Friday, January 29, 2010

WXXA Filming this Morning


Okay, life never lacks for dull moments.  Despite having lost power and completely throwing off my prep time for food! I still made it to WXXA this morning for a quick segment promoting our
Super Bowl Show Down recipes at the Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club. 

These recipes are great!  They challenge kids to try new things and in the end, they've actually eaten healthy alternatives that taste like their not.  It's a great way to mix up the super bowl menu, get kids in the kitchen helping and trying new things while the teams are out on the field!

Don't forget to visit this link to try Lava Juice...Flat Bread Sensations...and, Mini Bites!

They all got a 'thumbs up' from the crew this morning!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Fun on Film Day!


Film day is always a fun day! The kids are excited to experiment and be a part of the Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club and I love meeting them and having some fun in the kitchen as we stir up some new recipes to share. This month we filmed in preparation of St. Patrick's Day.  We made Lucky Leprechaun Bites! YUM!


Somehow the plate was empty at the end of the shoot...leprechauns or kids?!?!?!?!


We also got a jump start and prepped a couple of recipes for Easter...starting with none other
than bunny food!


And, before they were all gone, we took a quick snapshot of our final recipe of the day,
Stuffed Strawberry Muffins!

Thanks Julia, Mia and Kenny for cooking with me at the Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club!

Monday, January 25, 2010

The Kids Cooking Club is on the Move...


Yesterday I was having fun cooking with parents and their kids in North Greenbush, New York.  We were busy making healthy snacks that were great for after school, classroom parties, birthday parties, tea parties or simply just for fun anytime!  We had Fun with Veggies (coming out next month at http://www2.pricechopper.com/kids/) and our Mini Yogurt Flower Pots.
Mini fillo cups, thawed


3 oz. Price Chopper strawberry yogurt
3 oz. Price Chopper blueberry yogurt
2.5 oz. Price Chopper whipped topping
Strawberries
Blueberries

1. Wash, rinse, remove the greens and slice the strawberries. Set aside.
2. Wash the blueberries and set aside.
3. Mix the yogurts and whipped topping together.
4. Fill the fillo cups with the yogurt mixture.
5. Arrange 3 - 4 strawberry slices on top of each yogurt filled cup to serve as your flower pedals. Place a blueberry in the center to finish off your flower.

Totally Awesome Cake!


Every birthday and every occasion is just cause for celebrating a combination of flavors...yum! This cake was by special request of the now 7 year old in our household; it's our version of the Peanut Butter Candy Cake (recipe for another cookbook in the works). Notice, there are no more candies left on top, only imprints of a reminder of what once existed.


Shhh! Recipe to be released at a later date...and yes, there are some surprises in this one!

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Today!


Today I was at the Price Chopper in Latham, New York making Lava Juice!
It's a refreshing and delicious drink that got thumbs up from all of the tasters! 
Tomorrow I'm off to make Mini Yogurt Flower Pots and other fun treats with veggies that are
coming out in next month's release.  Stay tuned...


Friday, January 22, 2010

From Drab to Fab...a Sugar Cookie Make Over

        

        


Plain old sugar cookies wend from drab to fab for the class room birthday treat.  They got a purple and pink frosting make over certain to make Barbie and any 7 year old girl proud!

Mission Accomplished!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Fun at the Times Union..




Great news!  My recipes will be featured in the Albany Times Union once a month along with my Price Chopper Kids Cooking activities on the Times Union 518 Moms blog!  Today was a whole new experience with three of my recipes being photographed in still for the upcoming articles in February, March and April.  More updates to come! 

It was fun to spend the morning with Jennifer Gish (Times Union), Mike (Photographer) and Ruth Fantasia(Food Editor).

Rain Forest Bread or Eat your Fruits and Veggies?


We’ve all turned the calendar to welcome in 2010 and most of us, if not all, have made some form of goal or resolution to ring in the New Year. For me, one of those goals includes balance and within that balance includes nutrition, which in my mommy vocabulary partially means – “EAT YOUR FRUITS AND VEGGIES!” If I only had a quarter for the number of times this phrase has resounded in my children’s ears and yet (joining the ranks of other parents here, there and everywhere), I still need to say it!

I do try, whenever possible, to go straight for the fresh fruits and veggies because my mom really did instill in me that the ‘whole’ is always better than the ‘part’. However, at the same time, when you have a picky eater then creativity has to rule! I have found three methods that have worked in my favor over the years;

1. get them in the kitchen cooking, they tend to try more,
2. if they won’t try it because they think they won’t like it; disguise it,
3. adopt my motto; some recipes are thumbs up, some are thumbs down, but you never know until you try!

Rainforest Bread is a great recipe that’s tasty and allows you to sneak in both fruits and vegetables that can be used as a snack, a side or for breakfast on the run. If the kids in your house turn their noses up at the very thought of cooking zucchini, pre-shred it, place it in a bowl and tell them they are secret leaves from the rain forest that have been shipped in specifically for their delight. Have some fun, mix it up and squeeze in those fruits and veggies whenever possible.

Rainforest Bread

1 cup sugar
1 cup applesauce
½ cup butter, softened
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups shredded zucchini
½ cup carrots
½ cup orange juice
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 ½ cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla together. Add in apple sauce, orange juice carrots and zucchini. Add in all dry ingredients; mix thoroughly. Stir in raisins. Bake in greased individual bread pans, cupcake tins or 13” x 9”pan until golden brown. Approximately one hour in bread pans and/or 13” x 9” pan.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

The Hannah Montana Cake!



Well, we just celebrated birthday extravaganza part one! You know how it goes...kid’s birthday, school treats, family celebration...etc, etc, etc...

I have made most of my children's cakes, but this year it became all about Price Chopper! And, it's not because of the Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club...it's because of Hannah Montana; at least so I thought. The custom cake book is slightly to the right of the 'cookie club!' And, since my daughter loves to shop with me most weeks, she is very knowledgeable about how all of the sampling stations work especially the cookie club. It's the hi-light of the trip....along with collecting all of the other tidbits, trying to convince me to buy everything not on my list and picking vitamin water out at the end! It's a regular little routine....

Anyway, almost every trip has involved a peek at the cake book! And, all year long she has been holding out for THE Hannah Montana cake! In the end, it was not about the purple frosting, nor was it about the stardom of Hannah Montana; it was about the plastic singing headphones on top of the cake so that she could sing along to the music in the car...don't you love it? You never know what's going through their little minds....but, in the end she was happy and the cake was great!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

What's Up in My Kitchen Today?!?!



My kitchen was busy today, which is nothing unusual.  My kids love it...we're always way ahead of the game in celebrating the upcoming holidays in my line of work!  What kid wouldn't love a double celebration!!! And, in this case it was a TRIPLE celebration.  WHY?!?! Because, when I made the first batch for pictures....they all mysteriously disappeared.  I wonder if I follow the crumbs if it will lead me to a family of culprits?!?! Anyway...I've warned everybody that the second batch must survive picture taking and then the cupcakes are free game...

Today we were taking photos for an article coming out in February with one of my quick and easy time savings tips for classroom fun!  Stay tuned for this raspberry filled cupcake...
the recipe will be posted on the blog!

Upcoming Events in January


Saturday, January 23

10 am - 1 pm
Loudon Price Chopper
837 New Loudon Rd.
Latham, NY

Sunday, January 24

11 am - 2 pm
Winter Carnival WIth Children's Guide
Woodland Hill Montessori School
100 Montessori Place
North Greenbush, NY







Thursday, January 14, 2010

Keeping it Simple, but Fun...

Recipes don't have to be complex to have fun, be fabulous or make an impression....

Iguana Icies


1 cup limeade
1 cup whipped topping
1 cup lemon lime soda
1 cup ice
½ tsp. vanilla

Put everything into the blender and mix. Serves 2.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

1,000 Cookies?!?!?!?



My 17 year old and his friend just made 1,000 chocolate chip cookies for the school bake sale.  His friend decided to bake for extra credit and my son said he'd help! 

They used my kitchen and did their version of clean up (YIKES!)  It was fun to have the revolving door of activity and nonstop chatter.  My house smells really gooooood and they left us a dozen :)  I'll miss them when they go to college!  It's funny how the kids like to use my house to bake and I really don't mind at all...

Their chatter made me laugh at times; they were actually debating over what ingredients go into frosting.  They asked me to settle the debate and my son's friend response as he shrugged his shoulders, '...well I had two out of five ingredients.' 

Monday, January 11, 2010

Mini Bites



I love mini bites!  They might be little, but they have BIG flavor!  They are most scrumptious when served warm and are like a mini bite of a fruit pie with very few calories....A great snack or dessert that squeezes in the fruit and whole grains without the fuss!  Mini Bites are great any time, but a super simple addition to parties or tea parties...




Saturday, January 9, 2010

Boneless Chicken Wing Flat Bread



YUM!  Even though the Barbecue Turkey Flat Bread won the ultimate 'thumbs up!' in the show down...the chicken wing flat bread also got a 'thumbs up!' and was still devoured by all of the chefs on segment that day.



Friday, January 8, 2010

Flat Bread Sensations...


I love quick, easy & tasty; who doesn't?  This Turkey Barbecue Flat Bread was a big hit amongst the kids I cooked with last month.  We actually did a show down of flavor between two flat breads for the Super Bowl show down and I was surprised that this tasty combination won the 'thumbs up!'

It's also a nice, warm, simple entre for a cold winter's eve!


Thursday, January 7, 2010

Lava Juice



This recipe is great on many levels...fun for parties, movie nights or afterschool snacks....it's a quick easy way to spend a few minutes with something tasty in return!






Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Mom there's a spill....


Yes!  When you cook with your kids it opens license for them to use their skills in the kitchen. And, when they use their skills, and are on the younger, end it's often I hear; "Mom, there's a spill...."  So, patience, laughter and paper towels go a long way!

A Great After School Snack:

1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup ice

Mix everything in the blender and serve.  YUM!

Monday, January 4, 2010

SPINACH????

Not only is it cold outside, but most of the time when we ask our kids to eat spinach they either give us the cold shoulder or the look that could be misconstrued as the eyes of ice. Brrrr! I say thaw them out with Moon Rock Soup. That’s right, you can stir up a galactic mixture that keeps them warm and introduces them to a host of flavors that are healthy and includes spinach (shhhh!).

As a mother of three, it’s not always easy getting kids to try the foods we want them to eat. I have found three methods that have worked in my favor over the years;

1. get them in the kitchen cooking, they tend to try more,
2. if they won’t try it because they think they won’t like it then don’t let them know what their helping you create; disguise it,
3. adopt my motto; some recipes are thumbs up, some are thumbs down, but you never know until you try!

Moon Rock Soup is really a ‘cover up’ to get kids to eat a healthy combination of ingredients. If they want to help and you are afraid the spinach package will send them running, simply put it into a bowl, discard the package and let them pour it in. When they ask what their adding to the ingredients, remind them that the moon is part our galaxy and it is a mysterious galactic particle that any young scientist is sure to enjoy tasting.

Moon Rock Soup
My twist on Italian Wedding Soup!

1 pound ground turkey
1 Cup parmesan cheese
16 oz. pasta rings
3 large fresh carrots
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach (thawed)
1 large can chicken broth (48 oz.)
4 eggs
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Pre-cook the pasta as directed on the package, drain; set aside. Mix the ground turkey and parmesan cheese together thoroughly; set aside. Pour the chicken broth into a pan. Fill the can half full of water and add to the chicken broth.

Make small meatballs with the meat mixture approximately 1 to 1 ½ inches in diameter to form moon rocks for your soup. As you make the moon rock meatballs add them to the chicken broth. After you have added all of the moon rock meatballs, bring the broth to a boil and let them simmer on high in the broth for 30 minutes.

Peel and either shred the Carrots to add to the soup or put them into a food processor. Add the spinach, carrots, bouillon, salt and pepper to the mixture and simmer until the carrots are tender.

Scramble the eggs in a separate bowl and add to the soup. Cook for 10 minutes.

Add the pasta to your colorful galaxy mix, season to taste with additional bouillon, salt and pepper if desired and serve.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Planning for the New Year...


Planning for new and exciting recipes and programs for the Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club!