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Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Easter Recipes

With spring fast approaching, Easter is nearly here. One of the most popular holidays is Easter and part of the reason why this holiday is so much fun is the food associated with it. If you are planning an Easter dinner with your friends or family this year, here are some awesome hints for some yummy Easter recipes.

Maple Syrup Ham and Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows
One of the most desired types of food to eat at Easter is ham and you can sweeten up the flavor of ham by adding some tasty maple syrup. While your store purchased maple syrup should work, try to purchase maple syrup that is 100% pure and not made with corn syrup. Adding pure maple syrup will add a sweet, delicious taste that your friends and family will love.

You can simply complement your maple syrup ham with some yummy sweet potatoes smothered in minature marshmallows. Sweet potatoes should be your maple syrup ham’s best friend. For an extra treat, add minature marshmallows and you will definetly get some smiles from children and adults alike.

Easter Bunny Cookies
While chocolate bunnies are pivotal to Easter, cookies can also be a desired treat. Just like Christmas cookies are fun to make and tasty to eat, so can Easter bunny cookies. Most grocers, discount stores and craft retailers sell Easter Bunny cookie cutters to make your favorite chocolate chip or sugar cookie into some fun Easter bunny shapes.

Easter Egg Cup Cakes
Easter Egg Cup Cakes are a fun way to add excitement to the holiday’s for your little ones. Easter Egg Cupcakes are an easy and fun way to bring color to any Easter dinner dessert. Instead of using cup cake holders, try to use small waffle cones instead to hold your cup cake mixture. Once baked, add coloring, sprinkles, candy, etc. to your creation.

Easter Bunny Carrot Cake
Easter bunny carrot cake is a great way to add color and fun for the whole family. What goes better with bunny rabbits than carrots and a yummy carrot cake goes with an Easter meal. You can easily purchase a carrot cake and decorate the top by hand. Many people create their own icing adding food coloring to color the carrot cake to look like an Easter egg.

Easter Cocktails
For those adults that prefer to top off their dinner with a delicious alcoholic beverage, there are many flavorful cocktails that compliment the atmosphere of an Easter meal. For example, certain liquors come in several colors such as grenadine for crimson, blue Curacao for blue and mixing clear liquor with various fruit juices for multi colored Easter drinks. For those that crave a cocktail without the alcohol, it’s simple to add color to your dinner with a variety of fresh fruit smoothies, just by adding fresh fruit with cream or milk. Some people even add some yogurt to the mix.

If you are looking for a great way to enjoy your Easter this year, follow the previously mentioned Easter recipes.


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How Would You Like To Give Nutritious Goodies In Your Easter Baskets This Year? Why Not Try These Creative Healthy Easter Basket Tips: The Menu Mom

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Easy Kids Meals

With dance practice, choir, cub scouts, and tae kwon do, who has time to prepare an appetizing meal for the kids after school? You do! You can have time if you serve an easy to cook kids' meal.

Of course it's a no-brainer to throw a hotdog in the microwave or set a tortilla in a pan on top of the stove, add some cheese and 90 seconds later have a simple quesadilla, but what's the excitement in that? Instead experiment with Casseroles or one-pot meals which in most cases go over well with the kids; and are simple to whip together.

Try this quick kids meal:

1 – lb. ground beef
1 - 16 oz jar spaghetti sauce
1 - cup water
1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 - cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Crumble beef in a three-qrt glass baking dish and microwave for 4-5 minutes, or until beef is no longer pink. Mix & rotate part way through cooking time. Drain Beef. Stir in sauce, water and macaroni. Microwave another 12 minutes, stirring part way through. Sprinkle cheese on top and allow to stand covered approximately 5 minutes before serving. Serves a couple hungry kids.

There are many meals you can cook with hamburger. Any recipe that asks for hamburger will work just fine replaced with ground turkey, chicken or venison instead. The simple recipe below uses ground meat. It takes nearly an hour to bake but merely a blink to prepare.

Combine together:

2 pounds ground meat
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
Crinkle Cut French Fries

Brown ground beef and drain the grease. Add both soups to strained ground beef and spoon into a 9x13 greased baking dish. Top off with cut French fries and bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until French fries are light brown.

Taco salads are very quick and easy to prepare. Begin with lettuce. Add tomato, onion and cheese (if your kids will approve of it.) Fry up some meat and toss in an envelope of taco seasoning – or just incorporate some taco sauce to the meat. Next add crushed tortilla chips or Fritos. Finish off with salsa or Ranch salad dressing. Remember the sour cream and guacamole too! Kids love this meal!

For a fast, on the go, healthy, cold meal try:

A head of lettuce (not bagged lettuce)
Ham or Roast Beef slices
Cheese slices
Condiments

Step 1: Peel off a medium lettuce leaf.
Step 2: Assemble meat, cheese, and condiments.
Step 3: Roll up and stick a toothpick in the middle.
Step 4: Gobble Up.
Step 5: Wipe your face, there is a trace of mayo. on your cheek.

How about an interesting twist to the normal macaroni and cheese kids recipe?

1 (16 ounce) box macaroni (elbow, seashell, bowtie – doesn't matter, just not spaghetti)
1 c. cottage cheese
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon

1. Cook macaroni according to package instructions.
2. Stir in cottage cheese, sugar, and cinnamon with drained macaroni.
3. Taste and add sugar or cinnamon, if required.
4. Serve right away. Delicious!

Incorporate a bit of creativity to incorporate a twist on a tried and true recipe and even with the chaotic after school activities you will find time to cook a nourishing meal for your kids evening meal.

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Desire More Quick & Easy Kid Approved Meals? Visit http://www.kidapprovedmeals.com

Monday, September 15, 2008

Get Your Kids Cooking With These Kid Approved Cook Books

By Christine Steendahl

Many popular Children's cook books help parents and kids learn to interact in the kitchen. Children love to cook and these cook books describe easy ways to cook nutritious meals with kids in mind.

1) Burning Down the House
This cooking with kids cookbook is a simple, easy to follow cookbook - containing recipes that allow a child's mind to explore the wonders of cooking.

The kid friendly cook book includes recipes for breakfast to bedtime. Recipes include Lemon Pancakes, Jazzy Popcorn, Peanut Butter Spaghetti and more.
Burning Down the House, Cooking With Kids (English)
Price range: $9.35 from 1 Seller
Publisher: T C Pub
Format: Paperback
MSRP: $ 9.95

2) Someone's in the Kitchen With Mommy cook book contains more than than 100 easy kid friendly recipes and some cool craft projects that parents and kids can enjoy together in the kitchen. The cookbook includes recipes for nutritious, low-fat, tasty snacks and meals for holidays, rainy days, or any day.

Someone's in the Kitchen With Mommy (English)
(More Than 100 Easy Recipes and Fun Crafts for Parents and Kids - ISBN: 0809231425)
Price range: $5.75 (Refurb) - $23.95 from 7 Sellers
Publisher: McGraw-Hill
Format: Hardcover
MSRP: $ 15.95

Parents and kids can enjoy creating nutritious, low-fat, and tasty snacks and meals for holidays, rainy days, or any day!

Someone's in the Kitchen with Mommy contains 100 recipes that are not only fun to make but also look great too.

3) Kids in the Kitchen is a kid friendly cook book that contains over 100 tasty, fun & healthy recipes showing kids the basics of nutritious baking and cooking.

Fun & Healthy 100 Delicious Recipes to Cook & Bake - ISBN: 0806904461)
Price range: $2.95 (used) - $33.13 from 3 Sellers
Edition: Kids in the Kitchen : 100 Delicious, Fun & Healthy Recipes to Cook & Bake
Publisher: Sterling Pub Co Inc
Format: Paperback
MSRP: $ 13.95

The book has explicit instructions and color photos of ingredients and finished products in addition to the photos of kids preparing the recipes.

4) American Heart Association Kids' Cookbook
The American Heart Association Kid's Cookbook (1 Release)
Author: American Heart Association

For more fabulous kid friendly ideas visit http://www.kidapprovedmeals.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_Steendahl