Merry Christmas Eve!

Taking a couple days to spend with family!  Hope you enjoy Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with your families!  I'll stop in to wish everyone a wonderful holiday, and I'll be back soon with some great reviews and giveaways (and announcing winners)...but today it's all about making Muddy Buddies Chex Mix, Chocolate Dipped Pretzels with all the toppings, sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, fudge, divinity, and just making a mess of the kitchen because you never know what Santa's favorite treat will be!

We'll be leaving a plate full of goodies along with hot chocolate and we can't forget the reindeer...so Oatmeal on the lawn (eventhough it's forecast to be raining, the kids are insisting) and carrots with the cookies!  Have a wonderful holiday with your family and friends!  I'll be back online soon!

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Friday's Kid Tested Recipe: Candy Christmas Trees (Not really a recipe, more of a fun craft!)

This week I thought I would share what we made for my son's preschool class!  He wanted to take goody bags for his Christmas party but instead of just filling a bag with candy and toys, I thought we would get a little crafty and have some fun with it!

What you'll need to make these!
Pastry bags (typically come in 12 or 24 packs, make sure you buy clear - I had a hard time finding clear this year and those I found were from Wilton and had a big logo which made the trees smaller since the bags had to be trimmed at that spot)
Lollipop sticks (We used the long thin white ones sold near the candy making items at the craft store)
Twist ties
Pipe cleaners (We opted for gold, but you could easily use brown for a tree stem or green or red)
Yellow jelly beans
Red jelly beans
Green jelly beans

Tips:  You can find jelly beans in bulk at most grocery stores and some Target stores.  These were selling for $7.50 a pound at ours, so we opted for only yellow jelly beans and then found bags of Holiday Mike & Ikes that came in red, light green, and dark green!  You could also use Holiday M&M's and grab a single bag of yellow M&Ms at a party supply or craft store for the star!

How to make them!
Place 3-4 yellow jelly beans (the star on top) in the tip of the pastry bag followed by a couple handfuls of mixed red/green jelly beans (the decorated tree)
Insert the lollipop stick into the jelly beans and tightly twist the pastry bag around the lollipop stick
Holding the lollipop stick and bag with one hand, use the twist tie to tightly twist the bag shut around the lollipop stick
The pipe cleaner becomes the stem and should be used as decoration covering the twist tie and remaining part of the bag
We added a ribbon and gift tag to our trees and placed the trees in a foam plate inside a basket for presentation (pictures don't do it justice) for the Christmas party!

What are you making for holiday treats?  Have you found any great treats to give as gifts that are fun to make?  I'd love your ideas, so leave me a comment!

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Friday's Kid-Tested Recipe: Chicken Salad Cones

I hate sneaking food into my children's diets, so I thought I would share some of the recipes that I make with my kids (ages 4 &2)! When kids help cook, they rarely avoid the food because they helped to make it! I'll try to note steps that even the youngest children can help with in the kitchen! Somedays we are just looking for a fun variation to a family favorite and we love tuna salad or chicken salad sandwiches...and the kids love eating these in ice cream cones!
What you'll need to make it!
Cake Ice Cream Cones
Tuna Salad or Chicken Salad (home-made works best)

How to make it!
Make your tuna salad or chicken salad a little on the drier side so that it's scoopable with an ice cream scooper, then scoop up your salad into the ice cream cone.  If you're a super-creamy salad person, then add a lettuce leaf to your cone to keep it from draining to the bottom as quickly!
Have a great recipe to share or always talk about cooking? Please leave a comment...or if you've tried a different variation!  I'm looking for a new linky service to add to this post and hopefully will be able to add that again soon!

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Friday's Kid Tested Recipe: Banana Burritos

I hate sneaking food into my children's diets, so I thought I would share some of the recipes that I make with my kids (ages 4 &2)! When kids help cook, they rarely avoid the food because they helped to make it! I'll try to note steps that even the youngest children can help with in the kitchen! My oldest goes to a peanut free preschool but his favorite thing to eat is peanut butter and jelly.  He can't take that to school so we attempt to find fun things for him to help make/take that still taste yummy but are healthy too!  These banana burritos have to be made the day they go into the lunchbox or the banana gets yucky!

What you'll need to make it!
Tortillas
Nutella, Peanut Butter, Almond Butter or Cashew Butter
Banana (sliced)

How to make it!
Slather the nut butter of choice on your tortilla (centered with a little to one side for sticking power)
Add your sliced banana to the center as if making a burrito
Roll and seal your burrito with that little extra nut butter on the edge

When trying to get creative with packed lunches, it can be a daunting task to find items your kids will still love but sticking to fun foods that are easy to eat!

Have a great recipe to share or always talk about cooking? Link up and let everyone know...I'd love to see what you're cooking!

Sorry the linky isn't working - leave a comment this week!

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Friday's Kid-Tested Recipe: Thanksgiving Leftovers Casserole

I hate sneaking food into my children's diets, so I thought I would share some of the recipes that I make with my kids (ages 4 &2)! When kids help cook, they rarely avoid the food because they helped to make it! I'll try to note steps that even the youngest children can help with in the kitchen!  I'm guessing you probably have leftovers from yesterday sitting in your fridges and you're thinking you will get tired of turkey sandwiches quickly!  We've been making this "casserole" dish since our first Thanksgiving together when we cooked way too much food but didn't have enough money to buy any additional groceries!
What you'll need to make it!
Leftovers!
Turkey (or ham) sliced
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes - mashed or from a Sweet Potato casserole
Green bean casserole
Gravy
(savory leftovers work best!)

How to make it!
We typically make individual casseroles in oven-safe bowls so that each person can pick and choose their favorites from the previous day's meal.  In your oven-safe bowl, layer your casserole leftovers.  From previous experience, it seems to work best to start with the stuffing or mashed potatoes on the bottom followed by the turkey (or ham), topped with gravy, then layered with your favorites (you can repeat stuffing or potatoes if that's your favorite).  If your turkey was a little dry on Thanksgiving, you can drizzle a couple drops of water on it before adding your additional toppings for moisture! 

Bake at 350°F. for 20 to 30 minutes or until any liquid stuff (gravy or green bean casserole sauce, etc.) starts to bubble (no liquid stuff, you're just hoping it's all warmed up again - you might see browning of your potatoes).  I love cranberry sauce, but it doesn't work to bake it so I'll add it after it comes out of the oven for a sweet and tart pop on the top of my casserole!

Kids of all ages love to pick their leftovers and help layer their casserole making it special! Plus they’ll be waiting to try their casserole when it comes out of the oven so it’s an easy opportunity to engage your kids in the kitchen!

Have a great recipe to share or always talk about cooking? Link up and let everyone know...I'd love to see what you're cooking!

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Friday's Kid-Tested Recipe: Easy Chicken Pot Pies

I hate sneaking food into my children's diets, so I thought I would share some of the recipes that I make with my kids (ages 4 &2)! When kids help cook, they rarely avoid the food because they helped to make it! I'll try to note steps that even the youngest children can help with in the kitchen!  It's fall and definitely time for comfort foods and what's more comforting than pot pies...plus they're truly easy to make!

What you'll need to make it!
Crust:
2 refrigerated pie crusts (to make 4 standard servings)
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

Filling:
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Dash pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup milk
1 cup cubed cooked chicken or cubed ham(leftovers work perfectly)
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables, thawed under running water and drained (or if you’re a planner you can leave in the fridge overnight to thaw)

How to make it!
Let pie crust pouch stand at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes to make it easy to work with and so you’re less likely to have cracks in the crust (if you do, you can reseal the cracks with a little water on your fingers).

Heat oven to 400°F. Unfold pie crust; peel off top plastic sheet. Press out fold lines; sprinkle 1 teaspoon flour over crust. Turn crust, flour side down, onto ungreased cookie sheet; peel off remaining plastic sheet.
Invert two small ovenproof bowls per crust or shallow cups (depending on size, you may be able to make more pies) over crust. With sharp knife, cut round 1/2 inch larger than rims of bowls; remove bowls from crust. Line each bowl with crust, flour side down. Using remaining crust, cut desired shapes with cookie cutter or sharp knife.

Melt margarine in small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour, poultry seasoning and pepper; cook until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Gradually add broth and milk. Cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly with a whisk to avoid lumps.

Stir in chicken/ham and mixed vegetables; cook until thoroughly heated (10 minutes on low heat (less than a 4 if your burner has numbers)). Divide mixture evenly into crust-lined bowls; top with pie crust cutouts. Place bowls on cookie sheet to catch any spills.

Bake at 400°F. for 20 to 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving so that the filling sets up a bit and isn’t too runny!

Kids of all ages love to make the cut-outs, and it can make each pot pie special! Plus they’ll be waiting to try their pot-pie when it comes out of the oven so it’s an easy opportunity to engage your kids in the kitchen!

Have a great recipe to share or always talk about cooking? Link up and let everyone know...I'd love to see what you're cooking!

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Friday's Kid-Tested Recipe: Pizza Dogs

I hate sneaking food into my children's diets, so I thought I would share some of the recipes that I make with my kids (ages 4 &2)! When kids help cook, they rarely avoid the food because they helped to make it! I'll try to note steps that even the youngest children can help with in the kitchen!  My kids love pizza and hots dogs, so we thought we would try putting the two together and see what happened!  They loved them....and ate them before I could get any pictures (sorry)!
What you'll need to make it!
Canned Crescent Rolls (Reduced Fat are our favorites)
Cooked Hot Dogs (my kids love Turkey Dogs, if you haven't tried them with your kids, you should - this is a perfect use for leftover hot dogs too!)
Pizza toppings (we typically stick with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni)
Spaghetti or Pizza Sauce (my kids are picky when it comes to sauce, but they love Classico Four Cheese)
How to make it!
Separate your crescent rolls and flatten slightly so that the length of the longest edge is about the length of your hot dog.
Spread each crescent with a light coating of spaghetti sauce.
Sprinkle/Place on your toppings.
Place your hot dog on the tip of your crescent (opposite the long edge) and start rolling (some of your toppings may fall out and that's okay.
After your crescents are rolled top with a sprinkle of cheese.
(If your crescents are trying to open, you can pin them shut with a toothpick that's been soaked in water for a few minutes)
Cook at 375 for 15-20 minutes, or until crescents are golden brown (you're really cooking the crescent and warming the insides)

How to serve it!
My kids love to dip, so we serve our pizza dogs with a side of spaghetti sauce that's been warmed in the microwave for a few seconds!
Kids starting at around age 2, with supervision, can help with filling their pizza dogs (you'll be amazed at their creativity with helping - they might even come up with some creative toppings)!

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Have a great recipe or a food/cooking blog? Feel free to link up now or send me an e-mail! I'd love it if you'd grab the button, but it's not a requirement to join in!  Don't have a blog but want to join please leave any ideas for enhancing this recipe or ideas for variations that you may have tried that worked/didn't work!

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Friday's Kid-Tested Recipe: Easy Fruit Pies

I hate sneaking food into my children's diets, so I thought I would share some of the recipes that I make with my kids (ages 4 &2)! When kids help cook, they rarely avoid the food because they helped to make it! I'll try to note steps that even the youngest children can help with in the kitchen!  These Easy Fruit Pies are not only yummy but they are super easy to make too! (Maybe not the healthiest...but sometimes special treats are in order!)

What you'll need to make it!
Canned Biscuits
Sweet fillings - pie fillings work great for this (our favorites include apple and cherry - low sugar)

How to make it!
Flatten each biscuit out with a rolling pin (if they stick, use a little cooking oil spray or olive oil on your pin before rolling)
Once biscuits are rolled, spoon on pie filling and fold biscuit over top of filling squishing down the sides until sealed.  Cook at 375 for 15-20 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown (you're really cooking the biscuit and warming the insides)

How to serve it!
Serve your Fruit Pies with ice cream for a truly special treat!
Kids starting at around age 2, with supervision, can help with filling their fruit pies (you'll be amazed at their creativity with helping - they might even come up with some creative fillings...bananas and chocolate come to mind)!

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Have a great recipe or a food/cooking blog? Feel free to link up now or send me an e-mail! I am going to start featuring recipes of others every Friday...I just haven't gotten my act together yet! I'd love it if you'd grab the button, but it's not a requirement to join in!

Leave a comment this week - having trouble getting this post to go up, and can't get my linky to go in :)

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Friday's Kid-Tested Recipe: Pizza Chicken Fingers

I hate sneaking food into my children's diets, so I thought I would share some of the recipes that I make with my kids (ages 4 &2)! When kids help cook, they rarely avoid the food because they helped to make it! I'll try to note steps that even the youngest children can help with in the kitchen!  These Pizza Chicken Fingers are not only yummy but they are super easy to make too!

What you'll need to make it!
Canned Biscuits
Pizza Sauce (your favorite - ours is a pasta sauce:  Classico Four Cheese)
Shredded Cheese (my kids prefer Kraft's Mexican Blend)
Leftover cooked chicken shredded (or you can purchase pre-cooked chicken)

How to make it!
Flatten each biscuit out with a rolling pin (if they stick, use a little cooking oil spray or olive oil on your pin before rolling)
Once biscuits are rolled, sprinkle with cheese, chicken shreds, and a light layer of pizza/pasta sauce
Cook at 375 for 15-20 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown (all your insides are cooked already, so you are really cooking the biscuit)

How to serve it!
Serve your Pizza Chicken Fingers with a side of pizza/pasta sauce for dipping and a side salad

Kids starting at around age 2, with supervision, can help with layering their pizzas and making up the side salads (you'll be amazed at their creativity with helping - and they will be more likely to at least try the salad too)!

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Have a great recipe or a food/cooking blog? Feel free to link up now or send me an e-mail! I am going to start featuring recipes of others every Friday...I just haven't gotten my act together yet! I'd love it if you'd grab the button, but it's not a requirement to join in!

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Friday's Kid Tested Recipe: Fish Tacos!

I hate sneaking food into my children's diets, so I thought I would share some of the recipes that I make with my kids (ages 4 &2)! When kids help cook, they rarely avoid the food because they helped to make it! I'll try to note steps that even the youngest children can help with in the kitchen!  My kids had never had fish tacos before, but loved these fish tacos!

What you'll need to make it!
Fish Sticks (we used Gorton's Crunchy Breaded Fish Sticks and baked according to directions)
Flour Tortillas
Lettuce Shreds
Shredded Cheese
Guacamole
Salsa
How to make it!
Cook the fish sticks as directed on the package (oven keeps them crispy)!
Once the fish sticks are cooked, break them in half to release the steam and set aside!
Layer tortillas, shredded lettuce, fish sticks, and shredded cheese followed with guacamole & salsa (if your kids like it)!

Kids starting at around age 2, with supervision, can help with layering their tacos!

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Have a great recipe or a food/cooking blog? Feel free to link up now or send me an e-mail! I am going to start featuring recipes of others every Friday...I just haven't gotten my act together yet! I'd love it if you'd grab the button, but it's not a requirement to join in!

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Friday's Kid Tested Recipe: "Baked" Apples with Raisins

I hate sneaking food into my children's diets, so I thought I would share some of the recipes that I make with my kids (ages 4 &2)! When kids help cook, they rarely avoid the food because they helped to make it! I'll try to note steps that even the youngest children can help with in the kitchen!

Baked Apple Prior to Cooking

What you'll need to make it!
Apples (core the center out using an apple corer or a sharp knife - it doesn't need to be perfect) - we like Granny Smith or Red Delicious, but your favorite will work well!
Dark Raisins
Brown Sugar & Cinnamon (light dusting)

How to make it!
In a microwave safe dish, place your cored apple, put a few raisins in the cored center and a small handful around the outside of the apple.  Fill the apple core with a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon and lightly sprinkle around the outside of the apple!  Cook the apple in the microwave for 1-3 minutes, possible longer depending on size of apple and microwave wattage (apple should be soft to the touch and the sugar will be boiling from the top of the apple)!  Allow to cool before serving to kids!
If you have visual kids, they will love watching the apple and sugar combo cook in the microwave!  It appears to almost make a sugar volcano as it cooks (plus then you know it's almost done)!

Kids starting at around age 2, with supervision, can help with sprinkling raisins and adding the brown sugar and cinnamon!

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Have a great recipe or a food/cooking blog? Feel free to link up now or send me an e-mail! I am going to start featuring recipes of others every Friday...I just haven't gotten my act together yet! I'd love it if you'd grab the button, but it's not a requirement to join in!

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Friday's Kid Tested Recipe: Peanut Butter and Jelly Pizza

I hate sneaking food into my children's diets, so I thought I would share some of the recipes that I make with my kids (ages 4 &2)! When kids help cook, they rarely avoid the food because they helped to make it! I'll try to note steps that even the youngest children can help with in the kitchen!
What you'll need to make it!
Whole Wheat English Muffins
Peanut Butter (smooth is easier to spread)
Favorite Jam, Jelly, or Honey
Bananas, sliced thinly

How to make it!

Split and toast English muffin. Spread peanut spread on both sides of muffin. Spread or squeeze jam or jelly over peanut butter (if you opt for PB & Honey with Bananas, wait to add honey until the top).


Top with banana slices. (Optional:  drizzle with honey), you could also warm your jam/jelly in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and drizzle on top!  This is a great breakfast too!

Kids starting at around age 3, with supervision, can help with spreading peanut butter, but even our 2-year old helps placing the banana pieces on top of the pizzas!

<a href="http://www.twomonkeysawashtub.com/search/label/Friday%27s%20Recipe" target="_blank"><img src="http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu359/baileypoo/fridaysrecipetmaw.jpg" /></a>

Have a great recipe or a food/cooking blog? Feel free to link up now or send me an e-mail! I am going to start featuring recipes of others every Friday...I just haven't gotten my act together yet! I'd love it if you'd grab the button, but it's not a requirement to join in!

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Friday's Kid Tested Recipe: English Muffin Pizzas

I hate sneaking food into my children's diets, so I thought I would share some of the recipes that I make with my kids (ages 4 &2)! When kids help cook, they rarely avoid the food because they helped to make it! I'll try to note steps that even the youngest children can help with in the kitchen! What kid doesn't love pizza in some form? 


What you'll need to make it!
English muffins (white or whole wheat, whatever your preference is)
Shredded Cheese (We like Kraft Italian or Mexican Blends because they melt well)
Pizza or Pasta Sauce or Pesto (We typically use Four Cheese from Classico or the Basil Pesto)
Toppings - let your imagination go wild here (Our kids love pepperoni and pineapple! We love to add green chile to ours)!
How to make it!

Kids are great at making their own pizzas!  If they're really young, put the sauce on for them and then let them add the toppings!  This is a great recipe for kid's parties or sleepovers too!  Everyone gets to make their favorite!

Split the English Muffin in half, and lightly coat each half with sauce
Sprinkle on shredded cheese and add toppings!
Lightly sprinkle on a little more cheese so you can see it brown and bubble easily in the oven!

Bake at 350 degrees until the edges of the english muffin start to brown up and the cheese starts to bubble in the middle!  It should all happen about the same time (for us it's around 10 minutes in the oven).  We serve ours with a side salad, but it's about two small pizzas per person or one english muffin per person so take that into account when shopping.  This is also a great way to use up english muffins that were previously frozen when they weren't eaten during the week!

If you opt to try the pesto version (because your garden is overgrown with basil or you just like it), we love ours with a hard cheese like parmesan mixed in with the italian blend and pepperoni..or just the plain cheese is amazing with a little chicken shredded on top!

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Have a great recipe or a food/cooking blog? Feel free to link up now or send me an e-mail! I am going to start featuring recipes of others every Friday...I just haven't gotten my act together yet! I'd love it if you'd grab the button, but it's not a requirement to join in!

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Friday's Kid-Tested Recipe - Peanut Butter and Jelly Pancakes!

I hate sneaking food into my children's diets, so I thought I would share some of the recipes that I make with my kids (ages 4 &2)! When kids help cook, they rarely avoid the food because they helped to make it! I'll try to note steps that even the youngest children can help with in the kitchen!

What kid doesn't love PB&J?  Well, my oldest has decided that these pancakes taste better than a PB&J sandwich!  I was impressed!
(Note:  Recipe was modified from the top of a Santa Cruz Smooth Organic Peanut Butter Jar)

Peanut Butter & Jelly Pancakes

What you'll need to make it!
Your favorite pancake mix (we use boxed because it's quicker, but you can make home-made too!)
Smooth peanut butter (allergies? you could use almond or cashew butter too)
Favorite jelly or jam for topping (we used Strawberry)
(We also noted that sliced bananas dropped in while cooking would make these amazing!)

How to make it!
Mix your pancake mix as you normally would (we follow the box directions)!  Add 1/4 C. of smooth peanut butter for every 1 cup of pancake mix.  Your pancake batter will go from runny to fairly smooth so you will need a scooper to place on your skillet or hot plate!

To make the pancakes cook evenly, I cooked until lightly brown on the first side, flipped the pancakes and then mushed them down with the back of my spatula.  After that side was done, I flipped them back over to complete the cooking on the initial side!  This keeps your pancakes from being too thick!

You can see that these are really thick pancakes, so that's why I used the mushing technique!

For jelly/jam topping, scoop your jelly out of the jar and into a microwaveable container.  Microwave for 15-30 seconds until its just on the runny side but not boiling.  Pour the jelly/jam on top of the pancakes like you would syrup and serve!

Extra pancakes can be frozen, separated by wax paper, and reheated in the microwave or toaster oven!

Kids are great at pouring on the warmed jelly/jam and if they are older then they can help mix or put the pancakes on the skillet to cook!

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Friday's Kid-Tested Recipe: Turkey Taco Salads

I hate sneaking food into my children's diets, so I thought I would share some of the recipes that I make with my kids (ages 4 &2)! When kids help cook, they rarely avoid the food because they helped to make it! I'll try to note steps that even the youngest children can help with in the kitchen!

What you'll need to make it!
1lb of ground turkey (you could use ground beef or chicken as well), browned in a skillet and prepared with Taco seasoning mix (we like Old El Paso in Medium)
Lettuce shreds
Shredded Cheese
Various taco toppings: tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, etc.
Tortilla chips

How to make it!
This is a great weeknight meal! You can even prep the taco meat (browned turkey prepared as directed on the taco seasoning packet) ahead of time and reheat. Layer shredded lettuce, taco meat, and cheese on a plate and top with various taco toppings. Serve with tortilla chips!

Kids are great at layering their toppings and helping serve these taco salads!

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Friday's Kid-Tested Recipe - Popcorn Chicken (it's not what you're thinking)

I hate sneaking food into my children's diets, so I thought I would share some of the recipes that I make with my kids (ages 4 &2)! When kids help cook, they rarely avoid the food because they helped to make it! I'll try to note steps that even the youngest children can help with in the kitchen!

This is definitely a great recipe for parents whose kids love chicken nuggets but they want to mix in some healthy staples too!

What you'll need to make it!
Chicken Nuggets (prefer white meat chicken, fully cooked nuggets or organic fully cooked nuggets) (2-3 per child)
Microwave Kettle Corn (98% fat free, snack size pack will make enough for 2 kids)

For sides, we serve with fresh fruit and yogurt for dipping the chicken!

How to make it!
This is a great way to use leftover chicken nuggets or to prepare nuggets and send in school lunches. We cook up the nuggets and cut up into bite size pieces (remember I have young kids)! I let nuggets cool in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, then combine with room temperature cooked popcorn (making sure that all the kernels are removed).

I send my son to school with sliced grapes, his popcorn chicken and yogurt (or a special treat) depending on whether or not he wants dipping sauce for his chicken. Since the chicken is cold, yogurt works well, but you can also send a favorite dip in a small plastic container. Of course, if you're serving at home its easier.

The kettle corn gives the meal a satisfying sweet/salty combo without adding a lot of calories and at least my son thinks it's really fun with his chicken nugget pieces!

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Friday's Kid Tested Recipe: The best baked chicken and summer fruits salad ever (at least my family thinks so)!

I hate sneaking food into my children's diets, so I thought I would share some of the recipes that I make with my kids (ages 4 & 2)! When kids help cook, they rarely avoid the food because they helped to make it! I'll try to note steps that even the youngest children can help with in the kitchen!

This is definitely a great recipe for you, even if you don't have kids! And if you make extra chicken ahead of time, you can stretch the chicken into a multitude of recipes throughout the week without getting bored! My kids gobble this salad up every time! They love all the colors and the fresh berries and pineapple! (and look I finally remembered to take a picture!)

The best baked chicken and summer fruits salad ever!

The best baked chicken and summer fruits salad ever
(at least my family thinks so)!!

What you'll need to make it (for 4 entree size portions)!
Baked Chicken:
1 lb Chicken tenderloins (baked – see below), Olive Oil, Italian Seasoning, Garlic Salt, Ground Black Pepper
Salad:
Strawberries (1 quart, hulled, and sliced)
Blueberries (1/2 pint washed)
Canned Chunk Pineapple (depending on the sizes of the pineapple chunks, you may want to slice into smaller bites, we use about 1/2 of a can)
Feta Cheese
Baby Romaine Lettuce (we buy the pre-washed organic)
Dressing of your choice (we like Kraft Parmesan Balsamic Vinaigrette, my oldest likes Ranch, my youngest likes his plan)
Yummy add-ins: sunflower seeds, almonds slices, toasted pecans, or croutons

How to make it!
Baked Chicken (and you can make this ahead of time and refrigerate):
I typically use Chicken Tenderloins because they cook faster and I will cook up 2-3 pounds at a time for leftovers! Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Prep the tenderloins by removing the tendons (stringy white thing by pulling your knife on either side). Place tenderloins in a single-layer in a heavy baking dish (glass or ceramic works best) and lightly toss in Olive Oil, then lightly season with Italian Seasoning, Garlic Salt, and Ground Black Pepper. Cover your baking dish with foil and place dish in pre-heated oven. No need to really check on this one (never serve raw or undercooked poultry so check doneness with a meat thermometer). I always “over-cook” chicken, so I leave in the oven for ~2 hours. When you remove from the oven, shred the chicken into small pieces using two forks. If you make extra chicken, you can save for BBQ chicken sandwiches (just add small dinner rolls and BBQ sauce), Chicken Quesadillas (just add tortillas and cheese)..and many more ideas!

Preparing the Salad:
Place greens in each dish first – be generous, there are lots of good vitamins in greens! Then add your berries, pineapple, and feta cheese. Top each salad with a handful of shredded chicken and lightly drizzle with your favorite salad dressing (obviously some flavors will taste better - think vinaigrette when you're shopping)!

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Friday's Kid-tested recipes - Yogurtsicles!

I hate sneaking food into my children's diets, so I thought I would share some of the recipes that I make with my kids (ages 4 & 2)! When kids help cook, they rarely avoid the food because they helped to make it! I'll try to note steps that even the youngest children can help with in the kitchen!

Okay....even if you never step foot in the kitchen, you can make this one! It's not really a recipe, but more of an idea of a great summer treat and something to do with yogurt that is nearing it's expiration date!This is definitely a great recipe for you, even if you don't have kids!

Yogurtsicles!

What you'll need to make it!
Yogurt in it's original package in your favorite flavors
(We like the kid-size Dannon and Yoplait)
Popsicles sticks (you can purchase at most kitchen/cooking supply and some craft stores (near the cake decorating supplies))

As a reminder, this doesn't work well with yogurt containers that have a top smaller than the bottom because you can't get your popsicles out once they've frozen! In addition, this is a great way to avoid throwing away yogurt that is nearing it's expiration date since it will last longer in the freezer!

How to make it!
It's as easy as sticking the popsicle stick through the foil cover on your yogurt cups and placing them in the freezer to harden. We normally let them sit overnight, but a few hours should work well! The foil keeps your sticks centered and avoids freezer-burn!

Yogurtsicles should keep in the freezer for one to two months after you make them and they make a great healthy after school treat!

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Friday's Kid Tested Recipe - Strawberry Banana Bread (Link up your recipes/food/cooking blogs too)

I hate sneaking food into my children's diets, so I thought I would share some of the recipes that I make with my kids (ages 4 & 2)! When kids help cook, they rarely avoid the food because they helped to make it! I'll try to note steps that even the youngest children can help with in the kitchen! This is definitely the recipe for you, even if you don't have kids!  Kids can help with almost all of this recipe, so let them learn after you prep the berries!

Strawberry Banana Bread!

What you'll need to make it!
2 or 3 ripe bananas (2 if using large bananas), peeled and smashed
1 quart very ripe strawberries, hulled (greens cut off) and smashed
1/3 cup melted butter (yes this means you can melt in the microwave)
1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
1 egg, beaten (just with a fork is fine)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt (no more than 1/4 teaspoon)
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

How to make it!
Kids love to smash stuff, so let them smash the ripe bananas and strawberries using a fork or potato masher until almost smooth. No need for a mixer for this recipe unless you like your banana/strawberry mixture really smooth. Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed strawberry/banana mixture in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered (sorry non-stick spray won't cut it) 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

This recipe does not double well, so if you need two loaves you should probably make two batches!

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Have a great recipe or a food/cooking blog? Feel free to link up now or send me an e-mail! I am going to start featuring recipes of others every friday...I just haven't gotten my act together yet! I'd love it if you'd grab the button, but it's not a requirement to join in!

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Friday's Kid Tested Recipe - SmorgasBowls!

I hate sneaking food into my children's diets, so I thought I would share some of the recipes that I make with my kids (ages 3 & 2)! When kids help cook, they rarely avoid the food because they helped to make it! I'll try to note steps that even the youngest children can help with in the kitchen! This is definitely the recipe for you, even if you don't have kids!  Kids can help with almost all of this recipe, so let them learn after you prep the berries!

SmorgasBowls!

What you'll need to make it!
Pretty much whatever you have on hand that's "dry" and works great for using up the end of boxes of cereal in our house! Some of our house favorites for SmorgasBowls include:

Pretzels (rods or small twists)
Raisins
Craisins
Dried Bananas
Other Dried Fruits
M&M's
Cheez Its
Honey Nut Cheerios
Kashi Cereal (yes my kids love this cereal as a finger food)
Fiber One Carmel Delight Cereal (yes they love this too)
Nuts (if your kids like them, mine don't yet)

How to make it!
Mix all the random bits and pieces you have on hand in a bowl and serve! We typically stick with two or three ingredients, a salty, a sweet, and a favorite. For road trips we make a large bag and use dixie cups to serve it up! This works great for road trips and after school snacks too!

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