It’s Spring Break here at the Home Baked house, and we’re staying home. We have scheduled a couple of playdates, a visit to the Field Museum, and a whole lot of lounging about in our pajamas. The fridge is stocked with all sorts of goodies from a weekend shopping spree, so we are well prepared for relaxing and eating at home.
This morning, Miss Six is helping me choose a menu. We have two children’s cookbooks that I would recommend for kids aged six and up: DK Children’s Cookbook and Honest Pretzels. They have real recipes for foods I would actually eat–and often make myself–and are filled with engaging step-by-step photos or illustrations. With no homework to supervise and few activities, I’m feeling more adventurous and willing to put some effort into cooking this week, including cooking with the kids. I promised Miss Six we’d make some cinnamon sticky buns this afternoon, and maybe some fruity popsicles (or ice cream) and cookies later in the week. We finished off the frozen chocolate chip waffles this morning, and making something from scratch (probably while still in our pajamas) sounds infinitely more appealing that taking three kids to the grocery store.
Monday: Artichokes with garlic mayonnaise, crostini with various toppings, orange & grapefruit salad
Tuesday: Cheese & potato pockets and tomato soup*
Wednesday: Penne with Asparagus, Peas, Mushrooms and Cream
Thursday: Braised pork ribs, smashed potatoes, kale with anchovies, garlic and pecorino (from Cook This Now)
Friday: Falafel and tzatziki*
*Meals selected by Miss Six
And now it’s time for me to get dressed, forage for lunch, and make sure that Little Four–recently introduced to the wonders of the computer–still has his mouse pointed to PBS Kids.
Do you like to get away for Spring Break, or stay home?
Home Baked 
We’re skipping spring break this year. We’ve always had one before, but this year my nephew’s birth last month and our own baby’s birth right at the beginning of the school year set us back a bit. So, we press on. But, it’s okay. We get random field trip days throughout the year to give us little breaks. And, this way, I’m thinking we’ll wrap up by mid-June even with the baby year.
The penne sounds out of this world good. But the cream sounds very bad for my calorie count 🙂 And I’ve always wanted to make falafel, but no sure my family would eat it. They do okay with new foods, but just not sure.
Sounds like a yummy week at your house! And thanks SO much for the feedback. It was truly helpful to get answers to some of those questions!
Personally, I think frequent little breaks are more helpful than one long one. The younger kids are already getting antsy without our normal routine.
Our kids really like falafel; I told them it was just hummus (which they’ve always liked) fried into a little cake. They’ll eat all sorts of things if it’s in fritter form. 🙂 I haven’t made falafel in ages, but they remembered it and asked for it. Maybe if you made it as just part of a meal, alongside other things you know they like. They like dipping it in the tzatziki, which is one of the only ways they’ll eat cucumber.
Glad I could help with some feedback!