Kids Cooking and Cookbook Blog

Most children love to work in the kitchen.

During this time of being restricted to our homes, we have more time to think. Perhaps we think about what we could be doing, or what we would like to be doing. And before you know it, you are thinking about what to eat again.

Yes, food and mealtimes have been a cause of concern for many. What will we eat? Do we have enough food? How do we fix what we have?

Why are rabbits part of the Easter celebration? This might be a question children ask. They may equate Easter only with candy, toys, colored Easter eggs, and rabbits. But many will know it has an important religious significance. A large part of the world will celebrate the glory of the Resurrection and share the joyful news of the Risen Christ.

In the book How the Rabbit Became the Easter Bunny, the people in Oohs and Ahhs land also had questions over the celebration of this day. Other holidays had various traditions, but there was none that would show the special significance of Christ’s resurrection into heaven. So they asked the Wise Man what to do.

In observance of a special occasion, the rivalry of two southern football teams for the NCAA football championship, here is a soup dish you can enjoy while watching the game, or anytime.

There is nothing like having a big pot of hot soup ready for invited or drop-in company. It is certain to be a high tension game and hot food can help calm the nerves.

Here is a soup recipe even the kids can help prepare for that special event. It is fast and easy and is a one-pot meal.

Kids cooking and eating patterns change with the seasons. During springtime they are more apt to want lighter and brighter foods.

Author Amy Houts, in her book Cooking Around the Calendar With Kids — Holiday and Seasonal Food and Fun, offers a wide choice of foods that deliver springtime flavors.  For May Day, Mother’s Day, Independence Day, and just about every occasion in-between, these recipes will get kids in the kitchen whipping up their creations.

Early recollections of Easter dinners bring back memories of coloring Easter eggs and making kolaches. We looked forward to sweet treats because those were given up for Lent. Usually we had a few apples that were wrapped in newspapers to help keep them from shriveling. These made up into delicious apple-filled kolaches.

This is a yeast bread that is filled with any number of fruit and other fillings. There are many variations but a couple of my favorites are the apple-filled kolaches and poppy seed kolaches, shown here.

When the Wise Man interviewed animals to be carriers of the good news at Easter, the rabbit was not interested.  Many other animals appeared more worthy. Why was the rabbit chosen?

Award winning author Bob Bohlken imparts his love of words and listening in this Easter story, How the Rabbit Became the Easter Bunny.  Here in the land of Ooh and Ahhs, the Wise Man searches for the best way to celebrate Christ’s resurrection and the rebirth of spring. He interviews animals to find the ideal one to deliver hope and love at Easter.

In this book, children will learn:

When kids come home from school, where do they usually go first? To the kitchen, of course! They are starved. They want something – anything- that is ready to eat, right?

Kids need a jolt of nutrition at this time of day. It helps if moms and kitchens are ready for the burst of activity when they come home. Kids want to know “Where’s the food?”!

Here are 3 how-to’s that can set the stage for encouraging your children to snack smart without any lectures about healthy foods from you:

Do your kids have a sugar addiction? Need help in getting them to control their sugar intake?

Getting the sugar intake under control is important for health reasons as well as weight control.

Here are simple techniques you can use to help children cut down on their sugar consumption and put them on the road to looking and feeling great.

Stock cabinets and refrigerator with fruits and vegetables instead of chips, cookies, and candies. As the expression goes, “Out of sight, out of mind.”

After reading Sandra Beckwith’s email about “Blogging when you write children’s books” I searched for the book mentioned, Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking by Vivian Kirkfield. The title sounded very familiar and I was quite sure I had it. And I did – an autographed print copy at that!

I remember being excited about receiving the book because it had lots of simple cooking ideas for children and lots of fun things to do with kids. After I received it, I realized the entire book was packed with activities and recipes for children that would help any parent, teacher or grandparent use with their young ones. I could see the real value in having this available. Here are the highlights:

With the start of the New Year I want to introduce some of the different ways our books help families. I started writing and publishing books to help families with their food choices and then added other books and resources to help promote family well-being through healthy living.

From the beginning, the goal was to prepare foods in season, such as what to do with all those apples. Now there are three cookbooks on ways to prepare apples. Healthy to the Core! All Natural Low Sugar/No Sugar Apple Recipes for Kids is the latest.