Kids Food / Sweet Treats

The Holidays and Marshmallows – Part 1

A couple weeks ago my son pulled an old bag of marshmallows from the pantry.  With a look of pleading on his face, he asked if he could “Puhleeez have one” of the stale puffs of corn syrup.  I found myself staring at that bag I’d had in the pantry since the first summer campfire more than eight months ago and realized that in addition to being an integral ingredient in summertime s’mores, marshmallows also play a big role during the holidays.  They top sweet potato casseroles on Thanksgiving, are mixed into holiday fudge and cookie recipes and make a fun dreidel craft/dessert when pierced with a pretzel and dipped in chocolate.  They also top our cups of hot cocoa as we wait for Santa to come, and are an important ingredient in the ever-present rice crispy treats that grace our school bake sales and holiday parties. (more…)

6 Comments
12/12/2010
Dinner Table / Kids Food / Lunch Box

MmmmMac & Cheese

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What kid (or adult for that matter) doesn’t love macaroni and cheese?  It’s warm, gooey deliciousness screams “comfort food” –  especially on a cold winter day.  But a boxed product we’ve come to know as macaroni and cheese doesn’t even contain “cheese” in the pure sense of the word.  In fact, the word “cheese” is only found on the last line of a long list of ingredients.  So what do we do when our kids only want “the orange macaroni and cheese”?  And what if your kids cringe at the site of…ready…gasp…bread crumbs on top of baked macaroni and cheese?  Is this sounding familiar? (more…)

7 Comments
12/05/2010
Kids Food / Sweet Treats

Thanksgiving

As the sun rises on Thanksgiving day, I will reflect on my life’s blessings.  Above all else I am thankful for my husband and children who bring constant moments of clarity to a sometimes unclear world.  I am thankful for the support of my family, the laughter and comfort of my friends, and those special moments of peace, when I can center myself, breathe, and appreciate all these gifts in my life. (more…)

0 Comments
11/19/2010
Kids Food / Lunch Box / Snacks / Sweet Treats

J-E-L-L-Oh No!

Watch it wiggle, see them jiggle…and squirm, and meltdown, and bounce off the walls.  Yup.  I’ve seen it.  My kids love jello, at least they did the two times I made it for them.  But both times I cringed as I poured hot water over that neon colored powder, the overly sweet smell wafting up through the steam.  But who am I to deprive my kids of that fun, jiggling food product that makes them giggle?  I don’t have to. (more…)

0 Comments
11/14/2010
Is Your Popcorn Coated in Lighter Fluid?
Kids Food / On the Go / Snacks

Is Your Popcorn Coated in Lighter Fluid?

As we head into fall, I find that my family starts to crave the cozy goodness of fresh popcorn.  It’s a perfect after school snack on a gray afternoon and it makes a delicious accompaniment to a Sunday movie.

I know on the surface it may seem easier to grab a bag of microwave popcorn and throw it in for three to five minutes.  But is it three minutes to fresh popped corn or three minutes to a chemical coated health risk?  You be the judge… (more…)

6 Comments
11/06/2010
Trick-or-Treat
Kids Food / Sweet Treats

Trick-or-Treat

What creeps you out the most on Halloween?  Goblins and witches?  Spiders and ghouls?  Or is it the load of processed, corn syrup-laden, artificially flavored “treats” that will fill your children’s smiling plastic jack-o-lanterns?  Bet I can scare you even more.   Did you know that some of those well known candies they’ll be  ingesting contain ingredients like TBHQ (a form of Butane)?  TBHQ, believe it or not, is an ingredient in many processed food items ranging from candy to chicken nuggets.  The following excerpt from author Michael Pollan discusses TBHQ in regards to it’s placement in a McDonald’s Chicken McNugget: (more…)

17 Comments
10/24/2010
Kids Food / Lunch Box / On the Go / Sweet Treats

…Jam.

Last week we deconstructed peanut butter.  This week we had to top it with a quick, healthy jam!  Making jam is a summer routine for my family but it requires a few pieces of special equipment, quite a bit of time, and in my case, a couple of scorching burns (none of which make for a fast Out of the Box Food alternative).   But since fresh, homemade jam can be such a treat, I knew we had to explore a quick and easy alternative for Out of the Box Food. (more…)

2 Comments
10/17/2010
Kids Food / Lunch Box / On the Go

Peanut Butter and…

When you think of peanut butter what ingredient first comes to mind?  Peanuts?  Good.  What else needs to be added to make it peanut butter?  Was your answer nothing?  You’re right!  Nothing!  But many of the nationally recognized brands of peanut butter contain other ingredients like hydrogenated oil and sugar.  I grew up on Skippy Peanut Butter so I automatically bought what I knew (or thought I knew) for my kids.  But now that I am looking at labels before buying products, I am steering clear of many of my good ol’ standbys.  (more…)

3 Comments
10/10/2010
Kids Food / Sweet Treats

Ice Cream Sandwich and Pimple Cream: The Common Ingredient

You ready for this one?  I’m not even sure if I’m ready to write about it, but it is DEFINITELY a food story that needs to be told.  Over the summer I took my boys to a popular indoor playground in Los Angeles.  You know the ones where your kids climb, swing, slide and basically wreak havoc for several hours in a padded room while you try desperately to tune out the constant drone of screaming?  Yup, that’s the one. (more…)

4 Comments
10/03/2010