Movie Night

Hope you enjoyed today's show! We had a blast coming up with these recipes. Try our twist on some of your favorite movie theatre snacks, and see if you won't want your next movie night to be in your own living room!

Monster Nachos
1 lb. chicken breasts
1 lb. Mexican chorizo
1 lg. can refried black beans
1 pkt. Goya Sazon seasoning packet
16 oz. pkg. Velveeta
1 (4 oz.) can green chilies
Salsa, to taste
Sour cream, to taste
Black olives, sliced, to taste
1 Haas avocado
1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Grown-up helper: Cook chorizo in sauté pan for approximately 10 minutes. Drain on paper towel. Season chicken with Southwestern seasoning. Grill chicken breasts (approximately 10 minutes per side for thicker breasts). Slice chicken in thin slices (similar to fajitas).

Mini-chef: Microwave refried beans with packet of Goya seasoning mixed in for 5-6 minutes. Meanwhile, using a kid-safe knife, cut Velveeta into cubes and place in bowl. Add 4 oz. can of chopped green chilies to bowl. Microwave cheese mixture one minute and stir. Repeat process three more times (for a total of 4 minutes in the microwave).

Layer chips on platter. With the help of your grown-up helper, spoon refried beans onto chips. Pour melted cheese mixture over beans. Sprinkle chorizo and sliced chicken on top.

Top with salsa, sour cream, and black olives, to taste. Have grown-up helper peel and slice avocado. Place avocado slices on top of nachos. Top with grated cheddar cheese.


Jell-O Popcorn
1 c. white corn syrup
1 c. sugar
2 small pkgs. Jell-O, your flavor preference (enough for 8 servings)
1 bag popped popcorn, light butter flavor

Pour popcorn onto a baking sheet or stone cool. Mix corn syrup, sugar, and Jell-O in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 3 minutes, stirring after each 30 second (to 1 minute) interval. Have grown-up helper pour Jell-O mixture over popcorn. Bake at 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool completely.


Stuffed Pretzels
1 can refrigerated pizza dough, thin crust style
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
¼ c. sugar
2 heaping Tablespoons strawberry preserves
Melted butter
Cinnamon
Brown sugar

Cut pizza dough lengthwise into three strips. Mix cream cheese, sugar, and strawberry preserves. Place cream cheese mixture in plastic sandwich bag, seal, and cut small slit in corner of sandwich bag. Squeeze line of cream cheese mixture down the center of each pizza dough strip. Overlap sides of dough slightly, and pinch seams down the length of each dough strip, creating on long “rope” of filled dough. Bring each end around, as if forming a heart. Overlap, strip ends, and twist, bringing ends to a rest at the bottom end of the pretzel. Press slightly, being careful not to cause cream cheese mixture to squeeze out. Baste pretzels with melted butter. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon, to taste, on top of pretzel. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown.

Crafts in the Kitchen

Hey kids! Here are some SUPER recipes to use when you want to explore your artistic talents. Head to the kitchen with a grown-up helper and have fun with the following recipes! I'll add pictures later!

Kool-Aid Playdough

3 c. flour
1 c. salt
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 c. boiling water
2 packets unsweetened Kool-aid (in color of your choice)

Have your grown-up helper bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Meanwhile, mix flour and salt thoroughly. In a separate bowl, add Kool-aid and oil to boiling water. Mix until Kool-aid dissolves completely. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir until incorporated. (Add extra flour if needed to get playdough consistency.)

Knead dough until flour is no longer visible. Allow to cool. Play and enjoy. (Store in an airtight container in your refrigerator.)

*Note - we divided the recipe in two halves, and used a different Kool-aid color in each half.


Puff Paint

1 can shaving cream
1-2 containers white school glue
Food Coloring

Mix equal parts shaving cream and school glue in the amount you desire. Add food coloring to achieve desired color. (You can make several colors using the above ingredients.)


Bath Crayons

1 bar (3.1 oz.) Ivory soap
1/4 c. to 1/2 c. warm water
Food Coloring

Grate Soap using a cheese grater. Microwave water for 1-2 minutes. Mix soap, water, and food coloring. Knead until the consistency of a very thick dough.

Shape with hands as a ball or crayon. You can also use ice cube trays or cookie cutters. Place crayons in freezer for 15 minutes.

Remove crayons from freezer and allow to dry until hard (overnight or all day.) Enjoy at bathtime!!! =)


Have fun kiddos! Check in tomorrow for another recipe just for you!

Tour of Italy

Hope you enjoyed today's show! Let us know how your Italian feast goes. We would love to hear from you! Below are today's recipes. Remember that each recipe serves 8-10 people. So, invite your friends over, and let your kids be proud that they were able to help prepare a meal for company!!!

Sundried Tomato Bruschetta

1 baguette

1 jar Sundried Tomato Pesto (We used Classico brand, found near the spaghetti sauce in your grocery store.)

1 (12 slice)pkg. Provolone cheese

Have your grown-up helper slice the baguette into approximately 20 slices. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of pesto on each slice of bread. Break cheese slices into quarters. Top with 2 pieces of provolone cheese. Broil on high for 3-5 minutes, or until cheese begins to turn golden and bubbly.

Caesar Salad

2 bags chopped romaine lettuce

1 bag garlic cheese croutons

4 oz. fresh parmesan cheese, shredded

Your favorite Caesar dressing

Toss first 3 ingredients. Pour Caesar dressing to taste.

Stuffed Shells

1 (32 oz.) container part-skim ricotta cheese

1 1/2 c. mozzarella

1 c. fresh parmesan cheese, grated (plus additional for topping)

1 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 (2lb.) jar spaghetti sauce (your favorite)

1 box jumbo pasta shells

1 (10 oz.) box frozen spinach, thawed and patted dry

Have your grown-up helper boil shells for 14-15 minutes. Drain and rinse under cool water to stop cooking process. Pour 1 cup spaghetti sauce in a 9x13 baker.

Meanwhile, mix ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt, and eggs thoroughly. Separate mixture into 2 halves. Add spinach to second half of mixture.

Fill halve your shells with cheese mixture and place in 9x13 baker. Top with 1 cup spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese to taste. (You can top with mozzarella, as well.) Repeat steps in second 9x13 baker with spinach mixture. (You can use browned ground beef or Italian sausage instead of spinach, if you prefer.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until heated thoroughly.

Tiramisu Pudding Parfait

1 cups milk

1/4 c. instant coffee granules (You may use 1/8 cup if you desire a less strong coffee taste.)

1/4 c. sugar

1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip

2 boxes Cheesecake flavor instant pudding (8 servings total), plus ingredients to make pudding

16 Ladyfingers (Need 2 cookies per parfait.)

Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix 1 cup milk with instant coffee granules and sugar until coffee and sugar are dissolved. Mix in container of Cool Whip. (Mixture will be runny.)

In a separate bowl, prepare pudding according to package directions. Chill in refrigerator.

Break Ladyfingers into quarters. Place 4 pieces in bottom of parfait glass. Add 1/4 cup. coffee Cool Whip mixture. Next, add 1/4 cup pudding. Top with shredded chocolate chips as desired. Repeat layers one time. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes prior to eating. (This allows the cookies to absorb some of the coffee mixture. Enjoy!

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.

Lunchbox Ideas

We hope you enjoyed the show today. We have LOTS of ideas for "thinking outside the lunchbox". Hope you liked these three today! (Remember to try both of the Asian marinades and let us know who your vote goes to. It was a true Asian marinade throwdown!)














Apple Cranberry Walnut Salad

1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 head iceburg lettuce, torn
2 Golden Delicious apples, cored and chopped
1/3 cup vidalia onions (optional)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (like Craisins)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Your favorite poppy seed dressing

Mix all ingredients except the dressing. Serve in bowls. Drizzle with poppy seed dressing.















Asian Chicken Legs

1 dozen chicken legs, without skin
1 marinade recipe (Choose 1 below)

Marinate chicken legs in marinade for several hours. (We recommend marinating overnight.) Grill over medium-low heat for approximately 20-25 minutes, turning chicken every 5 minutes. Put aluminum foil on end of chicken legs to keep fingers clean at lunchtime! =)

Mark's Marinade
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 Tblsp. ketchup
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp. ground ginger (or substitute 1 Tblsp. fresh ground ginger)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tblsp. apricot preserves
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 Tblsp. rice vinegar
1 Tblsp. honey
1/2 tsp. grated zest of lemon

In a sauce pan over medium heat, combine all ingredients. Stir until sugar is dissolved completely. Reduce to a simmer for 3 minutes, stirring regularly. Remove from heat and let cool.

Kara's Marinade

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup plum sauce
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 pinch salt

Stir until mixed thoroughly.
















Creamy Tomato Soup

1 can condensed tomato soup
1 (15 oz.) can chicken broth
1 lg. can Italian diced tomatoes
1 cup whole milk (For an even creamier soup, substitute heavy cream.)

Heat 1st three ingredients over medium-low heat for 20 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Add cream and stir to incorporate. Remove from heat. Blend in blender until smooth. Place in thermos, and enjoy at lunchtime!!!

Healthy & Tasty Snacks

We hope you enjoyed the show today. For more details on what your child's nutrition demands, please check out MyPyramid.gov. Below are today's recipes! Hope you enjoy them!

Fruit & Yogurt Parfait

1 French Vanilla Yogurt cup, about 6 oz. (Our favorite is Stonyfield Farms with cream on top!)
Granola
Fresh Strawberries (sliced) and Blueberries

If using a cream on top yogurt, mix with spoon until cream is thoroughly incorporated. Pour half a container of yogurt into cup. Top with enough granola to fully cover yogurt. Layer sliced strawberries on granola, followed by blueberries. Repeat layers one more time. This makes one parfait.

Black Bean Hummus

1 can black beans
2 garlc cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. tahini
1/4 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp. salt
Juice of 1 lemon

Place all ingredients in food processor. (Be sure to have a grown up helper on hand!) Blend until smooth. Serve with pita chips or veggies (like carrots, celery, bell pepper, etc.)

Strawberry Ice Pops

10 oz. pkg. frozen, sweetened strawberries
2 strawberry yogurt cups (Again, we use Stonyfield Farms cream on the top!)
3 popsicle sticks or spoons
3 small plastic cups or gladware containers
Plastic Wrap (3 squares)

Thaw frozen strawberries. Blend in blender until they are smooth. (Get that grown-up helper to help!) Pour 1/3 container of yogurt into cup. (Mix first if using a cream on top yogurt.) Pour 1/3 blended strawberries on yogurt. Pour another 1/3 container of yogurt on top. Repeat process to fill 2 more cups.

Cut a small "x" in each plastic wrap square. Top each cup with plastic wrap. Insert popsicle stick or spoon through hole in plastic wrap. Freeze overnight.

Tip: To help the ice pop release from the cup, run the cup under hot water for a small period to soften the sides.

Hope you enjoy these snacks!

Delicious Desserts

Today's radio show was all about delicious desserts you can make with kids in the kitchen. Our first recipe with Double Chocolate Chip Cookies. We hope you love it!














Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 box (20 oz.) Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
1 egg
1 stick butter, softened
1/4 cup cocoa

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Blend eggs and butter in bowl until smooth. Add cookie mix and cocoa.

Stir until thoroughly incorporated. (We recommend using an electric mixer. This is not a very wet mix, so it can be hard for the child or grown-up helper to mix thoroughly - although I usually do it by hand. =) I hate the extra dishes!) If using a mixer, this will take about 1 1/2 minutes.

Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheet. This recipe yields approximately 1 dozen large cookies. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Let cool on a cooling rack. Then enjoy!!!

Our second yummy recipe was Mini Caramel Chocolate Cheesecakes. Yummy!















Mini Caramel Chocolate Cheesecakes
**Note: We forgot something!!! On our radio show, we forgot to tell you that we added 1 egg to the cream cheese mixture. We have included it in the below recipe.**

Crust
2 T. butter, melted
5 graham cracker sheets
1/8 c. sugar

Cream Cheese Mixture
2 pkgs. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. sugar


24 Rolos candies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini-muffin pan with non-stick spray (like Pam).

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Place 5 graham crackers in ziplock bag and mash until crumb consistency. Mix melted butter, crushed graham crackers, and 1/8 c. sugar. Put approximately 1 teaspoon in each muffin tin and press down.

In large bowl, mix softened cream cheese with vanilla, lemon juice, and 1 egg. Once consistency is smooth, mix in 1/4 cup sugar. In your electric mixer, pour 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream. Start at low speed, increasing to highest speed. Mix until heavy whipping cream has consistency of whipped cream, approximately 1-3 minutes. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture.


Place 1 unwrapped Rolo candy in the center of each muffin well. Do not push into crust; let rest gently on top of crust. Pour approximately 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture over the top of the Rolo. (Cream cheese mixture will be taller than muffin pan well.)

Place in oven for 25 minutes, or when edges are just starting to become golden. Remove from oven and allow to completely cool on cooling rack. Enjoy!!!














Join us on BlogTalkRadio next Friday when we talk about creative breakfast ideas. And check back on this site on Mondays and Wednesdays for new recipe ideas! In the meantime, go make some memories in the kitchen with your kids!!!

Our Radio Debut

Today marked our radio debut on BlogTalkRadio.com. Kaiya was at my side as my trusty co-host, and I found that there are definitely some kinks to work out. We can cover A LOT in 30 minutes. I guess we'll have to find more content & create specialized segments, or cut the show back to 15 minutes. My vote is for more content, but I know I can find a million kitchen related things to talk about! Did I mention my favorite place in the world is in the kitchen with my kids? (I like my hubby in there, too! He's a terrific cook!)

As promised, the featured recipe on today's show, Twice Baked Potatoes Delight is listed below.


Twice Baked Potatoes Delight














5 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened (8oz.)
3 T. ranch seasoning (or a 1 oz. pkt.)
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese, plus extra for topping
1 T. bacon bits

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake potatoes in microwave on HIGH for 16 minutes. Meanwhile, mix remaining ingredients, being sure to incorporate fully.

After potatoes have cooled enough to handle safely, cut slice down center of the potato, stopping halfway through the potato. Gently spoon potato out of the potato skin, being careful not to tear the skin. Set the potato skins to the side, to be used later. Using a potato masher, mix the potato into the cream cheese mixture.

Spoon the potato/cream cheese mixture into the potato "pocket" created by the potato skin. There will be a lot of filling, so be generous. Place filled potatoes on a baking sheet, and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese 5 minutes before cook time is finished.

Next week's radio show is all about desserts. Join us for this tasty show! I can't wait. Chocolate, anyone?!?!