Wednesday, August 15, 2012

A Toddler Eating What...?


I've always admired how well my brother's children eat their vegetables.  Actually, they don't just eat them, they enjoy them (much to the credit of their mother)!  From the time Master W started solids, I have made it my goal for him to enjoy vegetables too.

Like most toddlers though, he does have his fussy days and this has been a frequent topic at our mothers' group recently - how do you get your little one to eat at least some vegetables?

When Master W is being particularly fussy, I hide the vegetables in recipes such as my Fruit & Oat Snack Bars (in particular the variation with carrot and zucchini) or my Cheesy Vegeful Muffins.  But I also think it is important to teach him to enjoy the taste of plain vegetables without hiding them, otherwise good eating habits will never last. 



When he's not so fussy, I often give him a grazing plate for lunch with some raw vegetables for lunch (he's particularly fond of red capsicum, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, green beans and avocado).  He also enjoys a tub of frozen peas for a snack!  Other favourites include corn on the cob and steamed asparagus.

As with most things, I also find the example set by significant others to be important.  Master W wouldn't eat broccoli until Poppy showed him how yummy it is!  And on desperate days, I resort to feeding him his vegies bird-style - i.e. I'll hold a bean or carrot stick by one end in my mouth and he'll come and take it from me with his mouth and eat it!  It sounds a bit weird, but hey, if it works, why not?!

These are some of the things that work for us.  How do you get your little ones to eat their vegies?

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Chewy Gooey Chocolate Sauce

When Miss E goes through a bad sleep stage, I go through a bad food stage.  I know it's not going to help me lose my flab, but when I'm so tired, it's too difficult to concentrate on controlling my cravings as well as my temper!

Sometimes nothing beats a last minute dessert, and growing up, that was always banana splits.  Mum would whip up a chocolate sauce from pantry items and a few minutes later we'd be enjoying one of our favourite treats.

This recipe is a result of trying to figure out how Mum makes her sauce. It's not quite the same, but it's still pretty fab! Mum actually gets me to make it for her now.

There are so many things I love about this sauce: the fact that it's cheap and quick to make is always a plus, and I like that it is lower in fat than other recipes I've seen. But its fudginess that turns to chewiness when it hits the icecream - that's what gets me making it over and over (and making extra so I can lick the saucepan while I'm doing the dishes)!


Chewy Gooey Chocolate Sauce (serves 3-4)

30g butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
2 tbsp milk


1. Place butter in a small saucepan over low to medium heat. Once butter has started to melt, add the cocoa and sugar. Mix to combine.


2. Add milk and stir continuously until sauce starts to boil.


3. Keep stirring while boiling for 1-2 minutes, or until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and serve immediately over icecream and fruit.

YUM!