What's Cooking With Kids

Sep 8Meatless Monday - Using the Kitchen to Help our ...

Meatless Monday is a national public health campaign in association with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to help prevent heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer – four of the leading causes of death in America. The goal of the campaign is to reduce consumption of saturated fat by at least 15% by 2010. This is consistent with the dietary recommendations of the US Department of Health and Human Services, the US Department of Agriculture and the American Heart Association. The...

Sep 5Green vegetables kids will eat

The school year is starting up again, and with it frequently comes a battle of wills. Parents rush their children to get ready in the morning, to eat their breakfast quickly and get out the door. Dinner times are also frequently rushed, as they are smooshed between homework and sports practices. Some parents hide vegetables in the family meal as a last resort - just to avoid a mealtime battle or power struggle. At least there is the peace of mind that they are eating their vegetables. In our...

Sep 4Filling the Lunchbox is a Snap with a Wrap

About a month ago, a reporter interviewed me about healthy school lunches for kids. The article came out yesterday in the Contra Costa Times. Filling the lunchbox can be fun -- and that's no bologna By Jackie Burrell, Contra Costa Times (09/02/2008) Filling a lunch box has never been so fraught. Back when we were kids, we may have made do with bologna and iceberg lettuce slammed between mayo-slathered Wonder bread. But these days, it's all about organic, locally grown, veggie-heavy fare — no...

Sep 3What's Cooking Wednesday: Salmon Teriyaki S...

When I learned about the What's Cooking Wednesday blog carnival, hosted by Shan, I couldn't resist. After all, my blog and company share the name with the event - and we love to cook and eat well. Why not share some of our favorites with our dear readers? This week's recipe was inspired by one that I saw on Simply Recipes. We are in the middle of a heat wave, and appreciated that we could make this delicious dish outside, where it wouldn't heat up our house! Salmon Teriyaki Skewers with Pineapple Be...

Sep 2The Golden Rule: Introducing Slow Food to Our Ch...

As good parents, we try to teach our children about the golden rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Or, more simply: treat others how you want to be treated. The same should be true for our food system. I am hard pressed to believe that the parents who encourage their kids to treat others nicely would approve of a system that intentionally adds chemicals and toxins to its plants and animals, pollutes our air and water with waste or one that treats animals with disrespect. Enter...

Aug 31Slow Food Nation – I went. I ate.

The perks of living in the SF Bay Area are endless. Yesterday, we rode our bikes to an art festival, and today I rode the bus to Slow Food Nation in San Francisco. Just to get in the mood, on the way there I listened to a podcast of the How We Eat series from the Commonwealth Club. With each passing mile, I heard more about the Slow Food Movement from Alice Waters, Eric Schlosser and others, and got increasingly excited. In a nutshell, the Slow Food movement embraces foods that are produced in...

Aug 29Going Bananas for After School Snacks

We just started our school year and the kids are getting used to the routine all over again. They usually return home from school in slow motion, dragging their book bags behind them, red-faced from the heat. Nothing a cool drink of water and a healthy snack won't help! Need ideas for a pick-me-up snack? My kids loved helping me make this delicious banana bread recipe...and loved the outcome, as well! Surprise Inside Banana Bread 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour or...

Aug 26Keeping My Family's Lunch Out of the Landfi...

You won't catch me filling the landfill with by-products from my kids' school lunches this year...at least most of the time. While it is hard to resist the convenience of the individually wrapped cheese stick or fruit leather, most of the foods that we pack for our lunches this year will be stored in reusable containers. While most families struggle with an alternative to the plastic sandwich baggie - we have a solution that works well for us. The wrap-n-mat is a PEVA-lined fabric wrapper that...

Aug 22AAAH! Absolutely Adorable Aprons…

I am in love! It's not very often that a product for kids catches my attention enough that I become certain that I HAVE to carry it in my online shop. But when I first set my eyes upon the Vintage Styled Aprons from Beansoup, I was done for. While I LOVE all of the patterns I ordered for the What's Cooking shop, here are some of my favorites. Whether your child is an aspiring chef or a budding artist, this modern take on the 1940's Cobbler's apron is sure to inspire creativity and envy. With...

Aug 19Feed 100 Bags

If you are a regular visitor to my blog, you have probably noticed that I have been spending a considerable portion of my energy lately thinking about kids, food and community service. Sustainability is also very dear to my heart, and when I learn about an organization or project that combines all of these concepts, I simply feel the need to share. The Feed 100 Bag is made from organic cotton in a fair trade factory. The sales of each bag yield enough funding to provide free school lunches to...