Simple Fruit Dessert

Want a quick, tasty dessert tonight?  Try a fruit salad!  No, not your grandma’s, the kind that incorporated a can of fruit cocktail in heavy syrup. 

Grab whatever tasty fruit is in season- berries, apples, pears, oranges, bananas, kiwis, mangos, etc. 

Wash, (peel if necessary), and slice or chop- I often use slices or spears rather than chopping into chunks.  It makes it easier for the kids to eat and gives a nice mixed texture. 

Squeeze a little lime juice and drizzle honey over the top of the fruit, stirring together.  Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon or nutmeg, or add toasted chopped nuts.  Serve in individual bowls for a quick, healthy dessert!  And for a touch of fun, a dollop of whipped cream.

The Never Ending Fruit Bowl

I have three boys- it seems like they eat non-stop!  To quell the before-dinner snacking, I filled a big pretty fruitbowl with seasonal fresh fruits that are easy to eat out-of-hand, and sat it smack in the middle of the kitchen table.  The bowl may hold apples, pears, bananas, tangerines, and often those miniature boxes of raisins. 

When the boys come in for a late afternoon snack, I simply point them to the fruit bowl, especially if dinner is within site!  Sure, kids often want to eat junk, but if they’re really hungry, that fruit bowl gets more and more tempting…….. and it keeps them satisfied until dinner!  And if any of the fruit gets past its prime, I use it in banana bread, baked apples, or other simple recipes- That they boys will also eat!

Don’t think your kids are that into fruit? Take them to the grocery store or farmer’s market, or even a local fruit farm and let them pick it out themselves.

From Field to Table

With all the media attention on fresh, local food, here’s a great idea for getting your kids involved.  Try a local pick-your-own, or U-Pick farm.  These are found all over the country, and kids absolutely love it.  I grew up on a farm, but my three boys are suburbanites, so the chance to get their hands dirty is always a great spring activity for them, especially when it involves food, another of their favorites.  We’ve picked raspberries in California and Northern New Mexico, peaches and blueberries in Florida, strawberries in Louisiana, and more.  Most U-Pick farms are family friendly and don’t frown on eating while you pick.  In fact, if the raspberry farms were really concerned with making money, they would have weighed the boys on their way in and again on the way out!  Most will have baskets to pick in, and some even supply little red wagons for carrying what you pick.  (or tired kids!) 

To find a local farm in your area, visit www.pickyourown.org , which lists u-pick farms by state.