Kids

Honeydew Raspberry Popsicles

By in Cool, Kids, Sweets 12 Comments Tags: , , , ,

Honeydew Raspberry Popsicles

We”ve finally been experiencing the summer weather that everyone”s been talking about for weeks. When we were in Canada it was all thunderstorms and tornado”s. When we came back to Norway it was rain, rain, rain, rain. Now the sun has finally come out to play and we”re taking full advantage.

As soon as the weather gets nice I get the urge to make popsicles. They”re so easy to whip together and need no special equipment. You”d think I would own some popsicles molds since I love them so much; but I never think of it when I”m out and really paper or glass cups work just fine. One of these days I”ll get around to buying one, but for now I”ll just enjoy them in their clunkier form.

These popsicles can be made with any combination of berries and melon you wish, although I really love this combination. The rich and tangy raspberries pair perfectly with the refreshing honeydew. It truly is the perfect refresher on a hot summer day.

Have you been having nice summer weather? What”s your favourite cool down treat?

Honeydew Raspberry Popsicles

  • 1/2 honeydew melon, peeled, seeded and chopped (2 cups)

  • 2/3 cup sugar, divided

  • 1/2 cup natural yogurt (Greek is best)

  • 1 cup raspberries

Place honeydew and 1/3 cup sugar in a blender. Process until smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve to remove solids. Stir 6 tablespoons yogurt into honeydew puree. Pour into 6 (3 ounce) popsicle molds. Freeze for 1 hour or just until firm enough to hold next layer.

Rinse out blender. Add raspberries and 1/3 cup sugar. Process until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds. Stir 2 tablespoons yogurt into raspberry puree. Pour over honeydew layer. Freeze for an additional 2 hours, or until firm.

These are best eaten within one week.

Makes: 6

Adapted from Everyday Food.

Kids in the Kitchen: Homemade Egg McMuffins for Dad

By in Breakfast, Homemade, Kids 20 Comments Tags: , , , , , , ,

Egg McMuffins

Who says Mom’s the only one that gets a special breakfast made by the kiddo’s? My husband isn’t really a breakfast in bed kind of guy so I didn’t want to stretch it that far. But, it is fun for the kids to make something special for Dad and I think breakfast is a great (and simple) way for them to show him they care, first thing in the morning.

This recipe is super kid friendly. The eggs are cooked in the microwave so you don’t have to worry about them using the stove top which makes this recipe virtually hover free.

It’s pretty much an assembly process and would be a great recipe for kids to make for themselves in the morning before school, when they want to feel responsible.

I made mine with homemade sourdough english muffins. That’s why they look a little funny. I guess I have to work on my english muffin making skills. And you know what they say, practice makes perfect, so I guess I’ll have to make them again. Darn. :)

We sometimes make this as a breakfast-for-dinner meal. It’s one of my favourite throw together meals when we’re in a hurry. But, it tastes so good there’s no reason it can’t be used for a special event.

Cooking the eggs in ramekins or coffee mugs makes them the perfect shape and size to fit on an english muffin. If Dad is a fan of bacon, or other breakfast meat such as sausage patties, feel free to use that as a substitute for the ham.

Happy early Fathers Day to all you Daddy’s out there!

This is why he likes to be my model. :)

What do you serve for breakfast on Father’s Day?

English Muffin Breakfast Sandwich

  • 1 large egg
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 english muffin, split and toasted
  • mayonnaise, to taste
  • 2 slices deli ham
  • shredded or sliced cheese
  1. Grease a flat-bottom mug or ramekin with cooking spray. Crack egg into ramekin; season with salt and pepper and whisk a couple of time with a fork. Microwave for 1 minute or until egg is set.
  2. Spread english muffin with mayonnaise. Top with ham, egg and cheese. Let sit one minute before serving to allow cheese to melt.

Makes: 1 serving

*It’s important to whisk the egg a little or the pressure builds up and the egg may “explode” in the microwave. But don’t go too crazy with the whisking or the egg will puff up like crazy while it cooks and loose its perfect Egg McMuffin shape.

Bisquick Apple Fritters

By in Kids, Pastries, Sweets 5 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

Bisquick Apple Fritters

I have a confession to make. My son bakes with me a lot but he hardly ever actually tastes the results of his efforts. I”ll say “let”s go bake Daddy a pie.” He”ll say “Yay! Daddy! Pie!” But after it”s all said and done he forgets all about it and never asks for a piece. We figure until he starts noticing what he”s missing why give it to him?

Of course there”s lot”s of taste testing along the way and when he asks I don”t deny it to him. But, if he happens to forget, which is more often then not, then I don”t offer it to him (insert evil grin here). In the case of these Apple Fritters he was my hand model so he didn”t have a chance to forget. :)

Evidence of my little helper drinking milk from the measuring cup and eating the apple scraps.

A couple of months ago I was honored to be included in Babble”s Top 100 Food Bloggers and even more honored to be rated #8 for Best Recipes. (Thank you everyone who voted for me!) Now they”ve gathered exclusive recipes from over 50 of those bloggers and are sharing them on their site. They seriously have me drooling. (You can check out all of the recipes here.)

I decided to share these Apple Fritters because I feel like they sum up what I”m about. Simple food. From scratch. That”s what I aim for anyways. So head on over to Babble for the recipe for these quick and easy Bisquick Apple Fritters.

*Just for clarification this recipe uses my Homemade Bisquick mix.*

P.S. Have you checked out the new recipe page?

Kids in the Kitchen: Jumbo Cashew Cookies

By in Cookies & Bars, Kids, Sweets 5 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Kids in the Kitchen: Jumbo Cashew Cookies

If you”ve been around here for a while you know that I like to keep homemade baking mix on hand in my fridge at all times. It makes last minute cooking/baking so much easier. The other day I was wanting to whip up some cookies real quick so I could go back to relaxing and spending time with my hubby. When I first saw this recipe I was drawn to the word cashews but when I saw that it also used Bisquick mix my mind was made up. I love finding new recipes to use my baking mix!

I was a tad bit skeptical at first. I knew the baking mix made great pancakes but I was afraid the cookies would be.. well.. pancakey. But they weren”t. They were nice and chewy and cookie-y. And, ginormous. These are the kind of cookies I like to eat for breakfast. Not too sweet and full of oats.

Now that my son is almost three years old I”ve been cooking with him a lot more in the kitchen. It has been so much fun and he is learning so much! Like, that raw potatoes don”t taste very good. And, Mommy has been learning lots to. Like, keep your eyes on him at all times or he”ll put pepper in your cookies. I”ve been letting him dig his hands in and get dirty. And, surprisingly there haven”t been too many mishaps as long as I”m careful about the jobs I give him.

This is the type of cookie that a little older kids could conquer all on there own. Or at least with very little help from mom. They”ll have fun shaping the dough and watching them grow to gargantuan size.

If you don”t like cashews I think they would be equally delicious with peanuts. Or, if you want a sweeter cookie you could add a cup of white chocolate chips. I think I”m gonna try that next time, but I also love them just the way they are.

Jumbo Cashew Cookies

  • 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

  • 2 1/2 cups homemade baking mix (or Bisquick mix)

  • 1 cup rolled oats

  • 1 cup chopped cashews

  1. Cream together sugar and butter. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients until evenly mixed.

  2. Drop onto parchment lined or greased baking sheets by 1/4 cupful amounts, 3 inches apart. Using your hands roughly shape into circles and press down to 1/2 inch thick.

  3. Bake at 375ºF for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Allow to cool 3 minutes on baking sheets before removing to wire racks or paper towel to cool.

Makes: 16 cookies

Adapted from Betty Crocker

Kids in the Kitchen: Easy Lemon Sugar Cookies

By in Cookies & Bars, Easter, Kids, Sweets 9 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , ,

lemon sugar cookies

I got the sudden urge to decorate sugar cookies last week. As you can see I got as far as making the cookies. :) But that was fun in and of itself. I did make one batch of the glaze and got approximately five cookies done before Max had already decorated (read: eaten) three cookies and Alli woke up wanting some attention. So I put that idea behind me and decided to freeze the rest in case the time ever came that I was able to decorate again (I am in no way a super mom and I’m ok with that).

Kids Can:

  • knead dough
  • help roll out dough
  • cut out shapes
  • older kids can decorate with icing bags
  • younger kids can spread the glaze on the cookies and decorate with sprinkles

I’m not usually a fan of sugar cookies. But these I can actually eat on their own without icing. I’m really into tea lately and these cookies are a perfect accompaniment to that.

These are the easiest sugar cookies I have ever made. Sugar cookies aren’t all that hard to make but there’s generally a lot of waiting time for the dough to chill before rolling, then trying to roll out a stiff dough or wait for it to soften before you roll it out. Simple enough really but it’s enough to stop me from making them on a whim. These cookies on the other hand were whipped up and baked in the time it took for James and Max to go grocery shopping. They left. I got the urge to bake. They came back. Half the cookies were baked and cooling on the counter while the remainder were in the fridge awaiting their turn in the oven.

The key to these cookies being able to be made so last minute is the fact that you don’t have to soften the butter. Cold butter means there’s no chill time before rolling it out which cuts the prep time down considerably. Plus they roll out like a dream. I made the original cookies at Christmas this year and knew they would be my sugar cookie of choice from then on.

I wanted the flavours to suite Easter so I opted to add some grated lemon zest to the dough. Delish!

Tips to Perfect Sugar Cookies

I’m no expert on sugar cookies but I do know a couple tricks to get them nearly perfect every time. At least it works for me!

  1. Roll Out on Parchment Paper. Rolling the dough out on a floured piece of parchment paper means less flour is used (meaning softer cookies) and easier transportation to the baking sheet (which means less stretching and breaking).

  2. Refrigerate Before Baking. Since this recipe is not refrigerated before rolling out you want to be sure to refrigerate it once the shapes are cut. That way it keeps it’s form and doesn’t spread.

  3. Chill Before Cutting Out Delicate Pieces. If you’re wanting to make smaller cutouts in the cookie (like I did with the flowers) do so after they have chilled in the fridge, just before baking. This way you don’t have to worry about any delicate parts breaking when you transfer it to the baking sheet and it will hold it’s shape better.

The glaze for these cookies is lemony and sweet. Much sweeter then royal icing. You can’t really compare the two but it is much easier to make and decorates beautifully (just look at Amanda’s cookies). But, as I said it is very sweet so if you’re worried about that you may want to stick with royal icing.

Easy Lemon Sugar Cookies

  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup cold salted butter, cubed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • zest of one lemon
  1. Combine flour and baking powder.
  2. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg, vanilla and zest. Mix until incorporated.
  3. Add flour in three additions, scraping down as you go. Beat until combined (will be crumbly).
  4. Divide dough in half to roll out. Knead each piece on counter top until smooth. Roll out on floured parchment paper. Cut into shapes. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze for 5 minutes (or refrigerate for 15 minutes) to firm up.
  5. Bake @ 350 for 10-12 minutes. Let sit for 2 minutes before removing to wire rack or paper towel to cool.

Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies

Lemony Sugar Cookie Glaze

  • 1 cup icing sugar
  • 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon corn syrup
  1. Sift sugar into a bowl. Mix in lemon juice and corn syrup. Spread or pipe onto cookies.

Tip: If piping onto cookies check the consistency by doing the 10 second ribbon test. Drag a knife through the glaze and lift to make a ribbon. It should smooth out in 5-10 seconds. If the icing comes together before 5 seconds add more sugar. If the glaze comes together after 10 seconds add more liquid. This will ensure that it is firm enough to pipe but still loose enough to flood the cookie.

Makes enough for approximately 1 dozen cookies.

Sugar Cookies adapted from bake at 350. Sugar Cookie Glaze adapted from i am baker.

 

Five Minute Chunky Monkey Ice Cream

By in Cool, Fruit, GF Sweets, Gluten Free, Kids, Smithfield, Sweets 13 Comments Tags: , , , ,

I“ve been dreaming about this ice cream for a long time. I”ve seen the idea of pureeing frozen bananas and turning them into ice cream quite a bit around the web and I had to give it a try to see if it was actually true. Could pureed frozen bananas really have the same texture and feel of ice cream?

In one word. Yes!

“It is amazing what happens to a banana once it is frozen and pureed. It becomes, remarkably, a lot like ice cream. Your kids will feel like they”re getting an extra special treat in the middle of the day, but really they”ll be eating fruit. Even when I”m eating this I have to remind myself that it”s not ice cream. The texture of the banana as it “melts” in your mouth is not unlike the silky texture of custard.”

Read more and get the recipe on Smithfield.com

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