cdkitchen > cooking experts > christine gable
I recently had the pleasure of rereading a book that my son and I discovered many years ago—it’s one of those memorable stories that can bring a smile and chuckle for days afterwards. Have you read Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs yet? Author Judi Barrett and illustrator Ron Barrett obviously know what children (and adults) love, by combining the ordinary with the imaginary.
This story begins at bedtime with Grandpa weaving a tall-tale of the town of Chewandswallow, where all the town’s food comes from the sky. There certainly is nothing like hot dogs falling and mustard squirting from the sky to captivate kids’ attention—not to mention whetting appetites with huge pancakes, giant Jell-O salads and mashed potato mountains. And don’t forget: it’s vital to carry a knife and fork at all times.
Yet even when the food turns foul—a tomato tornado and people being chased through town by donuts and ziti larger than life—this is an adventure that brings a sparkle and shine to a child’s eye. For not only were our appetites enthralled by the fantasy woven in the tiny town of Chewandswallow, so were our imaginations.
For days afterward, this tale enticed us with all sorts of interesting possibilities: “What if food really came from the sky?” . . . “What if you were being chased by a giant donut?” . . . “What if a huge pancake fell on top of our house?”
The US Department of Education reports “the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading, is reading aloud to children.” Reading bedtime stories together has certainly brought us together for a meaningful, quiet end-of-the-day time—plus it helps us all relax and fall asleep easier.
Whether it’s the rhythm and cadence of the words, the quiet lull after a busy day, or just the snuggled-in time together, reading together at bedtime is just one more great way to stretch your kids’ natural curiosity about different people, lands and foods. And sometimes it’ll even whet the appetite.
With just one look at that last page covered with a mountain of snow, with the gleaming golden sunshine rising along the ridge, my daughter asked for grits. That large bowl of grits was a cozy ending to a story that will stay in our hearts for years to come, one that we’ve followed up with the Barrett’s sequel Pickles to Pittsburgh.
What had started out as just another bedtime story—one of the many books we had chosen from the library—ended up being a delicious bedtime snack.
Reading bedtime stories such as Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is the perfect opportunity to engage a child’s imagination and curiosity, plus spend some quiet snuggly moments on the couch or tucked-in at bedtime. And what always goes with any great bedtime snack or breakfast? Love, with a pat of butter melted on top. Comfort food.
Here’s one of my daughter’s favorite breakfasts and bedtime snacks, inspired by the snow-capped mountains from Chewandswallow.
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/christine-gable/316-food-stories/
Bedtime Stories: Sweet Dreams
I recently had the pleasure of rereading a book that my son and I discovered many years ago—it’s one of those memorable stories that can bring a smile and chuckle for days afterwards. Have you read Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs yet? Author Judi Barrett and illustrator Ron Barrett obviously know what children (and adults) love, by combining the ordinary with the imaginary.
This story begins at bedtime with Grandpa weaving a tall-tale of the town of Chewandswallow, where all the town’s food comes from the sky. There certainly is nothing like hot dogs falling and mustard squirting from the sky to captivate kids’ attention—not to mention whetting appetites with huge pancakes, giant Jell-O salads and mashed potato mountains. And don’t forget: it’s vital to carry a knife and fork at all times.
Yet even when the food turns foul—a tomato tornado and people being chased through town by donuts and ziti larger than life—this is an adventure that brings a sparkle and shine to a child’s eye. For not only were our appetites enthralled by the fantasy woven in the tiny town of Chewandswallow, so were our imaginations.
For days afterward, this tale enticed us with all sorts of interesting possibilities: “What if food really came from the sky?” . . . “What if you were being chased by a giant donut?” . . . “What if a huge pancake fell on top of our house?”
The US Department of Education reports “the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading, is reading aloud to children.” Reading bedtime stories together has certainly brought us together for a meaningful, quiet end-of-the-day time—plus it helps us all relax and fall asleep easier.
Whether it’s the rhythm and cadence of the words, the quiet lull after a busy day, or just the snuggled-in time together, reading together at bedtime is just one more great way to stretch your kids’ natural curiosity about different people, lands and foods. And sometimes it’ll even whet the appetite.
With just one look at that last page covered with a mountain of snow, with the gleaming golden sunshine rising along the ridge, my daughter asked for grits. That large bowl of grits was a cozy ending to a story that will stay in our hearts for years to come, one that we’ve followed up with the Barrett’s sequel Pickles to Pittsburgh.
What had started out as just another bedtime story—one of the many books we had chosen from the library—ended up being a delicious bedtime snack.
Reading bedtime stories such as Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is the perfect opportunity to engage a child’s imagination and curiosity, plus spend some quiet snuggly moments on the couch or tucked-in at bedtime. And what always goes with any great bedtime snack or breakfast? Love, with a pat of butter melted on top. Comfort food.
Here’s one of my daughter’s favorite breakfasts and bedtime snacks, inspired by the snow-capped mountains from Chewandswallow.
Serves/Makes: 4
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 3/4 cup quick grits
- 2 teaspoons butter
Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the grits and salt and mix well. Let the grits come to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the saucepan and let the grits simmer for 5-7 minutes or until thick and creamy.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir the butter into the grits, mixing until the butter melts.
Serve the grits hot.
share this article:
related articles
Write a comment:
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/christine-gable/316-food-stories/