Let’s be honest.  When you have a house full of kids, none of them are going to sit down for a plate of asparagus, drizzled with a delicious lemon sauce!  Maybe at a party for the Queen, but the only queen around here is my drama queen, Erica!

Since our house tends to be the gathering place, I find it helpful to have some fun foods on hand.  On typical play dates, the kids friends are only allowed to eat pretzels.  This has been our standing rule for a very long time! Otherwise, my food bill would consume me.   However, I of course make exceptions when we are babysitting, or kids are staying all day, having a late night, or spending the night.  These are my secret weapons! The things that get eaten 99% of the time we have other kids over.

GRAPES:  We had 4 kids over late on Friday night, with two of them staying all night.  These kids are great. Whatever food I put out, they eat. If I put out chips, they would eat the chips. But of course I didn’t put out chips, I put out grapes.

Within a few hours, they had eaten them all!   All $6 of them!

POPCORN: Need I say more! You can’t go wrong with popcorn!! We buy 8lbs at a time of popcorn kernels. (less than $0.20 for the entire bowl)

CHEX MIX While this may not be as popular around here as plain old popcorn, it gets eaten sometimes.  Although I have to admit, chocolate chips or M&M’s are usually the first thing to go.  I mix such things as

• popcorn
• pretzels
• dried fruit
• nuts
• chocolates
• cereal

Spread it out on a pan. Spray some butter flavored cooking spray and sprinkle with cinnamon. Then bake for a few minutes, just until the cinnamon sort of melts onto the mix.

 CINNAMON CRISPS or CINNAMON CHIPS

These easy “chips” were just made with whole wheat tortillas.  Sprayed with butter flavored cooking spray, and sprinkled with cinnamon. Baked until crispy. The neighbor kids love these. 8 crisps (one whole tortilla), approximately $0.30

Olives and cheese (one stick, $0.20 if I get the string cheese on sale.)  Or just a bowl full of olives.  Some kids like these, some don’t .  Completely unpredictable.

DRINKS: Water.  I always have plenty of cups.  We have the water dispenser on our fridge, and as long as there is cup access, they feel the comfortable enough to get their own water, anytime!  The benefit: I don’t freak out when it spills… and it ALWAYS SPILLS!

So, what snack food do you put out when there are extra kids in your home for sleepovers, hanging out, parties, etc?

Recently, as I’ve taught the 1st grade and preschool classes about eating more fruits and vegetables I explain that fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and Juice all count!   Although my kids don’t eat much dried fruit other than mangoes and raisins, they really love fruit leather!

Stretch Island Fruit (my favorite dried fruit company who is not compensating me in any way for saying that)  is collecting data to determine how much fruit our kids are really eating.  I love being part of survey’s.  When I’m not and the news says, “ 56% of American’s don’t wash their hands after they go to the bathroom,” I want to yell…”NO ONE EVER ASKED ME!!!”  That’s why I like to be asked.   Stretch Island said,

Our ultimate goal for this survey is to gather feedback from a significant number of people in order to identify solid statistics about fruit intake and, ultimately, educate people about the importance of fruit consumption. 

I thought it was a great idea for a survey, so I wanted to share it with you all.

We buy fruit leather at Costco all the time.  When we are out of fresh fruit, the kids grab a fruit leather to stick in their lunch.  Stretch Island Fruit strips are all fruit, and no sugar!

Here are my kids eating the Fruitabu Strawberry rolls. 

So, if you would: Here is the Survey.  19 questions, but it will only take you a minute of your time.  Be part of the results!!  It will be available to take until March 12th.

I offered Four, 9 year old girls some of this Brushcetta, and all four gave it the thumbs up. They even came back for seconds!  I was worried it would be a a little too fancy for my kids (since we are as UN-Fancy as they come).  But I presented it as “It’s kind of like “toast-pizza”, and they were all over it.

My hidden reason for mixing up some of this was for the GARLIC!!  Garlic contains Allicin, which is shown to be a powerful antibacterial and antiviral agent!  And of course is Garlic vital in fending off Vampires!  Unless you don’t want to fend off certain vampires.. you know who you are.

So, the recipe:

In a small bowl combine:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• some oregeno (I used dry)
• some basil (I used fresh)
• some rosemary (I used fresh)
• and pressed garlic (I used 4 cloves)
• Salt and pepper

Then I took some toasted whole wheat toast.  Spread the olive oil mixture on top.

Topped with finely chopped tomatoes and a Parmesan/ Asiago cheese blend.  I then re-toasted in the oven for just a minute, while the cheese melted a bit.

The verdict:  Cute neighbor girl to the right of Erica said, “I want my mom to have this recipe!”  So, here you are!

MMMM.. This post made me think of this VERY OLD post, where we dipped bread in balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  YUMMY!

 Boy, I sure feel like I’m doing just about anything (like blogging) to NOT write a   Biochemistry paper.   I’m struggling here.  I’ve got 650 words and it is supposed to be 1000, and I literally have nothing else to say!  And it’s due tomorrow!!

That’s the scientific name for Sweet Potatoes.  My kids think its fun to call them BATATAS!   But aren’t they gorgeous?  Just like our carrots, you can’t make this beautiful color in a food lab!  Well, you probably could, but the Ipomoea Batatas taste better I’m sure.

This is such an easy, fast, and might I add FILLING snack!  I pop one of these beauties in the microwave for about 4-5 minutes, and wa-la!  Meal is ready.  I add a little salt and butter, mash it up really good.  I don’t even bother washing it, because I generally take the skin off.   My kids gave me a token taste with their little tiny cocktail forks.  TJ said he liked it “pretty much”.

Why should you serve sweet potatoes to your kids? 

• VITAMIN A!!  262% of the Daily Value in ONE small sweet potato!!
• VITAMIN C!!  29% of the Daily Value in ONE small sweet potato!!
• Beta – carotene 23,018 mcg!!  (I don’t think there is a Daily value for beta carotene, but 23 thousand mcg seems like plenty!
• 
  

  Twice as high in fiber as regular potatoes

What are you waiting for, pick up a bag of BATATAS and you can whip up a snack or lunch in under 5 minutes.

Other posts with sweet potatoes: I posted more about sweet potatoes than I thought!  And I just realized, although I’ve served up sweet potatoes at least 4 times according to my blog… each time the kids think it’s the first time.  I guess I need to start offering certain things more often.

• Mashed potatoes with white sweet potatoes
• Sweet Potato vs Yams
• Sweet potato fries
• Sweet potato salad

What do you like best? Baked, mashed, or served up as fries?

In searching for a recipe for Wassail or something similar, I found many of them had LOADS of sugar! Seriously! Why do you need to add sugar to apple juice.  Apple juice is already sweet!  

In desperation, I bought some pre-packaged spice mix to add to apple juice… not realizing this also had sugar as the main ingredient.  

But as luck would have it, I picked up the package of cinnamon sticks, and there was a recipe on the back for “Spiced apple juice” with NO SUGAR!! Thank you McCormick.  Sometimes the best recipes are on the packages, don’t you think?

So I decided to do a taste test with the kids.  McCormick’s spiced apple juice, vs. the sugar laden spice mix package.   The Spiced apple juice won!!! Super delicious!!

• 64 oz apple juice
• 2 TBL honey
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tsp whole cloves
• 1/2 lemon, sliced.

simmer in large sauce pot for 30 minutes, or until hot.  Remove whole spices before drinking!!!

Less sugar than hot cocoa, and I actually like it better.  And perfect for today!  It’s finally snowing- clearing out several weeks of stale, polluted air!

Seriously in 2010 I am going to spend $100 per week on groceries.  It is ridiculous how much money is spent at the grocery store.  I am going to be super diligent, super prepared, plan super well, and NOT GO SHOPPING every time I need one thing!  Not even for bread!  Which, that sounds good right now. I think I’m going to make some bread.

My husband has the most amazing sisters!  Last night we had a Christmas party, and we got some gifts from a few of them.  I thought these were wonderful ideas for neighbor gifts.  And appropriately for my “Spice up Christmas” week, they have cinnamon!  (so I won’t share Beth’s crazalicious carmels, or Jennifers clever M&M’s with matching story).

The first, from Tia-  Potpouri, that she dried herself in her dehydrator.  I thought this would be a fun neighbor gift that the kids could help you assemble.  They could count out equal amounts of each thing for each bag in a small assembly line.

Tia put in:

• dried orange peel
• dried apple slices
• dried lemon peel
• dried cranberries
• ground nutmeg
• whole cloves
• cinnamon sticks

The tag says “Add contents of bag to a saucepan filled with water and simmer on the stove for a delicious aroma that will fill your home with the scent of Christmas!”

Then, Laura made everyone some of her granola!  She gave me the recipe a few months ago here.  Your kids can help by scooping granola out of a big bowl into bags.

And, my final cinnamon infused neighbor gifts are the nuts of course!!

Why do you need cinnamon?    

“Cinnamon has one of the highest antioxidant levels of any spice – and even more than many foods. You’ll find as many antioxidants in 1 teaspoon of cinnamon as a full cup of pomegranate juice or ½ cup of blueberries.” McCormick Spices For Health!!

I love giving neighbor gifts (although I haven’t this year… yet!)  Some people hate to do it.  But for me, its the only chance I get to meet and talk to some of my neighbors.  I get so wrapped up in our personal family life, that I hardly cultivate friendships in the neighborhood.  We are better in the summer, if we are outside.. but as soon as it turns cold, I’m kind of a hermit.

Fun activity:  For those in Utah County- my sister and I visited the Holdman’s lights (an animated light display set to music) over the weekend.  One tip- we got there early, like 5:30, and there were only three cars there. I tried to take my husband last night around 7, and there were two BLOCKS of cars… so go early!

AD: ANTI-AGING SKIN CARE

My beautiful and talented Sister in Law Tia sent me this idea a few months ago for dried pears. I was sure you all would agree they sound great. However, I kept putting off writing a post, hoping I would get around to trying them myself, but I still don’t have a dehydrator.  The plan was, by Christmas I would be so rich (you know from all the plates of course) I would buy a dehydrator, and lo and behold, Christmas is almost here, and I’m still not rich.  So, I’ll let Tia guide you through the process with her pics, and her words.

DRIED PEARS!

1. Wait until pears are ripe, and peel and quarter them.

2. Dunk pear quarters into pineapple juice.

3. Place on drying rack for 12 hours.

4. Seal in an airtight bag.

What a great snack for on the go!  I wish I could try these.  If anyone wants to make me some, I’d be happy to sample them and let my readers know how they taste!

With family in town, an Organic Chemistry Test, and the GRE, I haven’t had time to think of blog ideas!  But the O chem test went well, and I got the score I wanted on my GRE!!  I’m so relieved that is over.  So I just thought I’d share a food item you can bring to a family gathering that is sure to be a hit with the little ones:

CLEMENTINES AKA CUTIES

My kids love them! Most kids love them. They are easy to peel, and they have few, if any seeds at all.  I picked up a bag at the grocery store ($4.99 for this bowl full), and set them on the counter for snacking.

This cutie liked them:

This Clementine liked them, (although she asked her dad if she could get some juice from it, rather than peel it)

And this little cutie wasn’t really old enough for some, but I had to stick her in here anyway:

With 100% of the RDA for Vitamin C and only 70 calories per orange, these little snacks make a great family gathering food!  Much better than a plate full of Chips!

Have a Great Thanksgiving.  If I get inspired, I’ll certainly post again.  I have the time, just not the brain power

I’m not too sold on this snack idea that I read in my local paper this week. But

• It’s a healthy snack!
• In theory, kids should like it.
• It’s pretty easy to make.
• It has a great mix of grains, fruit, and nuts.

But, for some reason, I could not bring myself to try it. Nor could my 6 year old.  You must know however, the only one that tried it, my 11 year old, loved it! In fact, he didn’t know what it was, and thought it tasted like the a chocolate/ peanut butter concoction. 

I started with half of the recipe (due to the smallness of my food processor).. but I ended up only using HALF of the half.. (once again, due to the size of my food processor).  So the final recipe went like this:

• 1 1/2 slices whole wheat bread.
• 1/3 cup all fruit jam
• 1/3 cup all natural nut butter
• Some pecans for rolling balls into

Placed all ingredients into a food processor, and processed until all blended and no peanut butter or jelly was visibly present.

Then scooped out small amount to roll into balls (this was super duper greasy!!)

Then, rolled balls in things like nuts or powdered sugar.

And, wa-la! Truffles! I’d be curious what your other kids think of this.  Try it and let me know.  Like I said, I wasn’t too hip on tasting it myself.

Don’t forget, I’ve got two giveaways going on right now, with only a handful of entries. 

Spa gift pack and Oral B Toothbrushes! Hurry and enter.

So many blogs, so little time! Have you seen this one?  Although I am the world’s worst crafter, I love to look.   I wish I could make this Christmas Advent calendar, but I know if I tried, my dove would look like a piece of felt with a spec of blue dirt on it.  So, I won’t try. I’ll just enjoy what others can do.

My pumpkin hummus flopped like many of my crafting attempts.  I don’t feel bad.  I liked it of course.  My husband thought it tasted like baby food (but he doesn’t like hummus anyway), and the kids wouldn’t try it at all.

Here is the recipe from allrecipes. (I cut the recipe in half to fit my tiny food processor). If you like hummus, I’m pretty sure you will like this.

Give it a try!  The sourdough bread made it all that much better.

And hurry, before it’s too late. Enter Cathy’s giveaway to try some organic fruit puree!