Tootie-Fruity!

Thank you to everyone who listened to our Saturday morning edition of Cooking with Mommy today. We chose to postpone our scheduled show yesterday due to Tropical Storm Fay. Although we never lost power, the lights flickered several times before and after the scheduled show time, and there were several tornadoes in the area. We thought it was a safer bet to postpone the show until the bad weather had passed. Thank you for all of your patience!!!

On to the good stuff! =) Below you will find the recipes from today's show. We hope you enjoy our spin on delicious fruit-filled treats!

Fluffy Fruit Dip

Although we didn't get a picture of this first snack specialty, we're sure you'll love it. It's super easy to make, and tastes delicious with any fruit.

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 (7 oz.) container marshmallow creme (We used Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme)

Mix ingredients until fluffy and smooth. Serve with assorted fruit of your choice. We recommend strawberries, pineapple, grapes, berries, etc.

Strawberry Soup

This chilled soup is a sweet and tasty way for kids (and their grown-up helpers) to enjoy strawberries!!!!

1 qt. fresh strawberries, tops removed

1/2 c. sugar

16 oz. whole milk (you can use cream, if you prefer)

2 oz. sour cream

3 oz. strawberry yogurt

Put strawberries (with tops removed) in a bowl. Pour sugar over top and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, assemble your ingredients. Put half the strawberry/sugar mixture and half the milk in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth. Serve cold!

Frozen Banana Salad

This tangy treat is sure to delight your taste buds. This one's considered dessert in our house! Thanks to Sue Turner for this recipe!

2 cups sour cream

1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple

1 Tblspn. lemon juice (This keeps the bananas from browning.)

1/2 cup nuts, chopped (optional; we use walnuts)

1/2 cup sugar

4 bananas, mashed

1 tsp. salt

1 (8 oz.) jar maraschino cherries, quartered (Reserve liquid.)

Mix all above ingredients well. May add just enough cherry liquid to get the shade of pink you want. Pour into 9x9 inch pan. Freeze. Garnish with a dab of sour cream and top with a cherry.

A Little Guacamole for You!

Hola! This weekend, we had some culinary adventures with avocados, plantains, and homemade doughnuts. There was a LOT of playtime for us in the kitchen, and the recipe we wanted to share with you today was loads of fun to make!


We find that letting the kids out of the cart in the produce section of the grocery store means we come home with a HUGE variety of fruits and vegetables. It also means the kids are open to trying new things because they helped choose what went into the cart! This week, we came home with apples, strawberries, bananas, plantains, grapes, mango, kiwi, avocados, pineapple, blueberries, green onions, several colors of bell peppers, mushrooms, etc. It's made for a fun week.


Last night, we decided to break out the avocados and make some guacamole! The recipe we came up with is below, and let me tell you! Mommy (that's me!) has REALLY enjoyed it! Hope you like it!


Guacamole


2 avocados
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c. sour cream
1/2 c. tomato salsa (your favorite brand)
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. dried cilantro


Have your grown-up helper cut a line around the avocado. Twist the avocado to remove one half. Have the grown-up helper place the knife, sharp side down on the large avocado seed and bang the knife gently to stick in seed. Twist the knife gently to remove the seed from the avocado. Using a spoon, remove the soft, green flesh of the avocado from the avocado peel.


In a medium size glass bowl, mash the avocado using a potato masher. Add the remaining ingredients and mix with spoon until fully incorporated! Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!


***Tip: We suggest using juice from fresh fruit, but you can use bottle lemon juice, if desired. Additionally, if you have not lemon juice on hand, you can substitute lime juice. you will notice a slight change in flavor, but the guacamole still has a delicious flavor to it.


***Tip: You may use fresh cilantro instead of dried. We actually prefer the fresh, but dried is what we had on hand!