Thrifty Thursday: Ways to Cope with Kids and Food

Children and food are a natural duo. Here are some ways that you can use ordinary things from you kitchen cabinet to make that combination work more smoothly.

Sandwich-bag Kitchen Gloves: There's nothing more welcome than helping hands in the kitchen. But when they're little hands that tend to get dirty and leave prints all over the place, then something must be done. Before they start "helping" you make those chocolate chip cookies, place small sandwich bags over their hands. These instant gloves are disposable for easy cleanup.

Plastic Lid Containers: Entertaining a crowd of kids and want to make sure your tabletop survive? (Or at least give them a fighting chance!) Give kids plastic lids to use as coasters. Write their names on the coasters so they won't get their drinks mixed up.

Paper Towel Place Mat: Your darling grandchildren are coming for an extended visit, and though they are adorable, they're a disaster at mealtime. Paper towels can help you weather the storm. Use a paper towel as a place mat. It will catch spills and crumbs during the meal and makes cleaning up easy.

Clever Lunch Box Tubs: Give kids some lunch box variety. As a break from the usual sandwich, put some fruit salad, rice mix, or other interesting fare in one or two recycled margarine tubs for your child's lunch. The tubs are easy to open and will keep the food from getting crushed.