10 Tips For Helping Kids Enjoy Thanksgiving

When I was growing up, Thanksgiving meant schlepping to the house of a distant geriatric relative, having my cheeks pinched, sitting for hours listening to them complain about life, watching them chain smoke, then eating, and schlepping home while my parents told me how I hadn't sat quietly enough or tried some gross dish like Aunt Rose's succotash pudding. EVERYTHING about this day was out of my control, full of “musts” and “should haves.” It was not my favorite holiday.

Thanksgiving can be tough for kids - help them enjoy it!

When I had my own kids, I was determined that they would not suffer on Turkey Day as I had. Since our family has shrunk to only two elderly family members, the schlepping is no longer a factor because our house is the default location for all celebrations. Sure, the main event still centers around eating, but I've found ways to give the kids a voice, and thus some control, in the day's festivities.


Here are 10 of my favorite activities and strategies for helping kids enjoy this day:

• Challenge the kids to find new ways to express gratitude. Sure, you can go around the table and give thanks. But why not ask the kids, ahead of time, to draw a picture or make a collage of what they're grateful for? This is also a great way to keep the smaller ones busy while you're cooking. Older ones can take a photo on their phones and then pass it around just before dinner or they can compile a slide show to show before or after the meal.

• Get the kids involved planning and cooking the meal. Yeah, I know every website is recommending this, but getting children involved also increases the chance that they'll eat something on the menu (my daughter has been known to ignore the turkey and ask for mac and cheese for the Feast).   Kids can also tear lettuce, help bake dinner rolls, or pull grapes to put in a fruit salad. My son took Family Consumer Science (formerly Home Ec) and some of his recipes are amazing!

This took all of 5 minutes to make!

• Ask the kids if they'll help craft decorations. Diva and I whipped up this sweet little candle holder
  (battery-operated candles only) in about 10 minutes this weekend using a water jug, scissors, and crayons. It will welcome our guests when they arrive. You can find more free, printable Thanksgiving decorations here at Freebies.About.Com.

• Kids love knowing things adults don't!! Guide the kids toward Thanksgiving trivia they can share with the family during dinner. Buzzle.com has a fascinating online trivia quiz and Celebration Ideas Online offers a free printable trivia quiz.

• Enlist an older child to interview and record an older family member. Have them come up with questions to ask the senior. This could become a family heirloom!

• Give the kids an opportunity to choose some during-dinner music.  Just retain the power to veto any rowdy tunes.

• Invite the wee folk to come up with a list of topics and questions for dinner conversation. 

Don't forget to let the kids help clean up after Thanksgiving dinner!

• Allow the kids to have input into after-dinner activities. Little ones may enjoy putting on a show or playing a musical instrument. Perhaps an older child can show Grandma what video games she's playing. Or have the kids select a few movies for the family to watch.

• Have a younger child pick out a few books for a guest to read to them. Better yet, pick out a few books they might want to read TO the guest!

• Make post-guest clean-up a competition. Whoever can put away 10 items in a minute gets first crack at leftovers later.

Again, giving children choices empowers them, reducing frustration and allowing them to have some control over the day's festivities.  It also helps them enjoy the holiday more.  In my house, anyone who chooses not to help out automatically forfeits any right to complain later and is invited to spend the day in their room sans electronics.


Also, don't forget to say “please” and “thank you” to your children! What you model is what they'll pass along.

Please note that this a re-posting of something I wrote about the same time last year.  Just thought you should know...  

The Crock-Pot Makes Even A Culinary Disaster Like Me Look Good

 
It's snowing...again...for the third time this week. Those cute little signs and whatnot saying, “Let It Snow” are making me see red because clearly, whoever manufactured them in China has never had the dubious pleasure of repeatedly shoveling out a walkway and driveway in that frozen mess. Anyway, it's time to pay homage to my FAVORITE wintertime appliance: the crock-pot.


Even before I had kids, I marveled at this low-wattage miracle device which allowed me to, literally, throw in a bunch of ingredients (2 points if I get the carrots in) and after a long day at work, come home to a hot, delicious meal. Even if I had errands or chores (shoveling, for example), the food usually didn't burn and if it did, it wasn't a lot. I'd walk in to a house so fragrant, one would swear someone had been cooking all day just for my pleasure.


Now that I have kids and a husband who works long hours, I still rely on the crock-pot for its simplicity and convenience. The devices are fairly inexpensive (in the $20 to $150 range) and the one I have has a 4-quart capacity which is perfect for my family. To learn more about choosing a slow-cooker, visit About.com (http://cookingequipment.about.com/od/slowcooker1/a/Aboutslowcooker.htm). Also, since I'm a renowned culinary disaster, I redeem myself with this appliance.


Here are three of my favorite recipes:


Turkey Chili


I make this at least once a week in the winter because my son loves it and it freezes well. Come to think of it, most of the crock-pot dishes I make freeze well...


Ingredients:


1-1/2 to 2 pounds of ground turkey
2 15.5 cans of drained black beans
1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes (I'd use diced tomatoes, but the boy can't stand tomato chunks.)
1 or 2 packages of chili mix (depending on how spicy I want it)
1 40 oz. can of drained red kidney beans


Directions:

1. Spray the inside of the pot with cooking spray.
   
2. Add all ingredients and set on the Low setting to cook for about 8 hours.
   
3. Stir periodically.
   

Variations: I've added some canned corn and frozen chopped spinach, served it over brown rice, and thrown a tablespoon or two of sour cream and diced Mexican cheese on top just for fun. To stretch it, add a can of Hormel chili.


–


Turkey Meatloaf


Again, an easy-peasy recipe that yields the filling for an amazing sandwich the next day.


Ingredients:


2 pounds of ground turkey
2 eggs, beaten (or 1/3 cup of liquid egg whites)
¾ cup of milk or water
3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs (I use whole wheat ones)
1 cup of ketchup

Directions:

1. Spray the inside of the pot with cooking spray.
   
2. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk or water, breadcrumbs, and meat. Mix thoroughly and shape into a large ball. The ball should be large enough that it won't touch the sides of the pot.
   
3. Place the ball into the pot and add about ½ cup of water.
   
4. Pour the ketchup over the top and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.
   

Variations: To get extra vegetables into my son, I've added a jar of babyfood – squash or sweet potatos work well. You may need to increase the amount of breadcrumbs by ½ cup if you do this.


–


Chicken Soup


Ingredients:


1 to 2 cups of shredded chicken (I use thighs because they're cheaper than breasts.)
1 cup of water
2 cups of frozen, diced vegetables (Generic ones from the grocery store work fine, just be careful what they have in them. If there's a lima bean in the assortment, my kids won't touch the soup.)
6 cups of chicken broth or 6 chicken bouillon cubes
leftover rice or pasta, if you have any
salt and pepper to taste


Directions:

1. Put all of the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours. Taste periodically and adjust the seasonings to whatever you like.
   

I've served this over rice, added leftover vegetables and had fun with this recipe. Ask a young child to help – they love it.


–


For more crock-pot recipes, visit the following sites:


CookingLight.com – Here's the link to a whopping 105 slow-cooker recipes: http://www.cookinglight.com/food/top-rated-recipes/slow-cooker-favorites-00400000038588.


Spoonful.com – This link has 30 recipes: http://spoonful.com/recipes/slow-cooker-recipes
Chef-In-Training.com – Nikki lists 50 recipes here: http://www.chef-in-training.com/2012/08/50-slow-cooker-recipes.


CrockpotLadies.com – They list an Apple Pie Moonshine that sounds compelling. Their link is http://crockpotladies.com.


About.com – Linda Larsen has a great article on 5-ingredient recipes here: http://busycooks.about.com/od/fiveingredientsorles1/a/5ingredient.htm.


Foodnetwork.com – Probably the best cooking site for cooking. Their Slow Cooker Collection can be found at http://www.foodnetwork.com/search/delegate.do?fnSearchString=slow+cooker&fnSearchType=site


–


Please check back in with me when I'll be suggesting some Christmas Eve and Christmas Day activities for goys and non-goys alike.