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By Lynn Fredericks author of Cooking Time Is Family Time
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Lynn
Fredericks
gives new meaning to the ABC's. Each installment will focus on a new ingredient
beginning with the next letter of the alphabet. C is for Carrots features
recipes, fun and family activities with bread. |
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Everyone's
childhood includes the parental urging to 'eat your carrots, they're good
for your eyes to help you see better!' This is fascinating to kids, and
overall, is a great way to talk to kids about vitamins, since it offers
an incentive they can relate to for eating a particular food.
Carrots are rich in Vitamin A (actually carotene, which the body converts to Vitamin A) and a very delicious, naturally sweet root vegetable. In addition to the health of the eyes, Vitamin A also promotes the growth of bones and teeth, supports the immune system, and promotes the health of internal cell tissues and the skin. Point out other Vitamin-A rich fruits and vegetables when shopping in the produce aisles -- squash, sweet potato, pumpkin, mango, apricot, cantalope and papaya. Because carrots grow underground, it is interesting for kids to come to realize that the carrot itself -- the part you eat -- is a root. Help your children understand this better, by checking out the root vegetables in the supermarket or farmer's market, and looking for similarities in shape, stems, leaves etc.
Below are some family activities involving carrots, along with some proven
family-friendly recipes from my book, Cooking
Time Is Family Time. |
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Recipes
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CARROT STAMPS -- The next time you cook carrots, choose 2 or 3 of the largest in diameter and save a full 2" of the tops. Discard the greens if attached. Now, ask your child to draw a simple shape or his or her initials. Then, carve the shape or initial (1 per carrot) into the widest part, leaving the design intact and the remaining area carved away. Now get some paper and some tempera paint or stamp pads, and let your child decorate the paper or paper bags with the carrot stamps to their hearts' content! For larger stamps/bigger designs, you can use a potato! |
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Check out other recipes that bring the whole family together: Cooking Time is Family Time: Cooking Together, In COOKING TIME IS FAMILY TIME, Lynn Fredericks shows people how they can improve the time they spend with kids by inviting them into the kitchen to help prepare meals. Included are 125 recipes emphasizing a variety of fresh, healthful ingredients and strategies to get kids to gobble them down. Each recipe offers directions that specify which steps are right for younger kids and which are more challenging for their older siblings.
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