I just got a call from my good friend Angie, who lives near Athens, Georgia. That's were REM and the B52's are from. She had just returned from a concert.
But this one was put on by her son's kindergarten class. The kids had practiced the songs for 2 weeks--even missing PE in pursuit of musical perfection. We have all been to these performances, right? All the parents smiling and a very involved parents sing along softly. The other cute little kids singing just perfectly while your own kid picks his nose. (Or do you have one of those perfect kids?)
Anyway, as the last song of the concert, the kids sang a song called "A Pizza Hut." Just take a moment to listen: www.songsforteaching.com/stephanieburton/pizzahut.mp3 The song even has motions!
So much for believing that it's just big industry marketing junk food to kids. Obviously, at least one kindergarten teacher is in on it, too. Or more than one...there's even a teaching unit that goes with the song.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Friday, March 16, 2007
Breaking Things in the Kitchen
This morning I boiled water for my coffee in a kettle missing the handy flip-top spout cover that makes the kettle whistle. So, I really focused my pre-coffee brain on not forgetting I had turned the water on to boil.
That's important because I didn't want the water to boil away and leave the kettle cooking dry. I know that's a bad thing because I ruined my last kettle by cooking it without water. Doing that makes the black interior lining flake off into your coffee.
You may be wondering why I don't have a coffee maker. I broke it.
I also broke my food processor recently by banging the lid against the edge of the counter. I just so happened to crack off the gizmo that allows the lid to lock. And we all know the lid has to lock or the processor won't turn on. (That is a good thing... I need that type of protection.) Fortunately, my patient engineer husband figured out how to jam a chop stick into just the right spot to override the locking mechanism. So, technically, the food processor still works.
But, instead of using the technically-working-food-processor-chop-stick combination, I generally just use the blender. It still works well, though lately I have been smelling that distinctive "I'm going to die" smell whenever I use it. That will give me an excuse to replace it. For the last six months, I have been using it without the little clear plug on the lid. It fell through the lid once when I was pureeing soup. The lid part was ground into a million tiny plastic shards in the 10 seconds it took me to realize why the blender sounded so funny. (No, we didn't eat the soup!) So now I have to blend things with my hand over the hole and that's just gross.
And then there's the vacuum...
That's important because I didn't want the water to boil away and leave the kettle cooking dry. I know that's a bad thing because I ruined my last kettle by cooking it without water. Doing that makes the black interior lining flake off into your coffee.
You may be wondering why I don't have a coffee maker. I broke it.
I also broke my food processor recently by banging the lid against the edge of the counter. I just so happened to crack off the gizmo that allows the lid to lock. And we all know the lid has to lock or the processor won't turn on. (That is a good thing... I need that type of protection.) Fortunately, my patient engineer husband figured out how to jam a chop stick into just the right spot to override the locking mechanism. So, technically, the food processor still works.
But, instead of using the technically-working-food-processor-chop-stick combination, I generally just use the blender. It still works well, though lately I have been smelling that distinctive "I'm going to die" smell whenever I use it. That will give me an excuse to replace it. For the last six months, I have been using it without the little clear plug on the lid. It fell through the lid once when I was pureeing soup. The lid part was ground into a million tiny plastic shards in the 10 seconds it took me to realize why the blender sounded so funny. (No, we didn't eat the soup!) So now I have to blend things with my hand over the hole and that's just gross.
And then there's the vacuum...
Holy Mackerel! Part 2
Well, I tasted the mackerel. It was . . . interesting? I didn't hate it but I didn't love it. It was just a bit fishy for my taste. (Sorry, Yoko!)
Funny thing is, my 5 year-old devoured it.
Funny thing is, my 5 year-old devoured it.
Friday, March 9, 2007
Holy Mackerel! Tasting New Foods.
Yesterday, I took a Japanese friend of mine to my favorite fish store, Tom's Seafood in Lakewood (near Denver). My friend loves seafood--and so I knew she'd love Tom's. She did.
While she was looking at all the fish, I decided to make my purchase.
"How's it going Tom? I'll have the boneless trout fillets, please," then added, "and 20 shell-on shrimp."
I'm not afraid of a few shells, after all. Well, not very afraid. Tom wrapped up my order in shiny white paper and taped it with narrow masking tape.
Then, Tom turned to my friend. She said she was going to get a whole mackerel. (You know, as in "Holy Mackerel!)
"What are you going to do with that?" I asked her, sounding like a snotty 8-year-old, but unable to mask my disgust.
"Eat it!" was her answer.
"But it's whole." I pointed out. "You'd have to, I don't know, scale it and stuff. There's going to be bones. And there could be guts." I finished in a whisper.
My friend laughed. "No! You just chop, chop, chop. Then cook it up. The bones soften."
"Oh, she knows her fish." Tom nodded approvingly. "Do you want a mackerel, too?" he asked me.
"NO! I mean, no thank-you. I'll stick with my trout and shrimp."
I was surprised at my reaction. It's been a long time since I was grossed out by the mere thought of a food. Or, in this case, the thought of just preparing a food. But the experience reminded me of how it feels to be a kid faced with a new, weird food. When a food seems suspect, very strong instincts kick in. And those instincts are screaming "NO!" not "No thank-you" and certainly not "It'd be fun to try a bunny bite."
But, I am not a kid. And I have agreed to take a bunny bite of the mackerel today. I'll let you know.
Meanwhile, my kid's loved the trout and so did I. Here's the recipe:
Plain (Kid-friendly) Fish Serves 2 Smart
To make plain fish more appealing, buy a very fresh, mild fish like farm-raised trout. Then flavor it with a familiar spice your children like and serve it with ketchup. It’s not gourmet, but it sure is healthy!
**Be sure to ask the person at the fish counter if the fish you are buying contains any bones. If it does, use tweezers to remove the bones before serving it to your kids. (Or just buy a different type of fish that doesn’t have bones.)
Variations:
While she was looking at all the fish, I decided to make my purchase.
"How's it going Tom? I'll have the boneless trout fillets, please," then added, "and 20 shell-on shrimp."
I'm not afraid of a few shells, after all. Well, not very afraid. Tom wrapped up my order in shiny white paper and taped it with narrow masking tape.
Then, Tom turned to my friend. She said she was going to get a whole mackerel. (You know, as in "Holy Mackerel!)
"What are you going to do with that?" I asked her, sounding like a snotty 8-year-old, but unable to mask my disgust.
"Eat it!" was her answer.
"But it's whole." I pointed out. "You'd have to, I don't know, scale it and stuff. There's going to be bones. And there could be guts." I finished in a whisper.
My friend laughed. "No! You just chop, chop, chop. Then cook it up. The bones soften."
"Oh, she knows her fish." Tom nodded approvingly. "Do you want a mackerel, too?" he asked me.
"NO! I mean, no thank-you. I'll stick with my trout and shrimp."
I was surprised at my reaction. It's been a long time since I was grossed out by the mere thought of a food. Or, in this case, the thought of just preparing a food. But the experience reminded me of how it feels to be a kid faced with a new, weird food. When a food seems suspect, very strong instincts kick in. And those instincts are screaming "NO!" not "No thank-you" and certainly not "It'd be fun to try a bunny bite."
But, I am not a kid. And I have agreed to take a bunny bite of the mackerel today. I'll let you know.
Meanwhile, my kid's loved the trout and so did I. Here's the recipe:
Plain (Kid-friendly) Fish Serves 2 Smart
To make plain fish more appealing, buy a very fresh, mild fish like farm-raised trout. Then flavor it with a familiar spice your children like and serve it with ketchup. It’s not gourmet, but it sure is healthy!
- 1/4 pound (or more) boneless, farm-raised trout fillet per person **
- Olive or canola oil
- Seasoning mix (lemon pepper, garlic salt, seasoned salt, etc.) that your family is already familiar with and likes
- Ketchup (optional)
**Be sure to ask the person at the fish counter if the fish you are buying contains any bones. If it does, use tweezers to remove the bones before serving it to your kids. (Or just buy a different type of fish that doesn’t have bones.)
Variations:
- Try other types of fish. Ask the person at the fish counter to recommend some mild, boneless types to try.
- If you have a countertop two-sided grill, grill the fish for about 5 minutes per 1/2-inch thickness of fish.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Teaching Nutrition to Kids
I've been cooking at my kid's school again. This time, I had a group of highly attentive, well-behaved, extremely polite kindergarteners. (I have no idea what spell the teachers cast that caused the kids to say "please" and "thank-you" and to sit quietly waiting for directions. If I find out, I promise I'll share.) We made brown rice balls dipped into peanut butter sauce. The kids really loved it. Only one child declined entirely, and about three didn't seem to like it. The rest ate it and a quite a few shoveled down ball after ball of the stuff, while mumbling with pleasure.
The interesting part for me was that none of the kids seemed to notice that the rice tasted different than usual. Surely not all of them have whole-grain, brown rice at home. So, wanting to incorporate some nutrition lessons into the activity, I mentioned that the rice was brown. They all looked at the rice quizzically, then back at me, then went back to eating. I guess it didn't exactly look brown. Next, I told them that this so-called brown rice is a good-for-you whole grain, with all the healthy vitamins and fiber in it. Again they looked at their rice. Then, nodding in agreement, one of the kids said, "Yeah, it's good. Can I have more?"
This whole conversation (or lack there-of) made me laugh . . . and reminded about what the research shows: Kids learn about nutrition from eating, watching others eat, and watching adults shop, cook and order food in restaurants. So, nutrition education that works is hands-on (or maybe mouths-on?). It is the only way kids will ever really learn to love healthy food.
Actually, my kid's former preschool teacher has come up with the ultimate nutrition education program. Her students take turns bringing snacks for the class. The catch is, they can only bring in fruits and vegetables. The school supplies crackers and water. The results? Over time, Sue reports that the kids are learning to eat and enjoy all types of fruits and vegetables. Meanwhile, the parents like knowing exactly what to bring and are thrilled that their preschoolers are getting peer-pressure to eat fruits and vegetables.
So, want to do some nutrition-education in your own home (a.k.a. make dinner)? Here's my recipe for quick peanut sauce. Try it on chicken, shrimp, steamed vegetables, brown rice and/or quinoa.
Peanut Sauce (serves 4, depending on what you do with it)
1/4 cup natural peanut butter (no trans, of course!)
1/4 cup hot water
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
1 Tablespoon soy sauce (or a bit more)
Whisk all ingredients together until creamy- or have a kindergartener do it. Enjoy!
The interesting part for me was that none of the kids seemed to notice that the rice tasted different than usual. Surely not all of them have whole-grain, brown rice at home. So, wanting to incorporate some nutrition lessons into the activity, I mentioned that the rice was brown. They all looked at the rice quizzically, then back at me, then went back to eating. I guess it didn't exactly look brown. Next, I told them that this so-called brown rice is a good-for-you whole grain, with all the healthy vitamins and fiber in it. Again they looked at their rice. Then, nodding in agreement, one of the kids said, "Yeah, it's good. Can I have more?"
This whole conversation (or lack there-of) made me laugh . . . and reminded about what the research shows: Kids learn about nutrition from eating, watching others eat, and watching adults shop, cook and order food in restaurants. So, nutrition education that works is hands-on (or maybe mouths-on?). It is the only way kids will ever really learn to love healthy food.
Actually, my kid's former preschool teacher has come up with the ultimate nutrition education program. Her students take turns bringing snacks for the class. The catch is, they can only bring in fruits and vegetables. The school supplies crackers and water. The results? Over time, Sue reports that the kids are learning to eat and enjoy all types of fruits and vegetables. Meanwhile, the parents like knowing exactly what to bring and are thrilled that their preschoolers are getting peer-pressure to eat fruits and vegetables.
So, want to do some nutrition-education in your own home (a.k.a. make dinner)? Here's my recipe for quick peanut sauce. Try it on chicken, shrimp, steamed vegetables, brown rice and/or quinoa.
Peanut Sauce (serves 4, depending on what you do with it)
1/4 cup natural peanut butter (no trans, of course!)
1/4 cup hot water
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
1 Tablespoon soy sauce (or a bit more)
Whisk all ingredients together until creamy- or have a kindergartener do it. Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
