Cooking Kids

French fries are a kid-friendly food. However, they aren’t always the healthiest fare, even when you buy the frozen kind and bake them. Below is a yummy recipe for homemade fries that are low in fat but taste delicious. My son gobbled them up during dinner last night, where they accompanied a roast and asparagus. They are also simple to make and kids can help dip the fries.

Simple Healthy Fries

6 potatoes, peeled and sliced vertically

3 egg whites

1 c. flour

1 tbsp. garlic powder, onion salt, ground mustard, black pepper and salad supreme

1 c. bread crumbs - any variety

1/2 c. parmesan cheese

Beat the egg whites in a bowl until frothy. Mix all the dry ingredients together. Dip the potato wedges into the egg whites and then into the dry ingredients. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 375* for 40 minutes, or until browned. Enjoy!

Here’s a really good recipe for Russian Tea Cookies. They’re similar to the recipe entered in the cookie contest on this blog, with just a slight variation.

1 C. butter

2 C. flour

1 C. chopped walnuts or hazelnuts

1 C. powdered sugar

2 tsp. rum or vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Cream the butter and sugar. Mix the rest of the ingredients into the creamed mixture, except for the nuts. Once the mixture is blended well, add the nuts. Roll the cookies into little balls and bake them at 350* until golden brown. About 8-10 minutes. Roll the cookies in powdered sugar while hot, and then again after they cool. Enjoy!

I’ve gotten so far behind because December is just a busy month for me. But I’m gonna try to post some last-minute cookie recipes that just might be what you’re looking for  for Santa or holiday guests.

Million Dollar Cookies Recipe:

1 C. softened butter

1C. sugar

1 C. packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 C. flour plus 1/4 C.

3/4 C. cocoa

1tsp. baking soda

2 Heath candy bars or toffee bits

1 bag Rolo candies

Preheat oven to 375*. Beat butter and sugars until fluffy, then add eggs and vanilla and beat well. In another bowl, mix the 2 1/2 cups of flour, cocoa and baking soda. Add flour mixture to moist mixture a little at a time and blend well. If it’s too sticky, sprinkle in a little extra flour.

Cover and chill for about 30 minutes. Chop heath bar into small pieces. Toss with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Wrap a piece of dough around a rolo and form into a ball. Dip the dough into the candy topping and bake for 7-10 minutes. Cookies will look soft, but do not overbake. Cool for a couple minutes on pan and then remove. Enjoy!

We tried a recipe the other day at our playgroup that was absolutely delicious. It’s a great alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. So if you like pumpkin stuff but don’t care for pie, try this mousse. With the nutty topping, you don’t even miss the crust of a pie. And it has the little kid stamp of approval. My daughter, and all her little 2 to 4 year old friends, gobbled it down.

Praline Pumpkin Mousse

1 c cold milk

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin

2 pkg. (4-serving size each) Jell-o Vanilla flavor Instant Pudding and Pie Filling

1 1/4 t pumpkin pie spice

2 c thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping

1/2 c chopped pecans

1 T butter, melted

1/3 c firmly packed brown sugar

Beat milk, pumpkin, dry pudding mixes and pumpkin pie spice in large bowl with wire whisk 2 min. or untl well blended.  (Mixture will be thick.)  Gently stir in whipped topping.  Spoon into 10 dessert glasses.

Refrierate 4 hours or until set.  Meanwhile, toss pecans with butter and sugar.  Store in tightly covered container at room temperature.

Sprinkle pecan mixture over desserts just before serving.  Store leftovers in refrigerator.

I have a recipe that gets both of my carrot hating kids to eat their carrots. They like them so much in fact, they’ve nicknamed them the “Candy Corn Carrots.” They’re simple, quick and something that an older child can help cook.

Candy Corn Carrots:

4-5 large carrots, peeled and cut into circles

1/2 C. packed brown sugar

2 tbsp. butter

Boil carrots just until tender. Drain and put the carrots back into the pan. Put carrots over medium heat and add brown sugar and butter. Stir gently while the butter and sugar melts. Increase heat, if necessary. Sugar and butter should create a sort of syrup for the carrots. Here’s a pic of what our carrots look like:

If you’ve been trying to get your kid to eat carrots, try this recipe and see if they like it. If you have an older child, give them the responsibility of boiling the carrots and melting the sugar and butter.

October 30th is National Candy Corn Day. Today’s a great day to make candy corn treats with the kids, right before Halloween. Candy corn is easily used in regular treats as an add-on. Here are some ideas for using candy corn to celebrate national candy corn day.

Make a batch of Rice Krispie treats and throw in some candy corns.

Make a trail mix with pretzels, nuts, graham cookies and candy corns.

Get a roll of sugar cookie dough and roll it out. Use a triangle cookie cutter or egg shaped cookie cutter and cut out the shapes. While the cookies bake, color white icing yellow and orange with some white left over. After the cookies cool, icing them to look like candy corns.

Roll caramel apples into candy corns.

Vist my recipe for Fall Popcorn that I made with my cooking club for another idea.

Enjoy National Candy Corn Day with these yummy ideas.

Halloween is right around the corner, and I thought I’d add some easy halloween treats you can make with the kids. I don’t have any pictures of these because we don’t do our halloween cooking until the day before, but these recipes have easy-to-follow directions that are easily visualized. Your recipes are Tombstone Brownies, Magic Potion Punch with Wormy Ice Ring, Jack-O-Lantern Cheese Ball, and Caramel Apples. Enjoy!

Tombstone Brownies:
1 pan of brownies
Pumpkin candies
Green colored coconut
2 Hershey bars
Chocolate icing
White icing

Bake a batch of brownies according to package directions. Once cooled, ice them with the chocolate icing. Cut them into rectangles and put them on a platter. Let your kids help tint coconut with green food coloring. While waiting for the food coloring to soak in, break apart the Hershey bar into individual pieces. Using white icing, pipe the letters RIP onto each rectangle, in a diagonal pattern. Put a little patch of dyed coconut on one corner of the brownie. Place a pumpkin candy on top. Put the headstone chocolate piece above the coconut grass. Those are tombstone brownies.

Magic Potion Punch:
1 C. boiling water
2 packages of lime flavored gelatin (or any flavor you prefer)
3 C. cold water
1 1/2 qts. Sprite
1/2 C. sugar

Pour boiling water over gelatin in punch bowl. Stir until dissolved. Stir in cold water, Sprite and sugar. Stir well; mixture will foam for a bit. Float the Wormy Ice Ring in the center (recipe follows.)

Wormy Ice Ring:
1 C. gummi worms
1 Qt. of bright yellow Gatorade. (If you use a yellow gelatin for the punch, choose a different colored Gatorade. The punch and ice ring colors need to contrast.)

Arrange gummi worms in a ring mold. Fill with Gatorade. Freeze until solid, about 8 hours. Unmold and float in Magic Potion Punch.

Jack-O-Lantern Cheese Ball
2 C. shredded cheddar
1/2 package cream cheese
1/4 C. pumpkin
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 pretzel rod broken in half
Black olives
Red pepper
Dark bread

Beat cheeses, pumpkin and spices until smooth. Cover and chill 2 to 3 hours. Shape mixture into a round pumpkin and place on a platter. Using a knife, score vertical lines down the pumpkin. Place the pretzel rod in the top for a stem. Cut a piece of the dark bread into triangles for eyes, a square red pepper nose, and slice olives for the mouth. Serve with crackers and vegetables.

Halloween Caramel Apples
1 package of caramels
1 C. mini marshmallows
1 tbsp. water
5 or 6 apples
Candy corns, red cinnamons, jelly beans, licorice, chocolate chips, nuts and sprinkles for decoration

Place a sheet of wax paper on a baking pan. Combine caramels, marshmallows and water in a pan. Cook over medium until caramels melt. Insert wooden sticks into washed apples. Dip apples into the caramel mixture and place on wax paper. Decorate with desired toppings and refrigerate until firm.

We have a favorite dessert that I guess would count as a soup. It’s really simple to make, and since it’s chocolate kids love it. I don’t make it often because it is so decadent, but it’s great for a valentine’s dessert or, coming up, a halloween dessert. I serve it with fresh fruit for dipping, but it could be eaten straight from the bowl if your stomach can handle it.

Chocolate Soup Recipe:

1 jar of hot fudge topping, slightly warmed

1/2 C. caramel topping or 1/2 bag of caramels, melted

1 C. cream

Heat the hot fudge and caramel in a small pan. When warmed through, add the cream. Heat until smooth and creamy. Spoon into small bowls and serve with fresh fruit. If you like a thicker soup, reduce the amount of cream. Enjoy!

Here’s a fun recipe for halloween punch. Since Halloween falls on a Friday this year, more parties will probably be taking place the actual day of Halloween. These little pumpkin punches are a cute and fun way to serve drinks at a kids’ party. Plus, your kids can help create them.

Recipe:

12 oz. can orange juice

1 C. water

2 C . milk

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 C. sugar

20 ice cubes

Hollowed out oranges for drinking cups

Blend all the ingredients together in a blender, including any orange pulp you want in the punch. (Adding orange is optional).  Let your kids draw jack -o- lantern faces on the orange shells, using a black marker. This can also be a Halloween party activity right before you serve the food. Fill the oranges with the juice and serve with a straw. This recipe can serve about a dozen kids. Cut it in half if you have fewer people.

Salad and bread are great side dishes for a meal of soup. One recipe that’s easy for kids to help make is seasoned breadsticks. By using a can of breadstick dough, you cut the preparation time and make it easy for kids to help. The next time you plan on making soup, don’t forget to grab a can of breadsticks.

Recipe:

1 or 2 cans of breadstick dough

Melted butter

Favorite seasonings such as garlic powder/salt, onion powder/salt, basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, seasoned salt, and salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven according to package directions. Open the can of breadsticks and unroll them. Have your kids help twist each breadstick into a spiral and place on a greased baking sheet. Let them brush melted butter over each breadstick. Sprinkle your favorite seasonings over the breadsticks and bake. For a real assortment, use a variety of seasonings. Serve the breadsticks standing up in a round container for visual appeal.