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Depending on where you live, the last thing you want to do when you get home after a hard day at work is stand in a hot kitchen, slaving over the cooker. At the same time, something is bugging you at the back of the head as the children's appetite for food seems to be endless, and not very healthy. The children are getting hyperactive, having lots of arguments, and the summer holidays are beginning to take their toll!
With a little reorganization, the children can apply their imagination and creativity, learn teamwork, and share the burden a little bit.
· Put two hours (maybe more) aside, it will pay off in the end. By now, you know what your children like to eat. From that knowledge, make a list of those eatables that can be made at home. With the children, check the recipes, make a shopping list, and ask the children how much they think each ingredient costs. Then beside that, write the actual cost. Get one of the children to total the amount (of course, this is assuming that they are old enough. If not, include them where you can but in a fun way, ensuring that they understand each step). Then you are ready to go shopping together.
· When you go shopping, as the captain, direct the children to find the ingredients, with you behind them (you are shopping for the week). If they pick the wrong item, just tell them why it is wrong, and be more specific with what you are looking for. If you can, allow them to choose one treat that can be shared with the other siblings. Keep them focused so that they are not distracted by other items.
· When you get back home after the shopping trip, direct the children to unpack and store the items. Once you have all unwound and relaxed a little, let the children pick from the shopping list what meals/snacks they are going to have on what day.
· When the children have decided on their menu for the week, they should show you the menu for any amendments and final approval.
· The next is to write down the recipe, or better still, record it on a cassette player, but remember, they are not as familiar with the kitchen as you are! Try to make the instructions include all the children so that they can work together according to their age (i.e. knives, the cooker, electric sockets, and appliances are all things that should be well away from all the children), and work together on one another's favorites.
Here are some ideas for snacks and meals:
Fruit Salad
Equipment
☼ Large bowl
☼ Knife
☼ Juicer (a glass hand juicer is safest, cheap, and lasts long!)
☼ Refrigerator
Main ingredient
☼ 1 x Grapefruit
☼ 2 x Large Orange
☼ 2 x Large Apples
☼ 1 x Small Lemon
Add
☼ Guava
☼ Small fruits to your liking ( e.g. cherries)
☼ Dried fruits (raisins, dried peaches, dates etc)
☼ Lemon juice
Preparation
☼ Wash all the fruits
☼ Peel the skins from the grapefruit, orange, apples
☼ Squeeze the lemon juice into a small bowl
In a large bowl:
☼ Separate the grapefruit, oranges
☼ Dice the apples
☼ Add the small and dried fruits
If your children feel deprived of sugar, add a tablespoon of sugar, or a teaspoon of honey, but be mindful, raisins left to soak add a lot of sweetness
☼ Mix and leave to cool in the refrigerator
☼ Serve in small bowls to eat on its own or with ice cream
Quick Baked Fish
Equipment
☼ Small cup
☼ Shallow dish
☼ Baking tray
☼ Fork/whisk
☼ Oven
Main ingredient
☼ 1 pound of fish fillets (3/4 inch thick)
☼ 1/2 cup of milk
☼ 2 teaspoons of salt
☼ Dried breadcrumbs
☼ 1 lemon
☼ 1 teaspoon of melted butter, olive oil or corn oil
Preparation
☼ If taken from the freezer, let the fillet of fish stay in room temperature for 15 minutes in a tray or wide shallow bowl.
☼ When defrosted wash the fish in water with lemon juice
☼ Set the oven at 500 degrees Farenheit
☼ Put 2 teaspoons of salt in the half of cup of milk and mix
☼ Pour the milk mixture all over the fillets
☼ Take each fillet and cover with breadcrumbs (make a thick coating)
☼ Oil the baking tray and place fillets in the tray
☼ Sprinkle the melted butter, olive oil or corn oil over the fish
☼ Put in the oven for baking (15 minutes)
☼ Serve as you like
Steamed Banana Pudding
Equipment
☼ Mixing bowl
☼ Deep baking dish
☼ Knife
☼ 2 Small cups
☼ Cooker/oven
Main ingredient
☼ 1 cup of milk
☼ 3 ripe bananas
☼ 3 eggs
☼ 1 cup of sugar
☼ 1 teaspoon of vanilla
Preparation
☼ In the mixing bowl, pour the milk, the sugar, and the vanilla, and mix thoroughly
☼ Slice the bananas and add them to the milk mixture
☼ Pour the banana and milk mixture into a deep baking dish
☼ Beat the eggs well and pour over the bananas
☼ Steam for 30 minutes until it is thick.
☼ Serve hot!
Tuna Kebabs
Equipment
☼ Knife
☼ Chopping board
☼ Spoon/mortal & pestle
☼ Tray
☼ Frying pan
☼ Cooker
Main ingredient
☼ 1 x Tin of tuna fish chunks
1 medium onion
☼ 1 x large egg
☼ 1 clove of garlic
2 – 3 teaspoons of ginger
☼ Salt (to taste)
☼ Vegetable oil
Preparation
☼ Open the tin of tuna fish and keep lid on to drain the oil from the fish
☼ Put drained fish into a mixing bowl
☼ Chop onion
☼ Crush garlic into pieces
☼ Mix onion, and garlic and add to tuna fish
☼ Mix thoroughly into a paste
☼ Using hands, take a portion and form into a ball that fits in the cup of the hand
☼ Flatten ball (not too much!)
☼ Fry in oil until brown
☼ Serves 3 people
Have the natives settled down a little, are they easier to get on with now? Just think, what a difference family life can be when everyone knows that they have a role to play, and that it is not all up to you!
Do not let them … incite you to exceed the limits, and help one another in goodness, and piety, and do not help one another in sin and aggression; and be careful of (your duty to) Allah… (Al Maidah 5: 2)
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