Kid-safe playdough you can make at home: Good Day Today

When a child plays alone, it can unlock their imaginations, build problem-solving skills

and teach patients. This morning we're going to talk about how you can foster that in your very own home

It's the subject of a new book. It's called Playful by Design, Your Stress-Free Guide to Raising Confident, Creative Kids

Through Independent Play. Joining us right now is author Miriam Sandler. She's the creator and founder of the beloved online parenting community, Mother Could

I love this. Thank you for having me. Thank you so much. So tell us about Mother Could

Mother Could is a parenting and lifestyle platform where all parents can come and find kids activities

mom hacks, which is basically how I got to a lot of parents, and just really good product recommendations

So let me ask you something, because I think I come from the generation of helicopter parents. Yes

all over the kids kind of like you know you're from that generation well no i was that with my

you were yeah with the kids because you see it even more now no no i'm being serious like parents

are around their kids and you're saying give them a little space when they're young which i like yes

giving them space will actually give them self-confidence and independence to really go

out to the world and do all the things they need to do and that starts with play so if we're

constantly like, hey, you got to put it up like this and you got to do it. We're literally teaching

them that they need us in order to play. At what age do you start that? Newborn. Newborn. Leave them

on their mat to do their tummy time. Walk away for two seconds. We obviously we need to supervise

at all times, but give them that space. And as they get into mommy and me, as they get into

all sorts of play activities, allow them that space to really create with their own imagination

and to think and to have their own time and one of the things that kids love to do

is play especially if you give them space and they love to play with play-doh

oh yes but a lot of kids eat play-doh as well and that can be a problem you've got a solution

i have a solution because i know how to make play-doh using things you already

have at home that kids can eat and it's okay kids can eat and it's okay okay

show us well the idea is not for them to eat it but if they do eat it right

they're not going to die they're not going to die so that's great We're not going to have to take them to the emergency room

That is correct. So, Mary, do you want to come in the middle? Yes. Yeah, come in the middle

Okay, so first ingredient, flour. I know everybody has this at home. If not, it's at your local grocery store

Easy. It's just a cup of flour. Just a cup of flour, and then we have half a cup of salt, which you might be like, that's a lot of salt

but this is what's going to keep it going for six months in your pantry

No special ingredients required You don have to refrigerate it You don have to refrigerate it Okay Cream of tartar two tablespoons It a little more complicated to get but again at every supermarket And then you going to add one tablespoon of oil

We're going to mix this up really quickly, just like this, all your ingredients

And here is the kicker. Flour is raw unless it is cooked

Okay. So we include boiling water to kill the bacteria inside of the flour

And we're going to make purple today. And I know in school they taught us to make purple with red and blue, but really it's pink and blue

Really? So you learn something else. You learn something every single day

We're going to mix this up and you're going to add about three-fourths to your one cup of flour

And then you're going to see if you need a little bit more. Okay, but we're going to start with this much

Look at that color. That's so pretty. We could have added a little more pink to make it a little more purple

But that's the thing. You've got flexibility. Whatever color your kid wants to make, you can do it

That is correct. You can literally make every single color of the rainbow less expensive than store-bought

and know exactly what is inside of your Play-Doh. Look at this

I was going to say that. Some for you. Thank you. Real Play-Doh

Do you see this stretch? This is cool, actually. And it smells like lavender because I love adding a little bit of scent, especially for like a nighttime calming activity

Look at this. We play. It's good for parents, too. You need this

Yes. Yes. We connect with our children. Well, you're eating it. Of course you have to eat it

Well, I'm testing it for the kids. Does it taste salty? Oh, it's extremely salty. Yes

But a lift. There you go. So it's good to know that. I love that you tasted it

So, okay, playful by design. Miriam, how did you come up with this whole technique

Well, it all happened because my entire online platform was like, you're such an amazing mother

I can't believe you play with your children all day. And I was like, you think that I play with my children all day

Like, I have three kids. I have a husband, a full-time job. Like, there's no way. So I really put in all of my tips and things that I've learned along the way of motherhood

And I put it in this book just to give parents like a pat on their shoulder

and be like, you are doing more than enough. You are an incredible parent, and your child can play independently

Let me show you the way. This is basically like my hand-holding to making independent play a reality for children and parents

Have you heard responses from parents now that all of a sudden realize, oh, one, I've got more time, but two, my kid's okay if I'm not hovering over them

That's exactly what happens. Parents gain back all of this time that they crave, and the child really grows into themselves

and it's really a win-win for every single family. All right, Marianne Sandler

people can follow you at Mother Could Yes they can The book is out now You got book signings Yes I do One in the city tomorrow and then two in New Jersey on Wednesday Yes JCC Manhattan I got bookends in Manhattan and in New Jersey

And then I have Lifetown in New Jersey. And then I'll be at Temple. I'm going to be everywhere

Very exciting. Follow her at Mother Could. And the book is great. Thank you so much

Thank you so much. So nice to meet you in person. If you give the kids edible Play-Doh, make sure you give them water

The salt goes a long way. Let's say it that way. I told you. Thank you so much

All right. talking about eating, we've got the flavors of Southeast Asia, maybe taking over your brunch

plans. All right. One of the new hot spots in New York City, pig and cow sharing a taste of what's

on the menu and celebrity chef Leah Cohen joins us on Good Day New York. It's already one of the

city's hottest dinner spots, but now pig and cow on the Upper West Side is bringing that same bold

flavor to brunch. And it smells delicious around here. They're serving up Southeast Asian flavors

with a brunch twist. Chef Leah Cohen is here to dish on the new menu. She's brought some of her

favorites to the Good Day Cafe. Nice to have you back. Good to see you again. So why are you

brunching now, Leah? I mean, I love brunch and I love sweets. So I wanted to bring something that

was sweet to the studio. I love it. Okay. So did you just, you just started with the early hours

Yeah, so we just launched brunch, I would say like a month ago. And brunch is such a big service in the Upper West Side

Like if you go to the Upper West Side and you have outdoor seating, your place is packed

Because everybody loves brunch because you can do, it can be a group. Some people want the burger or whatever for lunch

You want breakfast. Everybody can be happy at the same time. So this is a dish that basically everyone should order and they should have it on their table to share

It's kind of like our dessert since we don't really serve dessert for brunch. So this is a French toast

So this is a French toast. But what makes it unique is we first make a bread pudding

So we make a bread pudding and we steam it and then we cut it out and then we're searing it here right now

So all the sides get nice and crispy. And then we'll put some sugar on there to caramelize

And then you could do a torch or you could do it in a pan. And then that gets like a nice crust

And then we'll probably flip it over. I mean, I thought I was fancy by using like challah bread

from my French toast. You make a bread pudding and then... So it's a brioche bread that we turn into bread pudding

So it's extra fancy. And there's coconut milk. You're like, where's the Southeast Asian in that

So we have coconut milk in there. And then the caramel sauce that we make. We have the caramel is going to be made with palm sugar

coconut milk, a little Thai chili flakes. It makes just like a teensy bit spicy And it not overly overpoweringly sweet and then we just drizzle that on top Is it that size when you get in the restaurant like a big chunk

It sure is. Because you're usually... I don't know why I'm thinking slices when you think French toast

No, we want it to be... Listen, we want everyone to leave the restaurant full

You have restaurants. You know, that's the best way. People are satisfied and they're full

They feel like they've got value for their money. Exactly. So, Leah, where did you learn to cook Southeast Asian food

Yeah. So my mom is from the Philippines and I've been going to the Philippines since I was four years old

And then I also spent a pretty extensive time cooking in restaurants all throughout Southeast Asia

I basically knocked on people's doors and asked them to work for free. People were a little confused by that

And then I came back to New York and I opened Pig and Cow 13 years ago, the one in the Lower East Side. Wow

And cow is Thai for rice? Yes. Yes, because pork and rice is such a staple in Southeast Asian cuisine

And then I also brought some of my other favorites. We have this ube croissant. So ube is like a purple yam

And it is basically we treat it like an almond croissant, day old croissant that we cut and we stuff with this ube paste

And then we bake it and top it with a little bit of coconut strips. And then this is a savory item that I brought

It is a plate on Pat Kaprow, which is like a Thai stir fry

So we made a sausage patty form with a fried egg and tater tots because everyone loves tater tots

So you want to try the bread pudding slash french toast? Oh, you know what? I have to tell you something. I cannot eat another thing today

But yes, I will in the commercial break. I don't want to do it now because I don't want it. It looks so pretty

Thank you. I'll sample it. How are you going to sample? There's no forks or anything You got forks? I won't sample it. I'll sample it during the break. You're right

Oh, look at that. I got you. This is the restaurant owner. She knows where to find the forks

I know. Where are the forks? They put numb by me because they know I would eat it. All right

And I'm going to have a little whipped cream with you. Yes, a little whipped cream. Go for it, Kurt. Mmm

Do you get that chili flake? Just a little bit, right? Nothing like that. He's like a hint. Yes

This is so good. Thank you. Because it's French toast, not overly sweet

It's sweet enough. But sometimes you get it. It's too sweet. This is perfect. Leah Cohen, you are the best

Thank you. Tell us about hours of operation. So we open at 11 until about 2.30 is the last call

But if you get there by 3, we'll still serve you. We're probably going to open at 10

But we're just getting our bearings right now. So for right now, it's 11

And then we are open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. And we said Upper West Side location, but exactly where

It's on Amsterdam between 80th and 81st Street. Hot area. Yes. Thank you so much, Steve

Good to see you. Thank you, Chef. All right, coming up, still ahead