Little Things :: A Fall Menu for Kids

For me, Fall is all about getting together with friends and family. The summer is spent gallivanting around with no school and no schedule, and you miss a lot of the routine get-togethers and weekly catch ups with the folks you love. So as the air cools off and things kick back into gear, its all about getting back together with the people you missed so much while you were getting a tan. Which brings me to the ‘Oh, my how things have changed since having kids’ portion of this post. After kids, entertaining looks a little different, but it doesn’t have to change all together! There’s a time and a place for getting a babysitter and living like the good ol’ days, but there are lots of times where it’s great to embrace the madness and be thankful for how things have shifted.

Here are a few of my favorite things to feed kids while I’m cooking some other not-so-kid-friendly options for my adult friends. These are all perfect for outdoor entertaining and can be done either on the grill or in the oven…

Sweet Potato Home Fries. Peel them, dice them, drizzle with Olive Oil, kosher salt, a little pepper. Roast them at 400° until crispy on the outside and tender in the middle. This is the definition of simple and delicious.

Chicken Satay. Chicken on a stick with a peanut dipping sauce? Yes, please! My kids could eat these until they’re sick, and they are an infinitely better choice than a nugget. Throw them on the grill (perfect for a tailgate when there are other options that kids won’t be able to handle), give them their own dipping side and let them go… Am I the only mom who can get my kids to eat just about anything if I have something for them to dip it into?

Ingredients:

Chicken

• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon mild curry powder
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 20 wooden skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes

Peanut Sauce

• ½ cup crunchy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ cup hot water

Instructions:

1. Mix yogurt and spices in a bowl and marinate chicken pieces for at least an hour.
2. Put the marinated chicken pieces on the skewers and grill 3ish minutes per side.
3. For peanut sauce, mix all ingredients in food processor and slowly drizzle hot water until it has the texture you like.

Ice Cream with Grilled Fruit and Honey. And lastly, a scoop of ice cream with any grilled fruit can take you a long way. Pears, peaches, or even persimmons… Slice them in half, drizzle with a little olive oil and honey and toss on the grill for a short time until tender and the open face is caramelized. This is also easily done in a roasting pan – pop these in at the same times as your sweet potatoes!  Add to a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you are done!