THERE’S A SECRET INGREDIENT IN this one. It’s even pictured above. The trouble with a mystery like this though, is that if you’ve read the title of the post it’s already given away. Hmpf. Anyway, pickles.
turkey & cheese roll-ups, an easy lunch or snack idea
PHOEBE IS A MEAT LOVER. I’m not sure why but she even gets excited about saying the word, “meat!” Anyway, I’m using this to my advantage these days–and enjoying easy lunches. Here’s today’s idea: Roll a slice of fresh turkey from the deli around a little rectangle of cheese. Try to use organic and experiment…
How to get kids to try new vegetables: lemon
IF YOUR KIDS ARE LEMON-LOVERS like Phoebe, this method is brilliant. During a recent lunch in Puglia, we were presented with the “vegetable of the day” which turned out to be grilled zucchini. Unfortunately zucchini is a food that’s usually spit out. But not today.
how to get toddlers to try seafood
THIS POST COULD’VE been called “how to get a toddler to try seafood” except I have no idea how to do that. Here’s how it worked for us (hint: it involves flavors she already likes.) We’re in Puglia right now (the southern coast of Italy; the heel of the boot) and in this region of…
Foodlets in the press: Organic Breakfast Ideas for Kids
WHAT A TREAT to be interviewed by writer and friend Haley Krischer on behalf of Organic Authority. My first piece of “press” is very fun, especially considering that I used to be press myself. Anyway, if you need a few new breakfast ideas for kids…enjoy!
Let them help cook…and snack along the way
HOW TO GET YOUR TODDLER TO EAT MORE VEGGIES: pull up a chair, stool or other propping device and let her help you prepare dinner. Phoebe particularly likes “organizing” her ingredients so I give her a little bowl and a wooden spoon. Things go in the bowl, things go out of the bowl, things fall…
Raisins: the constipation solution for toddlers
IT AIN’T PRETTY BUT TODAY’S TOPIC is constipation, or rather, how to fix it. As part of my husband Paul’s job with the United Nations here in Rome, we have access to the commissary and one of our staples is, as mentioned above, raisins. At first it was the little red paper box that intrigued…
7 ways to get toddlers to eat more green vegetables
How about eating some veggies? Right. I’M PRETTY SURE THAT getting kids to eat more veggies has been a struggle since the advent of dinner itself. So when Marie submitted her question—I’d love to get my son Lex (2 years, 2 months) to eat more green foods — broccoli, zucchini, peas, maybe even attempt a…
5 Italian foods kids love
WE TOOK A TRIP to the Le Marche region of Italy this spring…and it was delicious. Our hosts were a young couple from the States, transplanted to the Italian countryside where they run La Tavola Marche, a beautifully restored villa turned B&B for food lovers. I took a cooking lesson from Jason, a classically trained…
Mark Bittman on what’s wrong with what we eat
IF MY CULINARY HERO has long been Barefoot Contessa, this man is her new competition. Only new to me though. Mark Bittman has been a food columnist for decades, currently employed by an outfit called The New York Times. Here, he speaks to something I’ve been trying not to hear for quite some time: we…
Take a bite together
Got a stubborn eater? Or a non-eater? Sometimes (and I do mean sometimes) Phoebe is more willing to take a bite of something if I do the same. I’ll just say, “let’s take a bite together!” and suddenly the idea of a bite just got better. Sometimes.
Alternate bites
If we’re facing a particularly stubborn moment at the dinner table, sometimes it works to give her a bite of fruit in between each bite of “dinner”. The best bites so far have been sliced bananas or strawberries.
Eat more fruit: National Mediterranean Diet Month
WE’RE ALREADY CELEBRATING AT OUR HOUSE. As citizens of Rome, the olive oil runs free in our kitchen and even 23-month old Phoebe will ask for it if she can’t see it oozing off her bread. So I’m glad to hear that the US is getting into the action with National Mediterranean Diet Month. Mostly…
Beyond rice cereal: Top 10 grains to try
Quinoa Brown rice Millet Whole oats Steel cut oats Bulgur Whole wheat pasta Barley Polenta Whole wheat cereal
A job for toddlers: tomato separator
THERE’S A NEW COOK IN THE KITCHEN. Phoebe’s latest fascination is one close to my heart, and the fire. Every time I set foot in the kitchen she insists on assuming her new position as sous chef, perched atop of a bar stool at the counter. Yes it’s uneasy to let her teeter so high…
5 foods toddlers naturally love
If you’re looking for a food without the fight, try one of these…and enjoy the peace. 1. Raisins. 2. Cheese. 3. Pasta. 4. Bananas. 5. Corn on the cob. Even with six teeth. And even if it’s hot. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_94Ndpn84cA&fs=1&hl=en_US] And please share — what works every time at your place?
Surprisingly sophisticated foods babies love
IF I’D ACTUALLY TRIED THEM, I certainly didn’t like any of these foods until my mid-twenties. At 9 months, Phoebe has had– and enjoyed–all of them. Avocado Kiwi Quinoa Mango Papaya Tofu Lentils Freshly grated Parmesan cheese Extra virgin olive oil Cooked parsley So far, the force is with us though I hear it gets…
Top 10 ways to win the battle of the buffet
IF YOUR TODDLER IS ANYTHING like mine, mealtimes have moved from a neat little bowl of pureed something to a spectacle of bite-sized offerings…each one more hopeful than the next. Some are hits, many are misses. But the least likely to be thrown on the floor most popular items in our house are: 1 >>…