Recipes to get sick kids on the mend
A cold can affect your ability to smell, which can diminish your ability to taste, ultimately reducing your appetite. However, restricting food will do nothing to shorten a cold's duration.
Common colds are caused by viruses, which unfortunately respond to very little except time. Although restricting food won't help, sipping warm liquids such as soup and tea has been shown to break up mucous secretions, which should help your children breath easier.
Here are some quick and easy, healthy and fun recipes to jump start your children’s appetites!
ABC Chicken Soup
Category: Chicken Soup
Serves/Makes: 6 | Ready In: 30-60 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
Water
3 cups broth
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 small onion chopped
1 tablespoon instant chicken bouillon
1 cup alphabet-shaped pasta uncooked
Directions:
Add water to broth to make 5 cups. Add carrots, celery, onion, and bouillon. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cover; simmer until carrots are done. Stir in pasta and chicken. Return to boil; reduce heat; simmer uncovered until pasta is done.
Vegetarian "Chicken" Soup
Ingredients:
1 container vegan chicken-style seitan
1 box vegan chicken-free broth **Make sure this is a "Chicken" style--not veggie--broth
2 stalks celery
2-3 medium to large carrots
Orzo or other pastina (as much as you like/want - about 3/4 cup uncooked)
1 clove garlic
Small amount of white onion
Water as needed
Salt, pepper, parsley, and other seasonings (as desired) to taste
Olive oil
Directions:
In a large pot, use a small amount of olive oil to brown the seitan (conserve the liquid and save for later) with the garlic and oil. Seitan should be slightly brown on at least one side and most, if not all, of the liquid should have evaporated off and out of it. Pour into the pot the seitan liquid and the chicken-free broth. Stir and bring to boil.
Add the Orzo to the mixture and stir. Chop the two celery stalks into half moons (along the radius) and add to mixture. Chop the carrots into either half-moons or rings, depending on the size of the carrot. Add the carrots to the mixture.
Add salt, pepper, parsley and any other seasonings you desire to the broth. Allow to boil and cover.
Allow the mixture to boil return it to a simmer. Cover, checking and stirring occasionally. If liquid decreases, add water until the broth is the way you like it. Continue to season if necessary. Allow to simmer for about 20 - 30 minutes, or until carrots, celery and orzo are tender, but not mushy, and all seasonings have blended and mellowed. Serve with warm vegan bread and feel better.
Preparation time: approx 45 minute
Banana Freezer Pops
Fun and Healthy for Kids with Sore Throats!
Ingredients:
2 ripe medium bananas
1 can (6 oz.) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed (3/4 cup)
1/4 cup water
1 T. honey
1 t. vanilla
8 (3 oz.) paper or plastic cups
8 wooden sticks
Directions:
Peel bananas, break into chunks. Place in food processor or blender container. Add orange juice concentrate, water and honey. Process until smooth. Pour evenly into cups. Cover top of each cup with a small piece of aluminum foil. Insert wooden stick through center of foil into banana mixture. Place cups on tray, freeze until firm, about 3 hours.
To serve, remove foil; tear off paper cups, or slide out of plastic cups.
Cream of Chicken Noodles
Ingredients:
1 8 ounce package of egg noodles.
1 can of cream of chicken soup.
1/4 cup of milk
Directions:
Prepare egg noodles as on package. Drain noodles and return to pan. Pour in milk. Return to low heat. Add can of soup slowly, stirring until soup and noodles are mixed well. Turn off heat. Let stand 3 minutes and serve.
http://www.massrecipes.com/recipes/04/09/pizzameatloafkids27891.html
Pizza Meatloaf
Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef
1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs
1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cups Worcestershire sauce
1 tbl oregano
1 1/3 cups canned fried onions
Sliced tomato and green bell pepper strips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º. Combine beef, 1/2 cup mozzarella, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce and oregano in a large bowl. Stir until well blended. Place meat mixture in a pie plate and shape into a 9x1" round.
Bake 35 minutes or until beef is cooked very well done. Drain fat. Top with remaining tomato sauce, sliced tomato and green bell pepper strips, remaining mozzarella cheese and onions. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and French fried onions are golden. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Yogurt Pops for Kids
Ingredients:
2 cups plain yogurt
3/4 cup frozen orange juice from concentrate, thawed
1 tablespoon honey
Variations: Try flavored yogurts or other juice concentrates like pineapple, raspberry or grape.
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in bowl. Mix well. Pour into ice pop molds and freeze until firm - about 4 hours or overnight. (If you don't have a mold, use plastic cups. Place cups in a pan for easy handling and freeze for about 1 hour or until starting to get firm. Insert a stick in center of each pop and put back in freezer until frozen.) To serve, hold a warm hand around cup for a minute, then push bottom to release ice pop. Makes 8 to 12 ice pops.
If you would like to share some of your recipes to get sick kids on the mend, e-mail them to us. We may post your ideas!
