Friday, April 25, 2014

Ponyo Night

This post is part of our "Theme Night" series. We watched a movie while enjoying a new food that even my picky little eaters enjoyed! We encourage you to do the same with your family to explore new things!


Ponyo


Ponyo is a movie by Hayao Miyazaki about a little goldfish princess, Ponyo, who longs to become human after she meets 5-yr-old Sosuke. Of course her father doesn't approve and tries to bring her home, but her determination and love prove too strong. 

Jareth is a big fan of Miyazaki's work as the stories are incredible but easily understood by the young. The artwork and characters are fantastic. And the tales grow with you. So I was not surprised when he came to me asking if this could be a "Theme Night". We decided to make the ramen noodles Sosuke's mother makes for the children on Ponyo's first night as a human. 

First, we had to figure out what all was in the ramen, which turned out to be simple enough! Ramen (we used chicken flavor), a few slices of thick cut ham, and a hard boiled egg (cut in half). The movie and some people put in chopped green onions as well, but we are not big fans.
We used eggs dyed for Easter to get them out of the fridge! While the water boiled it gave me time to show an eager Jareth how to peel the egg. 
We made the Ramen as usual. Boil two cups water, pour it into the bowl with the noodles, and cover it with a bowl for 3 minutes. 
The children closed their eyes like little Ponyo and Sosuke did, while I uncovered the noodles and poured in the flavor packet and gently stirred it in. Then I gently placed the egg halves and ham in the bowl and recovered it for 1 more minute. This allows the extras to soak up the flavor, making it so much more delicious!

Que up the movie!

And you have two happy kiddos! 
I have since learned that draining the juice and placing the noodles in the bowl by themselves is a much safer way to enjoy this dinner with the 2 year old! 

This was such a fun "Theme Night" and it has allowed us to discover a dinner I never would have thought to try on my son since he is such a picky eater. Now Ramen Noodles is a staple in our house! And the meat and eggs gives it a little more substance.

If you haven't seen the movie, we urge you to add it to the Must Watch list! It is loved by everyone in our house! Enjoy!