March 07, 2011
Tackling the Picky Eater, Grilled Cheese Kabobs and Speedy Tomato Soup
My boys were picky little eaters when they were young and boy it can be a tricky and a sometimes frustrating situation, but let's talk about some tricks that helped in our house :)
- Slowly introduce new foods to your little ones. Don’t expect them to jump up and down with excitement the first or even second time you give them a new food. Persistence and patience is the key!
- Get your kids in the kitchen with you while preparing meals. When they have a hand in dinner, they’ll be proud of what they’ve done and want to eat it!
- Make dinner time a fun experience, where the kids are excited to sit down, your vibe will rub off on them. When they see their parents ooing and ahhing over what they are eating, they’ll be more likely to eventually join you! You can even play games with you food while you are eating, like “Let’s see who can take more bites or how many different colors of the rainbow can we eat off our plate?” Something like that can be fun.
- Try naming your child’s food you’ve placed in front of them, it can be anything fun and playful… Sammy’s Saucy Superhero Spaghetti, Luke’s Green Giant Broccoli, Anna’s Princess Smile Oranges….you get the idea, make it fun!
- Purchase some inexpensive “fun” kids plates that would be exciting to your child. If they are eating off of their favorite superhero or character, they will want to gobble up their food!
I've created a fun recipe to help get you started, these fun Grilled Cheese Kabobs and Tomato Soup are the perfect lunch or dinner. Hope you enjoy!
Grilled Cheese Kabobs and Speedy Tomato Soup
- 4 tablespoons softened butter
- 4 slices of bread
- 4 thin slices mozzarella or cheddar cheese
- One 10-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
Instructions
1. Heat large skillet over medium heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Butter one side of 4 slices of bread. In batches place buttered side of bread down into skillet. Top each slices of bread with 2 slices of mozzarella or cheddar cheese and close with another slice of bread, buttered side up. Cook until browned on both sides, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove sandwiches and let cool for 5 minutes.
3. Place tomatoes, onions, cream, salt, pepper and garlic salt into a blender, blend until smooth, about 20 to 30 seconds. Transfer to a medium saucepan over medium heat stirring until hot, about 5 minutes.
Cut grilled cheese into favorite shapes with small cookie cutters and place onto skewers. Place over bowls of warm tomato soup and serve.
Makes 4 servings
