Hard at Work

As mentioned in the Sugared Dates post, stuffing and rolling dates in sugar is a great busy-kids-in-the-kitchen activity.  

A benefit to allowing the kids to play an active part in food preparation is that their natural curiosity  and sense of accomplishment collide and they will often try things that they otherwise would have turned their noses up at.

The great thing about a treat such as these dates, is that even though there in sugar (about 1/4 tsp per date, by my measurements), there is some great qualities to these such as heart-healthy raw walnuts and 1 gram of dietary fiber per date.  Dried fruit can also aid in digestion (or the passing of food) keeping little intestines running smoothly. 

Of course, to me, the best part is that my children are taking part in a family tradition and learning to love a holiday treat that I looked forward to as a child. ~

You Are Never Too Young to Learn that We Eat With Our Eyes First

Evindence of a six-year old food stylist...





Watching her tiptoe into the room ever-so-carefully, it was a relief to see it was in an effort to keep from disturbing her food styling (tower-o-cheese & crackers) instead of being "up to something."