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Come Party With Me: Boy's Birthday - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:00:45 -0700

For a boy's birthday party on Alcatraz, pack a portable feast of special dishes that wouldn't normally be found in the common ten year olds lunch box. Keep things simple with easy to eat chicken salad pitas. On the side offer a pasta salad packed with salami and cheese and small bags of chips (let each boy select their favorite bag of chips). Don't forget to pack snacks in case they get hungry while on the tour. Cheese and crackers, crunchy trail mix, and homemade fruit roll ups are filling without being too sweet.
For these kid-friendly recipes, read more.

Chicken Salad Pitas
From Martha Stewart Kids

Ingredients

3 stalks celery, 1 coarsely chopped and 2 thinly sliced
1 medium sweet yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more for seasoning
2 (12 ounces total) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 cup (from one 11-ounce can) canned mandarin orange segments
8 (6 or 8 inch) pita breads
8 lettuce leaves

Directions

Bring 2 cups water, chopped celery, onion, carrot, thyme, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add chicken; cover and simmer until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a bowl; let cool, then shred with two forks. Discard contents of pan.
Stir together mayonnaise, lemon juice, and mustard in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in chicken, sliced celery, and almonds. Gently fold in orange segments.
Cut 1 inch from top of each pita to open pocket. Fill each pita with 1 lettuce leaf and 1/2 cup chicken salad.

Makes 8; Serves 4 to 6.

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Pasta Salad
From Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1 bunch fresh basil, stemmed and leaves chopped (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Pasto Salad:
1 pound fusilli pasta
1/2 cup hard salami, cut into strips (about 3 ounces)
1/2 cup smoked turkey, cut into strips (about 3 ounces)
1/4 cup provolone cheese, cut into strips
1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
2 tablespoons green olives, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons roasted red peppers, cut into strips
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Make vinaigrette: in a blender, add the basil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper. Blend until the herbs are finely chopped.
With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.
In a large bowl, toss together the cooked pasta with the remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Serve.

Serves 4-6.

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Trail Mix
From Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients

1 package (16 ounces) banana-nut granola
1 package (15 ounces) raisins
1 package (14 ounces) milk chocolate M&M's
1 can (12 ounces) honey roasted peanuts

Directions
In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 8-10 cups.

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Fruit Roll Up
From Better Homes and Garden magazine

Ingredients

1 6-ounce package dried apples
1-1/4 cups water
1/4 cup sugar

Directions

Turn on oven to 300 degree F.
In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to boiling; reduce heat.
Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until fruit is very tender. Drain off any liquid.
Blend in a food processor. Line a 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan with foil. Spray with nonstick coating.
Spread fruit in thin, even layer over foil and bake for 35 minutes.
Without opening the door, turn off oven and let dry overnight.
Lift foil and fruit leather off pan. Remove leather from foil; roll it up and wrap in waxed paper.
The fruit leather will keep in refrigerator up to 3 months or in the freezer up to 6 months.

Makes 1 large 15x10 inch fruit roll up.

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Make Your Own Fruit Roll Ups

partysugar — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:13:33 -0700

What child doesn't love fruit roll ups? There is something so satisfying about peeling the strip of chewy, sweetened fruit off a piece of sheer plastic. When I was younger, I never would have guessed that fruit roll ups could be homemade! But sure enough, like most store-bought processed snack foods, fruit roll ups can be made in your very own kitchen. I double dare you to make some for your kids (or yourself) today! It takes a little bit of time, but the result is a rewarding and tasty snack. For a peek at the recipe, read more

Homemade Fruit Roll Ups
From Martha Stewart Kids
Source

2 cups dried apricots
3 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 160 degrees with rack in center.
Place apricots in a large bowl, and cover with the water; let soak until they are completely soft, 30 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a fine sieve; drain, and reserve liquid.
Place apricots in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade; add honey and sugar. Process until mixture is very smooth and easily spreadable. If it is too thick, add up to 1 tablespoon soaking liquid.
Cover two 10-by-15-inch baking sheets with plastic wrap. Divide puree between the sheets; spread in a thin, even layer with an offset spatula.
Let dry in oven until mixture is firm but slightly tacky, about 8 hours or overnight. Remove from oven; let cool.
Peel fruit leather from plastic wrap, and cut into 1-inch-wide strips using a pizza cutter. Roll tightly into cylinders, and serve.

Makes 30 roll ups.

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Stone Fruit Variety or Snack Food Flavor?

YumSugar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 05:50:44 -0700

Today Party and I were talking about Summer stone fruits, and she remarked that she thought many of the season's fruit varieties had funny-sounding names that reminded her Gatorade flavors! I have to agree - some of the fruit names bear a striking resemblance to names that you might come across in the snack-food aisle. Are you able to identify whether the name is a stone fruit variety or a snack food flavor?

Take the quiz

The Skinny On: Volumetrics Diet

FitSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:30:39 -0700

In a recent post about which diets match your personality, one diet mentioned was The Volumetrics Eating Plan. Designed by nutritionist Barbara Rolls, PhD, it's based on the simple fact that people love food. It doesn't deprive you of any types of food, since limiting your diet too severely can cause you to binge and won't help you lose weight.

Volumetrics is based on the idea that you should fill up on low calorie foods that make you feel full. So you're encouraged to eat foods that are considered "less energy dense foods," which have a high fiber and/or water content. This includes non-starchy veggies, nonfat milk, and soup broths. High density foods include crackers, chips, cookies, candy, nuts, and oils, and should be limited.

Want to hear more about this diet and what the experts think? Then read more.

In Rolls' book, there are tons of recipes that involve lowfat tricks to cut out oil, butter, cream, and eggs, opting for skim milk, egg whites, yogurt, and applesauce instead. Many of the meals are water-based and contain lean proteins such as soups, casseroles, and stews, while many of the dessert recipes are fruit-based.

This eating plan isn't just about food. It also encourages you to increase your physical activity and to record what you eat and how much you exercise in a journal. Don't expect to lose massive amounts of weight at once on Volumetrics. This eating plan will result in slow and steady weight loss.

Experts feel Volumetrics can make sense for a lot of people, but that it's not for everyone. Since hunger isn't the only reason people chow down, those who tend to be emotional or social eaters may have a hard time limiting their food intake, even when their stomachs feel full. It also won't work for people who have busy schedules and don't have the time to cook up special meals.

Have any of you tried Volumetrics?

'Wich of the Week: Fruit and Nut Butter Panini

YumSugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:00:00 -0700

I'm finally getting around to paying my respects to National Panini Month, while also fulfilling a sandwich promise I made to myself not long ago. After being disappointed by The Sentinel's pork and fig sandwich that didn't actually contain figs, I pressed together this panino before fig season bids its sad farewell.

When I came up with the "fruit and nut" idea, I thought: this could be terrible. But thanks to this morning's discovery of the perfect bread - a seeded raisin roll from a nearby bakery - the panino turned out to be one of my favorite creations! I love warm nut butters, and even with the fruit, this sammie isn't to sweet. Serve it for lunch or breakfast, and get the recipe now.

School Year's Resolutions: Lunch Box Makeovers

LilSugar — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:00:34 -0700

You've moved from brown bagging munchies to an eco-friendly lunch bag, so now it's time to upgrade its contents! Get out of the everyday sandwich rut and start getting creative with what you pack to sustain your kids.

Shape up. Simply changing the shape of the food you are packing can make a big difference. Use cookie cutters to create sandwiches that will put a smile on your lil one's face.
Roll it up. Use creative "packaging" to put a sandwich together. Wraps and pitas can add some interest to the lunch box, as can turning an ordinary tuna sandwich into a sushi-style roll.
Put it on a stick. String some fruit and veggies onto a stick for a mini-kabob that looks more enticing than fruit in a baggie.
Repurpose dinner. Cook up some extra pasta at night and mix it with fresh vegetables and some protein to make a tasty cold noodle salad.
Build it up. Put the ingredients for a nutritious sandwich in the lunch bag and allow the kiddos to build their own creation, in the order they want.
Make it brunch. French toast and fruit salad can easily make their way into the lunch box for a fun alternative.

For some added inspiration, check out these books filled with lunch-bag-ready recipes.

Enter to win a $1,000 wardrobe for your child from Tea Collection!

Healthy Eating Tip: Top Yogurt With Rolled Oats

FitSugar — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:00:55 -0700

I've 'fessed up to eating the same thing for breakfast every day: cereal and fruit with milk or yogurt. But lately, with all the delicious berries in season, I've been cutting down on the grains and loading up on fruit.

Hence, my latest healthy eating tip: treat your grains as a topping for your fruit and yogurt. Rather than load up on granola, which can be high in sugar and fat, use plain rolled oats (one of the foods women should eat daily) to add texture to your breakfast. A quarter cup of rolled oats has around 150 calories, but if you treat it as topping, you'll be eating less than half that amount.

Vanessa Williams Gives Beauty Tips to Her Daughters

LilSugar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 05:00:03 -0700

Last week our girl Bella interviewed Ugly Betty beauty, Vanessa Williams. They had a chance to chat about how the singer and actress maintains the good looks Mother Nature gave her and what beauty tips she doles out to her older daughters. When asked how she encourages a good self-image in her youngest child, the mother of four - Melanie, Jillian, Devin and Sasha - said:

The youngest one is eating right. She’s an athlete, she dances, she swims, she does basketball, softball. So my big push is eating the proper food that will fuel her body. You know, it’s a struggle because kids love gummy bears and fruit roll ups and yogurt with sugar in it - the quick snack foods. Trying to force them to eat vegetables and be conscious of eating living food like a piece of fruit as opposed to going for a bag of chips. I’m currently trying to focus her on making sure that she fuels her body with delicious, healthy food. And also staying active which she has no problem doing.

Non Voyage: Bring the Surf, Sun and Sand Home!

LilSugar — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:00:33 -0700

A lengthy stay at a coastal getaway can be pricey for families so bring the beach to your abode! This non voyage doesn't require much advance planning - just oodles of imagination! Slather on the sunscreen, slip into swimsuits, sun hats and shades and head out to the backyard!

Pack the cooler with fresh squeezed lemonade, Popsicles, fruit salad, sandwiches and bottled water then roll it on out so everyone has easy access to the refreshments.
Lay beach towels out on the lawn so everyone has space to spread out and dry off.
Invest in a sand and water activity table so children can scoop and pour as daily activities. Or fill a basin or tot pool full of sand for castle building!
Go for a dip under the garden hose or take a run through the sprinklers to cool off. If your lil fish prefer to be submerged, fill up the kiddie pool.
Set up a seashell scavenger hunt so the kids can find hidden treasures you've strewn around the property.
Have your youngsters snorkel in the bath and spy all their oceanic tub toys. Then, give them magnet rods and let them fish.
Bundle up in sweatshirts and head back outside for a bonfire! Roast marshmallows and admire the stars after the sun sets.

Friday Feel Good: Baby Bat Rescue Center

TresSugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:30:00 -0700

Jenny McClain has her hands full at her bat rescue center in Northern Queensland, Australia. It's paralysis tick season, and as mother bats get bitten, they are too ill to take care of their babies. That's where Jenny and her staff of baby bat lovin' volunteers come in.

Ultimately, what's good for these little bats (including one named Wilson!) is good for the ecosystem; bats help to pollinate fruit trees and plants. In addition to the ridiculously cute sight of baby bats sucking on pacifiers, rolled up in pink and blue blankets and lined up in a basket, I shed a little tear watching mom bat and Wilson being separated so that both could get medical care and TLC. Sigh - so cute!