Convincing the Kids

This was one of those recipes that I thought my boys would absolutely love. I mean, they love chicken, they love spaghetti...so, putting chicken and spaghetti together would be a hit, right? Well, they both took one look and turned their noses up at it. Once they figured out that they couldn't eat anything else that night until they at least tried the chicken, they finally ate a few pieces. They put up such a fight! However, then my youngest son proceeded to keep sneaking back and eating a few more pieces until he ate all of his chicken on his own. Hopefully, you can eat this without having to hide the fact that you actually like it!

Herbed Chicken and Tomatoes Recipe

Ingredients:

8 ounces pasta, such as spaghetti or linguine
1 1/2 teaspoons basil
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon rosemary, crushed
3 tablespoons flour, divided
1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) petite diced tomatoes, drained (I used two cans)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons fat free half-and-half

Directions:

Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain well. Meanwhile, mix seasonings in shallow dish. Reserve 2 teaspoons. Stir 2 tablespoons of the flour into remaining seasoning mixture in dish. Coat chicken in seasoned flour. Discard any remaining seasoned flour.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken in batches; cook 2 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through. Add additional 1 tablespoon oil as needed. remove chicken from skillet; keep warm.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in skillet. Add onion; cook and stir 3 minutes or until softened. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Add tomatoes, stock and reserved seasoning mixture; bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 minutes. Stir in half-and-half. Return chicken to skillet; cook until heated through. Season to taste, as desired. Serve with pasta.

Source: McCormick. You can find it here.

Notes: Well, I enjoyed this without having to hide that fact. :) I thought this was really good and the leftovers were good too.

Christmas Cookies: Part 2

 

Here are some more cookies I made this Christmas. In addition to that, I made a batch of our favorite sugar cookies, which you can find here.

Gingerbread Men Cookies

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Mix first 6 ingredients; set aside. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg, and vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured work surface. Cut into gingerbread men shapes with 5-inch cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake in preheated 350 degree F. oven for 8-10 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Decorate cookies as desired. Store cookies in airtight container up to 5 days.

Source: I found this in a mailer. It was right alongside a coupon for McCormick spices (it is a McCormick recipe). I also found it online here.

Royal Icing III

Ingredients:

3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 egg whites, beaten

Directions:

In a bowl, sift together confectioners' sugar and cream of tartar. Using electric mixer, beat in 2 beaten egg whites for about 5 minutes, or until mixture is thick enough to hold its shape.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Veronica. You can find the recipe here.

Chocolate Brownie Roll-Out Cookies

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Whisk flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl.

Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl. Mix in vanilla. Gradually mix in dry ingredients. Scrape dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and wrap tightly. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut into desired shape using a 1 1/2-inch cutter, brushing extra flour off tops. (It disappears once baked, so don't worry if they go into the oven looking white.) Bake 8-11 minutes, until edges are firm and centers are slightly soft and puffed. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Makes 5 1/2 dozen.

Nutrition information per cookie: 60 calories, 3 g fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 1 g protein, 9 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 35 mg sodium.

Source: This was found in a mailer. The mailer said "Excerpted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman.

Notes: The mailer described these as follows: "These cookies taste just like the crunchy edges of brownies." I wouldn't say that exactly. They didn't remind me of brownies at all. However, these are a really good, basic, roll-out chocolate sugar cookie. At least that is my opinion!

Kids' Stuff: Recipes to Play With...Not to Eat!

When I was a kid, my Mom did a lot of fun things with us. She took us on "field trips" all over Utah during summer vacation and on Saturdays during the school year. She also did kids' crafts with us.

I had to make some salt dough for a Primary sharing time object lesson. Making the salt dough took me back to my childhood and my memories of some of these kids' crafts that we made. So, I thought it might be fun to share a few of them (as well as some new discoveries).

My son isn't quite old enough to appreciate (or avoid eating) these kid crafts yet...but it won't be too long before he is old enough. Kids grow so fast!

I'm sharing a few versions of salt/play dough. I'm also sharing a fun way to reuse crayon pieces by making your own crayons (I know that for me at least, the way my son uses his crayons, they don't stay in one piece for very long). I also found a fun recipe for homemade water colors. Oh, and we can't forget silly putty and bubbles! What would childhood be like without those?

Oh, and just a warning...none of these recipes are edible (I know I already mentioned that, but I'd rather mention it too many times and be better safe than sorry!).

Salt Dough

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup salt
1 cup cold water

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix table salt and flour together. Gradually add 1/2 of water and mix to desired consistency. Knead the dough on a flat surface, adding more water as needed (up to 1 cup--but be careful not to make the dough too moist).

Once the dough is made, you can divide it up into small portions and color it with a few drops of food coloring--knead the dough until the food coloring is evenly incorporated. You can add a little more flour if the food coloring makes the dough too moist.

You can keep the dough in an airtight container (such as tupperware or ziplock bags) and store it in the refrigerator to use as play dough.

You can also form the dough into shapes and dry and bake them to preserve it. Or, you can roll it out with a rolling pin and use cookie cutters to cut out a variety of shapes and place the shapes on wax paper to dry. You can make hanging ornaments this way too...just make sure to pierce a hole through the dough with a toothpick while it is still moist.

Allow the shapes to dry for a day or two, turning them over periodically to speed up the drying process. After the shapes dry, you can use sandpaper to smooth any rough edges.

You can speed up the drying process by baking them. Bake the cut-out or sculpted dough in a 200 degree F oven until hard. Baking times will vary depending on your oven and the thickness of the dough. Make sure the dough is completely baked. You can cover the dough with aluminum foil if it starts to darken before completely baked through.

Source: I found this particular recipe (I added in a few of my tips and additions above) by doing a Google search on salt dough. I found this recipe on some family website (though now I can't remember the specific site). It was submitted by Chris Dunmire.

Notes: Not edible. Do not eat!

Rainbow Dough

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1/4 cup McCormick Cream of Tartar
2 cups water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
McCormick Assorted Food Colors and Egg Dye or McCormick Assorted Neon Food Colors and Egg Dye
Wax Paper

Directions:

Mix flour, salt, and cream of tartar in medium saucepan. Add water and oil; mix well. Add 20 drops of desired food color.

Cook about 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture holds together (have a grown-up do the cooking).

Remove from heat. Scrape dough onto wax paper to cool. Knead slightly until dough is smooth.

Store in airtight container. May be kept for 2-4 weeks.

Test Kitchen Tips: To avoid stained hands, wear latex gloves.

Add 2-3 teaspoons of McCormick flavored extract, such as vanilla, strawberry, or raspberry extract, for a yummy scent.

Do Not Eat.

Source: McCormick website.

Bisquick Bug Fun Dough

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups Original Bisquick mix
1/4 cup salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon food color

Directions:

Stir Bisquick, salt, and cream of tartar in 4 cup microwaveable measuring cup until mixed; set aside. Mix water and food color in liquid measuring cup.

Stir a small amount of colored water at a time into dry mixture until all water is added. Microwave uncovered on high for 1 minute. Scrape mixture from side of cup and stir.

Microwave uncovered 2-3 minutes longer, stirring every minute, until mixture almost forms a ball. Let dough stand uncovered about 3 minutes.

Remove dough from measuring cup, using spoon. Knead dough in your hands or on the counter about 1 minute or until smooth. (If dough is sticky, add 1-2 tablespoons Bisquick.) Cool about 15 minutes. Use dough to make shapes and designs. Store in tightly covered container in the refrigerator.

Not edible! It's play dough!

Source: Betty Crocker website.

Crazy Crayons

Heat makes a crayon a little loopy; it may melt into a swirl or pool into a whirl. With this in mind, we chopped up crayons and baked them in shaped mini cake tins, making large blocks that are easy for toddlers to hold and will surely inspire older artists. Encourage kids to come up with combinations: a blue and white blend for drawing the sky, for example, and a mix of reds and oranges for sunsets.

Ingredients:

Kitchen knife
Old crayons
Mini-cake tins

Directions:

Parents can use the knife to chop crayons into pea-size pieces, taking care to keep colors separate so kids can combine them as they like.

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees while children fill the tin with crayon pieces, arranging them in interesting designs.

Bake just until the waxes have melted, 15-20 minutes.

Remove the shapes after they have cooled. If they stick, place tray in the freezer for an hour, and the crayons will pop out.

Source: Martha Stewart website.

Notes: You could also cover a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with aluminum foil and place cookie cutters on top. Fill the cookie cutters with crayon pieces and bake as directed above.

Oh, and this isn't edible. Don't eat it!

Water Colors

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon glycerin
6-8 small paper cups
McCormick Assorted Food Colors and Egg Dye or McCormick Assorted Neon Food Colors and Egg Dye

Directions:

Mix vinegar and baking soda in small bowl. Slowly add cornstarch and glycerin.

Pour one teaspoon into each paper cup. Let dry overnight.

After they've dried, add food color. The color isn't as deep when it dries, so remember to add a lot of food color.

Dip a small paint brush into some water, and then into your paint. Use good construction paper that will soak up some of the water when you paint.

Test Kitchen Tips: Glycerin may be found in arts and crafts supply stores and some grocery stores. Allow the painting a long time to dry...put it in a safe place while drying.

Source: McCormick website.

Notes: Not edible. Don't eat.

Silly Putty

Ingredients:

1 cup glue
1/2 cup liquid starch
Food coloring, if desired

Directions:

Pour glue into a bowl. Gradually add liquid starch while whipping mixture with a fork until a ball forms. Once mixture is incorporated, you can add food coloring, if desired.

Caution: Not edible. Do not get on fabric or carpet.

Source: We've had this recipe since I was a kid...so I'm not sure where it came from. But I know that if you do a Google search for silly putty recipes, you can find a ton of similar (and exact) recipes for this.

Notes: Not edible. Do not eat.

Bubbles

Ingredients:

6 pts distilled water
1 pt liquid dish soap (such as Palmolive)
1 pt glycerin

Directions:

Combine water, liquid dish soap and glycerin. Let set overnight.

Notes: Not edible. Do not eat.

Bubble Wands and Bubble Solution

Note: Blowing the perfect bubble depends on equal parts science and magic. With a few twists of wire, you can make fantastic bubble wands and spend long, lazy days practicing your technique.

Bubble Solution

Ingredients:

10 cups water
4 cups dish-washing liquid
1 cup Karo corn syrup

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together.

Bubble Wands

Ingredients:

Large wands:

Plastic-coated wire coat hangers
Floral netting or plastic-coated chicken wire
Wire cutters
Needle-nose pliers
Scissors

Small wands:

18-guage cloth-covered wire
Glue

Directions:

For large wands, you'll need plastic-coated wire coat hangers and either floral netting or plastic-coated chicken wire. Hold the hook at the top of the hanger, and pull the bottom down so that it forms a circle. Cut away the hook and twisted neck of the hanger with wire cutters; you should have about a 31-inch length of wire. With needle-nose pliers, twist a tiny hook into one end of the wire. Bend that end around, and hook it on the wire about 9 inches from the opposite end, forming a 7-inch-diameter circle. Squeeze the hook with pliers to fasten, and straighten the end to form a handle. Cut an 8-inch-diameter of floral netting. With pliers, fold the netting's edge tightly around the frame, snipping off any sharp ends.

For small wands, use 18-gauge cloth-covered wire cut to a length of 15 inches. Bend the wire into a lollipop shape, securing the end of the wire where the loop meets the handle with a dab of glue. To make a star, divide the circle into five even increments, then crimp with pliers. To make a heart, crimp only the top center of the circle.

A tin can, with its top and bottom removed, also makes great bubbles--carefully trim any sharp edges, dip one end in solution, and pull through the air to make one long bubble.

Source: Martha Stewart website.

Notes: You can also simply save old bubble wands and bubble containers once you have used the bubble solution. Just refill it with your homemade bubble solution.

Not edible. Do not eat.