Posts: 712
4/30/07 11:38 A

oh yes jello is cool. You can usually find some pretty interesting jello molds at garage sales or thrift stores pretty cheap. Besides the fruit flavored jellos you can get unflavored gelatin and make tomato aspic with sliced cucumbers in a jello ring and a bunch of cherry tomatoes in the center. and a ring of lettuce on the outside. I used to use big cookie cutters to cut finger sandwiches too. Turkey sandwiches shaped like turkeys for thanksgiving.

Posts: 6,889
4/30/07 10:06 A

Jello rules. You can just pour it in the dishes, or do what my mom used to do. She would pour two different colors into large pie plates (any large shallow dish will do), then when they were set, she would cut the Jello into squares with a knife, then put them in a bowl. It was only a little more trouble, but it makes the Jello look more special.
Jodi

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Posts: 820
4/30/07 2:19 A

Get some green food coloring and make green eggs and ham with them. When I ran a daycare out of my home with my best friend we would read the story and then everybody would make them. Another good thing is rice krispie treats, the sticky, gooey marshmallow creme is really a blast when working with kids.

Posts: 11
4/29/07 10:27 A

Thanks everybody!

Posts: 712
4/29/07 6:13 A

Come to think of it that is my main meal Pattern for right now myself.

1. nachos, salad, and a fruit. beverage.
2. whole wheat pita pizzas, salad, fruit. beverage.
3. grilled pork chop with bbq sauce, salad, fruit, beverage.
4. grilled hamburger patties with bbq sauce, salad, fruit, beverage.
5. salmon patties, canned spinach with vinagrette, salad, fruit, beverage.
6. Ham sandwiches with provolone or swiss, salad, fruit, beverage.

sometimes I make stir fry with chicken and the veggies are all in the stir fry instead of a salad. You can make a quick stir fry with chicken strips and frozen stir fry veggies and cook a little brown rice seperately.

And sometimes I cut the fruit up and add yogurt and some splenda if I don't have a milk serving in the meal. And sometimes I put the fruit into the salad like with waldorf salad which has lettuce, apples, grapes, walnuts and mayonnaise or yogurt,splenda,type dressing. and in the case of the salmon patties the salad would probably be cole salw.

How the boys help usually is that I sit at the table and they bring me things. Chris washes out the skillet if its called for and the butcher block and the knife. Jordan brings me the ingredients I call for. Chris usually makes the tea, Jordan throws away the peelings and onion skins and trash like that. Jordan usually gets out the paper plates and plastic forks, Chris gets the plastic cups for the tea and gets the ice cubes and fills up the ice trays. I sit at the table and combine all the ingredients and cook thsm. Jordan is supposed to be the one to clean off the talbe but he sometimes slips back to his bedroom before we are finished to play on the computer. Chris usually washes the dishes and takes out the trash.
Someone asked the boys once who cooks at your house and they looked at each other like that was a very dumb question and replied "We all do". And we do, we cook as a team.

Posts: 712
4/29/07 5:39 A

Dips for nachos. Tortillia chips, hamburger, chopped onions, hidden valley ranch FIESTA dip packet (about 1/3 of the packet is plenty for seasoning the meat)

1. Picante Sauce
2. Refried beans with a bit of picante sauce and some hvr Fiesta dip added for seasoning.
3. Fiesta Dip made with hvr Fiesta packet and either sour cream or yogurt.
4. Guacamole- mashed avocado and sour cream or yogurt.
5. Queso-melted velveeta, hvr fiesta seasoning, a little picante sauce or rotel.

Add a huge side salad of lettuce, tomatoes, onion, red bell pepper strips, mushrooms, etc. and a fruit for dessert.

Cinnamon Lemon Tea: brew tea with a cinnamon stick, remove the stick and sweeten to taste and add a slice of lemon to each persons glass.

Posts: 712
4/28/07 8:38 P

The first thing I ever learned to make was deviled eggs. I had some kind of kids cookbook put out as a promotion for imperial sugar and the easiest recipee was the deviled eggs. Just boil, peel, slice. dump the yolks into a bowl and mash with salt and pepper and mustard . scoop back into the eggs. The boys also liked the small sandwich maker appliance my mom had and they learned to make grilled cheese in that. I think salads are easy, the younger ones can tear the lettuce and the older ones can learn to chop the other veggies. Goldfish colors crackers are a kid favourite to replace croutons. they make a salad very festive. Use shredded mozzarella for the cheese.
My boys learned how to make macaroni and cheese and spaghetti although I don't know how healthy those things are. Now they are making whole wheat pita pizzas on a regular basis. Just spread some spaghetti sauce on a whole wheat pita and top with pepperoni or canadian bacon slices, mushrooms, bell peppers, whatever toppings you like and some mozzarella cheese and pop it into the microwave till the cheese just melts.
We have also had a lot of success with this muffin in a minute recipee that was posted over in the diet and nutrition section. the recipee is easy to double or tripple

Muffin in a Minute
Serves 1

1 egg
1 tsp honey, agave, maple syrup or other sweetener of your choice
(1 tsp of olive oil or butter if using artificial sweetener or it may come out dry)

1/4 cup (26g) flax meal
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon

1. Mix wet ingredients.
2. Whisk dry ingredients.
3. Combine wet into dry.
4. Spray ramekin or mug with cooking spray.
5. Microwave about 1 minute.

you just cook it in a small cup or bowl or ramiken dish that is about the size of a muffin. It is easy and fast and tastes great. I have put nuts in mine and next month I am going to shredd carrots to keep in the refridgerator to put in them like carrot nut cake and try this with crushed pineapple in yogurt with splenda for a topping.

Edited by: MOOGELLICA at: 4/28/2007 (20:42)

Posts: 474
4/28/07 5:09 P

I found this recipe and my nephews loved it.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Peanut-Butter-Quesadillas/Detail.aspx

They actually taste pretty good. You could even let the kids pick stuff out to put inside like honey, bananas, or other fruit. What I did was provide a bunch of inside stuffers and let them choose their own like at a buffet. :)

Posts: 6,889
4/28/07 4:44 P

Inspired by our new friend Wendi, I am challenging everyone who reads this (yes the men, too) to contribute an easy, kid-friendly (healthy) idea or recipe. You get bonus points if the kids can contribute or do it themselves!

Jodi's One-Dish Chicken and Rice
Take a 9"x14" pan.
Put about a cup or so of uncooked regular rice (sorry, not Minute Rice) in the bottom of the pan.
Put chicken pieces on top. Salt and pepper 'em.
Pour a can of mushroom soup over all.
Pour a can or so of water over all.
Sprinkle a package of onion-soup mix over all.
Cover with foil. 350 oven 1 1/2 hours.
Nuke some frozen peas and you have yourself a full meal.
My kids loved this, back in the day.
I'm not sure of the calories, so just watch your portion size and you should be okay.

Chef Jodi of Chez Nous (Our House)


Edited by: DWDMOTHERHEN at: 4/28/2007 (16:44)