Lunch: 9.30.10

Snack is some mini apple cinnamon rice cakes and juice.

Lunch is half a kiwi, a small chewy granola bar, a ham sandwich on rainbow pain de mie, a string cheese, about half an apple, and a few vanilla cookie bites in the yellow container, all packed into our Easy Lunchbox.

Lunch: 9.29.10

Snack is some cinnamon mini muffins and a juice.

Lunch is half a kiwi, some grapes, some pretzels, string cheese, a couple vanilla cookie bites in the yellow container, and a ham sandwich on rainbow pain de mie, all in our Easy Lunchbox.

This lunch is shared on What's For Lunch at Our House.

Lunch: 9.28.10

Today's lunch features my newest batch of rainbow pain de mie.

I'm very proud of it.

Before we get to that, though, snack is oatmeal raisin mini muffins and strawberries with juice.

Lunch is a ham sandwich on rainbow pain de mie, half a kiwi, grapes, square pretzels, string cheese, and a couple vanilla cookie bites in the little yellow container, all packed up in our Easy Lunchbox container.

Recipe: My Mom's Popovers

My mother's favorite ploy for a bit of peace and quiet in a house with four children .....

If you are loud when popovers are in the oven, they won't pop.

Genius.

Of course I have carried on the tradition.

Now, these are not your traditional English popovers.  No roast drippings in sight.  For us, they are made to be filled with a little butter and plenty of jelly, honey, nutella... mmmmmmmm.

Yummmmmmm.....

Make them, enjoy the silence, and be happy.

I use cast iron muffin pans, and they work great, but you can use popover pans or probably even large muffin tins.  The trick is to have enough pan coverage that you can do them all in one go, because you have to start with a cold oven, so you can't make two batches.

Before baking

They are magical.

After baking.  Pop!

My Mom's Popovers

4 eggs
2 Tbsp melted butter
2 c skim milk
2 c flour

Combine eggs, milk, and butter well.  Whisk in flour, but don't worry about small lumps.  Spoon into very well greased popover pans, filling about half full.  Put pans into cold oven.  Turn oven on to 425 F.  Bake for 30 minutes, and then turn off the oven and let the popovers dry out in the oven for about 10 minutes.  DON'T PEEK while they are in the oven.

When they come out of the oven, put a bit of butter in each one (there's a handy little hole on the bottom of each popover usually).  Serve hot with jam, jelly, marmalade, honey, or your other favorite filling.

Lunch: 9.27.10

Happy Monday!

Snack is a mini waffle sandwich with nutella, some strawberries, and a juice.

Lunch is half a kiwi, some grapes, a bagel sandwich, a couple of my vanilla cookie bites in the little yellow container, a string cheese, applesauce in the pink topped container, and some jivalime dried pineapple with lime from Funky Monkey.

Recipe: Vanilla Cookie Bites

I wanted to make some itty bitty cookies for lunches, and I succeeded.

This recipe makes a TON of cookies.  Tiny little cookies.  About 330 tiny little cookies.

(For me, that was 4 cookie sheets)

Next time, I want to try adding almond extract.  Or chocolate.  Maybe food coloring.  That could be fun.


Vanilla Cookie Bites

1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 c all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 325 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.
Combine the dry ingredients and then mix into the rest of the dough. Scrape dough into a pastry bag fitted with a star piping tip (you could use plain, too)

Pipe the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, making each cookie about the size of a dime. Cookies will spread, but only a little space is needed between cookies.
Bake at for 10 minutes, until cookies are a light golden brown. Baking time will vary depending on the exact size of your cookies.

Store in an air tight container.  Makes about 330 tiny little cookie bites.

Recipe: Overnight Mini Blueberry Bagel French Toast Bake

This is what happens when I make french toast for dinner and have leftover milk/egg/spice mixture...

And when I have some mini bagels in the freezer.

The result is good.

Overnight Mini Blueberry Bagel French Toast Bake

1 c skim milk
2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 mini blueberry bagels (or other variety)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
a little butter or butter flavored cooking spray for the top

The night before you intend to eat this, combine milk, eggs, spices, and vanilla until well blended.  Arrange bagel halves in a greased 9" round baking pan, filling up the space as much as possible, with pieces of bagel if necessary.  Pour liquid mixture over the bagels, cover, and refrigerate overnight. (If you are being really decadent, you could dot the mixture with some cream cheese)

In the morning, preheat the oven to 375 F.  Sprinkle brown sugar over the top of the bagels, and dot with butter (or spray with a little butter flavored cooking spray).  Bake for about 25 minutes, or until browned.

Serve with maple syrup, jelly, peanut butter, or nutella.  Or even just cinnamon sugar.

Lunch: 9.24.10

Happy Friday!

For snack, the girl has a mini waffle sandwich with a little nutella, half a kiwi, and some juice.

For lunch, she has a jelly sandwich (we are out of ham) on pink swirl pain de mie, a chewy granola bar, a string cheese, some sliced apple, and some applemon (apple cinnamon) Funky Monkey freeze dried fruit, packed in our Easy Lunchbox container.

Lunch: 9.23.10

Snack is homemade yogurt with vanilla stirred in, and some granola, along with a juice.

Lunch is a roast beef sandwich on pink swirl pain de mie, string cheese, a chewy granola bar, half a kiwi, and some Pink Pineapple Funky Monkey Treats, in an Easy Lunchbox container.

Lunch: 9.22.10

I got a box of Funky Monkey snacks in to review today. And I will do so, but we have to try them first!  (And then, keep your eyes open for a giveaway!)

So, for snack, she has the last of the sweet rolls and a banana, along with a juice.

And for lunch, she has some Bananamon Funky Monkey (Banana and cinnamon) along with a couple pieces of her brother's Carnaval Blend Funky Monkey, and then also half a kiwi, a turkey sandwich on pink swirl pain de mie, and a cheese stick, packed in our Easy Lunchbox.

Lunch: 9.21.10

For snack today, the girl has another sweet roll (Pillsbury takes the credit), a banana, and a juice.

For lunch... I made pink swirl pain de mie.  Dusted with edible glitter powder between the layers.  I couldn't help myself.

So, she has some cheesy spaetzle, half a kiwi, a turkey sandwich on pink swirl pain de mie, and a chewy granola bar, in an Easy Lunchbox container.

This lunch is shared on What's For Lunch at Our House.

Recipe: Cheesy Spaetzle

So... I got a new toy yesterday, after the fun of the Boiled Slobbages.

I got myself a spaetzle maker.

I couldn't help myself.

So tonight, I made some delicious cheesy spaetzle. (Served with roasted plum tomatoes drizzled with balsamic reduction)

The girl is still calling it boiled slobbages.

I added some whole wheat flour to the slobbages spaetzle this time, and they had that nutty wheat flavor that I like.  All white flour is definitely fluffier.  I don't mind the sacrifice in texture for the wheat, but it's up to you.


Cheesy Spaetzle

Dough
2 eggs
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 c all purpose flour
1/2 c wheat flour
1/4 c skim milk
1/4 c seltzer (optional - can use all milk.  The seltzer makes them fluffier)

2 Tbsp butter
1/2 c shredded cheese (I used a mixture of sharp cheddar and monterey jack)
1/2 c bread crumbs

Combine the ingredients for the dough together well.  Let rest for about 10 minutes.  In a large pot, boil broth or water (I used a cube of boullion in the pot). Using a spaetzle maker or a collander, press the dough through holes into the boiling liquid.

New toy!

Slobbages Spaetzle dropping into the pot

Boil for about 2-3 minutes, or until they all float, stirring occasionally.

Remove from the boiling liquid and submerge in a bowl of cold water for about 30 seconds.  This keeps them from sticking.

Melt half of the butter in a large frying pan.  Saute the slobbages spaetzle briefly in the pan.

Sprinkle in shredded cheese and stir well.  Top with bread crumbs and dot with remaining butter.  Spray the top with butter flavored cooking spray if desired.  Bake for about 5 minutes at 400 F to crisp up the top.

Lunch: 9.20.10

Monday!

Snack is a special (and not so good for you!) treat - I got Pop n' Fresh Sweet Rolls (the almond kind with orange frosting) for breakfast this weekend and we had lots leftover (I made too many).  So, she has one of those, and half a kiwi, along with a juice.

Lunch is a ham sandwich on a mini bagel, a chewy granola bar, a string cheese, an apple, and some homemade greek yogurt with strawberry jam stirred in, all packed in our Easy Lunchbox container.

Recipe: Caramelized Oatmeal Raisin Mini Muffins

I saw this recipe on Allrecipes.com and knew I had to try it!

Of course, I modified it slightly.  And made it mini.  Because that's what I do.

My take on the recipe is below.


Caramelized Oatmeal Raisin Mini Muffins

1/4 c butter
2/3 c rolled oats
2/3 c brown sugar, divided
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2/3 c water (or liquid whey)

1 c all purpose flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/3 c rolled oats
1 Tbsp baking powder
4 Tbsp flax seed meal (I used beveri)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 c liquid whey or skim milk
1 1/3 c raisins
1 Tbsp  flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Lightly grease a mini muffin pan, or use paper liners.

Browning oats, spices, and brown sugar

Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook 2/3 cup oats, 1/3 cup brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg until golden brown.

Bubbling away with whey and remaining brown sugar

Stir in 2/3 cup whey or water and remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar. Cook until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Mmmmm. Caramelized goodness

In a large bowl, combine flour, 1/3 cup uncooked oats, baking powder and flax seed meal. Whisk together egg and whey or milk. Make a well in the center of flour mixture, and pour in egg mixture and cooked oatmeal. Mix just until combined. Dredge raisins in 1 tablespoon flour, then fold into batter. Spoon into muffin cups.

Bake in preheated oven for ~15 minutes.

Lunch: 9.17.10

Friday's snack was a Z-bar (leftover from girl scouts), a string cheese, and a juice.

Lunch was a mini bagel sandwich with ham, half a kiwi, a granola bar, carrots, a chewy granola bar, and a couple cherry almond princess cakes, all packed in our Easy Lunchbox container.

Lunch: 9.16.10

Lunch: 9.16.10

She ate really well yesterday, so today's snack is the same - homemade granola with homemade yogurt that has some vanilla syrup stirred in, and a juice.

And lunch, in an Easy Lunchbox, is a piece of cornbread, some dried plums, a turkey sandwich on flower pain de mie, half a kiwi, and a string cheese.

Giveaway: King Arthur Flour Gift Card - WINNER!

Thanks to all who entered my King Arthur Flour Giveaway!

The winner is... #5 -Jen :) Comment on here with your email address (which I will remove once I get it sent to the King Arthur folks) within 48 hours to claim your prize!

Jen :) said...

I would get some of their gluten free mixws and some GF flour...maybe some vanilla extract. Yummy!

Lunch: 9.15.10

Last day to enter the King Arthur Flour Giveaway!  I'm drawing a little before 6 this evening!  Good luck everyone.

Snack is homemade yogurt with granola with some juice.

Lunch is in a Easy Lunchbox container, and it's turkey sandwich on homemade flower pain de mie, a granola bar, half a kiwi, a couple cherry almond princess cakes, and a chewy granola bar.

Lunch: 9.14.10

 Tomorrow is the drawing for my latest giveaway, so don't miss it! Enter the King Arthur Flour giftcard giveaway by following the link.

For snack, the girl has a string cheese, half a kiwi, and a cherry almond princess cake, along with a juice.

In an Easy Lunchbox for lunch, she has leftover boiled slobbages and oompa loompa coins, along with a turkey sandwich on flower pain de mie, a couple dried plums, and a couple digestive biscuits.

Recipes: A Menu in Honor of Roald Dahl

I don't know how many of you all read my Adventures in Reading blog, but we love Roald Dahl.  Love.

I didn't hear until this morning on NPR that it was his birthday.  Oops.  So, no lunch festivities.  Oh well.

So, I made a dinner in his honor.

Oompa Loompa coins, Boiled Slobbages in tomato sauce with cheese, Charlie and the Chocolate Milk

James and the Giant Peach Cobbler with Snozzberries

First off, Boiled Slobbages.  I modified this from a recipe I found online, and it's from James and the Giant Peach, I believe.

Basically, they are spaetzle.

And they are super fun to make and delicious!  I will be making them again for sure.  Might just call them spaetzle next time, though...  I served them with plain jarred tomato sauce and cut up string cheese.  You could be more creative.  I wanted my kids to eat them.  It worked.

I also made Oompa Loompa coins, which were crinkle cut carrot coins, boiled briefly in lightly sugared water.

To drink, we had Charlie and the Chocolate Milk.  I know, how creative of me.

And, for dessert, we had James and the Giant Peach Cobbler with Snozzberries.  Those would be raspberries for the uninitiated.

Onward, to the recipes!


Boiled Slobbages in Tomato Sauce

Dough
2 eggs
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 c flour
1/4 c skim milk
1/4 c seltzer (optional - can use all milk.  The seltzer makes them fluffier)

To boil:
2 c chicken or vegetable broth
4 c water

To fry:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter


For sauce:
1 c  tomato sauce (can make homemade)
3 sticks string cheese, cut up

Combine the ingredients for the dough together well.  Let rest for about 10 minutes.

In a large pot, boil broth and water.

This part is fun

Pressing the dough through

Filling up with slobbages

Using a spaetzle maker or a collander, press the dough through holes into the boiling liquid. 

My pot was a little too small

Stirring.

Boil for about 2-3 minutes, or until they all float, stirring occasionally.

Into the cold water!

Remove from the boiling liquid and submerge in a bowl of cold water for about 30 seconds.  This keeps them from sticking.

Heat oil and butter in a large frying pan.  Saute the slobbages briefly in the pan.

The string cheese got all melty before we ate. Mmmm.

Stir in sauce and pieces of string cheese and serve.


James and the Giant Peach Cobbler with Snozzberries

1/2 c butter
3/4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 c sugar
1 pinch nutmeg
3/4 c skim milk

1 28-oz can sliced peaches in light syrup
1/2 c snozzberries (or raspberries, if you can't find snozzberries)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Melt butter in the oven in a 9"x9" pan.

Combine all remaining ingredients except for the fruit.  Pour over the melted butter (do not stir). 

Pour the snozzberries and peaches over the top (do not drain).

Ready to go into the oven

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the crust has risen around the fruit and is browned along the edges.

(Of course, I forgot to take a picture of it all baked and not scooped out)

Happy Birthday, Roald Dahl!