PIZZA a CURE for: food your kid won't eat, & family bonding & new traditions

I was going to share my husband's birthday cake as my first post. BUT, I can do that tomorrow. You may like it as it does not look like a traditional high-class red velvet cake. My children made the frosting BLUE-daddy's favorite color, we used three types of sprinkles and three types of candles. It's fun, and that's the best way to get kids to eat things....make it fun.
Here is my point. My six year old daughter only likes pizza with light sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. My son likes it with anything. Well we are all trying to eat healthier, and drink more water...all that stuff everyone wants to do but getting in the habit is hard. So, take it easy. This recipe and idea has not only become a family favorite, it's a money saver, and it is a great way to get kids to get their veggies, or meat, or whatever they need to eat but don't. First the reasoning then the recipe. Depending on you, the age of your children, and how picky they are, this is a good weekend meal because it takes a while until everyone gets the hang of it. My first time, it took my prep work 30-40 minutes because I cut TOO much detail. It took me, my six year old, and two year old about 20 minutes to assemble their pizzas and 10 to assemble three more for the adults. Cook time it was about two hours with clean up. NOW prep time for me is 25 minutes the night before. My kids and I can do 6 pizzas in 20 minutes, and I clean up while it cooks and still have a few minutes to read my Better Home and Gardens DIY magizine. But try it if your family likes pizza. Its GREAT.

smiley face or jack-o-lantern pizzas

                                             

PERSONAL PAN PIZZAS MADE BY THE KIDS FOR THE KIDS OR PERSONALIZED STROMBOLI. 

heart shaped heart pizzas

•  This is a GREAT way to get younger kids to help in the kitchen.
• In my experience, if you let your child make their food, or help make food, they are MUCH more likely to eat it.
• If you make pizza for a picky eater, set out different veggies, meats, and cheeses(sometimes I do a red sauce, white sauce and garlic sauce, but not always...thats work). Tell them that we are doing a contest to see who can follow the rules: 

1. you must make your dough into your favorite shape. Or face It can NOT be perfect(I made this mistake and my daughter the perfectionist got irritated that it wouldn't turn into a heart, so now if it's perfect it doesn't win).
2. You must put sauce on it(unless their is an allergy).
3. You must put a cheese on it.
4. You must put (choose a number depending on child's likes...make them TRY something though) two different veggies, one you like, one you don't think you like.
5. You must put(choose a number depending on child's likes...make them TRY something though) two meats, or a meat and a seasoned tofu(yes tofu is nasty I'll teach you to make it good cause it's healthy).
6. You must eat half of yours and try one bite of one or two other people's pizzas.

• If your picky child got all six points then reward them with something-choosing tomorrow's dinner, stay up a little later, chose desert, chose a movie for the family etc..
• A lot of time kids don't eat enough veggies, suggest they put on a veggie they like one they don't. My middle daughter went thru a stage where she didn't like meat, I'd do shaped pepperoni, and have her chose ham, sausage, seasoned tofu(look forward to that tofu recipe, its great for kids and you can chop it in eggs, cheese, sprinkle on pizza, tacos and they never know).
• Its important that depending on the age you make sure their shape isn't perfect is a rule or they'll get discouraged. Here's my cheap way to buy the supplies and I always have them on hand.

Things to have on hand for anytime pizzas or Stromboli

 ~Frozen bread dough for the crust. OR make your own. OR use English muffins or bagels
~Pepperoni. I buy it on sale from the deli because its big and easy to cut, plus you can buy 2-3LBS cheap and only use 1/2 to 1 LB each time
~Cheese. I ALWAYS buy shredded Mozzarella in bulk, or buy it from the deli sliced if it's on sale.
~Meats...Sausage, Ham, Bacon, shredded steak.
~I RARELY buy pizza sauce because it's expensive and goes to waste. I use my usual spaghetti sauce, or melt butter and garlic on low in sauce pan and offer that as well.
~VEGGIES. My house always has a garden in summer, so in the winter/spring we buy red, yellow, and green peppers since they aren't spicy, tomatoes, baby tomatoes are a big hit even  when kids HATE tomatoes, onions, broccoli, I even let kids use shredded carrots, or spinach if they want. ANYTHING WITH NUTRITION THEY WONT EAT OTHER WISE.

That's what I have on hand because most all those ingredients can be used for something else if you don't use it all. Another reason, they make more than one meal, and kids love this meal we have it twice a month.
Here's how I do it. (Get ready the night before by chopping veggies, thawing dough, cooking meat)

1. Take frozen dough out a day early. I wrap it tight in foil or saran wrap so it doesn't rise. One loaf makes a medium pizza, Two small Stromboli, or 4 small pizzas.
2. Cook bacon or sausage if you wish to use that, drain meat, put on plate, add ham place in the refrigerator until ready.
3. Get a LARGE plate for the chopped veggies. cut small, cover and place in refrigerator until ready.
4. Cut the pepperoni into hearts, stars, squares, triangles, OR smiles, noses and eyes etc. for each kid. Place on a plate or in a zip lock until ready.
5. Get one to four types of cheese in small dishes.
6. When ready, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. Set each kid at a lightly floured spot on table or stools at counter, and place allotted dough.
8. Give the rules of the pizza eating and making game.
9. Place all the ingredients in front of children explaining what each plate has on it.
10. Don't forget to make your own!!!
11. Compliment on how well they look...cuz they will. :)
12. BAKE FOR 15-25 MINUTES DEPENDING ON STOVE, AND THICK OR THINNESS OF PIZZA. FOR STROMBOLI, BAKE FOR 20-30 MINUTES (I always put on cookie sheet lined with foil and sprayed LIGHTLY with cook spray).
13. Everyone eats at least half...or more, and tries someone else's. I bet that ONE kid will like something they didn't before.

Let me know what unique and clever things you did, added, and how it worked out. I use the Stromboli and add little things inside the cheese or sauce that my kids never notice....like broccoli, I chop off TINY little pieces and mix in sauce so it looks like seasoning. There is always someway to make your kid healthy. Who thought this "Junk food" could be healthy.

I like to make our own baked potato chips, tortilla chips or veggie chips to go with this meal. I'll post that soon. It's my first day.

Keep me posted on your likes or dislikes of this meal. Share with us ideas to use on our own kids.
Thanks for reading.
Bless You and Good Eats,
xoxoxo,
Megs