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In a child’s eyes of food

Lately I have been trying to find ways to make meal time more appealing to my children. It is difficult to decide what to cook for dinner let alone what to cook that the whole family will eat.

I came up with a creative idea that well, I am sure many parent’s probably do is looking at the school lunch menu. First of all, I always hear how good lunch was at school what they had and happy they were to have the salad bar. At home though salad is an option but one would think that my kids just despised it like the plague.

When I got the idea to cook healthier meals I was worried that my kids would freak and I would get the “ooh gross” syndrome. Needless to say by keeping certain guidelines and combining what they like with things that they were serving in school, I think I have started a successful meal time around my house.

Today I wanted to make pizza, but knowing how greasy and expensive it was I was a bit hesitant. I made a normal trip to the store with a purpose this time, to find anything and everything I could find healthy that I could create a pizza to die for that my kids would eat, not knowing it was better for them.

I was successful, I bought wheat bagels, wheat pitas, and even wheat tortilla’s (yes, they make them). Also sodium free pizza sauce, and low fat cheese. I made a couple of pizza’s with each of the items and put on the pizza sauce, sprinkled the cheese baked in the oven at 350 for about 7 or minutes to melt the cheese and then the final touch was a splash of parmesan.

They were so excited about the variety of how the pizza was created and I even got a “mom, this is the best personal pizza I have ever had” I smiled and thought to myself “if you only knew how much better for you it is.” What a great dinner night in my house.

I guess living in a town of 900 people and no fast food restaurants within a 50 mile radius makes us greatly appreciate that our cholesterol levels are going to decrease.

Creative Imagination and Quality time

As a parent of 8 year old twins and a 2 year old, I have found it hard to keep them busy on those cold winter days. As the owner of Online Virtual Office Solutions and co-owner of Creative Touches we have created a new line of books to give you and your children the possibility in creating and keeping cherished memories that will last a life time. There is no better reward than seeing the smiles on their faces as they proudly display what they have created is a priceless gift.

“The one gift contemporary parents may not be giving their children is the gift of time”

In the next few weeks DS Creative touches will launch the release of  3 Books with the capability of PDF version or hard copies. Here is a brief description  of each book and stay tuned for their arrival.

Winter fun with Creative Imaginations & Quality Time – a book designed for the busy parent and active child. With crafts and printouts that will keep your child's imagination rolling.

Scrapbooking Templates created by DS Creative Touches gives you that memorable moment AHA without all the work in creating the pages although you can add additions to the pages after you print, you can add images digitally as well.

Animals & More Animals Coloring and Activity Book created with the use of pencil sketched animals giving fun ideas and teaching about the beauty of animals and education.

Kids Cooking For A Cause

How can we combine kids, cooking, and charity? This was a question that popped into my mind the other morning.  There must be a way to blend these three together in a way that’s good for the kids and good for the charity.  The answer came in a totally unrelated email the next day.  The Ronald McDonald House!  What better way for kids to practice their cooking and organization skills, and build confidence and caring than to provide a meal for an organization like the Ronald McDonald House?

The Ronald McDonald House offers a place for families to stay when their children are going through treatment at a nearby hospital. Instead of staying at a hotel which can get very expensive, especially if their children are in the hospital for a long time, families can stay at the Ronald McDonald House.  Here they get a big break on the cost of lodging and the chance to have meals without the high price tag of constantly eating out.  They also get companionship and support from other families who are also dealing with medical crises.

Volunteers are encouraged to either cook a meal at home and bring it, or use the Ronald McDonald House kitchen facilities to prepare a meal.  These families who have children in the hospital may not have the time, money, or energy to think about cooking.  What a nice way to say we care!

Each house not only has specific times of the day that they would like meals ready but possibly some different guidelines, so check with your local chapter.  Here is the link to find your closest Ronald McDonald House http://www.rmhc.com/who-we-are/chapter-search They also have meal suggestions such as pancakes and bacon for breakfast, sandwiches, soup, or salads for lunch, and ham and potatoes, casseroles, or chili for dinner.  A group of 7-9 people is all that’s needed to fix a meal for 30-45 people, depending on your specific Ronald McDonald House.

With some adult help, kids can do this!  It doesn’t have to be a Girl Scout group or 4H club, just gather your children and their friends. Or if you prefer, make it a family project.  Let the kids decide what to fix within the guidelines and take them shopping for the food. Prepare as much as you want ahead of time or cook it at the Ronald McDonald House.

These aren’t gourmet meals, just filling and satisfying food served with love.  All it takes is a little organization and time, and maybe a lot of chopping, but kids love to help others and will never forget this great experience.

Learning to cook can be educational child’s play for your kids, and now they can explore a cooking website that’s all their own. Cookin’ Kids is the place for easy kid-friendly recipes and much more! www.cookinkids.com Parents can visit too for their free Parent Tips.

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