The First Challenge

I'm still not sure exactly how this blog is going to function - especially in the the first few months as I will mainly be using this time to explore recipe ideas and also since it's still winter here in central PA and the produce is still not as diverse as it will be in the upcoming months. So, I thought I would just take this time to pick a single product out of the winter share of our veggie box for each week and concentrate on it and possible recipes that (a) involve the help of children in the food preparation and (b) might taste good to kids as well. It seems from past experience that one of the best ways to make a new food item appealing to a child is to make them part of the food preparation process. That said, some days work out better for this than others. My helper, who is now four years old, really loves to spend time in the kitchen and cook and bake with my husband and I, but there are also days where it is the last thing on earth she wants to do. Those days tend to be the ones where she just needs to squiggle and participate in an activity that does not require much concentration. It is best not to push a child to help cook on days they are not interested - otherwise you might end up with a child that never wants to help again because it becomes a chore rather than a fun event.
So now to introduce the challenge of the week: butternut squash.

And of course my helper (with her interesting morning face)!