by on July 25, 2012   •   20 Comments Kids in the Kitchen

Blackberry Lime Cheesecake Popsicles

blackberry cheesecake popsicles

Written by Katie of GoodLife Eats.

It has been hot here in Colorado. Hotter than we anticipated before we moved here, but everyone assures me that this isn’t normal. To compensate we have been spending a lot of time at our neighborhood pool, not cooking a lot, and drinking as much water as possible.

Weeks ago, as temperatures soared over 100 degrees F, I knew that we needed to add “make homemade popsicles” to our summer to-do list. I kept putting the task off and forgetting about it as we got busy with our new summer routine and settling in a new place.

Well, I finally got my act together after ordering a fun new popsicle mold.  On top of my list of recipes to try was something creamy coupled with something fresh and fruity. These Blackberry Lime Cheesecake Popsicles fit the bill! I was glad to get something done from our summer to-do list. We’ll certainly be experimenting with more flavors and enjoying them with our beautiful Colorado Sunsets.

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by on May 21, 2012   •   36 Comments Kids in the Kitchen

Easy Recipes that Kids Can Cook

Last Saturday, May 19, was Food Revolution Day, and there was much chatter about real food and kids. In his TED prize acceptance speech in 2010, renowned chef and Food Revolution founder, Jamie Oliver had one wish: Teach every child about food.

Since that wish was made by Jamie, there has been a lot of progress made in the food revolution, but there is still much to do. Fortunately you can do your part and you don’t even have to leave your home.

Teaching kids about food can begin in the grocery store, as well as in the garden, but the real magic happens alongside you, in the kitchen.

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by on April 9, 2012   •   16 Comments Kids in the Kitchen

The Hunger Games: 5 tips for feeding your tweens

Editor’s Note: With the arrival of Clara, I’m taking a short maternity blogging break. I’m excited to welcome several guest writers, among them, my friend and mother of tweens, Jan of Family Bites. Welcome, Jan!

The Hunger Games might be the name of a popular book and movie series, but for me it’s an activity I participate in daily.

I live with three hungry boys: my husband and our two growing sons, who are 10 and 11.  Food makes up a major part of our daily lives, and not just because I spend my working hours as a food writer.  The people in my house eat so much these days that I would still be thinking about food around the clock, if only to devise ways of keeping my ravenous boys fed.

On average my kids eat 6-8 times a day.  There’s breakfast, a morning snack, lunch, an afternoon snack, a second afternoon snack, dinner, and yet another snack before bed.  When Ben, my oldest, has a hockey outing (which is five days a week right now) I can be certain there will be another serving of food interjected at some point in the day.

Why are my kids eating so much? Between the ages of 6 and 12, kids can double their body weight and grow up to two feet in height.  Both of my boys are in this stage right now, and between them we’ve seen 13 inches of vertical growth since spring of last year.

When you add in all of the sports and general physical activity, not to mention hormonal changes and a speedy metabolism, there is no doubt that these are hungry times, and they are likely to continue for another four or five years.

So what’s a mom to do?  I don’t have all the answers, but here are my tips for feeding tweens that have worked well for me over the past two years. [Read more...]

by on April 4, 2012   •   27 Comments Kids in the Kitchen

How to Dye Easter Eggs the Natural Way

Written by Megan of Stetted.

Our family is not religious, but we still enjoy celebrating the arrival of spring with a morning of hunting for brightly colored eggs, followed by an egg-laden brunch table.

We try to not let our son eat food with artificial colors in it, and this year I decided we had to make the same rule when it came to our Easter eggs. True, the colored shell of the egg is not eaten, but why bother with chemicals when you have Mother Nature’s bounty to give you gorgeous hues?

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by on March 16, 2012   •   81 Comments Kids in the Kitchen

Two Picky Eaters, One Dinner Strategy

Editor’s Note: With the arrival of Clara, I’m taking a short maternity blogging break. I’m excited to welcome several guest writers, beginning today with my friend Annie of PhD in Parenting. Welcome, Annie!

My kids both have a list of foods they’ll eat and foods they won’t eat. Pretty normal, right? The problem, however, is that I can count the foods they’ll both eat on one hand.

She won’t eat meat (except sometimes burgers or bacon), hates most sauces, isn’t a big fan of starches, and doesn’t like anything mashed or pureed. He won’t eat any legume or fruit or vegetable (except potatoes) unless it has been pureed or cooked into something else that masks its texture. What is left that they both like? Not much more than eggs, pancakes with maple syrup, cheese, bread and chocolate.

Cooking a meal that both kids like can be extremely challenging. While the advice to just keep trying and just get them to taste one bite has its place, that approach can also wear on you after a while. It isn’t a lot of fun hearing “I don’t like it” day-in and day-out.

So at our house, I like to balance putting new foods on the table with some strategies for pleasing everyone and providing balanced nutrition without cooking separate meals for each family member. Here’s how I do it. [Read more...]