April 3rd, 2012

Marshmallow Peep Peach Fizz

This time of year, you see these little guys everywhere.

Separation

They may pop up in other colors (or in disguise…)

In cognito peep

As a kid, we would perform various Marshmallow peep experiments and often liked to cut off the top of one peep and place it on other peeps, making various rainbow peeps….but that is probably a whole other post.

As an adult though, I’m more interested in peep-tastic recipes. So if you love peeps, or even if you don’t, here is a peep recipe that is fun to add to a spring party, an Easter gathering or just a fun after-school activity.

Peep Peach Fizz

Ingredients

  • 6 Marshmallow Peep Chicks
  • 1 Can of sliced peaches
  • 6 ounces Pineapple Juice
  • 1/4 cup Lemonade concentrate
  • 1/4 tsp Almond Extract
  • 3 cups Club Soda
  • 8 ounces Cool Whip
  • As Desired-Crushed Ice

Cooking Directions

  1. To make the peach base, add peaches to food processor or blender. Process until smooth to measure 2 cups puree. Stir in pineapple juice, limeade and almond extract.
  2. Fill 12 ounce glasses with crushed ice then add 1/3 cup of the peach base to each glass. Top with club soda and stir gently.
  3. Put a dab of cool whip on top and put a peep on top of it. Serve.
  4. Makes six servings.

And if you have ever wanted to serve ‘Marshmallow Peep Sushi’ (Yup, that’s what I said) then you should check out this out.

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More peep recipes can be found on the Marshmallow Peeps website. (Note that music auto-plays when you go to the website, but just click the off button at the top. Or keep it on if you like peep music. It’s catchy.)

Image Credit Photo One: Oskay via Flickr Creative Commons
Image Credit Photo Two: Katerha via Flickr Creative Commons

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March 1st, 2012

How to Make Snow Ice Cream

With snow finally falling here in the New England, it is time to pull out a fun winter tradition and make snow ice cream (even if it is March 1st).

I posted this in January last year when we were up to our highballs in snow (err…rather literally.) This time the pickings are slim, but gather what you can. It is a fun activity with the kids if they have a snow day or a fun afternoon after they get home from school.

For 8 servings, you need is 1 gallon of (clean) snow (about 16 cups), 1 cup of sugar (more or less to taste), 1 tablespoon of vanilla and 2 cups of milk. Put it in a large bowl. Mix it together until creamy. You can add flavors like peppermint oil or cocoa powder. Or you can add ingredients like M&Ms, crushed candy canes, or chocolate chips. Have fun with it!

Have the kids get the snow and add the ingredients, which are safe to handle. Have them play around with ingredients to see what unique flavor they can come up with. For older children, have them name their new snow cream flavor, and/or sketch a logo or design for their snow cream. For brave souls, set up a snow cream stand in lieu of a lemonade stand and see what happens.

Most of all, enjoy eating it!

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February 9th, 2012

Popover Recipe – BLT Steakhouse

BLT Steakhouse PopoversWhen I was in New York a couple of months ago, my hubby took me out for my Birthday. Not only had it been four months since we had gone out to eat together, without a child in tow, but being in my first trimester of pregnancy, I had pretty specific requirements as to what I wanted to eat and where.

We opted to eat at a restaurant we tried when I was last in New York for a getaway weekend three years ago. The place is called BLT Steakhouse in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The place was just as fantastic as I remembered it.

I think I swooned when I took my first bite of steak, and the knowledge of the staff in all things steak-related is top notch. (Especially since I had to have a well-done steak-they recommended a great cut that could be thoroughly cooked and still be moist and delicious.) Sides and appetizers weren’t afterthoughts. They were just as amazing as the main dishes; including their famous complimentary Popovers.

The popovers were fabulous. Larger than your fist, warm, soft and flaky. (I think I am swooning again.) Since we probably won’t be able to do a New York getaway for another three years, I snagged the recipe. So here it is and it is totally worth making. You will be a rock star at your next dinner party.

What you Need:

4 Cups Milk, Warmed
8 Eggs
4 cups flour
1 1/2 heaping tbsp salt
2 1/4 cups grated gruyere cheese
Popover Pan

How to Make:

Makes 12. Place the popover pan in the oven. Heat oven and pan to 350 degrees. Gently warm the milk over low heat and set aside. Whisk the eggs until frothy and slowly whisk in the milk (so as not to cook the eggs). Set the mixture aside. Sift the flour with the salt. Slowly add the dry mixture to the eggs and combine until mostly smooth. Once combined remove the popover pan from the oven and spray with non stick vegetable spray. Fill each popover cup 3/4 full and top each with 2 1/2 cups of gruyere cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, rotating pan half a turn after 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

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Image Credit: Williams-Sonoma

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February 5th, 2012

Chicken Wing Cupcakes

There are only a matter of hours until the Super Bowl XLVI kickoff. Regardless of what team you root for, or who ultimately wins, the best part of the game is the food.

While I wrote a post about fun Super Bowl food ideas, and even shared Coloring Sheets for the kids…..here is one recipe you should try.

While you can order from this Albany, New York bakery (who came up with this lovely creation) directly, I’m sure you can pull this treat off at home. If you really wanted to. And really, who wouldn’t want to.

If you can’t make it in time for the game tonight, serve it at your next basketball bash or baseball BBQ. You need corn muffin baking mix. Then mix a small amount of blue cheese into a can of cream cheese frosting.

Oh, and top with a chicken wing.

Score.

ChickenWingCupcakes

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Source: MyFoxBoston.com

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February 2nd, 2012

Super Bowl Ideas

FootballThe Super Bowl can be a fun event to get the kids excited – even if your family members are not big sports fans.

Here are some fun crafts to make the big game, big fun.

1. Buy some plain T-shirts at a thrift store or at a local dollar store. Then take some fabric markers found at stores like Michaels or AC Moore (worth the investment) and have the kids draw footballs, cheerleaders, the name of their favorite team, the number of their favorite quarterback, all over the T-shirts. They can sport their custom designed gear on the day of the big game.

2. Buy some pre-made sugar cookie dough and make football cutouts. Bake and then have kids decorate with chocolate frosting and white piping, to make football cookies.

3. As an alternative to cookies, make a sheet cake and then mix green food coloring into white frosting. Have the kids frost the cake green. Take white piping and make lines like you would see on a football field. For goal posts, take popsicle sticks, or lollipop sticks, and glue or tape together. Place on each end of the cake.

To make game day lunch or dinner into a Super Bowl feast, here are some ideas to serve up.

1. Make a fun football dip to serve with veggies or whole grain chips.

  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) provolone cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup crabmeat, drained, flaked and cartilage removed
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) 4% cottage cheese
  • 2 teaspoons seafood seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
  • In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add cheddar cheese, provolone cheese, crab, cottage cheese, seafood seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and mustard; mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  • Form mixture into a football shape. Arrange some pretzel sticks over the top for football-like ‘laces’. Serve with crackers and/or vegetables. 

2. Make chili or chowder (or buy the stuff premade!) Buy boule bread and hollow out. Serve the chowder or soup in these “super bowls”.

3. Take brown construction paper and wrap around a juice box. Use a white crayon to create football ‘laces’ for a fun way to serve juice.

Serve the cookies or cake you made, wear the t-shirts, and get ready to root for your favorite team! For fun coloring sheets to keep them entertained during the game, visit my post here.

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January 14th, 2012

Football Game Dip Recipe

Shrimp Dip

It is time for football playoffs! and what could be better than an awesome dip recipe to serve during the game.
I love this cottage cheese dip recipe because it is low in fat and calories and high in protein and taste. Plus, you can whip it up in under 15 minutes max. I use Daisy Cottage Cheese because I think the flavor is top notch even with 2% milk fat. Plus, it is made only with four ingredients: cultured skim milk, cream, salt, and Vitamin A Palmitate. Nothing fru-fru or fake. Total touchdown.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups Daisy Brand Cottage Cheese
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 avocado, diced
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked peeled small shrimp, thawed if frozen and patted dry
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

Directions

Mix the cottage cheese and garlic together. Spread the cottage cheese mixture onto a 9-inch serving platter. Top with the green onion, cayenne pepper, avocado, shrimp, and cilantro. Serve with your favorite dippers, such as crackers, pita chips, or bagel chips. Serves about 10 people (or 5 really hungry ones).

Calories 64 cals
Total Fat 3 g
Cholesterol 39 mg
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sodium 270 mg
Protein 8 g
Total Carbohydrate 3 g

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December 18th, 2011

Online Cookie Recipe Swap 2011

I don’t know about you, but I have a lot of baking to do this week! (Which somehow seems to spill into the New Year as well.)

When I see the great goodies that other people make or bring to events or as gifts, I often think to myself, I really need to get some new cookie recipes. So I thought this might be a fun, quick, and easy way to share some cookie recipe ideas with each other.  Listed below is mine, but I would love if you would leave a comment with your favorite cookie recipe. Then come back and see what people have left! Maybe we can all pick up a new recipe this year, just in time to ring in 2012!

Linzer Cookies
Image of Linzer Cookies

What you Need:

  • 1/2 cup margarine
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Red raspberry seedless preserves
  • Confectioners’ sugar

How to Make:
  1. In a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, cream together margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well.
  2. Sift together flour, baking power and salt. Add to wet mixture. beat until well blended.
  3. Divide dough into four equal portions. Wrap individually with plastic wrap. Refrigerate a least one hour or overnight.
  4. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Place one portion of dough between two sheets of waxed paper; roll to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into a star, heart or other seasonally appropriate shape using a 2.5 inch cookie cutter. Place one inch apart on prepared cookie sheet. Cut out another similar shape in the center of half of the cookies using a one inch cookie cutter. Repeat with remaining dough.
  5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or just until edges are lightly browned. Removed to wire racks. Cool completely.
  6. Sift confectioners’ sugar over the cookies with the shape cut out of the center. Assemble cookies by spreading 2 tsp of preserves on each solid shape cookie. Top with shaped cookie with the center cut out. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

 

P.S. If you don’t want to make the dough, buy Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough.

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November 28th, 2011

Toddler Friendly Banana Protein Shake

Banana SmoothieLast week, my Pumpkin Smoothie recipe was featured on the Isis Parenting Blog. Not only because it is healthy, but because it is something that even your toddler can enjoy. A lot of people loved it, so I wanted to share another smoothie recipe that has a great amount of protein and is tasty enough to appease the most distriminating toddler pallet! It is a recipe I have been making for 12 years now and now can share with my 2 year old.

Banana Protein Shake

(Makes 2 servings)

  • 2 tbsp 100% pure cocoa powder (can leave out if you want)
  • 2 tbsp creamy natural peanut butter (can substitute with another nut butter, like almond butter.)
  • 1 medium ripe banana
  • 8 oz non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 4-6 ice cubes
  • Dash of cinnamon (optional)

Pour the peanut butter, cocoa, Greek yogurt and ice cubes into a blender and mix at high speed. Then add the banana into the mixture and re-blend. Pour the mixture into two cups and serve. Sprinkle dash of cinnamon on top for extra flavor if you want.

Nutrition Facts (approximate)
245 calories per serving
16 g protein

 

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September 17th, 2011

Whoopee Pie Recipe

Frankly, who can resist a good Whoopee Pie recipe (or eating a good Whoopee Pie for that matter). Especially during a football game!

This recipe makes about 40 small Whoopee pies using Tablespoon scoops. It takes about 45 minutes to make, bake and cool. So within an hour, you can nosh. But note, with the amount of butter in this recipe, it is not for those on a diet!

Cakes:

  • 4c flour
  • 1c Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2c packed light brown sugar
  • 2 sticks (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cup buttermilk

Filling:
  • 5c marshmallow fluff
  • 1 1/2c confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 1/2 sticks (20 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt

To make the cakes:

Heat the often to 350 degrees and make sure the racks are in the middle/lower-middle position. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour/cocoa/baking soda/salt together.

Beat sugar/butter until fluffy (3-6 minutes) in an electric mixer. Beat in the egg until well-incorporated. Then the vanilla. Slowly, add 1/3 of the flour mixture from above. Then beat in 1/2 the buttermilk. Repeat until everything is in.

Using a tablespoon scoop, scoop the batter onto the parchment lined baking sheets. Cook for about 12-18 minutes. Then let cool for about 30-40 minutes.

To make the filling:

While cooling, make the filling. Whip the Fluff, confectioners’ sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. About 4-8 minutes.

Assemble and enjoy!
Drop filling between the flattened side of two cool cakes, then enjoy! Or you can wrap cakes in plastic wrap, and then keep at room temperature up to 2 days.

Yum!
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Image Credit: pgdeininger via Tinypic.com

 

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