Easy Cooking For Kids

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2010-01-30T13:17:00.000-08:00

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Quick & Easy Healthy Desserts For Kids That Kids Can Make

2010-01-26T22:18:00.000-08:00

My theory is that if kids want to eat anything out of the major food groups pyramid then they should learn to make it themselves. Well I'm not really so Grinch-like as that but if they want to eat sweets, why not teach them to make themselves and better yet, make them healthy.

Pecan Sandies

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Cream

1/2 cup butter

Blend in

1/2 cup unrefined sugar, finely ground

Add and mix well

1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons vanilla

Stir in

2 cups whole wheat or oat flour
1 cup pecans, chopped

Chill dough for 3 to 4 hours. Shape dough into walnut sized balls. Leave as is or flatten slightly with your hands. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for about 25 minutes until cookies are a delicate brown. Cool until you are able to handle them, then roll each ball in finely ground unrefined sugar.

To make finely ground sugar to emulate powdered sugar, place unrefined sugar in blender and whirl until sugar is a finely ground powder.

Sesame Crispies

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Oil a 1 x 2 foot sheet of parchment or wax paper.
Stir together with a whisk in a small saucepan, over medium heat

1/4 cup cream, half and half or milk
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons unrefined sugar
1 tablespoon honey

Stir until the mixture bubbles. Reduce heat just a tad and continue to stir for 5 minutes or until the mixture turns light brown. Stir in

1/4 cup soy flour
1/3 cup sesame seeds
2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger (Note: I haven't been able to find any crystallized ginger that doesn't contain processed sugar.)

Stir constantly for 5 minutes, until the mixture browns a little more. Taste and if it tastes bitter or chalky, brown a little longer. Scrape mixture onto one half of the oiled paper, then fold the other half of the paper over the cookie mix; being careful as it's still hot. Flatten it slightly with your hands, then with a rolling pin, rolling until it is about an 1/8 of an inch thick. Place the dough with the paper onto a cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes. When it is evenly browned, bubbles, and has tiny holes over the surface of the dough, it is done. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Break into pieces or cut into shapes with a lightly oiled knife.

Chocolate Crispies

Beat with an electric mixer or in food processor until light and fluffy

1/4 cup butter
1-1/4 cup unrefined sugar
1/2 cup grain-sweetened chocolate or carob chips (melted and slightly cooled)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat in

1/4 cup silken tofu

In a small bowl combine

3 cups whole wheat, graham or oat flour
1-1/2 teaspoons non-aluminum baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Beat flour mixture gradually into butter mixture just until well blended. Scoop dough with a tablespoonful and form into balls; rolling each ball in 1 cup unrefined sugar, finely ground in coffee grinder or blender.
Refrigerate 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place balls on lightly greased cookie sheets, about 1-inch apart; bake 8 to 10 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Easy Pudding Recipes Kids Can Make Themselves

If you tried to sell your kids on the healthy dessert recipes above and it didn't fly then it might be time to break open a bag of Nestle's chocolate chips and head on over to this recipe page Quick & Easy Microwave Dessert Recipes For Kids which includes Microwave Fudge For Kids. Yummy!

Easy Cooking for Kids - Wrapped Sandwiches

2010-01-23T14:59:00.000-08:00

A wrap sandwich is one of the easiest dishes for a child to master. While I've included some recipes below, basically all you need to do is give your child a tortilla and open the pantry door. Let them fill it with whatever their favorite ingredients are. You may have to show them how to do basics like spreading items on the tortilla, scooping the right amount of filling onto the tortilla and how to wrap up the tortilla around the filling. But once you've shown them that you can turn them loose.

Chicken Pepper Wrap

Ingredients

8 flour tortillas
1/2 cup red or green salsa
packet of deli-sliced chicken
2 whole roasted red peppers, chopped
8 chopped black or green olives

Lay 1 tortilla on a large plate. Spread each with 1 tablespoon salsa. Top with 2 slices chicken.

Top chicken with red peppers and olives. Roll tortilla up around the filling as tightly as possible. If you'll be eating this sandwich later follow the instructions above for storing and heating, otherwise microwave each wrap for 1 and 1⁄2 minutes.

Variation:
You can use turkey or roast beef in place of the chicken.

Ham & Cheese Wrap

Ingredients

8 flour tortillas
sliced Swiss cheese
packet of deli-sliced ham or chopped ham
mustard
mayonaisse (optional)

Lay 1 tortilla on a large plate. Spread each with a bit of mustard. If mustard is too strong for your taste, mix mustard into the mayonaisse and use that as the sandwich spread. Top with 2 slices ham or a handful of chopped ham.

Top ham with 2 slices Swiss cheese. Roll tortilla up around the filling as tightly as possible. If you'll be eating this sandwich later follow the instructions above for storing and heating, otherwise microwave each wrap for 1 and 1⁄2 minutes.

Variation:
If you have leftover cooked bacon you can sprinkle that over the ham.

California Roll Up

Ingredients

1 flour tortilla
4 slices deli-sliced turkey
1 slice mozzarella cheese
4 thin slices cucumber
4 slices avocado
alfalfa sprouts, micro greens or baby spinach

Top tortilla with turkey breast, cheese, cucumber and avocado slices, and a handful of sprouts/greens. Roll tortilla tightly around filling.

Cobb Salad Wrap

While this wrap is my way of cleaning out the fridge, I still want to use fresh and flavorful ingredients. I use whatever cooked or deli meat I have on hand, throw in a avocado if there's one hanging out, use any greens or fresh herbs in the crisper, the last of any creamy salad dressing or mayo thinned with lemon juice ... You get the idea. Basically a Cobb Salad is a combo of meat, salad veggies, bacon, egg and creamy salad dressing.
Ingredients

2 cups cubed cooked chicken or ham
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
hard-boiled egg, sliced or chopped
3/4 cup creamy Parmesan salad dressing
3 cups mixed baby greens or baby spinach leaves3 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
6 flour tortillas

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl and gently mix. Spread mixture onto each tortilla and roll up.

Roast Beef Wrap

Ingredients

1 flour tortilla
3 to 4 deli-sliced roast beef
cream cheese, spreadable or softened
lettuce

Spread cream cheese on the tortilla. Layer roast beef slices and then lettuce on top of the roast beef. Roll tightly.

Bullseye

You could make this wrap with scrambled eggs but then you couldn't call it a "bullseye".
Ingredients

1 egg, fried
1 tortilla
1 slice cheese

Place cheese on top of tortilla. Top with hot egg. Roll wrap tightly around egg.

Bullseye With A Pig
Add cooked bacon or sausage to the wrap.

Deli Salad Wrap

Use your favorite deli salad in this super easy, super fast wrap.
Ingredients

3 cups deli vegetable salad such as a chopped salad or coleslaw
8 large lettuce leaves
8 flour tortillas

Place lettuce leaves on top of tortillas. Divide salad among the flour tortillas. Roll up tortillas, folding in ends.

Creamy Cheesy Deli Salad Wrap
Make wrap above substituting sliced or shredded Monterey Jack or mozzerella cheese for the lettuce. Follow instructions at top of this post for heating wrap until cheese is melted.

More Wrap Sandwich Recipes

I hope these easy recipes for kids, recipes that kids can actually make themselves will become part of your regular family menu. Oh, and if your kids are hankering for dessert after their stint in the kitchen, point them over to this page of Quick & Easy Dessert Recipes For Kids which included Microwave Fudge For Kids!

Quick & Easy Microwave Dessert Recipes For Kids

2010-01-07T17:41:00.000-08:00

I hope that these quick and easy dessert recipes including - but not limited to the most requested recipe around our house Quick Easy Microwave Fudge for Kids - will help to get your kids into the kitchen and start to teach them the basics of cooking.It doesn't get any easier than these quick and easy microwave dessert recipes that kids can make themselves with little to no supervision, depending on their age, experience and level of responsibility - which you as a parent will need to determine. As long as they follow the instructions to microwave in thirty second or one minute increments, the worst that can happen if you miscalculate how little supervision they can handle is that you'll have a BIG mess to clean up. I would encourage you to also include them in the cleanup process though. Their future spouses will thank you.

Convert to Healthy Dessert Recipes

While there are no substitutions that will make these into low calorie dessert recipes, you can make any of these desserts healthy by using the following substitutions:

grain-sweetened chips in place of regular chips
adding a heaping tablespoon of powdered greens (don't worry, it will be completely disguised by the chips)
condensed milk sweetened with natural sweetener or Stevia-sweetened lo-fat cream cheese in place of sweetened condensed milk
coconut oil in place of butter
sugar-free peanut butter
whole grain, refined-sugar-free cereal in place of regular cereal
whole grain crackers in place of regular crackers

You can find these substitute ingredients in the health food or diabetic section of your grocery store or health food store.

Check out these Quick & Easy Healthy Dessert Recipes for Kids That Kids Can Make with lots of ideas for healthy dessert recipes.

Tips

Chocolate chips will not puddle or lose their shape when melted in the microwave. When they turn shiny they are ready to stir -- if still not completely melted zap a few seconds more.

You can vary almost any of these recipes by substituting butterscotch, peanut butter or white chocolate chips for the chocolate chips.

Some of these recipes are my own invention, some are old standbys. Once you get going you or your kids may come up with your own creations. If you do, please feel free to share them in the Comments section.

Cookies

Chocolate Mint Cookies

Ingredients

vanilla wafers
12 ounces chocolate chips
peppermint hard candies

Instructions
Line a cookie sheet with foil.

Melt chips and peppermints in microwave for one minute. Stir and continue microwaving in 30 second increments until fully melted. Dip wafers in chocolate mint sauce.

Set on foil to harden.

Variation
Substitute melt-in-your-mouth dessert mints for the hard candy. Don't melt them with the chocolate. Place them in a plastic bag, seal and roll over them with a rolling pin until crushed. After setting the cookies on the foil, sprinkle with the crushed mints.

Turtle Cookies

Ingredients

14 ounce bag caramels
2 tablespoons water
5 & 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
12 ounce bag chocolate chips
pecan halves

Instructions
Place caramels and water in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes. Stir.

Microwave for 30 seconds, stir. Continue cooking and stirring at 30 second intervals until the sauce is smooth.

Stir in cereal until well coated with the caramel sauce. Oil or butter your hands and form mixture into patties, about 2 inches round.

Place the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir and continue microwaving and stirring in 30 second intervals until chocolate is smooth. Place 1 teaspoon chocolate on top of each cereal pattie. Press a pecan half into the chocolate. Allow to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Tip
This tastes even better when you toast the pecans before pressing them into the chocolate. Place the pecans in a single layer on a microwave safe plate. Microwave for one minute. If the nuts have brown spots or are darker then they're done. If they look as pale as an uncooked pecan then microwave in 30 second increments, checking to see if darkened.

Chocolate Dipped Microwave Cookies

I love this microwave cookie recipe! Even though I came up with it while looking for a project to keep the kids busy on a rainy day, it's so easy and delicious that I often make it myself.

Ingredients

1 cup chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup peanut butter
30 to 40 crackers

Instructions
Place in a shallow bowl:

1 cup chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter

Microwave in thirty second increments, stirring after each minute until chips are completely melted.

Spread peanut butter between two crackers, then dip into melted chocolate, making sure to coat well. Stand each cookie on its side on waxed or parchment paper until chocolate has hardened. Depending on how thickly you coat the cookies this recipe will make between 15 and 17 cookies.

Variations:
Dip any of the following into the melted chocolate:

pretzels
grapes
banana slices
dried cherries
oreo cookies (this is absolutely incredible)
your choice of cookie
potato chips (use thick cut ones to reduce breakage)
crackers
whole strawberries (leave the stem uncoated)

Candy

Microwave Chocolate Chip Peanut Brittle

Ingredients
1 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup white corn syrup
1 Cup salted nuts
1 Teaspoon butter
1 Teaspoon vanilla
1 Teaspoon baking soda

Instructions
Grease a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips. In microwave safe bowl add sugar and corn syrup. Microwave for 8 -11 minutes. Stir. Cook for 4 more minutes. Stir in nuts and cook until light brown about 2 minutes. Be careful not to allow the candy to burn. Stir in butter and vanilla. Microwave 1 to 2 minutes. Peanuts will be lightly browned and the candy syrup will be VERY hot. Gently stir in baking soda until light and foamy. Pour mixture onto prepared cookie sheet. Let cool 30 minutes to 1 hour. When cool break into pieces and store in airtight container.

Caramel Peanut Puffs
Ingredients
14 ounces caramels
3 tablespoons water
30 large marshmallows
1 & 1/2 cups chopped salted peanuts

Instructions
Place the peanuts in a shallow bowl or pie plate.

Place caramels and water in one quart glass measuring dish or casserole. Heat for one minute. Stir and heat in 30 second increments until melted.

Use toothpicks to dip marshmallows in caramel sauce, making sure to coat completely. Roll in peanuts. Place on waxed paper and allow to harden.

Tip
If syrup gets too thick while dipping marshmallows, stir in 1/2 teaspoon water and heat for 30 seconds or until softened.

Melt in Your Mouth Mints

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons milk
15 ounce package white frosting mix (this is a dry mix)
food coloring (red, green or color of your choice)
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Instructions
Place butter and milk in large microwave safe bowl.

Cook for 30 seconds, or until butter is melted. Stir in frosting mix. Cook for 1 minute. Stir. Cook one minute more or until mixture begins to bubble. Watch carefully as it can quickly boil over. Remove from microwave and stir in food coloring until the mixture is the color you like. Stir in the peppermint extract.

Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. When cool, store in airtight container.

Variations
Substitute other extracts for the peppermint. Try coconut, vanilla, butterscotch, lemon, cherry, strawberry ...

Quick & Easy Microwave Fudge For Kids

Ingredients

16 ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons butter
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions
In a large microwave safe bowl microwave the following ingredients for one minute:

16 ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons butter
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Remove from microwave, stir and return to microwave. Microwave for another minute, stirring and nuking until the chips are completely melted.

Stir in:

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Pour fudge into wax paper lined pan or pan sprayed with Pam cooking oil. Place pan in refrigerator to cool and harden. This will take about 2 hours. Once fudge has hardened, cut into squares and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Tip
If the fudge is too hard to easily cut, leave the fudge at room temperature until it softens a bit, then try cutting it.

Variations
Stir in up to 2 cups or 4 handfuls of any of the following ingredients before pouring fudge into the pan that will go into the refrigerator:

toasted nuts
raisins or other dried fruit
shredded coconut
cereal (get creative with this one!)
broken cookies

Use another flavoring extract in place of the vanilla extract. Try peppermint, almond, cherry, coconut ...

Now wasn't that just the quickest, easiest fudge you've ever made? And the best part is that you didn't make it, your kids did! Although, I imagine you'll be doing some cleaning up, so take an extra square of fudge for your efforts :)

Puppy Chow

Ingredients
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 stick butter (4 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 cups Chex cereal
1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions
In a large microwave-safe bowl place the following ingredients:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 stick butter (4 tablespoons)

Microwave for one minute, stir and then microwave in 30 second increments until chips are completely melted. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon vanilla and 9 cups Chex cereal.

Spread mixture on wax or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and let set until almost hardened - about 1 hour. Pour 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar into a large bag. Break apart Chex mix into bag. Shake until well coated. Store in air-tight container.

Rocky Road Chocolate Brittle

Ingredients

12 ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
3/4 cup loosely packed mini marshmallows
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped coarsely or if the kids are doing it they can break them up with their hands directly into the bowl or placed in a plastic bag and pounded on with a wooden mallet.

Instructions
Line a cookie sheet with foil. Put chocolate chips in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in thirty second increments, stirring in between until chips are melted. Stir in marshmallows and nuts. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls onto wax paper or parchment lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate about thirty minutes until firm. Store in an airtight container in a cool place with waxed or parchment paper in between each layer.

Bars

Coconut Squares

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup flaked coconut
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 cup semi sweet chocolate bits

Instructions
Place butter in an 8-inch square microwave safe dish.

Cook for 1 minute or until the butter is completely melted. Stir in graham cracker crumbs and sugar and mix until well blended. Pat the crumb mixture firmly and evenly into bottom of dish being careful that everything is cool enough to handle before pressing your hands into it.

Cook for 2 minutes. Allow to sit for five to ten minutes until partially cool. In a medium bowl, mix coconut, milk and nuts. Spoon carefully over graham cracker crust.

Cook for 1 and 1/2 minutes. Rotate dish one half turn. Cook for another 1 and 1/2 minutes. Sprinkle with chocolate bits.

Cook for 1 minute. Using the back of a spoon, spread melted chocolate evenly over coconut mixture.

Allow to cool. Cut into squares.

Marshmallow Treats

Ingredients
1 ten ounce package marshmallows
1/4 cup butter
5 cups rice cereal such as Rice Krispies

Instructions
In large microwave safe bowl, heat marshmallows and butter 2 minutes. Remove from microwave, stir and heat for another minute or two, stopping and stirring after each minute. The final mixture should be perfectly smooth, with no lumps of unmelted marshmallow. Add the cereal and stir to coat well. Press into greased pan such as a rectangular cake pan or cookie sheet. When cool; cut into squares.

Caramel Chocolate Bars
Ingredients
1 package cream-filled sugar wafer cookies
34 vanilla caramels
2 tablespoons milk or water
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons butter

Instructions
Lightly oil an 8-inch square pan.

In a small microwave safe bowl melt the chocolate chips and butter in one minute increments until completely smooth. Pour enough chocolate sauce into the 8 inch pan to cover the bottom of the pan. Arrange a layer of wafer cookies, side by side, to cover the bottom of the pan.

In another small microwave safe bowl microwave caramels with milk, in one minute increments, stirring until caramels are melted and blended into the milk. Spread the caramel sauce over the layer of cookies in the pan. Arrange the rest of the cookies in a layer on top of caramel sauce.

Carefully spread the remaining chocolate sauce so that it evenly covers the cookies. Place the pan in the fridge until bars hard. Cut into squares. Can be stored lightly covered at room temperature.

Tip
If you run out of creme wafers you can use Rice Chex or other cereal or cookie broken to fit the remaining space in the pan.

Misc.

Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients

1 pound chocolate (12 candy bars or a 16 ounce bag of chocolate chips)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk (you can use half & half, low-fat or whole milk)

Instructions
If using chocolate bars break them into large pieces and put them into a microwave safe dish. Add sour cream and milk. Microwave for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth or microwave in thirty second increments until chocolate is melted into a creamy dip. Use a fork or toothpicks to skewer any of the dippers below and dip into your chocolate fondue. Refrigerate leftover sauce and use any time you like - it won't harden.

Dippers:

orange slices
apples
banana
blueberries
cherries
pineapple
strawberries
raisins
dried fruit
fruit leather
potato chips
nuts
pretzels
marshmallows
maraschino cherries
graham crackers
animal crackers
cookies
pound cake
angel food cake

Stay tuned - I'll be adding more recipes over the next couple of days. I just hope my microwave doesn't blow up. But if my microwave doesn't blow up, I certainly will after taste tasting all these desserts!

If you'd like to expand your index of quick and easy dessert recipes check out Food Networks Quick and Easy Desserts Recipes Page.