The first segment of my new cooking show, focused on healthy eating for kids, was shot on July 29 at 1pm. I usually start my day with a refreshing workout, and that morning was no different as I taught a boot camp from 7am to 8am to a few pals. Afterwards, I rushed off (still in gym attire!) to have my hair done by my pal, Dale, who I am so blessed to have because hair is just not my thing! After Dale finished his masterpiece, I picked up a few more food items before going home to clean the kitchen, prep, and get myself dressed.
My first show focused on super easy foods kids would be excited to eat. My special kids menu consisted of coleslaw salad, pita chips, gazpacho, and fruit smoothies. I was lucky enough to have two wonderful, 7th and 8th grade guest chefs to help me, Tory and Jayden.
First, I had the kids cut up some veggies for the coleslaw salad while I used Ranch to dress local chicken. I had the girls use veggies they like, like peppers and cucumbers, and we tossed it all together. My little food critics tried our creation and said they liked it!
The pita chips were super easy to make. I used salt-free spices and canola oil on wheat pita bread. Once again, the girls gave their stamp of approval.
It got a bit tricky with the gazpacho. The first attempt failed as Tory made a funny face after trying the soup filled with all the veggies. I knew she was being polite, so I asked, “What would make it better?” She said that her favorite veggie was cucumbers so we added just that one veggie and tomato juice. The second attempt was accepted! A quick fun fact: kids normally take around ten times of trying something new before they develop a taste for it.
Now for smoothies! Surprisingly, both Tory and Jayden have drank Almond milk and like it. This made it easy for us to make the smoothies with almond milk, juice, low-fat or fat free yogurt, and fruit (fresh, canned, or frozen-blend).
The show called for lots of organizing, prep time, and cleaning! Peter, the man in charge, did a wonderful job filming. My desire with this show is to help families who don’t cook by teaching them easy foods to put together that are nutritious, healthy and taste good too! The show will also have a few new ideas for folks that already cook. I really want the show to encourage families to have fun in the kitchen cooking together! Plus, I enjoy telling a joke or two!