Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Works for Me! Wednesday: Muffin Tins

One of my daily tasks as a Mommy...possibly one I will be doing for the next 18 years...is making sure my children eat something nutritious and filling at each meal. This is no easy job, considering I have one child who is such a chatterbox that he struggles to find time to eat amidst all the talking and another child who really only prefers chicken nuggets, french fries, raisins, and frozen waffles (Seriously, she will go on a hunger strike--which we let her do--rather than pick up "foreign" food). The food war is an eternal one here at casa de phillips.

Recently I have started serving Isaac's food in a six cup muffin tin. He likes how each group of food has their own location and is always excited to see what surprises are tucked away in his special plate. Often times to encourage eating rather than talking, I will put a special "bessert" (a gingersnap, a few chocolate chips, or some marshmallows) in one of the cups and tape a piece of paper over that opening. In order to take the paper off and reveal his surprise, Isaac has to eat the majority of his other food.

Here is his lunch from today (Not too outstanding due to the fact it was a school day and we rush through lunch to get two tired kiddos to bed): Another great thing about using a muffin tin as a plate is that they do not break. Isaac is responsible for taking his dishes to the sink when he is finished eating. A while back he accidentally dropped one of our plates and it broke. Fortunately I was right there to help him but now we stick to unbreakable dishes.


Now if we can work on the other one's devotion to all things chicken nuggets, the meal time battles might possibly end before these two are in high school...

11 comments:

AmyK said...

Oh my goodness! I love that idea!! I may have to consider getting a few new muffin tins for my stepdaughter and when my niece comes to visit. Thanks for sharing!!

Heidi Boos said...

I just recently starting doing this as well with my 2-year old daughter. I love the idea of keeping a special little dessert hidden until she eats most of her meal. (Your son looks so excited to eat his cookie!) I was given a cute flower muffin tin pan for MY birthday, and now I use it for her lunches on occasion. It's one of those flexible kinds of bakeware, which is great. So fun!!

Jennifer Schroeder said...

That is a fabulous idea!

Ashley said...

What a great idea~

Miss Mommy said...

I too have a Little Man who is a very picky eater!! I am always trying to get hom to eat some healthier foods. I will have to give this muffin tin a try....sounds like it just may work!! Fun and functional...I love it!!

The Speck family said...

That is SUCH a great idea and Isaac looks super pumped....I am super impressed that the boy takes his plate to the sink~ his wife is going to thank you big-time one day.

Jami said...

Hey girl, it is Jami Hamrick. I love your blog and am so impressed by all of your organization. I so copied the cleaning schedule. I have joined the blogging world at jamihamrick.blogspot so check it out and your kids are adorable and hilarious. Love it!

Jami

Unknown said...

Definitely a great idea.

Thanks for sharing.

Jordan said...

That's a pretty good idea (but you knew that already!). Here's my question: where did you find a six cup muffin tin? Is it the jumbo sized muffins? I've been looking for a regular-sized six cup muffin pan for ages, but have been unsuccessful. (I really just want to use it for muffins, but now you've given me another good idea!) I've got a post brewing for my own blog about eating healthy at our house. It's a constant battle...even if your children are good eaters like mine. Thanks again for the tip...you are one of the most "practically-creative" moms I know!

Shanta said...

You are too smart. I wonder if Ken would go for it.

Lisa said...

What a fantastic idea - love the "hidden dessert!" Thanks for sharing.

By the way, your organizational skills rock! You've totally inspired me!!!!

Have a terrific weekend!