Web Food for Thought

I got turned onto a site from my long standing affiliation with Sodexo. They are one of the prime supporters of an organization called Jumpstart. Their focus is on kindergarten readiness, not just academically but socially, morally, and fortunately nutritionally as well. Their site allows you to sign up for a free, customized newsletter that sends helpful tips that apply to your child based on their age. The nice thing is that they don't overdo it or overwhelm you with e-mail. Check them out....they're doing good work.

http://http://www.jstart.org/

Which leads me to....this website. http://www.familyfoodzone.com/kids/main.asp
I found this as a link I received from Jumpstart and it has some great things. What I'm mostly jazzed about are the interactive games that kids can play that relate to nutrition and food facts. I think you'll like it.

And finally, how about some feedback on great places to find kids' recipes. I have several kids cookbooks, but they all seem to follow the same roadmap. Silly names, bright pictures, and the same old popcorn balls, fruit parfaits, and spaghetti. Not that there isn't a place for that. Except for the popcorn balls. Do you know anyone who actually likes popcorn balls? In my mind, it's one of those things that someone came up with (won't this be fun?) and no one had the other kind of b.....err, guts to tell them that no one wanted to gnaw on a giant, sticky ball of popcorn.

These days, http://www.epicurious.com/ is my source of all recipe inspiration. I start there and then modify. I do have a cookbook by the Spatulatta sisters (James Beard award winners and not even in high school!) that is a good starting point as well. So, talk to me. What kids' cookbooks are you using that you think are fantastic for promoting our real food agenda?

Oh, and I am in first place in my fantasy football league this week. Donovan McNabb has been good to me, so I'm feeding my entire family Chunky soup until next Sunday. Sodium and processing be darned!!!

Meridith

Today's Observation

I've noticed something interesting over the past several weeks. My seven year old, Nate, has become increasingly interested in the food we are eating whether I prepare it or not. He says things like "is this healthy for me?" and "is this good for my body?" Dare I dream that my food geek ways are paying off? By talking about vegetables, fruits, and whole grains are we planting the seed that we can eat thoughtfully, regardless of our age? Wow....there's a revolutionary idea and one I can get behind. Maybe if we start talking about the elephant in the room we won't all weigh as much as....elephants (okay, small ones anyway).

Now to completely contrast that, here's a recipe for Ginger Scones that we're cooking with the kids tonight. It's not low fat, but they are a nice treat and will introduce kids to the wonderfully sweet and spicy tastes of crystallized ginger. Enjoy!! XXOO Meridith

Makes 8 scones

2 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 T baking powder
3/4 cups unsalted butter, cut into 1" cubes and frozen
1 tsp lemon zest
2/3 cup minced crystallized ginger (they sell this at Williams Sonoma, as well as Whole Foods and sometimes at Vons if you're lucky)
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream plus extra for brushing tops of scones
Sugar for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, or 425 degrees if you like a crustier edge. Combine flour, sugar, and baking powder in food processor and pulse to combine. Add lemon zest and butter and pulse until mixture is pale yellow and consistency of fine meal.

2. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir ginger into flour mixture. Make a well in the center and pour in the cream. Stir to combine. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead a few times to gather into a ball. Pat (DO NOT KNEAD) dough into a circle about 3/4" thick. Cut dough into 8 wedges.

3. Transfer wedges to a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving one inch space between scones. Brush tops with cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes or until surface cracks and they are lightly browned.

Thanks to Phillis Carey (cooking instructor extraordinaire) for this great recipe