The winter holidays can be an intense time for any foster family, but movie nights and holiday theme snacks are a great way to make your home feel merry. If you focus on treats you can make together, you’ll create more opportunities to bond and teach your kids valuable kitchen skills. You’ll also have more control over the ingredients, so you can serve your foster children snacks that are delicious and nutritious. Here are some ideas:
Happy family celebrating Christmas together at home
Holiday popcorn:
If popcorn is a staple for your foster family movie nights, pop a special batch for the holidays. White chocolate popcorn is an annual tradition in many homes. Take an ordinary batch of air popped kernels and then stir in a cup of white chocolate chips that you melted in your microwave. You can also use food coloring to turn popcorn or popcorn balls red and green. If you’re still decorating your tree, work on popcorn strings while you watch your movie.
Hot chocolate:
Forget about the instant mixes. Whip up a batch of cocoa from scratch. Add in extra flavor with cinnamon sticks, chili powder or peanut butter. You can also add in a little sugar to taste if you prefer.
Gingerbread:
You can bake real gingerbread with all natural ingredients in less than an hour. There are plenty of simple recipes online. If you’re more ambitious, you may want to build and decorate a whole gingerbread house. Keep in mind that gingerbread will dry out in the refrigerator, so store any leftovers in a tightly sealed container on your counter.
Candy cane pizza:
Homemade pizza can be healthy, especially if you use whole wheat flour and serve it with a salad. For a festive pie, shape your dough into a candy cane with a hook on top and apply the tomato sauce like stripes running across the hook and stem.
Contact us at Texas Family Initiative to find out more about how you can provide a caring, loving home to foster children. We recruit and train families to become foster and adoptive parents.