The eating habits of children can be baffling, to say the least. One day you’re ready to boast that your child eats everything, the next you’re happy when at least there’s some parmesan cheese on their buttered pasta. When the battle is whether or not the yogurt is too “lumpy” with fruit, getting the green vegetables off their plate and into their mouths can seem like a distant goal.
I’ve been talking to parents about the challenge—everyone from the kids’ grandparents to the clerk at our local store—and with their help, here are some of the best tips I’ve gleaned for getting your children to eat their veggies…
Earlier this month, Aron had a conference in San Diego one weekend, and a work celebration in Monterey the next. I try to tag along whenever possible, so I suggested we make a week of it and drive up the coast together. Usually I’d write up the travelogue as one long post, but each stop was so different: to start, San Diego.
In my family, there happen to be a lot of birthdays in the spring—and subsequently, a lot of cake! But the springtime is also extra exciting because of all the great flavors associated with this time of the year—bright and happy lemon, tart rhubarb, earthy carrots… and sweet strawberries. It’s such a perfect fruit for dessert, whether plain with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, or jazzed up into a pie or cobbler.
This whole cake tastes like spring—soft, delicate, and bright, like the flowers you see blooming on the trees with the sun shining. It’s a cake that would be perfect for an afternoon picnic, a tea party with your girlfriends—or a Game of Thrones viewing (to keep winter at bay).
For this cake, strawberries are a part of the frosting and the filling. Their juices make the buttercream just barely tart and sweet, and also give it a delicate pink color perfect for piping into flowers. The filling is just a basic strawberry jam – you could certainly make your own homemade jam, but I chose to save some time and use some Bonne Maman strawberry jam. The cake itself also celebrates spring with some fresh, bright flavors of ginger and cardamom. It’s the perfect spice for the natural sweetness of the strawberries.
Cake is always great, but can be made even better when you embrace what’s in season. I find that baking with what’s in season gives me new inspiration and added energy in the kitchen. This spring, I hope you get a chance to embrace all the lovely flavors that the season brings you.
