I have tried the “Oh, no this isn’t for you” line when my kids don’t seem interested in something new. Then it piques their curiosity and are often willing to try it. My middle son (just turned 6) is my little chef. He likes to help the most in the kitchen but also comes up with different combinations of things (for instance toast with marmite, butter and peanutbutter).
Yes, I’m having trouble creating the links to my list on Amazon. It says error on page whenever I try to insert the html.
I put in the text again, so you can see more of my list!
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My kids go back to school tomorrow, so today is quite crazed— hope to get a post up after they’ve gone to bed (hopefully early!!).
Now to cook some dinner 😉
It can be a real challenge to actually find the time to write this blog let alone cook a good meal and take photos while I’m cooking— I’m already multitasking with keeping kids occupied and/or mediating fights (and working my “real” paying job). So sometimes, I skip writing/posting to my site because I just can’t do it all. The other day I had someone over while I was cooking, I was busy talking and cooking so I couldn’t manage to actually take my camera out and shoot photos of the food before and during the cooking process. I’d have overcooked the veggies (actually I did slightly overcook the zucchini) and burnt the salmon (luckily not) if I tried that much multitasking. But she left just as dinner was ready, and it looked so delicious (it was) I had to snap some photos of the end result. 
If I haven’t mentioned before, salmon is my go-to main course. My kids love it, I love it and it only takes a few minutes to cook in a pan or on a grill. And if it’s seasoned with salt and pepper before it’s cooked there’s no need for sauce— so, easy.
Our dinner that was made in 40 minutes from start to finish including getting our charcoal grill started and hot enough. It would have taken only 20 minutes had I pan roasted the salmon (started on stove, finished in oven). I made mixed grains that take just 10 minutes to cook, broccoli and zucchini that each take 3-5 minutes plus the prep time. Oh, right and I made a coleslaw.
Everything was enjoyed… although it wasn’t eaten neatly or with them sitting at all moments. It’s more important to me that they eat well— getting them to eat with proper manners and without getting up is still a work in progress.
Simple Coleslaw
Cut 1/2-1/3 cabbage into 4 inch long thin strips and put in bowl with 2 shredded carrots. In separate bowl mix 4 heaping Tbsp of mayonnaise, 1 1/2 Tbsp cider vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, 3/4 tsp celery salt, pepper to taste. Pour over cabbage/carrots and toss. Chill if possible or just serve! Shredded apple or minced red bell peppers are nice in there too.
Guacamoley says:
I love this blog. I hear that same, incredulous statement so often; “Your kid eats that?!”. It’s nice to see another mom that just, well, feeds her kids. Seems so simple doesn’t it? They eat what the big people eat, tiny humans that they are 😉 I often think that parents don’t give their kids enough credit … they assume a child’s palate can only appreciate super sweet, salty or just plain bland. Having never made a separate meal for my kids I am totally amazed when people tell me they had the greatest dinner of fresh vegetables, flounder, ciabatta … and the kids had frozen chicken nuggets!
Happy to have found a kindred spirit on tumblr, keep up the good work 🙂
Time is never on my side. I am always in trouble with time— I never seem to have enough of it and when I think I do that’s when I really get into trouble. I am often late to things by just a little bit- but enough to be known that way. I don’t know how I do it sometimes; time just eludes me!
Well, planning dinner isn’t a great strength either, so you’ll see many posts of me having just come home, late, and needing to make something to feed the kids and me, fast. I totally believe in taking short cuts and using really good quality prepared foods when need be— other times I also need to make something I kind of planned but was too late home to make it the way I originally intended. And sometimes, just sometimes even when there isn’t the time I projected I can make something that’s pretty damn good and the kids love.
We had rushed home from a day of swimming and I had to use the sole my husband had bought before it was no longer any good. So, I called him, asked him for some instructions and made stuffed sole. Since it was so late, I just made a quick salad to go with it.
Stuffed Sole with Crabmeat Stuffing
Crab Stuffing:
In food processor chop bread, garlic, parsley, basil, celery, salt and pepper. Add olive oil until stuffing sticks together but is not gooey (see photo). 
In a bowl combine bread mixture and crabmeat. 
To stuff: lay sole skin side up and spoon stuffing onto tail end (thinner) of each piece (I should listen to instructions better). 
Roll so that it stays together but not too tightly. Pour a little melted butter (clarified) or vegetable oil into a baking dish, roasting pan or oven-proof skillet and place sole on top with the loose end down. 
Pour more butter or oil and 1/4 cup white wine over the sole and sprinkle a little paprika on top. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. 
It wasn’t an instant dinner, but it was one they all enjoyed. And since it was summer, time was on my side— no rush to get up for school in the morning.
My kids love looking at the lobsters in the tanks whenever we’re at the supermarket. They make me stop at the tank every time and my middle son always asks me to buy some. Our local family-owned supermarket was having a special on lobsters ($3.99/lb) and I just had to add two of them to my PEI mussel purchase. They’re usually double that price. I bought a pound of the mussels (an appetizer) which were on sale too for just $2/pound!
New England Clambake often consists of steamed lobster and clams (and maybe mussels), corn on the cob, potatoes and coleslaw. The best I’ve had was on tiny Clam Island off Branford, CT where the lobsters were cooked in a huge aluminum garbage can over an open flame with the traditional seawater and seaweed. Yum!
I had corn and potatoes from our CSA, but didn’t get around to making my coleslaw even though I had the ingredients. And I make a pretty good coleslaw. I just couldn’t get it together. It’s the end of summer and the kids are definitely acting like they’ve been around each other a bit too long. So I heated up the micro bok choy I’d steamed the night before instead. With Asian ingredients, hardly New England. So I might as well make my mussels ala Belgian or French style- white wine, chives, parsley, shallots, chopped tomatoes and a touch of butter. Plus, I took the corn off the cob (we only had 3 for 4 of us) and warmed it up with butter, salt and pepper. And I didn’t buy any clams, so I could hardly call it a “clambake” now. 
Well, whatever we call it. It was great! And it seemed like the perfect dinner for an end-of-summer night. Considering the temperature dropped the following day and it feels like autumn I’m glad I seized the sale. 
The kids were a little cautious with the lobsters. They can be a bit daunting. I think next time I’ll shell it for them and serve it with butter, garlic and lemon. My three year old gladly had the mussels but didn’t want to try the lobster right out of the shell. At least they all ate their bok choy and corn. And my husband got to have the left over lobster for lunch.
The kids are in bed, I’ve finally a moment to write… won’t you please recommend this blog? Here
Thanks to all who’ve recommended me and to all my wonderful followers!
So here in the U.S. we can choose to feed our children many things that are detrimental to their health. But we don’t always know that the food that we’re giving them is unhealthy, especially when they’re marketed/packaged in a way to appear healthy. In Europe there are labels on food with artificial colors that have been linked to health (esp. neurological) problems. Maybe we’ll catch up. In the meantime, be armed with the knowledge to make the right choices for your kids. And stay clear of the bright blues and neon oranges… it’s unlikely to come directly from nature.
And more: http://cspinet.org/new/201006291.html
My kids and I love smoothies and I make them all the time. They are so good— as in, for you and taste! I use frozen fruit so there’s no need to add ice and the berries are always organic. I often put in a fresh ripe (or even over-ripe) banana or two, yogurt and juice, but I make them all different ways/combinations (endless combinations, really). Sometimes I use coconut water or milk, sometimes vanilla yogurt or a berry kafir milk but whatever combination I use they’re easy and delicious.
Today’s Smoothie
In a blender mix:
Looking at the side of the blender you will want to have the liquids be about 1/2 way up the frozen fruit (anything less will be hard to blend and too frozen). If you put the largest frozen pieces on the bottom and the banana on top, it helps the process. 
Blend on high until the top of the mixture is pulled underneath and all is smooth. Serve. Enjoy.
(Honey makes a nice additional ingredient and if local can help manage seasonal allergies.)
Some fruit/juice combinations:
Strawberries, blueberries and banana with orange juice and fruit punch
Mango, blueberries and banana with pineapple juice and coconut milk/water (Mango-Blueberry Colada)
Cherry and blackberry with cranberry juice
