Soup can help widen kids’ tastes
Who says you can’t drink soup through a straw and eat a bologna and cheese pancake sandwich? Let your children garnish their soup with favorite ingredients. Pretzels, marshmallows and raisins are all good additions to soup. Make up funny combinations together – for example, putting a gummy worm candy into vegetable soup can instantly turn it into “Swamp Soup.” For the child, suddenly, the bowl of soup is more fun, exciting and uniquely their own. From a parent’s perspective, the child is eating a nutritious food.
Parents should throw out their traditional notion of a sandwich being prepared with two slices of white bread. A piece of bologna can be filled with cream cheese or cottage cheese, rolled up and secured with a pretzel stick. Or, two slices of cheese an act as the bread, filled with bologna, raisins, egg salad, cottage cheese or even banana slices. Other bread substitutes include French toast, pancakes, bagel chips, tortillas, soda crackers, matzoth, cocktail breads and even apple slices.
The key is to make the most of the foods that a child likes – and then gradually add other food items. If you child likes graham crackers. Then use them as the sandwich base and start layering on other new foods, one at a time.
Don’t forget to serve traditional family favorites, as well. Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup makes a great tasting, convenient meal for a casual family lunch or supper. For pint-sized appetites, a variation may include peanut butter and jelly.
For another idea, schedule backwards dinner nights, where the ice cream is served first, then the main part of the meal. Or serve an “eat anywhere” meal, where the kids can choose a fun place in the house to eat, whether it’s an indoor picnic on the floor of the family room or at the dining table.
Kids appreciate good food presentation. It can be as simple as cutting sandwiches into interesting shapes or combining two fun foods into one meal.
No matter what, you should remember that all children go through phases of accepting and rejecting foods. But like diapers, thumb-sucking and skinned knees, everyone eventually grows up? and by the time they’re adults, most people don’t need special treatment to encourage them to eat their lunch or dinner!
Soup’s on!
Baked Potato Soup
4 large baking potatoes
2/3 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup flour
6 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 chopped green onions, divided
12 slices bacon, fried, crumbled, divided
1-1/4 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
8 ounces sour cream
Wash potatoes and prick several times with fork; bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour or until done. Let cool. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, then scoop out pulp; set aside. Discard skins.
In a heavy saucepan, melt butter over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened and bubbly.
Add potato pulp, salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons green onions, 1/2 cup bacon and 1 cup cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated; stir in sour cream. Add extra milk, if too thick. Serve topped with remaining onion, bacon and cheese.
Corn and Ham Chowder
1/2 cup butter
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups diced cooked ham
3 10-ounce packages frozen cream style corn
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1 cup milk
Saut? celery, onion and ham in butter. Add remaining ingredients. Heat. Simmer 20 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Homemade Vegetable Soup
1 can whole tomatoes, or two fresh
2 pounds fresh stew meat
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
5 pieces garlic, finely chopped
2 boxes frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups diced white potatoes
1 can cream style corn
1/2 cup okra
1/2 cup catsup
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons black pepper
Cook together meat, onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic and tomatoes for 1-1/2 hours. Add mixed vegetables for 1/2 hour. Then mix in corn, potatoes, okra, salt and pepper. Cook for 30 minutes longer.
Chuckwagon Soup
1 cup dried pinto beans, sorted and rinsed
3 cups water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound beef stew meat
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cups beef broth
1 jar (24 ounces) thick salsa
Heat beans and water to boiling in large Dutch oven. Boil 2 minutes; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour; drain.
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook beef and onion in oil 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown. Stir in beans, broth and salsa. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 2 hours or until beef and beans are tender. Makes 4 servings.
Potato Cabbage Soup
10 slices cooked bacon
1 tablespoon bacon grease
2 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups cubed raw potatoes
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon Accent
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2-1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup evaporated milk
1 tablespoon butter
Place bacon grease in large saucepan. Add cabbage, crumbled bacon, potatoes, onion, Accent, salt, pepper and water. Cover and heat to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Stir flour into milk and slowly add to soup. Add butter. Cook until soup thickens slightly. Serves 4.