School Time!! Cookin' Up Good Health With The Kids!!
So, after I posted last week’s blog, I got to thinking about our son’s favorite food when he was a child......PIZZA!! He LOVED pizza!! It’s no wonder. It was the only food I could keep down when I was pregnant with him. And, that famous pizza maker was always happy to deliver 2 pizzas every time I ordered and for a reasonable cost.
When we decided to make changes in our diet, we removed all animal products, soooo, that meant our cheese pizza ordering days were over!! While tasty, cheese is fermented, mostly saturated fat and cholesterol which are linked to heart disease, high in calories, provides no fiber, contains casein which is linked to cancer, and has an opioid effect on the brain making it highly addictive. Fortunately, when we removed it (cheese/dairy) from our diet, what we thought were seasonal allergies in our son who was seven at the time, was really a dairy allergy and from that point forward, his allergy-like symptoms were gone.
In order to replace pizza in our diets, he and I got busy in the kitchen......together.....experimenting with different non-dairy cheeses until we found one he really liked and then we got to making our own. Sometimes we made the dough from scratch, often we bought ready to bake store pizza crust, and sometimes we substituted pita breads for the crust. He became a GREAT pizza chef!!
Those times together allowed us to connect - building his confidence.
He learned math - measuring ingredients;
He learned reading - recipes and ingredients;
He learned nutrition - we discussed the health benefit of the ingredients;
He learned spelling - how to write a grocery list;
He learned comparison shopping - when we went to the grocery store;
He learned safety - as we navigated the oven;
He learned cleanliness - yes, he had to clean up the kitchen, and
He discovered values - what he really liked and why.
He discovered the value of social interaction - often inviting his best buddy over to make pizza for them to eat while they watched some kiddie show.
The school year is busy, but if you plan it, you and the children in your care can create some lasting memories around food. I’m including the pizza dough recipe we used. I hope you use it and enjoy it. Just add your favorite sauce, non-dairy cheese and toppings. I also hope you use the other recipe for relationship with you and your child/children. Choose time to Cook Up Good Health together. Make that time sacred. Start out with something they enjoy. Watch what happens. I promise you, you’re gonna love remembering these times. And, I bet the school year will improve as well. You’re investing in their future and making core memories.
Pizza Crust
1 cup unbleached flour
1 ¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tablespoon dried yeast
¾-1 cup warm water
Olive oil
Sift flour into a warm bowl with the salt. Measure warm water into a glass measuring cup. Add yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. Add yeast mixture to flour mixture with one tablespoon of olive oil. Hand mix to make a stiff dough. Knead on a floured area for 10 minutes. Rub oil on the dough ball and place in an oiled bowl and put in a warm place until it has doubled in size. Roll out to desired thickness, place in pizza pan or cast iron skillet and brush with a little olive. Add your favorite toppings and bake at 450 degrees for about 25 minutes.
Variation: Form dough into breadsticks, brush with olive oil, your choice of herbs and veggie parmesan cheese. Bake until done in 450 degree oven. Add your favorite herbs to dough for additional flavoring
Cook with the Kids!! Make those Memories!! It’s Wellness Wednesday!!!
I’m Still Shoutin’ Ova Here!!
Donna
#pizza #nondariy #cookinupgoodhealth #recipe #allergyfree #schooltime #memories #children #wellnesswednesday #love #healthykids #values #plantpowered
