Quiet Mutiny in my Kitchen

[Sharon in Colorado]

I just heard the 'werd' from hubby that the kids ain't too thrilled about a few of these raw 'treats' I've been giving them. The kids are so sweet, and don't want to hurt my feelings, but nevertheless there are some things they just plain don't like!

I gave Elaina Love's cinnamon rolls one more try. I admit they weren't anything even close to a Cinnabon, as is or dehydrated. They are just used to gushy doughy stuff I guess! I think my middle son forced them down to be a good boy but the other two couldn't even finish theirs.

There are a few things they'll eat, like the Halloweenie Bites I made (my own concotion - working toward a photo soon). I cut up the uneaten cinnamon rolls and made a crust out of them for Alissa's "Boo"berry Pie for tonight so I wouldn't have to use up the rest of my nuts and dates.

So, what I'm asking here is, what kinds of recipes besides plain fruit do some of your kids like? I'd like to make something that they'll eat. I'm wondering if I need to cut out all of their healthfood treats or they'll never enjoy the raw ones.

I need some sure-things here.

Help...

[Revvell]

What about the coconut caramel cookies and fudge? Cookies: http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4717&highlight=caramel+coconut+cookie

Fudge and fave cookies here: http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/sh...caramel+cookies

:D

R.

[Dragggon]

While my son was living with us he loved all kinds of friut leather and had a blast helping pick the friut "Blapping it up" tech term we use here lol then pouring it on the teflex sheets and dehydrating it.
The whole house would fill with the sweet smell of berrys/bananas/apples/ect
many times we even added a bit of spices to make them a bit diffrent ( cinn/nutmeg/cloves/ect)

And Christine"s granddaughters love the fruit leather they eat and eat and eat it up and it is so good for them ( make sure they get plenty of water if eating a lot)

[ReneeSC]

I have nothing to offer you, other than I think you might be on the right heading about their healthfood treats vs raw treats.

I know we're having some of that happen at our house. I'm still working through making things my children will definitely eat with gusto and not because they feel they have to make me hapy. Although, it would make me happy. : I'd rather it not be feigned.

[fiddler]

Other than fruit leathers, what about nut bars made in a food processor?
You could also use your freezer to make popsicles.
I like banana ice cream as well as the SAD version (better now I'm sure.)

Here's what I do alot:
Just throw 3 broken up bananas into a food processor, toss in a handful of
almonds and then add some (optional) Carob powder and blend until smooth. You might have to mash down a few times to make the creamy consistency you like. You could also toss in some frozen cherries or whatever your kids might like. Of course, you could also use a juicer w/ solid plate or get ahold of an Ice Cream maker.

Alissa has a bunch of recipes in her book and I haven't gotten around to all of them yet but they look like they might work...

Its hard to compete with the SAD treats. Processed sugar and fat is just so tasty to kids that get hooked on the stuff.

Good luck. hth, Gil

[Ariannah]

Have you tried the date-nut torte? I just tried it for the first time today, and I luuurved it, and the little girls were disappointed that they had to wait until this evening (company) before having more.

But yes, Sharon I am having similar issues. There are things I've made that I was hoping would be easy mainstays for the kids, and while they don't dislike it per se, they don't exactly wow over it... It'll take time and with a mixture of my tweaking and their taste buds changing, I am exercising faith that it will happen someday. My spice-loving son (11 years) is happy with the non-sweet things as long as he can pour cayenne all over it (He and SamuelWilson would get along very well!) ;)

[Rawkinlocs]

My kids all have varying tastes.

My oldest son doesn't like or won't try ANY of the raw treats. I have resorted to making him peanut butter granola bars in the dehydrator using some crisp brown rice cereal, oat groats (that I roll), honey or dates, vanilla, cinnamon and a little sea salt. They're not raw, but he loves them and I've kinda given up the fight with him. The only raw (dehydrator) treat he'll eat with no qualms is fruit leather.

The girls will at least TRY some of the things and they don't like it all. My oldest daughter likes the date nut torte, oatmeal cookies (the ones PixieGreen posted here once) and the strawberry crepes amongst a few other things I make; my youngest daughter likes the coconut caramel cookies and I made some nachos using flax seed crackers and a nutcho cheese that is Alissa's cheddar recipe with tomato, jalepeno, cumin and chili powder added and she LOVED that! They all like the oatmeal, my oldest son included, though he doesn't really eat it as much as the others do. Oh and they all like smoothies too. Both girls like the crackers, but don't like the onion bread.

My 2 year old, he'll eat almost any and everything I make that is raw with a few exceptions.

Try those caramel apples too! I haven't tried them yet, but they sure look good!

[rawpriestess]

This is a favorite for all kids that I have made it for.

Cinnabon nutmilkshake

2 cups almond milk (I feeze one cup in ice cube trays, and use 1 cup fresh, so they make it icey)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 " vanilla bean or 2 tsp vanilla extract
8 medjool dates (pitted)

blend in a blender until perfectly delicious.

Serve. mmmmmmmm

the cardamom is the secret with the cinnamon to make it taste the same as a cinnabon, mmmmmmmmm I LOVE these, and so do all the grandkids.

[ReneeSC]

RP, so if you were to make the recipe of the cinnamon rolls with frosting ( posted here), would you add the cardemom to do that same? I've yet to make them, and I cringed when I read Sharon's childrens' reactions.

I know, all children are different, and boys tastebuds seem to be differerant than famales ( why is that? ), so maybe I can't use that as a measuring stick. I know Sharon prepares really well, so that's not the problem!

[rawpriestess]

Well, the reason cinnabons, taste so much better than anyone elses is the frosting that's one thing we know for sure.

And it is a cream cheese frosting, so I would use cashew cream cheese with dates, and cardamom in the frosting, I would also use some olive oil and tons of cinnamon and dates in the cinnamon rolls.

Basically, when I make something, I just try it as I make it, and then write the recipe down, that's one good thing about raw.

let me know if you like it.

I didn't plan on making this, I just tried the cardamom on a whim, and wow was it tasty, it adds a very special flavor that no other spice adds.

I add vanilla, and cinnamon to almost everything.

[ReneeSC]

MMMmmmmMMMM.. sounds luscious with all of that. I get to try sun-dried vanilla beans this month, and I'll use them in this.

My girls would think they died and went to raw heaven if I could get this right!

BTW: Me, my dh and our oldest dd just ate pieces of the Date Nut Torte ( frosting with Concord Grapes ) -... they call is Fudge.

Whatever! They love it! ( bingo! )

[meganthevegan]

Wow Rawinlocs! I'm envious of your two year old. My son doesn't eat anything raw or made in the blender (raw too). I've only had success w/ leaving out a bowl of apples that he will grab at, eat a bite or two and hand off to me. I leave them on a shelf at his level. (And other fruits off and on.)

BBUUTT, the other day I was eating a salad (and not mild romaine, poor guy) and he asked for some. I gave it to him. And he took a few bites, spit it out and, with a horrid look on his face said "Yum, Mom." Now I call that progress!!! I'll make him raw if it's the last thing I do!! (But I refuse to force him into it.)

[Sharon in Colorado]

Wow - great responses guys!

Revvell - did the caramel cookies, they liked them at first but weren't overly wild about them. They did like the oatmeal bars I had made. I made a ton of them as energy bars after Taekwondo.

Triple G - Thank you, my kids do like the fruit leathers I make. I forgot I had those in the pantry. It must be fun for the kiddies to come over and help out with that. I have fond memories of plucking the blackberries in my grandparent's backyard.

Renee yes I probably do need to phase out the 'health' junk food. I usually keep it to a minimum, but when hubby says he wants 'cookies', I go out and buy Newman O's instead of the Nabsico brand. Don't know what is the different

Fiddler I will write that idea down. They do like carob, I've made them sauces with the carob for dipping strawberries.

R & N haven't done the date nut torte yet. Although I have made similar raw pies which didn't seem to go over very well. I just made the "Boo" berry pie which hubby wasn't too crazy about.

Rawkinlocs well at least I'm not alone, lol. Seems like the older they are, the longer they've gotten used to the denaturization of foods, the harder for their palletes to enjoy more natural foods. It is great that your wee one still has his taste buds intact.

RP I'm going to try that recipe and see how my kids like it. Will need to get to the store for some cardamom. My mother used to use that spice a lot, on winter squash, especially.

Megan, do keep trying. It is so much easier when they are younger. Fruit is usually the best thing with kids. Fruit in it's natural state, or cut into nice shapes and decorated on a plate.

Yup never had an issue with plain old fruit. Maybe I should just save my money and not do so many recipes, or just stick with what works, huh?

[Sweet lips]

I shared this before - and it is amazing, as I did not care for Elaine's love recipe, but my family fell in love with these, so maybe you may want to try this:

I made the most decandent wonderful walnut pie cinnamon rolls (the real name is peacn pie, but I didn't have pecans). OMG they are so good and I will not be wolfing these down as they a swing your feet and hum rich.

I got the recipe from Serene Allison's book: Rejuvenate Your Life - recipes for energy.(www.aboverubies.org) This is one of the more realistic books that I have purchased. I requested permission to post a couple of the recipes and it was received.

For the Pecan Pie Cinnamon rolls - I used walnuts, and instead of the wet sprout buckwheat - I just used the dry flour as you will see below, and mixed the oil and honey and water in the dough - it is wonderful and the yummy stuff - that is dangerous - I fell in love with it and was umm umm, licking my fingers ( A lady just doesn't do that )

For the second recipe, all I know is that people like to fight over those. Man this things are so good!

Pecan Pie Cinnamon Rolls

Simple Dough Recipe

6 cups of dry soft pastry wheat berries, sprouted for 2 days. The sprouts should have nice cute little tails, not long dangly things for this recipe. You can store the sprouts in a container of water in the fridge, changing water every second day for up to a week, if not ready to use immediately.

1.Take half of the sprouts and dehydrate until thoroughly dry and grin in Vita-Mix or blender until a fine flour.

2.Put the other half of the sprouts in the food processor with 1 tsp. sea salt, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, a drizzle of raw honey and little spring water to get the mix moving (½ cup)

3.Process well and add a little of the raw flour while processing.

4.Remove and knead the dough on a sprout-floured countertop. Use as much sprout flour as you need to make nice elastic, but not a gooey dough consistency.

5.Roll out with a rolling pin until ultra thin - mine was thin, but not ultra ( Serene uses a smooth empty glass bottle, I used a rolling pin).

6.Spread the following Yummy Stuff on the thinly rolled pastry and roll up until a giant log. Leave some Yummy Stuff over for on top dollops.

Yummy Stuff

1 cup dates, chopped finely
6 cups pecans, chopped
1 hefty tsp. sea salt
1 cup raw honey
½ tsp nutmeg
3 TBS cinnamon

7. Slice ½ inch thick cinnamon rolls ( I did about an inch)

8. Place then on Teflex covered trays in the dehydrator with a smattering of yummy stuff on top and dehydrate for 8-9 hours (or until the outside is crispy and the stick pecan innards have melted and permeated the dough.)