KIDS IN THE KITCHEN: A RECIPE FOR SUMMER FUN
Have you ever wished for a magic wand you could wave over your kids to get them to actually like eating healthy foods? Magic Fruit Wands just might do the trick!
There’s nothing like time in the kitchen to get kids’ mouths watering–especially when they’re helping to put together something as easy, fun and fresh as these magic wands made out of fruit. The best part is that after you’ve cut up the larger fruits, your kids can make these special treats almost entirely on their own.
The recipe is adapted from weelicious.com, where chef Catherine McCord reigns supreme. It’s a marvelous site, filled with healthy, kid-friendly recipes of all kinds. I’ve signed up to get posts in my inbox on a regular basis. I think you’ll like it too!
MAGIC FRUIT WANDS (makes 40)
INGREDIENTS:
– 4 starfruit
– 1 small watermelon
– 1 bunch red grapes
– 1 bunch green grapes
– 1 cantaloupe
– 1 pineapple, peeled
– 40 small to medium strawberries
– 40 bamboo skewers
INSTRUCTIONS:
Adult — Slice cantaloupe in half, remove seeds and cut into 1/2-inch slices.
Child — Cut out 40 shapes from the cantaloupe with a small cookie cutter.
Adult — Cut the watermelon in half. Demonstrate making balls with a melon baller and (depending on age and agility) hand it over to your child to finish the job.
Child — Make 40 watermelon balls
Adult — Cut the pineapple into 1/2 inch cubes and each starfruit into ten 1/4-inch slices.
Child — Assemble the wands by gently sliding each piece of fruit onto each skewer in this order: 1 slice of starfruit (this becomes the star on top), 1 ball of watermelon, 1 red grape, 1 green grape, 1 piece of cantaloupe, 1 cube of pineapple, 1 strawberry.
Both — Wave the wands about a bit and then eat ’em up!
Wands can be assembled up to one day in advance. Lay out the finished wands on a baking sheet, making sure to keep space between each one. Place parchment paper or plastic wrap between each layer of wands. Keep in the fridge overnight.
Have a magical day!
Barbara Jean the Story Queen
P.S. Leftover fruit? Don’t waste it–make a scrumptious fruit salad!
P.P.S. Catherine has a special red-white-and-blue magic wand for patriotic holidays. Check it out here.
Photo used with permission from Catherine McCord, weelicious.com.
ABOUT THE STORY QUEEN
First, a disclaimer: I’m not a doctor. I’m not a nutritionist. I’m not a chef. I’m not even a mom. What I know about healthy food and healthy eating I’ve learned by reading and doing, just like you.
What I am is a children’s book author. A Story Queen! My area of expertise is FUN. In the last dozen years, I’ve written a number of entertaining, award-winning picture books–about monsters, cats, Disney princesses–and veggies, of all things.
I’m big on imagination. Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli encourages kids (the way my dad encouraged my siblings and me) to think of broccoli as crunchy, munchy, fun-to-eat trees. Once Upon a Parsnip is a fairytale rematch between Little Red Riding Hood (a vegetarian) and the Big Bad Wolf (NOT a vegetarian). Scary fun!
On the surface, neither of my veggie books is really about healthy eating–they’re just plain fun. But the fun is subversive: both books introduce and normalize the idea of eating healthy, fresh-from-the-garden vegetables. (Never underestimate the power of fun to get your kids to try something new!)
My goal in these pages is to find and share fun ways to introduce fresh fruits and vegetables to children and to normalize healthy foods and healthy eating in their experience. My means is to expose them–through you, their parents and caregivers–to food-friendly books, videos, downloadable and printable posters and coloring pages, hands-on activities and kid-friendly recipes. Anything that equates healthy food and FUN!
I’m here for you–to help you make healthy eating feel as natural to your children as breathing.
Because healthy food and healthy fun make healthy kids. And that’s something all of us can get behind.
Sincerely,
Barbara Jean Hicks, a.k.a. “The Story Queen”
barbarajeanhicks.com
To purchase signed, personalized copies of my picture books, visit the “Books” page on my website. To contact me about my well regarded young author presentations for schools, or for other enquiries, send an email from the “Contact” page at barbarajeanhicks.com. I look forward to hearing from you!