Sunday, May 15, 2011

Wild Berries Financiers

"Il est bon ton restaurant, maman" do my children say when they are in a good mood and they enjoy what I am serving them for dinner!! I enjoy hearing that but I like it even better when they claim that "on reviendra bientot!" (they'll come back soon)... Not that they really have a choice... but at least I feel that they forget the dinners they did not really enjoyed and for which I had to fight to have them finish up what's was on their plate... ( and I am the one who does not like to be forced to eat; but I guess it's different when you know that the reason why your children declared that "c'est pas bon", when they loved it a month before, is that they are tired or just in a bad mood, or just want to make you pay for not being home with them after school...).Argh....

The best was the other day when they decided to start their own cooking school and restaurant for all their plush toys. They had put on their apron, took out all their pretend-play food and kitchen ustensils and given a plate to all of them. It was really cute!
My son did explain to "Monkey" how to peel and chop an onion, making sure to let him know that "his eyes were going to cry but that it was OK"! They were making salads, pizza and even ratatouille even though it's not their favorite dish any more!

This made me more motivated to have them participate more in the kitchen. I have to say that since I am back at work, I have not had the time or the patience to have them cook with me. Just seeing that they were able to teach their plush toys how to make bread, soup or even a salad, I feel better because they did not forget or lose their interest in cooking. And that's worth a lot...
This recipe is one that they helped me bake a few days ago on a week-end day. Try it with your children! Bon Appetit!

(for about 8 financiers or a large one)
- 1.05 oz (30 gr) butter + some for the molds
- 3 egg whites
- 2.6 oz (75 gr) Almond meal/flour
- 2.6 oz (75 gr) confectioned sugar
- 1.05 oz (30 gr) all purpose flour
- 1 Tb (15ml)  Kirsh or other berry liqueur (optional)
- zest of one lemon
- Wild berries (frozen or fresh)

  • Pre-heat oven to 400 F (200 C)
  • In small pot, melt butter and let it brown (making beurre noisette). Reserve
  • In a bowl, mix in the almond flour, the sugar and the flour
  • Whisk in egg whites in the dry mixture
  • Add the liqueur and lemon zest
  • Stir in the butter 
  • Butter the molds and divide the dough into the molds
  • Add berries in each mold, pressing down to cover some with the dough.
  • Cook in the oven for 15 minutes. 
  • Cool on a rack.
My Personal Comments:
  • Financiers are easy cookies to make when you have leftover eggwhites. You can even freeze the egg whites and then work your recipe based on how much eggwhites you have.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Article: "Family Meals Help Cut Risk of Childhood Obesity"

If you are not convinced of my eating-by-example theory, here is a good article that should convince you that eating with your children is a great long-term investment.

Family Meals Help Cut Risk of Childhood Obesity

Study Shows Family Mealtimes Have a Healthy Effect on Children’s Nutrition  By Jennifer Warner

Do we do it at home? Not enough in our family since my children go to bed earlier than when my husband comes home (and I try to eat with my husband)... However, when my children are having dinner, I make sure to be sitting next to them at the table/in the kitchen and talking about their day... We have our routine questions (who was the capitaine (line leader), who counted, whom did they sit next to at lunch, what did their friends eat, what did I do during my day (hmmm, try to explain that you put together a Powerpoint presentation to find potential investors for a new molecule!!). It's part of our family sharing and it's a nice way to wind down to...
A friend of mine and I were actually talking about this this morning. He was telling me that, like most working parents, he and his wife did not spend much time with their children on weekdays. He and his wife are able to sit together for dinner most nights during the week... but they were trying to adapt their morning routine so as to make breakfast another family meal. That would be ideal! BUT I can't see how that could be feasible in our family on weekdays (just because it takes so much time to my husband to get ready!!). One thing we do and never miss though is our Friday evening aperitifs, but I am not sure it would qualify as a healthy meal spent together!!
Do you manage to eat dinner with your family most days? What are your favorite discussions?

Keep on trying sharing meals with your family!! It's worth it for all of you!