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Posted December 6th, 2011 by Colleen in Uncategorized | 7 Comments »

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 I don’t know about you but I am always looking for fun food for my kids. I love to surprise them with new foods, fun foods or food they can help whip up.

I have seen these Apple Nachos all over the internet lately, so we had fun making (and eating them).  I think food that is a “project” first is extra fun for the kids…it’s a craft AND a treat! Have fun with these!!

No real recipe here…just grab a couple of apples and raid your pantry for add-ins such as caramel, hot fudge, mini chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, granola or anything else your kids might get a kick out of. Maybe even slightly melt a little peanut butter and/or fluff throw it in a little sandwich bag, snip off the end and let the squeeze away (just though of that now…sounds fun)and then why not add a few rounds of banana. Let me know what your kids come up with

Posted December 6th, 2011 by Colleen in Colleen, Desserts, Fruit, Kid Fun, Snacks | 1 Comment »

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 Its funny how one day you become a parent and the next day your baby is a “little person” whom you adore and would give the sun and the stars to if you could.  I never knew how my becoming a Mother would change me and you know what?  I kinda like the changes!

One example is how I have no fear of trying something if at the end of the day it will better my children, put a smile on their face or help them in some way.  Case in point.  Last year for my son’s birthday…knowing that he is not a big fan of cake, I made him some very special cookies instead.  It was my first attempt at outlining and flooding cookies to make decorative ones.  I enlisted the help of my husband and we created cookies from our sons favorite video game…we were up until 2am doing it but you know what?  He went bananas!  So it was worth it!

This year my son turned 10 (I know, I know…sniff) and I decided to surprise him with a HUGE XBOX cake made to look like a controller.  I contacted a friend of mine who happens to make cakes and asked her if she thought she could make on like that – she said yes.  However as it turned out she was already making a Thomas the Train cake for the same day – so it was a no go.  So then I thought…I am not artistic but you know what…I am going to try it!

And I did…I once again enlisted the help of my husband and as a team we did it again!

My son and his 22 friends went nuts!  You see, we had the cake covered, only my 7 year old daughter know what it was.  We looked silly walking into the lazer tag facility we had his party at carrying a huge box covered with a towel…but so what!  It was a great moment.  Once again my being a mother pushed me…and my son now has a moment I do not think he will ever forget.

So my message is “go for it”!!  They are only young for awhile and the little things we do to surprise them are exciting for us and memorable for them!  I had never even touched fondant before let alone worked with it and we pulled it off…wonder what’s next?

Posted November 15th, 2011 by Colleen in Desserts, Family time, Parent's Corner | No Comments »

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My daughter loves to cook.  Since she was 3 we have had our own “cooking show” in our kitchen.  She actually thought (and still may think) that their were TV cameras in the oven…and would always focus her talking to it…lol!

Cooking with her or my son is a huge joy for me.  Recently, I was making a batch of this soup (a favorite of mine) when my daughter skipped in the kitchen and said “oooooh…whatcha makin?”  I said “soup…want to help?”  She said “SURE!”  So we began “filming” our latest show…it always starts out with “Welcome to Charlies’ Kitchen…I’m Charlie and this is my mom!”  “Today we are making XXX”  We have a blast!!

My husband happened to be watching us from the other room and was cracking up at our “show”.  Charlie was on my back – piggy style so I could safely bring her to the stove and allow her to both hear and see how to saute garlic appropriately.  When it came time to add the tortellini..she said “can we throw them in?”  I said SURE, why not?   And we proceeded to throw some across the kitchen into the pot…we really had fun…and then we sat down and enjoyed the soup.

The fun, the teaching, the memories and the delicious dished we cook up – to me are PRICELESS! 

Tortellini Soup

-adapted from Not Your Mothers Weeknight Cooking

2 TBS olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, chopped (down to 1 for kids who are not a fan and up to 6 for those that are)
48 ounces of chicken broth
A few dashes of red pepper flakes (if you/they like spice)
1 package of fresh cheese tortellini
14 1/2 ounces of crushed tomatoes (the whole can)
6-12 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves…depending on your taste
Freshly shaved Parmesan Cheese for garnish (optional)

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the garlic and saute for no more than 45 seconds (do not brown). Add in the chicken broth and red pepper flakes.
Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Add in the tortellini and cook for half the cooking time on the package. Add in the tomatoes, reduce heat to medium low and continue cooking until the tortellini is tender. Stir in the spinach and cook until it wilts (about a minute). Season if necessary with salt and pepper.

The flavors of this soup are good immediately – something I don’t usually find with soup – normally I like to let it sit a bit. The soup was just as good the following day!

Happy Cooking!!

Posted October 26th, 2011 by Colleen in Colleen, Lunch, Soup, Uncategorized | No Comments »

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Do you have any ice cream dishes laying around?  If so why get a little more use out of them – how about serving dinner in them one night?

Kids are easily thrilled…right?  So why not surprise them with a fun Spaghetti Sundae for dinner one night – or let them take the lead in creating one for each family member?

My kids like their pasta either plain or with just a touch of sauce…add in some mini meatballs and you are all set for some dinnertime fun!

Have fun creating your Sundae Dinner and  don’t be surprised when your kids ask for their next one!!

Happy Cooking!

Posted September 28th, 2011 by Colleen in Colleen, Entrees, Family Dinners, Kid Fun | No Comments »

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Kind of funny how things happen.  I posted this recipe awhile back and WHAM!  It went viral.  I think it’s because of how very, very easy it is to make.  Plus who doesn’t love chocolate or peanut butter or chocolate AND peanut butter…right!  This is quick and easy to make, a  perfect recipe for little helpers and it’s not to sweet with a nice protein kick from the peanut butter, which makes it a fantastic after school snack or a lunch box treat!

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Squares

-Souffle Bombay
1 pound white chocolate
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips or 12 ounces of chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream

*I happen to have a silicone “pan” with 24 squares in it – which I use when making this. In the past I have just used a 9×9 baking pan.

Line your pan with parchment or waxed paper, leaving an overhang. (you can also use foil however you will need to spray it with cooking spray).

This will make it so easy to pull the candy out once it is firmed up.

Melt your white chocolate in your microwave for about a minute, stir until the chocolate is melted and creamy. Add in the peanut butter and stir until blended and smooth.
Spread mixture into your pan.
Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until a bit firm.
In a saucepan, combine your chocolate and your cream and heat over medium high heat until melted and smooth, stirring constantly. Pour/smooth over peanut butter mixture.  Chill for at least 3 hours or overnight. Later, lift out the candy and cut into small squares.

Happy Cooking!

Posted September 9th, 2011 by Colleen in Candy, Lunch Box, Snacks | 1 Comment »

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It’s back to school time once again…that means waking up early and moving quickly in the mornings! 

What do you usually feed your kids for breakfast on busy school mornings?  Have any tips or shortcuts to share?

Here is something I make once or twice a week for my kids.  This works for me because the oven does all the work while I run around getting kids ready and keeping them on track.  I even cook up some bacon in advance and keep it on hand, nice and crispy ready to go for the morning(s) we enjoy these eggs.

One great think about these little ramekins is that they keep the eggs hot for quite a bit – after all who wants a cold egg??  Plus it’s easy to customize an egg to every persons taste…cheese, no cheese, runny yolk, solid yolk, etc.  If your kids are up to it before school, they can totally make their own – easy peasy!

Baked Eggs

1 TBS Milk

1 egg

Salt and pepper

Topping suggestions: Cheese, crumbled crispy bacon, diced cooked sausage, diced ham, chopped broccoli, etc.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Grease your ramekins with a bit of butter, add 1TBS milk to each ramekin.  Crack 1 egg into the ramekin (you can add 2  however increase your cooking time).  Top with your chosen ingredients.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until the egg  is to your liking.

Posted August 31st, 2011 by Colleen in Breakfast, Colleen | No Comments »

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This is a snap to make and I am sure you have the ingredients on hand! Hope you like it! I asked my 9 year old son what we should call it and he thought and said “I really don’t know.” “It’s just sooooo good”!  It’s based off of something that had my kids and husband very excited at a BBQ earlier this summer.

That particular dish was pretzles, popcorn, potato chips, M&M’s and who knows what else…In one huge pile.  I just took a peek in my pantry and combined these ingredients and the kids really dug it….the adults too!

Chocolate Marshmallow Pretzel Delight AKA Chocolate Pretzel Thing

4 TBS butter
1 bag mini marshmallows (10.5 oz)
1 1/4 cups Nestle chocolate chips
6 oz pretzels broken up a bit (I used Snyders Snaps)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup white chocolate melting disks for drizzle
Optional: a sprinkle of salt

Set up a cupcake pan with cupcake liners, spray them lightly with a bit of cooking spray.

Place the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Once melted add in marshmallows and stir often until fully melted and incorporated. Turn off the heat and add in chocolate chips, stirring vigorously until mixed. Add in pretzels and raisins, stir well.   My kids enjoyed helping with this part!!

Working quickly use 2 spoons to scoop out the mixture and get it into the liners. Fill each cupcake liner with a mound of the mixture. If you want smaller candies, line another pan with 6 more liners and fill 18 instead of 12.

Let them set for 30 minutes in your air conditioned home or for 10 minutes in your fridge. Melt white chocolate in your microwave for 1 minute (or less) then spoon in a small baggie, snip off the end and drizzle each candy.

I am sure you could also just mound these babies on a parchment lined baking sheet…have not tried it myself, but from the consistency, I am sure it will work, especially if you are in air conditioning.

You could add in anything else you like…nuts, candies, dried fruits, etc.

Happy Cooking!

Posted August 21st, 2011 by Colleen in Candy, Colleen, Desserts, Snacks | 1 Comment »

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My kids LOVE making and eating pasta this way!!

 These are great when you are on the go, fun for a picnic and to perfect a crowd of kids….and let me tell you adults dig them too, especially if the bread is fantastic!

Grandpa’s Pasta Pockets

2 fresh French bread or Italian loaves
Pasta of your choice

Halve your bread. Have your kids hollow out the inside of the bread halves to make the pockets. Do your best to keep from putting holes in the roll.
Fill with your favorite pasta and enjoy!!

Note: Push the pasta mixture down into the bread pocket to allow more spaghetti to fit inside.

Once hollowed out, you can stuff your bread with any pasta. Try it with a butter sauce, olive oil, pesto, tomato sauce or anything you like. Go all out and add sausages and peppers, chicken, or mini meatballs. You can even throw in a Caesar or mixed green salad tossed with dressing. You are only limited by your imagination

Have fun with these!

Posted August 5th, 2011 by Colleen in Colleen, Dinner, Entrees, Family Dinners, Lunch | No Comments »

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What child doesn’t love fun food (or adults for that matter?

You have two ways to go on this one….this is an easy treat for little hands to help with OR you can just surprise them with it at a barbecue, party or in the lunchbox!

Little hands can easily help skewer the marshmallows as well as help decorate them.  You could also wrap these up individually in a cookie bag with ribbon and donate them to your church or schools next bake sale or make them as party favors.  Just decorate to your theme.

Marshmallows on a Stick

Regular sized marshmallows

Chocolate melting disks in the colors or your choice

Decorations like sprinkles, jimmies, small candies, chocolate chips, nuts, etc

Wooden skewers or long lollipop sticks

The quantity needed depends on how much you want to make…for 1 bag of marshmallows you will need 2 1/2 cups of chocolate.  That will yield about 10 sticks.

Assemble your marshmallows on your sticks, three to a stick.  Set aside.  Line 2 baking sheets with wax or parchment paper.

In your microwave, melt your chocolate disks (Wilton works great).  Melt no more than 1 1/2 cups at a time.  Cooking for 1 minute, then stirring and then cooking in 30 second bursts and stirring till smooth.

Using a spoon, scoop some melted chocolate onto your marshmallows, covering the tops as well as most of the marshmallows (no need to get the bottoms coated).

Spread the chocolate around with the back of the spoon or with your clean index finger.  Decorate and place on your prepared baking sheet.  Once your sheet fills up, place in your refrigerator for 15 minutes allowing the chocolate to firm up.  Serve when ready.  These can be made 1 day ahead. 

Use your judgement for little ones indulging in these, if you use a wooden skewar, make sure they are not runn

Happy Cooking!

Posted July 24th, 2011 by Colleen in Candy, Colleen, Kid Fun, Lunch Box, Snacks | 3 Comments »

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