What's for Dinner

Everyone pitched in to help make dinner.  My seven year old cracked a dozen eggs for our crustless quiche and WAHOO we are making progress; the more she cracks (a job she likes) the less shells to remove...she is really improving...a benefit to cooking often! 

My middle guy grated the sharp cheese and made what we dubbed the 'hay stack'.  It was like a game; he wanted to see if he could make it all fit on the lunch plate vs. using a larger surface.  He met the challenge with success and hence the 'hay stack' came about.

In the end we made a crustless quiche with eggs, spinach, turkey bacon, turkey sausage and cheese.  The vote:

Thumbs up from the 12 year old.

Thumbs down from the 7 year old, but she tried it!

So-so from the dad in our house and our oldest wasn't home to try it or vote...

Bananas....

My daughter will not eat bananas straight up!  But, she will eat them with a layer of peanut butter, a drizzle of honey, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a topping of Grape Nuts!  And, as you can see from the plate she LOVES to create this meal ALL ON HER OWN!  No complaints here...healthy, tasty, quick fixin' and fun!

Winter Fun in the Kitchen

Our kitchen is typically used for experimenting and we are continuing that practice just a little differently today. 

We were bombarded with snow and it was that good old fashioned snow that's perfect for making snowmen...snowball wars and anything else you can sculpt.  During our fort building, snow man building occasional snowball pellet activities one of my kids said, "Wouldn't it be fun to whip out snow balls in the middle of July and just hit someone with one and see what happens...."  So, I said..."go ahead make a few snow balls, we'll freeze them and see what happens!"

So, my freezer currently is the host of Snowballs for July!  Hey, they're only kids once....and why not?!?

The Elbow Squash!

A mom just sent me some photo's with permission ot use them from the Snow Ball Cookie making event last week.  It's the perfect cature of the Elbow Squash that took place that I was referring to in my earlier blog;

"Did she say do a crummy job and squash the cookies?"

"Wait a minute...that other kid isn't using his hands to crumble up the cookies..."

"Well if my big sister isn't using her hands, I'm not either!"

And, so was the invention of one creative child in each session that lead the others to follow suit and begin what is now known as the Elbow Squash in the Snow Ball Cookie frenzy! 

Snowballs on the Inside!

There were many hands to help mix up the Snowball Cookies and everyone got a chance to add ingredients, stir it up and roll their own snow balls!

After we added the ingredients for the base everyone had to crush up some cookies to add; one of their favorite parts of the process.  Amazingly, in each session it would take one child to start crushing their cookies with their elbows and the entire room would follow suit.  We had three sessions and it happened every time.  Even my own guys, who are pretty creative with their cooking (AKA potato head) haven't thought of the elbow crushing cooking move, which made it rather fascinating that it happened in each session.  Funny!

In the end, they loved the rolling and dipping ...

and ultimately the eating!

Thanks for joining me!  And, remember don't throw these snowballs at your mom or dad!

What's Up this Week?!?!?

Friday, February 26

4:30 pm

Albany Mommies Event

Tumbling Tykes

1050 Troy Schenectady Rd.

Latham, NY

Stay tuned for more cooking fun in March...

Film Day!

We were filming forward for April and with a focus on Eath Day we cooked up a fun dinner at the Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club.  We made the Ring of Fire for the main course...

Volcanic Ashed Potatoes as our side dish.  But, everyone dived right in and ate them so we didn't even get a picture...Oh well.  Stay tuned because it's a good recipe coming out in April; three thumbs up from the kids I cooked with....

And then we topped off our meal with fossil cookies for dessert.

It was a great day !

Behind the Scenes!

Usually film day is hectic, but relatively smooth going.  As part of prep one of every recipe being filmed has to be made in advance.  Some recipes can be done the day before and others the morning of!  This month I had two recipes that had to be done the morning of the shoot.  One dish (thank goodness the easier of the two) got left in the oven and forgotten! When the oven went back on for pre-heat for the second recipe it over cooked the first.  I pulled in the troops for a little help!  And instead I got comic relief......

and more clean up!  But, they can peel a mean potato and we ended up with carved potatoes of the camera man by two helpers that then lead to a voting session for everyone on site.

All ended well!

A Veggie Tale...

I love conversations with the kids I meet when I am out and about cooking in the community.  Just the other day I was chatting away with a little girl and I thought I'd share our discussion as it matches one of my theories;

Little Girl:  I made vegetable soup!
Me:  That's great!  Did you like the taste of vegetables?
Little Girl:  Yes
Me:  Do you usually like vegetables
Little Girl: (hesitation) No, not really.
Me: So, why do you think you liked the vegetables in vegetable soup?
Little Girl:  (shrugs shoulders) I don't know?
Me:  I know....it's because you helped to make the vegetable soup.  Your fingers are magical and when they cook, they help to add extra special flavors.  So, I bet if you cook vegetables more often you'll like them!
Little Girl:    :)

I have found with my own kids that the more they help, the more they try.  And, the more they try, the more foods they find that they like including those infamous veggies!

Snow Ball Cookies...Great Winter Fun!

Yesterday I was in a community making Snow Ball Cookies!  It was the perfect day on a winter break for some inside fun; while we were making snow balls inside it was snowing outside. Despite the weather, almost everyone who signed up still joined in the cooking rolling, snow ball dipping fun.

You can grab the recipe at the Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club:

http://www.pricechopper.com/Recipes/Detail/6828/Snowballs/

Snow Ball Tips:

Let the kids get more involved...

1.  We eliminated the candy canes for the season.

2.  The kids crushed the cookies by hand using snap and seal freezer bags; WAY MORE FUN!

3.  If you let the butter and cream cheese set to room temperature, the kids can stir this recipe with a spoon...no electronics needed!

Happy Valentine's Day

Raspberry Cream Chocolates

A tasty Valentine’s delight

by Jodie Fitz

Whenever I think Valentine’s, I think CHOCOLATE! And, although I’m certain my quick fix on the chocolate making regime would make any professional chocolatier cringe, this recipe will certainly prove to be some tasty homemade fun. And, of course time well spent experimenting with the kids in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water
1/2 envelope Price Chopper unflavored gelatin
1 teaspoons raspberry extract
4 oz Price Chopper whipping cream
¼ cup Price Chopper confectioner’s sugar
Red food coloring
Price Chopper raspberry preserves
12 oz. Price Chopper chocolate morsels
5 oz. cold cups

Boil the water in a pan, remove it from the heat and add the unflavored gelatin. Stir until the gelatin has dissolved completely. Add in the raspberry extract and let the mixture cool to room temperature.

Using scissors cut the top of the cups off so that you have approximately one inch high cups. Place the cups onto a baking sheet. Pour 6 – 8 oz. of chocolate into a glass bowl and melt them in the microwave on high for one minute. The chocolate may not look fully melted until you stir it thoroughly. Place a portion of milk chocolate into the cup and spread it around to cover the base and sides of the inside of the cup. Make certain the area is covered well, if the chocolate is to thin the cups will break when you unmold them later. Place the chocolate cups into the refrigerator and let them set until they have hardened.

Mix the whipping cream, confectioner’s sugar and two drops of red food coloring together until the cream has thickened. This is a great opportunity to teach your children about the peak test to be certain the cream has been mixed well. Fold in the gelatin water. Let the mixture set for approximately 30 – 60 minutes in the refrigerator.

Melt the remaining chocolate, following the directions above. Place one teaspoon of raspberry preserves in to the chocolate cup, top the preserves with two teaspoons of the whipped mixture, and top it off with a layer of melted chocolate that will seal the cup. Set the desserts into the refrigerator until the chocolate has fully hardened; approximately 30 minutes. Carefully peel the cup from the chocolate and serve.

Note: For an added decorative touch melt white chocolate and drizzle on top before serving or top with extra whipped cream.

An Explosion of Flavor....

Okay, this breakfast isn't the type of breakfast you will want to make every day, but it's perfect for special occasions; especially Valentine's!  It's a mouth watering treat that will leave your kids wanting more and with Valentine's falling on the weekend, why not?  It's my Volcanic Pancake Recipe that has a great combination that's really not difficult to create, but a lot of fun with a great reaction when served to your special someone(s).  Enjoy...

http://www.pricechopper.com/Recipes/Detail/6890/Volcanic_Pancakes/

Avoid the mouth wrinkling, nose scrunching response to vegetables...

I don't necessarily know what it is about kids and vegetables, but when they hear the word they love to wrinkle their mouths, shake their heads and scrunch their noses. And, with that response parents, including me, are left trying to figure out how to get these nutrient packed foods into our growing kid’s bodies. But sometimes, I like to say, the key to eating vegetables is the way you play.


It might not be every day that you want to cut up everything to create a fun snack, but my simple spread with a few uniquely cut vegetables can turn a boring wheat cracker along with boring veggies into something that's delicious and fun to assemble and looking fabulous enough to attempt to eat. Once they've taken the bite they just might find out how much they like vegetables vs. thinking they don't and hence you might avoid the mouth wrinkling, nose scrunching faces.



http://www.pricechopper.com/Recipes/Detail/6891/Fun_with_Veggies%21/

Valentine's Cookies

Quick and Easy Valentine's cookies!

 This is a great recipe!  Often, in the hustle and bustle of life standing at the oven just isn't an option; even though intentions were honorable when the signups for the classroom parties were put out in September. 

 Making Quick and Easy Valentine's Cookies is a perfect way to still steal a few moments and allow the kids to be a part of the process without making the dough, letting it set for three hours, cutting them out, standing at the oven every 10 minutes and finally decorating them when the schedule just couldn't lend the time....

http://www.pricechopper.com/Recipes/Detail/6892/Quick_and_Easy_Valentine%60s_Day_Treats/

Rice Krispie Treats in Football Action!

My 12 year old and I had an idea and we put it into action!  We made rice krispie treats adding some peanut butter, shaped them into footballs, dipped them in chocolate and added the final touches with white icing. YUMMY!

Highlight of the Weekend

I spent the weekend in Connecticut cooking up a whirlwind of fun!  I spent Friday evening at the Imagine Nation Museum and was a part of their Chocolate Factory Evening, which was very well attended and enjoyed by the community! I made chocolate covered pretzels with over 200 visitors to my station and my volunteens for the event were fabulous and enjoyed a sneak dip whenever they had the chance!

On Saturday I appeared on the Connecticut NBC Morning Show to chat about cooking with kids and the Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club.  It was fun cooking in their kitchen which was beautifully designed and fully stocked so when I needed an extra plate it was no problem...simply opened the cupboard and whola! 

And, then I was off to the Price Chopper in Bristol that afternoon to make Mini Flower Pots with customers in the store and promoting the Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club! Whirlwind indeed...back home again...jiggity jig to get the Super Bowl Food ready for my kids and their friends and our neighbors who joined us for the festivities...and, I ate way too much!

February Fun at the Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club!

Friday, February 5

5 - 8 pm

Chocolate Factory Festival

Imagine Nation Museum

One Pleasant Street

Bristol, CT

Saturday, February 6

10 am - 1 pm

Bristol Price Chopper

121 Farmington Ave.

Bristol, CT

February 16

1 pm

Winter Fun

Burnt Hills Ballston Lake Library

2 Laumar Lane

Burnt Hills, NY

Friday, February 26

4:30 pm

Albany Mommies Event

Tumbling Tykes

1050 Troy Schenectady Rd.

Latham, NY

Strawberry Smoothie with a twist...

Strawberry Smoothie

by Jodie Fitz

1 cup Price Chopper frozen strawberries
1 teaspoon Price Chopper vanilla extract
½ cup Price Chopper low fat milk
6 oz. Price Chopper vanilla yogurt
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon Price Chopper honey
1 cup ice

Add all of the ingredients into the blender and blend away! I actually put the strawberries in the blender frozen and have found that it makes for a thicker and colder more milk shake like drink that has received a thumbs up from the kids in my family. However, you can thaw the strawberries in advance, which will give you a slightly sweeter drink. I use the freshly frozen, unsweetened strawberries for this recipe.

Healthy tip: use low fat and/or organic dairy products.

Valentine's Chocolates

A sneak peek at next week's recipe!  More on the how to's coming your way...

Learning the Basics with a Twist

Tonight I was teaching my son how to boil eggs and make Deviled Eggs; he loves them!  But, of course, as like any recipe that enters into our kitchen I had to hand out a little taste testing challenge and maybe, just maybe see if I could squeeze in a little hidden vegetable and pull it off!  The verdict.....success!  Here is what we did;

1.  Boiled six eggs.

2.  Peeled the eggs.

3.  Cut the eggs in half; length wise. 

4.  Removed the yolks.

5.  Mashed the yolks.

6.  Added to the yolks - 1 tablespoon mayo, 1 teaspoon mustard, 1 tablespoon of shredded or finely chopped carrots, 1/2 teaspoon of  cumin, 1/4 teaspoon of paprika, a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper to taste.

7. Refilled the egg whites.

8.  Taste Tested and Thumbs Up!

Blueberry Blaster

A fabulously quick breakfast on the run or snack that tastes great!

Blueberry Blaster

by Jodie Fitz

1 cup frozen blueberries, thawed

6 oz. vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup ice

Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until it's thick and creamy.  It's like a  milkshake, but healthier!  

Healthy note:  Use low fat and/or organic dairy products.