Kool Aid Dough

The kids are still on a bit of a break before we start our new school year in a couple of weeks...so they are ripe for some kitchen chemistry experiments (in our Adventures with atoms and molecules book) and for a little fun making their own concoctions.

Here's a kids' concoction that always goes over well. I guess with the ingredients used, it could be ingested by the gluten-eating sort...but I'll just consider it another non-edible recipe! If you've tasted it, you'd say, "EWWW!" also.

With summer going strong, it's too hot to bake! Since we're not eating much regular flour around here, this recipe will also help us to use up all that white fluffy stuff hanging out in our pantry!

Mix:
2 pkgs. of unsweetened Kool Aid
2 cups hot water until dissolved

Add:
2 TBSP vegetable oil
Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine:
2 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 TBSP cream of tartar

Add Kool Aid water to dry ingredients and mix well.
Knead in additional flour as needed.
Store in air-tight container.

This dough has a very nice consistency and keeps a LONG time without drying like other commercial doughs.

In the picture above (of mostly dwarves in a goblin cave), the dough was made from strawberry Kool Aid. Cherry makes a better scent and a brighter pink! You know...just FYI!

Last year, the kids made this for their friends on Valentine's Day. It was a good alternative to giving kids more CANDY!! They divided it up and put balls of the dough into zippy snack bags, put some Valentine's stickers on them and made their deliveries! We made 2 batches, and I believe they had enough to give to 12-15 friends.

Check out this site for MANY many more dough recipes to try. Our kids also really like the peanut butter dough since they can snack as they play!

Quinoa

Have you tried quinoa? If you have celiac disease or are gluten intolerant, most likely you have heard of it if not tried it many times. This beautiful whole grain from South America is very nutritious. It's high in protein, has essential amino acids, and is a good source of fiber, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron. You can cook and use it like rice or couscous. It can be made in a rice cooker as well--with the same ratio of grain-to-liquid (1:2) as rice. It lends itself very nicely to stuffed peppers and a yummy vegetable pilaf, which is usually how I prepare this complete food. Since it's gluten free, it's also autism spectrum friendly as well! Learn more about quinoa by reading this article.

I wasn't in full cooking mood today. We had some left over chicken fajita meat, a bunch of luscious fruit, and some veggies that I needed to use. I thought I'd make some quinoa since Joe hasn't probably had his fair share of good grains lately since we've been on the road.

Here's how I make quinoa:
1 TBSP olive oil
1 cup quinoa
2 cups gluten-free, low-sodium chicken broth

On med-high, heat saucepan with oil and toast the quinoa until golden brown (3-5 minutes). This gives it such a yummy nutty flavor--it's a step not to miss! Remove from heat to add chicken broth (We like Pacific.)--watch out, it will sizzle! Put heat back on and bring stock to a boil, then lower heat to simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until quinoa is soft but still has a bite (like al dente pasta). Fluff with fork and add other vegetables and flavorings as you like.

Tonight's additions:
1/2 cup seriously sweet grape tomatoes, diced
1 green onion
2-3 TBSP homemade basil pesto
1 TBSP chopped pine nuts
1 TBSP olive oil
pinch of kosher salt
I also added some left over diced chicken fajita meat to Joe's bowl
If I had it, I would have thrown in some diced cucumber and maybe even some feta.

My "usual" quinoa side:
I usually add sauteed, diced veggies (zucchini, peppers, carrots, onions) and fresh parsley for my quinoa pilaf, but since I was also serving roasted veggies tonight I didn't bother to add more veggies to the quinoa.

Here's what the kids ended up eating tonight: quinoa, roasted veggies, and fruit--a low-maintenance meal from their low-energy mom on this particular Friday! It's just been a busy week, and I'm going to bed!

Pesto

Why buy pesto when it's so easy to make and about 1/3 the cost of a store-bought jar that's loaded with salt? Okay, besides hasty convenience. Today's food prices, however, get me thinking twice about paying for convenience. So, here's a super easy, super tasty topping, condiment, pasta sauce, and an ingredient for my Pesto Appetizer. Fresh is best!

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh basil, dry and packed a bit
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
3 TBSP pine nuts
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil

Put all ingredients into a food processor; mix on high speed, stopping to scrape if needed, until all ingredients are well blended and a uniform consistency. Presto!

There are all sorts of variations on this pesto theme depending on your taste and what you have peeping out of your fridge. For example, if you don't have quite enough basil, you can make up the difference with flat-leaf parsley. Add whatever you like...try adding pumpkin seed kernels (they're very healthy) instead of pine nuts, add some sun-dried tomatoes, olives, etc. Check here for a variety of pesto recipes. Go for it! All you need is a food processor and you can get to pesto heaven!

Here's my estimated cost, full retail, for what I used:
Pine nuts, $.75
Parmesan cheese, $.75
Olive Oil, $.50
Garlic, $.10
Fresh homegrown sweet basil, nearly free
($1.00 packet of seeds to grow enough basil to last you for years!)

In case you're thinking, 'Yes, but I don't have home-grown basil. How long does that take anyway?'...
We planted our seeds 2 months ago and have 6 plants. Yesterday, I just pinched off the top 1/4 of all the plants and had enough for the pesto. The bottoms of the plants will continue to grow so I can harvest again! An herb that keeps on giving.

Even if you haven't graduated to real plants yet since you can't even keep your fake plants dusted, you can still grow basil...and zucchini for that matter! Believe me on this one! Basil is not a real plant...it's a mercifully generous volunteer!

Now excuse me while I go make a little Insalata Caprese...
using pesto instead of plain basil and olive oil. That's the way my kids like it best!

Banana Pudding

If you live in the South, you've gotta know a good banana pudding recipe. If you live in the South and are a busy mom, you need to have a really good recipe...but it better be easy! So, here's a very creamy, easy banana pudding recipe that will win you over.

2 – 3.4 oz. boxes of instant vanilla pudding
4 cups cold milk
1 – 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
2 cups whipping cream, whipped
12-oz box of vanilla wafers
4 bananas

In a large bowl, combine instant vanilla pudding with milk. Whisk to blend. Add sweetened condensed milk and 3/4 of the whipped cream and whisk to blend again.

In a large bowl or 9” x 13” pan, arrange one layer of vanilla wafers, then top with a layer of sliced bananas. Then top with half of the pudding mixture. (Drizzle some chocolate sauce if desired.) Repeat the layers, beginning with the vanilla wafers and ending with the pudding mix. Then add the last 1/4 of the whipped cream and crumble a few vanilla wafers on top, if you wish. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Country Breakfast Casserole

My mother-in-law introduced me to this recipe she found at Byerly’s in the Twin Cities area (where I also buy my Minnesota wild rice when I have the opportunity!). I’ve learned to really trust Byerly’s recipes since they are straight forward, use good ingredients…and always taste delicious! Since this breakfast dish is made with potatoes instead of bread, Joe can even eat it...with a little Lactaid!

2-12 oz. pkg. pork sausage, or 2-1/2 cups diced ham
1 (2 lb.) pkg. Frozen southern-style (small cubed) hash brown potatoes
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. Shredded Colby-jack cheese (4 cups), divided
1 medium onion, minced (1 cup)
2 cups milk
½ tsp. Salt (I don't use)
6 eggs, slightly beaten
1 (12 oz.) jar salsa, optional

In large skillet, brown sausage; drain. In large bowl, combine sausage, hash browns, 3 cups cheese, onion, milk, salt and eggs. Pour mixture into greased 9” x 13” glass baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Refrigerate, covered, several hours or overnight. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until knife comes out fairly clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, cut into squares and serve with salsa.

Serves 8-10

Serve with fruit and/or a green salad.

Chocolate Chippers--The $250 Recipe

With ground oatmeal to give a nice texture and sweeter flavor, we think this recipe is the best for the all-time favorite cookie. They are flavorful and moist yet hold their shape. I just got done making them today for our three older kids to bring to their last day of religious education at church!

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2-1/2 cups oatmeal
2 cups flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
12 oz. chocolate chips
4 oz. Hershey bar (optional)
1-1/2 cups chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together butter and both sugars. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Grind oatmeal fine (in a blender, processor or coffee grinder) and add, with flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Grate Hershey bar in a processor and add, with chocolate chips and nuts. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough with hands, place 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly. Bake for 10 minutes until there's just a hint of them turning brown. Allow a minute or two to cool before removing from sheet to cooling rack (the cookies will hold together better). Yield: About 55 cookies.

Kathleen's Mini S'mores

Using some of our staple ingredients, Kathleen assembled mini s'mores that don't require a campfire...and the kids don't need my help at all! They sure didn't seem to mind that the marshmallows weren't laboriously toasted over a camp fire (or our stove burners)! I was happy she also helped get rid of some of our leftover large marshmallows from our Easter Resurrection Rolls. Here's the assembly.

1/4 graham cracker, broken into 2 even pieces
1 large marshmallow
3 chocolate chips

Stick 3 chips into top of marshmallow, place marshmallow between crackers, set on parchment or waxed paper, and microwave for only 5 seconds. WATCH IT: The marshmallow starts to puff up immediately.