NATIONAL TEA MONTH- A CUP TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH!

Happy New Year! Here’s to a great 2010. With every new year comes New Year’s resolutions and starting-off the new year with healthy eating habits is always at the top of the list. A great way to begin incorporating healthy foods and drinks into your every day routine is to try to bringing in one new healthy food a day. It is rather easy and takes very little thought or effort and before you know it, you’ve accomplished a good habit without even really trying!
January is NATIONAL HOT TEA MONTH month and there are many benefits of drinking tea. http://www.farsinet.com/hottea/medicalbenefits.html http://

yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/top-10-health-benefits-drinking-tea.html.

Children love to have tea parties and what a wonderful way to introduce herbal teas and serve a cup of tea with fresh fruits and scones for a cozy afternoon treat. Check -out children’s herbal teas at these sites.  KIDS COOKING SHOP  http://kidscookingshop.com/tea-sets-pretend-cooking/tea-sets-kids-teas-drink-mixes?page=1  

LEE MIDDLETON TEAS   http://www.completelytea.com/site/1597102/page/852118

Here’s a recipe for some scrumptious scones from my PINK PRINCESS TEA PARTY COOKBOOK   http://kidscookingshop.com/author-signed-tea-parties

PEANUTBUTTER AND JELLY SCONES Makes 8-10

 Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup milk
2 room temperature eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup of your favorite jam

 Let’s Get Mixing!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Foil line a sheet pan and spray with cooking spray.

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Sprinkle the butter cubes over the flour mixture. With your fingers or two knives used scissors fashion, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2.  Add the peanut butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Knead with your hands until dough clumps together. Remove dough from bowl and place on a lightly floured work area. Pat the dough into a 1/2-inch thickness.
3. Using a floured 2-1/2 to 3- inch crinkled round biscuit cutter, cut rounds from the dough. Put a teaspoon of jam on one round and place another round of dough on top of that. Pinch the edges together to seal shut, place on prepared sheet pan. Continue until all scones are assembled.
4. Bake 15- 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or room temperature.

 Batter Up Kids-friendly Kitchen Tips

1. Kids can make scones with their choice of jam.
2. Instead of jam, sprinkle 2 teaspoons of chocolate chips or dried cranberries or cherries.

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NATIONAL CANDY CANE DAY

It’s the most magical time of the year and Candy Canes are as much a part of Christmas magic as Santa (well almost!) Here’s a quick and easy recipe to make and keep on-hand for those unexpected Holiday visitors and it makes a great recipe for kids to cook-up with a friends over the holidays.  Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Candy Cane Crunch

Serves 8-10

 

Ingredients

1 pound Vanilla candy coating – also called Vanilla Almond Bark

1 cup crushed peppermint candy canes

Let’s melt it up!

Foil line a sheet pan and spray with cooking spray

1. Melt candy coating according to package directions. Carefully pour into a large bowl.
2. Add crushed peppermint candy canes ( or any flavor) and stir to combine. Pour onto prepared sheet pan. Stir with a spatula to blend candy coating and crushed candy canes  http://www.kidscookingshop.com/spatula-gingerbread-man around to distribute evenly.
3. Place sheet pan into the refrigerator and chill until hardened, about 20 minutes. Remove from frig and break into assorted sized pieces.  Place in a plastic container and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.  
4. For gift giving divide between small cellophane bags and tie with colorful holiday ribbons.

Here are 2 sites to catch-up on Candy Cane trivia!

 http://www.housing.k-state.edu/dining/FitCourse/justforfun/12-candycaneday.html

http://www.noelnoelnoel.com/trad/candycane.html

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NATIONAL HAMBURGER DAY

December 21 is National Hamburger Day and let’s celebrate by having a nice juicy hamburger! Kids love hamburgers, grown-ups love hamburgers and chefs love hamburgers. Rachael Ray has hundreds of hamburger recipes ranging from traditional beef to lamb to turkey burgers.  Check-out this link to get some tasty and juicy Rachael Ray hamburger recipes. http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/Rachael-Ray-Magazine-Recipes/rachael-ray-burger-recipes I have a kid-friendly recipe for Mini Meatball Sliders that kids will have as much fun making as eating! What’s a hamburger with out cheese?! For a kid-safe,fun and easy way to encourage kids to grate -up some calcium rich cheese, check -out our Mouse-in-the House Cheese Grater.  http://www.kidscookingshop.com/mouse-grater-yellow 

 

Mini Meatball Sliders

 Ingredients

12 dinner rolls – 25 g

 For Meatballs:

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil

1 ½ Pounds 95% Lean Ground Beef

3 Sticks reduced fat string cheese, cut into 12 pieces

1 Cup Reduced Fat Cheddar or Jack Cheese, Grated

¼ Teaspoon Pepper

 Sauce:

1-1/4 cups ketchup

1⁄4 cup mustard

1⁄4 cup brown sugar

1⁄4 teaspoon pepper

Garnishes:

1.25 cups grated reduced fat Cheddar cheese

5 cups shredded romaine lettuce

2 cups cherry tomatoes

Optional Garnish: Sliced Pickle

Let’s Start Baking!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil and pour the olive oil onto pan. Tilt pan to coat the bottom with oil. Set aside.

1. Combine GROUND beef, cheese, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Divide equally into 12 meatballs.  Place meatballs on prepared sheet pan. Insert 1 piece of string cheese in the center of each meatball, reshaping the meatball if necessary. Place in Prue heated oven and bake 15-20 minutes.

2. While meatballs are baking, combine all sauce ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high for 30 seconds. Stir and heat another 10 to 15 seconds. Remove from microwave and set aside. 

3. Cut dinner rolls in half and toast them.

4. Place each meatball on bottom half of a toasted dinner roll, ladle with sauce, and garnish with cheese, lettuce and tomato. Add optional garnish of sliced pickle. Replace top half of roll and serve.

Recipe adapted by Barbara Beery for Dairy Max. 

From the University of Texas Longhorns Cookbook  http://www.kidscookingshop.com/author-signed-longhorns-cookbook Text copyright ©2008 by Barbara Beery, reprinted with permission of Gibbs Smith.

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National Chocolate–Covered Anything Day!

I love chocolate. I eat chocolate everyday. This may be my favorite food celebration day – National Chocolate Covered Anything Day! Try dipping fresh orange Supremes http://freshcatering.blogspot.com/2007/04/how-to-supreme-segment-orange.html strawberries, cherries, banana slices, pretzels and marshmallows. How about graham crackers, vanilla wafers, Oreos and gingersnaps? The possibilities are endless!  Can you fondue? What a way to chocolate dip almost everything!  http://www.kidscookingshop.com/holiday-snowman-fondue-set
 

 

Here’s a crazy delicious and super simple fondue recipe from my Delicious Desserts Cookbook   http://www.kidscookingshop.com/author-signed-delicious-desserts   

 

Can you Fondue?

Makes 4 to 6 servings

 

1/4 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips

1/3 cup whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Fruit (bananas, apples, pineapple, strawberries), washed and sliced or cut into bite-size pieces

Large marshmallows

Pound cake or angel food cake, cut into bite-size pieces

 

Heat semisweet or milk chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe dish for 1 minute. Stir and heat again for another 30 seconds.

Remove bowl from microwave and stir in vanilla. Transfer to a fondue pot, a 2-to-4-cup slow cooker, or a small decorative bowl.

Melt white chocolate chips for 30 seconds in microwave. Drizzle melted white chocolate on top of warm fondue.

Using fondue forks or wooden bamboo skewers, dip fruits, marshmallows, and pieces of cake into fondue.

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IF you are looking for some great last minute cooking gifts ( and who isn’t?!) for the  kids this holiday season we have EVERYTHING you need to stir-up some holiday and year-round fun! Take a look at a few of these Barbara Beery exclusive hand-picked KIDS BAKING AND COOKING GIFT SETS which are as  adorable and as they affordable. And to sweeten the deals we’re already offering online, we are also giving  a discount code on all of our products!Happy Holidays to you! From December 14 – December 19 we are offering a special discount code to receive an additional 20% discount on all cooking gift sets http://www.kidscookingshop.com/new  as well as everything else on our site! Just enter coupon code KCSCGS to get this special pricing. Our cooking gift sets are limited editions and when these are sold there will be no more available until 2010 – So get cooking!

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For a great stocking stuffer for the pet in your family, check out the most unique, all-natural & healthy dog treat to be found !

Turn everyday dog food into  an epicurean delight with Spice Dogs All Natural Dog Food Seasonings

 • Chef-blended recipes are created with the purest human-grade herbal seasonings
• Low in sodium
• Contain no fat or sugar
• All blends include the holistic pro biotic acidophilus
• Produced and packaged in the USA

For both dogs and their owners, check-out these fun and festive blends that can be used to season both  dog food and human food with equally delicious results. Just sprinkle a scant 1/2 teaspoon or less to about 1 cup of your dog’s regular food.  With bountiful blends like POOCHIE POT PIE, BOW WOW BACON CHEESEBURGER, PAWSITIVELY PIZZA and HOWLING GOOD HOLIDAY FEAST, your dog’s bound to find a speical seasoning that will tantalize his taste buds every day of the year! And… It’s a great way to encourage your kids to help feed the dogs!  To see the rest of the Spice Dogs Seasonings Line go to: www.dogsgonegourmet.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Princess and the Frog

The Princess and the Frog Cupcake 

With the release of the brand new Disney fairytale movie, The Princess and the Frog on December 11 http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/princessandthefrog/index_full.html it only seems fitting to offer you an exclusive sneak- peek from my forthcoming Pink Princess Cupcakes Cookbook, Barbara Beery, Gibbs Smith, Publisher  http://www.gibbs-smith.com/.  Here is our recipe for the  adorable and delectable Pink Princess  Kiss the Frog Cupcake that you can make, bake and decorate this holiday season. To buy the fanciful flower-shaped silicone & Eco-friendly cupcake liners in which our cupcakes are baked go to  http://kidscookingshop.com/silicone-bake-cups-flower-petal .

 PINK PRINCESS KISS THE FROG CUPCAKES 

Makes 24 cupcakes

Cupcake, Frosting & Decorating Ingredients

1 package vanilla cake mix

1 can purchased vanilla frosting

Pink & lime green paste food colorings

1 bag (14 ounces) Wilton Candy Melts

Frog candy mold

Black and pink tube decorating gels

Optional Star-shaped candy decors

 Let’s hop to it and start baking!

1. Make, bake and cool the  cupcakes according to directions, adding enough pink paste food coloring to the batter before baking to make it bright pink.

2. Put one-fourth of the canned frosting in a separate bowl and add enough pink paste food coloring to make it bright pink. Add the lime green paste food coloring to the remaining frosting. Set aside until ready to use.

3.  Following the directions on the Candy Melts, make 24 candy frogs using the candy mold. Always be careful when working with hot liquids and make sure you have the help of your adult helper.

4. When you are ready to assemble the cupcakes, frost the top of each cupcake green to resemble a lily pad and then set a candy frog in the center. Use black gel to make the frog’s pupils and pink gel to make his mouth.

5. Place bright pink frosting inside a small zipper close plastic bag and securely seal shut. With a scissors cut off a tiny tip from one corner. Squeeze out frosting and pipe pink around the edge of each cupcake and place one little frosting decoration next to the frog or use a star-shaped candy décor.

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NATIONAL COTTON CANDY DAY!             

Let’s all celebrate National Cotton Candy Day on Monday, December 7th.  I happen to love the fluffy, billowy, spun-sugary concoction that brings to mind State Fairs and amusement parks. Years ago when I wrote the original Pink Princess Cookbook, I included this signature Cotton Candy Cupcake recipe which makes an absolutely perfect dream dessert for any little Pink Princess birthday girl! I have included the recipe for you below.

While this is a much-coveted childhood treat, even the most elite and prestigious restaurants are taking advantage of this melt-in-your mouth confection as a decadent and opulent ending to a 4-Star meal. The Four Seasons in New York City even serves-up this festive, fluffy food for a BIG-TIME birthday treat complete with a lighted candle.

With Christmas just around the corner, we have a wonderful kid-friendly sized Cotton Candy Maker with all the accessories which can make visions of sugarplums a reality for some lucky boy or girl this holiday season. http://kidscookingshop.com/old-fashion-cotton-candy-machine

 

COTTON CANDY CUPCAKES

Adapted from the Pink Princess Cookbook by Barbara Beery

Makes 24

Ingredients for Cupcakes

1 package Vanilla or white cake mix

Milk

Eggs, as many as cake mix directions state

Oil, as much as cake mix directions state

Ingredients for Frosting

1 can purchased vanilla frosting

1 teaspoon pure Vanilla extract

* ½ teaspoon bubblegum flavoring

Pink and/or blue paste food coloring

2 bags purchased cotton candy

Let’s Make Cupcakes!

Preheat oven to temperature directed on cake mix package. Line 24 cupcake molds with paper or silicone cupcake liners. Set aside until ready to use.

1. Make cupcakes according to directions, substituting milk for water and adding enough pink or blue paste food coloring to the batter to create a pastel colored batter.

2. Bake according to cake mix package instructions. Remove cupcakes from oven and cool on wire racks for 30 minutes before frosting and decorating.

3. Place the purchased frosting in a bowl and add Vanilla and bubblegum flavoring. Tint the frosting pink or blue as desired with the paste food coloring. Frost cupcakes and decorate with a small amount of cotton candy in the center of each frosted cupcake.

* Bubblegum flavoring may be purchased at cake decorating supplies stores or craft stores.

 

 

 

 

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