Kids

Kids in the Kitchen: No-Fail Crepes for Mothers Day (video)

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no-fail crepes

My husband doesn’t get to cook in the kitchen much. Give him a grill and a slab of meat and he’ll whip out one mean steak that’s perfectly charred and melt in your mouth tender. Since I love cooking so much, there aren’t many reasons for him to get in the actual kitchen on a regular basis, but one thing he can crank out like a pro is crepes. He is the crepe master. And, it’s one recipe that I know he can easily make with the kids without my interference. In other words, it’s a win for Mother’s day.

Crepes are not usually something that you think of for beginner cooks. And, with Mother’s Day coming up I think it’s safe to say that there will be a lot of beginner cooks in the kitchen this weekend. This recipe is for them. And for you, Mom.

No matter who’s making these crepes they turn out fabulous every time. When little hands are pouring the batter or swirling the pan they will more then likely come out in all sorts of funny shapes and sizes, but they will be just as tasty. Besides the most important thing, that makes them taste the best, is that they’re made with love. (Awww.)

These aren’t as fragile as a lot of crepe recipes are, so they won’t be as paper thin, but that’s what makes them have such consistent results. I think they’re just as delicious as a wispy thin crepe but there’s none of the heartache of throwing out the ones that don’t work. Win. Win.

I’ve included a video at the end of this post that me and my son created together to show just how easy it is for kids to make these crepes (with adult supervision of course!). Granted, it won’t win any awards for cinematography, but it was a fun little project for us to do together and he is so proud that those are his fingers in the video. And his little sister always cheers “Ma! Ma!” (Max! Max!) whenever we watch it. So with all that sweetness I couldn’t really resist sharing it with you. A visual always helps when you’re getting started in the kitchen right?

No-Fail Crepes

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons oil (olive oil or canola)

Place all ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Ladle 1/4 cup batter into the pan while you tilt it in a circular motion to spread evenly. Cook until the edges start to curl up, flip and cook until both sides light golden brown. Set prepared crepe on a plate and continue with remaining batter, stacking crepes on top of each other (you can keep them warm by placing the plate in an slightly warm oven). Top with desired toppings and roll up to serve.

Makes: 9 crepes

Filling Ideas
  • peanut butter + banana + honey
  • ham + cheese + mustard
  • berries + whipped cream + chocolate sauce (for dessert!)
  • cooked apple slices + cinnamon + maple syrup
  • almond butter + sliced peaches + maple syrup
  • butter + cinnamon sugar

Video

No-Fail Crepes for Mothers Day from Kitchen Simplicity on Vimeo.

Gingerbread Playdough

By in Christmas, Kids 2 Comments Tags: , , , ,

gingerbread play dough

I first made this playdough last spring. I’ve been waiting and waiting until Christmas to share it with you. While we make it all year long it is especially wonderful at Christmas. It’s a great distraction for the kids when you want to get some baking done by yourself. The kids can feel like they’re participating and you can do your own thing. It also makes great homemade gifts for classmates or cousins.

When my kids play with this, the whole house smells like cinnamon and spice. My hubby will come home and think I’ve been baking something wonderful when really the kids have just been playing with playdough. A disappointment to him but at least the house smells nice and the kids have been happily entertained. :)

I figured since it’s a recipe I could share it on a food blog. Plus, technically it is edible. Disgusting and salty, but edible. ;)

Gingerbread Playdough

Stored properly this dough should stay supple for a couple of months.

  • 1 cup all-purpose flourx
  • 1/2 cup salt
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 cup water

Mix together flour, salt, cream of tartar, and spices in a medium-sized pot. Stir in the oil and water until evenly mixed (will be thick). Place pot over medium-low heat, cook and beat with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is playdough consistency. Remove from pot (Careful, it’s hot!) and knead with your hands until smooth. Store in an airtight container.

Makes approximately: 2 cups

Adapted from The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle.

Kids in the Kitchen: Tortilla Pizzas

By in Kids, Lunch 11 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

Kids in the Kitchen: Tortilla Pizzas

I think it”s great to get kids in the kitchen early and even to arm them with recipes so that once they”re a little older, and staying home alone, you know they can take good care of themselves in the kitchen (without you having to worry about the house exploding while you”re gone).

I first came up with this idea just before we moved. Our house was becoming more and more depleted of ingredients and we had some leftover pizza toppings and an opened package of tortillas. My hubby was gone on a business trip so I wanted to make something quick for me and Max. This was the first thing that popped into my head and I must admit, I didn”t expect us to like it so much.

This is a great recipe for kids to learn to make on their own – my son had so much fun and was so proud to make a pizza all by himself. And, they won”t be the only ones enjoying it, it makes a yummy quick lunch for us adults too. :)

It”s also a great project to do to when the kids are bored out of their minds, being stuck inside all winter. Take a little extra time on lunch and watch them get excited about making their own creations and then eating every last bite.

A Few Topping Ideas

These personalized pizzas are a great way to use up those leftover scraps of veggies and meat that you”re not sure what to do with. Here are a few ideas.

Sauce:

  • pizza sauce

  • pesto

  • dressing (such as southwestern ranch)

  • salsa

  • leftover bolognese/pasta sauce

  • cream cheese

  • refried beans

Meat:

  • leftover chicken

  • sandwich meat

  • taco meat/fajita filling

  • leftover ham

  • vegetarian: beans

Veggies/Fruit:

  • bell peppers

  • mushrooms

  • green onions/onions

  • pineapple

  • corn

  • spinach

And don”t forget the cheese!

Tortilla Pizzas How-to

A step-by-step guide for the kiddos.

Step One:

Assemble ingredients and place a tortilla on a baking sheet. Top with pizza sauce.


Step Two:

Put on desired toppings – be as creative as you like. :)


Step Three:

Top with cheese. (Mom and Dad – avoid the urge to help them make it perfect.) :)


Step Four:

Place the baking sheet in a preheated oven. Bake at 450ºF (or under a broiler) until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crisp. Make sure to keep your eye out for the “boiling” cheese! :)

P.S. If you”ve got one, you could make these in a toaster oven to be more kid-friendly.


Step Five:

Remove from the oven, cut into slices and enjoy!

Christmas Cookie Puzzle

By in Christmas, Kids, Sweets 8 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

Christmas Cookie Puzzle

This is a fun gift or activity for the child (or child-like person) in your life. An edible puzzle, to be decorated to your heart”s content and then eaten afterwards. Who says you can”t play with your food?

These are a lot of fun to make and after snapping the above photo, I let my son have at “er. He had a blast smearing the frosting and mixing all the colours together into an unappealing grey mass. It may not have looked very appetizing but he had so much fun and after scraping off an inch of frosting, it was still very edible. :)

You can make these as intricate or as simple as you like. It”s all left up to your imagination… or time.

The process is simple:

  • Roll cookie dough into a rectangle (you”ll want it to be a little thicker then normal for stability). Lay desired cookie cutters on top of the rolled out dough to figure out placement. Press cookie cutters into the dough, then press walnut, pecan or almond halves into the dough to create handles. Remove cookie cutters and bake according to recipe instructions.

  • Once baked, immediately re-cut the shapes with appropriate cookie cutters. Allow to cool completely before carefully removing them (it”s best to roll these out and bake them on the same piece of parchment paper so that you can pop the pieces out easier).

  • Once removed, decorate all pieces with frosting (recipe below) and allow to dry before putting the puzzle back together, to avoid smudging. Package up in cellophane to give away or eat and enjoy. :)

The frosting I used is perfect for kids. It can be made thick enough to spread or watered down just a tad more so you can put it into resealable plastic bags and pipe it on. It also dries nice and hard so you don”t have to worry about any of the pieces smudging if you are wanting to gift it. But of course, you can use royal icing if you prefer.

Sugar Cookie Frosting

7 tablespoons of milk will give you a frosting thick enough to spread, add additional milk to reach your desired consistency.

  • 5 cups icing sugar (confectioners sugar), sifted

  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

  • 7 + tablespoons milk

Mix together all ingredients until smooth, adding more milk as necessary to get desired consistency.

Tip: If piping onto cookies check the consistency by doing the 10 second ribbon test. Drag a knife through the frosting 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 it 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.

Frosting adapted from Annie”s Eats.

Three Quick and Easy Hot Beverages

By in Beverages, Warm 10 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Three Quick and Easy Hot Beverages

It”s cold out. The wind is biting, we have to bundle up to go outside, if it wasn”t for the fact that there”s no snow flying yet I would say winter has arrived.

I still try to get outside with the kids every day. A three year old boy needs to stretch his legs and dig in the dirt!

Whenever we come in I always crave a nice hot drink to warm me from the inside out. But, I can”t have a crazy calorific drink every day so I”ve been enjoying these options instead. And, we enjoy them so much that if Max isn”t done playing but I”m tired of sitting in the cold all I have to do is ask him if he wants some warm milk and he practically runs to the door. (I promise I”m not always so conniving. But sometimes it”s just so cold out!)

These all start with the same base, a cup of milk heated in the microwave and topped off with a sprinkling of cinnamon. (I make mine with rice milk. You could use soy or another milk substitute as well.) It”s amazing how different a few key ingredients can affect the outcome of one cup of milk.

All three of these can be made by heating milk in the microwave for dead simple results. But, if you want to make a larger batch (or don”t have a microwave) feel free to cook them on the stovetop. Top any of these with a spoonful of whipped cream for an extra special (calorific) touch.

You probably have most of these ingredients on hand most of the time, which means you can make them whenever you need to thaw out. When your family comes in from the cold you can set up a station where everyone can make their own how they like.

The cold weather might be biting but I never mind when I know I have things like this to cozy up with my kids and have a few giggles over warm milk. :)

Nutella Hot Cocoa

Stirring in a scoop of nutella transforms hot milk into a hot cup of chocolatey goodness. You get all the flavour with none of the work and no packages that contain way to much sugar. I”ve grown tired of the prepackaged hot chocolate, but this allows you to have a quick fix any time.

Nutella Hot Cocoa

  • 1 cup milk

  • 1 tablespoon nutella

  • 1 pinch ground cinnamon

Place milk in a mug and microwave until desired temperature (2-3 minutes). Stir in nutella, until melted. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Sleepy-Time Milk

If you like rice pudding you will love this. Perfect for a warm drink before bed, especially for the kiddos. Although, I drink this any and all times of day. This is a great warm drink that I”m happy to give my son when we come in from the cold. It”s completely guilt free, plus it helps him get his daily dose milk (not that he needs any help doing that).

Sleepy-Time Milk

  • 1 cup milk

  • 1 teaspoon honey

  • splash of vanilla

  • 1 pinch ground cinnamon

Place milk in a mug and microwave until desired temperature (2-3 minutes). Stir in honey and vanilla. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Spiced Vanilla Latte

 This is a simplified version of a latte. It won”t be the frothy stuff you get at the store but it does have the same great flavour with minimal effort. Get a pick me up part way through the day or stir in some caffeine-free instant coffee and enjoy it with dessert in the evening.

Spiced Vanilla Latte

  • 1 cup milk

  • 1 teaspoon instant coffee

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

  • 1 pinch ground cinnamon

Place milk in a mug and microwave until desired temperature (2-3 minutes). Stir in instant coffee and vanilla until coffee is dissolved. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

What quick fix hot drinks you like to whip up when you”re chilled to the bone?

Nutella Hot Cocoa adapted from Miss in the kitchen. Sleepy-Time Milk Adapted from Allrecipes.

Kids in the Kitchen: Homemade Egg McMuffins for Dad

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

Kids in the Kitchen: Homemade Egg McMuffins for Dad

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.

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