I’m still visiting my parents in the beautiful Hudson River Valley. This morning my folks promised to take my kid to the local farm where our friend makes amazing artisianal cheeses. My kid loves it because he gets to meet and greet the dairy cows responsible for the fabulous cheese. My mom suggested we make quick cooking steel cut oatmeal before leaving for the farm. I had no idea this even existed even though her can of it was from my personal mecca – Trader Joe’s.

My kid and I both love basic oatmeal, but we couldn’t resist turning this into Sugared Fruit Porridge by adding some milk and baking up the ripe fruits of summer. The combination was just perfect. Creamy porridge under a pile of fresh, slightly sweet fruit bursting with flavor. I can hardly wait to buy my own container of steel cut oats! Now for the recipe…

Sugared Fruit Porridge Recipe

Prep Time: 10 mins  Cooking Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:
2 large rip plums (cut into chunks)
1 1/2 cup of fresh cherries (pitted + halved)
2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup quick cooking steel cut oats
2 cups water
1 3/4 cup lowfat or skim milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the fruit out on a shallow baking pan. Sprinkle sugar on top and bake for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, place water, milk and oats in a medium pot over high heat. Bring to a boil and turn down the heat to medium. Continue to cook, stirring often. After 8 minutes the porridge should begin to thicken. Turn down heat to low and let stand until fruit is ready. Divide porridge into 4 bowls and top with sugared fruit. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

When my mom suggested we make snickerdoodle cookies my kid started laughing like a maniac. He thought the name was sooooooo funny. He’s sort of right, it is a super silly name. So silly that I decided to do a little research on the origin. More about that later. In the meantime, this is the perfect kid recipe because it involves the electric mixer, making the cookies into balls AND rolling them in cinnamon sugar. Of course, my kid tried to “accidentally” knock as much cinnamon sugar off the plate as possible so that he claim it for his mouth!

I know you are just dying to hear the origin of the name snickerdoodle. Well, I found the following on Wikipedia. “The Joy of Cooking claims that snickerdoodles are probably German in origin, and that the name is a corruption of the German word Schneckennudeln, which means snail noodles.” I have no idea how this relates to these cookies. They look nothing like snails and nothing like noodles. Right? Oh, and for the record, I do know that Wikipedia is not a “real” reference source. My mom – the history teacher – would fail me for using it. Now for the snail noodle recipe…

Snickerdoodle Sandwiches Recipe
(Recipe adapted from AllRecipes)

Prep Time: 1 hour (largely unattended) Cooking Time: 8 to 10 mins

Ingredients:
2 sticks of butter (softened)
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tatar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
strawberry or vanilla ice cream

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cream of tartar, salt and baking soda. Set aside. Cream the butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and continue to mix. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to blend the wet and dry ingredients together. Place dough in the fridge for 30 to 45 minutes. Mix remaining sugar and cinnamon together and spread out on a plate for rolling. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpats. Remove dough from fridge and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll the dough into the size of a walnut. Roll the cookie dough into the cinnamon sugar mixture until coated and place on cookie sheet at least an inch and a half apart. Use the bottom of glass to gently press down on each ball and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until very lightly browned. Let cool. Lay out cookies bottom side up and place scoops ice cream on half of the cookies. Place the other cookies on top of the ice cream to form a sandwich and serve immediately or store in the freezer on a cookie sheet until ready to serve. Makes approximately 24 cookies / 12 sandwiches.

My husband loves when we have breakfast for dinner. Pancakes, eggs, waffles – you name it. He’ll gladly order them up even at 8pm. In honor of his love affair with breakfast we took a traditional breakfast recipe idea and whipped up this super delicious dinner frittata.  Even though it is chock full of spinach, my kid devoured it!

This can, of course, be eaten for breakfast. But we served it for dinner with a big salad and sliced fruit. (No, my kid did not eat the salad – how much can I push my luck?) My husband was in heaven. Now for the recipe…

Dinner Frittata Recipe

Prep Time: 15 mins  Cooking Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:
4 eggs
4 egg whites
1/3 cup shaved Parmesan
1 leek, sliced thin
10 mini potatoes, sliced thin
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped frozen spinach, thawed
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to broil setting. In medium size bowl whisk eggs together. Set aside. Heat 12-inch non-stick, oven safe saute pan over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and leeks. Cook leeks until soft and brown. Remove leeks from pan and set aside. Add another tablespoon of olive oil and swirl around the pan to cover the bottom. Lay potato slices across the bottom and brown. Flip slices over and sprinkle leeks on top. (It’s ok if the potatoes are softening but not cooked all the way through yet.) Sprinkle the leeks over the potatoes and then put spinach on top of the leeks. Smother the spinach by placing a plate on top of it. The plate should be just smaller than the pan. (You can also use a lid to a 10 inch pan to smother.) Let cook for 5 mins. Carefully remove plate / cover and sprinkle with parmesan. Wait until parmesan starts to melt and add eggs. Cook until the egg mixture has set on the bottom and begins to set up on top. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Place pan into oven and broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly browned and fluffy. Serve frittata slices upside down with the potato side up. Makes 6 slices.

Do you like breakfast for dinner? We are always looking for new ideas. Tell us what you make in the comments section below.

I love street food. I just can’t help myself! Specifically, soft pretzels. Check out this perfect pretzel we got on the streets of NYC. It was bigger than my kid’s head! My kid liked it, but decided he prefers the homemade soft pretzel recipe we made ourselves. Regardless, it got me thinking, do others like street food as much as we do?

Then I decided it was time for a giveaway. For a chance to win The Pretzel Cookbook: A New Twist on Everyone’s Favorite Snack tell us a little something about your favorite street food. Enter by using the comment section. Share your street food fantasy. Become a follower, fan us on facebook by clicking “like” in the left sidebar, share the giveaway on facebook by clicking “like” below, or tweet the giveaway, then be sure to leave another comment each time (letting us know) for an additional entry. Entries will close at midnight August 3, 2010 and a winner will be randomly selected.

Fine print: This giveaway is intended for play in the United States. Giveaway must be shipped to a valid address within the 50 United States. Void where prohibited by law.

When I told my kid we were going to make sherbert for breakfast he was ecstatic. So was I because this recipe ridiculously easy and healthy. We made it first thing in the morning (before getting dressed) so it would be ready by the time we were sitting down to breakfast. Sometimes kids cooking is such a breeze!

It’s just like a fresh fruit smoothie only thicker and more exciting!  Presenting it as sherbert makes a world of difference because there’s nothing quite like having “dessert” for breakfast. (PS: it makes a pretty yummy dessert too.) Now for the recipe…

Breakfast Sherbert Recipe

Prep Time: 5 mins Cooling Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:
2 cups frozen strawberries
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 cup water
1 generous tablespoon agave or honey

Whisk agave (or honey) into water until dissolved. Pour water, yogurt and 1/2 the strawberries into a blender and blend until smooth but still thick. Add remaining strawberries and blend again being careful not to over blend. Mixture should be very thick. Transfer to two 8 oz cups or ramekins, place in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes and serve. Do not over freeze or sherbert will become too hard.

My mom had some left over turkey chili in the fridge and suggested we use it up for dinner. I had serious doubts about my kid eating a whole bowl of turkey chili so I came up with this healthy, kid friendly chili mac instead.  After tasting it my kid said “I want to eat this every night!”

This had just the right amount of cheese to give it good flavor, but it wasn’t oozing with fat and calories (like mac and cheese). My mom and I both vowed to make it again the next time either of us have leftover chili – proving that you don’t have to use recipes for kids to make great, family friendly food. I’m excited to try it with veggie chili too. Heck, it’s almost worth making a fresh pot of chili for! Now for the recipe…

Baked Chili Mac Recipe

Prep Time: 10 mins  Cooking Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:
2 cups dry whole wheat or multi-grain elbow macaroni
1 egg
1 egg white
2 to 3 cups chili
3/4 cup shredded cheddar (divided in half)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook macaroni in boiling water until al dente. Drain and let cool slightly. Transfer to a large bowl and mix in eggs and 1/2 of the cheddar. Pour in chili and continue to stir. Transfer to a greased 9 inch square pan and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and set. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into squares. Can be prepared in advance and reheated!

My friend Alma has done a lot of experimenting with granola and has always sworn by her recipe. I love to keep a jar of granola in the house so I thought we should give her recipe a try! My kid agreed. He finds reasons to sprinkle it on just about everything – he especially likes a yogurt parfait.

I’ve made granola before but I think Alma is right, this one is really special. Might be the toasted coconut. (Dana, I know I lost you at coconut!) We followed Alma’s Very Own Granola Recipe, but changed up the dried fruit and added pepitas. Now for the recipe…

Homemade Granola Recipe

Prep Time: 10 mins  Cooking Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup water
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
handful of pepitas

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Wisk together honey, oil and water. Set aside. Combine oats, almonds, pepitas and coconut in a large bowl and toss with the honey mixture until evenly moistened. Spread it out on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with a Silpat (or parchment paper). Bake for 45 minute, stirring once or twice to evenly brown. Remove from oven and stir in the cherries and raisins. Cool completely on the cookie sheet before storing in airtight container or bags.

I recently found myself pondering whether oatmeal cookies could “count” as breakfast food. After all, oatmeal is breakfast food, isn’t it? My constant nibbling on leftover oatmeal cookies inspired the idea to bake up a bona fide breakfast cookie. As you can imagine, this recipe was met with glee in my house and a new breakfast recipe was born.

These cookies are perfect for breakfast because they have the consistency and taste of muffin tops but they are in the shape of a cookie. And if I’ve learned anything on this cooking journey it is that when it comes to kids shape and size does matter. I’ll admit they aren’t the picture of health but they are healthier than most muffins and cookies. Now for the recipe…

Breakfast Cookie Recipe

Prep Time: 15 mins  Cooking Time: 12 mins

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup oatmeal
3 mashed bananas
1 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl whisk together flours, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Cream butter and sugars in an electric mixer until fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix until JUST blended. Do not over mix. Fold in the banana, oats and raisins. Scoop out batter onto a greased cookie sheet (I highly recommend using a Silpat), flatten slightly and bake for 12 mins or until toothpick comes out clean. Store these as you would muffins so they remain moist.

When my friends Angie and Josh were over the other day, they told me that their kid loves stromboli. I hadn’t even thought about stromboli since high school! I tucked it away in the back of my head and then tonight I remember when I was starring at some left over pizza dough in the fridge.  If you have left over pizza dough or the pre-made kind in your fridge, this is a great kid friendly alternative to pizza. Even though it’s got a lot of the same basic ingredients, I find it’s fun to mix things up a bit. It’s what kids cooking is all about.

Not only did my kid like eating it, but he totally dug making it. What could be more fun than rolling up all the ingredients into a nice big log? As you can see, the robot was very involved in preparing this meal. He was with us every step of the way but didn’t get a chance to taste it because my kid cleaned his plate. Next time we’ll have to have Angie and Josh’s daughter, Molly, taste test it for us. Now for the recipe…

Broccoli & Cheese Stromboli

Prep Time: 12 mins  Cooking Time: 20 to 25 mins

Ingredients:
1 package pre-made pizza dough (we used whole wheat)
2 cups broccoli florets (blanched and chopped)
1 cup good marinara sauce
2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon oregano
1 1/2 cups part skim mozzarella
Grated Parmesan for sprinkling
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl mix together ricotta, sauce and oregano. Roll out pizza dough on a floured surface into a rectangle. Spread sauce mixture evenly on dough leaving room on the sides for crimping. Top with broccoli and mozzarella. Sprinkle the top with some Parmesan. Starting at one end roll the dough up and crimp the edges to seal. Transfer to a greased cookie sheet. Crack egg into a small bowl, add water to egg and whisk to form egg wash. Brush the top of the dough with egg wash and poke a few holes to let steam out. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until crust is well cooked and golden brown. Be sure to let it cook until it’s good and crusty – otherwise the inside will be too doughy. Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with extra marinara for dipping. Makes approximately 8 slices.

I promised to bring an appetizer to a friend’s birthday gathering this week. I wanted to make something light and bite-sized. These individual Greek salads are the perfect party pickup food and per usual my kid liked being able to do the skewering! (Anything on a stick is a hit!)

My kid did as much grazing as making but I can’t complain because he was eating healthy bits of cucumber and olives. I kind of got the feeling he’d eat anything on a toothpick. Except for tomatoes! Still haven’t gotten him to try them. I’m not giving up yet. Now for the recipe…

Bite Sized Greek Salad Recipe

Prep Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:
3 to 4 Persian cucumbers sliced in rounds
1 1/2 pints cherry tomatoes (buy smaller ones)
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives (halved)
1 block of feta (cubed)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon oregano
fresh pepper
toothpicks

Set up an assembly line with veggies and cheese in bowls. Use a toothpick to skewer the tomato, then the cucumber, then the olive (cut part facing down) and finish with a cube of feta. Stand the skewer on a platter. Repeat until all ingredients are gone. Put lemon, oil, fresh pepper (to taste) and oregano in a jar and shake shake shake. Drizzle dressing over skewers JUST BEFORE serving.