Sep 13th, 2010 // Desserts, Easy Cheats, Kid-tastic, Recipes
I’m not ashamed to admit that in our house sometimes we cheat. Cheater cakes can be pretty awesome if you buy the right ingredients. It starts with boxed cake mix as the base but totally taste homemade. The key is to buy organic cake mix that doesn’t contain all that partially hydrogenated oil and in this case we also bought really good pudding mix.
Besides, who can resist a spice cake filled with chunks of apples and smothered in homemade caramel sauce? Not me. not my kid. We brought this cake to my friend Susan’s house for the holiday (Rosh Hashanah). Susan, did you think I hadn’t noticed that you gave me back the cake platter without any leftovers on it? I saw those few last slices on your counter. We’ll take that as a compliment. 
Betcha didn’t know it was a cheater cake! Now for the recipe… Read more after the jump…
Sep 12th, 2010 // Recipes, Sides, Veggie Friendly
If you’ve been following us you know that since we started cooking together my kid has gotten pretty awesome about trying new things. I try not to pressure him to do it, but most of the time it just works out that way. Most of the time with one exception: he completely refused to try tomatoes. Until today.
I really don’t know what got into him. I didn’t mention it. I simply suggested he pour the olive oil over these fresh cut veggies.
Then I showed him how to pluck the little leaves of the fresh oregano.
Then we added some torn fresh basil and salt. I turned around to get the baking dish and when I turned back around he had a tomato in his hand headed toward his mouth. I froze in disbelief. After biting in he shook his head “yes” and said “I like it.” !!!!!!!!!! O.M.G. !!!!!!!!!! My only regret is that I didn’t have a camera in hand. I wish I could say that something special about recipe made him try it but I don’t think that’s it. I think he was just ready. Hooray! Here’s how to make this super simple and unbelievably easy gratin …
Read more after the jump…
Sep 11th, 2010 // Uncategorized
Congrats to Kate who was randomly selected as the winner of the What’s for Lunch Giveaway. Here’s what Kate had to say about Easy Lunchboxes: “I love these containers and have been wanting to buy some but now I would rather win them!! Love the idea of only having 1 tupperware container instead of 3, love not having to use numerous plastic bags, love the 4 different color lids so i know one goes to which kid, love the whole idea! pick me!!! Oh, and love your lunch ideas too!! so creative but easy!”
Guess what? It sort of turns out that everyone is a winner. Here’s why: due to overwhelming demand for Easy Lunchboxes they are currently sold out of containers until October. If you pre-order now you actually get a free cooler bag with your order! October is just around the corner so I’m heading over there to order up some more containers as gifts. I like the sound of a free cooler bag.
Thanks to everyone who participated in this giveaway. We loved reading all your responses and look forward to offering more giveaways in the very near future.
Sep 9th, 2010 // Healthy, Recipes, Sides
I worked from home today so I could squeeze in a little holiday cooking time with my kid. I thought today (Rosh Hashanah) was the perfect opportunity to make a challah from scratch. I don’t think I’ve ever made it from scratch before. (Mom, you can feel free to correct me if I’m wrong about that.)
It’s not hard per se, but there’s an awful lot of waiting time while the dough rises not once, but twice. My kid was especially fond of the Challah making because he learned how to braid the dough. He was squealing with delight the entire time! I was pretty psyched myself because the bread made the entire house smell delicious and it tasted as good as it looks. I got the recipe from an amazing cookbook called Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking. It really does revolutionize home baking. I encourage you to check it out. Now for the details… Read more after the jump…
Sep 9th, 2010 // Breakfast, Veggie Friendly
It’s back to school time! To start the (pre)school year off right my friends Susan, Georgeann and I planned a Teacher Appreciation breakfast at the school this week. Nearly 60 teacher and administrators attended. We wanted to do something a little different so we hired a taco cart (only $300 for 60 people!) and decorated with pinatas and bright colored linens. Here’s a little peak at our Fiesta:
Susan had the brilliant idea of filling flower pots with fresh fruit for centerpieces. She had a vision of creating less waste by making everything consumable. I really loved that concept.
The taco guy was scrambling up fresh eggs on the griddle so they were nice and hot. Eggs were served atop cheese filled Chile Renellos or cheese quesadillas. Yummy potato and bean burritos were a great compliment to the eggs. Read more after the jump…
