Great Sunday Dinners

Great Sunday Meals

“It’s Sunday, so it’s roast beef for dinner”. How many times have we said these words, or similar, to our families? Most of us have a fairly regular routine of meals with certain foods, or types of foods on certain days. Very often these are meal ideas which have been handed down from our parents and are perhaps recipes that they have taught us themselves.

Delicious

Whilst these tried and trusted recipes may be delicious, the routine can also become dull and uninspiring and food is supposed to be about enjoyment and not simply nutritious. With an ever increasing amount of TV programmes now dedicated to cooking, it shouldn’t be hard to find some new recipes to try out on your family. Of course, not all of these will go down as well as you would have liked and it may be wise to have a few ‘back up’ frozen meals on hand in case of a disaster such as the case of the cook who misread the recipe and included a tablespoon of chilli powder instead of a teaspoon!

Family Foods

Generally speaking though, most of us will have an idea of the type of food that our families like. Those with teenagers will probably notice that they have more esoteric tastes and may be able to take more chances on new recipes with them. Very often this will be world cuisine with a wide range of flavours and spices. Some of us, perhaps more so in the colder winter months, prefer traditional British cooking. Even here though, there is plenty of scope to try out new ideas. An example of this may be that instead of having roast beef on a Sunday, why not try an alternative beef recipe such as beef wellington. Whilst adding variety to Sunday lunchtime, this new recipe will also satisfy those who enjoy traditional food and will provide a nutritious and tasty dish for all of the family and goes well followed on by a Victoria Sponge.

Experiment

The rest of the week can also be used to experiment and find out what foods your family does and doesn’t enjoy. Even when having old favourites such as sausages, take the opportunity to try some of the new varieties of sausage that are available and don’t forget to vary the vegetables too. Instead of perhaps peas and carrots, why not try one of the long forgotten British vegetables such as turnips or swedes or alternatively, go continental and roast some courgettes and aubergines.

There are no hard and fast rules with cooking and whilst there are some things which seem to naturally go well together, new combinations can be tried which may surprise you. After all, who would have thought that scallops would be so delicious with black pudding? Although an unusual combination, someone must have decided to try it as an experiment and found out that they combined well together. Why not discover your own combinations and expand your family’s taste buds to newer and tastier things.

About the Guest Author:

Marian Keane is a lover of cooking. She loves cooking for her family and also loves experimenting in the kitchen too. 

Fun in the Kitchen

How To Involve Your Children In The Kitchen

As every mother knows, children can be a frustrating mixture of creativity and pure stubbornness. Nowhere is this more obvious than in their choice of food. Whilst they can have hours of fun with just a cardboard box, using it as a car or a house, when it comes to food, they are usually pretty set on what they do and don’t like, and in most cases, what they do like is sweetness.

This can be of concern to the mother who, whilst wanting her child to enjoy sweets, also wants them to grow up eating healthily. One way in which this can be encouraged is by involving children in the cooking process. Whilst it is unlikely that this will get them eating the dreaded broccoli overnight, it will set off the process of curiosity about how food is cooked and what can be done with it, and will open their eyes to the possibilities of making food both interesting and delicious.

Naturally, there is no point in starting them off on what they will most likely consider to be uninteresting foods; i.e. vegetables; it is perhaps best to start by involving them in the cooking of things that they do like such as deserts.

An easy recipe to start with, but one which is delicious for both adults and children alike is lemon drizzle cake. Naturally, children should not be allowed near the hot oven that is needed to bake the cake, but they can get fully involved in the mixing of the ingredients and the decoration of the cake.

Warm Aromas

Those of us old enough to remember the time when cakes were made at home rather than bought will no doubt fondly remember the warmth and aroma of the kitchen as our mothers baked the cake, and without a doubt, the highlight for the children was the licking of the mixing spoon, something which many children are denied the pleasure of now.

Do make sure when you make this cake to provide plenty of extra space to give your child the freedom to make a bit of a mess when mixing the ingredients; remember, it is supposed to be fun as well as educational for them. Once they have mixed the ingredients, it is time for mother to take over and put the cake into the oven for about 3-4 hours. It is probably a good idea during this period to let the children play whilst you tidy up the area, it will probably take that long!

Cool Down

Once the cake has cooled to room temperature, it is time to mix the topping ingredients together and decorate the cake. Whilst zigzag lines are the traditional decoration for this cake, there are no rules and by giving the children free reign, they are more likely to enjoy doing it and even if it is a mess, they will have had a great time and it will still taste great too.

There are no guarantees that this experience will get them to eat vegetables or homemade fish fingers the next time out, but you can be sure that you have set them off on a road of discovery about food; one that means they will be keen to discover new foods for themselves and you get to eat some delicious cake in the process too.

About the Guest Author:

Lorcan Delaney is a writer for a number of food blogs. He has also worked on a number of women’s blogs and is a parent and understands the struggle.

Healthy Eating for Kids

Fast Snack Ideas Kids Love

Children love to snack. Unfortunately, most snacks that you can buy in the store are unhealthy. They’re packed with sugar, fat, and sodium. None of this is good for your health or your children’s. With a little advanced planning, you can have quick and easy snack ideas on hand at home. Here are seven fast snack ideas your kids will love.

Apple slices and cheese

It sounds so simple and so basic but children love apples and cheese. Add a few whole grain crackers and even some slices of ham and you have a well-rounded and healthy snack idea. The good news is, it only takes minutes to prepare. Make it fun and use a small cookie cutter to cut the cheese into fun shapes.

Ants on a log 

This is an old favorite and can be prepared two ways. The foundation of both preparations is celery sticks cut into two to three-inch lengths. Place natural peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese down the middle. Now top with raisins or chocolate chips – they’re the ants!

Gorp 

Gorp stands for good old raisins and peanuts. However, you can give it any twist you like. Many children are allergic or don’t like peanuts. Substitute dried fruit chips, whole grain cereal like Cheerios or Chex. Add a few chocolate chips or candies and your children have a high fiber snack they can eat by the handful. Prepare a large batch of it and serve it as an after-school snack. It’s also great for road trips.

Baked chips and salsa

Again there are two approaches to this tasty snack. You can use wonton wrappers or corn tortillas. With the wonton wrappers cut them into triangles. You’ll get two triangles per wrapper. Brush them with a little bit of sesame oil and sprinkle with salt. Place them in the oven at 350 degrees F for ten minutes. Watch them carefully. When they begin to brown at the edges they’re done. Let them rest for a few minutes to get crispy, then serve plain or with a fruit-based salsa or chutney.

If you’re using corn tortillas, cut them into squares, brush with vegetable oil and place in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes. Again, watch the time because they can get too dark very quickly. Serve with salsa.

Edamame

Edamame are soy beans in their shell. You can buy them frozen or fresh. Place them in a microwave-safe bowl. Place water in the bottom of the bowl to steam the beans. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for three to five minutes. Test. If the beans are still cool, warm for another few minutes. Sprinkle salt on the beans and enjoy.

Hummus

Hummus is a mixture of chickpeas and tahini (sesame paste). It’s usually made to taste. Begin with a can of chickpeas and a tablespoon of tahini. Add garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with vegetables to dip.

Air-popped popcorn

You can buy an air popper for under twenty dollars. Keep fresh popcorn on hand. You can buy it in bulk. Melt margarine or spray with low-fat margarine topping. Sprinkle salt lightly and enjoy.

Kids love to snack and eat. With these seven quick and easy ideas you can be sure they’re eating healthy too.

Children are Paying the Price of Bad Nutrition – Don’t Let Yours Be One of Them!
Today’s children are receiving a one-two punch of bad nutrition. Not only do families have less time to cook, but healthy activities like tag and sports are giving way to indoor pastimes like watching television, playing game consoles, and using computers. The current generation of children is showing a clear decline in their general standards of health.

With the statistics for child obesity, child diabetes, and related illnesses rising year by year, this is definitely the time to make nutrition a priority. Luckily, studies have also shown that children who learn good nutrition habits tend to keep these good habits throughout adulthood.

Please don’t wait. This one purchase could change your child’s life and decrease the likelihood of serious health problems both today and down the road. Buy “Healthy Eating for Kids” today, and set your child on the path to lifelong good health.

Healthy Eating for Kids

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