Curing Winter Blahs in the Kitchen

The winter months in Chicago always guarantee several things: freezing cold, snow, and long dark days.  As parents we say goodbye to our regular outdoor hangouts for a few months and prepare to stay cozy indoors for what seems like forever.  To make some of those frosty winter afternoons seem more tolerable and definitely more fun, my two daughters like to join me for some culinary creativity in our kitchen. 

I’ve always been in love with wholesome food and cooking, even before my two kids were born.  As soon as they were old enough to help in some small way I had them assist me with all kinds of recipes.  Sometimes that meant tossing pre-measured or pre-chopped ingredients into a big bowl and stirring, other times it was as simple as asking them to be official taste-testers (we have a rule in our house to taste everything before you refuse it.)  My youngest daughter’s egg allergy forced me to put an even greater emphasis on fruits and vegetables, not just decorative cookies or anything-goes-frittatas, both of which are winter staples for us.  So, we began experimenting with a variety of egg-free (but still delicious and creative) recipes.  

I try to avoid anything overly processed and focus on using simple ingredients, but anything that allows the kids to be inventive with what they eat can preempt a blah afternoon and shorten the familiar “witching hour.”  The next time cold temperatures keep you at home, trade out your play dough for playtime with different foods.  What a great way to fill the time before dinner – then dinner is served!  Maybe with dessert! 

Here is an enjoyable recipe that allows my kids to get hands-on creative; both egg-free and healthful.

Design & Eat a “Rainbow” (2-4 servings)

Let your kiddies create a colorful, edible masterpiece. This sticks to typical rainbow colors, but trying different color themes is part of the fun, so mix in whatever veggies or fruits you like.    

Ingredients:

2 whole wheat English muffins, split open

4 TBLS your favorite pizza sauce (we love locally made, all-natural Pastorelli’s)

¼ cup red grape tomatoes, halved

½ an orange pepper, chopped into small pieces

½ a yellow squash, sliced thin & chopped into small pieces

¼ cup broccoli florets, blanched for 2 min. in boiling water & drained (thawed frozen broccoli works well too)

¼ cup shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese

Preheat broiler on low.  Place the muffins cut side up on a baking sheet lined with foil. Top each with sauce and arrange veggies in a rainbow pattern on top.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Broil for two minutes or until cheese is melted.  Or, skip the oven and omit the cheese for a fruit version of this:  mix 6 oz. of room temp cream cheese with 2 TBLS of honey, then spread on whole wheat pitas and top with sliced fruit in a rainbow of colors!    Strawberries, bananas, kiwi, blueberries, grapes…you get the idea.