Be it cold, a chill, a nip, it's crisp, it's frigid, it's icy, a frost, we shiver, we chatter, there's snow, a blizzard, a crystal, there's slush - it's winter and time to incorporate this theme into cooking with kids. Here are a few recipes to try.
Hot White Chocolate
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces white baking chocolate
- 1 cup water
- 3 cups milk
- cinnamon or peppermint stick (optional)
Directions:
- In a medium-sized saucepan, melt 2 ounces of white baking chocolate and 1 cup water over medium heat. Stir this constantly.
- When this mixture is fully melted, bring it to a boil and then bring the temperature down to simmer.
- Stir in 3 cups of milk and heat this until it is warm.
- Remove the pan from the heat and beat the milk with a whisk until foamy. Older children can help with adult supervision.
- Serve the white chocolate in mugs with a dash of cinnamon or a peppermint stick inside.
- Makes 6 servings.
Snowflake Breadsticks
Children will like shaping this dough and placing it to make a snowflake bread roll.
Ingredients:
- Refrigerator breadsticks (store-bought)
Directions:
- Invite the kids to roll this dough into small snakes.
- Place one rope (snake) onto the baking pan overlapping with other small ropes until you have a six-spoked snowflake.
- Bake as directed on the package label.
- Continue making snowflakes until you have used up the entire dough.
Ice Cream Snowballs
Quick and easy, but so much fun to make and eat!
Ingredients:
- vanilla ice cream
- flaked coconut
- cupcake papers
Directions:
- Scoop vanilla ice cream into a ball.
- Roll this in flaked coconut and place each ball into a cupcake paper.
- Freeze until hard.
Snowman Pizza
This food construction allows children to use their creativity to create a snowman face.
Ingredients:
- store-bought frozen pizza
- salami or ham strips
- pepperoni slices
- cherry tomato (cut in half)
- black olive halves (pitted)
Directions:
- Bake a frozen pizza according to directions on the package.
- Remove this from the oven to a plate.
- Invite the kids to decorate with the ingredients below:
- Salami, ham strips, pepper strips or pieces, pepperoni, cherry tomatoes, pitted black olives; get creative with all kinds of healthy edibles.
Winter White Waldorf Salad
Apples are aplenty during the winter months. Try this recipe for a sweet dessert.
Ingredients:
- apples, peeled and cut into chunks
- raisins
- walnuts, chopped
- container of Cool Whip
Directions:
- Peel and cut several apples into chunks.
- Add chopped walnuts and raisins.
- Fold in Cool Whip topping and mix.
- Serve cold.
French Toast Snowmen
French toast is not just for breakfast; use it for any meal or party food as well.
Ingredients:
- thick white bread
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- dash of salt
- butter or margarine
- maple syrup
Directions:
- Using cookie cutters, cut a snowman shape from each slice of think white bread.
- In a shallow bowl, crack 2 eggs and beat until foamy.
- Add the milk, sugar, cinnamon, and a dash of salt. Mix well.
- Heat a griddle or frying pan to medium-high heat. Grease the pan with butter or margarine.
- Dip the bread shapes into the egg mixture coating each side.
- Place it on the griddle and cook on each side till lightly browned.
- Serve these yummy snowmen on a plate with maple syrup.
- Children may like fresh fruit on top as well.
Many of these foods are the same foods families eat on a daily basis, but add a few extra ingredients to give them a winter theme. Having kids in the kitchen is a wonderful learning experience and teaching children skills they need in later life. Create, construct, and enjoy!
Tania Cowling - Tania Kourempis Cowling is a former early childhood teacher, a published author of three teacher resource books (Shake, Tap, and Play a ...
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