Nowadays, gadgets have become the main source of entertainment for kids. It can hold their attention for hours, and sometimes, it could keep them glued to it for an entire day if not for the necessity to eat and relieve themselves. Even adults are not able to control their use of gadgets to some extent. The same can be said with children, especially when gadgets are their primary nanny growing up.
Reading books, in a way, can also develop to be an addiction similar to the enjoyment of gadgets. Given the right story that can tickle the imagination, one can get glued to a book for hours, making them forget the passage of time.
Today, it is National Children’s Book Day, so why not encourage your child to browse a book instead of playing with a gadget? They might find themselves enjoying it just as much, but of course, if they find themselves diving too deep into the story, they might need a snack. And so, here are some easy-to-prepare snacks that your child can munch on while reading.
French Toast Churros
French Toast Churros
Ingredients
Set A:
- 3/4 cup full cream milk
- 2 Tbsps. sugar
- 2 pcs. egg
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Set B:
- 6 thick slices mini milk loaf
- 4 Tbsps. salted butter
Set C:
- Chocolate syrup
- 1 Tbsp. cinnamon powder
- 1/4 cup sugar
Instructions
- Place full cream milk, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Use a wire whisk to mix the milk and egg mixture well.
- In a non-stick sauté pan, melt just 2 tablespoons of butter over medium low heat. When the butter has melted completely,
- Dip one side of the bread slice in milk. Flip and dip the other side.
- Depending on the size of your pan, place 1 or 2 more bread slices dipped in milk. Cook one side for about 2 minutes or until golden-brown. Flip over and cook to brown the other side.
- Melt another set of tablespoon of butter in the pan. Dip the rest of the bread slices, one at a time, in milk and cook both sides until golden-brown.
- Mix sugar and cinnamon powder in a medium bowl.
- To assemble, coat 1 french toast generously with the sugar-cinnamon mix. Then repeat with the rest of the slices. Serve with a drizzle of chocolate syrup.
Garlic Cream Cheese Bread
Garlic Cream Cheese Bread
Ingredients
Set A:
- 1 or 200 cup or g. cream cheese, softened
- 3 Tbsps. sugar
Set B:
- 1 pc. regular-sized French bread
Set C:
- 1/4 cup salted butter, melted
- 2 Tbsps. full cream milk
- 1/4 cup sweetened thick cream
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsps. parsley, chopped
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix cream cheese and sugar well using a wire whisk.
- Slice the bread into 4 pieces, then cut 4 slices on each piece without cutting all the way through.
- Fill each slit with teaspoonfuls of cream cheese spread, dividing it equally among the bread slices.
- Place the bread slices on a baking dish.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
- Mix melted butter, milk, sweetened cream, garlic, and parsley.
- Brush the mixture generously over the bread slices, scrape, and pour any leftover mixture on the bread.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until the bread tops are lightly golden.
Salted Caramel Popcorn
Salted Caramel Popcorn
Ingredients
Set A:
- 1 package microwaveable popcorn, butter flavor
- 2 cups salted pretzels
Set B:
- 1/4 cup salted butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups regular marshmallows
Instructions
- Microwave the popcorn according to the package directions. Once cooked, carefully open the pack, avoiding the hot steam coming out of the paper bag, and dump and popcorn in a large bowl. Remove any un-popped kernels. Toss in the pretzels. Let it cool.
- In a pot large enough to hold the popcorn, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves and starts to be more liquid-like.
- Add marshmallows, stirring slowly and continuously with a wooden spoon until the marshmallows melt and you have a gooey consistency.
- Dump the popcorn in the pot, and with a wooden spoon and spatula, gently toss everything until the gooey caramel coats most of the popcorn and pretzels.
- Transfer the popcorn onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Spread it out and let it cool before separating into small clusters.
- Store in a covered container.
With these snacks right by their side, dinner might need to arrive later than usual, but if they get to enjoy their book even more because of the snacks, then that may as well be a win. This is an ideal time to introduce them to books, maybe even get them invested in reading. Just make sure to have tissues or wet wipes ready on the side with the snacks. You would not want your little one to make a mess after all, especially not with a book in hand.
For more kid-approved recipes, grab a copy of Young Chef’s Cookbook on Shopee or Lazada. Also available in National Book Store and Fully Booked.