I was talking to my daughter and she was saying that one of her biggest challenges is thinking of healthy snacks for the kids...that they'll eat!
I gathered together the following list of ideas for the class I taught in January. They aren't all "Healthy" but sometimes having a list to look at prompts new ideas.Keep in mind kids like to "dip" veggies and fruit in sauces, yogurt, dressings, peanut butter etc. They also have fun using unique utensils like straws, chopsticks, toothpicks, popsicle sticks, skewers, pretzels, crackers etc. You can also help them practice sorting/grouping objects and doing math like I had fun doing with my grandson, Josh. His teacher had us work with 20 or more things like crackers, peanuts etc. and grouping them different ways to add up to 5 or 7 or 10. After practicing he got to eat them! =)
Snack ideas:
An apple a day-Slices, sauce, crisp with yogurt/peanut butter & raisins
•Cheese- cheese & fruit kabobs (cut cheese in shapes with cookie cutter)
•Peanut butter-PB&J, on mini waffles, rice cakes, on apple slices or celery stick w/raisins
•Fruits or vegetables -bake them into yummy muffins or breads. Banana or pumpkin bread, zucchini muffins, and carrot bars
•Enriched whole grain cereal with milk and fruit
•Quesadillas: chopped vegetables, leftover cooked chicken, or even shrimp, Bean and Cheese Quesadillas, (are easy to make and fun for kids to hold) With chunky veggie salsa
•Low-fat yogurt -To add taste and nutritional value, whip up a yogurt parfait with berries and granola or make a homemade fruity yogurt pop
•Eggs-One egg provides a 4-year-old with almost one-third of her protein requirements for the day. Keep a bunch of hard-boiled eggs in the fridge (they last for seven days), or scramble an egg and roll it up in a flour tortilla; Or easy breakfast pita that can be made the night before
•Sweet potato chips
•Hummus-dip* has an appealing nutty flavor; serve with cut-up vegetables or salt-free crackers for dipping, or use it to make a pita bread sandwich.
•Pasta is a fabulous source of complex carbohydrates. Pick some in your child's favorite shape, and cook up a batch to keep in the refrigerator. At snacktime, microwave a half-cup serving tossed with veggies or cooked chicken and jarred tomato sauce
•Pears-Rich in fiber - canned pears with a small bowl of low-fat cottage cheese or pack a juicy whole pear in your child's lunch box
•Fruit Smoothies-nonfat vanilla yogurt, orange juice, and a banana as the smoothie's base, then experiment with a combination of cut-up fresh or frozen fruit. It's a great way to sneak two or three servings of fruit and fiber into your child's diet.
more more
• Snack Mix-Toss together a healthy combo of nuts, pretzels, whole grain cereal, banana chips, and popcorn for a handy, portable snack.
• Low-Fat Ham- boost your child's protein intake. Roll up a slice on its own or with a piece of cheese, make mini crustless ham sandwiches, or try Ham and Cheese Crepes
•Raisins/Craisins
•Whole grain waffles- waffle sticks topped with reduced-fat cream cheese and a fruit jelly
•Strawberries
•Oatmeal- low-fat Oatmeal Cookies and milk; add in whatever you want -- try raisins, cranberries, dried apricots, or nuts; homemade granola snack bars
•Pigs in a blanket
•Bird Nests
•Pumpkin Muffins
•Parmesan Cheese popcorn
•Fruit salad
•Peanut butter balls
•Happy face apples
•”Dog Chow” “Reindeer food”
• 3 Little Pig Houses-built with pretzels & peanut butter
•Ants on a log-celery with peanut butter & raisins
Whole grain English muffins--to make mini pizzas, tuna melts, peanut butter & honey..
I hope this helps give you some ideas!
* Here is my Hummus recipe:
Hummus:
2 cloves garlic
2 can garbanzo beans, drained
juice of 1 lemon/lemon juice from a bottle
1 tsp. salt
drizzle in olive oil to desired consistency
Blend together in food processor/blender and serve w/ chips
and veggies.
I make this with black beans instead of or in combo with garbanzo beans and like it even better! I almost always have these ingredients on hand too.
You can also add up to about 4 T of raw tahini(sesame paste). It tastes quite good w/o it, but if you like a stronger flavor, add tahini.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
What they want for dinner....
What's for Dinner?!" is a question that can mean many things and elicit many reactions.
Too often the meaning isn't always met with the correlating reaction. It could simply mean, "I'm hungry" or "Did you care enough to make me something to eat" or "Ummmmm! That smells good" or "I need to be nurtured." The response to the question can vary from "I don't know, I just got home myself" to "I don't know, what are YOU making? =)" to "your favorite!" to "We have nothing to eat in the house" to "I don't know!"(accompanied with collapsing into tears and pulling out hair).
I have two suggestions to remove the tension that might arise from discrepancies in this area of communication.
The first is to plan your menus ahead.
KBYU has a program called The Food Nanny [http://www.byutv.org/foodnanny/]wherein a family is taught how to rescue family dinners. The first thing Liz Edmunds does after getting everyone on board and committed to getting together for dinner is help them develop a two week menu plan and shopping list.Each night of the week has a theme such as Comfort Foods, Mexican, Italian etc. This might help prompt menu ideas as well as establish a tradition your family can count on. Enlist family members to contribute their menu ideas/favorites. Check out ads for what is on sale that week and plan menus around those items.
Once menus and shopping lists are decided, shopping is done.
If this is done, it #1 Gives the cook the assurance that they know what is for dinner and that they have the ingredients on hand (so they are not on the defensive); and #2 Gives other family members the assurance that food is planned #3 Everyone knows that they are expected and going to be fed at dinner.#4 You're likely to eat more balanced and healthful meals with more variety too.
This advance preparation eliminates stress and allows you to focus on what is most important, being together. You'll be able to have more relaxed conversation and interaction. It takes a conscious decision and determined follow through to prepare for this important time of day.
The second suggestion involves making dinnertime a team effort and tradition. If you post the menu calendar for all to see and look at it the night before you can make sure you have anything thawed and ready for the next day. You may have other family members take turns helping prepare the meal (especially the ones they like or suggested). Take turns setting the table and cleaning up afterwords too. Set a time that everyone can be there and let them know you count on them being there.
Robert D. Hales said, “… When we sit down at the dinner table, is our whole family there? I remember as a young man asking permission to play baseball through dinnertime. “Just put my meal in the oven,” I said to my mother. She responded, “Robert, I really want you to take a break, come home, be with the family for dinner, and then you can go out and play baseball until dark.”
She taught all of us that where family meals are concerned, it’s not the food but the family interaction that nourishes the soul. My mother taught that the greatest love we give is within our homes.”
Dallin Oaks stated:
“Parents should act to preserve time for family [prayer, family scripture study, family home evening, and the other precious togetherness and individual one-on-one time that binds a family together and fixes children’s values on things of eternal worth.] This is most concerning because the time a family spends together “eating meals at home [is] the strongest predictor of children’s academic achievement and psychological adjustment.” Family mealtimes have also been shown to be a strong bulwark against children’s smoking, drinking, or using drugs. There is inspired wisdom in this advice to parents: what your children really want for dinner is you.”-- Dallin H. Oaks “Good, Better, Best” Liahona November 2007
You may not have children at home or may be single but we can all benefit from menu planning and shopping ahead. [If you live alone, try setting your table before you leave in the morning so you are "welcomed home to dinner" at the end of your day.] You are worth doing this for! There is a peace and comfort in being prepared and in knowing "what's for dinner."
Too often the meaning isn't always met with the correlating reaction. It could simply mean, "I'm hungry" or "Did you care enough to make me something to eat" or "Ummmmm! That smells good" or "I need to be nurtured." The response to the question can vary from "I don't know, I just got home myself" to "I don't know, what are YOU making? =)" to "your favorite!" to "We have nothing to eat in the house" to "I don't know!"(accompanied with collapsing into tears and pulling out hair).
I have two suggestions to remove the tension that might arise from discrepancies in this area of communication.
The first is to plan your menus ahead.
KBYU has a program called The Food Nanny [http://www.byutv.org/foodnanny/]wherein a family is taught how to rescue family dinners. The first thing Liz Edmunds does after getting everyone on board and committed to getting together for dinner is help them develop a two week menu plan and shopping list.Each night of the week has a theme such as Comfort Foods, Mexican, Italian etc. This might help prompt menu ideas as well as establish a tradition your family can count on. Enlist family members to contribute their menu ideas/favorites. Check out ads for what is on sale that week and plan menus around those items.
Once menus and shopping lists are decided, shopping is done.
If this is done, it #1 Gives the cook the assurance that they know what is for dinner and that they have the ingredients on hand (so they are not on the defensive); and #2 Gives other family members the assurance that food is planned #3 Everyone knows that they are expected and going to be fed at dinner.#4 You're likely to eat more balanced and healthful meals with more variety too.
This advance preparation eliminates stress and allows you to focus on what is most important, being together. You'll be able to have more relaxed conversation and interaction. It takes a conscious decision and determined follow through to prepare for this important time of day.
The second suggestion involves making dinnertime a team effort and tradition. If you post the menu calendar for all to see and look at it the night before you can make sure you have anything thawed and ready for the next day. You may have other family members take turns helping prepare the meal (especially the ones they like or suggested). Take turns setting the table and cleaning up afterwords too. Set a time that everyone can be there and let them know you count on them being there.
Robert D. Hales said, “… When we sit down at the dinner table, is our whole family there? I remember as a young man asking permission to play baseball through dinnertime. “Just put my meal in the oven,” I said to my mother. She responded, “Robert, I really want you to take a break, come home, be with the family for dinner, and then you can go out and play baseball until dark.”
She taught all of us that where family meals are concerned, it’s not the food but the family interaction that nourishes the soul. My mother taught that the greatest love we give is within our homes.”
Dallin Oaks stated:
“Parents should act to preserve time for family [prayer, family scripture study, family home evening, and the other precious togetherness and individual one-on-one time that binds a family together and fixes children’s values on things of eternal worth.] This is most concerning because the time a family spends together “eating meals at home [is] the strongest predictor of children’s academic achievement and psychological adjustment.” Family mealtimes have also been shown to be a strong bulwark against children’s smoking, drinking, or using drugs. There is inspired wisdom in this advice to parents: what your children really want for dinner is you.”-- Dallin H. Oaks “Good, Better, Best” Liahona November 2007
You may not have children at home or may be single but we can all benefit from menu planning and shopping ahead. [If you live alone, try setting your table before you leave in the morning so you are "welcomed home to dinner" at the end of your day.] You are worth doing this for! There is a peace and comfort in being prepared and in knowing "what's for dinner."
Friday, March 25, 2011
Ni How! KUNG POW! Picky Eaters!
My daughter is an amazing cook and mother of three with one on the way. She agreed that I should share her blog post with you...
"I love to cook most of the time. I think its fun to try new recipes and experiment in the kitchen. Some times its a curse I guess, because kids like things simple- and I'm not a huge fan of the bland. My husband even more so than me. We eat dinner together as a family pretty much every night- but since the kids aren't happy with much more than pizza, lasagna, or pasta (and those last two are Jake's least favorite foods) it can be a bit of a battle to get them to eat (although I must admit that Josh is great at trying anything- even if just a bite or two).
Well, last night I was craving lettuce wraps. I wasn't too optimistic that the kids would eat them. But there was a recipe for them in this recipe book my mom gave me that is supposedly proven for picky kids [52 Weeks of Proven Recipes for Picky Kids by Jill Mckenzie Cookbook]. The kids loved the smell, but when Josh saw me putting in cashews he didn't think it sounded too good anymore. So I told them that it was Chinese night and kept saying "NI HOW!" Josh asked if we could use chopsticks, and since we didn't have any I said "no", but explained how like in Mexican meals we often wrap things up in tortillas, for this meal we were gonna wrap up our meal in lettuce. I got a few moans, but said "Hey, it's Chinese night, and its FUN to try new things, NI HOW!!!" But I quickly blended up a green smoothie to go along with the meal (have I mentioned we love green smoothies? We have one every day at breakfast, and while Dekker doesn't usually love them in the mornings, he LOVES them with dinner. I know. Go figure.- So I often make one to go along with dinner as well).
Lo and behold though, the kids gobbled them up! Lettuce and all. And Jake and I loved them too! It was my greatest dinner success in quite some time. There was lots of "Ni HOW!" going around as well as "KUNG POW" (which was Jake's answer to "How do you say thank you in Chinese?") and everyone ate MULTIPLE lettuce wraps. So here's the recipe that I will be making OFTEN!"
Lettuce Wraps by Jill Mckenzie
12 large iceberg lettuce, washed and patted dry (I used green leaf)
2 Tablespoons sesame oil (I used Peanut Oil)
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 lb ground pork, chicken, turkey, or beef (I used turkey)
1 cup cashews
1 cup salted peanuts (I used chopped water chestnuts and added salt)
1 cup Craisins
1 package crunchy rice noodles or 1 pkg dry ramen noodles, crushed (I used ramen noodles, and could have doubled that)
Sauce:
5 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sugar
Juice of 2 limes (I used 1 Tbsp each of bottled lemon juice and lime juice)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp water
1/2 cup orange juice, prepared from concentrate
Wash and dry lettuce leaves. Set aside. Heat sesame oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions and garlic (I added water chestnuts here too) and saute for just a few minutes. This will season the oil and pan. Add ground meat and cook thoroughly. Meanwhile in a separate bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients. Pour over meat mixture and bring to boil over medium-high heat. the sauce will thicken slightly. Stir in the cashews, peanuts, and Craisins. Let mixture steam for about 4 minutes. Serve on a bed of crushed noodles. The let each person spoon into lettuce and wrap up to eat.
"Yeah. It made my night to see everyone eating without complaining. And I really do think calling it "Chinese night" and saying lots of "NI HOWs" made a difference."
"I love to cook most of the time. I think its fun to try new recipes and experiment in the kitchen. Some times its a curse I guess, because kids like things simple- and I'm not a huge fan of the bland. My husband even more so than me. We eat dinner together as a family pretty much every night- but since the kids aren't happy with much more than pizza, lasagna, or pasta (and those last two are Jake's least favorite foods) it can be a bit of a battle to get them to eat (although I must admit that Josh is great at trying anything- even if just a bite or two).
Well, last night I was craving lettuce wraps. I wasn't too optimistic that the kids would eat them. But there was a recipe for them in this recipe book my mom gave me that is supposedly proven for picky kids [52 Weeks of Proven Recipes for Picky Kids by Jill Mckenzie Cookbook]. The kids loved the smell, but when Josh saw me putting in cashews he didn't think it sounded too good anymore. So I told them that it was Chinese night and kept saying "NI HOW!" Josh asked if we could use chopsticks, and since we didn't have any I said "no", but explained how like in Mexican meals we often wrap things up in tortillas, for this meal we were gonna wrap up our meal in lettuce. I got a few moans, but said "Hey, it's Chinese night, and its FUN to try new things, NI HOW!!!" But I quickly blended up a green smoothie to go along with the meal (have I mentioned we love green smoothies? We have one every day at breakfast, and while Dekker doesn't usually love them in the mornings, he LOVES them with dinner. I know. Go figure.- So I often make one to go along with dinner as well).
Lo and behold though, the kids gobbled them up! Lettuce and all. And Jake and I loved them too! It was my greatest dinner success in quite some time. There was lots of "Ni HOW!" going around as well as "KUNG POW" (which was Jake's answer to "How do you say thank you in Chinese?") and everyone ate MULTIPLE lettuce wraps. So here's the recipe that I will be making OFTEN!"
Lettuce Wraps by Jill Mckenzie
12 large iceberg lettuce, washed and patted dry (I used green leaf)
2 Tablespoons sesame oil (I used Peanut Oil)
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 lb ground pork, chicken, turkey, or beef (I used turkey)
1 cup cashews
1 cup salted peanuts (I used chopped water chestnuts and added salt)
1 cup Craisins
1 package crunchy rice noodles or 1 pkg dry ramen noodles, crushed (I used ramen noodles, and could have doubled that)
Sauce:
5 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sugar
Juice of 2 limes (I used 1 Tbsp each of bottled lemon juice and lime juice)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp water
1/2 cup orange juice, prepared from concentrate
Wash and dry lettuce leaves. Set aside. Heat sesame oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions and garlic (I added water chestnuts here too) and saute for just a few minutes. This will season the oil and pan. Add ground meat and cook thoroughly. Meanwhile in a separate bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients. Pour over meat mixture and bring to boil over medium-high heat. the sauce will thicken slightly. Stir in the cashews, peanuts, and Craisins. Let mixture steam for about 4 minutes. Serve on a bed of crushed noodles. The let each person spoon into lettuce and wrap up to eat.
"Yeah. It made my night to see everyone eating without complaining. And I really do think calling it "Chinese night" and saying lots of "NI HOWs" made a difference."
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
A chicken in every...
I stopped in at the school today and was talking to my friend Terri about her crazy day. She's the head secretary there and it had been quite a stressful day. She said, "I just want to go home and put my PJs on...Guess it's popcorn for dinner tonight!"
"Hmmmmm", I thought. "I've done breakfast for dinner, even lunch for dinner and occasionally dessert first, but never have I thought of having popcorn for dinner..."
Well, I pulled my "watch me pull a pot pie out of my hat" routine. I offered for her to stop by my house after work and I'd give her a chicken pot pie for their dinner tonight. Terri said,"I love chicken pot pie but I never make it." I told her my short cuts and why I'd like to do this for her. She was reluctant but thrilled and a deal was struck.
Chicken pot pie is one of my "go to" meals. I always have the ingredients on hand and I can throw one together in no time. Now stop right there if you're thinking to yourself, "That's too much work, I'd never do that!"
It isn't as if I tenderly craft a delicate, flaky pie crust, saute fresh vegetables and make a sumptuous gravy. No, I grab a box of ready made pie crusts, two cans of mixed vegetables, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and cook some chicken breasts or sometimes just use canned chicken. Put the pie together and...Viola! 350 degrees and 45 minutes later you have a comforting meal. Serve it with a fresh salad or fruit and you've got it made.
Now, of course it's not gourmet, and may be higher in sodium and carbs and fat than one would like, but it's a meal in a pinch that most everyone likes. No one seems to care about the lack of finesse with which it was made. And the ingredients are such that I can keep them on hand. [In fact at a local discount market where they sell things near their pull date, I recently picked up boxes of name brand pie crusts for next to nothing and put them in my freezer for future "hat tricks."] You can also use dry box mix for the crusts. Or, if you don't want to bother with crusts, make Shepherd's pie and top with instant potatoes.
My husband was telling me the other day, "I like pies! I like chicken pot pies, I like berry pies, apple pies...most anything you put in pie form, I love!" Heck, he even will eat quiche and he's a real man.;)
So give it a try and see if this doesn't become one of your go to meals. It's great to take to a friend who is sick or stressed or just had a baby or lost a loved one.
Try adding your favorite herbs and ingredients to make it your own.
To me, Pot pies have the same effect as homemade bread, the recipient is impressed and feels loved because you took the time to bake it for them.
So say huzzah! for a chicken pot pie in every oven and save the popcorn for the movies!
"Hmmmmm", I thought. "I've done breakfast for dinner, even lunch for dinner and occasionally dessert first, but never have I thought of having popcorn for dinner..."
Well, I pulled my "watch me pull a pot pie out of my hat" routine. I offered for her to stop by my house after work and I'd give her a chicken pot pie for their dinner tonight. Terri said,"I love chicken pot pie but I never make it." I told her my short cuts and why I'd like to do this for her. She was reluctant but thrilled and a deal was struck.
Chicken pot pie is one of my "go to" meals. I always have the ingredients on hand and I can throw one together in no time. Now stop right there if you're thinking to yourself, "That's too much work, I'd never do that!"
It isn't as if I tenderly craft a delicate, flaky pie crust, saute fresh vegetables and make a sumptuous gravy. No, I grab a box of ready made pie crusts, two cans of mixed vegetables, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and cook some chicken breasts or sometimes just use canned chicken. Put the pie together and...Viola! 350 degrees and 45 minutes later you have a comforting meal. Serve it with a fresh salad or fruit and you've got it made.
Now, of course it's not gourmet, and may be higher in sodium and carbs and fat than one would like, but it's a meal in a pinch that most everyone likes. No one seems to care about the lack of finesse with which it was made. And the ingredients are such that I can keep them on hand. [In fact at a local discount market where they sell things near their pull date, I recently picked up boxes of name brand pie crusts for next to nothing and put them in my freezer for future "hat tricks."] You can also use dry box mix for the crusts. Or, if you don't want to bother with crusts, make Shepherd's pie and top with instant potatoes.
My husband was telling me the other day, "I like pies! I like chicken pot pies, I like berry pies, apple pies...most anything you put in pie form, I love!" Heck, he even will eat quiche and he's a real man.;)
So give it a try and see if this doesn't become one of your go to meals. It's great to take to a friend who is sick or stressed or just had a baby or lost a loved one.
Try adding your favorite herbs and ingredients to make it your own.
To me, Pot pies have the same effect as homemade bread, the recipient is impressed and feels loved because you took the time to bake it for them.
So say huzzah! for a chicken pot pie in every oven and save the popcorn for the movies!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Nothin' Says Lovin' Like somethin' from the Oven...!
Sorry Pillsbury, but I don't think you say it best. What says lovin' best is when someone you love has taken the time to "put something in the oven" for you to eat.
Why such a current resurgence of comfort foods? Maybe we all just need to "feel the love" in the kitchen!
My friend Lynne's Great Aunt told her as a young married woman, that if you don't know what to fix for dinner when you get home, put a potato or two in the oven and something will come to you. At the very worst, an hour later, you'll have baked potatoes and whatever you can find to top them with for dinner. Why does this strategy work? Because when anyone else comes in the door, they can smell that something is cooking in the kitchen, and they feel the love. Besides that, it might stimulate your appetite and thereafter ideas of what would taste good.
It really doesn't matter if you're an aspiring chef preparing haute cuisine, a single adult coming home to their cat and an empty apartment with something brewing in the crock pot, or a frazzled Mom making tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches...having something cooking in the kitchen counts!
One of my favorite comfort foods is SOUP . You can cook it stove top or throw ingredients in the crock pot in the morning before you leave. Getting those aromatic vegetables sauteed and the smell of savory herbs wafting through the air, makes my mouth water! Adding a quick bread or bread sticks to the menu says love, love, love!
For FUN you can tell the story of Stone Soup (see WIKI def. in comment below)and have everyone put in their contribution.
So even though we are nearing the end of that season here in Western Washington (or is that too optimistic?!)...here are some recipes I got from someone (sorry, I can't give credit but will do so whenever I know my source by name!)years ago that may come in handy for you sometime.
[SOUPER EASY] Any Vegetable Soup
This soup has been made successfully with a number of vegetables: Spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, tomato, potato, leeks, fresh peas, zucchini, crookneck, ad infinitem (you can’t go wrong!)
You can vary the herbs or the broth depending on the vegetable. Otherwise, the recipe is pretty basic:
Lettuce Soup
2 cup chicken broth
1 head iceberg lettuce
1 onion- cut up
Cook the above until tender. Puree in blender with
8 oz. Cream cheese
Season to taste withn freshly ground pepper and any herbs you wish.
Broccoli Soup
2 cups water
hambone
1 large bunch broccoli
1 onion cut up
Cook above until tender. Remove hambone. Puree in blender with 8 oz cream cheese
Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and any herbs you wish. S
Suggested herbs: tarragon, basil, thyme, dill, etc.
Heat soup through. Do not boil after cream cheese is added.
Here's a recipe I got from my busy daughter (mother of three)
No-rise Bread Sticks
1 pkg (1 Tbsp) active dry yeast
2 Tbsp honey
1 1/2 c. warm water
1/3 c. powdered milk
1 tsp salt
4 c. Flour
Roll into sticks. Sprinkle with garlic salt or Parmesan cheese (if desired). Bake at 400* for 15 minutes.
Why such a current resurgence of comfort foods? Maybe we all just need to "feel the love" in the kitchen!
My friend Lynne's Great Aunt told her as a young married woman, that if you don't know what to fix for dinner when you get home, put a potato or two in the oven and something will come to you. At the very worst, an hour later, you'll have baked potatoes and whatever you can find to top them with for dinner. Why does this strategy work? Because when anyone else comes in the door, they can smell that something is cooking in the kitchen, and they feel the love. Besides that, it might stimulate your appetite and thereafter ideas of what would taste good.
It really doesn't matter if you're an aspiring chef preparing haute cuisine, a single adult coming home to their cat and an empty apartment with something brewing in the crock pot, or a frazzled Mom making tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches...having something cooking in the kitchen counts!
One of my favorite comfort foods is SOUP . You can cook it stove top or throw ingredients in the crock pot in the morning before you leave. Getting those aromatic vegetables sauteed and the smell of savory herbs wafting through the air, makes my mouth water! Adding a quick bread or bread sticks to the menu says love, love, love!
For FUN you can tell the story of Stone Soup (see WIKI def. in comment below)and have everyone put in their contribution.
So even though we are nearing the end of that season here in Western Washington (or is that too optimistic?!)...here are some recipes I got from someone (sorry, I can't give credit but will do so whenever I know my source by name!)years ago that may come in handy for you sometime.
[SOUPER EASY] Any Vegetable Soup
This soup has been made successfully with a number of vegetables: Spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, tomato, potato, leeks, fresh peas, zucchini, crookneck, ad infinitem (you can’t go wrong!)
You can vary the herbs or the broth depending on the vegetable. Otherwise, the recipe is pretty basic:
Lettuce Soup
2 cup chicken broth
1 head iceberg lettuce
1 onion- cut up
Cook the above until tender. Puree in blender with
8 oz. Cream cheese
Season to taste withn freshly ground pepper and any herbs you wish.
Broccoli Soup
2 cups water
hambone
1 large bunch broccoli
1 onion cut up
Cook above until tender. Remove hambone. Puree in blender with 8 oz cream cheese
Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and any herbs you wish. S
Suggested herbs: tarragon, basil, thyme, dill, etc.
Heat soup through. Do not boil after cream cheese is added.
Here's a recipe I got from my busy daughter (mother of three)
No-rise Bread Sticks
1 pkg (1 Tbsp) active dry yeast
2 Tbsp honey
1 1/2 c. warm water
1/3 c. powdered milk
1 tsp salt
4 c. Flour
Roll into sticks. Sprinkle with garlic salt or Parmesan cheese (if desired). Bake at 400* for 15 minutes.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Come and Get it!
Remember the metallic clanging of the old farmhouse triangle with Ma yelling to the family and farmhands "Come and get it!"? [Or was that an advertisement?]
Well, to me it symbolizes the beckoning of loved ones to the dinner table...a gathering place where one is not only invited, but expected. A place where one has a sense of belonging, being loved and nurtured as well as listened to and educated.
With families being pulled at in so many directions, both parents (if there are two) working and barely getting home in time to throw something either on the table or at family members as they grab the car keys and shoot out the door to the next activity, we are losing our hold on this tradition of gathering for a family meal. So much more than food, that is of priceless value, goes with this loss that I felt prompted to start this blog as my effort to recover or rekindle the tradition. I hope to make my posts encouraging, realistic, informational and hopefully motivational.
The food channels have certainly gone a long way to inspire people to cook and lately, there have been lots of pieces on comfort foods. I think this direction has been taken because in our hectic lives, we all have the yearning for comfort, nurture, to be missed by someone if we are not there. We want to have someone interested in listening to our thoughts to be concerned about us and our aspirations, to help us process our day. Who doesn't want to feel the love expressed by someone(s) who've taken the time to plan, shop for and prepare a a meal for us and nurture us?! And, come to think of it, what single person or empty nest couple doesn't deserve to take the time for themselves to prepare a thoughtful, nutritional meal that they can savor and enjoy?
It seems that other nations and cultures may be keeping their hold on family mealtime traditions, but North Americans are so wrapped up in hurried lifestyles that we are loosening our grip on this valuable tool to strengthen family bonds and feed our souls with more than food for the body. Planning and preparing mealtimes can anchor lives and uplift our hearts and minds. It's a satiety that society can't provide.
Well, to me it symbolizes the beckoning of loved ones to the dinner table...a gathering place where one is not only invited, but expected. A place where one has a sense of belonging, being loved and nurtured as well as listened to and educated.
With families being pulled at in so many directions, both parents (if there are two) working and barely getting home in time to throw something either on the table or at family members as they grab the car keys and shoot out the door to the next activity, we are losing our hold on this tradition of gathering for a family meal. So much more than food, that is of priceless value, goes with this loss that I felt prompted to start this blog as my effort to recover or rekindle the tradition. I hope to make my posts encouraging, realistic, informational and hopefully motivational.
The food channels have certainly gone a long way to inspire people to cook and lately, there have been lots of pieces on comfort foods. I think this direction has been taken because in our hectic lives, we all have the yearning for comfort, nurture, to be missed by someone if we are not there. We want to have someone interested in listening to our thoughts to be concerned about us and our aspirations, to help us process our day. Who doesn't want to feel the love expressed by someone(s) who've taken the time to plan, shop for and prepare a a meal for us and nurture us?! And, come to think of it, what single person or empty nest couple doesn't deserve to take the time for themselves to prepare a thoughtful, nutritional meal that they can savor and enjoy?
It seems that other nations and cultures may be keeping their hold on family mealtime traditions, but North Americans are so wrapped up in hurried lifestyles that we are loosening our grip on this valuable tool to strengthen family bonds and feed our souls with more than food for the body. Planning and preparing mealtimes can anchor lives and uplift our hearts and minds. It's a satiety that society can't provide.
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