Strawberry Puffed Pastry Sandwich
We love quick desserts because they are great for kids to practice cooking from start to finish. A lot of times recipes are too lengthy in time so they don't make it all the way through without a lot of encouragement from me. Quick recipes are much simpler which usually means done in 15-30 minutes. The Little Chefs can see their progress and see they are close to the end when their attention starts to diminish which helps them continue on for just a few more minutes.
I first ...
Basil can stay green for a few hours!
I have always used the chopped basil immediately because it turns brown quickly and then doesn't look appealing. Basil leaves are delicate and bruise easily. When you cut basil you are creating surfaces to be exposed to air. The basil turns black because it is oxidizing, just like an apple. You cannot stop this process, but you can slow it down.
Using a chiffonade cut is one way to slow it down. A chiffonade cut makes the basil into ribbons. How do you create the ribbons? Choose sprigs ...
Simple Chocolate Sauce
Do you ever need a last minute dessert? Every now and then while eating dinner my Little Chefs ask if we could have dessert. I usually start to panic and think what do we have already made that can be a dessert. Sometimes we have more options then others, but we always seem to have ice cream. So then the question arrives how do we embellish the ice cream? We always have sprinkles, unless Little Chef H finds the latest hiding place and eats them out of the container! A simple chocolate sauce ...
Vanilla Mixed Berry Popsicle
Popsicles are a big part of summer in our house. My Little Chefs go outside to play but then it seems almost immediately they come back in asking for a popsicle. I'm amazed at what they can do with a popsicle hanging out of their mouths! We found they molds one day while shopping and thought we could try making our own. The good part is the mixing of the ingredients is very quick. The bad part is they have a hard time waiting for four hours until they are sufficiently frozen to ...
Cilantro Lime Corn Saute
I love this time of the year when I can drive around and find fruit and vegetable stands on many different corners. This is a great recipe to use either fresh corn in the summer or frozen corn in the winter months. This recipe is a quick one for Little Chefs as well. In fact, Little Chef A thought it was very boring because she didn't need to do much.
If you are using fresh corn the first step is to cut it off the cob as described here. In a large skillet over medium high heat add the ...
Funnel Cake
My only memory of funnel cake is being at an amusement park with family and my sisters boyfriend. As I recall he loved funnel cakes and had to get one upon seeing them. My Little Chefs have never been in a location where funnel cakes were served. A friend gave us a funnel cake kit and we have had a great time using it and creating our own memories.
We describe funnel cake like a donut. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside with just enough sweetness from cinnamon and powdered sugar ...
How to select, store, prepare and steam an ARTICHOKE
How do I select an artichoke?
The best way to choose an artichoke is to pick them up and ask yourself three questions.
Is it heavy? You want to select the heaviest.
When I squeeze it is it hard? You want the firmest with tight leaves that do not appear wrinkly or dehydrated.
What color is it? The bright green color is best. If it is slightly purple it is overripe. If there are brown patches or white sports the artichoke has been exposed to colder temperatures and frost. This will ...
Cinnaberry Peach Delight
We hope you are enjoying your summer. It has been so hot here we are drinking whatever we can find! Little Chef A has been asking for a long time to make up her own recipe. Well....she has done it! I let her create her very own smoothie recipe. This is her very first of many, I'm sure! How did this come about?? Well, I let her know what ingredients we had available and let her decide how much of what she wanted to include in the smoothie.
She chose 1 cup of frozen mixed berries.
1 ...
Grilled Margarita Pizza
Funny thing - if I put a traditional pepperoni pizza and Grilled Margarita Pizza next to each other - 10 times out of 10 my Little Chefs would devour the Grilled Margarita Pizza! They love this pizza and I love that it is an easy recipe. What makes this pizza so delicious and fun for the Little Chefs - when they hear that we are having Grilled Pizza for dinner, they run outside to pick fresh Roma tomatoes and basil leaves from our garden! Oh so good. And... is it terrible that as I am writing ...
How to Freeze Fresh Corn
Fresh corn on the cob is never turned away in our home. My Little Chefs will eat and eat as much of it as we allow them. A friend of mine taught me how to freeze fresh corn. I didn't know it was a simple task and an easy recipe. When we have farmer stands of corn on corners and in parking lots we stop by and get an abundance. Once we get home the work begins!
How to Freeze Fresh Corn
Supplies Needed:
Fresh corn (8 cups corn cut off cob)
Bundt pan or 9x13 pan
Knife
Sauce ...
Homemade Soft Pretzels
Welcome!
I'm so glad you are here to get this amazing SOFT PRETZELS easy recipe that you can easily make at home.
If you are like me, when you go to the mall you, and perhaps your kids, can SMELL the pretzels before you SEE them.
Do you extend your stay and buy one of those buttery breads to dunk in cheese?
OR
Do you think -- I wish I knew how to make these at home where it is more work but cheaper?
With 5 kids in tow when I walked through the mall I was always thinking pretzels ...
Fresh Strawberry Lemonade
We have been having hot 100 degree days lately. When our days are this hot we are constantly drinking anything and everything to stay hydrated. Sometimes we go for a "special drink" or make our own when my Little Chefs work hard weeding or score a goal in the soccer game. Fresh Strawberry Lemonade is a three ingredient recipe quick to whip up when you need something special. I love the use of fresh strawberries, especially from the garden. I always think when our strawberries are ripe we ...
