SO LONG SUMMER! It hardly
seems possible that school starts next week and that scholastic/youth sports
are in full swing. Best wishes to all students and athletes (and their
families) as they head into an extra busy time of the year!
As you venture forth, it’s more
important than ever to eat healthy, nutritious foods, with at least five
servings of fruits and veggies each day. We’re here at Pathfinder Produce
to help our friends and neighbors achieve that goal, and we look forward to
serving you at our next deliciously fresh market on Thursday, September 1, from
1 to 5 p.m. at Pathfinder’s Village Commons!
Following, we have a blog from my
co-worker Martha, who enjoys adventures in cooking with her grandkids.
Enjoy!
***
I have mentioned our family’s tradition of
Friday Night Dinners, which began many years ago when we gathered with my
husband’s family at his mother’s house every Friday for a family meal. After
moving to New York, we missed these times very much and started our own version
with our grandkids. They love to help prepare the meal, always eager for
their assignments. They wash produce, mix batters, choose ingredients, and are
excellent taste-testers. We even bought a set of child-safe knives so they can
help chop the fruits and vegetables.
While trying to find new ways to involve the
grandkids in meal planning and preparation, I discovered a blog and Facebook
page called What's Cooking With
Kids. The author has many fun suggestions for activities, such as a
series called Kids Cook with Books, in which a book that features
a certain food is paired with a healthy recipe containing that
ingredient. The first installment was Blueberries for Sal
with blueberry salsa. That took me back to when my daughter was enamored with
the book Bread and Jam for Frances: That story centers around
Frances, who realizes that having bread and jam for every meal is not as
wonderful as she had hoped, and she joins her family for a more-balanced meal
of breaded veal cutlets and string beans. From that story, our daughter
often requested that meal. She also liked helping with the cooking, and
thankfully did not mind that we substituted more-economical pork cutlets.
Cooking with kids is a great way to encourage
them to try new foods. Sometimes when my grandchildren help prepare a dish, or
even just chop up a new vegetable, they are more invested in it and want to try
it. They may not always like it (I know I don’t always like everything I cook
either!), but sometimes they discover something they think is wonderful that
they might otherwise have been unwilling to taste.
Each time my grandkids try a new food, I ask for
their evaluations (if it not obvious from the looks on their faces). If they
like it, I remind them that this is why it’s great to try new things. If they
don’t like it, I tell them that it was good that they tried something new, and
remind them that even if they don’t like it now, someday they might as tastes
can change. I like to tell them about their dad, who loved salsa as a small boy
then suddenly developed an aversion to anything spicy. He eventually came
to love it even more—the spicier the better!
One of the nice things about Pathfinder
Produce is that there is a great variety of fruits and veggies to choose
from, so it’s easy to find old favorites and also something new to try. If
possible, bring your kids or grandkids to help you shop! You never know what
they might like!
Until next time, try something new and teach
your children well!
Martha (and Lori!)
