Canape for restlessness
1 to 3 years
"On the eve of Plato's birthday, I literally lost my legs: I cooked stew and potato cutlets, vegetable stew and beetroot salad with prunes. In general, I tried to make the table as useful and interesting for our birthday and guests. And about half an hour before the start of the holiday, we decided to prepare a small, intricately decorated sandwiches - canapés. It was they who enjoyed success with Plato, and other culinary delights were ignored, because the little boy was too excited to have a normal dinner, "says Catherine, the mother of the two-year-old Plato." Indeed, the taste preferences of toddlers under three are usually conservative , and the nervous system is immature and easily excitable.Therefore, when inviting guests to the house, one should not expect that the crumb will be sitting at the table, paying homage to the dishes cooked by the mother, that is, the child will certainly sit down at the table, and, most likely, but I do not think it's possible to eat under the admiring glances of grandmothers, grandfathers and other relatives to the child. "Hence the conclusion: to feed the baby is in advance, before the arrival of guests." Usually the little one eats a cottage cheese? we will not break the beautiful tradition!
Many mothers on the eve of the celebration are wondering what to cook for the children on the festive table. Feed the child with the usual dishes, then at the festive table he will behave much calmer.
And in order for your restless little rabbit not to scoop up a salad from a common salad bowl and stick your finger in the cold on Uncle Kolya's plate, put the dishes closer to the child, calculated specifically for him. It can be the same canapés - small multi-colored sandwiches will surely attract children's attention. Canapes can easily be made from wheat or rye bread, or from slices of puff pastry, which is thinly rolled, divided into figures with a diameter of not more than five centimeters and baked in the oven. Canapes can be made with vegetables, fruits, low-fat cheese, home-made pâté from turkey. The main thing is that mini-sandwiches look appetizing and attractive. Fruit plate will also be on the table. For the baby it is necessary to peel the fruit and cut it into small slices, so that the crumb could immediately put the liked piece in his mouth and not choke. Home pastila, drying and baby biscuits - that's a treat for your sun and ready.
Bringing Beauty
The first rule is: that the dish was eaten, it should be beautiful and appetizing.
Take the same oatmeal: one thing is a sticky mess, spreading over a deep plate, and quite another - the same porridge, but decorated with a jam-painted funny muzzle, candied fruits and nuts. And if this yummy delicacy lies in a nice pial or kremanka, then there will be no lights from those wishing to regale oatmeal. But porridge is, of course, an extreme case (for example). You can decorate (and you need!) Any dish, whether it's potato casserole or cheese cake. It is equally important to properly serve the table. No, it is not necessary to take out the porcelain service from the grandmother from the buffet. An excellent and very practical solution will be disposable dishes. But not ordinary, white, but festive: colorful, cheerful. Such plates and glasses will not break, besides they do not have to be washed. Place large paper napkins next to each plate. Do not be too lazy to decorate napkins and glasses with funny stickers or drawings.
For company
In a good company and vinegar is sweet!
Hence the rule of the second: inviting friends to visit crumbs, do not prevent them from enjoying each other's company.
No, entertaining children, of course, have to. Contests, games and home puppet shows are only welcome. But sit with the kids at the table, punching them with all sorts of food and pulling them off every minute: "Vasya, do not talk with your legs!", "Katya, get your elbows off the table!", "Pauline, dry your hands with a napkin!", Do not put it. and leave tactfully for a while, let the children feel the joy of their first independent meal, and during such a collective feast the appetite will surely come!
Determine with the menu
Rule three (time-tested): all children (with rare exceptions) have a positive attitude to dishes such as pasta, pies and pancakes.
Each of these dishes can be made very tasty, satisfying and useful. "Macaroni in the Navy" is the perfect dish for a hilarious pirate dinner, a pie with chicken and spicy herbs (or fish pie) is an excellent alternative to hamburgers and fishburgers. Pancakes with a variety of fillings (meat, cottage cheese, cherries) will surely be enjoyed by girls who dream to drink tea as elegantly as Malvina.Oh well, we have sorted out the nourishing dishes, we go to the main thing, because a holiday is not a holiday, if on the table, as if by magic, suddenly the sweet will not appear.
His Majesty the Cake
"We decided to celebrate Mila's first birthday on a grand scale - we ordered a cake in the confectioner's shop almost the size of the birthday lady herself. Of the guests were two of my friends with kids one and a half and two years old. Mile, I gave a tiny bit of cake, but her little guests quarreled and demanded an addition. As a result, one of them the next day had a slight indigestion and a diathesis on the cheeks. The parents of the gluttons were extremely unhappy. "Of course, the first birthday should be remembered for a long time, but not necessarily thanks to a gorgeous cake. There are many other ways that are not related to cooking, but about them - next time. Today - about sweets. three years it is better not to give cream cakes, chocolates and cakes, in which, as a rule, quite a lot of all the undesirable ingredients: dyes, preservatives, flavorings. You will surely be sure.
For small sweets 2-3 years you can offer marshmallow, pastille or marmalade. These sweets contain healthy pectins.
Cookies (especially homemade), drying, bagels, gingerbreads are also welcome guests on the sweet table for the goats. Another useful sweet dish is fruit salad. Soft, finely chopped fruits (banana, pear, apple, apricot) pour slightly sweetened and whipped low-fat sour cream or yoghurt. Decorate the salad with a bright berry or grape seed. A more adult company of children, besides home baking, please ice cream. Of course, it can also be cooked by yourself - so the delicacy will turn out to be less harmful, but the matter is rather troublesome. Homemade ice cream is prepared on the basis of milk, cream, egg yolks and sugar. In this case, you can use any fillers: cocoa, nuts, berries, fruits, jam, cookies, grated chocolate. Correctly prepared delicacy turns out unusually tasty and delicate.
Just do it in advance it is not recommended: in the home ice cream crystals of ice are formed rather quickly, and it acquires an unpleasant snowy structure. However, even a purchased plombier will certainly cause a storm of ecstasy. Ice cream teaspoonful or dessert spoon in small saucers or kremanki (the portion should not be large, so that the child does not catch a cold, one ball is enough), decorate with crushed nuts, fruits, fresh berries. You can add a little jam or jam. And of course, do not forget about the cake. If the two-year-old crumbs are equally pleased and mother's charlotte and a huge "Napoleon", the preschool children are already able to appreciate the taste and beauty of this cake.Choose cakes without the excess of fat cream, alcohol impregnations and harmful additives.And do not forget that the kids will remember not so much the taste cake, how much the festive atmosphere that reigns during the tea-drinking .Therefore, try to create it first: turn off the light, light the candles (on the cake - on the birthday, on the table - during other family holidays), sing together some d If you have the time and the mood - dress up in carnival costumes or funny shiny caps - prepare some simple surprises for the little ones, let them be stickers, postcards or cute gingerbread in the form of little animals - children appreciate any gifts and attention signs.This joyful holiday is sure to be remembered! And even if the dishes on your table are not particularly refined.