What's Cooking With Kids

Mar 11McDonald's Oatmeal Throwdown (& Steel Cut Oatmea...

McDonald’s Oatmeal Throwdown (& Steel Cut Oatmeal Recipe)

I tend to be too trusting. I want people to be good, and I want their intentions to be honorable. But sometimes, companies have ulterior motives, and their goodness isn't meant to be. Take the golden arches, for example. When I read Mark Bittman's piece in the NY Times, I was disappointed (but not surprised) to discover that the oatmeal being offered at McDonald's "contains more sugar than a Snickers bar and only 10 fewer calories than a McDonald’s cheeseburger". Really? I...

Mar 9Lift-Your-Winter-Spirits Mini-Cupcakes

When I saw Jamie's post about mini baked donuts, I KNEW that I had to try them. They looked delicious. And tiny. And so very family friendly. But I'm not a big fan of buying extra kitchen equipment, especially since that means I have to figure out where to put it. As it is, my cabinet for baking trays seems to explode every time I open the door. And a pan has fallen on my big toe on more than one occasion. So, I simply adapted Jamie's recipe by making it in a mini-muffin pan. ...

Mar 7A Child’s Healthy Recipe Twist on Mac & Cheese

My daughter is in her third year of 4-H, a youth leadership program. This year, one of her projects is cooking. You might be thinking, "duh - of course she is doing the cooking project." But the big surprise is that she isn't very interested in cooking most of the time. She recently told me that she wasn't "much of a cooking girl." Sigh. But in this case, she loves it because she compares notes with her 4-H pal, Rose. They are often in cahoots to plan cooking play dates, so that they...

Mar 4Video: What a Healthy Lunch Means to Me (A Child...

I recently attended a screening of the movie, Two Angry Moms, and was honored to be asked to be on a speaker panel afterward. But we kicked off the evening with an inspiring talk from the Venetia Valley Green Team, a group of motivated first and second grade students. Here is what they had to say...

Mar 2Dinner Success - Everyone Ate it: Sweet Potato B...

Dinner Success – Everyone Ate it: Sweet Potato Bean Wellington

When I was menu planning last weekend, our daughter asked me if I would make Treasure Triangles (an old favorite from my friend Jen's book, The Toddler Cafe.) I told her that I'd make something similar, but that I wanted to use some of the ingredients that we had on hand. (Out with the old before in with the new...it is time to clean the cabinets!) Anyway, here is what I created - and I was thrilled that everyone at the dinner table gobbled them up! Do you measure dinner...

Feb 28Healthy Eating on a Budget for Families (+ Givea...

I know I'm not the only parent who struggles to feed my children a balanced diet, filled with a plethora of fruits and vegetables. And goodness knows, when we struggle, we aren't much fun. I am really excited to share a guest post from my friend, Kia, the founder of Today I Ate A Rainbow, an interactive tool that helps parents establish healthy eating habits by setting the goal of eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day! Kia's tool makes it fun to feed kids a balanced meal - even...

Feb 253 Tips to Manage a Bouncy Youngster At The Table...

I am enamored with our Facebook Community. People share, offer support, and ask awesome questions. This post is dedicated to Jackie, who said she was frustrated that her daughter couldn't sit still for mealtimes - and acts like she has springs in her pants! Mealtimes can be a daily challenge, especially for families "blessed" with kids who don't like to stop moving (or who have ADD or ADHD!). You have seen it - whether in your own kids or in your local family friendly restaurant - kids flopping...

Feb 23Food Dyes – Do They Cause Hyperactivity?

As a former science teacher, I understand what it means to run a credible science experiment. One has to really control the situation, including all of the factors that might influence the result. It's hardly realistic to experiment on our children, especially since there are just too many dang variables to take into account. But since my scientist-brother-in-law likes to poke holes in all of the "theories" I propose on Facebook, I thought I'd offer this first paragraph as a disclaimer. ...

Feb 21Make Ahead Dinners: Grilled Turkey and Brie Sand...

Make Ahead Dinners: Grilled Turkey and Brie Sandwiches

The last thing I want to worry about when I am away all afternoon is what I will cook for dinner. These family friendly sandwiches are easy to make ahead and store in the refrigerator. All you have to do is grill them on the stove before serving. Not only are they easy and delicious, they are worth their weight in gold for solving the "what's for dinner" question!

Feb 185 Tips to Help Kids Accept New Foods

Little is more frustrating than trying to feed a child who is unwilling to try new foods. I have heard many stories from people in my Facebook Community who are worried about their children's limited food preferences and how it will affect their growth. Help your kids learn to accept new foods: Visually - see food and ingredients in different forms, at the farmer's market, in the grocery store and in the kitchen Scent - allow them to learn to tolerate the smell of different foods by cooking...