Soups & Salads

Hope you enjoyed this special 1 hour edition of Cooking with Mommy. First up - Soups & Salads! Kids, we hope you enjoy making these yummy dishes with your grown-up helpers. Let us know what you think!!! =)

French Onion Soup
3 small onions, diced
1/2 stick butter
2 cans beef broth
1 can chicken broth
1/2 c. cooking sherry
1 pkt. onion soup mix
1 loaf french bread
1 pkt. (12 slices) provolone cheese

Saute onions in butter for 3-5 minutes, or until transluscent. Add beef and chicken broths, cooking sherry, and onion soup mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 3/4 cup soup in crock-style bowl or ramekin. Slice french bread into 1 inch slices. Lay provolone slice on bread. Place 6-8 bowls on cookie sheet or stone cooking sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

4 large Yukon Gold Potatoes
8 slices bacon
2 cans chicken broth
2 cups milk
16 oz. Velveeta cheese
8 oz. sour cream
3 green onion stalks

Microwave potatoes for approximately 10 minutes. Allow potatoes to cool. Microwave bacon for 1 minute per slice. (I microwave 4 slices at a time for 4 minutes.) Remove bacon from plate and pat dry with paper towel. Crumble bacon. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut into cubes, approximately 1/2 inch to 1 inch in size.

Slice green onions into thin slices. Cut Velveeta into small cubes for easier melting.

Heat chicken broth, milk, and Velveeta in pot, stirring frequently. Once cheese has melted completely, add potatoes, bacon, sour cream, and green onions. Stir until fully incorporated. Simmer another 10- 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and serve.

Mandarin Chicken Salad

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 c. orange juice
1 tsp. Asian seasoning (recommended: Emeril's Asian Essence)
Romaine lettuce hearts, chopped or torn
1 can Mandarin oranges
1 can water chesnuts
3 stalks green onions, sliced
Sliced almonds, to taste
Chow Mein noodles, to taste
Asian dressing

Marinate chicken breasts in orange juice and Asian seasoning for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Grill chicken breasts over medium heat 6-8 minutes per side, or until cooked through. (If using cutlets, chicken may grill a little more quickly.) Let chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, slice chicken in thin slices.

To assemble salad, put chopped or torn lettuce in a bowl. Top with remaining ingredients and chicken. It's yummy!!!

BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Want to add some zing to boring old meatloaf? We sent Kaiya's daddy to the kitchen to create a new twist on traditional meatloaf. Give this zesty meatloaf a try and see smiles on the faces of your family! Hope you enjoy!



BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf



1.5 lbs Lean Ground beef
1 egg
1 cup fried onions, divided (French’s)
8 Ritz crackers, crushed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
¼ cup ketchup
1/8 cup yellow mustard
¾ cup BBQ sauce divided
Salt & pepper to taste
6 oz. bacon, fried and then crumbled

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, egg, ½ cup fried onions, crushed crackers, ½ cup shredded cheddar, ¼ cup Ketchup, 1/8 cup yellow mustard, ¼ cup BBQ sauce, and salt & pepper to taste. Transfer mixed ingredients into a loaf pan.



Sprinkle remaining fried onions over the top and press lightly into the mixture. Bake 55 minutes. Have grown-up helper remove meatloaf from the oven and drizzle ½ cup BBQ sauce on top of meat loaf. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon and remaining cheddar cheese on top. Have your grown-up helper return the meatloaf to the oven and bake 15-20 minutes longer. Remove and enjoy.

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!

Hurry, Hurry! Eat Some Curry!

Serve this yummy chicken salad in a pita pocket for a nice change of pace to your normal sandwich fare!

Curry Chicken Salad
3/4 lb. cooked chicken (weight after cooking), chopped or shredded
1 c. mayonnaise (We love our Duke's!)
1 Tblsp. curry powder
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks celery hearts, sliced
2/3 c. sweetened, dried cranberries
2/3 c. chopped walnuts

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Open pita pocket. Layer several lettuce leaves in pocket. Fill with chicken salad. 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!!!