Aug 1

Kids love snacks. They always like it when they see snacks in their lunch bags or after school in the kitchen. But you always find it hard to think of quick easy snack ideas for kids. You have done several recipes already and you want to try other recipes so that your kids will not get tired of always eating the same snacks everyday. So to help you on your dilemma, here are some quick easy snack ideas for kids.

Yogurt. Choose your child’s favorite yogurt. If your kid loves strawberry or banana yogurt, then use these in your ingredients. All you need are popsicle molds, your kid’s favorite yogurt flavour, and some berries and fruits. Just pour the yogurt into the posicle molds and put them inside your refrigerator to freeze. You can even add berries or other chopped fruits for added flavor and texture. If you want a colorful popsicle yogurt, add food coloring. You can also make smoothies or parfaits using the same ingredients plus whipped cream, granola, and milk. This is a very nice snack for summer.

Vegetable snacks. Vegetables should be presented and cooked in a very creative way if you want your child to like them. Vegetables are probably at the top of your child’s “things that I hate” list. Instead of tossing all the vegetables together in a bowl when making a salad, why not create a masterpiece out of the ingredients? You can draw faces using the salad dressing and hair, eyes, nose, lips, and ears using different vegetable for your salad. Make sure that you let your child do the ‘art’ so that he or she will also be interested in eating it. Add kiddie ingredients like peanut butter and jelly if you want.

Trail Mix. This is very simple not to mention easy to prepare because you just need to combine the ingredients altogether for a one great and delicious snack. You can include granola, m&m’s, cereals, nuts, raisins, pretzels, banana chips, and other foods for that fulfilling snack your kids will surely enjoy.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches. These are classic quick easy snack ideas for kids but you can add a twist to these traditional favorites. You can prepare them the usual way but cut the sandwiches into different interesting shapes. You can use cookie cutters if you want. You can also do this with other kinds of sandwiches such as ham and cheese, turkey, or chicken sandwiches.

Baked bagels or muffins. If you cooked spaghetti the night before, you can use leftover tomato sauce as a spread on muffins and bagels. Add cheese on the tomato sauce and toast it.

Fruits. You can also make a fruit salad using colorful fruits like melons, berries, grapes and other fruits which you can cut using cookie cutters to make them more fun and interesting for your little ones.

Snack Bars. You will need peanut butter, sugar, cereal, and corn syrup. In a heated saucepan, put all the ingredients together and stir them until they are melted. Add a generous amount of cereals. Incorporate all the ingredients together. Put the mixture in a rectangular pan and pat the mixture until it becomes firm. Slice them into desired size.

Always looking for new snack ideas? Save yourself some time by visiting easy snacks, for snack ideas and recipes. Having a birthday party? We also have easy birthday party snack ideas for your next event.

Jul 30

Breakfast is probably the most important meal of the day.  Yet, while kids are tired in the mornings and rushing around to get ready for school, it is sometimes tempting to offer a donut, toaster pastry or other nutritionally devoid treat.  Don’t give in to that temptation.  You want your child to do well during their school day so help them out by starting their day with some nutritious food and breaking the “cereal routine” somedays.  Following are some recipes that can be made ahead or are quick and easy and they will give your children a good start to their day.  All of these recipes are also suitable for diabetics.

Kids love muffins.  So make up a batch of these Oatmeal-Blueberry Muffins.  Oats and blueberries are a couple of our best food products and here they are combined into a tasty muffin.  Add a small carton of yogurt for a quick and tasty breakfast.  If mornings are hectic for you, make the muffins before hand and warm before serving for breakfast. 

OATMEAL-BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

1 cup + 2 tbsps flour

6 ounces uncooked regular oats

1 tbsp baking powder

2 tbsp Equal Sugar-Lite

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup skim milk

1 egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup fresh blueberries

Vegetable cooking spray

1 tsp ground cinnamon

In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, Equal and salt.  Make a well in the center of the mixture.

In a small mixing bowl, combine milk, egg and oil.  Add to the well of the dry ingredients.  Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Gently fold the blueberries into the mixture.  Spray 12 muffin cups with vegetable oil spray.  Fill each cup 2/3 full of the batter.  Sprinkle cinnamon over the tops of the batter.  Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

French Toast Strata needs to be refrigerated overnight making it perfect if you like to make breakfast preparations the night before.  Hop up in the morning, remove from the ‘fridge, pop in the oven and breakfast is served by the time you are ready to face the day.  For diabetics, add a couple strips of bacon or a sausage patty or link.  There are apples in the strata so a fruit is incorporated into this meal.

FRENCH TOAST STRATA

1/3 cup granulated sugar substitute (I use Splenda)

1 cup egg substitute

2/3 cup skim milk

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp maple-flavored extract

8 slices cinnamon-raisin bread

2 cups apples, peeled, cored, sliced thin

1/4 cup low-fat cream cheese

1 tbsp granulated sugar substitute (for this I use Equal Sugar-Lite)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

  Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium mixing bowl, blend together 1/3 cup granulated sugar substitute, egg substitute, milk and extracts.  Tear bread into small pieces and toss into egg mixture.  Add apples.  Coat the bread evenly with mixture and pour into prepared pan.  Cut cream cheese into 8 pieces and place strategically over the top of mixture.  Blend cinnamon with 1 tablespoon of sugar substitute and sprinkle over the strata.  Cover and refrigerate overnight. 

Next morning preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Remove strata from fridge and bake 40-50 minutes or until lightly browned and set.  Serve immediately while hot.

Carbs 20g, Protein 7 g in each 1/8 of strata serving.

Our Strawberry Spread is great spread on toast, bagels, etc.  Your child will feel so special knowing you made this delicious spread for them.

STRAWBERRY SPREAD

1 qt fresh strawberries

3/4 cup cold water, divided

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp cinnamon

3 tbsp cornstarch

1 cup Equal Sugar-Lite

Wash, hull, finely coarsely chop berries.  Combine in a small dutch oven or other heavy saucepan, strawberries, 1/2 cup water, lemon juice and cinnamon.  Bring mixture to a boil, stirring well.  Dissolve cornstarch in the remaining cold water and add to the boiling mixture. Reduce the heat and simmer a couple of minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring occasionally.  Remove from the heat and cool.  Stir in Equal after mixture has cooled down. 

NOTE:  This is good spread on toast or used as you might use jelly or jams. 

1 tbsp = 11 calories, 3 g carbs, trace protein

For a different way to serve ham and eggs and entice your child to eat something they might otherwise not want, try our Mini Ham and Cheese Frittatas.  Your child will love the idea of their own little muffin cup meal.  And you will have served them a good breakfast.

 MINI HAM & CHEESE FRITTATAS

1/4 lb cubed fully cooked lean ham

1 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups egg substitute (or 6 eggs)

4 egg whites

3 tbsp minced chives

2 tbsp skim milk

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Coat 8 muffins cups with nonstick cooking spray.

Divide ham evenly among the 8 muffin cups.  Top ham with cheese.  In a large mixing bowl beat eggs or egg substitute with egg whites.  Beat in the chives, milk, salt and pepper.  Pour this mixture over the cheese in muffin cups.  Each cup should be about 3/4 full.  Bake 22-25 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean.  Carefully run a knife around edges to loosen.  Remove from pan and serve warm.

Enjoy!

 

A grandmother with diabetes along with other autoimmune diseases, Linda likes to share what she has learned with others. For more of her recipes and writings, visit her website at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com

Jul 30

Recipes for Romance – Ideas to Make a Romantic Dinner Extra Special

Kelley Hirst

Whether it is a special occasion like Valentines Day or a Birthday, or you just want to dazzle a new love with your culinary genius there comes a time in every relationship when nothing will do but to cook your sweetie a romantic dinner.  By careful advance planning you can come up with some great romantic dinner ideas that will make your evening most memorable and special, even if your culinary genius is less than dazzling. But when ordering a pizza or Chinese take-out for an evening in front of the TV just won’t do, you can explore recipes for romance that will leave him wanting more

Your romantic dinner ideas need not be expensive but they should be in line with your partner’s taste.  If he hates fish this isn’t the time to try out your aunt’s recipe for broiled salmon.  If you do not know his favorite foods take the time to find out.  Slip it in casual conversation or if feasible, get on the phone and call his mom.  The time you spend to make the evening about  him makes it all the more exciting for you both.

That being said use your imagination.  Catch him by surprise whenever possible.  It needn’t be elaborate but it should be spontaneous and fun.  You can make a picnic in your living room or out on the balcony if that is to your taste.  If he likes the beach, you can create the beach in your house in the middle of January.  Coming home to see you in your teeny weeny bikini on a blanket in your living room could get him in the mood in short order.  Think outside the box. Remember, romantic dinner ideas should be geared not necessarily as a way to impress your date as expressing your true feelings.  Besides, romance is supposed to be fun, even if you have been married for 15 years.

Just make sure the kids are at the grandparents for the night.

Candlelight and soft music is standard romance  and you can’t go wrong with the classics.  Whatever you decide is on the menu, make sure that it is attractive.  Break out the fine china and napkins.  What were you saving them for anyway?  The menu should be something that he loves but doesn’t get every day.  It needn’t be expensive – although fillet mignon is a nice touch.  But many pasta dishes like lasagna are delicious and do not require a huge expense or a lot of time to prepare.  If you are a great chef you are miles ahead of the game, but even if your culinary expertise consists of macaroni and cheese, presentation is everything.  If you took the time to make it special for him, he will appreciate it.  Remember, everything is better with wine.  Music will go far to set the mood.  Nothing is more romantic than a sexy slow dance.  Think the last dance at the senior prom.

Dessert is a nice touch.  If you are a  master baker then by all means break out the black forest cake.  However, after a satisfying meal it may be best to keep it light.  A big chocolate sundae with 2 spoons is probably fine.

These days when people are way too rushed with jobs, kids and everything else, it isn’t always easy to plan a special evening in.  However, with a little planning and some imagination, romantic dinner ideas can be a wonderful way to get the sparks flying in a new romance or ignite new passion in a long time love.   One thing is for certain, you will be cleaning up with a great big smile that you just cannot seem to wipe off your face.

Get your romance cooking!

Jun 25

When school holidays come around the kids are delighted. But sometimes mom isn’t so delighted. What are you going to do to keep the kids entertained these holidays? How about making some wonderful homemade candies these holidays?

Everyone loves homemade candy, (well any candy really, homemade candy is just the best). Kids especially just love homemade candy, especially if they have made it themselves. Homemade candy isn’t that hard to make if you start with one of the easier homemade candy recipes, and the kids just love getting into the kitchen and doing it themselves, then eating the results.

Just last night I was watching the looks on the faces of my kids as they licked out the bowl, and it was hard for them to wait until the candy was ready to eat before they raided the box.

And it’s important in my view to get kids started learning to cook. It’s never too early to teach kids the delights, and skills, of great homemade food, including homemade candy. In fact candy is the perfect place to start kids learning to make homemade food.

Unfortunately homemade food seems to be less of the norm than it used to be, I believe they are even making houses without kitchens now. But to me a good family time revolves around making, and eating, homemade food. And homemade candy is one of the best types of homemade food to begin with.

Remember a few things though. Allow plenty of time, because cooking with kids always takes longer, and rushing it spoils the fun. And always expect mess, so don’t worry about it. Kids cannot cook without mess, so expect to have to clean up after cooking.

And one rule that I always follow. Once you’ve found a great homemade candy recipe ALWAYS double the recipe. There’s never enough to go round if you just cook the recipe, because everyone wants more.

And as well as feeding the family, homemade candy makes a great gift. Why not get the kids making candy for grandma, the kids will love it and grandma will love her candy from the grandkids.

So if you’ve got kids, and you’re looking for good ideas for things to do in the school holidays, get them making some homemade candy. It starts them off learning a skill they’ll use all their life, the skill of cooking.

So find some simple homemade candy recipes, get the kids into the kitchen, and get started. Just don’t eat the candy all in one go, as we did last night.

Want to find some great Homemade Candy Recipes? Visit Peter’s Website Homemade Candy Recipes and find out more candy making at http://homemadecandyideas.com/

Jun 24

A good quiz isn’t cool and there’s no substitute for experience but we’ve all got to dawn where so if you’re a BBQ novice then read on.

Below are profusion of fantastic examine tips and menu thoughts for the question so if any ladies out there have read my article allowed “Modern Man And The Barbecue Grill” you’ll already be on the street to converting your man from the fire pits to the BBQ King with some relaxed BBQ recipes.

I’ve already verbal about the patience that’s required when it comes to light the press and the must to boil up the embers and eliminate the flames. Remember, “residue are hot, flames are not!” and we’re on the street to a successful BBQ cookout. This same control applies to gas grilling as well as charcoal, gas grills may be more or minus immediate but it’s still important to ensure that the magma rocks are abundant warmed through, and this usually takes about 15 record. Charcoal of course will be more like 45 summary before it’s prompt to section on.

So what’s the next measure? The best tip I can give is to take timing to mean the menu, think prudently about what you’re untaken to roast.

Nevertheless isn’t it easier just to do burgers and sausages? No! In reality burgers and sausages are wholly trying for to reasons:-

Relatively talking their high in fat compared with other foods. Now I know we require fat to drip against the embers to design the smoke to give the season but too much fat and the BBQ will flame up – an effective fire way to roast up a burnt present. They’re made from ground beef and that means they must be cooked through. Food poisoning is generally caused by the bacterium e-coli that grows on the appear of the meat. Cook the scarce of a steak and you can undamaged eat the inside raw but think about a burger, with ground meat, the meat that’s on the inside has also been on the slim. So if your not yet convinced about your man’s BBQ capabilities show a meat that doesn’t hardship to be cooked through to be secluded. Try flame beefed, barbeque chicken or BBQ fish.

Back to the “ashes are hot, flames are not” theme it’s important to light up the grill on its chief position away from the coals. This means that the meat will be cooked gradually then bountiful you the best contract that it will be cooked through, and should there be a “flash up” you are as well protected as you can be from burning. Of course if it’s leaving too leisurely, lower the grill pace by stage until you get the hiss, in other language onset gently and leisurely work up the heat.

Finally to make for an actually sweet cookout, why not try a submerge? Marinades not only add flavor they also tenderize and all that’s needed is a little view before for preparation time. There’s a good few websites out there donation open barbecue recipes so it’s relaxed to find different menu dreams.

To learn about grilling pork chops and grilling filet mignon, visit the Grilling Ideas website.

Jun 21


bit.ly Great Picnic Food Ideas: Picnic Sandwich and Side Recipes It’s gorgeous outside. Time to plan a picnic! Adrien Sharp for the Kraft Kitchens shares some great ideas for what to serve and how to pack up a great meal that travels. Transcript: Are you looking for new ways to spend quality time with your family? One of my favorite things to do on a nice summer day to go on a picnic. Bring a football maybe a kite and everyone gets a chance to enjoy the outdoors and each other for an afternoon. Hi I’m Adrien Sharp for the Kraft Kitchens here with some great ideas for what to serve and how to pack your next picnic. Let’s start with the food. Sandwiches are the original here when it comes to food that travels but just because they’re portable does not mean they have to be predictable. With just a few simple steps you can create your own masterpiece. This is the Kickn’ Chicken Wrap. Perfect for eating outdoors. The kick comes from the chipotle flavored mayo and the jalapeño American cheese. All you need to do is spread your mayo on the bottom, add the cheese, next with the chicken, the lettuce and then the celery. That’s all there is to it! This ones the the Tuscan Club on a ciabatta roll. It’s made with shaved oven turkey breast bacon lettuce tomato and here comes the Tuscan part: sun dried tomato and basil cream cheese on the top half of the ciabatta and some Italian dressing on the bottom half. And to go with these great sandwiches I’ve made some terrific side salads

Jun 9

A good barbecue isn’t easy and there’s no substitute for experience but we’ve all got to start somewhere so if you’re a BBQ novice then read on.

Below are plenty of fantastic barbecue tips and menu ideas for the grill so if any ladies out there have read my article entitled “Modern Man And The Barbecue Grill” you’ll already be on the road to converting your man from the fire pits to the BBQ King with some easy BBQ recipes.

I’ve already spoken about the patience that’s required when it comes to lighting the grill and the need to heat up the coals and eliminate the flames. Remember, “coals are hot, flames are not!” and we’re on the road to a successful BBQ cookout. This same rule applies to gas grills as well as charcoal, gas grills may be more or less instant but it’s still important to ensure that the lava rocks are fully warmed through and this usually takes about 15 minutes. Charcoal of course will be more like 45 minutes before it’s ready to cook on.

So what’s the next step? The best tip I can give is to take time to plan the menu, think carefully about what you’re going to cook.

But isn’t it easier just to do burgers and sausages? No! In fact burgers and sausages are quite difficult for to reasons:-

1. Relatively speaking they’re high in fat compared with other foods. Now I know we need fat to drip onto the coals to create the smoke to give the flavor but too much fat and the BBQ will flare up – a sure fire way to cook up a burnt offering.

2. They’re made from ground beef and that means they must be cooked through. Food poisoning is generally caused by the bacterium e-coli that grows on the surface of the meat. Cook the outside of a steak and you can safely eat the inside raw but think about a burger, with ground meat, the meat that’s on the inside has also been on the outside.

So if you’re not yet convinced about your man’s BBQ capabilities choose a meat that doesn’t need to be cooked through to be safe. Try barbecue beef, barbeque lamb or BBQ fish.

Back to the “coals are hot, flames are not” theme it’s important to light up the grill on its highest position away from the coals. This means that the meat will be cooked slowly therefore giving you the best guarantee that it will be cooked through and should there be a “flare up” you are as well protected as you can be from burning. Of course if it’s going too slow, lower the grill step by step until you get the sizzle, in other words start gently and slowly work up the heat.

Finally to make for a really flavorful cookout, why not try a marinade? Marinades not only add flavor they also tenderize and all that’s needed is a little thinking ahead for preparation time. There’s a good few websites out there offering free barbecue recipes so it’s easy to find different menu ideas.

Resource Information: Easy Barbecue Recipes – Free barbecue grill recipes & meat smoker cooking ideas on gas, charcoal or electric. Barbecue Grill Sales – An independent buyers guide. Smoker Grill Recipes – Outdoor grilling tips, easy fire pit menus and healthy rotisserie suggestions.

Jun 2

Have you seen the price of breakfast bread (Morgenbrød) lately? It’s enough to make one wonder if it wouldn’t be cheaper to make your own. You know what? It is! For the cost of a typical loaf of bread (between $2 – $4), you can make more than one loaf of homemade goodness. A large bag of bread flour can make quite a few loaves with a handful of other ingredients. You’ll need some yeast, salt, sugar, milk, water, oil and maybe an egg or two, depending on your chosen recipe.

Also Quick bread recipes are a great alternative to making homemade loaf the old fashioned way. Sure you can use a bread maker that will do the work for you, but then you would be missing out on all of the fun of making the treats yourself.

When making bread, there are a few things to keep in mind. Choose a basic recipe if you’ve never made bread before. Plan ahead. Read through the recipe a few times to familiarize yourself with the ingredients and the process. It is important to follow the recipe exactly.

Learning how to make bakery (Bageri ) bread is a great way to get started on your path to a healthier lifestyle, plus you’ll get to enjoy fresh, warm loaf that just melts in your mouth. Yummy is the only word to adequately describe homemade loaf.

You can make loaf in two different ways. You can make it from scratch by hand or you can use a bread making machine to make the dough for you. The second yields fast results, but seems to lack that “homemade” quality that comes from kneading and seeing the loaves take shape from your very own hands.

Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature before you start. Yeast likes a warm environment. The measuring of dry and wet ingredients is of utmost importance to create a tender, tasty loaf. Pre-measure your ingredients if you find that helpful.

Follow your recipe exactly. If it says to mix the ingredients in a certain order, do it. Making bread is a science as much as an art, and if you want your loaf to turn out the same way every time, follow the directions to the letter!

When all your ingredients are mixed, it is time to knead the dough. You will need additional flour to spread on your counter and to dip your hands in so the dough doesn’t stick to you or the table top. Kneading is necessary to develop the gluten in the bread dough, mix in air for rising, and distribute the ingredients so the yeast can feed. Yes, the yeast actually feeds on the sugars in the dough, and creates a fermentation process, which enables the dough to rise properly. The biggest rookie mistake in bread-making is not kneading the dough long enough. Use a timer if you need it. You’ll want to knead the bread between 8-10 minutes.

When you are done kneading, form the dough into a ball and set in a greased bowl. Cover and let rest. Your dough will need to sit for 1-2 hours to rise. Make sure your kitchen is warm to aid the rising process.

At the end of this time, you’ll want to uncover the dough, punch it down, shape the dough how you want it be when you bake it, and cover it for another rising session. When it is done rising, it is time to bake. Pre-heat your oven before baking. Once your bread is done, let it cool completely before slicing.

Once you’ve mastered a basic bread (Brød ) recipe, you can make artisan breads, French bread, herbed breads, rolls, and more.

Just imagine some sweet banana loaf with a gooey cream cheese frosting just waiting for you when you get home from a long, stressful day at work. It is an ultimate comfort food and is well worth the little bit of time it will take to make and bake.

Bidyut Bikash Dhar is a SEO Expert Consultant from India. Search Engine marketing expert, He guides is all about giving your brand the quality promotion it deserves, in the most cost effective ways possible with superb Organic SEO, Internet Marketing & Social Media Marketing Planning. You can contact him at seowebsearch@gmail.com for Ghost writing, Web content writing and more! Most prolific writers in the internet marketing domain with his articles being published in numerous search related websites and newsletters.

Apr 30

  • ISBN13: 9781844766932
  • Condition: NEW
  • Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Product Description
Any summer outing, from a day on the beach with the family to a trip to the park with friends, is even more enjoyable when it is accompanied by the perfect picnic. Eating Outdoors presents a sensational collection of 70 … More >>

70 Picnic Recipes & Easy Outdoor Eating Ideas: Simple Summertime Recipes Packed with Flavour, Shown Step by Step in 300 Photographs

Apr 10


Michelle Stern, owner of What’s Cooking, demonstrates some waste free lunch products for children as well as some delicious lunch recipes for kids.

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