As a mom I sometimes find that snack time is more difficult than a meal time. When I could easily just say, “For the love of everything holy, If you’re hungry just grab a snack bar from the pantry!” — in the back of my  mind I still know that even snacks should resemble some nutritional value. Not to say I never grab a bag of Cheddar Goldfish in a hurry because it happens but a fruit and cheese plate on a daily basis can get boring fast. And we all know boring food to a toddler is going to end in a meltdown.

In our house creative toddler food is the answer to a healthy meal and what’s more fun than food on a stick? Seriosly, my child will eat anything on a stick.  I do love a state fair corndog once a year and that’s on a stick so I’m not going to argue. So when we started putting fruit on a stick I knew we had something.

These simple frozen yogurt fruit pops are one of Mia’s favorites and allows her to create her own healthy snack with Greek yogurt, fruit, nuts, and of course you have to have sprinkles.

Frozen Yogurt Covered Fruit Pops makes 12 pops

• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt*
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• large freezable fruit such as: bananas, kiwi, strawberries, mango
• 12 cake-pop or thick lollipop sticks, 6″ long
• toppings such as: chopped pecans, cashews, pistachios, mini chocolate chips, sprinkles

In a bowl, combine yogurt and honey. If you feel like you need to add a little more honey than suggested go right ahead. Mia likes hers tart. Place the bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes to thicken back up.

Slice fruit into large slices that will fit on a stick. Keep strawberries whole.

Prep the desired toppings. Chop nuts and chocolate, toast coconut, pour sprinkles…and place on a plate or in separate bowls.

Insert sticks into fruit.

Dip fruit into yogurt using a spoon to help spread the yogurt over the fruit.

Sprinkle desired topping over the yogurt covered fruit.

Besides eating, this is Mia’s favorite part.

Place the dipped fruit pops on a baking sheet covered with wax paper or parchment paper. Place in the freezer for 2 hours or until the yogurt is frozen.

Remove from the freezer and serve. Store in freezer bags in the freezer. If stored for a day or more they are best served when defrosted for at room temperature for a minute or two.

“yum. yum. yummy. yum.” – Mia

A great healthy snack for kids to make by themselves and perfect for the up and coming hot summer days.

When my daughter Mia was born, I instantly knew I wanted to give her the best that I possibly could. And for being the whole food snob that I am, there was no other thought but to make my own fresh never jarred baby food for her. I researched and spoke with her doctors on a regular basis and came up with some pretty tasty purees that she loved. Not only did she have the basics but a wide arrange of flavors that I believe helped her transition smoothly into finger and toddler foods. Even though she is going on 4 years of age I still use the recipes and knowledge I learned then about fresh cooking to feed her today. That is why I was more than happy to contribute to the new Baby Brezza Cookbook.

The Baby Brezza Cookbook 47 Mom-Tested Recipes and Tips, is an informative and easy to follow cookbook full of fresh baby food recipes. It contains 47 recipes written by experienced moms for babies ages 6 months all the way through the toddler years. This is a great book to have if, like me, you enjoy making purees and finger foods for your children at home.

You can grab one today from BabyBrezza.com with the InSockMonkeySlippers discount code: AUTHOR for 25% off the purchase of the book!

Thanks to Baby Brezza I have two copies to giveaway this week! The giveaway is now over and the winners are Gail and Adrian! 

To enter: Leave a comment below telling us what your favorite memory of your baby’s first experience with food is. If you don’t have a baby or you were/are to sleep deprived to remember you can always just say that you would love a copy of this book.

Giveaway ends: Wednesday, April 4th, 2012, at noon central.

The two winners will be chosen by random.org and will be notified by e-mail. Good Luck!

With the end of winter and the beginning of spring brings my favorite time of citrus season. Especially because the meyer lemons are at their best and I’m a huge meyer lemon fan. Being a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange, these lemons are tart but not as bitter as a regular lemon. So, when season hits I buy as many as I can, squeeze the juice and freeze it for use through out the year.

The perfect pairing of the floral lavender with the smooth citrus of the meyer lemon makes these lemon bars far from ordinary and certainly one that will not be forgotten. These aren’t your grandma’s lemon bars, or at least not mine. Their sweet bold flavor will have will have you craving more after every bite. Warning they’re seriously addictive. Shut and lock the front door because these are irresistible.

Meyer Lemon Bars with Lavender Shortbread Crust

Lavender Short Bread Crust

• 3/4 cup un-salted butter, cold
• 2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon dried lavender blossoms
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 3 Tablespoons water, cold

Meyer Lemon Filling

• 4 large eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 cup meyer lemon juice, from about 6 lemons
• 2 Tablespoons meyer lemon zest
• powdered sugar (confectioners sugar) for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9″ x 13″ x 2″ baking pan (metal preferably) with parchment paper with the paper slightly folding over the sides. If you do not have parchment paper heavily grease the pan.

In a food processor or a stand mixer, add butter, flour, sugar, lavender, and salt. Pulse or mix until the dough starts to come together. Slowly add the water one tablespoon at a time. Mix until the dough is moist and crumbly.

Pour the dough into the prepared pan and with your fingers press the dough into the pan forming a crust. Place it in the oven and bake for 25 minutes until slightly golden.

While the crust is baking start on the filling. Zest and juice the meyer lemons.

With a mixer or simply by hand in a large bowl, beat the eggs and egg yolks.

To the eggs, add sugar and flour and mix until smooth.

Next, add lemon juice and zest and gently stir until combined.

Pour the filling onto the crust and place in the oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours before cutting.

Use the parchment paper to gently lift the soon to be bars out of the pan and place on a flat surface. With a sifter, dust with powdered sugar. Cut into 12 large squares or 24 small squares. Can be made in advance. Store in the refrigerator.

Shut. The. Front. Door.

Seriously good and totally just made my afternoon.

The brussels sprout. The most feared of the vegetable family. As a kid I steered clear of the mushy smelly veggie and usually tried to throw them under the table or slip them onto my brother’s plate when no one was looking. This probably had to do with the way my parents steamed them for hours then sprinkled garlic salt over them.  –ahh, I’m having flashbacks– I could not stand them!

Odd how time can change one’s taste buds because now I love them. Can’t get enough especially when they’re in season from late fall to early spring in most parts of the country. One of the best ways to eat brussels sprouts is to simply through them in a roasting pan. Even better is to roast them in the same pan with a whole chicken. {Follow this recipe for roasted chicken placing the brussels sprouts in the bottom of the pan surrounding the chicken 40 minutes before the chicken is done.} Holy Moly!

When I’m not throwing them in the oven with a chicken, this is our next best recipe for brussels sprouts. Slightly sweet and salty these maple roasted brussels sprouts and carrots with cherries and walnuts is so delicious that there are never any leftovers. The best part is that Mia, the resident 3-year-old loves them.

maple roasted brussels sprouts & carrots with cherries & walnuts
serves 4 to 6 

• 1 pound brussels sprouts
• 1 pound carrots
• 1 Tablespoon butter, melted
• 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/3 cup dried cherries

Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice brussels sprouts in half.

Peel and slice carrots into 1/2 inch thick rounds. Place the brussels sprouts and carrots into a large bowl.

Add the maple syrup to the melted butter and stir to combine.

Pour the butter/syrup mixture over the brussels sprouts and carrots. Add salt and pepper. With a spoon, stir to evenly coat the vegetables with the butter. Ignore the fact that the cherries and walnuts are in this picture! It was one of those “whoops” moments and I wasn’t about to pick each one out of the bowl after I had covered them with butter. Blame it on a lack of coffee that day. Their time will come soon.

Pour evenly onto a large baking sheet. Place on the middle rack in the oven and roast for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven stir and add the walnuts and cherries evenly over the sprouts and carrots. Return to the oven and roast for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the brussels sprouts are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Try these out with Baked Chicken Strips with Apricot Dijon Dipping Sauce. To die for, I tell you! No more sneaking your sprouts to the dog under the table.

Chicken fingers, a kid’s best friend. Ever since I realized what exactly goes into a fast food chicken nugget I have steered clear of the mystery meat and dabbled with my own recipes at home. For years upon years now this has been one of the husband’s and I’s favorite meals because I don’t care how old you are, the kid in us all craves chicken fingers. Thankfully, we had a child and now have a legitimate excuse to make them.

I’ve made them every which way: breaded with breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and panko and above all panko is my favorite breading of choice. Panko is a Japanese bread crumb available at most grocery stores in the international food aisle. It’s traditionally used for making tempura batter but is a great tool to bread and bake practically anything giving the coated food a crunchy almost fried texture.

Crisp, crunchy, and incredibly moist, Baked Panko Chicken Strips with Apricot Dijon Mustard Dip is a delicious healthy meal for all ages.

Baked Panko Chicken Strips with Apricot Dijon Mustard Dip serves 4

• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 cups Panko Japanese Bread Crumbs
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk*
• cooking oil spray

Apricot Dijon Mustard Dip

• 1/4 cup apricot preserves
• 2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• pinch salt

* You can substitute an egg wash for buttermilk by whisking 1 egg + 2 tablespoons of water together.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim off any excess fat and slice each chicken breast into 1 inch thick strips.

On a plate or a wide bowl, combine panko, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Pour buttermilk onto a large plate or bowl. Create a breading station with chicken strips, buttermilk, and panko. Prep a large baking sheet by covering it with foil. Place a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet and lightly spray the rack with cooking spray. If you don’t have a cooling rack lightly spray the foil with cooking spray. This is one of my favorite kitchen tricks. By placing a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet the heat is able to reach all sides of the elevated chicken strips making crisp never soggy chicken fingers.

Using one piece of chicken at a time, start breading by dipping and coating a chicken strip into the buttermilk.

Next, roll the chicken strip into the panko, making sure it is evenly coated on all sides.

Then place the strip onto the prepped baking sheet. Repeat with remaining strips. Lightly spray the chicken strips with cooking oil spray. Place chicken strips in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the strips from the oven and flip each strip over. Once again, lightly spray the strips with cooking spray and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes or until cooked through.

While the chicken is in the oven, combine all of the ingredients for the apricot mustard dip in a bowl and whisk until incorporated.

Once the chicken is baked, plate and serve. It’s the end of winter/beginning of spring here in Texas, so tonight we’re using up the last of this seasons brussels sprouts and carrots in this roasted brussels sprouts and carrots with maple glaze side dish. It’s wicked good.

Intensely flavorful and crunchy, these Baked Panko Chicken Strips with Apricot Dijon Mustard Dip are simply delicious.

Just keeping it real. Mia, the resident 3-year-old prefers ketchup with her chicken fingers.

In our family pizza night is one of the meals that brings us all together in the kitchen. We turn the music up, put on our aprons and get to work. Everyone creates their own pizzas and we all share slices making it a great and memorable night. To us there is no need to order pizza, unless it has just been one of those days, but even then a boxed pizza can never come close to what you can make at home.

If you are reading this thinking, “Lady there is absolutely noway that I could ever create an artisan pizza crust in my kitchen” or “I’ve tried it and didn’t like the tough, thick, and doughy crust” now with this recipe you can and it is as easy as throwing a few ingredients in a bowl and letting it sit overnight.

I’ve been making my own pizza dough for three years now. I’m no expert but I know a good recipe when I see one. Although I enjoy a kneaded crust (the Tartine meathod is my favorite) there is practice and a knowledge of dough to achieve that perfect bubbly chewy texture. But of course, there are some days when I just don’t have the time, patience, and there’s a 70 pound dog at my feet, a child tugging on my apron, and a husband who’s nose is always in the pantry. That’s when this fantastic recipe comes in hand.

Brilliantly created by Jim Lahey—owner of New York’s Sullivan Street Bakery and Pizza Spot Co., this recipe for a no-knead pizza crust has been around for a few years. But it wasn’t until I saw it in a recent issue of Bon Appétit that I immediately gave it a test. Like I threw down the magazine, pushed the dog out of the way, and ran to the kitchen.

The results: The most simple but chewy, bubbly, and crisp crust that I have ever made without time consuming kneading and a seven day starter. The ingredients and technique are surprisingly simple but it is the overnight fermentation that give this dough it’s character. The only problem I had was creating a thin crust, I don’t believe the gluten really gets enough work to get that super thin bite but I’ve found if you keep it in between a medium to thin you will get the best result. I highly recommend trying this out tonight and have pizza night tomorrow.

No-Knead Pizza Dough makes 6 – 8″ pizzas
recipe form Jim Lahey published in Bon Appétit

• 7 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (1000 grams) plus more for shaping dough
• 4 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, salt, and yeast.

While stirring with a wooden spoon, slowly add 3 cups of room temp water. Stir until well incorporated.

Mix dough gently with your hands and form it in a rough ball. Transfer to a large clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place the bowl in a draft free area. Let it rise at room temperature (about 72°F) for 18 hours until the surface is covered with tiny bubbles and the dough has more than doubled in size.

Transfer dough to a floured work surface and gently shape into a rectangle.

With a knife, cut the dough into 6 equal portions.

Working with 1 portion at a time, gather 4 corners to the center to create 4 folds.

Flip it over seam side down and gently mold it into a ball. Dust dough with flour and set on a floured work surface or baking sheet. Repeat with all portions. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a slightly damp kitchen towel. Let rest for 1 hour.

Make ahead: Can be made up to 3 days ahead. Wrap each dough ball separately in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. When ready to use, unwrap and let it rest at room temperature, covered with a towel or plastic wrap for 2 to 3 hours.

To make a pizza:

During the last hour of dough’s resting, prepare oven: If using a pizza stone, arrange a rack in upper third of oven and place stone on rack; preheat oven to its hottest setting, 500°–550°, for 1 hour. If using a baking sheet, arrange a rack in middle of oven and preheat to its hottest setting, 500°–550°. (You do not need to preheat the baking sheet.)

**note: I have used both a pizza stone and a baking sheet. The results were almost identical. Usually I would say always use a pizza stone but in this case it did not make a difference. I recommend using a baking sheet especially if you are working with children in the kitchen.

Working with 1 dough ball at a time, dust dough generously with flour and place on a floured work surface. Gently shape dough into a 10″–12″ disk.

Mia and Tim’s favorite pizza: tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, olives, mushrooms, and bell peppers.

My favorite pizza: garlic infused olive oil, fresh mozzarella, topped with prosciutto, arugula and shaved Parmesan.

Simple, easy, and perfectly dinner.

I have also formed the remaining dough into baguettes. Not perfect as a bread but still pretty awesome when you need a baguette in a pinch.

I usually do not make casseroles. To me they had a stigma of “a can of this, a can of that, and a can of that stuff that I’m not exactly sure what it is” and that is not how I cook. It wasn’t until a package arrived at my door with two samples of Texmati Rice  that I began to wander down the casserole road to give this rice the ultimate test: prolonged baking in the oven. This is usually not a fine moment for a grain of rice and ends up a soggy gooey mess that no one will dare eat.

To my amazement not only can you make a delicios casserole without a can of msg (most name brands of canned cream of____ contain a high portion of preservatives and msg) but surprisingly you can make one with deliciousTexmati Rice that held up and worked beautifully.

what is texmati rice?

RiceSelect’s Texmati Rice is one of the most recognized brands of aromatic rice in the United States and the taste and texture is outstanding. I tried both the Texmati White Rice and the Texmati Brown Rice. Texmati White Rice combines the flavor and texture of a basmati rice with the American long grain rice producing a light, flavorful, and unique long grain rice. It is ideal by itself, in casseroles, and my daughter’s favorite: sweet rice with carrots and raisins. This is the one I am using in the following recipe.

Texmati Brown Rice is a healthy whole grain alternative to the white rice. Unlike most brown rice I’ve found, Texmati Brown Rice removes only the inedible husk of the grain retaining the full nutrients brown rice has to offer. This by far is now my favorite brown rice. When cooked it keeps it’s texture, has a pleasant nutty flavor, and is simple to make. It is great in stir-fries (recently tried it with beef and broccoli), soups, pilafs, and heavily flavored dishes.

the results…

I was very pleased with both the Texmati Rice selections. Both cook very well and I have yet to have that dreaded mushy outcome that a lot of grains can produce when pushed to the limits. The long grains, nutty flavorful taste, and texture by far outweighs any other rice I have had. Texmati is made in the USA and supports the Go Texan label. All in all I give Texmati two slippers up and highly recommend it. You can find Texmati Rice at most local grocery stores or online.

Now to the casserole… This Chicken, Rice, and Artichoke Casserole is intensely flavorful, family approved, and made with all natural ingredients.  Simply sear, combine, and bake for a nutritious family meal.

Chicken, Rice, and Artichoke Casserole w/ Texmati Rice serves 8

• 1 onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken thighs (about 8)
• salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock or chicken broth
• 1/4 cup milk (2% or whole)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped *optional
• 1 cup Texmati White Rice
• 3 cups packed baby spinach
• 1 tomato
• 8 whole frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
• 1 cup grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 375°F. Peel and chop the onion and garlic cloves. Set aside.

Sprinkle a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper on all chicken thighs. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot add the olive oil and chicken thighs. Sear the thighs until browned on each side, about 2 to 3 minutes a side. *The thighs will not be cooked all the way and should still be pink on the inside. They will finish cooking in the oven. Once browned, remove the thighs to a plate. Depending on the size of your pan you might have to do this in two batches. Cooking School 101 never overcrowded your pan or you will end up with unhappy grey meat and no one wants a sad chicken thigh.

After the thighs are browned add the diced onion and garlic. Reduce heat to medium and saute until the onion starts to become translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove the onion and garlic to a plate and set aside.

Deglaze the pan by pouring the wine into the skillet and with a wooden spoon scrape the bits of browned goodness off the pan.

Reduce the heat to low. To the wine add the chicken stock, milk, sour cream,  salt, and parsley. Whisk thoroughly to combine. Turn off heat.

In a 9″ x 13″ x 2″ casserole dish, add the raw rice evenly to the bottomm of the dish.

On top of the rice add the cooked onion and garlic.

Next, roughly chop the spinach and add it to the casserole dish.

With a knife, quarter the artichoke hearts and add them to the dish as well.

Dice the tomato, adding it to the casserole dish.

Finally, pour the milk and cream mixture over the rice, onions and other vegetables in the dish. With a spoon, slightly stir to incorporate. Nestle the browned chicken thighs evenly on top. Tightly cover with foil and place in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes.

Carefully, remove the foil and sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top. Place back in the oven and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until all of the liquid has absorbed and the cheese has melted.

Savory, cheesy with a little tang from the artichokes, this Chicken Rice and Artichoke Casserole is a family favorite.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received Texmati Rice for free for review purposes from RiceSelect. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. In accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Is it local?

What does it eat?

Does the chicken/cow/duck/pig get to roam free?

Is it free range? How long is it outside?

I’m going to ask you one more time, is it local?

Organic?

GMO’s?

Did it get time to dance and play with it’s friends?

Organic, right?

All questions I caught myself asking the farmers at the market this past weekend. That’s why I choked on my coffee this morning watching this clip from Portlandia. It’s a good thing I’m not a farmer or waitress or people would be wearing my food and not eating it. God bless you.

This whole/local/organic/no hormone/antibiotic free/ not processed concept can be a little overwhelming and verging on the side of hilarity but it’s so important in a day where there are daily reports of this chemical in the food you are eating right now as you are reading this will give you cancer and make you loose the big toe on your right foot.

Sorry farmers, I’ll be back next Saturday. See you then!

Have you ever been attacked by a chocolate craving? I mean a full on “must have chocolate or I’m going to run through the streets like a mad zombie person” kind of craving? That was me yesterday after a hectic, yet productive, day complete with an insane workout where I was firmly aware that the medicien ball was out to kill me.

I figured after a day like that I need, no I deserve a thick fudgey chocolate brownie. As I gathered my ingredients it was to my horror to find there wasn’t a single egg in the house or loose neighborhood chicken around to capture. After lamenting my utter sorrow on Facebook and Twitter it was brought to my attention that brownies don’t have to be made with eggs and there are plenty of substitutes.

……………………………………………………………………………….hmmmm………….

{this is the dead silence in my brain waiting for it to click that there are such things as vegans who don’t eat eggs or dairy yet still can make a brownie, a non egg brownie has to be possible} …………….. wait… and there it is.

After a little research and an “Ah-Ha” moment that I can have a barely any fat brownie without any guilt, I got to mixing. I found a recipe for yogurt brownies but realized it still had oil that I now did not want as I was trying to find the ultimate low-fat brownie without using applesauce that produces a cakey batter and still has the need for eggs. Using that recipe and adding a leveling agent (baking soda and flax seeeds to replace the egg) I came up with this delicious rendition of what almost tastes like a real brownie.

Disclaimer: Now let’s get real, here. If you omit the awesome goodness of eggs, butter, and oil are you really going to have a product that tastes exactly like a brownie? No. But by taking all of that out and adding the right amount of Greek yogurt and a few tablespoons of flax seeds you are left with one intensly chocolately fudge brownie and you can still fit into your skinny jeans after.

Low-fat Fudge Brownies makes 9 – 2″x2″ brownies

• 3/4 semi-sweet chocolate chips + additional 1/4 cup for batter (optional)
• 1 cup Greek yogurt, fat free to 2%
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanila bean paste, or vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup flour
• 2 Tablespoons ground flax seeds or flax seed meal*
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a microwave safe bowl, melt 3/4 cup chocolate chips in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir and melt in 30 second intervals, stiring after each time, until melted.

3. Pour yogurt in a large bowl. Add the melted chocolate, sugar, and vanilla to the yogurt and stir to combine.

4. In another bowl, combine flour, ground flax seeds, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate/yogurt mixture and stir until just combined. Add water and stir until incorperated. Fold in the 1/4 chocolate chips (optional).

5. Line an 8″x8″ oven safe baking dish with parchment paper. If you do not have parchment paper you will have to generously grease the dish with butter to prevent sticking. Pour the batter evenly into the baking dish and place in the oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

6. Using the parchment paper as a handle, carefully remove the brownies from the baking dish and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Cut into squares. Best when eaten warm.

Loaded with chocolate but not too sweet, these barely any fat brownies have the rich fudge taste and texture you desire without all of the fat. Skinny jeans rejoice.