Books to Belly: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

We might be experiencing a heat wave here in New York this week- my prediction? Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs! 

In the town of Chewandswallow, the people get their meals by simply stepping outdoors! I'm ready to pack up and move! However, things get rather sticky (literally!) when the weather becomes unpredictable showering down syrup that floods the streets and pancakes that cover houses. The meatballs were so dangerously large that the towns people had to up and move in fear of their lives. Maybe hamburgers falling from the sky instead of rain isn't so great after all!

Chloe and I  agreed that our turkey meatballs would be a perfect accompaniment to the story Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. She has seriously become my little sous chef! She's even asking for cooking lessons!

I use ground turkey opposed to beef not only because it's healthier, because I like the taste better and honestly- they taste just as great. My Italian dad loves them!

Turkey Meatballs

• 1.3 lbs lean ground turkey (shady brook farms)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.

Line a baking pan with tin foil and spray with non-stick spray.

Mix all the ingredients together in a big bowl.

Roll turkey into balls (not tight) and place on tin. 

Bake for 30 minutes.

If you're making sauce, cook meatballs in sauce for another 20 minutes.

Chloe ate 2 meatballs for lunch after she helped make them today! We read Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs prior to making our lunch and discussed all of the food we would love to fall from the sky while we waited to eat. Ice cream, oreos, pizza and empanadas like Grandmas were a few!

Making these connections between reading and food have been so much fun. Chloe is enjoying cooking as much as the literature...and I am loving spending this special time with Chloe. 

Creating meals based on children's literature not only helps you connect to your child, but also helps your child make connections to the text- a very important part of being a good reader. This is also an excellent way to get picky eaters to try new foods! I hope you are enjoying Books to Belly as much as we are!