By Elizabeth Carey, www.ballooningnesteggs.com

Encourage your child to do a Q&A with a relative about his or her favorite food. Ask why they like this dish the best, what ingredients are used and when they usually eat it. Maybe there’s nothing like Grandma’s meatloaf when he or she has had a bad day or chocolate cake when celebrating a job well done. Use one ingredient from the favorite dish as inspiration for a little gift. Decorate a flowerpot using sponge paint or a collage of torn tissue paper; fill it with a little gravel and potting soil, and plate an herb that’s used in the recipe. Or send a bag of gourmet chocolate to be used for that special treat. Be sure to include a note reflective of what your niece or nephew learned from the family member—“To be used when invoking the healing powers of Grandma’s meatloaf.” Your little niece’s or nephew’s present is sure to be appreciated the next time the relative makes his or her favorite dish.

Photo: antpkr
Published: November 27, 2012