Irish or not…Irish Soda Bread is d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s!

I have been making this recipe as far back as I can remember and I just love it any time of the year…after all…my name IS Colleen which in the Websters dictionary means “little Irish girl”!  Over the years I have tweaked it to be a bit more moist and a bit more sweet sweet then traditional Irish Soda Bread.

Make these adorable Mini Irish Soda Bread loaves with your kids for St Patty’s Day or any day of the year.  We all know that bread making can sometimes be a challenge or a bit time consuming however,  this particular type is so, so easy – it’s pretty much a no fail recipe!  Perfect for eager, emerging Junior Chefs!!

These are greatfor gift giving…2 tiny loaves and some tea bags…maybe a tea cup…wrap it up pretty and you are set!

Spread some butter or jam on a slice and enjoy also great for tucking into lunchboxes for a homemade treat!

Irish Soda Bread

4 1/2 cups of flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 1/2 cups raisins
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 large egg

Optional: Raw or decorative sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper

Whisk the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl until blended.
Add in the butter and raisins and stir well.
Add buttermilk and egg to the dry ingredients and stir until incorporated – do not over mix.

Using your hands, form mounds of about 1 cup of the dough (don’t actually use a measuring cup thought as dough is very sticky…just estimate…you can’t really go wrong)on your parchment lined baking sheet(s).  Spread them apart by about  an inch…they will hold their form.  If sprinkling with sugar, do so now.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out dry. Cool a bit and serve.  Once cool store in airtight baggies or container.

***This recipe will make 12-18 mini loaves (depending on the size you form) which is a lot, you can easily halve the recipe…adding in the whole egg is fine…just add in an extra 2 tablespoons of flour.

Serve warm out of the oven with a bit of butter or heat up a slice in your microwave anytime and enjoy the added perk of the wonderful smell in your home!

Bain sult as! (Gaelic for Enjoy!)

Posted March 16th, 2011 by Colleen in Breads, Lunch Box, Snacks, St Patrick's Day | No Comments »

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Ever notice how a child’s eyes light up when they get an everyday food presented to them in an unusual way?

They get filled with anticipation, awaiting the moment they can get to taste the new or updated treat!

Here is a really fun way to serve Jello.  You can surprise your kids or have them help you – either way it’s sure to be a hit!

Such a pretty addition to a child’s birthday party table, a surprise on a picnic or a wonderful feel better soon snack!

Jello Rainbow Cups

Make Jello according to package directions.  In your chosen cups pour the first color of Jello and refrigerate,  Make the second color and have it sitting on the counter ready to pour 30 minutes later, repeat with each color.  Allow 4 hours total to set.

Jello Fruit

Fruits that work well are lemons, limes and oranges.

Wash all fruit well.  Slice chosen fruit(s) in half.  Carefully run a paring knife around the edges of each half loosening the fruit from the pith (the pith is the white thread-like material between the fruits peel and the fruit itself).  Use a mellon baller or spoon to peel away the fruit from one end.  After that you can just pull it all out with your fingers. (Save the insides to use for making lemon or lime-aid or the insides of the oranges for snacking.

Position the fruit halves in a devided egg plate if you have one – if not position them on a dish towel lined baking sheet.

Make jello according to package directions – using 1/2 cup less liquid then called for.  Slowly pour the Jello into fruit halves.  Transfer to your refrigerator and allow to set.

Once set, prior to serving carefully slice each half in half making quarters.

Enjoy!

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

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Banana bread, cake, muffins or cookies are always a hit…right??

The sweetness of bananas going brown are just an amazing flavor to work with.

When shopping, we always buy 2 bunches of bananas, one for eating by themselves and one in anticipation of when we can whip our next lunchbox, snack or dessert treat!

My kids give me updates on what’s happening with the soon to be brown bananas…eagerly waiting for the day they are ready for us to get cooking!!

The addition of cinnamon is a nice variation from standard banana bread flavoring.

Cinnamon Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 cups of flour

1 tsp baking soda

dash of salt

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

4 whole brown bananas (3 if they are large ones)

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix flour,  baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl, set aside.
In a small bowl or mug, combine the milk and the lemon juice, set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and the sugar, add in the vanilla.   Add in the eggs.  Add the bananas and using a potato masher (or let the kids squish them first in their clean hands…kind of fun!), mash them into the butter and sugar mixture.  Add in the milk mixture, stir well.
Add in the flour mixture and the chocolate chips, stir well, until fully mixed.

Spray or butter your cupcake pan, fill 3/4 with the batter.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  The bigger the muffins the longer the cooking time.

For something extra special, add some crumb topping to the muffins!

Crumb Topping

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

4 TBS butter, cut into pats

3/4 tsp cinnamon

Combine all into a small bowl and mash with a fork until crumbly, sprinkle on the muffins prior to baking.

Happy Cooking!!

Posted February 25th, 2011 by Colleen in Breakfast, Colleen, Desserts, Lunch Box, Snacks, Uncategorized | No Comments »

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Actually the correct name would be Pizza Puffs…they are made in a cupcake pan and my kids have been calling them pizza cupcakes for a long time lol.

One of the beautiful perks of teaching your kids to cook at an early age is the ability – before you know it – to empower them to have a thought about wanting to eat something and in a flash – prepare it.  Today my 9 year old son did just that.  He said “Mom how about I make some of those Pizza Cupcakes for lunch?”

“Sure” I replied and away he went.  He did most of the work and he ate most of the “cupcakes”.

We regularly make these in our household whenever we have a crowd of kids – the are super easy and SO much better than frozen pizza bites.  They are always a hit around the pool or in the middle of Winter doesn’t matter they quickly disappear!

They are a bit addictive so make plenty!

Pizza Cupcakes

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sugar

dash of salt

1 cup of milk

1 egg

1 cup mozzarella cheese

2 TBS Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup chopped pepperoni  or more if your kids like more (we buy sliced pepperoni and chop it in thirds or quarters)

Pizza sauce for dipping

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.   Whisk in the milk, egg, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.  Let it sit a few minutes while you chop the pepperoni.  Add in the pepperoni, stir until combined.  Spray your mini cupcake pan well to grease it.  Add in spoonfuls of mixture.  it can come up to just below the top of each opening.  You should have just enough batter to fill 24 mini cups.  Bake for 18-22 minutes or until puffed and golden.

Let cool for a few minutes, run a butter knife around each one to loosen and serve with some warm pizza sauce!  These are good leftover too, store in a plastic bag and reheat for a few minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Enjoy!!

Posted February 20th, 2011 by Colleen in Colleen, Dinner, Entrees, Lunch, Snacks | 6 Comments »

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Does all of the cold and snow have you dreaming of Summer??? 

Why not throw together a Winter Fruit Salad?  It will remind you of Summer and give you something to do (other than frolicking in the snow) and has the added perk of vitamins galore…just when kids can use a Vitamin C boost to keep healthy!

See which fruits look good next trip to the grocery store…fruits like blackberries, kiwi, bananas, apples and grapes are available this time of year and look good.  To spruce up the salad and give it a wonderful kick squeeze the juice of 2 tangerines into a small bowl, add in a teaspoon of sugar and stir it up.  Toss the fruit with the mixture and enjoy!!!

Stay tuned…this weekened we will have a fun activity to do with you kids next snowfall!

Posted January 26th, 2011 by Colleen in Breakfast, Colleen, Desserts, Fruit, Snacks | No Comments »

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These oh so easy and tasty  pretzel treats show up at the holidays every year in various forms…usually a chocolate disk or white, brown, red, blue or green and a festive M&M.  I would love to know who is credited with first making these little gems.

Next time it’s your birthday (or your brother, sisters friends etc) and you need a treat for school (mom and dad take note) why not make these.  

My kids  love making  many variations..allowing their creativity to shine!

Mom, Dad, Grandparents, aunts and uncles – want to show a little extra love just because for the kids in your life – whip up an adorable batch of these as a surprise the lunch box, as an after school treat or at visit time…all you need is 20 minutes, pretzels, chocolate, decorations and a dash or two of creativity!

Pretzel Treats

Pretzel Snaps

White chocolate melting disks (I use Wilton)

Decorations like, M&M’s, nerds, dragees (edible silver balls and little girls favorites), sprinkles, jimmies, candy…you name it!

On a baking sheet, place pretzels in a single layer. Put one white chocolate disk in the center of each pretzel. Place in a 350 degree oven for approx 2-3 minutes or until chocolate is shiny but not melted or falling through the pretzel.
Remove from the oven and decorate immediately. Cool in your fridge or cold garage for 20 minutes and they will remain hard until ready to eat. They keep well for a week in a sealed container.

Happy Cooking!

Posted November 8th, 2010 by Colleen in Candy, Colleen, Desserts, Kid Fun, Lunch, Lunch Box, Snacks | 1 Comment »

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Want to make a snack, appetizer or side that not only packs a powerful nutritional punch, but is fun to eat too?

Then Edamame is right for you! 

Edamame comes from the Japanese words for twig and beans.  What are they?  They are actually edible, immature soy beans.  You can purchase them in the pod, shelled or dried in a crunchy snack form.  You only eat the insides – the outside pod is very hard to chew.

These little gems are just packed with nutrients like Calcium, zinc, vitamin A, phosporus, iron and multiple B vitamins.  They are high in fiber and a great source of Omega 3 fat.

You can use them in multiple ways like as a substitute for peas or in rice or pasta dishes.  We like them best served simple and in the pods – they are super fun to eat!

My daughter opens the pods and makes faces with the beans…then once satisfied with her creation, she then gobbles them up.  My son and husband are like me and love to pick them up one by one, use our teeth and pull the beans out….the salt from the outside mingles with the beans and the taste is absolutely addictive…toss the pod and quickly move on to the next one!  Yum, Yum and Yum!!

Edamame Pods

Whole Edamame (organic is preferable)

1 tsp light olive oil

1 tsp Kosher salt

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, (kids you will need your parents help with this part) gently add in the edamame.  Boil for 3 minutes then drain in a colander.  Immediately toss with the olive oil and Kosher salt and serve.  Have an extra bowl on the table for the discarded pods!  Who in your family will have the most discardrd pods??   The race is on!!

Happy Cooking (and fun eating)!

Posted November 6th, 2010 by Colleen in Appetizers, Colleen, Snacks, Veggies | No Comments »

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What do you think of when you think of Fall?

The temperature begins to dip, the daylight gets shorter, we begin getting excited for upcoming holidays and hockey and football are in full swing!

Do you think of the beautiful falling leaves and the colorful pumpkins of every size popping up everywhere?

I do!  Come Fall each year my kids and I go crazy roasting pumpkins and turning them into fall favorites like, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin risotto and these adorable Pumpkin Cupcakes!

These cupcakes are not just tasty they have the perk of vitamins too from the all mighty vitamin packed pumpkin!  Ages 2-6 would be great helpers making these.  Ages 7-16 can do it on their own if they are comfortable in the kitchen!

Pumpkins are an amazing source of vitamins and minerals too.
The amount of Vitamin A in a pumpkin is staggering…the vitamin A will help keep your eyes healthy! Pumpkins are also a source of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, potassium, manganese, copper, riboflavin (a B vitamin), iron, folate, B6, niacin and more!  Whew!

Pumpkin Cupcakes

1/2 c butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups cooked pumpkin *(1 small/med pumpkin) or canned pumpkin (not pumpkin filling)
2 TBS brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

*You can use pumpkin puree in place of roasting a pumpkin.  To learn how to roast a pumpkin, click on the link above for pumpkin muffins.

Beat butter and sugar until creamy.  Add in pumpkin mixture or puree and eggs and beat until incorporated.  In a medium bowl add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, whisk until combined. Add dry ingredients to your batter and blend until combined.

Fill your cupcake pan – either using cupcake liners or greasing your pan well.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until tester inserted comes out clean

Cream Cheese Icing

4 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 TBS butter, room temperature

dash of vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Your favorite fall sprinkles

Use a hand or stand mixer and beat cream cheese and butter until smooth, add in the vanilla (more if you love vanilla) and the powdered sugar, mix until smooth.

Once cupcakes are completely cool , spread or pipe onto each cupcake and decorate as you wish!

Happy Cooking!

Posted October 22nd, 2010 by Colleen in Colleen, Desserts, Halloween, Snacks, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

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I love bringing kids imaginations to life!
Years ago for my son’s Halloween birthday party I was looking for a way to make edible “eyeballs” on the table a way that kids would actually eat and enjoy, I knew those little people were NOT touching an olive lol! So, I added a twist on those pretzel snacks that were showing up at holidays, turning them into “eyeballs” and the kids have loved it ever since…I mean all the kids…My sons class is always asking him to make them and bring them in! My children both have severe nut allergies to both tree and peanuts – so we make most of our treats at home.
Your kids will have a blast making, eating and sharing these!

Eyeballs
round or square pretzels
white chocolate disks
chocolate chips
red jimmies

On a baking sheet, place pretzels in a single layer. Put one white chocolate disk in the center of each pretzel. Place in a 350 degree oven for approx 3-4 minutes or until chocolate is shiny but not melted or falling through the pretzel.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with red jimmies. Invert one chocolate chip in the center of each disk. Cool in your fridge or cold garage for 20 minutes and they will remain hard until ready to eat. They keep well for a week in a sealed container.

Happy Cooking!

Posted October 13th, 2010 by Colleen in Colleen, Halloween, Snacks | 16 Comments »

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Warning!! Addictive Muffins ahead!!

My kids first tasted Auntie Anne’s Pretzels a couple of years ago.
They thought they were amazing (so does their Mom).
Not being one to go to malls often (since having kids), I decided the kids and I should whip up something similar at home.

What we landed on were Applesauce Doughnuts…they were really good, however they were not as good after they cooled I was still tinkering with them when I was lucky
to meet Jen of How to Simplify and sample some of her Doughnut Muffins! They were just what we were looking for!
Talk about addictive! They were a huge hit at the food blogger gathering I was at!Check out her site – she had some wonderful tips and recipes!

We made these beauties a number of times in the past few months – My kids keep asking to make them. My son loves rolling the muffins hot out of the oven in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Then he reaps the fruit of his labor…or in this case the muffin! Thanks Jen!

Doughnut Muffins
-How to Simplify

Muffins
1 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup milk

Cinnamon and Sugar Coating
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin tin well.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
Combine oil, sugar, egg and milk in a large bowl, add in your dry ingredients and stir only to combine.
Bake for 15-20 minutes. While muffins are baking, melt butter in a small bowl. In another small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.
Flip or gently lift muffins out of the muffin tin while the muffins are still hot.
Dip muffins in the melted butter and then into the sugar and cinnamon mixture, coating thee whole muffin. Place on a wire rack and allow to cool and try not to eat them all soon after….really!

You can also cut out the milk and add in 1 cup of sweetened applesauce if you wish, for a bit of a different flavor (if using unsweetened, add in 2 TBS brown sugar).

Happy Cooking!

Posted September 27th, 2010 by Colleen in Colleen, Desserts, Snacks | No Comments »

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