Seasonal Menu

I was once a huge fan of cooking up a storm in the kitchen, until I had two children born just over a year apart, one who has dairy allergies and the other who experienced chronic eczema.

Because of all the elimination requirements I had to do when it came to my children’s diet, I seriously lost my mojo when it came to creating gorgeous dishes for my family to enjoy each day and week. Whether it was having the food tossed on the floor (yes every toddler seems to do it!) or having some of the food I cooked have a bad reaction on my tiny toddler’s tummies, bland didn’t seem to be that bad after all. But I got bored or bland and so did my hubby and children, so I realized I had to get creative in the cooking department again.

Create Your Own Food Rituals

So I jumped on line and checked out recipe sites, read cookbooks, chatted with mummy friends and observed the food rituals of the Steiner philosophies carried out at my Kids Kindergarten. As a result, I created a food rhythm and ritual that is working a treat for me and my family. I actually look forward to cooking more often than not and I involve my children in the rituals too.

Create a Fresh Menu for Your Family Each Season

I have started what I call a Seasonal Menu. A different menu for Summer, Spring, Winter and Autumn. I vary dinner each day but I have a theme for dinner eg Monday night is Fish & Veggies night, Tuesday night is Soup with Pasta and so forth. I have even started an International Night on Thursday Nights. We choose a different country for the night and cook up a dish or few from that country. Then we check out the world map and I show my three and four year old, where that country is and give them a few facts about the people in that country and their way of life. I also jump on line to You Tube and check out some footage from the country with the kids. Showing them what other kids look like from the country of the night, what they wear and so forth. For example, India was the theme two weeks ago and we made a couple of mild curries with rice and pappadums and checked out loads of Bollywood content on line. My kids loved it and so do I.

I have been using this Seasonal Menu since the start of the year, and I can honestly say my cooking has become more creative and tasty as a result. My kids eating repertoire has definitely expanded as well.

If you need some inspiration in the kitchen, try creating a Seasonal Menu that you stick to. Whether it’s breakfast lunch and dinner or just a meal or two each week that you can rely on, having certain dishes pre-selected, will actually save you less time planning your meals and more time savoring them.