Healthy Birthday Party Menu

Big Boo's 6th birthday party is next weekend. I don't know why but I told him he could pick six friends and invite them for a sleepover. So I'll be serving seven 6 year olds, and little boo 2 meals! I'm not planning on getting much sleep, but I'm gonna have fun witnessing big boo's first real sleepover. The theme is lego, so my mission is to find a way to use real lego to spell stuff on the cupcakes.

The Menu (click the links for recipes)
Snack: Hummus, pita chips, ranch dip and veggie tray
Dinner: Home made Chicken Tenders & Oven Fries, Green Salad
Dessert: Chocolate Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting (no food coloring)
Snack II : Spicy Popcorn
Breakfast: Fruit, yogurt and toast. Or oatmeal. Haven't decided yet.

Snack
Weather permitting we're going to walk down to the park and let the wild things run free for a few hours (that's where little boys belong you know, outside!) I'll bring along the hummus, veggies and dip and put it out while the boys play. I'll probably just buy hummus from Georgia's, but in case I get inspired to make dip from scratch, anybody got a to die recipe I should try?? I tend to prefer hummus that is light on the tahini, and more creamy, like the one served at Kasra a Persian restaurant. I don't know what they add to make it creamy? Yogurt?

Dinner
I know I can get the chicken prepped and ready to go in the oven before heading to the park. But not sure about the potatoes. I've never sliced them prep-ahead for oven fries. Do you think they'd be OK if I sliced them, soaked in water, leave in fridge. Then pat dry and roast? Or better to roast them in the afternoon and refresh in the oven for a few minutes before serving? Not sure how well the green salad will go over with the little men, but big boo is a salad lover so maybe his enthusiasm will rub off on his buddies.

Birthday Cake
Big Boo just decided on chocolate cupcakes. He was really agonizing between chocolate, carrot cake and orange cake. A couple weeks ago in this post, I asked for your recommendations on natural food colorings for birthday cake. Since there were no glowing recommendations for natural food colorings, I think I'll go with JessTrev's counsel to use other things to spell out names. Big boo is all about legos now, so I might wash a bunch of legos and use them to put number 6 on the cupcakes, and spell out his name. We made lego letters for his birthday invite, so this could be fun! I'm a little sad not to write with icing because it's one of those odd nifty skills I have from my high school years when I worked in the Randall's bakery. I like writing on cakes with icing, because I can.

Snack II
Not that I expect the kids to still be hungry, after all that food, but as the boys settle into the room with the double bunk beds and sleeping bags in their PJs, I feel compelled to open the bedroom door, slip in a giant bowl of popcorn, close the door again.

Breakfast
Oatmeal is one of big boo's favorites, and it would be an easy large batch recipe to make. And, after my recent success with crock pot yogurt, that's another that would be low key in the morning. I expect to be exhausted, so tossing the bowls, spoons, yogurt and fruit toppings out buffet style sounds ideal. Plus, I know the kids will enjoy building their own yogurt bowl.

I'm really curious to see how the other kids eat (or don't eat...).

So, if you have potato prep advice, a hummus recipe to share, or you just want to inquire as to what in the world possessed me to let six six year olds sleep over I'll see you in the comments!

Is Letting Kids Decide What to Eat the Right Thing?

A few weeks ago I posted some guidance on how to get kids to eat more by making food relevant to them. My recommendation of remove the choice of "opting out" of a food item opened up a little debate in the comments, from two readers who follow Ellyn Satter's "division of responsibility" position on feeding kids. I wanted to respond immediately but to fully explain my position I'd need a little more space than the comment section.

This is a follow up post, responding to those comments. I like much of Ellyn's counsel, but even by her own admission in this article, her daughter didn't learn to eat many vegetables until she was an "early adolescent". My boys have learned to eat and enjoy a lot of things already at just 3 and 5. I know you can expedite the process of teaching kids to eat like adults by doing more than making healthy food available, removing junky choices as alternatives, leading by example, and involving kids in the purchasing and preparation of food. Even when you follow those steps and have a peaceful meal time where kids choose to eat what's served, some kids take a decade or more to routinely eat a balanced meal.

I don't have a decade for them to learn
I'm cooking kale and quinoa this week. That's the vegetable that was affordable and available at the farmer's market. I spent our money and my time preparing, and it is what's for dinner. I do tell my kids they don't have to eat it, and they know they won't get another option if they skip dinner, but I also expect my kids to try everything I make. I don't expect them to learn to like it the first time. I don't expect them to eat a lot of something they like a little. I also know that with a few items, no matter how many times they try it, they may never come to appreciate them. But I would hope that if my son were hungry, knew he needed to eat something to maintain energy for his pursuits, and that one of his "not like" foods he tried dozens of times was the only food available, my child would have the skill to let it nourish him.

Practice
How, I wonder will kids learn to like it if they don't practice by tasting it. Learning any skill takes practice. Kids don't learn to read by simply having lots of books available, or by parents reading with them every night. They learn by practicing- even when they don't want to. They practice letter sounds, singing the alphabet, sounding out words, and eventually they read. They learn over time. Parents who offer food and don't expect their kids to taste it, are missing a window of opportunity for the child to start practicing to like it. If teachers let kids choose which letter sounds they wanted to practice, would our kids be readers by 1st grade and have strong reading comprehension skills by 5th grade? We want our kids to read so that they can be successful at running a home and holding down a job. Don't we also want our kids to eat well so they have energy to pursue their dreams and passions, stay well long enough to fulfill them and avoid the complications that come with being overweight? How old would Satter's daughter have been if she waited until her daughter "wanted" to read.

Real Food Costs Real Money
If you are feeding your kids "real" food, you are probably spending more money on groceries than you'd like to. I view food as a valuable resource in the family. Because our food costs are high, my kids don't have the luxury of choosing only the foods they like, and getting their fill in other meals on favored items like fresh fruit and yogurt. If I give my son an apple after dinner, then he won't have an apple in his lunch the next day. I need him to eat baked chicken and collard greens for dinner. I buy what's affordable and in season, sometimes those are our favorite types of produce, others what's in season is less loved. If I spent part of our $100 a week on veggies like collard greens, onions, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms and parsley, then it's not cool if they only eat the carrots and broccoli. They missed 2/3 of the vegetable nutrients I spent our hard earned cash on, and my time preparing in a tasty way. I've taught my kids that food is more than just taste. It's energy for the day's play and it's brain power for day's learning. We have fun together and we share the day's lessons learned that were all made possible by the family meals.

Now, to respond to the comments from my post a couple weeks ago....

Michelle's comments are in italics, my response are normal text inline.
"You have lots of good ideas here - but in my experience the two biggest factors in developing successful eaters are having them help plan the menu and including them in the kitchen to prepare the food. Games are fun, but they can be exhausting. And let's face it - not all parents are natural teachers, and some don't feel that they can be fun and persuasive enough that way.

I agree, teaching kids to eat well is exhausting. But it's the right thing to do. Kids need to eat real food. And not just 10 real foods. They need to eat a large variety of real foods. We will get weary of setting a good example and coming up with enthusiastic ways to get kids to eat well, but don't they deserve our efforts? Parents don't have to be natural teachers, they just have to want to do the right thing, and they will find their way. Not "being a natural teacher" is a cop out for choosing not to do the right thing.

Ellyn Satter, the author of Secrets to Feeding a Healthy Family, talks about the division of responsibility. Not only do we need to teach our kids how to make healthy choices (by modeling for them) we have to teach them to make their own choices and listen to their bodies. She recommends that we make good food available and then let them do the rest. Perhaps they don't eat well at dinner - but if you give them good choices throughout the rest of the day, they will make up for it at another time.

I wouldn't worry too much about a child who occasionally didn't eat well at dinner - especially between the ages of 1-4 when dinner is at the end of a long busy day for a young tired child). I agree with you, they do make it up at other times. But kids who consistently opt out of most of what is offered are making up for it at other times because they can. Because parents offer cheese and fruit after dinner, so the kid says no thanks to broccoli salad and chicken pasta. Only after a lot of effort, enthusiasm and trial and error with different techniques would I accept that "jimmie just doesn't like to eat breakfast." Certain behavior and medical conditions do impact eating habits, and in those cases parents should be flexible with their kids special meal time needs. But most kids can learn to eat a decent amount of food at specified times, even if they don't always like it.

I agree a little bit with your tooth brushing analogy - but they never HAVE to brush their teeth. They do HAVE to eat. They WILL eat when they are hungry and it's our job to give them healthy choices so they succeed."

I don't really understand this argument. I guess kids who want their teeth to decay and fall out in their 40s don't HAVE to brush their teeth. But kids don't understand that what they do now prevents something bad from happening later, that's where parental guidance comes in. The fact that their appetite does motivate eating means that nurturing guidance about how to eat what's available won't muck a kid up. I think many parents have bad memories of being forced to try stuff they didn't like. What terrible thing is going to happen to a kid if they learn how to eat asparagus or oatmeal before their 18th birthday? What terrible thing is going to happen if a kid tastes asparagus (14 times) and doesn't like it. Tasting real food is not oppressive. My kids are fortunate their parents make enough money to afford real food. The food that is before them on the table is a privilege. They don't have to like it, but it can nourish them without causing life long emotional trauma.

Expecting your kid to learn how to be nourished by the food that you procured, prepared and offered is not oppressive. It's the right thing to do. It's the loving thing to do. Eating something they don't want to eat is not the only thing my kids have to do every day that they don't want to. They have to do their homework. Get ready for school. Come inside when it gets dark. Go to bed so they get enough rest. I want my kids to know how to do things even when they don't want to. I wouldn't let them opt out of bed time. I'm not going to let them (routinely) opt out of 3/4 of what I prepare for dinner either. I'm going to challenge myself to find a way to make leafy greens, soup and visible onions bits relevant to them so they will eat it, be nourished by it, without feeling pressured.

This is Maryann's comment
You've commented on my blog before so you probably know that I follow Ellyn Satter's Division of Responsibility as well. I think you are right on when you say that kids are more likely to eat if the dinner table is a positive experience for them. I'm not really sure I understand your advice about not giving kids an opting out choice. What if they refuse to eat a little bit of the carrots they don't like? Do you then make them or leave it up to them?

No, I don't make them. I can't make them eat. But I do encourage it. I relate carrots to their daily activities so they become willing to take a few bites. On a few rare occasions they do refuse even after my enthusiastic attempts, and I don't push it. Before the age of three it's impossible to reason with a child. You kind of have to put it out and encourage them to taste it in playful ways. But once a child is old enough to comply with simple directions (between age 2-3) then I expect them to try a few bites of everything I make. If they gag on the first bite, I don't ask them to take another, I cheer for them and thank them for trying. If they do anything short of gagging, I ask them to take another bite.

I think many dietitians like Ellyn Satter's messages because we work with troubled clients all the time. Most of the clients I see have totally lost track of their natural hunger and satiety cues (this almost always starts in childhood). In fact, with almost 7 out of 10 adults either overweight or obese, excess weight is a major problem later in life. Even though it's hard for us parents to see our picky-eating kids as overweight, it is more likely to happen than not.

I actually think that allowing kids to only eat what they want of what's offered, encourages them to only eat things they like a lot. As an adult and a food lover, I have the hardest time listening to my body tell me it's full when I'm eating things I like a lot. I don't think this helps people stay right-sized when they eat only things they want to.

So the first nutrition lesson my daughter gets is having her tune into her body. Sometimes she just goes through anti-growth spurts where she doesn't eat much at all. Other times she eats like crazy. I know that if I put a variety of food in front of her, some she likes and some she doesn't, she seems to get enough. And she eventually tries new foods on her own.

Growth is not the only thing that nutrients are for. I'm not growing anymore and I still need to nutrients every day to support organ function and maintain wellness. In a few years your daughter will go to school and she'll need to eat enough to fuel her brain so she can learn to read and write. I would expect a child to eat more when they're in a growth spurt, but I would be concerned if there were many weeks/months when "doesn't eat much at all" is the norm.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm all for positive encouragement as long as parents are still preserving their child's natural ability to self regulate food. And I also think it's our job to teach our kids about food. That's why including them in meal prep and shopping is so vital.

I am agreed with you and Michelle that involving kids in procurement and preparation goes a long way to making food relevant to kids. But I don't think parents should stop there. There are many other ways to make food relevant to kids. The connection between food and daily activities will be unique for every child. It will take some time for each parent and kid to determine those connections, but "food relevancy" is a mighty weapon in getting young kids to eat a nourishing diet.

I think a better analogy then the tooth brush is learning to read and write. Kids need time and opportunity to learn to like a variety of food. We can't expect them to come to the table and eat like adults. And in some ways, that's a good thing.

I like this analogy. Following this, what if your daughter decided she didn't like vowels. Even though you practiced drawing A, E, I, O, U with her. You took her to book stores and showed her all the words in books and all the vowels in the words, and she said, nope. I don't like vowels, I won't write them in my words and I won't read words that have them in it. Would you respond "OK kiddo, you got it. One day you might like vowels, but for now, skip them." She needs vowels for language. Likewise I think kids need animal protein, vegetables, fruit, legumes and grains. I'm not saying that every 5 year old needs to like six varieties of leafy greens, and they do have a life time to keep learning to enjoy new foods. By the time a child is 5, assuming he's been exposed to leafy greens since age 1, and that he has no health conditions that interfere with normal appetite, he should have learned to tolerate at least one!

I'm curious to know what you think. Will expecting your child to eat what your serve cause them emotional trauma and increase the chances of having problems eating well later in life?

This post is participating in Fight Back Friday hosted on Food Renegade.

Lunch Box Love - Frugal Fruit Yogurt Parfait

Many questions from readers and Facebook fans center around kids' lunch. Parents need to keep costs down, nutrients dense, and of course it needs to be consumed! My response to that? I send fruit and honey sweetened yogurt parfaits to school with the Boos twice a week. They almost always come home with an empty thermos. Most kids go for yogurt, does yours? What about if you put the yogurt in a nifty thermos? Top with fruit and honey? Add some crunchy nuts? Yum!

I stopped buying sweetened yogurt years ago for several reasons: small containers is a waste of plastic, it's cheaper to buy a large container, some products have food coloring and "natural flavorings" instead of fruit, and I can reduce the amount of sugar added when I make parfaits at home. I'm about to venture into making my own yogurt for further cost savings, more on that later.

Frugal Frozen Organic Fruit
I make a run to Costco about once a quarter to stock up on fruit for parfaits and smoothies. Frozen fruit is amazing in smoothies, parfaits and for baking. It's a more "green" way to consume soft summer fruit since shipping it frozen in bigger bags takes up less space/less packaging in freight trucks. It's also a frugal way to get soft skin organic fruit in you menu plan. I paid $17.98 for 7 lbs of organic fruit, that's $2.56/lb. Not exactly a fire sale, but when you consider it's soft skinned organic fruit, that's a decent price per pound. 1/2 pint of blueberries are going for $3.99 right now (granted they are out of season). 1/2 pint is approximately .4 lbs making the fresh blueberries about $10 lb! That $2.56/lb is starting to sound like a good deal.

Of course picking them at a sustainable pick your own farm in your area and freezing them yourself would be the most frugal and green way to go. For those of us who don't have enough freezer space to stash up on fruit for winter, we head to Costco for some organic berries on the cheap. I'm about 50/50 when it comes to eating locally grown produce. I buy fresh local vegetables, in season fresh fruit (local when possible, not a lot of apple orchards in TX) but supplement with out of season frozen fruit and veggies.

Lunch Box Yogurt Parfait
ingredients
Yogurt
Frozen fruit
Raw Wildflower Honey
Nuts/seeds (optional)
Granola/cereal (optional)

directions
Fill the thermos 2/3 full with yogurt. Drizzle a little raw honey on the yogurt and stir. Top with the frozen fruit, which helps keep the yogurt cold until lunch. Top with granola, cereal, or nuts/seeds for extra protein.

Eat Honey with Fiber
If you've been using honey as a substitute sweetener to sugar, eat fiber with your honey. The fruit provides fiber in the yogurt parfait. Turns out fructose without fiber is almost like poison to your liver. Agave is almost 100% fructose! Read this article to learn more about the fructose problem. It's a LONG article, but very informative when it comes to sweeteners. To sum up, Dr Mercola says eat fructose in moderation and always with fiber.

In Search of Yogurt Making Recommendations
I'm about to start making my own yogurt. So, peanut gallery, what should I do? I'm thinking a yogurt maker would be less dishes, less time intensive than crock pot or stove top yogurt. Is it? What about quality cultures? Is it OK to use store bought yogurt to start off, or are there optimal culture strains out there that I need to know about? Can I make yogurt with reduced for quick sale milk? Does turning milk that is almost expiring into yogurt extend the shelf life, if so, by how much?

This recipe is participating in Pennywise Platter hosted by The Nourishing Gourmet and LifeAsMom's Ultimate Recipe Swap, which this week is themed, Lunch box love.

101 Optimal Foods Review & Giveaway

Good news readers! Dave Grotto agreed to give away a copy of his new book to a Food With Kid Appeal reader. See the end of the post for instruction on how to win. Don't be tempted to skip to the end! Surely you'll want to learn how eating real food every day can optimize your life.

101 Optimal Life Foods is the follow up to Dave's first book 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life, which I highly recommend (that won't be news to you if you've been following me long...)

In the first section of 101 Optimal Life Foods Dave lists 29 ailments the befall folks and lists what foods should regularly consumed to help fend off sleep troubles, mental decline, skin issues, head, muscle and nerve pain, UTIs, infertility, GERD, halitosis, arthritis, macular degeneration and a handful of other pesky conditions.

In the introduction Dave discusses his food-in-lieu-of-medicine position saying,

"Researchers found that women who slept five or fewer hours per night were 32% more likely to gain weight and 15% more prone to becoming obese than those who got seven or more hours of shut-eye… There is a way out of this morass that does not include obsessively counting calories or taking sleeping pills. In the pages that follow, you'll learn about foods that promote good sleeping habits… You don't need to take tryptophan in a pill, it is present in dairy, lean meats, eggs, soy and peanut butter."

In the second section Dave includes all the recipes he lists in the suggested meal plans included in each of the 29 health challenges. This is a what-to-eat-when, and a cook book all in one. I want to try the pumpkin smoothie, kale balls, sardine dip, garlic piperade soup, winter white bean chili, barley salad with edamame, sicilian broccoli salad, yogurt sauce, nutty good millet muffins, asparagus carrot rolls, vegetable pave with cauliflower coulis and slow cooker sweet potatoes.

101 Optimal Life Foods is a mighty food weapon against some of the most common reasons we feel unwell. While a good portion troubles listed befall adults, there are many health challenges that would be of interest to parents, especially the "plumbing section." Everybody poops! Click here for the post I wrote Monday on what kids suffering from constipation should be eating (and not eating). I've been on a "real food" diet for a few years now and although I still suffer from migraines, I have: more energy, less depression, more focus, eliminated elimination problems and maintained weight.

The ailments that apply to kids, plus one "should eat" food and one "should not eat" food for each are included below. He lists dozens of foods for each complaint, so don't sit tight with this review. Ask your library to buy a copy of his book, or if you're impatient pick one up now at Amazon.com!

• acne - should eat - vitamin A fruits and veggies (orange/yellow fleshed and super green veggies); should not eat - case by case basis.
• eczema - should eat - walnuts; should not eat - anything causing allergic reaction
• migraines - should eat - foods containing magnesium like almonds; should not eat - supplements with tyramine
• depression - should eat - foods rich in zinc like beans; should not eat - trans fats
• insomnia - should eat - b complex rich foods like dark green leafy veggies; should not eat - low carb or high protein diets.
• diarrhea - should eat - apples; should not eat - sugar alcohols like maltitol, sorbitol, xylitol (found in gum and candy)
• GERD - should eat - blackberries (heals the esophagus); should not eat - depends, it's a case by case, mint
• gas - should eat - peppermint; should not eat - depends, it's a case by case basis, garlic
• irritable bowel syndrome - should eat - depends, it's a case by case basis, vastly variable diet plans based on trigger foods for individuals - fiber from fruits and vegetables; should not eat - high fat foods.

This book review and giveaway is participating in real food wedesday, hosted this week by Kelly the Kitchen Kop.

Giveaway Details

Comment on this post to enter, more than one entry per person is possible. The contest closes at midnight CST Wednesday March 3rd. I am not requiring email addresses this time, but if you leave one, and you're the winner, I'll contact you to let you know. I'll publish the winner's name in a post on March 4th, and on the Food with Kid Appeal Facebook Fan page. You'll have 48 hours to claim your prize. Good Luck!

1. For a chance to win 101 Optimal Life Foods by David Grotto, leave a comment on this blog and answer this question "What nagging complaint do you/your kid hope to alleviate by eating some of the 101 Optimal Life Foods?"
2. For another chance to win become a fan of the Food with Kid Appeal Facebook Fan page, or subscribe via RSS or for email updates. Leave a comment letting me know.
3. For another chance to win, email 5 friends and tell them about Dave's book, include the link to this review/giveaway post. Leave a comment letting me know.

Big Words Little Foodies - Can I lick the butter?

It's Tuesday! Time to link up and link out to Big Words Little Foodies Recipe Swap day. I look forward to reading your stories! You can either link up a post with your kids' funny remarks about food (and optional recipe) or leave a comment. Last week we had two new participants: Amanda E and Momcast. in addition to the faithful three, Itty Bitty Bistro, LittleStomaks and Family Fanatic. If we can grow by 2 every week we'll be at a dozen players by the end of the March! Spread the word about Big Words Little Foodies, tweet a link, post it to your facebook page, email blogger friends!

Little boo is a butter fiend. I remember hearing stories as a child of younger kids who liked to eat sour cream or butter with a spoon, and thinking that was pretty funny. I guess the high fat content is appealing to little ones. We are, after all, hard wired to prefer sweet, fat and salty flavors .

My first clue of little boo's fondness of butter was one night at a restaurant. We met friends for dinner; hubby and I got distracted catching up not paying a lot of attention to the boys who were sitting quietly eating bread. Little boo was two. When I looked over at him, he was licking clean a foil wrapper from a pat of butter with a huge smile. No one had spread any butter so he'd gobbled the whole thing.

Now, to keep his butter consumption at bay, we have this little ritual at breakfast where I let him lick the butter knife after I'm done buttering the pan and toast for egg toast. If I don't promise him the knife, he can't control his fingers and starts swiping licks while I'm distracted cracking and flipping eggs. I've trained him to know that once he's licked his fingers he has to keep his germs to himself and can't go back to the butter stick with the knife for another lick.

Sometimes when I'm getting bowls or other dishes out-I keep the butter in the cabinet so it's spreadable any time we want it-he'll see the butter dish and say:

Little Boo: "Can I have a lick?"
Me: "Not now, I don't need the butter."
Little Boo: "Can I look at it?"
Me (getting the butter down): "Sure, you can peek, but no licks."
Little Boo (grinning): "OK"

I don't know why, but he's pacified by just looking at the butter. He keeps his promise and just peeks, then I put the butter back in the cabinet and close the door. No meltdowns.

Sometimes when I'm cooking something new with butter I'll sell it to little boo like this: "Little boo, I'm getting the butter out to cook the _____, wanna help?" Sometimes he'll run in the kitchen to check out the butter action. He's more inclined to try a bite with no complaints when he knows his good buddy butter was in the recipe. Of course I let him lick the butter knife, again. I don't give them chips often, but licking the butter knife?? That should be one of life's little pleasures for real foodies.

Real butter is in for us. I haven't had margarine in the house for over a year. Ever read the ingredient list for margarine? I loved margarine because it was spreadable, but I solved that problem by keeping the butter covered at room temp. Because I cook with it too, a stick doesn't last long enough to go rancid even at room temp.

Here's a recipe round-up for some things I routinely cook/serve with butter
Egg Toast
Soft/Hard Boiled Eggs
Mushroom Rice Pilaf
Brussels Sprouts
Honey Gingered Carrots
Orange or Key-lime butter for French Toast

To link up paste the URL to your blog post (not your homepage) and leave your name, blog name, post title and if you're new add "new" like this:

Jenna (new) @ Food With Kid Appeal - Can I lick the butter?

What Should A Constipated Kid Eat?

I hear many parents complain their kids poop too firm or too soft. Constipation and diarrhea can be troublesome no matter what your age, as well as an indicator of how well your body's immune system is working. 70% of the body's immunity starts in the gut, and with the intestine then colon on down the path, making some observations about poop can be some of the first signs that's something is not right in the body. On the loose side, it could be a food allergy, and on the firm side, it could be a build up of toxins trying to make their way out.

I've been reading 101 Optimal Life Foods by David Grotto and zeroed in on the constipation and diarrhea sections. Kid Appeal readers know all to well the high esteem I hold for Dave's previous book, 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life, which is a must have for food geeks, and immensely helpful when looking for ways to make food relevant for kids.

According to Dave, here's what you should be feeding your kids if they are suffering from constipation. Just to be clear, Dave doesn't specifically target kids in his book, I'm not trying to put words in his mouth! All of the foods he lists are real food, and are good for all ages. In many cases your child may find natural relief. Decisions as to whether to remove your child from medications that treat constipation should be reviewed with your doctor.

Foods for Kids with Constipation to Eat (adults too!)

Whole Grains - teff, wheat, oats, barley, rye, millet, buckwheat, spelt, sorghum and corn
Fruits - fresh and dried, apples, oranges, pears, strawberries, apricots, dried plums, dates, figs, raisins, cranberries, currants, kiwis, grapes, grapefruit, peaches, raspberries, blackberries, passion fruit, guavas, avocados, mangoes, blueberries, and persimmons.
Nuts and Seeds - flaxseeds, sesame seeds, almonds, pecans, pistachios, & hazelnuts
Vegetables - dried beans, carob, lentils, carrots, broccoli, beet, artichokes, cauliflower, fennel, pumpkin, spinach, potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Probiotics - (contain healthy bacteria necessary to promote frequent bowel evacuation) yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, unpasteurized miso.
Prebiotics - (help create favorable environment for probiotics to take hold) are found naturally in whole grains, bananas, honey, onions, leeks and artichokes.
Water - Don't forget to increase water intake when fiber intake goes up. Without the water the fiber may not help. Increase fiber slowly, 3-5 grams per week.
Exercise - Studies show that lack of exercise is also a common contributor to constipation. An hour or more per day of active play should do the trick.

What not to Eat
Dave says those suffering from constipation should limit refined and processed foods, along with cheeses, meat and eggs and beverage containing caffeine. One common culprit is processed cheese found on cheese flavored snacks and packaged mac-n-cheese. I'm not saying you have to remove these from the diet completely, but if packaged snacks and dinners are the norm, your loved one may improve a lot by significantly reducing their intake of these foods.

While loose bowels are more often linked to milk allergy one study written about here by Dr. Greene suggests a link between unresolved constipation in kids and a milk protein allergy. You could try coming off milk for two weeks to see if constipation clears. I wouldn't suggest a soy milk as he does to replace cow's milk, but you could try an unsweetened nut or rice milk.

Constipation Plays A Role in Finicky Eating

If you've ever suffered from constipation you know you often feel bloated and crampy. These sensations can really be an appetite suppressant. Unless a kid is tempted by one of his favorites he may be disinclined to eat up, especially at dinner when the menu might contain unfamiliar items. If your picky eater is also routinely constipated, get the constipation cleared up, and then work on introducing new foods to the diet. I suspect when bloating and cramps are gone and appetite is in play, your thought-to-be picky eater will accept many new foods.

Kid Appeal Tip: Use the urge!! Eating stimulates messages to the brain about poop. If there is poop in the colon ready to be eliminated, the urge to poop message will be sent to the anus. If you live with a toddler you'll recognize the meal time urges! Potty sits right after breakfast (even for older kids) can start a lifelong and convenient habit of eliminating before school. Delaying a potty trip means that water is being absorbed in the bowel, leaving the stool to dry out. Create good habits with potty training kids, let them poop in public toilets! I know, I know. It's unfun and often unsanitary to wait for a kid to use the toilet at a restaurant or at target. Asking kids to wait until they're home can create a life long habit of preferring to go at home. Poop needs to get out, let it out! Even if its in a gross public toilet or at school. Better to get hands a little dirty than keep toxins inside the colon. Constipation can start for kids who get enough fiber, water and exercise but have a history of holding the urge.

Stay tuned for a review of 101 Optimal Foods and a chance to win a copy!

Winner Announced & Welcome New Readers, Facebook

I hit up Random.com to select a winner for Kids' Kitchen, which I reviewed in this post last week.
Congratulations to Chris Keen, you're the winner! Please contact me via email within 48 hours to claim your prize.

Also, I want to take a minute to say welcome and hello to new readers. Some of you found this blog during the promotion of the Kids' Kitchen giveaway, and I'm happy to have you as new readers! Please stop in and comment when you have a question. Often reader questions will turn into future posts addressing obstacles you have in feeding your family and helping other readers out in the process. Reader comments make my day! Even if it's just to say, thanks for that tip or recipe, I might give it a try.

Face Book Fan Page - Discussion Tab
Another place to post a question is on the Food With Kid Appeal Facebook Fan page discussion tab. If you have an issue that you can't resolve like, food jags, picky eaters, slow eaters, milk guzzlers, veggie haters, casserole haters, breakfast protesters please stop by and leave a question. When I see it I'll respond, and I encourage other readers to chime in if they have a technique that's worked for them. I don't have all the answers!

QOTD "Question of the Day"
On the fan page I pose a question of the day. If you're a foodie or trying to learn more about feeding the family answering these questions and seeing other responses can be a good way to interact with other parents facing similar challenges in the kitchen. At times, cooking for the family can be very isolating so it's nice to have a community of like minded souls to get new ideas and commiserate with. Last week I asked "Love it or Hate it, chopping veggies." Today week I posted "What's your favorite "food reference book" cookbook/food geek book, etc."

WFD? "What's For Dinner?"
I also post a What's For Dinner status update daily to see what you guys are cooking up. We all go thru menu plan ruts at times and I like to get ideas for new things to try. I enjoy coming back to the thread and salivating at what you all are feeding your family before I head to bed. I have delicious dreams!

Recipe Thread
In the discussion tab there is a recipe thread where I leave links to recipes I want to try. FB fans are welcome to leave links to recipes they want to recommend to readers or need help with. I do ask that you keep recipes to those dealing with "real" food. They don't have to be completely "clean," by try to keep it reasonably good for ya. Good fats are in, artificial anything is out. A meatball recipe that includes Worcestershire is in, tater tot casserole is out. Sweets are OK especially those that include whole grains, nuts, produce and attempt to reduce sugar.

Reader Success Stories
I'm still collecting reader success stories. Thank you to those of you who have sent in stories already. Whether you're a long time fan, or a new reader, let me know the progress you and your family has made at including more real food in your meal plans or adding new "like it" foods to a picky kids "i eat" list.

eBook Update
I have a deadline! I'm speaking at a local Mom's club in mid-April and will have the eBook ready by then. I'm done with Chapter 1 and will tackle Chapter 2 this week. I use the answers to the QOTD FB questions to get a sense of what you guys want help with, so keep chiming in. the Fan page is becoming a data gathering tool for me to write appropriate material for the real issues parents face with feeding the family. Of course, you can always take a more direct route and email me with ideas or topics you'd like to see included.

To share topic ideas, or reader success stories (or just to say hi!) email me at jenna@foodwithkidappeal.com.

What to do with Vegetable Scraps - Vegetable Broth

I've been wanting to share this frugal, time saver kitchen tip with you for a while! It's pretty simple to maintain. You get a large ziplock storage bag and toss in veggie scraps as you're preparing vegetables. You keep your bag in the freezer, yank it out when you have veggie scraps, add to the bag and return it to the freezer. When your bag is stuffed to the gills, you make vegetable stock. This stock can then be used to add flavor and nutrients when cooking grains or pasta, or to make a pot of beans or soup. I love the idea of squeezing other meals out of veggie scraps, and avoiding tossing any of the nutrients in the trash. Sure, some of the nutrients are lost in the cooking process, but not nearly as many as are lost as when stems and stalks go in the trash!

I started doing this back when I got weekly co-op vegetables, and hated to waste a single penny of the small fortune invested in organic vegetables. Over the years I've learned more and more stuff I can add to my bag, like onion skins and the stalks of herbs like parsley and cilantro. In the bag above are: carrot peels, onion skins/tops, garlic skins, tough stalks of kohlrabi, asparagus and collard greens, celery tops, handful of dehydrated carrots/peppers that came home in Big Boo's lunch and the core of a purple cabbage. I've also saved the guts of winter squash (minus seeds), and the peel (organic only), leek and green onion tops (well washed of course) and other things I can't think of now.

What not to save

• Anything dirty. Wash produce first, so the peels/stalk are clean when you freeze them.

• Root ends. They are usually dirty and may harbor bacteria so toss those.


• Skins from produce that is not organic. If it's not on the dirty dozen list I suppose you could keep them, at your own risk.


• Celery leaves. They don't freeze well and foodies are on the fence about these, some say they'll ruin your broth making it bitter, others say they're good eats. Either way, fresh is OK, but they get wimpy after being in the deep freeze. The stalky part at the top of the rib is good eats for the scrap bag.

Vegetable Stock From Veggie Scraps

Stock pot full of water
1 gallon size freezer bag full of veggie scraps
1 bay leaf

1 tsp salt (optional)

10 peppercorns

directions Bring the water to a boil, add bay leaf, peppercorns and contents of veggie scrap bag. Reduce to a simmer, close the lid and simmer for 20-45 minutes. Strain the cooking liquid in a fine sieve, or cheesecloth over a colander. Discard vegetable solids. Place liquid in freezer safe containers and freeze or return liquid to pot and make vegetable soup.

You can also add some of your veggie scraps to a pot of chicken/beef stock in lieu of the traditional onion, ribs of celery, carrot combo. I always hate throwing away a perfectly good carrots, onion and celery for the sake of broth!

This frugal real food tip and recipe is particpating in the following blog events: LifeAsMom's Frugal Friday, MomTrends Friday Feasts, Food Renegade's Fight Back Friday and Designs by Gollum's Foodie Friday

Got a frugal kitchen tip to share? Click through and tell us about it in the comments.

Crunchy Garlicky Green Beans

One of our favorite super green veggies is green beans. The Boos favorite way to eat them is blanched then dipped in ranch. Hubby and I prefer them hot, garlicky and crunchy. LifeAsMom's weekly recipe swap is a pot luck theme this week. So be a hero at the next pot luck you attend and bring the green veggies. Vegetarians, dieters and foodies will all appreciate your dish. These are great hot at dinner, but taste just as good room temp if you can't keep 'em warm on the buffet table.

Not to mention this is an affordable dish, especially if you can nab green beans on sale. Fresh green beans only for this recipe. You can use frozen, but they won't be crunchy. This recipe is also participating in Pennywise Platter Thursday where you can find plenty of nourishing fare on the cheap.

Yeah, it takes a little time to snap fresh beans, but do it at night while you're watching a show. It won't kill ya! Or better yet, let the kids help and see if they'll nibble them while they work.

Crunchy Garlicky Green Beans

2-4 pounds of fresh green beans, stems removed (leave the curly tail on)
1 TBSP oil
5 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed
salt and pepper to taste (you could add some red pepper flakes if that's your thing)

Rinse green beans and bring a large pot of salted water in a dutch oven to a boil. Add green beans and stir beans. Set timer for 2 minutes. When timer goes off, strain green beans and immediately put them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Once they're cool, strain the water off. (this is called blanching by the way...) Meanwhile, heat dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil, then add cold beans, stir to coat with oil. Add garlic and stir constantly until garlic is fragrant about 1-2 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or room temperature. Leftovers go in the lunch box. Or chopped and on a green salad.

This recipe is also participating in Cooking Thursday.

Kid Appeal Tip One of the best ways to make the vegetables relevant to young kids is to get kiddos involved in the meal preparation. Snapping beans is perfect for kids of all ages, even toddlers (double check their work!) When the Boos were younger, a bowl of beans would keep busy little fingers occupied while I prepped other dinner items, and made a great pre-dinner snack. Even now that they usually play in the other room while I cook, they run into the kitchen and swipe beans to nibble raw. If you're working together, prompt your kids to try one raw (show them how it's done). After they go in the water, look and see how the color changes. At dinner see who can make the loudest crunch when biting into a bean. These long green beans make great finger foods for toddlers with teeth, and are great to practice taking bites off larger pieces of food. When the Boos were little I used to pick the beans up and tickle their hands with the little curly tail at the end. They loved it. Now that they're both learning to write, I bet it would be fun to draw a letter in the air with one, then gobble it up.

Flourless Nutty Fruity Chocolate Cookies

Alton Brown called these Pistachio Fruit balls. Little Boo calls them cookies, so I'm going with that moniker. Sugar free and flour free cookies?? Sounds like a winner to me. In response to Big Boo's frequent afterschool headaches and per my pedi's advice I've been trying to offer more quality protein snack options after school and to include in lunch boxes. No one should go hours on low fiber, low protein foods as it messes with blood sugar and for those prone to headaches like yours truly and big boo, protein and fiber both help regulate blood sugar and are critical to staving off headaches.

After last week's paneer journey and reading a lot about soaking nuts and grains to improve nutrient absorption, I decided to use up some of the whey to soak some raw cashews I had in the pantry. Of course after I had them soaking all night, I read this article telling me cashews shouldn't be soaked as long as other nuts. Sigh. I'm still on the steep end of the soaking nuts, grains and legumes for optimal nutrients learning curve.

I wanted a nuttier fruit ball, so I increased the nut to fruit ratio. I was almost out of cherries in my pantry, so my "cookies" have more dates, raisins, apricots and a tiny bit of montmorency cherries. Lacking pistachios, I used the not-so-optimized cashews. Which I toasted in a dry pan.

Dave Grotto, author of 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life cites research done at Michigan State University that claims eating 20 cherries a day may help with reducing headaches. Additionally they contain melatonin which may help promote sleep. I need less headaches and more sleep! Although I doubt my budget can swing 20 tart cherries a day, that's quite a cherry habit.

I am learning (slowly) about optimal nut nutrition, which means, soaking, then drying raw nuts and not toasting them. I'm kinda bummed about this, because I'm just starting my love affair with nuts, and I have to admit that toasted almonds are my favorite. Now I have to develop a taste for untoasted nuts. I'm sure it can be done, but I'm not happy about it.

Flourless Nutty Fruity Chocolate Cookies (inspired by this recipe from alton brown)
2 cups cashews
3 cups dried fruit (apricot, dates, raisins, cherries, mango)
3-4 TBSP fruit juice

directions: Put the cashews in a food processor and whirl until you get a fine chop. Reserve half, adding the other half to a bowl. Add dried fruit to processor and grind until you have a pasty looking mixture. Add dried fruit to half the cashews, add 3 TBSP of the juice and blend. Add more juice if you need more liquid in order to form balls out of the nut, fruit mixture. Form walnut sized balls out of the mixture and place in an airtight contain in fridge to set. Meanwhile, melt 1/2 a bag of dark chocolate chips in a double boiler. Spoon a dollop of chocolate on each ball, return to airtight container in fridge.

what do I do with extra chocolate and chopped nuts?
With extra chocolate and nuts? Make bark of course! Spread the remaining chocolate on the back of a sheet pan, fairly thin. Sprinkle with remaining nuts, and let set in fridge. Using a butter knife, release the chocolate from the pan in pieces. Store in airtight container. Who wants candy?


This recipe is participating in Real Food Wednesdays, hosted by Cheeseslave this week. RFW visitors, don't forget to leave a comment on this giveaway post for a chance to win Kids' Kitchen recipe card set, 40 large glossy kid friendly healthy food recipe cards designed to inspire kids to help cook. Recipe for Paneer included there. The fun part about making cheese is finding ways to use up the whey!

OK real foodies. Let me have it. I know there's some optimal dried fruit facts I need to know.

Big Words Little Foodie Recipe Swap - Meatballs with Mushroom Cream Sauce

Welcome new subscribers to the Big Words, Little Foodies Recipe Swap. I know many of you are bloggers so I hope today or next week you join in and play. Tuesday is the day to find the humor in the funny things kids say about food as we try our best to feed the family. It can be easy to throw our hands in the air when all the kids want are nuggets and pizza, but we know better! Kid's need real food. This weekly blog event is for parents to commiserate with each other by sharing the funny things kids say about food as they're learning to eat the family meal. Recipes are optional but encouraged!

To play:
1) publish a post on your blog fitting the Big Words, Little Foodies theme, and link up with Mr. Linky on this post.
2)Don't forget to link to this post within your post.
3) Not required, but feel free to right click and save the Big Words, Little Foodies .JPG above to use in your post.
4) Don't have a blog? You can still play, leave a comment and share the funny things your kids said this week.

Inspired by a reader who posed the question "what do you avoid serving your kids because you don't like it" on the facebook fan page, I decided it was high time for me to get over my fear of touching raw ground meat and make hubby two of his favorites, meatballs and mushroom cream sauce. Of course I was asking for trouble from the kids, but I hoped they'd feed off hubby's enthusiasm and at least taste it.

Readers who have been following for a while know that only one of my kids eats mashed potatoes. I had a huge obstacle to overcome when I set down a new main course recipe, meat balls in mushroom cream sauce served over big boo's enemy, mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes have gotten big boo's hackles up since he was 1. He ate them as an infant, but then abruptly stopped.

Big boo was really distraught when he came to the table and saw evil mashed potatoes and some weird meat globs floating in a light brown gravy, another unfavorite. He was complaining loudly. So I put him at ease with "you don't have to eat a single bite if you don't want to." Then I switched my focus to little boo. Little boo learned to like mashed potatoes and gravy a few months ago, so he was OK with the taters, but the gravy didn't look right. Our dialog went like this:

Little boo: I want only mashed potatoes. I don't want any mushroom sauce, that sounds so disgusting.

Me : You like mushrooms and gravy, I think you'll like them mixed up.
Little boo: I do like mushrooms, but not mushroom sauce.
Me: You don't know yet. You've never had mushroom sauce. You try it, then let me know.
Little boo: I don't want those meatballs.
Me: Did you know mama used to be afraid of meatballs too? I thought they were yucky and didn't want to touch the meat to mix in all the flavors and roll it into balls. But I did it tonight for the first time ever, and it wasn't bad like I thought it would be. Maybe you think the meatballs will be yucky, but after you taste them they won't be.

Meanwhile I finished my first serving and eagerly announced, "mmm that was so good, I'm going for seconds." Neither boy had taken a single bite. Usually I make something I know both the boys will eat when I'm making something new, to avoid total anarchy, but I was late getting these two dishes on the table I didn't have time to prepare a side veggie or even throw some fresh fruit on the table.

I just stopped talking about it with them, mostly because I was enjoying the party going on in my mouth, and I was bone tired after getting a very ambitious (and new) recipe on the table for a weekday dinner.

Eventually after enough silence and stationary forks, they both started nibbling. I deconstructed the meal for them, serving three meat balls next to a small serving of potatoes and the sauce optional to dip in (both declined sauce). Little boo tasted the taters first, then smashed up his meat balls with his fork and stirred it all together. He ended up eating about half of everything and even asked for more sauce. Once he started eating he didn't complain anymore. Big boo took little boo's lead and smashed up his meatballs with his fork and ate them up without complaint. After clearing off the meatballs he glared at the mashed potato pile and asked "how many bites do I have to eat to get dessert?" Usually I ask the boys to eat half or more of everything before taking dessert.

His unprompted agreement to eat mashed potatoes was a big step for him, so I told him "three bites." He looked at the taters, picked up his fork and took a bite, and then two more. I observed that he wasn't gagging or making funny faces while he ate them.

Me: "you know, I don't think you hated those bites of potatoes. How were they?"
Big boo: "fine."
Me: "fine, eh? I think you just learned to like mashed potatoes. I bet they're not your favorite, but I think you can eat them now."
Big boo (in denial): "no I can't."
Me: "it's weird isn't it. your brain was telling you you didn't like potatoes, but when you ate the, they were OK."
Big boo: "can I have dessert now."
Me: "absolutely. you kept your promise by eating three bites. I'm keeping my promise by giving you dessert."

Meatballs in Mushroom Cream Sauce (inspired by this recipe from life's ambrosia, her pic is way better than mine!)

Meatball Recipe
1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion diced
2 cloves minced garlic
slurry of 2 TBSP flax meal and 6 TBSP cold water (or 2 eggs)*
2 TSP Herbes de Provence
2 TBSP Soy Sauce (or Worcestershire)
1 TSP kosher salt
1/2 TSP fresh ground pepper
oil for browning meat balls.

Sauce
1 sliced onion
one package mushrooms sliced
2 TBSP flour
1 cup milk (I used half n half and thought it was too rich)
1 cup beef or chicken stock or (1 TSP home made vegetable bouillon + 1 cup water)
1/4 cup sour cream

meatball directions: Combine all ingredients and mix with hands to combine. Form into balls (I got about 50). Add oil to a pan on medium heat and brown the meatballs in batches. Remove meatballs to a plate until all are browned, I turned each one twice, browning on three "sides." Freeze half of meatballs for a meal later in the month (they finish cooking in the sauce.)

sauce directions: to the reserved pan drippings add sliced onions and mushrooms and cook until browned (8 minutes?). I used grass fed/natural meat so there wasn't that much fat left in the pan, I added 1 TBSP butter to get the mushrooms going. Add the flour and stir for one minute. Add the broth, and deglaze the pan, scraping off all the yum from the bottom of the pan. Add the milk and sour cream and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer, return meatballs to the pan and cook for 25-30 minutes until meatballs are cooked through. Serve over mashed potatoes, or plain pasta.

*I used the flax meal/water slurry instead of eggs to preserve eggs for main dishes. I buy free range eggs exclusively now and didn't want to use them up as a binder, so I used the flax as an egg substitute.

We had leftovers last night. The meatballs 'n' sauce were love at first bite for me and hubby, and by round two the boys were happy to eat saucy meatballs.

I look forward to reading your stories! Don't forget to link to this post from yours and add a description of your post in the mr linky to give readers a taste of your story.

Kids' Kitchen Recipe Cards for Kids Review & Giveaway

The Boo's and I chose 3 recipes to test in the process of reviewing Kids' Kitchen , a set of large glossy recipe cards for kids. The 40 easy-to-follow recipes written by Fiona Bird are grouped by eggs 'n' beans, fantastic fruits, milk 'n' dairy, spuds 'n' grains and vital vegetables. The set is vegetarian with no meat involved. Not to worry, protein is well represented by nuts, dairy, eggs and beans.

I reviewed the recipes with both boys and let them each pick a recipe. Little Boo would only consider "blue" cards in the milk 'n' dairy group and couldn't decide between hot chocolate and paneer. We did both. Big Boo short-listed Yummy Hot Bananas, and Apple Volcanoes. He had a tough time deciding, both being equally favored fruits, but the promised pyrotechnics of the apple volcanoes won out (this recipe was posted last week.) The apples were tasty, and what wasn't gobbled up when served were later chopped, cooked down with some butter and a smidgen of brown sugar to top steel cut oatmeal.

The recipe cards are large with a description, ingredients, cooking tools and a picture on the front, and step by step directions on the back. I like the separation of the ingredients and steps. It forces the discipline of getting everything out first, and then starting the preparation, a step I never take. This leaves me frantically looking for a spice or a measuring cup when my hands are gooey.

The reminders "wash your hands before you start" and "always have a grown up with you when you cook" are on every card. A handy tip I learned was the instruction to place a dish towel under a bowl before stirring so the bowl doesn't slip. And of course for steps where knife work is involved "ask an adult to help you...." is written into the steps.

Two recipes was too much for my three (almost four) year old. Big boo who's approaching six did fine with a seven step recipe.

My only complaint about the cards are the illustrations. They look like drawings a kid could produce, which may have had the goal of relating to the intended young audience. When preparing dishes we weren't familiar with, like paneer, it was hard to know from the rudimentary pictures how accurate our finished product was in appearance. Then again, maybe this is only an issue for the adult who cares about something looking "right" vs the goal of walking through the steps and ending up with any finished product to sample. The kids didn't complain!

This recipe card set would make a nice addition to any cookbook collection in a house where kids live. It would be a great tool to generate interest from kids to cook. Cooking with kids is one of the best ways to get kids to relate to food. I looked for studies that showed a link between involving kids in food preparation and a less picky palate, but didn't turn one up. I will tell you that every nutritionist and registered dietitian I've talked to thinks involving kids in food preparation and procurement plays a huge role in getting kids to taste food. My experience has been the same. In fact, when the boys were toddlers, they often ate more from the step stool while I was cooking than they did at the dinner table. If you have a picky eater of any age, do anything you can to get them in the kitchen with you.

If you're on the birthday party circuit order a bunch of these online and be done shopping for gifts all year. Now the recipes!


Hot Chocolate
1 cinnamon stick
4 3/4 cups milk
5 oz milk chocolate (chips or bars broken into pieces)

Add cinnamon stick and milk to a saucepan and bring almost to a boil, then lower heat. Add chocolate pieces and stir until chocolate has melted. Remove cinnamon stick, whisk and serve.
This hot chocolate is made with candy, so in my book it's a sometimes food. Little boo enjoyed snipping all the wrappers open and breaking the chocolate bars into pieces. Honestly I think he just chooses hot chocolate as a vehicle for marshmallows.


Paneer
2 3/4 cups whole milk
1 large lemon - juiced
handful cilantro, chopped finely
pinch of ground cumin

Heat milk until it boils, then remove from heat and add lemon juice. Liquid whey and solid curds will separate. Let set for 5 minutes, then pour through a strainer. Use the back of a spoon to push out more of the whey from the white cheese. Let strain for 10-15 minutes. Put the paneer in a bowl and allow to cool. To the cooled paneer add the chopped cilantro and cumin. Stir herbs and spices and serve with celery or on toast.



I was delighted little boo selected paneer. I've been wanting to make cheese for a good long while. Plus using up the resulting whey was a fun challenge and led to great waffles, and soaking of many nuts, legumes and grains. He ran off when we finished the hot chocolate, but I was able to lure him back in to watch the curds form and he helped me press the whey out of the cheese.

Note: I have paraphrased the directions in the review post, the cards are broken up into numbered steps and include language easy for kids to understand.

For a chance to win a copy of Kids' Kitchen do one or more of the following. Do as many as you like for a bunch of chances to win. This giveaway ends at midnight CST Sunday February 21st. Winner will be announced Monday Feb. 22 and contacted via email with instructions on how to get your prize.

1) Enter a comment on this post with an answer to this question: what is your favorite recipe to make with kiddos? (yes, toast counts as cooking with kids!) Don't forget your email address in this format "reader at gmail dot com".

2) For another chance to win tweet about the give away to your twitter followers, paste the tweet URL in the comment section.

3) For another chance to win, link to this post from your blog, leave the link to your post in the comment section.

4) For another chance to win, become a follower, email or reader subscriber, note in the comment that your a new subscriber. (current subscribers, note your comment for automatic double entry)

5) For another chance to win, join the food with kid appeal facebook fan page, note that you joined in the comments. (current fans, note it in your comment for automatic double entry)

Good Luck! This giveaway is participating in giveaway roundups on MomAdvice and Faithful Provisions.

Eat Like a Dinosaur - Get Kids to eat Veggies

Natural Food Colorings - Healthier Birthday Cakes

Birthday season is upon us. For the last couple years I've been saying that I'll buy natural food coloring so I don't have to add junkie chemicals to the boo's birthday cakes. Then I forget about it again until the cake is cooled and I've got the piping bag out to scribe "happy birthday Boo" on the cake. At that point I have a cake to decorate and no natural food coloring.

So, I just walked into the kitchen and threw out all my traditional food coloring bottles, and any other colored sugar decorating items. This way I can't possibly condone consumption of traditional food coloring again this year. Now I HAVE to solve the problem a better way.

I've considered these by Nature's flavor, but they are pricey! Maybe I'll just get a couple colors?

And these by india tree, more reasonably priced. If I order in the next day or so, they might arrive in time.

Also, I bought some annato seed at Georgia's, which might do for orange? Although I've never used them for coloring stuff, I bought them so I could. I know annato is used to dye cheddar cheese orange. I wonder if it has a taste in icing or if it can even be used for icing??

I'm looking for reader recommendations. Do you have experience with either, or know of another brand and where to order online, or buy retail? Click through, leave a comment and let me know! Thanks in advance!

Also, stay tuned tomorrow for a review of Kids' Kitchen, a recipe box set for kids and a chance to win this product. Tuesday is Big Words Little Foodies, a weekly blog event where you can read a collection of stories from other bloggers about the funny things kids say about food. See you there!

Happy Valentine's day :)

Big Boo hasn't decided what kind of cake he wants. Last year I made chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for big boo, carrot cake for little boo and hubby, and whole orange fudge frosted cake for my dad. We'll see if any new creations appear this year...

Give Produce to School Kids - Only Takes 5 minutes!

After watching the First Lady's launch of Let's Move, a campaign against childhood obesity, one of the initiatives involves major food vendors to reduce sugar, salt and fat in food as well as double the amount of produce being offered over the next 10 years. I'm all for school cafeteria's working hard to lower sugar, salt and fat in recipes to help kids maintain weight, but what's better than more fresh produce for kids? SlowFoodUSA.org is asking elected officials for more in the upcoming debate during the updating of the Childhood Nutrition Act. SlowFoodUSA wants to link schools to local farms, providing local jobs and giving school kids more produce. Turns out you don't need to alter recipes to reduce sugar when you offer apple slices or celery sticks.

For more on Michelle's Obama's initiatives, see the post I wrote earlier this week entitled "You ate what mom fixed - Good, bad or ugly"

Who said kid food has to be limited to pizza, nuggets and chocolate milk? A lot of kids go for baby carrots, sliced apples and a well stocked salad bar with greens, beans, eggs and plenty of tasty sauces to dip in. If yours doesn't already, become a subscriber to food with kid appeal and learn techniques to get even stubborn eaters to like fruits and veggies. Be a part of redefining "kid food." Make more choices available and feed kids more produce.

If you have 5 minutes right now, click here and fill in a form that will send a letter to elected officials asking for them to consider increasing the funding for school lunch programs so more kids can eat real food at school. Without additional funding, schools will only get a .20 cent increase per kid per meal, which won't help enough to get produce on the tray. Join the 32, 326 other folks that have written letters! Every letter counts. Don't let 5 minutes stand in the way of you doing a little to help. If you want to do more, see here for other ways to help.

more from SlowFoodUSA.org on their campaign to increase funding for school lunches

Historically “Congress has underfunded school lunch programs, to the point that today’s schools

have only $1 per child to buy ingredients. School nutrition directors do their best to

stretch that dollar, but it’s simply not enough to keep kids healthy.

SlowFoodUSA is calling for elected officials to:

1. Invest in health. Find the funding to give school lunch programs $1 more per

child per day.

2. Protect kids from the junk food sold in vending machines, cafeterias and

school stores. Approve the Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch

Protection Act of 2009.

3. Link schools to local farms, and teach healthy eating. Guarantee $50 million

for Farm to School programs.

Here's the press release.

As a reminder, stay tuned next week for a chance to win Kids' Kitchen, a boxed recipe set for kids. In it there are plenty of recipes using fresh produce you can whip up with kiddos. See you in the comments next week.

Get Your Preschooler Ready For School Lunch

I'm afraid. I admit it. Little Boo is a sloth at the table. He usually eats a good meal, but he takes an age to gobble up. This is not such a big deal at home, but in six months he starts pre-K and will leave for school with his Big Boo at 7a. That means I either have to wake him at 5:30a so he has time to eat enough protein and fiber to keep him going until lunch, or I have to teach him to eat quicker. I'm going for the latter.

Last week we started the Breakfast Challenge. This is step one of training for weekday meals when kids don't have a lot of time, and have plenty of distractions at the table. Distractions like being too sleepy to care about food, and too busy complaining about not wanting to go to school. School lunch distractions include sitting next to & talking to friends, general grade school silliness and self directed feeding with little adult assistance. Little boo needs a lot of training so he can be successful despite all these obstacles. But I have six months right? We can do it.

Are you scratching your head? Wondering what breakfast has to do with lunch? Remember, the skill I'm teaching is getting busy taking bites and finishing food in a set time limit. I chose to practice at breakfast because we eat breakfast together, just me and him, every morning. He's at preschool for lunch 3 days a week, so we could get more training time in the morning. Plus to be honest, I'm more concerned about breakfast than lunch. I know he'll get 25 minutes for lunch, and he already has practice eating with friends from the lunch box 3 x a week and does OK. But where he really needs to pick up the pace is breakfast. He has to be in his seat, with a full belly at 7:30a. Starting in August. Yeesh.

the breakfast challenge - here's how it went down

• timer - i set it for 10 minutes as soon as I put his plate in front of him.
• directions - i told him when the timer went off, i'd look at how many bites were gone and give him a smiley face, a straight line mouth, a sad face based. lot of bites gone = smiley. half bites gone = straight line, no bites or a few bites gone = sad face.
  
• data - i wrote down his food items on a piece of paper. when the timer went off, i observed his plate, and drew the corresponding face next to the food item.
• second chance - after i drew the faces i asked him if he was done, and if he said no, i told him he could finish. i looked at the time then noted how many more minutes he needed to get his fill.
• time span - we did this every day for 5 days. plus one more at his request on the sixth day. on the seventh day he wanted me to draw the faces on the paper, but not use the timer because he said, "that timer hurts my ears."

breakfast challenge results
he did better than i expected. since we were in the beginning of training, i was still reminding him to take bites when his mouth was empty by prompting with these statements "boo, your mouth is empty." "put another bite in, mouth is empty" "hey, where'd your egg bite go? that's a happy face for sure. what about toast, will it be a happy face too?" "uh-oh looks like milk is still a sad face, how can you move milk to a straight mouth?" i avoided running the clock. i didn't want him to be anxious about his progress by saying things like "hey you only have 2 minutes left and you haven't eaten much." i've found that the kids overcome obstacles better when they're focus on doing something (take another bite) instead of not doing something (stop playing with your fork and eat). Here's what happened, and some of the Little boo's commentary.

***disclaimer Sorry readers, I tried for an hour to figure out how to use emoticons in blogger and can't figure it out, plus I might have mucked up my template in the process. I'll get hubby's help and try to fix it so the next section is easier on the eyes, until then here is my hard to read, but still helpful post.

• day one - cheerios : | strawberries :) milk :| 5 extra minutes, cereal all gone. "double bites help go fast" 15 minutes total
  
• day two - egg :) toast :| juice :) 5 bites of toast left, he was finished so no extra minutes. "we need that list" 10 minutes total
  
• day three - oatmeal :) left over apple volcano :( milk :( marshmallow :). 2 more minute for milk from frown to straight. "i don't like apples very much. I only like marshmallows on apple volcanoes." 12 minutes total
  
• day four - toast :) egg :) juice :| 1 more minute to finish juice. "the bite I ate was very very lot of egg yolk. it was my favorite bite." 11 minutes total
  
• day five - oatmeal :) "i don't love oatmeal, i like it a little" only 2 bites left, 0 extra minutes, 10 minutes total.
• day six - toast :|, egg :|, milk :|, orange :( "but my tummy hurts from eating too much food." No extra minutes, turned out the "tummy ache" was just poop time!

He didn't do as well on day six. But I didn't prompt him at all. I wanted to see what would happen if I didn't encourage him to fill up his mouth. Not to mention I gave him too many choices. I should have put the orange in his lunch box. \ I expect he would have eaten more if the potty urge hadn't crept in so soon. But he ate 1/2 of everything so he got "enough." Other than hating to toss premium organic milk, bread and pastured eggs, I wasn't at all concerned about him not getting enough to eat.

This also carried over to other meals. At dinner if he finished one of his portions he'd say, unprompted, "look mama, a happy face for meat!" He seemed to like the challenge of it, and even though it was a bit of effort from me to remember to set the timer and track the data, I was pleased with the results. I'm a lot less fearful of weekday breakfasts now. I know we still have work to do, because I've never tried this with a groggy 4 year old. Now we're starting this at about a quarter to 8 or later, about 20 minutes after he wakes on his own.
lunch post roundup

• If you missed my post last year on what you can do to help your grade schooler eat up at lunch, here it is again. Right after my recipe for fish taco sauce, this is the #2 popular page of all the articles I've written. All I can say, is start early. Eating lunch in 25 minutes is not a skill kids come out of the womb with. Kids need practice in order to build timed eating skills that will ensure they get enough food to feed their brain during school.
• this guest post from Kimberly Hurd lists 5 suggestions to make healthy lunch more appealing for kids, and includes some nummy dip recipes.
• Looking for sandwich alternatives? Put yogurt parfait or cottage cheese and fresh fruit (no added sugar!) in a thermos for two of my kids' favorite lunch box items.
• Let kids pick out their own lunch box gear. Get them engaged with the process, and they're more inclined to eat up.
• Even real foodie kids want something special or in a wrapper in the lunch box. Consider individually wrapped dried fruit, or some of these "healthier" snack options so kids don't feel deprived when friend are eating nacho cheese doritos or fruit roll-ups.
  

Spill it. Are your kids gonna be able to finish their school lunch in time?

Stay tuned, later today I'll post about how you can help feed school kids more product by filling in a form to send letters to elected officials. And next week I'm giving away one copy of Kids' Kitchen, a recipe box set for kids.