If your child is anything like mine, she loves corn dogs. And if you are anything like me you cringe at the thought of her consuming all of that fat, oil, and who knows what is really in a hot dog.

Disclaimer: I’m not going to be a hypocrite. I love a corn dog from the Texas State Fair. Oh. My. Word. Awesomeness on a stick. I mean you have to have one deep fired corn dog a year, right?

That’s why I’ve been trying to find a healthier substitute or version of a corn dog that Mia would like. After months of trying to put together a cornbread recipe that was healthier for us than the traditional oil laden recipes and finding a natural, uncured, no preservatives, antibiotic and hormone free hot dog, we were in business. The secret ingredients to these corn dog muffins are healthy low-fat buttermilk and Greek yogurt in replace of oil. Low-fat buttermilk and Greek yogurt are super healthy with probiotics, riboflavin, protein, vitamin B12, and zinc.

A savory beef hot dog wrapped in a blanket of slightly sweet cornbread make these homemade healthy mini corn dog muffins a perfect snack or lunch for everyone – not just the kiddos.

Healthy Mini Corn Dog Muffins makes 24

• Butter, room temperature, for pan
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 3 Tablespoons Greek yogurt
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 4 beef hot dogs, preferably natural/antibiotic and hormone free

Preheat oven to 425° F. Generously butter a 24 count mini muffin pan.

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients; flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

In a medium bowl, combine the wet ingredients; egg, buttermilk, and Greek yogurt. Mix well.

Once the wet ingredients are combined, add the corn kernels and stir.

Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir till just incorporated being careful to not overmix.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling the cups 3/4 full.

Next, slice the hot dogs into 1 inch segments.

Place a hot dog piece in the center of each muffin cup and place the muffin pan into the oven. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the the tops turn golden and toothpick inserted into the muffin comes out clean.

Carefully remove the corn dog muffins from the muffin cups and place on a cooling rack to cool.

Serve with ketchup and mustard or your favorite corn dog topping. Refrigerate (for up to 3 days) or freeze any leftovers. Reheat in the microwave or oven (preferable oven or toaster oven).

You can’t ever beat a Fletcher’s corn dog from the fair but you can come pretty close without the worry of what you are putting on your child’s lunch plate. Enjoy.

This is the time of year for persimmons and one of my absolute favorite ways to eat a persimmon is how my mother-in-law makes them. When there’s a good harvest from the persimmon tree at the ranch she peels them, slices them, rolls them up in a piece of prosciutto with a jalapeno slice, and bakes them until the prosciutto is nice and crispy. Prosciutto wrapped persimmons with jalapenos are the perfect spicy, salty, and sweet appetizer for your dinner table. Just how we like it here in Texas!

This recipe is a part of the Gojee Potluck series. Gojee.com is on of the leading visual recipe searches on the web. Starting on Thursday, January 26, check out other potluck dishes fellow gojee contributors shared. Go to gojee.com and enter “gojeepotluck” into I Crave.  You can also follow #gojeepotluck on Twitter.

Prosciutto Wrapped Persimmons with Jalapeno makes 16

• 2 persimmons
• 1 jalapeno
• 8 slices prosciutto, thinly sliced

Place the wrapped persimmons on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the prosciutto is golden and crisp. Allow to cool before serving. 

Ok. First let me say, these are a little addictive. Like you should probably put a lock on them and give the key to someone you really trust. This spiced pecan recipe is one of our favorites that I’ve been using for years. And when we have a good pecan crop this is what I package, throw a bow on and give out to friends and neighbors as holiday gifts.

Sweet, spicy, chewy and a little sticky, these praline pecans are the first thing I make when the holidays start. Perfect for holiday entertaining, gifts, salads and with pumpkin soup. I promise these will be gone fast!

sweet and spicy praline pecans makes 3 cups

• 3 cups halved pecans
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 Tbs water
• 3 Tbs butter
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cayenne powder (optional)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

With school well under way, it’s a daily task to keep my daughter’s lunches healthy while being exciting and delicious enough for her to want to eat. When I was contacted by City Of Hope to write a healthy back to school recipe for their Superfoods Initiative I immediately thought of a simple, colorful, nutritious blueberry and pomegranate smoothie. Smoothies are very enticing for kids and the best part about packing a smoothie for your children’s school lunch is that you can make it the night before, store it in a freezable container, pack it the next day, and once it’s time to eat lunch the smoothie has thawed into a cold delicious treat.

City of Hope is a leading research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening diseases. Everyday they pursue new and better  ways to improve the lives of millions around the world and one way they are accomplishing that is through spreading the word about healthy eating. Researchers at City of Hope have found five foods that fight cancer: pomegranates, mushrooms, blueberries, grapes, and cinnamon. Join City Of Hope’s Superfoods Innititave on Facebook to learn more and find many healthy recipes each week.

Blueberry & Pomegranate Smoothie makes 1 cup

• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup fat-free or 2% Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup pomegranate juice
• 1 tsp honey

1.Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on medium until mixed and smooth. If serving immediately, pour into a cup and serve.

2.If packing the smoothie for a school lunch: Pour into a freezable cup with a lid. A BPA free cup is preferred.

3. Place in the freezer and freeze overnight.

4. Place the frozen smoothie in a lunch box and by the time your child is ready for lunch the smoothie will be thawed and perfectly cold and delicious.

Staying away from the fried chips and over salted processed snacks is hard when you have a family that is always on the run and constantly snacking. We run a rotation of pretzels, cheese, fruit and nuts in our house and trust me it can get boring. You can imagine my excitement to try something new that fit into our family’s snack regimen that was not only tasty but healthy.

The Good Bean is the first branded all natural roasted chickpea snack and truly they are delicious! They come in four flavors – Sea Salt, Cracked Pepper, Smoky Chili & Lime, and Sweet Cinnamon. With one serving providing as much fiber as 2 cups of broccoli, as much protein as one egg, and as much folate as 3 cups of spinach, these tasty little treats are the perfect healthy snack for everyone.

The family and I sat down and dove into the entire Good Bean line to give the little roasted chickpeas a true test. The verdict… amazing! The roasted chickpeas are about the size of a pea and the texture is a little crunchy and unexpectedly soft in a good way. I was impressed at the natural ingredient list that I could pronounce and the packaging is perfect to throw in my purse or lunch box. The flavors were well balanced but one stood out as our absolute favorite, the Sweet Cinnamon. We absolutely loved this one, especially the ultra-marathon husband runner of mine who found it to be just the right amount of cinnamon and sugar paired with the chickpea flavor. The slightly spicy Cracked Pepper was my favorite with the Sea Salt coming in third. Unfortunately, we were not pleased with the Chili & Lime flavor. Even though we are chili and lime fans here, there was something just a little off with this combination that didn’t favor well with us but that’s just our opinion.

The Good Bean is definately on the favorite list of our family now. I’ll use them as a snack, accompiment to salads and soups and especially as a treat in Mia’s lunch box. These affordable (retails around $2.50), gluten-free, delicious, roasted chickpeas are worth the try. You can find more info and a store location near you at www.thegoodbean.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the product mentioned above for free for review purposes from The Good Bean. 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

Love or hate summer, you can’t deny that it produces some of the best fruit of the year. We go through melons like monkeys eat bananas around here and when given the chance to try out Fontera Rocky Ford Cantaloupes, I jumped at it. I had actually never had a Rocky Ford before but had heard of their supreme sweetness. At first bite we were all astounded by the candy like melon. They had the exact same flavor, color and texture as you average cantaloupe but the flavor and sweetness is intensified making this the best cantaloupe I’ve ever had. Seriously, although in a good year a Texas cantaloupe comes pretty close.

Grown only in Colorado, Rocky Ford Cantaloupes are sweet and juicy thanks to the perfect formula of hot days, cool nights and high elevation.  And Frontera Produce is the only grower to provide the original “Valley Gold” variety of this summertime melon, which is one of the sweetest.  Rocky Fords are picked and shipped on the same day from Holly, Colorado, meaning these beauties arrive to you fresher than ever.

I enjoyed Rocky Fords because not only was it super fresh but it’s sweetness didn’t call for adding sugar or honey when using it in recipes. Mia probably ate an entire one herself leaving one for me to use in something extraordinary and I mean extraordinary. When you have something as sweet as these cantaloupes it calls for a salty pairing like these cantaloupe capicola bites with basil and balsamic reduction. In the last 4 days I have made this 3 times and everyone keeps asking for more.

Before we get to the recipe, Frontera Produce and ISMS is giving you a chance to win a case of these amazingly delicious Rocky Ford Cantaloupes (retail $3 a cantaloupe) shipped directly from the farm to you. To enter, leave a comment telling us what you plan to do with these tasty summer cantaloupes if you win. One winner will be chosen Monday, September 5, 2011. The winner will be notified by e-mail and announced on Facebook. Good luck! The giveaway is now closed and the winner is Kristi! Thanks everyone for playing.

Rocky Ford Cantaloupe & Capicola Bites with Basil & Balsamic Reduction makes 24

• 1 pound (about 24 slices) regular capicola*, thinly sliced
• 1/2 Frontera Rocky Ford Cantaloupe
• 3/4 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
• 12 basil leaves

I don’t know what it is about kids and dip. I swear sometimes I should put my daughter’s dinner in the blender when she’s being picky and serve it as a dip and maybe then she would eat it. Here’s a simple, quick and tasty treat for everyone. White bean spinach dip is the perfect healthy, finger food for baby (from 8 to 10 months), school lunch, after school snack, or elegant enough to serve at a party.

White Bean Spinach Dip  makes 1 1/2 cups

• 1 can (16oz) white (great northern) beans
• 1 cup packed baby spinach
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 Tbs rosemary, fresh or 1 tsp dried
• 1 tsp lemon juice*
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

It’s hot here! Have I said that already? It’s so hot that this sorbet melted halfway into shooting it. Ok, yes I had a chicken pot pie in the oven that made the already hot kitchen 1500°F but it was well worth it. I do not own an ice cream maker. I wish I did but I would have no where to put it in this tiny kitchen. So I had to come up with a more simplified version to make an icy treat to help cool us down. It was a certain success as I turned to look at Mia and she had gobbled it up in one bite and screamed for more. Strawberry Peach Sorbet is a simple sweet refreshing treat to make with the kids to beat the summer heat. Look below for an adult version. wink wink.

Strawberry Peach Sorbet makes 4 to 6 servings (about 1 quart)

• 1 pint strawberries, organic if possible
• 2 medium peaches, organic if possible
• 2 to 4 Tbs pure honey, amount will depend on how ripe your fruit is
• 3/4 cup peach nectar

Slice strawberries in half and place in a food processor or blender. Pit and slice peaches and put them in the food processor or blender with the strawberries. I like to leave the skin in the peaches for a little extra nutrition. Get it where you can, right? Add 2 tablespoons of honey and process for 2 minutes until very smooth and it becomes liquid almost. Taste. If it’s too sour add a bit more honey and blend to mix.

Pour into 2 ice cube trays and freeze for at least 3 hours but 5 would be best. Keeping it real here. I just can’t pour like Martha Stewart. It got a little messy.

When frozen, place the frozen fruit cubes in a food processor with the peach nectar. Pulse just one to three times if using a food processor or blend for a couple of seconds if using a blender. Puree just enough to have a creamy yet still solid consistency. Note that it was 1500°F in my kitchen this day and Mia could not wait a full 5 hours to allow the cubes to frreeze thoroughly so they were a little on the mushy side.

Listen up. This is where you add a cup of very cold white wine for a nice little treat for yourself.

Scoop into a serving dish and garnish with a strawberry slice or a mint leaf. A perfectly easy cool down indulgence to beat those summer blues.

I’ll see y’all later. I’m going to go make some more. Maybe with mangoes this time.

A couple of weeks ago we had a little dinner party over here and my mother-in-law brought these amazingly beautiful appetizers. They are so amazing that I had to share them with you. I seriously could have forgotten the dinner and just stuck to these. The combination of spicy capicola and sweet peaches along with the bright and fresh finish of  basil is the perfect amuse bouche for any dinner party or just to snack on around the house. {Yes I have done that before. If  you knock on the door after Mia is asleep and the husband is working late you might just find me on the couch with a glass of wine and these little beauties. And yes, you are welcome to come join me. Just bring your slippers cause I’ll be in mine.}

Spicy Capicola Wrapped Peaches with Basil makes 16
from Mary Ann Steele

• 16 slices of spicy capicola, sliced thin
• 2 medium freestone or white peaches
• 16 basil leaves

1. Cut the peaches in half and remove the pit. Cut each peach into 8 slices.
2. Lay the capicola slices on a work surface.
3. Place a peach slice on the end each capicola slice.
4. Next, place a basil leaf on top of each peach slice.
5. Roll up the capicola to enclose the peaches and secure with a tooth pick if necessary.
6. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place on the middle rack under the broiler set on high.
7. After  8 minutes, remove the baking sheet, flip each peach, and place back under the broiler for another 10 minutes or until th capicola is browned and crisp.
8. Remove from the oven, allow to cool and serve.

Oh my holy love handles! Who doesn’t love hot crusty artisan bread!? Of course, those who are gluten intolerant will disagree with me and for that a shed tears for you. No, really I do but I know that y’all have tricks up your sleeve that would make a grown baker cry so I know you are going to be ok. Give me a fresh baked loaf of bread (sourdough especially) and it will not last 5 minutes. I think if I were stranded on a desert island and had access to one thing it wouldn’t be a life raft, phone, or satellite signal… that is what I smart person would ask for and if you have read this blog you know that I certainly have my moments of stupidity. No, this girl would ask for fresh sourdough bread and a bottle of wine (ok, maybe two things).

Before you say anything, yes, this recipe has been floating around ever since the geniuses Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François, created Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day but I love it so much that for those who haven’t seen or tried it that I wanted to share it with you. This recipe is an adaptation of Hertzberg and François from my favorite site for bread recipes, King Arthur Flour. In no way am I being paid to say this, but King Arthur is my favorite flour to use. Of course, you are more than welcome to send me a check, King Arthur.

If you haven’t already, this is a great recipe to make even if you have never tried to make your own bread. It is super simple, crusty, delicious and the perfect no-fuss recipe to make with your kids.

No-Knead Artisan Bread makes 2 to 4 loaves
simplified from King Arthur Flour

• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour*
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast

*The flour/liquid ratio is important in this recipe. If you measure flour by sprinkling it into your measuring cup, then gently sweeping off the excess, use 7 1/2 cups. If you measure flour by dipping your cup into the canister, then sweeping off the excess, use 6 1/2 cups. Most accurate of all, and guaranteed to give you the best results, if you measure flour by weight, use 32 ounces.

1) Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, or a large (6-quart), food-safe plastic bucket. Water should be not too cold and not too hot. Just about the temperature of a baby’s bath.

2) Mix and stir everything together. If you have a stand mixer, beat at medium speed with the beater blade for 30 to 60 seconds.

3) Place the dough in a large greased bowl and cover lightly with plastic wrap or a shower cap.

4) Let the dough rise at room temperature for 2 hours. Then place it in the refrigerator for 2 hours to 7 days. If you’re pressed for time, skip the room-temperature rise, and stick it right into the fridge). The longer you keep it in the fridge, the tangier it’ll get; if you chill it for 7 days, it will taste like sourdough. Over the course of the first day or so, it’ll rise, then fall. That’s OK; that’s what it’s supposed to do.

5) When you are ready to bake, place the dough on a floured work surface. With knife, cut the dough into portions, anywhere from 2 to 4. I have found that I like a bigger loaf so I just cut the dough in half. I use one half then I place the other back in the bowl cover and set it in the fridge for later in the week. 6) Form the dough into a ball.

7) Place the dough on a piece of parchment (if you’re going to use a baking stone); or onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Sift a light coating of flour over the top; this will help keep the dough moist as it rests before baking.

8) Let the dough rise for about 45 to 60 minutes. Preheat your oven (and baking stone, if you’re using one) to 450°F while the dough rests. Place a shallow metal or cast iron pan (not glass, Pyrex, or ceramic) on the lowest oven rack, and have 1 cup of hot water ready to go.

9) When you’re ready to bake, take a sharp knife and slash the bread 2 or 3 times, making a cut about 1/2″ deep. It’s ok for the bread to deflate.

10) Place the bread in the oven, and carefully pour the 1 cup hot water into the shallow pan on the rack beneath. It’ll bubble and steam; close the oven door quickly.

11) Bake the bread for 25 to 35 minutes, until it’s a deep, golden brown.

12) Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack. Store leftover bread in a plastic bag at room temperature.

So simple and delicious, there’s no reason not to make it!