Trying to feed my kids some extra nutiritious snacks for a change

Guest post written by Elise Sanders.

My kids are always hopped up on sugar and I want to make sure that it doesn't stay that way. I'm realizing that it is possible for kids to like some great tasting healthy snacks. Even though I assumed for years that I would never get my kids to eat healthy stuff. Some of my friends feed their kids healthy food and I would like to get my kids to eat that way too.

I've been looking around online to find some ideas about how to get my kids to make that transition without ending in lots of tantrums. One thing that I found online during my research was some info on how to consolidate your credit cards. I was really happy to find it because that's another family issue that I need to address.

I'm chocked full of all kinds of great nutritious snacks ideas and I really hope that my kids are going to like all of them. But I think that my husband and I are going to have to lead by example and at least act like we like these snacks for the kids to enjoy them.

Notes From Bruins/Caps Game 5

If the Bruins play as well as they did in Game 5, they'll probably win. The Caps' victory was by the narrowest of margins, and the Bruins were the superior team.

 -Holtby looks human. The Bruins are getting bodies in front of him, forcing him to move through traffic to make saves. They're also finding his holes. And how many times did he let a puck slip through his glove hand?

 -The Bruins hit two posts in the 1st period. Unlike some, I don't believe that hitting a post is bad luck. It's a miss. Just like a basketball hitting the rim is a miss. But it is a close miss. If those two shots are aimed just a few millimeters better, the Bruins take a 2-0 lead and force Washington to play from behind.

 -David Krejci has sucked in this series. All he does is miss shots, turn the puck over, and lose important faceoffs. Yesterday Lucic gave him a golden chance in the slot. Krejci was 8 feet from the net, and missed the net by about 8 feet. That's pretty sad.

 -I'm tired of seeing Joe Corvo on the ice. I'd rather have Mottau. Corvo isn't bad, but he's not good. He's like a friend who isn't a bad guy, but just isn't any fun to hang out with. At the very least, he shouldn't be on the ice when the B's have a Power Play. Chara, Seidenberg, Boychuk, Ference, and Rolston should be playing the blue-line in those situations. Remember how well the Bruins played when they scratched Corvo late in the regular season.

 -The slashing call on Pouliot was bullshit. The odds of what he did being called for a penalty in the 3rd period of a tied playoff game are astronomically slim. And if a premier player like Ovechkin or Bergeron had done it, there's no way in hell the refs would have called it. Thomas still should have stopped the winning goal, and the B's still allowed 3 other Washington scores, but this particular call was utter crap. 

-Some people are trying to blame Thomas for this loss. The winning goal was one he should have stopped, but he was brilliant in the 1st period and the first half of the 2nd. He's been excellent all series long. He's been the best penalty killer and he's the reason the Bruins have been able to stay in these close games despite their offensive struggles.

 -The Bruins are two or three plays away from beating this Capitals team into the ground. If they can score early and force Washington to play from behind, you'll see the Caps fall apart. The Bruins, for the most part, played great in Game 5. If they play that well in Games 6 and 7, they'll win.

 Photo Credit: 
AP Photo

Capital Punishment

The series is tied 2-2. And as much as Braden Holtby will get praised for this, it really is the Bruins' fault. They're not playing at the same level as Washington. Just look at the Bruins' top scorers (Seguin, Bergeron, Krejci, Lucic, Marchand). These 5 guys have combined for one assist. The top 5 Bruins scorers have one assist in this series.

Then there's the turnovers, which are frequently erased by Thomas, but not always. Then there's Ference falling down. That resulted in a Washington goal.

Defensively, though, the Bruins have been pretty tight in this series. Even when they've made mistakes, somebody has made a play to minimize those errors.

Offensively, this team is lost. Lucic looked like a fucking fool last night. How many times did he give the puck away, or struggle to gain possession?

Then Krejci. How perfect do passes have to be for Krejci to settle the puck?

The 4th line is doing what the 4th line is supposed to do, the 3rd line is scoring, and at least the Bergeron line is generating chances. The Krejci-Lucic line is playing horribly right now. And I think they're the biggest reason this series is tied.

Strategically, the Bruins need to stop throwing shots high on Holtby. He's good with the glove. He's very cocky with the glove, actually. Low shots, generate rebounds, get inside position and try to score. Make him question himself. He's too secure right now.

And the Power Play needs to be simplified in some areas and made more dynamic in others. Two defensemen on the blue-line. No need to have forwards on the point (unless it's Rolston). Move bodies without the puck.

And in all situations, build traffic in front of Holtby.

How much traffic did Thomas deal with last night? How much did Holtby deal with? Thomas had I-93 at 4:45pm on a Friday. Holtby had Route 24 at 2:00am on a Tuesday. Make Holtby struggle to make these saves.

Game 5 is Saturday afternoon in Boston. It's time for the Bruins to show up and play as well as they can play. We haven't seen that all series.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

Francona Will Be at Fenway's 100th Birthday Party

Terry Francona changed his mind and has decided to participate in Friday's 100th anniversary festivities. He told ESPN that he owed it to the fans to show up. Maybe, after seeing Bobby Valentine repeatedly booed, Francona wants to bask in the applause of the fans and stick it to the owners and executives who let him go.

I do think it's kind of weird for Francona to make it seem like going was such a painful idea, then to change his mind at the last minute. Perhaps he was talked to by some current players like Pedroia and encouraged to come. Maybe he saw the supportive and understanding reaction from Red Sox Nation when he declared he wouldn't return and decided to come.

Francona is an important part of Red Sox history. And the Red Sox are an important part of Terry Francona's history. And despite the insidiousness and treachery of the Sox owners and executives, neither side can deny how important they are to each other.

I can't wait to see the ovation he receives. And maybe he can't wait either.

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 8*

I'm not a gambling man, but if I were, I would bet on every team that's down 3-0 in the Stanley Cup playoffs to win Game 4. Sweeps are rare in the NHL. And that 4th win is truly the hardest to get.

PENGUINS 10, FLYERS 3 - (Flyers lead series 3-1)

That's the correct score. Jordan Staal had a hat-trick, Malkin had 2 goals and an assist, 13 Penguins registered a point. The 1st period of this game was a game on its own. It was 4-3 at the end of the 1st, and 8 penalties had been handed out. By the end of the 2nd, it was 9-3 Penguins, and 52 penalty minutes had been issued. 100 total minutes were given.

In related news, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has decided to split itself into two states, named Sylvania and the Penn Republic (I stole those names from Futurama).

Game 5 Friday night in Pittsburgh, Sylvania.

SENATORS 3, RANGERS 2 (OT) - (Series tied 2-2)

With Daniel Alfredsson still out, the Senators needed offensive contributions from guys like Milan Michalek. And some production from their defensemen wouldn't hurt either. Michalek scored his first goal of the series. And Sergei Gonchar scored about 10 minutes later. Kyle Turris scored the game-winner. So this 1 vs. 8 series is now a best of three.

Game 5 Saturday night at MSG.

CANUCKS 3, KINGS 1 - (Kings lead series 3-1)

Cory Schneider is the best goalie on the Vancouver Canucks. End of story. He stopped 43 shots last night. He's only allowed 2 goals in his 2 starts this series. Luongo's career has been marked by results that never matched reputation. Schneider has no reputation, but he's producing results. Both Sedins are back in the lineup (Henrik scored last night) and this series is far from over.

Game 5 Sunday in Vancouver.

Tonight's games:
7:00pm - Panthers @ Devils - NHL Network - Panthers lead 2-1
7:30pm - Bruins @ Capitals - NESN/NBC Sports - Bruins lead 2-1
8:00pm - Coyotes @ Blackhawks - CNBC - Coyotes lead 2-1
10:30pm - Blues @ Sharks - NBC Sports - Blues lead 2-1

Celtics Win Battle of Atlantic

For the 5th straight year, and the 6th time in 8 years, the Celtics won the Atlantic Division. It's hard to believe that the Big Three have been in Boston for 5 seasons now.

They won their latest divisional title by beating the Orlando Magic 102-98 last night. Unlike the Knicks, the Magic did not hit many threes. They were 6 of 24 with their three point attempts.

Rondo didn't play, resting a sore back. Allen didn't play because of his ankle.

For the next few games, the Celtics can continue to rest key players one at a time. Only three games left and there really isn't anything to play for. The Celtics can't drop below the 4 seed because they've clinched the Division, and they can't catch the Pacers for the 3 seed.

The C's are in Atlanta Friday night, and I doubt they'll go all out to win. The Hawks are very likely going to be the Celtics' playoff opponent. No sense in showing them your cards at this point.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

Sox Finding New Ways to Lose Every Night

One day it's a lousy starting pitching performance. The next it's an impotent offense. Then the next, the bullpen blows a save. The Sox have lost games in just about every possible way this season.

It really feels like September. Not just because of the brisk weather last night, but because the Sox are losing in new and interesting ways each night.You never know who you'll see fail when you come to the ballpark.

Beckett did well last night. Good. Maybe very good. Not great, but good enough. The offense was quiet, apart from a Youkilis homerun. But Franklin Morales sabotaged the Sox' chances of winning the game with his 3 run outing.

There's a new villain every night. A new player to display a shamed look on his face. But the image of Sox players limply hanging on the dugout rails is the same sorry sight from last September.

It's getting annoying.

Fenway Park turns 100 on Friday, and the Sox welcome the Yankees. New York is 6-6, so these are two struggling teams trying to remember how to win. Buchholz faces 2-0 Ivan Nova.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 7*

More overtimes, more injuries, more suspensions. I can't decide if these playoffs are the best I've ever seen or the worst.

PANTHERS 4, DEVILS 3 - (Panthers lead series 2-1)

What makes the NHL Playoffs so compelling to watch is their unpredictability. Everyone figured New Jersey had the easiest draw in the playoffs. They'd roll over the 94 point Panthers. People were even pointing to this matchup as a reason to change the playoff system. But the game isn't played in theory, or by "experts." It's played by players on ice.

The Panthers were down in 3-0 less than 7 minutes into this game. They came back thanks to 3 Power Play goals. The Panthers are 6 for 10 on the PP. 6 Power Play goals against the best PK in the regular season (89.6%). The Devils only allowed 27 PP goals all season long, or about 1 every 3 games. Now they've allowed 6 in 3 games.

Game 4 Thursday night in Jersey.

PREDATORS 3, RED WINGS 1 - (Predators lead series 3-1)

Another example of how regular season trends mean nothing in the playoffs. Detroit had the best home record in the NHL, with 31 wins. They've lost to Nashville twice on their home ice.

All the scoring occurred in the 3rd. The Predators have preyed on Detroit's defensive lapses. The Red Wings are all chasing the puck carrier, not protecting the area in front of the net or covering other players. The Wings outshot Nashville 41-17, but Pekka Rinne did his job, stopped 40 shots, and gave the Predators a chance to win.

Game 5 Friday night in Nashville.

COYOTES 3, BLACKHAWKS 2 (OT) - (Coyotes lead series 2-1)

All three games of this series have gone into overtime but the big story of this series have been the hits to the head and the suspensions. In this game, Chicago's Marian Hossa was wheeled off the ice on a stretcher after Raffi Torres checked him in the skull. Here's the hit:

He targeted the head, he launched himself, and it could be argued that it was a late hit and a charge. Torres has an extensive history of dirty play. Exactly one year ago to the day, he did this:

Torres was suspended once already this season. Last year he was suspended for 5 games at the end of the regular season and into the playoffs. Given the nature of this hit combined with his history, he should be banned for the remainder of the playoffs.

Honestly, I don't think players like Raffi Torres belong in the National Hockey League. I don't think the League should tolerate them, merely slapping them on the wrist as they repeatedly misbehave.

Game 4 Thursday night in Chicago.

Tonight's games:
7:30pm - Rangers @ Senators - CNBC - Rangers lead 2-1
7:30pm - Penguins @ Flyers - NBC Sports - Flyers lead series 3-0
10:00pm - Canucks @ Kings - NBC Sports - Kings lead series 3-0