Stone Soup, Kids books and the first Cook It Fresh giveaway!

As I was reading library books to my daughter the other day, I realized how many children’s books have plots that revolve around food and people eating together. When I sat down to make a list of children’s books about food, I was surprised at how many I could think of off the top of my head. There are so many great books that encourage children to think about where our food comes from, how it is prepared and the joy of sharing meals with people we love. In addition to teaching these valuable lessons, the books I’ve listed below are also very enjoyable stories!  Most of the books listed here are for the toodler/preschool crowd because that happens to be the age of my daughter, which leads to me to my first giveaway! Since my own list is so limited, I would love to have all of my readers’ input on good books for kids that involve food. Leave a comment on this post, or the Cook It Fresh facebook page, naming your favorite kids book about food (it can even be one of the books I’ve already listed), and you’ll be entered to win my favorite kids cookbook. The Usborne First Cookbook has lots of basic, simple recipes for kids to try out and engaging illustrations on each page.  I’ll announce the winner on Wednesday, April 6th. Thank you in advance for your input! Also, check out the bottom of this post for a recipe for Stone Soup. Making stone soup together is one way to bring a book to life while also encouraging kids to help in the kitchen.

Kids Books About Food

 

Stone Soup is a particularly good book for teaching kids about sharing and hospitality and also provides a reason to cook some soup with your kids! One of my most vivid memories of kindergarten is cooking stone soup with my class after reading this book. My teacher had each of us bring in an ingredient to put in the soup and I remember feeling so special that I had contributed something to the meal! Even if you feel too squeamish to actually put stones in the soup, this is still a great recipe for getting kids involved in the kitchen. Smaller children can help with washing and scrubbing the vegetables while older kids can assist in adding ingredients to the soup and stirring. If you don’t have access to the book Stone Soup, there is a short, clear version of the story here.

The “secret ingredient” referred to in the title of this recipe is a packet of powdered zesty italian dressing mix. Several years ago, I read a recipe for turkey soup that used a packet of dressing mix to season the broth and I thought it sounded crazy. However, after trying it out, I had to admit that a packet of zesty Italian dressing mix perfectly seasons a large pot of soup without making it too salty. It’s fun to use it in this soup since kids can get involved in adding the “secret ingredient” to the soup!

Stone Soup

Stone Soup (with a secret ingredient!)

Just about any vegetables can be used in this soup so it is a good recipe for using up leftovers from the produce drawer. Alternatively, this would be a perfect recipe to cook after a trip the farmer’s market where each child could choose the vegetable they want to add to the soup. I use small pasta, and dice the vegetables very small in this recipe, so that it will be easy for small children to eat, but it would also be good with larger chunks of vegetable. Before making this recipe, either take the kids for a walk to choose their own stones, or buy some pre-cleaned stones from a craft store and have each child choose one to add to the soup.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth (2 – 14.5 ounce cans)

4 cups water

1 clean, smooth stone per child (washed thoroughly)

1 clove of garlic, crushed

2 cups mixed vegetables, diced ( Carrots, celery, bell peppers,tomatoes, onion, potatoes, peas, or whatever you have on hand)

1 packet Zesty Italian Dressing mix

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup Stelline pasta (small star shapes), or other tiny pasta

1. Pour the broth and water into a large pot or dutch oven. Have each child drop their stone into the pot and give the soup a good stir with a wooden spoon. Place the pot on the stove and bring broth to a boil.

2. Add the garlic and any of the harder vegetables to the broth and simmer for about 15 minutes.  In general, root vegetables such as carrots, potato and onion would be considered hard. I also add celery at this step, if I’m using it.

3. Once the vegetables begin to soften, add the dressing mix, salt, pasta and softer vegetables (including tomatoes, peas, corn, peppers or any frozen vegetables). Simmer for another 5 minutes or until pasta is tender. Remove the stones and serve warm. Goes very well with grilled cheese sandwiches or just cheese and crackers!