I don’t know if they’ve hit the stores yet, and I won’t find out until I do my next grocery trip. But I do know Eckert’s has them, and they just opened their apple-picking season.

Honeycrisps are best enjoyed just biting into, but because they have that great crunch, they work well in cooking too. Since apple season is starting, I’m sharing an apple recipe you can use for honeycrisps or Granny Smiths…maybe it’ll put you in the mood for fall. I got this recipe from a friend, and I’m sure somewhere along the way, it came out of a cookbook. It’s the kind of breakfast that makes you want to get up in the morning:

This week, our Mondays for Moms post is featuring an awesome young boy who, at seven years old, is already out there taking action to do something about what he sees happening in the world. Maybe he can be inspiring to your children.

We’ve heard that lots of the oil in the gulf is being eaten up by bacteria, but that doesn’t mean the problem is over. There’s still a lot of work to be done, and many have had their livelihoods severely damaged by the disaster. We can’t let our concerns fade while they’re still in need of support.

So meet Dylan.  (This is an old photo of Dylan from a family portrait session.)

Dylan’s traveling down to the gulf area and will do some interviews to find out what’s going on and what still needs to be done. So far, he has lined up interviews with the Audubon Zoo/Aquarium, business owners,  and is hoping to speak with the Mayor as well. With his determination, I bet he gets that interview!

How can you help encourage Dylan, support his efforts, and foster this volunteer spirit in your child? I have a few ideas to get you started:

Follow Dylan. You can get on the computer with your children and visit Dylan’s website, OneStartsMany.com, and encourage your kids to follow his video blogs there, his twitter account, and join his Facebook fan page. You can also buy a “One Starts Many” wristband he’s selling to raise funds for his trip. They can be purchased by emailing onestartsmany@gmail.com, and Dylan will send you an invoice by PayPal. Wristbands are only $3 each, plus $1 for shipping and handling, or a 4 pack for $10.

Follow WITkids. WITkids.org (WIT stands for “whatever it takes”), an organization that supports kids who make the world a better place has recognized Dylan by naming him WitKids July Kid of the Month! They’ve also been helping him with contacts in New Orleans, and Dylan will now be doing special reports from the Gulf, as a correspondent for WITKids! I think that’s incredible!

Spread the word. Share his links, tweet him on twitter, and talk with other moms about Dylan. Maybe they’re looking for a way to get their kids involved in something like this. There’s a video on the home page of the WitKids site that’s very inspiring.

The Good Pie. I heard there was a place in St. Louis that had pizza similar to that served at the best pizzeria in the whole country. You won’t guess where. New York? No. Phoenix! Yes, Phoenix has the best pizza in the entire United States, and I’ve eaten at this place, and I can see why it won the title. It’s a place called Pizzeria Bianco, and thanks to Oprah, you have to wait a long time to get in. But don’t worry, you don’t have to fly to the desert or wait hours to get a table, because the rumor I heard was right… The Good Pie on Olive Street near SLU, is just as good. Not only am I in love with their Naples-style thin, bubbly, chewy-yet-crispy pizza crust…which, I might add, I’ve been craving for years (see the photo on the link to Pizzeria Bianco and you’ll get the picture)…but the toppings are unique and utterly gourmet.  My favorite there is the Mast’nicola, with a mouth-watering combination of pancetta, pecorino, and sage. I know…sage on pizza? YES. Trust me. The Good Pie is good pie.

Pi. Funny, whenever I mention the first place, people always say, “you mean Pi?” No, but I like their pizza too. Completely different, but variety is what makes eating so good. And their name…perfect for a place selling circular food. They have 3 locations, in University City, Kirkwood and the Central West End, and will be opening one way out there in Chesterfield too. They boast that they’re “provel-free” …thank goodness! No liquid cheese for me. You can get both deep dish or thin pizzas there, but my favorite is the deep dish Mission, which has pork sausage, red onion, anchovies, and hot red pepper flakes. Don’t like anchovies? Check out their menu and find your favorite.

Dewey’s. Well, it’s not locally-owned, but they opened one in Webster Groves, so even if I’m not supporting a local independent, at least I’m supporting the tax base in my own town…which I can’t say when I eat at those other two.  There might be one in your neighborhood. I also love their pizza! They have lots of fantastic combinations on their menu, but my favorite isn’t even on the menu. It’s one I made up. (They let you do that there!) I start with a white pizza (olive oil glaze) and then I add prosciutto, pine nuts, whole roasted garlic, pesto, kalamata olives, and roasted red peppers. It’s delicious, and I got compliments from the manager for my “recipe.” :)

Yes, you can get pizza delivered any ol’ day, but for a fun summer night out with the family, check out one of these places and teach your kids’ taste buds some new tricks. It’s part of their education…to prevent them from becoming finicky grown-ups. If you absolutely can’t deal with that, save this for a date night.

What to do this summer

Enjoy!