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Have you Tried? Lots of fresh fruit including melons and pineapple, cut into bite-sized pieces and kept where kids can see them in the refrigerator Bowls of finger foods like grapes and berries Cut-up vegetables such as cucumbers, carrots, sweet bell peppers and crunchy jicama Healthy dips for veggies Easy-to-grab yogurts Use 100 percent whole wheat and whole grain breads and buns instead of white bread whenever possible, so that kids get the fiber they need. Serve the evening's vegetable as an "appetizer," when dinner is minutes away, and you still have a captive, hungry audience. A few bites of broccoli, sweet potatoes or crunchy raw vegetables are all healthy ways to start the meal. Add shredded carrot to tuna salad the next time you make a batch. Serve children over the age of two 1 percent or nonfat milk instead of whole milk for less saturated fat and calories. c.2005 - 2008 |
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Sensational Slush juice or pop , empty yogurt container with lid Fill a small yogurt container 2/3 full with juice or pop. Cover with lid and place in freezer for 1 1/2 hours. Then, mix with fork every 1/2 hour or so until to desired consistency. Orange Cooler Materials: large pitcher, long-handled wooden spoon, measuring cups, measuring spoon , 2 cups 100% orange juice, 1 tablespoon lemon juice (bottled or fresh), 1 cup seltzer water Directions: Pour all of the ingredients into a pitcher and stir well with a wooden spoon. Serve immediately in tall glasses. Homemade Soda Materials: Fruit Juice, Club Soda Directions: Fill a glass 2/3 full with your favorite fruit juice. Then add club soda and stir briefly. For variety, try mixing two or more fruit juices, like orange and cranberry or grape and lemonade, before adding the club soda. Snack Ideas Creamy Rainbow Rocks Mix the following: one envelope of sweetened Kool-Aid 2 c. water 1 ½ c. plain yogurt Freeze in ice cube trays. Yummy Parfaits Alternate the following ingredients in a tall glass: fresh fruit, whipped cream, pudding, and a cherry on top. Home Made Butter Balls whipping cream empty baby food jars Place 1 tbsp. of cream into a jar. Shake vigorously. Soon a lump of solid butter will appear. Spread on crackers. Food coloring or flavorings can be added! Muffin Pizzas 2 English muffins (whole-wheat, if possible) 1 small onion 4 fresh mushrooms 2 tablespoons canned tomato paste, no salt added 2 tablespoons water 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano Black pepper (optional) 4 thin slices part-skim mozzarella cheese Directions: Slice or separate the muffins into halves and place them in a toaster or toaster oven. Toast until the muffins are golden brown. While the muffins are toasting, cut the ends off of the onion and peel away the outer skin. Chop the onion into little pieces (smaller than a raisin). Wipe the mushrooms with a damp paper towel and slice off the very end part of each stem. Slice the mushrooms as thin as you can. Make a tomato sauce by mixing the tomato paste, water, and oregano in a small bowl. Add a dash of black pepper for a spicier pizza. Put your oven mitts on and place the toasted muffins on the broiler pan. Top each with 1 tablespoon of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the onions and mushrooms and place a slice of cheese on top. Put your oven mitts back on and place the pizzas under the broiler (of a stove or toaster oven), about 4 inches away from the heat. Broil until the cheese melts, about 4 or 5 minutes. Frozen Treats Frozen Apple Sauce and Fruit Cup 1 c Apple Sauce 10 oz pkg frozen strawberries, thawed 11 oz Can mandarin orange segments, drained 1 c Grapes, if desired 2 tb Orange juice concentrate Directions: In medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Spoon fruit mixture into individual dishes or paper cups. Freeze until firm. Remove from freezer about 30 minutes before serving. 7 (1/2 cup) servings. Frozen Fruity Yogurt 2 c plain yogurt 1 c Frozen or fresh fruit: banana, orange, strawberry, raspberries, or a combo. 1/4 c Honey Directions: Puree yogurt and fruit in a blender, adding honey once the fruit is well blended. Pour mixture into a container for the freezer: and ice cube tray, a shallow plastic container, or 9" square cake pan. Freeze for 30 minutes. \Spoon frozen mush into the blender container and whip for 1 minute. Pour mixture into popsicle molds or paper cups. Freeze for 10 more minutes and return to freezer until firm. Variations: Spices and other flavorings can be added as you experiment with fruit and yogurt combinations. For example, try 1/2 ts vanilla, 1/2 ts cinnamon, and 1/2 ts nutmeg whipped up with 1 banana. Or try mixing 6 oz frozen juice concentrate with 1 cup yogurt and one teaspoon of vanilla. Meals Children Love Yummy Tortellini 1 package (9 oz.) refrigerated cheese or spinach tortellini 1 tsp. olive oil 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. white pepper 1/8 tsp. garlic powder Dash ground nutmeg 1/4 pound bulk italian sausage 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/4 c. chopped green pepper 1/4 c. chopped fresh mushrooms 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour 1-1/4 c. milk 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese 1/8 tsp. Worcestershire sauce In a large saucepan, bring 2 qts. water to a boil. Add the tortellini, oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and nutmeg. Cook according to package directions until pasta is tender. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook sausage, onion, green pepper and mushrooms over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Drain tortellin; add to the sausage mixture. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and Worcestershire sauce. Yield: 2 servings. Ziploc Omelets Have individuals write their name on a quart-size Ziploc freezer bag with permanent marker. Crack 2 eggs (large or extra-large) into the bag (not more than 2)- Shake/kneed to combine them. Put out a variety of ingredients such as: cheeses, ham, onion, olives, cooked sausage, green pepper, tomato, hash browns, salsa, etc. Each guest adds prepared ingredients of choice to their bag and shake. Make sure to get the air out of the bag and zip it up. Place the bags into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes. You can usually cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot. For more, make another pot of boiling water. (or use 2 burner Roasting Pan for more) Open the bags and the omelet will roll out easily. Be prepared for everyone to be amazed. Everyone gets involved in the process and a great conversation piece. Soft Bean-and-Cheese Tacos 6 soft corn tortillas a chunk of Monterey Jack cheese 1 cup home-cooked or canned pinto or kidney beans 3 medium-size tomatoes (about 1 pound) 1 medium-size onion 1 cup chopped lettuce 1/2 cup bottled salsa Directions: Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and place them in the middle of the center rack. Set the oven to 275 degrees. This will make the tortillas soft and warm. Grate the cheese, to fill 1/3 cup, onto a cutting board. Use the side of the grater that has the large holes. Scrape the grated cheese into a small bowl. Drain and wash the beans. Place them in a medium bowl. Mash the beans with a potato masher or fork until they look slightly lumpy. Wash the tomatoes and remove the stems. Cut the tomatoes into bite-size pieces and place in a small bowl. Cut the ends off of the onion and peel away the outer skin. Chop the onion into very small pieces and place in the bowl with the tomato. Toss with your fingers to mix them. Place the chopped lettuce and the salsa in separate small bowls. Put on your oven mitts and remove the warmed tortillas from the oven. Place the tortillas on dinner plates (2 for each plate). Spread 2 heaping tablespoons of beans on each tortilla, then top with the cheese, tomato and onion mixture, lettuce, and salsa. Fold the tortilla so that it fits easily in your hand. Spuds 4 Russet or Idaho potatoes (about 6 ounces each) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash the potatoes with warm water and scrub them to remove dirt from the skins. Poke holes in the potatoes with a fork. Bake the potatoes for about 1 hour. When they are cooked, carefully remove them from the oven with oven mitts. Place the potatoes on a cutting board and let them sit until they have cooled enough to handle--at least 10 minutes. When cooled, cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Squeeze the potatoes by placing your fingers on either side and pushing in. This should loosen up the insides of the potatoes. Using the fork, lightly mash up the insides and make a well in the center of each potato half. Fill each well with 1/4 cup of any of the following toppings: - Ricotta Cheese and Spices Topping Mix 2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese with 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley. - Chili and Cheese Topping Mix 1 1/2 cups vegetarian baked beans with 1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese. - Yogurt and Broccoli Topping Mix 1 cup nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt with 1 cup cooked, chopped broccoli and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Sweet Treats Basic Chocolate Cake 1 cup margarine 1 3/4 cups white sugar 3 eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups milk 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool. |
| Prop Box Resources Include the following collections of objects and materials for children to create, discover, and use for imaginary play. Store collections in boxes or baskets to be accessible at any time (indoors or outdoors) for children to enhance their play. aprons blender books (recipe books from various cultures, storybooks such as Stone Soup--fair and equitable) bowls (a variety) chef hats cookie sheets crock pot cutlery detergent dish cloth dishes first-aid kit foods and ingredients (often purchased with the school's petty cash fund: flour, sugar, baking powder, food colouring, vegetable oil, etc.) fridge hair nets hand-mixer, either electric or manual hot plate knives (various types) measuring cups and spoons microwave oven muffin tins oven mitts paper and pencils (for recipes, grocery lists, etc.) popcorn maker posters (healthy foods, food sources, foods from various cultures, etc.) pots and pans (a variety of sizes and types) recipe cards and charts recipes (including ones for single servings and rebus recipes) skillet (electric) soap (clean hands are a must) spatula stove table (low) toaster oven towels (dish and hand) wooden spoon |
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