Vovo's French Toast...Kid-Friendly Meal Part 1

While visiting my parents house in O-town, I also had the pleasure of helping them watch my niece and nephew (age  3 and age 5).  Their parents had gone on an early anniversary retreat to Cooperstown, and  I thought this was the perfect time to try out some kid-friendly meals.

However, between Lego's, playing in the pool, playing baby, feeding the fish at the pond, announcements of having to go potty, and so on, I found that it was pretty much impossible to actually write a blog entry.  After all, when it was nap time for the younger one, it was also nap time for Aunt Becky.  So the blog had to wait until the kids went back to their own house.  However, the kid-created meals were still a huge success... by both adult and kid standards!!


Part 1 (of 2) of the Kid-Friendly Meal isn't the most glamorous of foods, and probably one you have all made before.  However, it's a great project to do with kids.  In fact we even had a French Toast Birthday party one year!

Sidenote: Vovo means grandmother in Portuguese...

Ingredients:

• Eggs (enough for each kid to do an equal number of cracking)
• Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Vanilla
• Bread (I love Heidelberg Sunflower Raisin)  
• Butter for pan
• Syrup

Steps:

1)  Be sure to have the kids occupied while getting the prep work done (like getting out all ingredients, chairs to stand on, bowls/pans).  This is a key step!

2)  Even before beginning, try the cinnamon to see what it tastes like...

3)  Crack the eggs over the bowl.  We did two for each kid,  it is VERY important to have an equal number of eggs per kid. It helps to have the older child go first to show the younger one what to do...

Look at that concentration!

Remember, it's not a big deal if the egg shell falls in when doing a kid friendly meal!

4)  Whip the eggs... of course a fork for each kid and a toy baby on the counter is a necessity.

Be sure to stop for kisses from Vovo

5)  Add 2 tablespoons of sugar, only after tasting first though...

6) Have an adult add in a teaspoon of vanilla, a dash of both cinnamon and nutmeg, and continue to stir.  This step can be hard for little fingers to control the amount.






7)  (Another adult step)  Heat a pan with some butter on medium-high heat


8) Soak each piece of bread.  (The Heidleberg Bread is always a staple in this household!)

9) Cook through, flipping once. 

10)  Serve with your favorite maple syrup (no fake stuff please!), fruit, and a cup milk.  

Voila... Vovo's French Toast!

A concept we couldn't explain:  Why does Vanilla smell so good and tastes good in the food, but it's really bad by itself??

Thoughts? Opinions? Able to answer my 5 year olds nephews question about vanilla?? Tell me about it in the comments section below!

~Eat Well and Be Happy~

Pesto, and Brie, and Jam... Oh My!

What do you do when you have a basil plant that is just bursting at the stem with bright, beautiful, green leaves? Why you make fresh pesto of course!  My boyfriend and I had another couple over (Hi W. and B.!) for drinks last night and I figured this was a great time to try a new creation.  I've made pesto before, but I wanted to put a twist on it to be part of an appetizer.  And so, it became a Pesto Tapenade served on a Baguette.

Ingredients - Pesto Tapenade

(Note: the amounts can easily be changed to suit your personal desires!)

2 c. Fresh Basil
1/4 c. Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. Garlic
1/2 c. Pine Nuts
1/4 tsp Lemon Juice
1/2 can Olives
1/4 c. Fresh Parmesan Cheese




Sidenote:  While I was at my local grocery store getting the goodies I needed, I was stuck at pine nuts on my list.  I couldn't find them anywhere.  So I called my own personal food guru, my mama.  Of course she knew where the pine nuts were, even though she had never been to my grocery store before!  Incase you don't have your own personal food guru, you can find the pine nuts in the Italian Section of your grocery store, not the Nuts Section like I originally thought.
    

1)  Pick the stems off the basil and thoroughly wash.

2) In a blender puree the basil, garlic, and olive oil.

Then add in the cheese, pine nuts, lemon juice, and lastly the olives.

Remember you cab always add more in, but it's pretty impossible to take away... so add slowly!












3)  To serve, I spread a small amount on a sliced baguette.

45 Second Brie Appetizer

Love warm, gooey, salty yet sweet cheese?  Well this appetizer combines all those into one and it only takes 45 seconds to make!

Take your favorite jam and spread a small amount over the brie.  You can use any type of jam, mine this time happened to be a Blueberry Preserve.  

Pop the combo in the microwave for about 35 seconds (remember microwave times will vary) and serve with crackers.

This simple appetizer is always a crowd pleaser!

Have your own issues with finding rare items (pine nuts for me) in the grocery store?  Who is your food guru you turn to to help you out in a "pickle"?

Tell me all about it in the comments section below!

~Eat Well and Be Happy~

Salty? Crunchy? Healthy? Yes, Please!

Do you ever crave that salty, crunchiness of potato chips? Feel like you've been so good with your eating habits and don't want to ruin the track you've been on?  Well, Kale Chips are the answer to your life's burning questions.  They will satisfy that salty/crunchy need and are a great compliment to almost any dish. (Plus kale is LOADED with Vitamin A, C, and K)

Sidenote: Thanks "Sissy K" for the recipe... I chose to spice it up a bit with some garlic powder!

Ingredients:

Kale

Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Garlic Powder

1)  Chop off the stems of the kale.

 2)  Cut the kale along each side of the spine.  Throw out the spine and chop the leaves into small pieces.

3)  Brush with olive oil.  Sprinkle with sea salt (generous amount) and garlic powder (a small touch).

It seems like a lot, but the kale really cooks down.










4)  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the kale is crunchy.  You will need to mix it a few times while cooking too.

Ever make Kale Chips before? Have a different variation of them?  I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below!

~Eat Well and Be Happy~

A New (and Successful!) Summer Creation

I always find it exciting when new dishes actually turn out well.  Trying new (and self-created) dishes can always be a risk, especially when your official taste-tester has just gotten home from work and is extremely starving.  You never quite know what you will get with a new dish, or how long it will really take.  Mine ended up taking a bit longer, well like 30 minutes longer, than initially planned.  But I must say, it was well worth the wait!

Ingredients: 

Spaghetti Squash

MorningStar Meal Starters: Crumblers

1 can Garbonzo Beans

1 can Dark Red Kidney Beans

1 can Black Beans

2 small cans Mushrooms

1/2 small onion (not pictured)

Spaghetti Sauce

Feta Cheese 

Check out this video on how to prepare the Spaghetti Squash...




I initially cooked the spaghetti squash for the 12 minutes like on the video.  However mine really needed an extra 10 minutes of cooking time.




While the squash is cooking,  chop 1/2 a onion into small pieces.  Saute in a large pan with some olive oil for about 5 minutes.


Combine the Crumblers, mushrooms and beans with the onions and cook through.  Finally, mix with the spaghetti sauce... I used about 1/2 cup.

Small plug: MorningStar Farms has amazing foods to create all types of dishes.  Be sure to check them out! 

While the squash was cooking I also made some Pita Crispers.  I used two 100-calorie pita breads, and cut each side in half.

Top with spray butter and sprinkle with parmesan/romano cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees until crispy, about 7 minutes.







Now to deal with the squash... Be sure it has cooled a bit before handling.  I learned my lesson the hard way with this one!  As shown in the video above, cut the squash in half and use a fork to scrape out the insides.

 



Top the squash with the Crumblers-Bean mixture and scatter with feta cheese. Voila, a super healthy, easy dinner!

Have opinions?? I'd love to hear them in the comments section below!



Question: What do you think this dish should be called?

Stayed tuned for the delicious Kale Chips recipe that were also served with this dish!

~Eat Well and Be Happy~

A Family Phenomenon in Paradise

It has always been important in my family to have dinner together, which were always made by the parents.  Now that we are older and live in different states, family dinners don't happen all the time.  However, when they do happen they are always filled with good food, wine, and laughter. While growing up this was a time where each child was to share what happened during our day.  Often though it sounded a little like this:

"I woke up, I had breakfast, I brushed my teeth... (insert here one sister saying to another... ewwww she's breathing my air...)."

This tradition has been something that my parents have instilled in all of us since we were little.  The tradition is now being passed down to the next generation.  So being all here (well maybe more like 5/10 which is 1/2), my sister and I wanted to turn the tables around and actually make dinner for them.    

This meal was a nutritious and family focused summer treat.  The key to making the meal is to stay on top of the clean-up.  That way more time can be spent playing a competitive game of CatchPhrase with the family.

The meal consisted of: Texas Caviar as the appetizer (shout-out to Jenny-Dubbs for the recipe!!), Vovo's Vegetarian Tortellini, salad, olive bread and dipping oil.

Make the appetizer first because it is much better after it has had a chance to sit in fridge for 30 or so minutes.

 Texas Caviar Ingredients:

3-4 celery stalks

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

1 can black beans

1 can black eyed peas

1 can pinto beans

1/2 can corn

Dressing:

1/8 cup olive oil (or slightly less)

1/8 cup sugar (or slightly less)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Whisk oil, sugar and vinegar together then pour over ingredients above.  Mix several times. Let sit for 30 about minutes or so.  Serve with your favorite chips.



















We wanted a nice presentation and found this bowl.  When discussing how to arrange the chips and the dip, I said to my sister think of it like a math problem.  At which point she immediately became stressed and shut down.  As a sidenote, math anxiety was my masters thesis, with my sister as my main focal point!

Onto the dinner now...

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

Garlic

Scallions

Mushrooms

Chicken Broth

Grape Tomatoes

Sugar Snap Pea Pods

Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese

Feta

Tortellini

Chop the garlic and the scallions (chef's choice to amount) and saute in olive oil.  

Add in the mushrooms and cook until brown. Then combine with a can of chicken broth.    

Chop the tomatoes and pea pods and leave to the side 

Boil water and cook tortellini.  Which the tortellini are cooking (about 7-9 minutes) add the tomatoes and pea pods to the mushroom mixture.  Normally I would also add shredded carrots to the dish, but according to my high maintenance sister "they taint everything in their path." At the last minute add some feta and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, again chef's choice as to how much.  Place the mushroom mixture over the tortellini on your favorite serving dish.  Top with a dash of sea salt.    

Again, be sure to serve with your favorite wine!

~Eat Well and Be Happy~