Flipino Bistek

Filipino Bistek is one of my favorite dishes.  Growing up, my mom cooked this dish a lot.
It's simple and easy to make.  My kids don't help me make it but it's one of their favorite dishes.
I love how the lemon juice and soy sauce balance together creating a fresh tangy flavor to the soy sauce.  My husband loves this dish as well.. especially the fried red onions. 

Ingredients

• 1-1.5 lbs beef steaks, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup of soy sauce
• 1 big red onion sliced in rings
• 1 tablespoon lemon
• Cooking oil, I use olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions 

1. In a pan, saute the red onion rings in cooking oil until translucent. Remove onions from skillet and set aside. 
2. Season the beef steak with salt and pepper
3. In the same pan, put the beef steak in the same oil over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of lemon.  Keep turning the meat until brown and tender.  Remove meat from skillet and set aside.
4.  Serve over steam rice

Apple Crisp

One of my favorite desserts as the weather starts getting cold is warm cinnamon apple crisp over vanilla ice cream.  This recipe from Taste Better from Scratch  calls for thinly sliced Granny Smith apples baked with a  cinnamon glaze and oatmeal crumb topping.  I absolutely love the crumb topping, not too sweet and the balance between cinnamon and oatmeal is perfect.  Usually when I order Apple Crisp it's either too sweet or the cinnamon is too overpowering you can't taste the apples.  This recipe is for 6 servings.

My kids helped me put the crumb topping together and the Apple filling.  I advice you to peel and slice the apples before you get your little ones involved so they don't get impatient.

Ingredients

For the crumb topping:
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• dash of salt
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, diced into small chunks 

For the Apple filling:
• 3-4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced thin
• 3 Tbsp butter, melted
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• dash of salt
• Serve with Vanilla Ice Cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a medium size bowl combine the crumb topping ingredients with a fork  until it resembles small crumbs. Refrigerate while you prepare the apple filling.
3. For the Apple Filling: In a small bowl, combine melted butter and flour until well blended. Add lemon juice, milk and vanilla and stir well. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour butter mixture over apples and toss to coat. Pour apple mixture into an 8x8-inch baking dish and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over the apples. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and top is set. It took about 45 mins for my apple crisp to turn golden brown so be patient.  It's worth the wait! Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
4. Serve with Vanilla Ice Cream

Your little one can do the following

•  Measure and mix together ingredients for the crumb topping and apple filling
•  have them put the  ingredients into a baking dish

Sotanghon with bola bola

Cold weather has my kids craving for something warm to eat these days.  My kids has been asking for noodle soup so this mommy decided to make Sotanghon with bola bola.  You might be asking what is Sotanghon and bola bola? Sotanghon are thin cellophane noodles made from starch. Bola bola is meat mixture made in a shape of a ball or meatball.   My kids like to roll up their sleeves to help their mommy make the bola bola for this soup.  It takes my kids and me 30 minutes to make the bola bola prior to cooking.  If you don't get the kids involved, making the bola bola should take you no more than 15 minutes.  The recipe below is from  kawaling pinoy website.  I like the recipe below because it's simple in taste and not too oily.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 shallots, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 4 ounces Sotanghon (cellophane noodles)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups of napa cabbage, chopped
• 1 cup kinchay (Chinese Celery)

      For the Bola Bola

• 1/4 lb ground chicken
• 1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup water chestnuts, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/4 cup carrots, shredded
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

1.  In a bowl, combine ground chicken, green onions, water chestnuts, garlic, carrots, soy sauce, salt and pepper.  Mix well.
2.  If you have more than one kid, I would split the mixture in two separate bowls so the kids don't fight over how much so and so took out of the bowl.  If not you can skip this step.
3. Shape meat mixture into 1-inch balls and set aside.
4. In a pot over medium heat, heat oil.  Add shallots and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes or until it is transparent.  Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.
5. Gently drop meatballs into boiling water and cook, skimming scum that arises to the top for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the meat changes color.  Lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until meat is fully cooked.  NOTE: make sure water is boiling to prevent meatballs from falling apart.
6. Add noodles and cook for about 2 to 4 minutes or until translucent and softened.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the cabbage and kinchay at this point and let it cook for about 2 to 3 minutes until your veggies are tender. 

Your little ones can do the following:

• Mix the meat mixture
• Shape the meat mixture in 1 inch balls

Chicken Adobo

Chicken Adobo is a well known traditional Filipino dish.  Adobo consist of chicken simmering in a tangy garlic and soy sauce flavored  sauce.  Both my kids can eat just steam rice with the tangy garlic soy sauce.  This simple dish usually have them smiling from ear to ear.  The tangy flavored sauce is quite addicting.  Although my kids don't help me cook this dish, it's one of their favorites.  I literally have to cook twice the amount of rice when I make this dish because they ask for seconds sometimes thirds!


Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 12 chicken drumettes
• 5 cloves of garlic (crush) 
• 1/3 cup of soy sauce
• 1/3 cup of vinegar  (depends how tangy you want the tangy garlic sauce to be)
• 2 dried bay leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• In a big sauce pan or wok, heat 1 tablespoon of oil then sauté the 5 cloves of garlic until garlic is golden brown.
• Take the garlic out of the pan. Add the chicken to the pan and cook until fully cook and golden brown. I put a dash of salt and pepper while I fry the chicken drumettes.
• Add the soy sauce, 1/2 of the vinegar mixture, and bay leaves to the pan. Add the golden brown garlic pieces back to the pan.  Bring to a boil and simmer chicken for 6-8 minutes.  Tastes the tangy garlic broth, if you need a bit more tang add more of the vinegar.  I usually end up using a bit less than the 1/3 cup.
• Add back the golden brown garlic pieces . 
• If you need more sauce add more water but no more than 1/4 cup.  You don't want to dilute the garlic tangy flavor.
  
  

Strawberry and Banana Overnight Oats

I've been reading about Overnight Oats for awhile and I finally tried it out.  I wish I tried it sooner because it's SOOOOO sooooo good.  A good read about Overnight Oats is on the Food Network website, Healthy Eats.  It discusses the following topics:

•  where to store your overnight oats
•  the base, which is oats/banana, and chia seeds
•  the liquid, which can be dairy or non-dairy
•  the ratio of all the ingredients in your overnight oats with respect to the container you are using
•  finally the mix-ins: the fruits, nuts, seeds, granola, etc.. 

It discusses topics one should know to ensure your own overnight oats is a success.  I advise you to read the ratio portion because it will vary depending on the container you use.

My son absolutely LOVE Overnight Oats.  I was a bit surprise  because my son will not eat warm oatmeal for breakfast, even if I add fruits to it.  For some reason, when it's serve cold he thinks its a special dessert.

Ingredients (Measurements may vary depending on container used)

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup of liquid of your choice (I use almond milk vanilla flavor unsweetened)
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla yogurt (depend how thick you want your overnight oats, you can always add more right before eating)
• 1 teaspoon of chia seeds 
• 1/4 banana, mashed (I skipped this cuz I didn't want to be eating brown bananas, instead I added the banana's right before eating)   
•  4 pcs of strawberries, chopped
• dark chocolate chips (optional)
• honey (optional, for added sweetness - I don't like honey in mine)

Instructions

• Add the desired based ingredients to your container.  In this case, this would be the oats, yogurt, and chia seeds.
• Add your liquid to your base, I used almond milk vanilla flavor
• Add your strawberries
• In the morning you can add additional liquid or toppings you like.  I like adding the bananas in the morning to avoid eating brown bananas.  Before you eat your overnight oats mix it well and enjoy!

Things your little one can do

• They can make their own overnight oats in their own cup or container
• They can add their own base ingredients, liquid, followed by the mix-ins of their choice

Orange Chicken Meatballs

 

Meatballs are fun and easy to make with the kids. I love how how meatballs can be so versatile. You can eat them alone, with rice or pasta, toss them in with some veggies, make a sandwich...the list is endless.  This delicious recipe is from lifemadesimplebakes.  If you need a quick, healthy, and delicious meal this recipe is for you.  On top of a quick meal, you can get your little ones to help you out and keep them busy too! 

Ingredients

• For the meatballs
• ¼ c. milk
• ½ c. panko breadcrumbs
• 
1½ lb. ground chicken
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 
2 tbsp. green onion, minced
• 2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
• ¼ tsp. ground ginger
• 
1/4 tsp. salt
• 
1/4 tsp. black pepper

For the sauce:

• 1 c. low-sodium chicken broth
• ½ c. freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tbsp. freshly grated orange zest
• ½ c. granulated sugar or honey
• ⅓ c. white or rice vinegar
• ¼ c. low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ tsp. ground ginger
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp. cold water
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch

Directions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a standard size baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat, set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk and panko breadcrumbs. Allow to soak for 5 minutes.
• Add the chicken, egg, garlic, green onion, soy sauce, ginger, salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix together just until combined.
• Shape into meatballs and place onto the baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until cooked throughout (internal temperature of 165).
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine the chicken broth, orange juice, orange zest, sugar or honey, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a low simmer. In a small bowl whisk together the cold water and cornstarch, add to the saucepan. Whisk until combined, continue cooking for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
• Place the meatballs in a large bowl and cover with sauce. Toss to coat, serve hot.

 Things your little one can do

• Help measure ingredients 
• Mix ingredients together
• Shape into meatballs and place onto baking sheet

Palitaw

You might be asking what is Palitaw?  It is a sweet  rice cake in the Philippines.  It is made from ground sticky rice that is often rolled in a circular shape.  It is cooked by dropping the sticky rice in boiling water.  Once the sticky rice floats to the surface, it is done!  After the sticky rice is cooked, it is rolled in grated coconut, sugar, and toasted sesame seeds.  I like to make them in various shapes. 

My oldest loves to eat Palitaw and make them.   I do have to warn you, rice flour is quite sticky so keep an eye on what your little one touches!  The recipe below came from Pinch of Yum.  I made a slight change and added toasted sesame seeds in the recipe.

   

Ingredients

• 4½ cups glutinous rice flour
• 2 cups water
• sugar for dusting
• shredded coconut for dusting (unsweetened)
• toasted sesame seeds  (optional)

Instructions

• Mix the glutinous rice flour with the water until a thick, sticky mixture forms. Roll flat on to  a surface so you can cut into shapes or you can roll it into small balls.
• Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the glutinous rice shapes/balls and boil until solid and floating to the top, about 10 minutes. Drain the water and let the palitaw cool slightly.
• If you do decide to put toasted sesame seeds, you can toast them by putting some sesame seeds in a pan until they are golden brown.  Once they are golden brown, put them in a bowl and let them cool. 
• When the rice cake is cool enough to handle, roll the shape/ball in a bowl of sugar, coconut, and toasted sesame seeds. 

 Things your little one can do

• Roll the mix of glutinous rice flour into small balls or cut into various shapes.  I gave each of my kids their own bowls and heart shape cookie cutters.
• Have them roll the cooked and cooled rice shapes/balls in the sugar, coconut, and sesame seeds mix.  I placed all 3 ingredients in one bowl.  Each of my little one had their own bowl.
• Don't be surprise if they try to sneak one in their mouth right after they finish rolling one rice cake in the sugar, coconut, and toasted sesame seeds mixture.
  

Mac and Cheese Bites

Mac and Cheese is one of my son's favorite dish.  He makes sure it's on the menu every time we have family gatherings.  When I found this recipe on Annie Eat's.  My two kids absolutely love these mac and cheese bites. You can make them using a standard cupcake pan or mini cupcake pan.  For nibblers like my son, I suggest the standard cupcake size.  I prefer the standard size when packing my kids lunch.  

Ingredients

12 oz. elbow macaroni noodles
2 cups butter cracker crumbs (such as Ritz)
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 (5.2 oz.) package Boursin garlic herb cheese
2 tbsp. cold unsalted butter
2 large eggs
¾ cup milk
¼ cup sour cream
¼ tsp. salt
Pinch red pepper flakes


Directions
 

• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Drain well.  Meanwhile, lightly grease standard size cupcake pans with cooking spray. 
•  In a medium bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, ½ cup of the shredded cheese, and melted butter and mix until combined.  Spoon a bit of the mixture into the bottom of each cupcake well and tamp down with the flat bottom of a glass or other.
• Once the pasta is cooked and drained, add it to a large mixing bowl with the remaining shredded cheese, the Boursin and cold butter.  
• In a liquid measuring cup, combine the eggs, milk, and sour cream and whisk to combine.  Add the liquid mixture to the bowl with the pasta.  Stir in the salt and red pepper flakes and mix until evenly combined.
• Divide the macaroni mixture between the prepared cupcake wells.  Bake until light golden, about 20-25 minutes.  Let  the mac and cheese bites cool in the pan for at least 10-15 minutes before taking them out.

Things to do with your little one

• You can have your little one turn Ritz crackers into crumbs by putting the crackers in a zip-log bag and have him/her smash it into crumbs.
• You can have them measure the ingredients and put them in a bowl
• Your little one can mix all the ingredients together
• Your little one can spoon the cracker crumbs and mac mixture into the cupcake wells

Chicken Arroz Caldo

I have been feeling under the weather the past few days and was craving for some Chicken Arroz Caldo.  What's Chicken Arroz Caldo?  It is the Filipino version of rice porridge or congee.  It's one of my comfort foods.  My mom often made it when someone wasn't feeling well or if it was just a cold day.  It reminds me a lot of my childhood  when I was growing up.  It's a dish you can eat either for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.   Now my kids ask for it when they are feeling under the weather or just need a pick me up.  It's such a simple dish but so satisfying.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 small onion, chopped, about 1/3 cup
1  piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped, about 1/2 tablespoon
2 pinches of saffron (I like to use a lot because my mom used a lot )
1 large boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup jasmine rice
6 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon fish sauce (This is optional)
4 spring onions, thinly sliced for garnish  (I like to put a lot in mine, you can use less)
3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced for garnish
3 calamansi or limes

Instructions

• In a big pot add water enough to cover the chicken that you will use.  Add some salt and pepper.  Let it boil until the chicken is fully cook.  Once it is cook set aside and cool.
• After the chicken breast has cooled, you can cut  it in 1 inch pieces.
• Sauté the garlic in oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
• Transfer the garlic to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and let cool. 
• Add the onion, ginger, and saffron. Cook until the onion is translucent.
• Add the cooked chicken, rice, chicken stock, and fish sauce. Cover the pan and simmer over medium to low heat.  I usually pour the chicken stock enough to cover the rice.  If it still needs more stock pour in the rest of your stock.  Stir frequently and simmer until the chicken and rice are cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes. Note: the amount of stock you put depends on how thick you want your Chicken Arroz Caldo. 
• Once the rice has cooked to your liking you can put some in a bowl and garnish it with some hard-boiled eggs, spring onions, fried garlic, and calamansi.

Things your  little one can do

• Once you have put the Chicken Arroz Caldo in bowls ready to serve, have them put the garnish on.  Remember it is HOT.  Please supervise you kids when they do this. 

Apple Munchies

My preschooler loves to snack on apples after school.  I usually just give him a whole apple and have him munch through it.  It's a nice after school snack because it's easy and healthy.  Mommy just gets an apple, washes the apple, and hands it to the little one.  Unfortunately, this only works for my oldest one.  My youngest one...not so much.  My two year old likes snacks that have stuff she likes...like CHOCOLATE.  This is a snack I personally love because it lets me control the amount of chocolate to serve.  I usually put 3-4 morsels...dependings how big the apple slices are. Your little one can help put toppings on their apple slices,  keeping them busy and happy.  This is what this mommy likes the most.  I usually prepare small bowls of peanut butter, granola, coconut flakes, and chocolate morsels for each of my little one.

Ingredients

•  2 apples (I use Fiji apples)
• peanut butter (I use WOW Peanut Butter because my two year old is allergic to nuts)
•  granola of your choice
•  coconut flakes
• chocolate morsels of your choice (I personally like the dark ones)

Instructions

• Slice the apples into your liking..either chips or wedges
• Spread peanut butter with a spoon
• Have fun putting toppings on them

Things your little one can do

• Spread peanut butter on their apple slices with a spoon
• Have them put various toppings on them
• You don't have to use the toppings I listed above. You can tweak it and use raisins, chocolate sprinkles, drizzle some caramel, cinnamon,  dip them in yogurt...it's up to you.  The combination is endless.
  

Cheesy Apple Mini Muffins

I was reading the Aug/Sept 2015 Parent & Child magazine given to me by my daughter's Kindergarten teacher and noticed this recipe for Apple Cheese Muffins.  It looked very easy to make even for a novice baker such as myself.  I decided to mark the page and make it as an evening activity I can do with my 3 and 5 year old.  I knew any baking that results in anything cupcake shaped would be something my kids would want to do, but for the taste I wasn't so sure.  I mean cheese and apples??

Well...as I type this post I can tell you that we did bake this last night, and we don't have any more left.  Yup, all 24 mini muffins have disappeared.  I was lucky enough to be able to steal some muffins under my kids' noses for their lunches.   My kids L-O-V-E-D these muffins! It's so quick and easy to make that I thought I'd share the recipe with you.

Ingredients:  

1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup vegetable oil (I didn't have this on hand, so I used canola oil)

2 lightly beaten eggs

1 Granny Smith Apple, finely chopped

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F 
• Coat a 24 cup mini-muffin pan with cooking spray (I used two 12 cup mini-muffin pans and canola cooking spray)
• Whisk the flour, baking power, and salt in a large bowl. (This will be the bowl you will put all the ingredients in.)
• Whisk the buttermilk, vegetable oil, and 2 lightly beaten eggs in another bowl. (So, you need 2 bowls. One for your dry ingredients.  Second for your wet ingredients)
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Whisk until mixed.
• Fold in the chopped apple pieces and  the Monterey Jack Cheese.
• Spoon into the pan and bake for 24 minutes

Things your little one can do:

• With your supervision measure out the ingredients and add into the bowls.
• Whisk the dry ingredients.  
• Whisk the wet ingredients.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry bowl
• Add and mix in the apple pieces and cheese
• Spoon the mixture into the baking pan

This recipe was great because it allowed both my kids to whisk separately.  My older daughter took care of the wet ingredients while my son took care of the dry.  My daughter then helped me pour her wet ingredients into my son's bowl. They each took turns mixing the apple pieces and cheese into the mixture.  Both then happily spooned the mixture into their own mini-muffin baking pan.  My kids were so proud and took ownership of each baking pan they were assigned to.  After I placed each pan in the oven they even sat in front of the oven watching their muffins rise and bake.

Source:  Parent & Child Magazine  Aug/Sept 2015 Issue p 96

Chicken Avocado Burritos

This recipe is for avocado lovers like myself.  I love anything with avocado...I even LOVE avocado ice cream.  Not only is this recipe healthy and easy, it is DELICIOUS!  I came across this recipe while looking through pinterest for avocado related recipes.  I love this recipe not just because it's easy but it's very lunch box friendly.  This recipe is from the website omgchocolatedesserts.com.  I added lemon to the recipe since I was planning to serve them for dinner as well as for lunch the very next day.  My tweaks are shown in red.


Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken (or 2 chicken breasts, salt and pepper- to taste, 1 Tablespoon mustard, 1 Tablespoon olive oil)
• 1 cup grated cheese   (I use white cheddar)
• 1 avocado - diced (I use 2 avocados)
• 2 Tablespoons cilantro-chopped
• 4 large tortillas
• 4 Tablespoon sour cream
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• lemon juice from medium size lemon   (added this to the avocado so it won't turn dark)

Instructions

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan, place chicken breast sprinkled with salt and pepper and roast for about 5 minutes on each side. Spread 1 tablespoon mustard over the chicken, add about ¼ cup water add cook covered for a few more minutes.
• Cut cooked chicken into thin stings. I chop the cooked chicken.  Makes it easier for my toddler to eat.
• Pour lemon juice over the diced avocados and mix well.
• Mix the chicken, cheese, and  cilantro with the diced avocados.
• Spread 1 tablespoon sour cream on each tortilla, add ¼ of the mixture, form a roll.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil into a pan and place all four tortillas on the pan, cook for 2 minutes on medium- high heat. Flip on the other side and cook for another minutes or until the the tortillas are golden. 

 

Things you little one can do

• Mix the chicken, cheese, cilantro, and the diced avocados
• Have them make put together their own burrito

Spider PB&J Crackers

My kids love Ritz crackers.  They can each finish one package of it. This snack is easy enough that my 3 year old can also make one all by himself.  What's great is you can even add this in kids lunches.  It will definitely bring a smile on their faces upon seeing something crafted with a Halloween theme.

Ingredients

• WOW Peanut Butter  (You can use real peanut butter, I used fake because my kids have a no nut policy at their school)
• Jelly (I used strawberry just because my kids love strawberry)
• Ritz Crackers
• Pretzel sticks (The ones I got were the long ones so I broke them in half)

Directions

• each spider needs 2 Ritz crackers and 8 pretzel sticks ( 4 pretzel sticks if long ones broken in half).
• take one cracker and spread the fake peanut butter on it.  
• layout the pretzel sticks over the cracker with the peanut butter.
• add jelly in the center over the pretzel sticks
• take another cracker and spread fake peanut butter on it (this will act as a glue to help keep the legs in place.

Things your little one can do

• To avoid spoiling the containers which hold the fake peanut butter or jelly transfer them to bowls your child can use.
• Use spoons to spread the fake peanut butter and jelly on to the crackers (I used toddler spoons)
• Have them arrange the legs on the spider and count the legs.
• Assemble the top on the spider to finish it off.

Mummy Toast

Looking for a quick Halloween snack to make with your little one?  How about these adorable Mummy toasts! They are so fun and easy to make my toddler was able to make one all by herself!  I came across this idea from bolevalecheese.com website. 

Making season themed snacks is a great idea to make your kid's snacks more exciting.

Ingredients

Sliced bread
Pizza sauce
Mozzarella cheese cut into strips or use string cheese pulled into strips
Sliced black olives

Directions

• Toast the bread. 
• Spread on a layer of pizza sauce 
• Arrange the cheese so that it resembles mummy bandages. 
• Hide the black olive eyes so that they peak out from under the cheese bandages.
• Pop them under the broiler until the cheese melts slightly 

Things your little one can do 

• Give your little one a spoon to spread a layer of pizza sauce on his/her bread
• Have them place the cheese and olives on the bread
• Your little one can try making monster faces on their pizza bread. Be creative!
  
  
  
  
  

Crispy Baked Chicken Nuggets

 I never knew how easy it was to make a healthy version of chicken nuggets until I stumbled upon this recipe from Annie's Eats.  The recipe calls for baking the chicken instead of frying and using panko bread crumbs to make the chicken nuggets crispy.  I tweaked the recipe a bit because my kids did not like the taste of Dijon mustard and thyme nor do they like anything spicy. 

I usually cut the chicken in bite size similar to chicken nuggets rather than long strips.  It's easier for my toddler to eat since she tends to gobble everything in one bite.  With two kids helping me out, the total time for this recipe is around 60-70 minutes.  I have never made this dish by myself, but I can imagine it would take half the time.

Ingredients

2 cups panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp. canola oil  (I use olive oil)
1/2 cup of grated parmesan 
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (I omitted this)
3 large egg whites
1 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard (I omitted this)
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme or ¼ tsp. dried  (I omitted this)
Cooking spray
1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¾-inch wide strips

Directions 

• Preheat the oven to 475˚ F
• In a large skillet, toss the panko with the oil.  Toast over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. 
• Transfer the toasted crumbs to a bowl.  Add 1/2 cup of grated parmesan into the same bowl.
• In a second bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. 
• In a third bowl, whisk together the egg whites, water, mustard and thyme.
• Spray a wire rack lightly with cooking spray and place over a rimmed baking sheet.  Working in batches, dredge a few pieces of the chicken in the flour, then the egg whites, and finally the breadcrumbs to coat, shaking off the excess between each step.  Lay the coated pieces on the prepared wire rack and repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Spray the tops of the chicken pieces lightly with the cooking spray.  Bake until the chicken is cooked through, 10-12 minutes.

Things you can do with your little ones

My two little ones enjoy making these crispy baked chicken nuggets.  I usually prep everything ahead of time so 3 bowls are placed on the dining table like an assembly line.

•  1 bowl for the dry ingredients 
•  1 bowl for the wet ingredients
•  1 bowl for the toasted crumbs with grated parmesan cheese

I prefer my kids to handle the bowls with dry ingredients while I handle the bowl with the wet ingredients. With a spoon,  I have my kids toss the bite size chicken pieces in their bowls until it is properly coated.  This is done in small batches. Then the coated chicken pieces are tossed to the next bowl until it makes its way to the wire rack.  My kids get a kick out of seeing  a plain cut chicken slowly looking like an uncooked chicken nugget.

Mini Tortilla Pizzas

My two kids absolutely LOVE cheese pizza.  If they can eat it for a whole week, they would. As I was looking for ideas what I can make for their lunch, I found this fun recipe for cute mini tortilla pizzas on tablespoon.com. These mini tortilla pizzas are the perfect size for my toddler and preschooler.

Not only are they a hit with my two kids, they are so easy and fun to make.  You can have your little one help you out too.  They only take 25 minutes to make if you are making them and 45 minutes if you have your little ones helping you.  The recipe below makes 12 mini tortilla pizzas.

Ingredients

3         four tortillas  ( I use the Mission Brand )
1         can Muir Glen can  Muir Glen™ organic pizza sauce (15 ounce)
1 1/2   cups mozzarella cheese shredded

1/2      cup mini pepperoni (I just put 3 pieces on each mini pizza, but you can put more)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400°F. 
• You can use a round cookie cutter.  If you don't have one, you can use the pizza sauce can to cut the tortilla crust.  Open the can of pizza sauce, empty the sauce from the can, and rinse the can out. 
• Using the cut edge of the pizza sauce can or round cookie cutter, cut four rounds from each tortilla. Press each round into a lightly-greased cupcake pan.
• Place a tablespoon of Muir Glen™ pizza sauce into the center of each tortilla round.
• Sprinkle cheese on top of the sauce on each tortilla round.
• Top each pizza with mini pepperoni rounds.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly. 
• Remove and let it cool before using a fork to transfer mini pizzas from cupcake pan to a serving plate.

Things your little one can do 

•  If you are using a cookie cutter you can have them cut the round tortilla crust.
•  Give each of them a tablespoon to put pizza sauce into each of the tortilla rounds
•  Have them sprinkle the cheese and top each pizza with mini pepperoni rounds.
•  If your kids LOVE veggies, you can add chopped bell peppers, mushrooms, or olives!

Cooking with kids is fun.  You can make it into a learning session.   With my little ones I would ask how many pizzas they have made, what color is the pizza sauce or cheese, what shape is the tortilla crust, etc...  The number of questions are endless.  Not only are they helping you cook, they are also learning!