzos, rinse with cool water, and drain again. Add to bowl along with asparagus, onion, cilantro, and pistachios. Mix and add salt to taste.

Notes: For variety, and if you have time, replace canned beets with 2 cups cooked and sliced fresh yellow beets. Up to 1 day ahead, cover chilled cooked asparagus and cooked fresh beets and refrigerate.

Is It Really Better Than Sex? Cake

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 16 to 20 servings

1 (18.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix, plus ingredients to prepare
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 (3.4-ounce) box French vanilla pudding, plus ingredients to prepare
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup flaked, sweetened toasted coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare yellow cake mix as directed using a greased 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. While cake is baking, combine the pineapple and 1 cup of sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Remove cake from oven and using a fork, pierce holes into cake. Pour pineapple mixture over hot cake and set aside.

Prepare pudding according to package directions. Spread pudding over cake and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Whip heavy cream and remaining sugar until stiff. Cover top of cake with whipped cream and sprinkle toasted coconut on top.

A Stuffed Picnic: Tuna and Artichoke Stuffed Tomatoes, Red Pepper, Feta and Chick Pea Stuffed Zucchini, Nut and Brown Sugar Stuffed Macintosh Apples

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Baked Stuffed Apples:
6 medium McIntosh apples
2 wedges lemon
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup oatmeal

Stuffed Tomatoes:
2 cans Italian tuna in olive oil, drained and flaked
1 can artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, a couple of handfuls, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, a handful
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Salt and pepper
6 vine ripe tomatoes, red, yellow, or mixed

Stuffed Zucchini:
1 (15-ounce) can chick peas, drained
2 roasted red peppers, drained
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 clove garlic, cracked from skin
1/2 lemon, juiced
Salt and coarse black pepper
2 medium zucchini squash, washed

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Trim a thin slice off of the bottom of each apple. Cut the tops off apples and trim way skin of tops of apples, trim should be 1/2-inch wide. Hollow out the apples with a small paring knife, carving out a cavity for the filling. Rub the tops and cavities with wedges of lemon to retard browning.

Combine butter, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, nuts, flour and oatmeal in a bowl -- mixture should be crumbly -- and then pack into apples. Place apples in a shallow baking dish and add 1/4-inch of water to the dish. Bake apples 17 to 20 minutes, until filling bubbles and apples are tender but not soft. Remove from oven. Serve warm or room temperature.

For stuffed tomatoes, mix tuna and next 7 ingredients to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each tomato to stabilize it. Seed and hollow out the tomato with a spoon over garbage bowl or into sink with disposal system. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper, then fill with salad, mounding the tuna up. The tomatoes are ready to serve or chill.

For zucchini, combine chick peas and next 4 ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise. Hollow out seeds, making room for filling, using a soup spoon. Fill squash with chick pea and red pepper cheese using a rubber spatula. Cut the zucchini into 2 inch pieces.

Big, Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: about 1 dozen 5-inch cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 (8-ounce) block dark chocolate, coarsely chopped


1. Sift
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.



2. Cream
In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in vanilla and eggs.



3. Mix
Gradually add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and continue to mix until a smooth dough forms.


4. Fold
Chop pieces of chocolate into chunks. With a rubber spatula, fold chocolate chunks into dough.


5. Form
To form cookies, scoop about 1/4 cup of cookie dough. With greased hands, roll dough into a ball. Place 3 inches apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Press down the tops of dough slightly.


6. Bake
Bake until cookies are light brown, about 12 minutes for chewy cookies (or 15 minutes for crispy cookies).


7. Cool (Optional)
Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool.

Lunchbox treat

Kick off the school year with sandwiches and lunchbox treats that truly stand out! I've jazzed up all-time favorites such as the Hero and added new between-the-bread choices. If you’d like to surprise your kids with something sweet – without the added sugar -- try some of my lighter recipes. They’re guaranteed to keep your kids healthy and happy!


Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

4 ounces whole peanut butter
2 slices Texas Toast or 1/2-inch thick bread
1 whole ripe banana
4 ounces whole butter


Spread peanut butter side to side, evenly on 1 side of each piece of bread. Slice banana in 3/4-inch slices and place on 1 piece of bread with peanut butter. Banana slices should be close together, and cover 1 side completely (usually 9 slices). Top with the other slice of bread.
Heat butter in saute pan on medium heat. Place sandwich in pan and brown for approximately 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. Add 2 ounces of butter to the pan and flip sandwich to other side and continue cooking for 2 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and peanut butter is melting. Cut into quarters and serve very hot.


Chunky Egg Salad

1/2 medium red onion, chopped
12 large eggs
1 stalk celery (with leaves), chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Serving suggestions: 8 slices country-style sourdough bread, sliced tomatoes, or salad greens

In a small bowl, soak the onions in cold water, for 15 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, with a tight-fitting lid, place the eggs and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Cover the eggs, remove from the heat, and set aside for 8 minutes. Drain the water from the pan and cool the eggs in the pan under cold running water. Peel the eggs and cut into sixths.
In a large bowl, mix together the onion, celery, mayonnaise, dill, mustard, lemon juice, and salt.
Add the eggs to the mayonnaise mixture and gently mix them together. Season with pepper to taste. Use in sandwiches, with lettuce and tomatoes, or in a salad.


Classic Hero

Loaf Italian bread
6 slices hard salami
6 slices prosciutto
6 slices mortadella
6 thin slices capicola (seasoned smoked ham) or other cooked ham
4 thin slices provolone
3 bottled hot cherry peppers or pepperincini, to taste, sliced thinly
3 roasted peppers, sliced very thin
3/4 cup finely shredded lettuce
1/2 small onion, sliced very thin
3 roasted peppers
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
3/4 olive oil
1/4 cup fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, oregano and basil)

Halve the rolls horizontally, leaving on edge cut to form a hinge. Moisten the cut side of the rolls with vanaigrette, and on the bottom halves of the rolls layer the salami, the prosciutto, mortadella, capicola and then the provolone, peppers, lettuce and onions. In a small bowl whisk red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, oil and stir in fresh herbs, salt and pepper to taste, drizzle the dressing over the fillings, and cover the fillings with the top halves of the rolls. Cut each sandwich in half.


Ferdie (Mother's Favorite Offering)

1 large crusty loaf French bread
4 ounces sliced turkey
4 ounces sliced baked ham
4 ounces sliced roast beef
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Few dashes hot pepper sauce
3/4 cup shredded white cabbage
1 large tomato, sliced thin
12 dill pickle slices

Slice French bread open across middle, open it up and evenly layer all meats onto bottom half. Spread mayonnaise on top half. Shake hot sauce over, to taste. Spread cabbage, tomatoes and pickles over meats. Close sandwich, slice in half and dig in.



Tuna Salad

Two 6-ounce cans white meat tuna packed in water, drained
2 tablespoons minced celery
2 tablespoons minced red onion, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes and drained
1 teaspoon minced flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup prepared mayonnaise
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)

In a small mixing bowl break up the tuna with a fork. Toss with the celery, onion, and parsley. Add the mayonnaise, mustard and season with pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Add lemon juice to taste, if using.
Cook's note: Substitute 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard for the whole grain mustard and add 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

Health after-school snacks

Your kids will eventually want to craft their own after-school snacks. Here are five tips to remember.

1 Always be aware of safety. Don't turn your back on them, especially when they are using knives, and never leave them at the stove unattended.


2 Let kids take an active role in cooking. Give them age-appropriate tasks such as ripping lettuce leaves for salad.


3 Explain what you're doing--you'll be amazed at what they remember.


4 Baking is always a good place to start since it doesn't require knives and uses simple ingredients.


5 Turn off the TV. Cooking is also about eating together.

How to replace sugar in your diet

It is completely natural to desire something sweet. A sweet flavor is a signal to the body that there will be an abundance of easily-assimilated energy. With processed sugar, the body has been tricked into feeling satisfied, when in fact, the sweetness is completely deficient in essential vitamins, minerals, trace minerals and enzymes which would normally be present. A chocolate bar may satisfy hunger because of the high amount of sugar and fat, but it has created a deficit in the nutrients the body needs to run efficiently. Hence, we have people who are overweight, yet their bodies are starving for nutrients.

Trying to fight your sweet tooth by eliminating sugar from your diet is not the answer. Replacing man-made, processed, empty calories with natural sweeteners is the solution, and we have some practical suggestions.

Sucanat
For the sweet tooth, Sucanat is a blessing. You can literally have your cake and eat it too. No feelings of guilt. No sneaking in the cookie jar. But enjoying one of the most delicious, natural sweeteners you have ever tasted. Sucanat is organically grown, freshly-squeezed sugar cane juice, evaporated by a special Swiss process. In its natural state, it is highly nutritious because the molasses is not removed. The flavor is quite extraordinary.

Brown sugar is simply white sugar with a bit of fancy molasses to give texture and color. Everything that you use white and brown sugar for can be replaced with Sucanat.

Sucanat in water, hot or cold, is a refreshing beverage. A teaspoon of dried Sucanat will even remove hiccups.

Unpasteurized Honey
Raw honey has the plant enzyme amylase which is concentrated in the pollen of flowers. It is effective in helping the predigestion of starchy foods. Try spreading raw honey on a piece of bread and allow it to sit for 15 minutes. The honey will immediately begin to break down the starches in the bread. Most commercial honey has been pasteurized, heated for up to 24 hours to prevent it from turning hard or hazy. In 1930, the German Honey Ordinance ordered that honey could not be sold for table use unless the enzyme, amylase was intact. North America has no such requirement. Although not as high in vitamins and minerals as Sucanat, honey is a useful natural sweetener.

Frozen Juice Concentrates
Keep in mind that all the frozen concentrates in your supermarket have been pasteurized. But we consider them far healthier for sweetening a sauce or salad dressing than white sugar. Pineapple, apple and orange concentrates are excellent for sweetening salad dressings or perking up fresh juice combinations, making Popsicles and for baking. A tablespoon of frozen pineapple concentrate can really liven up a fruit salad.

Dates and Raisins
Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love (Solomon 2:5). Take a handful of dates, raisins or figs and place them in your blender with a 1/2 cup of water. Blend for 10 minutes or until desired consistency. Out of your blender will come a caramel pudding-like substance that is absolutely heavenly. It is hard to believe that this natural, healthy sweetener is so good for you!. It can be used for salad dressings, topping for fruit salad, creating healthy desserts and baking.
Fructose
Although assimilated into the body more slowly than white sugar, fructose has essentially the same nutritional value. Fructose is the sugar that is primarily found in fruit. It breaks down more slowly because it does not use insulin but is broken down by an enzyme in the bowel. Fructose sugar looks identical to common white sugar, but is significantly sweeter. It is a safer sugar to use for diabetics, hyperglycemics and hypoglycemics.

Fructose is certainly more desirable than common sugar, but is still void of nutrients. Use sparingly.

Brain Food OR How to eat to your mental advantage

Carb out
Carbs fuel your brain. Stoke up on whole grains, and pair them with some protein: cereal and milk, cheese and toast, or peanut butter on a whole-wheat bagel. Don't overdo it, though. Digesting lots of food diverts blood from the brain to the stomach. Plus, too many carbs increase the amount of tryptophan in the brain, which causes drowsiness.

Drink up
Because your body (brain included) is about 70 percent water, the classic eight glasses a day might well tip the grade scale in your favor, Dr. Prousky says. And while alcohol is good for the cardiovascular system, it tends to fuzz the brain and dehydrate the body, both no-nos during finals.Looking for a quick snack? Try fruit and vegetable juices, which contain calories, vitamins and water. As for caffeine, it keeps you alert, but too much can wire you beyond concentration and the acid can really do a number on your stomach, Quagliani points out.
Eat breakfast
Grade-school kids who eat breakfast do better on standardized tests than those who don't. The same probably goes for college students, Rosenbloom says.

Balance your diet
During stressful finals week, make time to eat right. "So many people go into exams nutritionally depleted," Rosenbloom says. You know the drill: Eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies and whole-grain carbs, and go easy on the pizza-and-beer binges.