Rising to the Occasion:
Tips for Seasoning Your Meals with Soul
with Karen Mitchell-Wilcher

Spring Break…but for whom?

Today they call it “Spring Break,” when I was growing up in Chicago, my mother called it Clean-Up Week, which I think is a much better descriptor because it makes it a lot easier to motivate little people to clean their rooms. Now when I look at Spring Break on the calendar, I ask when is the Mom break scheduled for? This hiatus from school gives me an opportunity to step it up, finding a week’s worth of fun activities, keeping my underage set busy, entertained, and enjoying a week of togetherness with their siblings. Surely, I will be the one in need of a break after all that familial bonding.

This year I am using this break to get my children familiar with the food prep side of the kitchen counter. As snack-attack dining gurus, they know all about the mini meals and tasty portions that appear like magic when hunger pangs signal. The key to getting them to buy into my kitchen coaching program is to keep it fun and start with some of the foods they enjoy.

Quick breads are popular in our house. One of their top choices is Apricot Nut Bread*. It’s easy to make, often the ingredients are already in the pantry and it freezes well. Most kids like it and don’t realize that it’s a good-for-you choice. You can serve it for breakfast, snacks and with a few additions like vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce, turn it into a tempting dessert.

My kids recently discovered the blender when asked to clean out one of the cabinets so they have been putting it to good use. They are making all kinds of drink concoctions. Fruit smoothies have taken over the kitchen. So for spring break they will no doubt be making the house special, Peach Melba Milkshakes*.

Though sweets may be the best part of the meal to many, we do need a main-dish. Pasta is always a kid friendly choice; be it spaghetti, or mac & cheese, one thing is for sure, the kids always ask for seconds. I think this kitchen coach will teach them how to make Spaghetti and Meatballs* in tomato sauce. As my apprentices, everyone has a task. My 2 youngest the kids will handle shaping the meatballs while my oldest get started on the sauce. This kitchen coach program is a winner—it’s active, educational, and with a few more lessons I see Mom getting her big break from kitchen duty in the future!