Members' Tips: Family Eating Dilemmas
Tips
Over the past 12 months, Raisingkids members
have been sharing their experiences and issues relating to family cooking with other parents on our
Back To The Table forum.
Here are some of the most interesting questions - and answers - that have been discussed on the forums.
Pancake Fillings
"We're halfway through the month and totally skint! Does anyone have any ideas for pancake fillings - seemed like they'd be a good budget supper idea?"
Answers:
"If you're a vegetarian - how about grilled veg ( peppers, corgette etc ) drizzled with garlic & olive oil, plus cherry tomato sauce or homemade pesto/ cheese sauce & spinach/ hummus & bean salad/ mexican chillli beans/ guacamole & salad/ soft cheese or creme fraiche with celery & herb salad/ curried veg or lentil dahl & yoghurt/ mushrooms in cream & garlic sauce with rosemary?"
Raisingkids' member JPalm
"Cold ideas - 1 Avocado, 2 Tomatoes, splash of white wine/rice vinegar, oregano or which ever herb you fancy - or hard boiled eggs, olives, celery, mayo/salad dressing, chives. Hot ideas - cabbage, onion, garlic... fry together til the cabbage is soft. Can add cooked rice, peppers, sultanas, lentils, garlic & tumeric to make an indian style dish or cheese like camembert or brie mixed with walnut & asparagus."
Raisingkids' member Carenm
Garlic Recipes Needed
"I've just bought some ready-crushed garlic in oil and the whole thing needs eating up in a month - does anyone have any ideas for using it up?"
Answers:
"How about home-made garlic bread? You get a french stick and slit it, mix butter and
garlic together and shove in the slits and shove in the oven till it's
melted.
Raisingkids' member Kruse79
"Put it in the freezer it will last another 3-6 months and it wont go solid because of the oil. you can scoop it out with a spoon as you need it."
Raisingkids' member Carenm
"Make a tomato salad type dressing. Chop lots of tomatoes, chop some onion finely, add some salt and pepper, add some garlic oil and some vinegar in about equal amounts, top with fresh basil!"
Raisingkids' member PeckishPixie
Bread machines -a good idea?
"I'm thinking about buying a bread machine - does anyone else have one? And do you really use it?"
Answers:
"I set it on timer overnight for bread so that it's ready when we get up. I love knowing exactly what is in my bread, it tastes gorgeous and it is soooo quick to make (once you know what you're doing!), and cheap too."
Raisingkids' member Nicki72
"The ready-made bread mixes are great, mixes are great, but if you can buy big bags of organic flour, yeast, salt, sugar etc. for the basics, you will make your own healthier loaves and they'll work out cheaper than their shop bought equivalent."
Raisingkids' member BettyBetty
"It's definitely worth getting a breadmaker but the real trick is making sure that you have enough space to have it permanently on your kitchen worktop. If you have to get it out of a cupboard or off a shelf every time you want to use it then you probably won't bother!"
Raisingkids' member Maisie
Veggie Lunchbox Inspiration
"Has anyone got any ideas for a 6-yr-old veggie's lunchbox?"
Answers:
"What about tofu? Sometimes I buy it in strips, like ham or chicken, for my sandwiches at lunch, when I feel like a meat-free day."
Raisingkids' member Lesleymack
"How about a small pot of pasta salad? or any salad! Cucumber slices? Cherry tomatoes? Slices of peppers? Boiled eggs in their shells? Cold frittata?"
Raisingkids' member Corris
"Most supermarkets now sell mini pots of hummus in packs of three - they're wonderful for packed lunches with veggies
and bread chunks to dip."
Raisingkids' member Bethduckie2
For more handy hints and tips - or to share your food favourites with other parents - click here for our Back To The Table forum.
