As the mom of two busy finicky children, one in her second
year of college and one in his first day of sixth grade, it has been difficult
to get everyone to be on the same playing field when it comes to food. Eating
habits, emotional eating, finicky eaters, are all issues that many parents face
and things are similar in my household. The key to eating right is to manage. I
take the guess work out of healthy meals and want to give you a couple of tips
to get your kiddos raving over meals and even helping out in the kitchen. It is
essential that with everyone’s hectic lifestyles that we make eating together a
priority.
Tip #1: Make meals matter. It honestly doesn’t matter what
you serve on the plate that’s the priority here, it’s more making the time to
sit down and listen to one another. With everyone’s hectic lifestyles, make
eating together a priority.
Tip #2: Forget what the Jones’s are cooking and get
competitive in your own kitchen. Hell’s Kitchen is a TV Show, let the warmth of
the stove and the wonderful aroma from the kitchen be the only things hot. Don’t
bother with tempers flaring or rising. Enjoy the process of collaboration and
welcome ideas from the kiddos. Breakfast for dinner. Why not? It works and can
be nutritiously sound.
Tip #3: Be the Picasso on your plate. No one needs to
airbrush you, your life, your family or your cooking. None of us are Martha
Stewart so focus on the Impressionist Picasso. Think color on your plate. Green
leafy vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, are easy to prepare and have a ton
of flavor with a little steaming and extra virgin olive oil and vinegar for
instance. Protein such as chicken, fish, or even pork are good main dishes as
well as tomato salad, beet salad, and a little pasta with fresh pesto sauce.
Tip #4: Plan. Involve the children in meal planning and
grocery shopping. Meat Free Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, you get the picture. Have
fun with meal planning.
Prioritizing family meal times, forgetting what the Jones’
are cooking, think Picasso on a plate and planning are all surefire ways to get
your growling lions into taming pussy cats when it comes to eating. Enjoy.
Cold
Pasta Salad with Broccoli and Artichokes
Level of Expertise: Bachelors
1 pound bow tie pasta
1 bunch of Broccoli, halved
8-10 Pepperoni, cut into 1-inch
strips
1 jar, (6.5 ounces) Marinated
artichoke hearts, diced
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
3 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Directions: Cook pasta in lightly salted water
for 10 minutes or until almost tender. Add broccoli to boiling water during the
last 5 minutes of cooking and then drain. Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to
a bowl along with the other ingredients, and toss. Serve hot or cold. Parmesan
cheese as a topping, is optional. (From Dorm Room Essentials Cookbook) Buy Dorm Room Essentials Cookbook on Amazon
Easy Guacamole Recipe
Level of Expertise
Bachelor’s Degree
2 Ripe Avocados, mashed
1 Small Onion, diced (purple, white,
or yellow onion)
1 ripe tomato, chopped (Campari,
Roma, or garden variety tomatoes)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lime, squeezed and juiced
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions: Peel and mash
avocados in a medium serving bowl. Stir in diced onion, minced garlic, chopped
tomato, lime juice, and salt and pepper. Season with remaining lime juice and
salt and pepper to taste. Chill for half an hour in the refrigerator to blend
flavors. (From Dorm Room
Essentials Cookbook)
Orange
Freeze Fruit Flip
1 6-ounce
can of undiluted frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup of
water
1 cup of
nonfat milk (or goat milk, coconut or almond milk)
1 teaspoon
of vanilla extract
10 ice cubes
Directions: Whirl all ingredients in a blender
for thirty seconds. Makes four delicious Orange Freeze Fruit Flip Smoothies.
Kick It
Cooler
1 frozen
banana
2 to 3
Tablespoons of Natural Peanut Butter (chunky or smooth). If allergic to peanut
butter, substitute with almond butter.
1 cup of
orange juice
Directions: In a blender, mix frozen banana,
peanut butter and orange juice for one minute or blend until creamy. Serves
one.
Watermelon Hurricane
2 cups of
seedless watermelon chunks
4 scoops of
vanilla frozen yogurt (or you may substitute regular yogurt with ½ cup of ice
cubes)
Directions: Combine the watermelon chunks and
frozen yogurt in a blender, blend until smooth. Serves one.
Juice
Spritzer
Made with
fruit juice concentrate, this homemade soda is a healthier choice than sugary
commercial sodas.
1 Tablespoon
of frozen juice concentrate, any flavor
8 ounces of
seltzer water
Directions:
Spoon the frozen juice concentrate into a tall glass. Pour in the seltzer and
gently stir to mix. Drop in a few ice cubes if desires. Serves one.
Food Safety Tips for kids
1) Wash your
hands with soap and warm water.
2) Wear an
apron.
3) If you have
long hair, place in a clip or tie your hair back with a rubber band.
4) Read the
recipe before you start cooking.
5) Arrange all
of your ingredients, supplies, working surface and cooking utensils, bowls,
measuring spoon, etc.
6) Make sure
your working surface as well as cups, bowls are clean and ready to be used.
7) Always keep
paper towels, and a sponge on hand in case you spill. If using the oven, make
sure you have oven mitts.
8) If you are
chopping, use a cutting board and ask an adult or knowledgeable person to help
you if you need help.
9) When you
are cooking on stove, make sure all handles are facing inward.
Have fun cooking!
About Author Gina Meyers
http://www.ginameyers.com
I love food, I love to cook, and I
love sharing my unique themed cookbooks with the world. I have often been
asked, “How do I make a recipe gluten-free?” “What can I substitute for
buttermilk in a recipe?” “What type of wine goes with fish?” “Which one of your
cookbooks will work for large crowds, Senior Citizens, Cooking for Two People,
Singles, and College Student’s, etc.?”
Before I knew it, I was writing
cookbooks.
I am the
type of women who gardens in her heels, buys fancy aprons, but never ends up
putting them on, except for photo shoots. Allows my children to experiment in
the kitchen and quietly cleans up after them. I am best known for my Twilight
Cookbook, Love at First Bite. It was mentioned on the hit NBC Show, The Office.
Character Kevin Malone tells a pregnant Pam, “I cooked my way through the Julia
Child’s Cookbook, now I am cooking Edward Cullen’s Cornflake Chicken from The
Twilight Cookbook.” Twilight Star, Kellan Lutz, went nuts over Gina’s Twilight
Tribute Punch, secret ingredient, gummy worms.
I am also known for my popular
culture television trivia and cooking expertise books related to Harry Potter and
the iconic television show Bewitched and I am the proud winner of the prestigious Gourmand International
Cookbook Award for Best Charity Cookbook in the world, Hope For
Haiti.
