Family Dinners: Innovating with Kids

I believe very strongly in the family dinner table.  Easy for me to say, right?  I don't have teenagers with ball practice and dance recitals, my husband and I don't have long commutes for work, and I don't mind cooking.  How hard could it be for me?

Although family dinners at the table can be challenging, they are always worth it.  I remember in middle school one teacher had a poster that read: "What is easy is not always right; what is right is not always easy." 

Many of my family's holiday meals are hosted at my aunt and uncle's house, so I purchased an extra booster seat to keep at their house.  It is one less thing to pack up and drag along on busy holidays.  When I bought this booster seat, I neglected to notice one important piece: it didn't have a belt to buckle in the kiddo. 

Fast forward to Thanksgiving 2010...Anna was 10 months old.  She joined us at the dinner table as soon as she could reasonably sit in her high chair; however, she was ready to topple out of this booster seat.  This is the point when our innovation kicked in and we solved the problem...

Look closely.  Do you see it?  My scarf is anchoring Anna to the chair so she can enjoy some dinner too!  The first time we tried this trick was with Andrew at a wedding.  It was a belt that time and it worked perfectly.

Even if it takes some creative thinking, I urge you to sit down at the table for dinner as a family every chance you get.  

Stone Soup

Yesterday I shared the fable of Stone Soup with the first grade class where I volunteer as part of Chefs Move to Schools.  We explored some healthy vegetables and learned that we can achieve a greater good when we all work together, contributing whatever we have to offer. 

I used this site for resources and inspiration including: felt board story templates and a copy of the fable.

Scroll on down for the recipe...

The Fable of Stone Soup

A kindly, old stranger was walking through the land when he came upon a village.  As he entered, the villagers moved towards their homes locking doors and windows.

The stranger smiled and asked, "Why are you all so frightened?  I am a simple traveler, looking for a soft place to stay for the night and a warm place for a meal."

"There's not a bite to eat in the whole province," they told him. "We are weak and our children are starving.  Better keep moving on."

"Oh, I have everything I need," he said. "In fact, I was thinking of making some stone soup to share with all of you." He pulled an iron cauldron from his cloak, filled it with water, and began to build a fire under it.

Then, with great ceremony, he drew an ordinary-looking stone from a silken bag and dropped it into the water.

By now, hearing the rumor of food, most of the villagers had come out of their homes or watched from their windows. As the stranger sniffed the "broth" and licked his lips in anticipation, hunger began to overcome their fear.

"Ahh," the stranger said to himself rather loudly. "I do like a tasty stone soup. Of course, stone soup with cabbage - that's hard to beat."

Soon a villager approached hesitantly, holding a small cabbage he'd retrieved from its hiding place, and added it to the pot.

"Wonderful!!" cried the stranger. "You know, I once had stone soup with cabbage and a bit of salt beef as well; it was fit for a king."

The village butcher managed to find some salt beef.  And so it went, through potatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and so on, until there was indeed a delicious meal for everyone in the village to share.

The villager elder offered the stranger a great deal of money for the magic stone, but he refused to sell it and traveled on the next day. 

As he left, the stranger came upon a group of village children standing near the road.  He gave the silken bag containing the stone to the youngest child, whispering to the group, “It was not the stone, but the villagers that had performed the magic." 

Moral:  By working together, with everyone contributing what they can, a greater good is achieved.

How to Make Stone Soup
In my home, Stone Soup usually takes on the form of leftover veggies that I need to use before they turn bad.  It's a great place to dump a few stray lima beans or some fresh spinach that is hanging on for dear life.  All vegetables are welcome and all contribute in their own ways!

By its very nature, each pot of Stone Soup will take on its own character.  If you need a recipe to get started, here it is:


Stone Soup (6-8 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 large, clean stone
• 1 T vegetable oil or butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, trimmed and chopped small
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2 moons
• 3 medium red skin potatoes, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, diced large
• 1/2 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
• 1/2 cup lima beans, fresh or frozen
• 1 cup green beans, fresh or frozen
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 6 cups vegetable stock (or a mixture of stock and water)

Directions

• Scrub the stone and set aside
• Heat the oil in a large soup pot.  Saute the onions for 3 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute for another minute.
• Pour in the vegetable stock (and water, if using).  Add the remainder of your ingredients, including the stone.
• Allow the soup to come to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Continue to simmer the soup until the vegetable are tender, approximately 20-30 minutes. 
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Remove the stone and serve the soup.

I hope you enjoy sharing the story and the soup with the special people in your life!

Pink Bunny Birthday Party

My baby girl celebrated her first birthday in January.  Can you believe how fast the time is going?  We were thrilled to gather our family and friends at a local museum to eat cake, play, learn, and spend time together. 

Anna loves her little pink bunny.  She chews its ears, carries it around, and hugs it with all of her strength.  We knew that her party needed to feature pink bunnies in honor of her little lovey. 

I planned and plotted for weeks; then I gathered all of my confidence to bake Anna's cakes. 

The bunny face is a strawberry cake with 7 minute frosting and tinted coconut.  I used the same directions that moms everywhere use to make Easter cakes.  The cupcakes are vanilla with pink buttercream frosting.

Each month, I take a picture of the kids on the date of their birth.  This is an easy way to look back on how much they are growing and changing during those first few years.  Check out the guest of honor posing by the cake...what a cutie!

 Pink, pink, pink everywhere!  We served bunny cracker snacks and pink juice boxes. 

The frames are displaying a quote I liked and a copy of the invitation. 

The quote is from Jane Austen: "Where shall we see a better daughter or a kinder sister or a truer friend."

Anna's smash cake (served at home on her actual birthday) was a giant cupcake!

She loved sticking her fingers into the cake and shoving big bites of frosting into her mouth!  The candle says "Baby's First Birthday" and was among my Nana's baking supplies.  Anna's middle name was chosen to honor my Nana, so I loved that a little bit of her was with us.

We cut snowflakes out of pink tissue paper to decorate the tables.  Each guest received a chocolate bunny sucker from Goumas Confections, our favorite local candy store. 

Anna had a lot of fun at her party and I loved planning all of those little pink bunny details for her! 

Vegetable Pizza: A Cool Snack for Kids

Last week I had the pleasure of making vegetable pizza snacks with the 2nd grade class where I volunteer with Chefs Move to Schools. 

The kids were skeptical at first about some of the raw vegetables I asked them to eat...mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes, cauliflower.  However, I challenged each of them to try one tiny bite of something new or something they thought they wouldn't like.  And you know what?  They did it.  And they liked it. Sometimes just trying a new food is half the battle, so I was incredibly proud of these kids. 
  
How to involve kids in the kitchen:

• Chop a variety of vegetables, put them into bowls, and set up a "vegetable bar" where kids can decorate their own pizzas with the colors, flavors, and designs that appeal to them. 
• Shop together at the grocery store for vegetables that interest the children.  Look for a variety of colors, shapes, and textures to encourage their interest.
• Use this opportunity to introduce a new vegetable.  None of the individual flavors stand out in this recipe, so it is a chance to ease kids into the idea of trying new foods.
• Assemble the pizza on the weekend or in the evening when you have more time.  Cut it into squares and it will be ready to eat after school or added to your school lunch.

Vegetable Pizza
Ingredients
Crust: homemade pizza crust is preferred; alternatives: Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, refrigerated pizza dough, English muffins
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
2 T dry Ranch dressing mix (see recipe below to make your own)
2 1/2 cups chopped vegetables - choose the veggies you like the most!  I like to use carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms, red bell pepper, and green onions

Directions
Bake and cool the crust according to recipe/package directions.  This is traditionally made on a cookie sheet, but it is also fun to make mini-pizzas but cutting the crust into squares or circles.

In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, sour cream, and dry Ranch dressing.

When the crust is cool, spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the crust.  Top with the vegetables and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

To make your own Ranch Dressing Mix:

Combine ingredients and store in an airtight container:

• 1 1/2 T dried parsley
• 1/2 T dried chives
• 1/4 T dried tarragon
• 1/2 T lemon pepper
• 1 T salt
• 1/4 T oregano
• 1/2 T garlic powder

Chefs Move to Schools is a program within Let's Move! and is part of the First Lady's initiative to end childhood obesity within one generation.  Chefs from all over the country are working with schools to provide education, counseling, and support.  We want our kids to have healthy meals at school and to make healthy decisions at home. 

 

To learn more about Let's Move! and Chefs Move to Schools, please visit www.letsmove.gov.

Get Me To The Church On Time

I won't lie.  Cooking from scratch and feeding your family whole foods can be difficult.  It's time consuming.  It takes planning and work and discipline.  In the end, it is so worth it.

Sunday mornings have proved to be especially challenging for my family because we need to make and serve both breakfast and lunch with very little prep time. 

These days can bring out the worst in us.  We wake up, race around the house trying to make everyone clean, well-dressed, and well-fed so we can get out the door in time for church. 

We pray, feel good, and love each other...until we get home. 

Then we rush around, changing clothes, making lunch, fighting off naps and tired kids, snapping at each other out of stress.  Crazy stuff.  Something had to give. 

Planning our breakfast and lunch for Sunday has been a big stress-reliever.  I'm sharing some tips here with the hope they can help you with some healthy food in the midst of chaos, whether you are heading to church on a Sunday morning, story time on Wednesday, or basketball practice on Saturday. 

If you have some tips, please leave them in the comments so we can all benefit!


Use Your Kitchen Wisely

• Oven: After 3+ years, I just figured out that my oven has a "Delay Start" option.  I can set the time I want it to turn on so it is pre-heated when I walk in the door from church or wake up in the morning. 
• Slow Cooker: Crock Pots are for more than just roasts!  You can make oatmeal, egg casserole, and even pancakes in your slow cooker.  Search the internet for recipe options or check out A Year of Slow Cooking for some tried and true recipes.
• Toaster: Make large batches of homemade waffles or pancakes and freeze them.  When you need a quick breakfast, pop one in the toaster.  You have all the convenience of a packaged, frozen meal from the grocery store without all of the yucky stuff in it.
• Freezer: When you bake muffins, make quiche, or generally have any leftovers around, freeze them.  There will be a morning when you can pull out two slices of frozen quiche and feel that it saves your entire day.

Cook Now, Eat Later

• Waffles & Fruit: My husband makes a big batch of homemade waffles on Saturday nights after the kids go to bed.  I like to make a warm compote or puree using fruit from the freezer.  In the morning, we toast the waffles and top them with fruit.  Our whole family LOVES these waffles; they are healthy but taste like a fabulous treat. 
• Something in a Casserole Dish: Last I made Vegetarian Brunch Taquitos using scrambled eggs and leftover veggies.  You can enjoy the same flavors using my recipe for enchiladas.  If you have other leftovers hanging around, put them in a 9x13 glass baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.  Pop the entire dish in the oven to reheat.  This takes less hands-on time than using the microwave to heat several dishes and usually produces a nicer result. 
• Muffin Tin Breakfast: Use the muffin tin idea and apply it to breakfast!  Fill up the tins the night before with fresh fruit, yogurt, or cottage cheese.  In the morning, toast a piece of wheat bread, spread peanut butter on it, and cut the toast into sticks for easy eating.

Let Go

• Cold Cereal/Granola: Allow one of the meals to be something easy that can be thrown on the table in one minute or less.  In our house, this is usually my homemade granola on top of yogurt or Cheerios with bananas. 
• Restaurant: Sometimes I surrender and we head to a favorite local restaurant for brunch.  Andrew eats pancakes (surely made without whole wheat flour *gasp*) and Mike drinks Pepsi.  Yet we find ourselves with full tummies and more time with people we love.  Totally worth it.
• PB&J: Do you agree that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are great around the clock?  I love them with coffee.

Big Flavors for Little Palates: Muffin Tin Meals

Lunches frustrate me.  I get bored, the food gets monotonous, and the kids get whiny.  Let's also factor in that creating a fresh, healthy lunch in the middle of the day requires us to stop our fun activities and focus on food.  They're hungry and impatient.  I am too.

So last summer when I finally stumbled across Muffin Tin Mom, I embraced the idea to invigorate our lunchtime routines.  Armed with two pans of 6-cup muffin tins (undoubtedly inherited from my grandma), I made my first "Dippy Lunch" for Andrew.  He loved it!  These little ones love to dip things and mommas love when they eat lots of healthy vegetables...so it was win-win for everyone!

Left: Andrew's Dippy Lunch
Right: Anna's Munchy Lunch

How to Make a Dippy Lunch for Hungry Munchkins

1. Start with a muffin tin.  I like to use the ones with 6 cups, but you can use anything!  Find fun shapes top fit the season, fill 12 cups with smaller portions, or fill some mini-tins with tiny portions. 
2. Choose your dip.  For the lunch pictured above, we used Ranch dressing.  Other favorites include hummus and yogurt.
3. Chop your veggies.  This is a great time to introduce a new veggie because the presentation is fun and they might be distracted.  I like to make a salad for my own lunch and then use those same ingredients in the muffin tin to make a "deconstructed salad" for Andrew.  To make it friendly for older babies & younger toddlers, simply steam those veggies to soften them a bit.
4. Add something fun.  For this lunch, it was an assortment of yummy berries.  Other ideas include yogurt, apple slices, pitas, or wheat crackers.

Muffin tins can add some flair to any meal, including breakfast! My kids were happy to take a break from our typical rotation of oatmeal, granola, pancakes, oatmeal, granola....


Valentine's Day Breakfast

On this particular morning, they both enjoyed blueberries, bananas, and whole wheat cinnamon raisin toast. Andrew's toast was cut into sticks and Anna's as cut into bite-size quares.

One of our great go-to lunches in a muffin tin is:

• Hummus on whole wheat pitas (Andrew gets triangles; Anna has small bite-size squares)
• Carrots (Sticks for Andrew and steamed chunks for Anna)
• Apples (Slices for Andrew and steamed chucks for Anna)

A few reasons why I love making meals (especially lunches) in muffin tins:

• Variety - We all get stuck in food ruts.  The kids get bored eating the same foods in the same ways and we get bored when we continue to make the same things for them to eat.  Lunch is an especially difficult meal for me to execute with the kids, but the tins get my creative juices flowing again.
• Serving sizes - Each cup is somewhere near a serving size for a toddler, give or take a little.  This forces you to think earnestly about the fruit & veggies that are going into those little tummies.
• Quick preparation - You can easily line up a couple muffin tins to drop in little lunch bites.  This is a great place to use up the last bits of fruit, veggies, cheese, & yogurt that are hanging out in the refrigerator.  Does it seem too small for a full meal?  That little piece of leftover chicken might be the perfect size to fill a muffin cup!
• Holiday themes - Add it to your holiday festivities by purchasing the silicon muffin tins in shapes: hearts, stars, shamrocks, trees, etc.  (My Valentine's Day heart pans came from the dollar bins at Target for only $2.50 each.)

The next time you are tired of your regular meal routines with the little ones, try using a muffin tin.  You might be surprised how your creative juices begin to flow!

Homemade Play Dough

There is an ad on TV now that says something like: "Valentine's Day isn't about saying 'I love you,' it's about saying 'I love us.'"  I love that idea.  I love that idea more than I love a lot of the hoopla around today.

To kick off our Valentine's Day celebrations, I made Play Dough with the kids...because I love us all together.  We have tons of the store-bought kind tucked in bins and cuddled next to mini-cutters of all shapes. But that experience pales in comparison to mixing it yourself...

And selecting the perfect color...

Then squishing your hands into the warm dough...

Nothing compares. 

I still remember the smell and warmth of the Play Dough that Nana and I created in her kitchen when I was little.  It's so important that my kids have memories like that too.

Benefits of making your own Play Dough:

• It's fun
• Kids like to choose their own colors and add in textures like glitter or sprinkles
• Customize the colors for the holiday or event you are celebrating
• Avoid allergens or artificial coloring found in manufactured Play Dough
• Last, but not least....the warm squishy dough when you knead it yourself.  Can't be beat!

Play Dough Recipe
Ingredients
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 1/2 teaspoons alum
1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable ooil
1/2 cup coiling water
food color, sprinkles, glitter, scents, etc (optional)

Directions
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, salt, and alum.  Add the oil and boiling water; stir until blended.  Roll the dough out onto a flat surface and knead in the color, if desired.  Cool and store in an air-tight container. 

(Note: I doubled the recipe to make enough Play Dough for the three of us to share.)

Nana's Recipe Card for Play Dough

Try the recipe, have some fun with it, and let me know what you loved most about it!

Winter Storm Food

There is a big snow and ice storm inching its way across the Midwest right now.  My lights were flickering earlier in the evening, prompting us to search out extra flashlights and candles.  My husband asked if we should brew some coffee and keep it warm in a thermal carafe for the morning. 

Mike was half-kidding about the coffee, but it got me thinking...If the power goes out in the middle of the night, I would LOVE to have a nice hot meal to feed the kids for breakfast.  There would be enough stress trying to figure out our Plan B: packing to stay at my parents' house (they have a generator), manually opening the garage door, ensuring our pipes don't freeze, navigating the icy driveway, etc. 

Food is always on my mind, so here is my suggestion for an easy, warm meal just in case the power goes out:

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal in the Crock Pot

Ingredients
4 cups milk/water (I like to use 2 cups soymilk and 2 cups water)
2 cups oats
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup raisins
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Mix all ingredients together in the Crock Pot and turn on low.  That's it.  So easy, right?

Please note...I am not a big fan of oatmeal made in the Crock Pot.  However, I absolutely love my recipe for "Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal" (we eat it all the time!) and I love the idea of a nice hot breakfast in the middle of a nasty ice storm. 

I hope this note finds you warm, safe, and nourished!

I Got The Call Today

I was so excited to hear the voice mail...a local school is stepping up and wants me to join their quest for healthier kids. 

I don't know the details yet, but I will finally be able to get to work as part of the Chefs Move to Schools program led our First Lady's Let's Move.  More details will surely follow. 

For now, I am so excited to know that I will be playing a role in helping local kids eat healthier and learn more about fabulous foods!

Try It, You’ll Like It (Big Flavors for Little Palates)

Fun-Doo!

 

Yes, I like to say “Fun-Doo” instead of “Fondue” just because it’s fun. Fondue is fun; saying Fun-Doo is fun too. It’s a little cheesy, I admit. (Ha! I did it again! I am so witty.)

 

Ok, seriously…fondue is a great way to get kids to eat lots of great veggies. I started to make it when I was pregnant and not interested in eating healthy veggies. Why do kids like fondue? Most kids love CHEESE and love to DIP things. Dipping things in cheese? Priceless!

 

(Note: I have no problem letting my toddler eat traditional fondue made with wine; I cook the wine first to allow the alcohol to cook off and still retain the great flavor. If you prefer not to cook with alcohol or just don’t have it in the house, try substituting chicken broth, apple juice, or white grape juice. Be sure to select unsweetened juice.)

 

Swiss Fondue Recipe

Ingredients:
1 garlic clove
2 cups dry white wine (Hint: But the mini bottles of chardonnay to keep in the kitchen for cooking. If you don’t want to open a regular bottle for a little bit in a recipe, this a great solution!)
1 pound Swiss cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:
Toss the cornstarch with the shredded cheese until it is incorporated.

 

Rub a medium saucepan with the garlic clove. Pour in wine and place over medium heat. Allow it to come to a boil and then simmer for 2 minutes.

 

Slowly begin to add the shredded cheese, stirring in a “figure 8” motion with a wooden spoon.  Stir constantly until all cheese is melted.

 

Continue to cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, then season with nutmeg.

Serves 6

 

Great dippers for your fondue:

• Bread (whole grains are best!)
• Broccoli
• Bell peppers
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Asparagus
• Tortellini
• Mushrooms
• Grilled chicken strips

Tip: Blanch some of the vegetables to remove the “raw” flavor. This is especially helpful for broccoli, cauliflower, and asparagus.

How to Blanch Vegetables:

1. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and set it next to the stove.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil.
3. Drop your veggies into the boiling water for 1-2 minutes.
4. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the veggies and plunge them into the ice water. This will shock them and stop the cooking process.
5. Your veggies should still be crisp and cool; the green veggies will even have a brighter, fresher color!

I hope your family has fun with this recipe!