December. December is a wonderful month in theory - family and friend filled holidays and parties, extra well-wishes from strangers, and of course, all of the homemade baked goods. But in practice and despite December's great qualities, it's overwhelming, expensive and hectic. It’s nearly the end of January, and I feel like I have barely recovered from December’s flurry of activity. I hope to feel rested by March.
In December, I attended multiple potlucks organized by our family's preschool. My two daughters attend a parent participation, cooperative preschool that they adore and thrive in. Each family is scheduled and rotated for their turn to provide a snack for the class. We loved the idea of one family bringing a group snack for all of the children to share on a daily basis. The snack guidelines are balanced and nutritious: each snack includes a vegetable, fruit, grain, protein and dairy component. It's important to me for my children to try things from other households, that we wouldn't normally eat in our house. Conversely, I am always glad to bring a snack for the class and have another child try and enjoy something new from us. The convivial and group atmosphere is particularly wonderful around holidays. Before school was let out for winter break, both of my girls classes had potlucks in lieu of a normal snack day. On these potluck days, parents and siblings are welcome to stay for the class time and enjoy the food, festivities and school grounds. By the time I signed up for the potlucks, the most delicious kid-friendly choices were already spoken for: fruit salad, muffins, macaroni and cheese, and crudite. I noticed a lack of protein on both lists so I decided to make Swedish meatballs for both potluck parties.
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