Valentine’s Day Food Ideas – Chocolate and More!

2 Comments/ in Holiday, Meal Ideas, Valentine's Day / by Cassidy

February 6, 2013

What are some delicious Valentine’s Day food ideas I can make?

It seems most holidays for me revolve around food. Valentine’s Day is especially one of those days. So, I wanted to share some Valentine’s Day food ideas with you today!

Very first is one of my absolute favorite desserts. As you may remember from my bio I could pretty much live off chocolate. This is one of the most delicious chocolate desserts out there and it’s pretty easy. You do have to plan in advance because it has to freeze completely before you can bake it. But, here it is…. Chocolate lava cake!

I originally got the recipe from Culinary Musings, but I made a few tweaks base on my experience.

Ingredients

1 Bar 85% Lindt Cocoa (about 100 grams) broken into pieces, you could also use 60% if you don’t want it quite as rich
2 Eggs
6 TBSP white sugar, plus a little bit for coating the ramekins
4 TBSP butter (I’ve used both salted and unsalted and they work fine)
3 TBSP flour
1 TBSP sour cream
4 Oven safe ramekins (sometimes mugs will be oven proof too)

Directions

Coat the inside of your ramekins with butter and then sprinkle a little bit of sugar on the inside then set aside. Then, melt down the chocolate pieces in a double boiler (you can also put a glass bowl on top of a saucepan with boiling water). Avoid stirring the chocolate until it is melted. While the chocolate is melting whisk the eggs and 6 TBSP of sugar together in a medium sized bowl until pale yellow.

When the chocolate is completely melted remove from heat and mix in the butter. Then, slowly add the egg and sugar mixture. Add flour and stir until combined. Lastly, add the sour cream.

Pour the batter evenly into your ramekins and put in the freezer. You’ll want these to freeze completely so overnight is best, but at least give it 4-5 hours.

To serve the lava cakes, preheat the oven to 375. Once the oven is preheated, remove the ramekins from the freezer and put them into the oven (don’t let them thaw). Bake for about 13-15 minutes.

The edges will look cooked and the middle will look a little bit gooey. Remove from the oven and cool for 2-3 minutes. Then take a knife and scrape along the edges of the ramekin to loosen the cake. Place a small plate on top of the ramekin. Hold the ramekin with a hot pad and flip it over onto the plate. Lightly tap the ramekin then lift it off. You should have a nice cake with a runny, gooey center. Add a few garnishes (I recommend powdered sugar and strawberries) and enjoy!

If that sounds like too much work for you, do it anyway, it is so worth it! Ok, that may not be the thing you are looking for. So, here are some other creative Valentine’s Day food ideas. Hopefully one of these will satisfy your sweet cravings!

Pretzel Hugs (I think these work for any holiday and they are one of my favorite treats!)
Chex Muddy Buddies (Another of my favorites… I have a chocolate and peanut butter addiction…)
Of course, sugar cookies are always great (this is one of the best recipes out there!)
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Raspberry Sorbets for something fresh and fun!
Brownie Ice Cream Cake
Strawberry Pancake Bites
Strawberry Bruschetta for a healthy treat
Peanut Butter Chocolate Waffles (I’m telling you, I’m addicted…)
Chocolate Malt Ice Cream Cake
Coconut Chocolate Pie
Nutella Truffles
Caramel Apples (be sure to cut them this way to enjoy the most apple possible (: )

14 Valentine's Day Food Ideas -- Moms Have Questions Too

I can never get enough chocolately goodness (or really anything sweet for that matter) so please, please, please leave some comments with other delicious Valentine treats you love! I can’t wait to try new delicious things. :)

We've found some fun people with great linky parties. You might just see this post linked up on one of these amazing sites! Link and Learn from No Time for Flashcards Sunday Showcase from Train Up a Child Share it Saturday from Teach Beside Me Tot School Gathering Place from 1+1+1=1 Montessori Monday from Living Montessori Now Tuesday Tots from In Lieu of Preschool Show and Tell from ABC & 123 For the Kids Fridays from Sun Scholars Finished Friday from All Our Days Weekly Kids Co-op from Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails Preschool & Kindergarten Corner from Homeschool Creations TGIF Linky Party from 123 Homeschool 4 Me

How to Cut an Apple and Keep Cut Apples From Turning Brown

0 Comments/ in Meal Ideas, Other Fun Things We Want to Share / by Cassidy

January 22, 2013

What is a fast easy way to cut an apple for my kids to eat? What are some ways keep cut apples from turning brown?

One of the snacks we featured on our post about easy snack ideas for moms was an apple. It’s not something really new I know. I really love eating apples but I hate cutting them. I am also less likely to eat an apple if it’s not cut. I just don’t like biting into big apple. It hurts my teeth and gets my face messy. I know a lot of people use these apple slicers but I don’t really feel like they work that well. Plus, what happens if your apple is too big for it?

How to Cut an Apple and Keep Cut Apples from Turning Brown -- Moms Have Questions Too

While staying with my sister-in-law a few months ago she was cutting an apple for her girls. When I saw her slice it, I knew my life had changed. Ok, that’s maybe a little dramatic (really how hard is it to cut an apple), but I really liked what she did. It is a cleaner cut than the apple slicer devices and I think it’s easier too. So, here is what you do:

Cut off one side of the apple just outside where you think the core will be. Continue to cut off each side this way. You are left with a nice square around the core and four big slices. Just cut those up a little bit more if you want smaller bites, and you are good to go! Here is a little movie to show you how it’s done too.

I really feel much more inclined to eat apples knowing this new way to cut them. We’ve also used it to cut pears, peaches, and mangoes. I’m sure it works on just about any fruit with a similar shape and pit or core.

I also don’t like eating apples that have started turning brown, I would guess that’s the case for most people. Usually I eat them right after cutting them. However, if you are serving them with a dinner or on a fruit plate they are likely to start turning brown before people eat them. It doesn’t take long. So, here are a few things you can try, all of which have a minimal effect on the taste:

Soak them in a little salt water (2-3 tablespoons per quart of water), then rinse and serve! If you need them in the distant future keep them in a tupperware container with the lid sealed tight.
Squirt with a little lemon juice. This has more of a flavor effect than the salt water. Use with sweeter apple varieties.
Soak in sparkling water for a minute or two then strain and serve.

So, the next time you cut an apple, be sure to try this new technique! And if you decide to serve them on a fruit tray you’ll know just what to do to save them from turning brown and nasty!

We've found some fun people with great linky parties. You might just see this post linked up on one of these amazing sites! Link and Learn from No Time for Flashcards Sunday Showcase from Train Up a Child Share it Saturday from Teach Beside Me Tot School Gathering Place from 1+1+1=1 Montessori Monday from Living Montessori Now Tuesday Tots from In Lieu of Preschool Show and Tell from ABC & 123 For the Kids Fridays from Sun Scholars Finished Friday from All Our Days Weekly Kids Co-op from Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails Preschool & Kindergarten Corner from Homeschool Creations TGIF Linky Party from 123 Homeschool 4 Me

40 Easy Meal and Snack Ideas for Moms

4 Comments/ in Growing Up and Daily Life, Meal Ideas / by Kirstylee

January 2, 2013

What can a busy mom like me eat during the day? How can I be healthy when I’m trying to take care of my kids all the time?

Why is it so easy to take care of our kids and so easy to not take care of ourselves? I don’t mean easy like simple, I mean easy like natural, intuitive, instinctive. Let me give you a little example from yesterday. I try really hard to make sure my kids get healthy food. It seems coming up with easy meal and snack ideas for them is much easier than ideas for myself. I serve them lots of fruits and vegetables, high protein foods, and lots of whole grains. Yesterday for breakfast my kids ate oatmeal with some Greek yogurt mixed in (whole grains and lots of protein). They also had milk and bananas. For lunch they had cucumbers and tomatoes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (whole wheat bread and a minimal amount of peanut butter and jelly), and grape juice with 100% juice. For a snack they had cheese cubes, whole wheat crackers, and water.

See? I try really hard to make sure my kids eat well. It’s not simple and it does take effort, but it’s instinctive to me. It’s natural to make the effort because I’m a mom. That’s what I’m programmed to do.

So, you’d think all that healthy eating would transfer pretty easily over to me, right? Yeah, I wish. Here is what I ate yesterday: fig newtons (behind the boys’ backs), a banana, and a spoonful of frosting straight from the can. Agghghah, what is wrong with me? Now, before you freak out on me, this was not a typical day. I do usually eat better than this. Even if I don’t have a perfectly balanced meal with food from each food group, I do usually eat actual food for breakfast and lunch. I often have a protein bar for breakfast and a burrito for lunch. Also, I am pretty good about drinking water because I happen to love water more than any other drink in the world.

The point is, why can’t I just take care of myself as easily as I take care of my kids? I always get a nutritious breakfast for my kids, but then I go and do the laundry or wash the dishes rather than make myself a nutritious breakfast. By about 10:00 I’m starving and I’m usually craving sugar in a major way. If we have some kind of treat in the cupboards, then into my mouth it goes. Then, I feel hungry again by 11:00 because all I ate was a cookie or something and I usually deal with it by eating more sugar. Blast the sugar cycle.

40 Easy Meal and Snack Ideas -- Moms Have Questions Too

Well, today I have decided to conquer this problem. How will I conquer it, you ask. By having several nutritious and easy (this is key) foods on hand that I can eat. I came up with a list of easy meal and snack ideas that will help me eat better.

Breakfast Ideas (add a fruit whenever possible)

Protein Bar
Hard Boiled Egg
Whole wheat toast with a little peanut butter
Whole wheat toast with an egg on top
Breakfast burrito (eggs, salsa, cheese on a tortilla)
Homemade granola bar
Homemade oatmeal packets
Healthy cereal
Easy smoothie (1 C frozen fruit, ½ C plain yogurt (or Greek yogurt), 1 Tbsp honey or brown sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla) and deli meat rolls
Frozen microwavable sausage and whole wheat English muffin

40 Easy Meal and Snack Ideas -- Moms Have Questions Too

Lunch (add a vegetable whenever possible)

Burrito (fat free re-fried beans, shredded Colby jack cheese, and salsa on a whole wheat tortilla) – this is my favorite!
Salad from bag with kidney beans, frozen corn, and dressing on top (you can also use cottage cheese for a dressing, add a little crushed tortilla chips for some crunch and salt)
Turkey sandwich with tomato and lettuce
Skinny pizza (tortilla with spaghetti sauce and cheese sprinkled on top)
Hummus with crackers and celery sticks and carrot sticks
Leftovers!
Tuna fish sandwich
Beans covered in BBQ sauce with veggie side
Soup from a can (a healthy kind)
Chicken and cheese quesadilla (canned chicken and shredded cheese on a tortilla)
Sausage, cheese, tomatoes, and olives on a skewer or toothpick

40 Easy Meal and Snack Ideas -- Moms Have Questions Too

Snack

Baby carrots
Apple
String cheese
Handful of craisins
Cheese cubes
Cooked edamame (soy beans, Cassidy’s favorite!)
Cucumber
Tomato (add a little salt and pepper if you like)
Whole wheat crackers
Raisins
Chips and salsa
Peanuts
Hard boiled egg
Greek yogurt
Popcorn
Pretzels
Cottage cheese and fruit
Deli meat rolls
Turkey jerky
Sunflower or pumpkin seeds

40 Easy Meal and Snack Ideas -- Moms Have Questions Too

Mmmmm, now I feel like I need to eat a bunch of healthy food to make up for yesterday. Too bad it doesn’t work like that. I’ll keep you posted on how my eating habits are changing. If you have any other easy meal ideas, please share them in the comments. I need all the help I can get. Plus, I’m sure I’m not the only one who has this problem. ;)

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Thanks to The Sunday Parenting Party for featuring us!

We've found some fun people with great linky parties. You might just see this post linked up on one of these amazing sites! Link and Learn from No Time for Flashcards Sunday Showcase from Train Up a Child Share it Saturday from Teach Beside Me Tot School Gathering Place from 1+1+1=1 Montessori Monday from Living Montessori Now Tuesday Tots from In Lieu of Preschool Show and Tell from ABC & 123 For the Kids Fridays from Sun Scholars Finished Friday from All Our Days Weekly Kids Co-op from Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails Preschool & Kindergarten Corner from Homeschool Creations TGIF Linky Party from 123 Homeschool 4 Me

New Year’s Eve Celebrations for Kids

0 Comments/ in Fun Activites at Home, Holiday, New Year's Eve, Preschool Activities, Toddler Activities / by Kirstylee

December 27, 2012

What are some fun New Year’s Eve Celebrations for Kids?

Woohoo 2013 is coming! We safely made it past the Mayan predicted end of the world! Be honest, I’m not the only who has been thinking about that, right? Well, 2013 is coming fast and I want to have mega New Years Eve Celebrations because who doesn’t love mega celebrations?