Thursday Treats – along with Stories – Free Children Stories and Rockin Grandma Music!

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What a week of eating it has been! Trying to keep the waistline in check while allowing moderate indulgences is a common challenge in the holiday seasons! And exercising every day helps but certainly can’t catch up with the overage in calories! Sigh. So here is a VERY light dinner that we enjoy when the holiday eating has just been too much. And if you are cooking with kids, they can help a lot with this dish. Of course no cooking is possible in our home without music – Rockin’ Grandma Music to be specific! And we have to feed the animals before we feed ourselves – here is a picture of the grandkids feeding the goats Dolly and Julia (yes, the very same Dolly Goat from the Rockin Grandma Music CD)Here is a fanciful song sample from the CD that is called Flying Cows. It is also the song that the children listen to while going in the car with their grandparents to the zoo to get some lion hairs to save Dolly Goat from Cy Coyote! Enjoy. Flying Cows Sample

A Light Holiday Salad

Background:
Leftovers are the great deposit of holiday celebrations – and we always have bits and pieces in the fridge. Even though it is winter, a salad can go down very well as a light evening dinner after big lunches or even large brunches. Use whatever leftovers you have – you will be surprised how well they combine! We had some pizza, leftover roast lamb, of course tons of cheese – since we make our own – and this time we used feta. Also found some dates and dried fruit hanging around the pantry along with assorted greens including arugula from our farm. Grapes are a super addition too – if large just cut them in half. I also use our very own sun dried tomatoes – grown and dried right here – and kept in Italian olive oil in the fridge. This can also be made entirely vegetarian ( leave out the meat, chicken, fish and dairy).  Give the children the job of throwing everything into the salad bowl and also tearing the greens into small bite sized pieces!

I always tell stories for kids – specifically about Sam the broken robot while cooking if the attention of the little ones wanders – and how he eats his vegetables all the time – and loves them! Of course Dolly goat comes into it too – since she loves to eat roses and any veggie leftovers too!

Ingredients:
Whatever you have in the fridge that doesn’t need to be heated to be eaten – yes Pizza is iffy – but cut into small pieces cold it is still good

Assorted Greens

Sun Dried tomatoes

Assorted cheeses – Feta crumbled is best but anything will do even brie with the skin cut off!

Some meat, chicken or fish left over ( or if you have none, open a can of salmon, drain, take out the bones if any and skin and chop)

Chopped vegetables like carrots and peppers

One can of Corn drained

Frozen peas one cup defrosted or Snow peas, ends cut off, and chopped

 

Directions:

  1. Chop everything into small pieces
  2. Take everything except the greens, and put them in the bottom of an attractive salad bowl.
  3. Chill in the fridge until 30 minutes before ready to serve then bring to room temperature
  4. Then at the last minute before serving, add the chilled greens torn into bite sized pieces
  5. Add the dressing and serve immediately. OR for those who prefer to add their own dressing ( I always ask) serve without dressing and put the dressing on the side. The reason why this works, is that the ingredients on the bottom of the salad all have a variety of moisture associated with them – sun dried tomatoes are in olive oil, corn is moist as are the peas, so for those who want to save the calories from dressing, the salad is quite delicious just on it’s own. Try it – you will be pleasantly surprised!

TIP: Half of eating is appearance – the other half is taste. So make the salad look wonderful in a beautiful bowl

TIP: Putting the moist stuff on the BOTTOM of the salad bowl is essential. That way the greens stay crisp and fresh – not wilted.

Dressing:
Ingredients:
Juice of 2 lemons  ( we use Mayer lemons from our farm)

Olive oil (twice as much as the lemon juice)

Parmesan cheese finely grated (you can buy it finely grated in the store – so much easier than doing it yourself although for purists, the taste is better when done fresh)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Whisk all of the ingredients just before serving. Whatever is not used, can be kept for weeks in the fridge.

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Cooking with Kids as Tuesday Tips – Pancakes To Make While Listening to Grandma Music and Kid Songs!

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Making pancakes is something that the whole family can participate in especially on a day when the kids are home for vacation, or on a weekend day. I like short cuts – and often just buy pancake mix, but here are some great ideas on how to make your short cut into a delicious event while cooking with kids. And of course put on some of my Rockin’ Grandma Music and Kids Songs – like Silly Kwela Sample, or Happy Song Sample while doing it!

How to Make
Your Own Pancake Mixes

Make either buttermilk or sour cream pancakes!

The secret to great pancake mixes lies in the  dairy—dry buttermilk or sour cream.  Cheap pancake mixes rely on baking powder with little buttermilk or sour cream.  That’s because the dairy costs ten times as much as flour.  But the dairy adds richness and flavor and reacts with the baking soda to create the bubbles in your batter.  If you’re willing to invest in a little dry buttermilk or sour cream powder you can make better pancake mixes than you’ll buy in most stores.

With the following chart, you’ll see how to make your own gourmet buttermilk or sour cream pancake mix so that you can have great “from scratch” pancakes when you are in a hurry.  It will have more buttermilk or sour cream than the store mixes and will taste better.  Add some tasty inclusions for a real treat.  It will be storable and since it
has everything included but eggs.

You can make these mixes as large or as small as you like. You can make these choices but keep the same ratio of ingredients to make it any size.

Homemade Sour Cream
Pancake Mix

All
Purpose Flour
cups 4 8 12
Sugar cups 1/3 2/3 1
Dry Sour Cream Powder cups 2/3 1
1/4
2
Baking
Soda
tsp 2 4 6
Baking
Powder
tsp 4 8 12
Salt tsp 1 2 3
Makes
Approx
lbs 1
2/3
3
1/3
5

For easier measurement, remember that one tablespoon equals three teaspoons.

Combine all the ingredients and whisk together to distribute evenly. Store your pancake mixes in an air-tight container in a cool place and it should last a long time.  (While it has not been tested, these mixes will last up to five years or longer).

You can buy buttermilk powder in your grocery store. You can also buy a quality, long lasting buttermilk powder at the Prepared Pantry which is an on line store where I buy all my bread mixes for our bread machine.  You can also buy dry sour cream powder at a reasonable price at The Prepared Pantry.

Use the pancake mix as a base mix by adding fruit, nuts, baking chips or more.  Of course, you can make it plain for some special, extra rich pancakes.

To use your mix:

1.Measure the desired mix into a large bowl.

2. In a smaller bowl, whisk one egg for every one to 1 1/2 cups of mix.

3. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter or oil to the egg for every one cup of
mix.

4. Add 2/3 cup water to the egg mixture for every one cup of mix. Add the
liquid mixture to the mix and stir until just combined. The batter will
probably be too dry so add more water to reach the desired consistency.

Variations

Here are 20 mixes that you can make.  Of course, this is just a beginning; use
your imagination to create more great gourmet pancakes.   You can buy mixes similar to this at The Prepared Pantry too.

  1. Gourmet Chocolate Chip Sour Cream/Buttermilk Pancakes (Add mini milk chocolate chips). Serve with maple syrup, coconut cream syrup, or vanilla
    cream syrup.
  2. Gourmet Cinnamon Chip Sour Cream/Buttermilk Pancakes (Add mini cinnamon chips). Serve with maple syrup, cinnamon cream syrup, or cinnamon
    apple syrup.
  3. Gourmet Peanut Butter Chip Sour Cream/Buttermilk Pancakes (Add mini peanut butter chips). Serve with maple syrup or maple cream syrup.
  4. Gourmet Walnutand Date Sour Cream/Buttermilk Pancakes (Add chopped walnuts and dates). Serve with maple syrup, cinnamon cream syrup, or maple cream syrup.
  5. Gourmet Apple Cinnamon Sour Cream/Buttermilk Pancakes (Add grated fresh apples or Fuji dry apples plus cinnamon). Serve with maple syrup, cinnamon apple syrup, or maple cream syrup.
  6. Gourmet Baked Apple Pancakes
    (Add grated fresh apples or Fuji dry apples plus maple flavoring). Serve with maple syrup, cinnamon apple syrup, or maple cream syrup.
  7. Gourmet Cranberry Nut Sour Cream/Buttermilk Pancakes (Add chopped walnuts and dry cranberries). Serve with maple syrup, cinnamon apple
    syrup, or coconut cream syrup.
  8. Gourmet Caramel Pear Sour Cream/Buttermilk Pancakes (Add diced dry pears plus a touch of nutmeg and a little cinnamon). Serve with cinnamon cream or vanilla cream syrup or a sprinkle of brown sugar.
  9. Gourmet Blueberry Sour Cream/Buttermilk Pancakes (Add blueberry baking bits plus a touch of lemon and nutmeg). Serve with blueberry syrup or cinnamon cream syrup.
  10. Gourmet Fresh Peach and Pecan Sour Cream/Buttermilk Pancakes (Add chopped fresh peaches and chopped pecans plus a touch of lemon and
    nutmeg). Serve with Orchard Peach or Vanilla Cream Syrup.
  11. Gourmet Raspberry Sour Cream/Buttermilk Pancakes (Add raspberry baking chips plus a touch of lemon). Serve with raspberry syrup.
  12. Gourmet Banana Pecan Sour Cream/Buttermilk Pancakes (Add a mashed banana and a little banana flavoring along with cinnamon and chopped pecans). Top with more sliced bananas. Serve with maple syrup or cinnamon cream syrup.
  13. Gourmet Fresh Strawberry Sour Cream/Buttermilk Pancakes (Add fresh strawberries thinly sliced and a touch of lemon). It’s easier to slice your strawberries with a strawberry slicer. Serve with strawberry syrup or vanilla cream syrup.
  14. Gourmet Tropical Coconut Banana Sour Cream/Buttermilk Pancakes (Add flaked coconut and mashed bananas).  Serve with coconut cream syrup or
    vanilla cream syrup.
  15. Gourmet Hawaiian Pineapple Sour Cream/Buttermilk Pancakes (Add granulated pineapple available at The Prepared Pantry). These are really good pancakes—sold at Prepared Pantry in a mix. Serve with coconut cream syrup or vanilla cream syrup.
  16. Gourmet Honey Buckwheat Sour Cream/Buttermilk Pancakes (Add fourth of a cup buckwheat flour for every cup of  flour.  Sweeten the pancakes with dry honey instead of  sugar). Both dry honey and buckwheat flour is available at the  Prepared Pantry.  Serve with any syrup.
  17. Gourmet Pineapple Banana Sour Cream/Buttermilk Pancakes (Add granulated pineapple and mashed bananas).  Serve with coconut cream syrup or vanilla cream syrup.
  18. Gourmet Sourdough Pancakes (Add sourdough flavor available from The Prepared Pantry).  Serve with any syrup.
  19. Gourmet Pumpkin  Sour Cream/Buttermilk Pancakes (For each 1½ cups of flour, add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and 3/4  cup canned or pureed pumpkin). Serve with vanilla cream or cinnamon  cream syrup
  20. Gourmet Strawberry Banana Sour Cream/Buttermilk Pancakes (Add strawberry chips and mashed banana.). Serve with strawberry syrup or vanilla cream syrup.

In some cases, you will want to supplement the fruit in these mixes with additional flavor.
You can purchase a wide variety of quality flavors from The Prepared Pantry.

Most of the ingredients mentioned here—the Buttermilk Powder and Sour Cream Powder plus the Baking chips including raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry baking bits–can
be purchased at The Prepared Pantry.  The Prepared Pantry also carries a full line of kitchen tools and cookware.

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Free Children Stories – yours! Share stories from your childhood with your little ones – they will love it!

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I love telling my grandchildren stories of my past – and while they are young, they want to know. Unfortunately as they reach teenagehood they are less interested in what you did as a child. Of course the children’s stories are much more fun if you can point to a photo or two – especially if you have pictures of yourself, your family, siblings, cousins etc when you were all younger.

It is fun to look at old photos – becomes the basis of my children bedtime stories – telling how it was and comparing to how it is now. Do you share your stories with your children and grandchildren? They are fascinated by the fact that we were once young too…

Oh by the way, Google is competing with Facebook and Twitter – and Google+ is offering a marketplace for everyone with fewer restrictions. Here is a link https://plus.google.com/109088212285016616867

It has been a gorgeous weekend and the world is celebrating the Xmas week – or another night of Hanukah -or whatever your celebration. We had a houseful of children and young mommies this last week, lots of songs and presents, playing and running around – two sets of twins, two 2 year olds, and three 4 year olds – what a wonderful active day! And of course there were multiple grandmas as well as young mommies! The kids were all over the place, some playing with our new bunny rabbit ( of course his name is Bugs) others feeding the many goats, or picking up the tiny quail and holding their furry soft bodies carefully, or running through the chicken pen. And then of course don’t forget feeding the tilapia and koi! The best part was singing songs, playing the piano, dancing – grandma music and kid stories as the children call it – total abandon among the little ones – with the microphone – each child had a turn to say or announce – so much fun! It was a very busy day – and Sunny the Rottweiler had such fun running around with all the children, that he was exhausted – and slept for hours after they left. Which is a good thing since Rottweilers need LOTS of exercise. Joyful wonderful times – how blessed we are! Sending good wishes to you all….

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Philanthropy Fridays – Rottweiler Rescue of Los Angeles -ALL VOLUNTEER – they need YOUR help. A source for my Children Bedtime Stories!

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A child growing up with animals is an adult with kindness and soul. Many of the children bedtime stories that I share with my grandchildren, have to do with animals. Sam, The Broken Robot talks to animals and they talk back to him. And he has lots of conversations with our Rottweiler Sunny, who is an intelligent conversationalist on many levels!

Of course, I am biased that way since we have a little farm – so today I am featuring an all volunteer group that rescue Rottweilers. They are called ROTTWEILER RESCUE OF LOS ANGELES -run by Beverly (818) 765-5997 and Caryn (909) 446-8217 hours 8:00 am – 8:00 pm who give endless love, support, food and shelter to rotties who are brought to them from all over the city.

An earlier post was all about our rescue dog, Sunny – truly the sweetest doggie soul with endless patience and love for little ones ( and horrible gas!). Our fourth rottweiler had died -sadly they don’t live beyond about 10-11 years, and we wanted to give an abandoned dog a home. So off we went and met Beverly, the momma to multiple Rottweilers who have no one else to love them. She put us through an intensive interview, she did a home visit, she introduced us to a trainer, all in all she wanted to be sure that the dog she gave us went to a good home and would be loved and well treated.

There were so many dogs there – it was hard to choose, so we took many of them off for walks to see how we related to them and them to us.

And then there was Sunny. He immediately paid close attention to the person who had him on a leash, looked up, sensed the direction he was supposed to go in, listened intently and was clearly very intelligent. It was frankly, love at first sight. And when we brought him home, with Beverly in close attendance, we threw him into the pool under her advice, so that he would learn never to jump in without us there – it worked. He has stayed away from the pool ever since ( and that was a concern to us since if he fell in, he could not get out without help). Now we have fences around our pool ( grandchildren arrived in the interim so that was essential) so its not a problem – but Sunny is careful never to get too close to the pool, nor does he bark at the children when they are making noise and splashing. All good.

So we showed Sunny his first bed -a large one to be sure – male Rottweilers weigh normally from 100- 130lbs, and he approached it carefully. I decided to get into his bed to show him how. He watched me with intense concentration. Then I got up – and he slowly put one paw onto the luxurious big square dogbed, then another paw then the third and finally the fourth – and then he sank down ( thought to himself in his doggy brain – ‘this must be The Four Seasons’) and fell asleep.

Ah yes, Sunny was finally home. He is now part of the family as well as children’s stories- here he is ‘exercising’ in the gym with my husband.

And by the way – Beverly called every week for 3 months until she was completely assured that Sunny was happy and so were we. He has been part of our family for 5 years – and Beverly still calls once a year to be sure all is well. What amazing devotion and professionalism – and all in addition to her normal job as an administrative assistant. Kudos to Beverly and Caryn!

Please give anything you can spare to Beverly’s non profit – she and Caryn give up their time, money and effort to rescue these amazing animals – they only place dogs in Southern California, and only feature pure breed Rottweilers. Below is a description taken from their site:

ROTTWEILER RESCUE OF LOS ANGELES, INC.

http://www.rottrescuela.org/

DUE TO THE REDUCTION OF TIME BY ONE OF OUR VOLUNTEERS, OUR RESPONSE TIME MIGHT BE UP TO A WEEK.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!

OUR ROTTWEILERS ARE PLACED IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ONLY.

Our goal is to find loving, life-time homes for our rottweilers. See our SUCCESS STORIES or our ADOPTED DOGS!  All Rottweilers available for adoption have been altered and vaccinated.  We temperament test our rottweilers to ensure that they are sound, gentle, good-natured pets.   We work on housebreaking and some basic obedience skills.  And, they come with a lifetime guarantee, if at any time, for any reason, an adoption does not work out, you may bring the animal back.

Rottweiler Rescue of Los Angeles, Inc. is now an IRS Section 501(c)3 Charity

Donating is now as easy as
clicking the Paypal button!

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For Dog Lovers Everywhere – The UK Top Rated Youtube Video 2011 – Tuesday Tips – have a good giggle today!

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There is no doubt that Sunny our Rottweiler is front and center in our family. The children love him and he is the most gentle, tolerant, patient and loving dog in the family – he is also a rescue – someone ‘threw him away’ when he was two years old – and he was picked up on his way onto one of the busiest highways in the area, and taken to Rottweiler Rescue ( which I  will be featuring in Philanthropy Fridays soon) where we found him and brought him home. He is grateful – so very grateful – and always so happy to be with us. Every child ( and adult) in the family even those who don’t like big dogs, adores him. He is willing to be hugged, squeezed, kissed, sat on, draped with blankets, towels, hats – whatever the children want to dress him up as. He wants only to lie in the middle of the action so nothing happens without him there. And yes, he watches television and would watch youtube children songs and videos too if I let him. He likes ‘Grandma Music’ and  ‘kid stories’ ( as the children call our songs and stories) too.

Sunny is not perfect – oh no – he loves to eat fruit (we would never give it to him – he eats only dog food except for a carrot every night) and since we live on a farm – he is constantly running around eating the fruit that has fallen off the trees. And fruit causes gas – oh my goodness! Does your dog have gas? It can clear a room and send one screaming for air. Yes, that is Sunny’s greatest fault and poor fellow he can’t do anything about it! If you have a solution for doggie gas please do share it – we are at our wits end! We love him still but my home is full of air spray containers so that as the dreaded odor begins I run around spraying and opening windows. Sigh. He is worth it though…..

So when I saw this video which my niece in Basel Switzerland sent to me as the top rated Youtube Video of 2011 in the UK, I knew that dog lovers everywhere would have a good giggle. I certainly did!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGeKSiCQkPw

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Music Mondays! LET’S DANCE TO KID SONGS!!! Dancing every day is good for the mind, body and spirit!

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“Dancing in My Room” is a song that is full of joy and action – and compels you to get up and MOVE! Here is a sample of Grandma Music and Kid Songs  – go to Children’s Books and Music to buy the song – as download or buy ALL of Sam’s songs and books in his Special Box!! I wrote this music with my guitar teacher Michael Lyn – and wrote all the lyrics and stories – inspired by the organic farm on which we live, the animals we raise, and the children’s joy in all of it. Sam, The Broken Robot, is the loveable and wise characters and the stories for kids are inspired by him. He helps the children learn to share, and to solve problems rather than crying over them or giving up. He shows that you can have fun every single day, and also be healthy and active. Sam and his family The Pretends, don’t sit in front of the TV. In fact there is no TV in their home – just lots of music and outside activities. They run, dance, sing and talk to animals. And of course are called upon to help Robbie Rooster when he has a fit of jealousy over Hattie hen’s friendship with Tommy Turtle. Sam is also asked to solve Dolly Goat’s concern about Cy the Coyote. So they are busy all the time!

And since Grandma P ( me) plays the guitar at odd times during the day the children
enjoy a life full of music and laughter. Arf and Hiss have a respectful
relationship – not friends really – but tolerate each other, and Arf loves to
bark along to the music too.  Sitting on the swing, lying on the grass looking at the sky and clouds, smelling the roses or feeding them to the goats – every day brings something new. Lolly and Polly (and also my grandchildren) have an important task each morning – and that is tofind all the snails in the farm to feed to the chickens who LOVE them!

Dancing in My Room Sample

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Philanthropy Fridays – The Giving Spirit – giving survival backpacks to the homeless in Los Angeles – www.thegivingspirit.org

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The Giving Spirit was started some years ago by a young man Tom Bagamane.

I am proud to say that our son James Segil ( father of our glorious grandsons) is on the board and every year at this time, he holds his birthday party at The Giving Spirit – inviting all his friends and family to help pack survival packs for the homeless  in Los Angeles, giving their time and donations rather than gifts to him. And this year our four and two year old grandsons will be joining him to help as well as the hundreds of volunteers,  our family and friends .

Please will you give your donations if you cannot join us in person? Go to www.TheGivingSpirit.org and donate on line as well as get the directions to the church  in Brentwood Los Angeles, which donates their congregational hall to the volunteers for storing, packing and distributing backpacks for the LA homeless.

Los Angeles has the largest population of homeless children and women in the country. Nearly 40% of all the homeless in LA, numbering over 19,000 are women and children under the age of 18. Not only are they the most vulnerable to every predator on the streets, they are the fastest growing segment of homelessness in the US.

Do you want to give them hope, sustenance and relief ?Then join us today, Friday December 16th and Saturday December 17th for The Giving Spirit’s (TGS) Annual Winter Reach Out  focused on seeking out and providing aid to homeless children and women. Gather together with folks from all over the city to assemble 1250 backpacks filled to the brim with all the essentials anyone would need seeking shelter from the winter cold. This is an ideal event for families and children of all ages to make a difference together while learning the truth about poverty and homelessness in LA.

After assembling the packs we will deliver them to over half a dozen TGS non-profit partners who provide tireless and selfless aid to our clients 365 days a year. Many of our shelter partners are specifically dedicated to helping women, children and families, these amazing organizations include: Covenant House, Downtown Women’s Center, Jeff Griffith Youth Center, San Fernando Valley, Rescue Mission, Stand Up for Kids and My Friend’s Place.  Spend quality time with our clients getting to know their stories and allowing them to reconnect to a world that has long since forgotten them.

Shelters are overflowing with families and young children. A substantial majority of LA’s 5000 homeless families are headed by a single mother. 45-50% of children in those families are below the age of 6. And the most horrific statistic – 13 homeless youths die on average every day in America.  Help us bring comfort, smiles and respite from the harsh realities of the streets to 1250 souls. Bring your kids, your friends, your school mates. Just come. And if you cant come – donate. $5, $10 – whatever you can afford. Go to www.TheGivingSpirit.org. Your donation is tax deductible!

We only have 100 volunteers registered with a goal of 400. Spread the word!

Testimonials:

 ..My 13 yr. old son and I had the most amazing experience at the Christmas
event. We unloaded trucks , packed the bags and hit the streets. The first
gentleman we approached who looked very much in need , turned us down and said there were others down the street who needed it more. This was a story we heard several times that day, along with guiding us to others in need “just down the block” or “sitting on the corner”.My son and I came away with the realization that not only are these folks just like us but many are kinder to those around them than some of our more affluent friends. A real eyeopener. The sad story however was a lovely lady who has been sitting on a bus bench at PCH and Sunset for over a month reading her Bible. We attempted to gift her with our bag and blanket and she refused us saying she was just waiting for her ride and couldn’t take all our stuff. That was her reality and how she survives on the street, she is still sitting there, wish we could have helped her.”

“Hi I’m Francine and I am a current student at Los Osos High School. I’ve always wanted to get out and go do something good for my community but I never knew how. The year, when my former spanish teacher, Mrs. Hartz, told me about The Giving Spirit I joined in a heartbeat. This is exactly how I wanted to give back to my community. I’ve grown up in an affluent community and I never thought about how serious the homeless situation was until I participated in the L.A. event in December of last year. At first I was afraid and then I realized that the homeless are human beings, human beings just as much as you and me. It was depressing to realize that there were so many people with absolutely nothing and we weren’t even seeing the majority of them. Our day was long and demanding but totally worth
it. One woman was so grateful for the duffel bag and blanket we gave her that she began to cry. The TGS event in L.A. was a life changing experience, I can’t even describe the feeling. I hope that more people join this cause. We are all so priviledged and I know we can all give something, even if its just a smile or a “hello”.”

PLEASE JOIN US – DONATE AT www.THEGIVINGSPIRIT.org.

And thank you for your kindness – it will spread a thousand points of gratitude this holiday season.

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Tasty Thursdays – EASY Jam Cookies to Make Cooking with Kids while listening to Grandma Music!

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Background:

It was a really rainy day and I was babysitting my older grandsons both of whom had colds – and so I planned ahead – and before I left my home, I measured out all the ingredients for these divine easy cookies into plastic baggies, and planned a lovely cooking day for the little ones without having to make a stop at the market to buy a single thing – so no dragging the kids through the wet and puddles ( irresistable to little boys regardless of their colds) or rushing through the marketing. As soon as I picked them up from school and they heard they were going to make cookies, there was great excitement. Both Jack and Jonah pushed their little chairs up to the kitchen counter and the fun was on! Enjoy – this is really easy and quick when cooking with kids.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of sugar

I cup of butter

2 tsp of Vanilla Extract

1 tsp of Almond Extract

2.5 cups of All Purpose Flour

Pinch of Salt

Strawberry Jam – as needed ( about 1 cup)

Directions:

1. Mix the sugar and butter together until smooth and add the extracts. I let the little ones put the butter into the mixer, and turn it on, keeping fingers OUT! I also let them pour the sugar in. Generally I put half the butter into one cup and half into another and do the same with the sugar and flour – so that each child does something to contribute to each action.

2. Add the flour slowly so that it blends well. Same approach as above dividing the job into two!

3. Then wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or so. Again I created TWO balls so that each child had his own and could learn to wrap the package himself. We couldn’t wait a whole hour – so after about 30 minutes I heated the oven to 325 degrees and we started to prepare the balls.

4. Cover a cookie pan with foil and then make each piece of dough into a ball.  Have each child put their thumb on each of their cookie balls, and teach them how to do a gentle depression. When all the cookies are lined up ( you may need two pans) get out the strawberry jam.

6. Again give each child his own strawberry jam and two teaspoons each. Teach them how to dip the one spoon into the jam, then scrape it off with the other spoon right into the little depression on each cookie. Depending on the dexterity of the child this will take a little time – but it is good learning!

7. Place the cookies in the oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until they have reached the consistency or golden color of your liking. Frankly – we couldn’t wait for more than 30 minutes and ate them HOT from the oven with a glass of cold milk. YUM YUM YUM!

 

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Philanthropy Fridays – KIDS ARE HEROES – Free Children Stories -an amazing organization for your support

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Today we are featuring KIDS ARE HEROES – http://www.kidsareheroes.org/index.html. This organization started by a 9 year old little girl – and here is more about the organization which gives you lots of FREE children stories to inspire your kids.

“Kids Are Heroes® is a non-profit that empowers, encourages and inspires children to become leaders through volunteerism and community involvement. We do this by showcasing and supporting children who are making a difference through their selfless acts of giving.

We teach children to follow their passions at an early age. This will instinctively stay with them throughout their entire lives.

Kids are indeed heroes and each one has the power to change the world.

To see how kids are making a huge impact, and to see how YOU can become a hero, click on “Meet the Heroes“.

Our kids are drilling water wells in Africa, helping orphans in India and building homes in
Haiti. They are recycling and cleaning up their neighborhoods, helping their local animal shelters and making life better for their neighbors. And guess what? They are ALL just like YOU! “

A very special organization for your support this Friday from Grandma and Sam, The Broken Robot,  at Rockin Grandma Music! Have a great weekend!

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Tuesday Tips – Featuring CUPCAKES!!! YAY~! Perfect for Cooking with Kids while listening to Grandma Music!

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Who doesn’t like cupcakes? Certainly kids love them – and I do too – sadly – since they are full of non-nutritious stuff – but once in a while – why not indulge? It’s all about moderation – in everything – eating, exercising and everything else that gives us pleasure ( or pain!). So today I will share one of my secrets with you – we have a bread machine and I buy all my bread mixes from the place which is linked in this article – and they have a ton of cake mixes too – one of which is for cupcakes. So on our Tuesday tips today, enjoy the article, and the links – and hopefully you too will soon be baking the shortcut way!

Wonderful Cupcakes—Even for
Decorating Dummies

Written by Dennis
Weaver

I’m a decorating dummy.  We have plenty of people that that are naturally
talented but somehow, I missed that line.  I can make reasonably
attractive cupcakes by sticking with a few basic techniques. I can make
cupcakes that taste good.  And that’s my priority—making them taste
good.  But they still need to be reasonably attractive.

How to Make Your Cupcakes Taste Better

Because it’s easy, I usually use a box cake mix.  But a box won’t win any culinary awards.  So I enhance my box cupcakes, and make them taste better in the following manner:

  • Add goodies to the batter.  Usually, I add cinnamon chips or raspberry, strawberry, or blueberry tidbits.  You can add nuts or coconut.  You can add chocolate or other baking chips.  Add 3/4 to one cup chips or
    tidbits.  Fold them in after the batter is mixed so that they don’t melt
    in mixing and tint your batter.
  • Add flavors and colors to the batter.  You have an incredible array
    of flavor choices with warm flavors like butterscotch or caramel and fruit
    flavors from apricot to blackberry.  To get enough flavor, it will usually
    take two teaspoons flavor.  Add a coordinating color.  Americolor professional food color gels come in 27 colors.
  • Add a filling.  I don’t remember the last time that I made cupcakes
    without a filling.  It’s just too easy and adds too much.  Use premade pastry fillings.  Snip a quarter-inch corner off the bag, insert the
    cut corner in the top of the cupcake, and squeeze.  When you frost the
    cupcakes, you’ll cover the holes.  You can fill a dozen cupcakes in a
    minute.  I use Bavarian cream pastry filling most often but I also love raspberry and lemon. They’re all good.
  • Make the frosting good.  There are a ton of great frosting recipes out there.  I love butter and cream cheese based frostings. Seven Minute Frosting is very good.  I don’t care for shortening.  A half teaspoon of flavor and couple drops of color can transform an ordinary frosting into something memorable.
  • Add toppings that taste good.  Most toppings are sugar and
    color.  They’re for show, not flavor.  And I’m not too fond of big
    chunks of candy on my cupcakes.  Our new favorite toppings are the chopped bark toppings.  They pack a lot of flavor.  If you load your cupcakes up, you’ll add a layer of flavor to your cupcakes.

You can add more flavor to your cupcakes by spreading a layer of jam or pastry filling over the cupcakes before adding frosting.  That’s especially easy to do if you’re piping frosting
onto the cupcakes rather than spreading the frosting.

How to Make Your Cupcakes Pretty

Even a decorating dummy like me can make cupcakes reasonably pretty.  I love making Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes (they’re very good) because all I have to do is dip the cupcake tops in melted chocolate and let the chocolate set.  But here are some other suggestions:

  • Use pretty colors and pretty decorations.
    There is no reason not to use pretty colors and colorful decorations.  We
    have 27 colors, 16 colors of jimmies, and decorating sugars not just in standard colors but less used colors from black to sage.  Chopped bark toppings are two-toned, are pretty, and add flavor. Decorations go a long way in masking imperfections in the frosting.
  • Don’t be afraid of a pastry bag.  For most cupcakes, we use a
    pastry bag; it’s faster and easier than spreading frosting.  If we have a
    lot of cupcakes to do, we use a large disposable pastry bag and either a star tip or
    a round tip.

A Note about Bark Toppings:  To Sprinkle or Dip?

Bark—like almond bark—is a confectioner’s delight, a melding of white chocolate with another candy. This bark is cut into pieces perfect for cookies, cakes, and cupcakes. The nuggets are full of flavor.  They are also pretty, two-toned.

If you are only interested in pretty, sprinkle the toppings on your cupcakes.  (Be sure and set the cupcakes on a plate so that you can recover any sprinkles that slide off the
cupcakes.)  If you want pretty and flavor, dip your cupcakes to get more decorations
on your cupcakes.  To do so, fill a small bowl with topping–a bowl slightly larger than a cupcake is perfect.  And then invert the cupcakes into the bowl with a rocking motion to cover the top with pieces.

The Recipes

Caramel Apple Cupcake Recipe

This is a terrific apple cupcake recipe.  The cupcakes are made with a box cake mix–either yellow or white with cinnamon chips added.  They are made with an apple filling, a
caramel frosting, and topped with cinnamon apple bark topping.

  1. Make a batch of cupcakes with a boxed yellow or white cake mix.  Add 3/4 cup cinnamon chips to the finished batter.  Bake the cupcakes.  Let them cool on a
    rack.
  2. Snip a quarter-inch corner off a bag of apple pastry filling.  Insert the snipped corner into the top of a cupcake.  Squeeze to fill the center of the cupcake.  Repeat with the remainder of the cupcakes.
  3.  Make the frosting—the recipe follows—and frost the cupcakes.
  4. Decorate with cinnamon apple bark topping or other decorations.

Caramel Frosting

This is a great caramel frosting and firm enough that you can spread if you like.  No cooking is required.

1/2 cup (one stick) butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon caramel flavor

3 to 4 cups powdered sugar

  1. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the brown sugar.
  2. Cook and stir until the sugar is melted and bubbly.  Remove from the heat.
  3. Add the milk and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until smooth.  Add the flavor.
  4. Add the powdered sugar and beat until it reaches spearing consistency.  Spread the frosting while it is still warm.

Lemon Cream Cupcake Recipe

These are wonderful creamy cupcakes
with a bright, lemon flavor.  The cake is lemon, the filling is lemon, the
frosting is a lemon cream cheese frosting, and it’s topped with lemon bark.

  1. Make a batch of lemon cupcakes with a boxed lemon cake mix.  Let them cool on a rack.
  2. Snip a quarter-inch corner off a bag of lemon pastry filling.  Insert the snipped corner into the top of a cupcake.  Squeeze to fill the center of the cupcake.  Repeat with the remainder of the cupcakes.
  3.  Make the frosting—the recipe follows—and frost the cupcakes.
  4. Decorate with lemon bark topping or other decorations.

Creamy Lemon Frosting

This is a great frosting for lemon lovers.  It’s a creamy frosting made with cream cheese that packs a lot of flavor.  It works well with a pastry bag.  No cooking is required.

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (one stick) butter, softened

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

3 to 4 cups powdered sugar

zest from one lemon

  1. Beat cream cheese, butter, and lemon juice together with an electric mixer.
  2. Add three cups powdered sugar and beat until well mixed and fluffy.  Add more as necessary to reach the desired consistency.  Add the zest.

Black Forest Cupcake Recipe

Black forest is a mixture of chocolate and cherry.  We used a boxed cake mix and filled
the cupcakes with cherry pastry filling.  We used a chocolate buttercream
frosting mix and added a teaspoon of cherry flavoring.  We sprinkled the
cupcakes with Black Forest bark topping.

This recipe makes great cupcakes.

  1. Make a batch of chocolate cupcakes with a boxed cake mix.  Let them cool on a rack.
  2. Snip a quarter-inch corner off a bag of cherry pastry filling.  Insert the snipped corner into the top of a cupcake.  Squeeze to fill the center of the cupcake.  Repeat with the remainder of the cupcakes.
  3.  Spread a thin layer of cherry pastry filling on the tops of the cupcakes.
  4. Make a chocolate buttercream frosting.  We used a chocolate buttercream frosting mix.  Add a teaspoon of cherry flavoring.  Frost the cupcakes.
  5. Decorate with black forest bark topping or other decorations.

Wild Blueberries and Cream Cupcake Recipe

These are blueberry cupcakes in five ways.  There are blueberry tidbits in the
batter, the centers are filled with blueberry pastry filling, the frosting is
made with a wild blueberry flavor, the topping is Wild Blueberries and Cream
bark topping, and each cupcake is decorated with a fresh blueberry.

  1. Make a batch of cupcakes with a boxed white cake mix.  After the batter is mixed, add 3/4 cup blueberry tidbits.  Bake the cupcakes and let them cool on a rack.
  2.  Snip a quarter-inch corner off a bag of blueberry pastry filling.  Insert the snipped corner into the top of a cupcake.  Squeeze to fill the center of the cupcake.  Repeat with the remainder of the cupcakes.
  3. Make your buttercream frosting.  We used a vanilla buttercream frosting mix.  Add a teaspoon of wild blueberry flavoring and a drop or two of Electric Purple food color gel or a blue food color of your choice.  Frost the cupcakes.
  4.  Decorate with Wild Blueberries and Cream bark topping or other decorations.  Top each cupcake with a fresh blueberry.

Cinnamon Apple Pie Cupcake Recipe

If you like apple pie, you’ll love this cinnamon apple pie cupcake recipe.  It’s a wonderful combination of cinnamon and apples.

  1. Make a batch of yellow cupcakes with a boxed cake mix.  After the batter is mixed, add 3/4 cup cinnamon chips.  Bake the cupcakes and let them cool on a rack.
  2.  Snip a quarter-inch corner off a bag of apple pastry filling.  Insert the snipped
    corner into the top of a cupcake.  Squeeze to fill the center of the cupcake.  Repeat with the remainder of the cupcakes.
  3. Make the frosting—the recipe follows—and frost the cupcakes.
  4.  Decorate with cinnamon apple bark topping or other decorations.

Browned Butter Frosting Recipe

1 1/2 cups butter

6 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 or 6 tablespoons milk as needed to reach the right consistency

  1.  Melt the butter in a small saucepan until it has started to brown.  Watch it closely.  It should be just amber in color, not dark brown.
  2. Let the browned butter cool for a few minutes then pour the clearer liquid off the top into a small bowl leaving the dark solids and a little liquid in the pan.  Place the browned butter in the refrigerator to cool for about an hour.  It should cool to a gel.
  3.  Add the flavor and browned butter to the powdered sugar in a large bowl.  Whip with an electric mixer.  Thin with additions of milk as needed.
  4.  Frost and decorate as desired.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcake Recipe

These strawberry cupcakes are filled with a strawberry cream cheese filling and
topped with a flavored cream cheese frosting.  They are topped with a
strawberries and cream bark topping.

  1. Make a batch of cupcakes with a boxed white cake mix.  After the batter is mixed, add 3/4 cup raspberry tidbits and 1 teaspoon raspberry flavor.  Bake the cupcakes and let them cool on a rack.
  2.  Snip a quarter-inch corner off a bag of cream cheese pastry filling.  Insert the snipped corner into the top of a cupcake.  Squeeze to fill the center of the cupcake.  Repeat with the remainder of the cupcakes.
  3. Make the frosting—the recipe follows—and frost the cupcakes.
  4.  Decorate with lemon bark topping or other decorations.

Creamy Strawberry Frosting

This is a creamy frosting made with cream cheese and strawberry flavor.  You may add red food coloring or pink food coloring to tint it pink if you desire.  It works well with pastry
bag.  No cooking is required.

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (one stick) butter, softened

1 teaspoon strawberry flavor

3 to 4 cups powdered sugar

red or pink food coloring (optional)

  1. Beat cream cheese, butter, and flavor together with an electric mixer.
  2.  Add three cups powdered sugar and beat until well mixed and fluffy.  Add more as necessary to reach the desired consistency.  Add the color.

Cherry Blossom Cupcake Recipe

These are wonderful cherry cupcakes with a bright, cherry flavor.  The cake is
white, the filling is cherry, the frosty is a light, fluffy, seven-minute frosting made with cherry flavor and just enough color to tint it cherry blossom pink.  It’s topped with cherry bark.

  1.  Make a batch of cupcakes with a boxed white cake mix.  Add a teaspoon of cherry flavor and a couple drops of red food coloring to the batter.  Bake as directed on the package.  Let them cool on a rack.
  2.  Snip a quarter-inch corner off a bag of cherry pastry filling.  Insert the snipped corner into the top of a cupcake.  Squeeze to fill the center of the cupcake.  Repeat with the remainder of the cupcakes.
  3.  Make the frosting—the recipe follows—and frost the cupcakes.
  4.  Decorate with lemon bark topping or other decorations.

Cherry Flavored Seven Minute Frosting

Seven minute frosting is wonderful.  Though it must be cooked, it’s easy to make: You whip it with an electric mixer as it cooks on the stovetop.  At the end of the cooking,
add the flavor and color.  It works well with a pastry bag.

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 large egg whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/3 cup cold water

1 teaspoon cherry flavor

2 drops red food coloring

  1.  Combine the sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar and cold water in a large saucepan.
  2.  Beat with a handheld electric mixer for 30 seconds.
  3.  Place the pan over very low heat and cook for seven minutes beating continually or until stiff peaks form.
    Remove from the heat.
  4.  Add the flavor and color.  Beat for two or three more minutes until the desired consistency is reached.

 

 

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Philanthropy Fridays – Featuring The Zimmer Children’s Museum in Los Angeles for FREE children stories, songs for kids…

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This is one of the most fabulous children’s museums in the world – in that it is a working, practical, usable place where children can playact ( of course , this is LA!) behind the curtains of a pretend stage, sit in a mockup aeroplane (after all Howard Hughes had his home here), cook in a pretend kitchen ( realistic looking mockup food and trays for serving, stove for cooking and more) and listen to story time all throughout the day. Then there are many places to bounce around, to read, sit quietly and look at pictures, hear short children stories, play with all kinds of interesting science like experiments, and so much more. The museum exists from donations made by people like you – and offers so much to children and parents alike. Help me in supporting them too. This paragraph below is directly from their site:

Zimmer Museum is an interactive museum for kids, where they can sit for a story, splash around at the water table, cook in the cafe, sing a song or create music and question and share their innermost thoughts. The child is encouraged to probe, question and explore
the exhibits at the museum. Book a year in advance for celebrating birthdays at
Zimmer. Check the website for upcoming exhibitions, programs and workshops at
Zimmer.

Open Hours:
Tu from 12:30 PM to 05:00 PM, We from 10:00 AM to 05:00 PM, Th from
12:30 PM to 05:00 PM, Fr from 10:00 PM to 12:30 PM, Su from 12:30 PM to 05:00
PM

Price: Admission required for
private tour; 5 USD for children; 8 USD for adults; Free for children under 2
years
Address: 6505 Wilshire Boulevard, Los
Angeles, CA
Phone: +1 323 761 8984 / +1 323 761 8989
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Tasty Thursdays Cooking with Kids – a Video Blog and Pics of Persimmon Bread for the Holidays

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Background:
I searched for the best recipe for Persimmon Bread and found one by James Beard, the famous chef. Then I changed it to suit the RockinGrandmaMusic tastes – ie took out the cognac and replaced it with orange juice ( forgot to mention that in the video BTW so  be sure to check the recipe too!) and also reduced the amount of sugar by 1/2 cup – even though my intent on the video was to put more in – I tasted it and it tasted sweet enough since our Persimmons were incredibly ripe – and finally left out the nuts – personal taste – I love nuts but not in cooked food! So here is the recipe – and the video and pics of the preparation and cooking process as well as the result too. I dare you to eat just one piece!!! Here is the link to the video.

 

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups of sifted flour
1 1/2 tsp of salt
2 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of ground nutmeg
2 to 2 and 1/2 cups of sugar ( I only used 2 cups)
1 cup of melted unsalted butter cooled to room temperature
4 large eggs beaten lightly
2/3 cup of orange juice
2 cups of persimmon puree
2 cups of raisins ( or dried cranberries and raisins mixed)

Directions:

  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Butter and flour loaf pans or one large oblong cake pan and shake off the excess flour. Or you can line the pans with parchment.
  3. Mix all the dry ingredients together.
  4. Make a well and pour the wet ingredients into the hole.
  5. Add the raisin mixture -and mix it all well.
  6. Pour into the pans and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool, cut into pieces and serve -YUM!

 

 

 

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A wonderful thought for today and tomorrow

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My good friend Ellen Lapham of Executive Solutions has a wonderful signature line on her emails:

Aim High

What is above knows what is below, but
what is below does not know what is above”

So so true Ellen!

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Music Mondays – Toddlers 6 months to 6 years LOVE RockinGrandmaMusic -songs and stories about Sam, The Broken Robot and the Pretend Family –

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For our Music Mondays – here are Jack (4) and Jonah (2) listening to the narrations of RockinGrandmaMusic of Sam the Broken Robot and the Pretend family for the first time. They were spellbound and stood just like this for nearly 50 minutes. It made me so very happy. They were my beta site – and they loved it! This gave me the courage to go forward and create books and CD’s for YOU!

Here is a sample of the CD that holds both the narrations and the music. Sam’s Special Box has all three of his books and both the Song CD and the Narration and Song CD. Your little ones will LOVE it and its a great gift for just $29.97.Here is a sample of Book Two – Sam and Leo Lion Save Dolly goat – Leo the Lion Narration 22

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Philanthropy Fridays – Giving Thanks – There is always something to be thankful for – A man with No Arms and No Legs – Who Gives Thanks Every Day

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Today I want to feature a remarkable young man. If you are feeling those post holiday blues ( probably too much food eh?) look at this video and remember that there is always something to be grateful for…and that should be front and center every morning as we greet the day.

We love to feature inspiring stories to remind you and your children how special you all are. If you ever thought you were “less than” or not good enough, let this be a reminder that you have so much to be grateful for and you are so very wonderful in so many ways.

 

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Tasty Thursdays; Thanksgiving Day – we have so much to be thankful for – and it is a busy day so here is My Short Cut Stuffing Recipe

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Background:

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. As an immigrant some 37 years ago – I continue to wonder in awe at the opportunities and joys that this glorious US of A has given me and my family – and thank with all my heart our volunteer and committed military personnel and their amazing families, who keep us safe from those who would change and destroy this land of liberty and opportunity.

With all the preparations that go into making a wonderful thanksgiving – I do cut some corners. One of them is to use Mrs. Cubbison’s Stuffing mix – and doctor it up so that it tastes spectacular. Here is my secret recipe – alas a secret no longer. Also I do not wait for Thanksgiving to serve stuffing – most times when I cook a chicken I cook stuffing too. It makes it festive!

Ingredients:

  • Mrs Cubbison’s Stuffing mix – regular and corn bread (I use a bag from each box and mix the dry mix first in a bowl)
  • Chopped celery ( 1 cup per bag of mix)
  • Chopped onion ( 1 cup per bag of mix)
  • Unsalted butter ( 6 Tbsp)
  • Olive Oil ( 4 Tbsp)
  • I bag of dried apricots ( about 2 cups which are snipped with a scissors or chopped)
  • 1 bag of raisins ( about 2 cups)
  • Salt and pepper
  • Juice of two lemons or limes
  • 1/4 cup of chives
  • 2 Tbsp of Chicken broth concentrate ( I use Better than Bouillon) mixed with 4-5 cups of hot water
  • Canola oil

Directions:

  1. Heat the oil and 4 tbsp of the butter in a large frying pan on medium high
  2. Add the onions first and saute for 10 minutes.
  3. Add the celery and saute for 10 minutes
  4. Add the two bags ( mixed in a separate bowl) of stuffing mix.
  5. Add the raisins, and apricots
  6. Add the chicken stock ( about 4 – 5 cups)
  7. Turn heat to low and mix very well
  8. Season to taste
  9. Squeeze the juice of two lemons over the mixture ( no pits).
  10. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of chives over the mixture and mix in well.
  11. Mix well again and then spray canola oil onto a large Pyrex baking dish.
  12. Spoon half of the stuffing into the dish and put the rest of the stuffing into the turkey or chicken cavity.
  13. Dab a few dabs of butter of the remaining 2 tbsp of the butter, on top of the stuffing in the Pyrex dish -and place it in the oven to brown on top for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees just before serving.
  14. The stuffing in the poultry cavity will cook along with the chicken or turkey. Both can be served with the meal.

 

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Tuesday Tips – no video blog this week – still fighting that nasty cold! Making a GREAT Magic Lemon Parmesan Salad Dressing!

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Background:
I love this dressing – it is my fallback dressing for salads when I can’t think of anything else – and it really works well.

Magic Lemon Parmesan Salad Dressing ( serves about 4 people)

  • Juice of two lemons
  • 4 tbsp of very finely grated Parmesan
  • 1/4 cup of oil ( generally it’s 3 parts of oil to 1 part of lemon juice or if you prefer a more lemony dressing – 2/2)
  • Garlic Salt or Lemon Salt/Pepper combination to taste

Directions:

  1. Squeeze two lemons into a small dish ( remove all the pits).
  2. Add the oil and the seasonings. ( I have also added chopped rosemary, or oregano, or basil or Italian parsley or other fresh herbs about 2 Tbsp)
  3. Whisk well.
  4. Add the Parmesan. Whisk well again. The mixture should become creamy.
  5. Prepare the salad ( I use fresh torn greens, feta cheese, chopped tomatoes and chopped cucumber, chopped carrots and 2 chopped pitted dates with 2 Tbsp of chopped red onion). Keep chilled until ready to serve.
  6. Whisk the dressing well before serving and do NOT dress the salad until everyone is seated and ready to eat ( sort of like Risotto – the people wait for Risotto – Risotto NEVER waits for people – see my cookbook “Made With Love – The Italian Way” for more on the Risotto!)
  7. Dress the salad lightly – folks can always add more dressing – and serve immediately! YUM!
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Philanthropy Friday ( belated) – Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Cycle for Survival

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Our ‘second’ son Matt Spielman who is a good friend of our son James, is cycling for a very important cause – to fund research in the causes of cancers – at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Cycle for Survival – in honor of his dear friend, a young woman with great courage, Jennifer Goodman Linn, who passed recently. I support him in his commitment to this cause, and to his friendship and loyalty. I hope you will too. Click on this link to donate as I have.

Click here to view the team page for Team Impact

 

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Music Mondays – Featuring ‘ The Happy Song’

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The sun is shining and after a weekend of rain, to get everyone in the right mood for a wonderful week, I am featuring The Happy Song today.

Here are the lyrics and a sample Happy Song Sample:

“I am happy, when there’s music,

I am happy when there’s dancing,

I am happy when you hug me,

I am happy we are together,

I’m so thankful for all the good things,

We all feel good when the music sings,

Dancing makes us feel so happy,

Hold my hand, sing with the band

I am happy ………

Are you happy today?

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Tasty Thursdays – Belatedly! Baked Apples with Cranberries and Sour Cream

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Hi – I am still struggling with a crashed hard drive and replacements – but as promised here is the recipe for Tasty Thursdays!

Baked Apples Little Farm Style ( Serves 6)

Ingredients:
6 Granny Smith ( Green) Apples (one per person)

1.5 Cups of Dried Sweetened Cranberries

2 Tbsp of Butter ( 1 tsp per apple)

6 Tbsp of Brown Sugar ( 1 Tbsp per apple)

6 Tbsp of Sour Cream ( 1 Tbsp per apple – I use non fat)

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Wash the apples and core them ( ie take the middle stem pits and hard stuff out in a core leaving the apple intact but with a hole in the middle almost all the way through. If you can core them without cutting all the way through, that will prevent the yummy mixture from leaking all over your baking pan

3. Mix the sugar, butter and cranberries together then stuff the mixture into each of the empty apple core in the centre again trying not to piece the bottom to conserve the mixture inside.

4. On a baking pan with sides ( rectangular or square is fine) spray some Pam or Canola on the bottom and sides, and then place the stuffed apples into the pan – 6 should be able to fit nicely.

5. Bake for 45 minutes or until the apples look soft, and are beginning to brown slightly on top. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes – or little ones will burn their mouths as the inside of the apples gets very hot.

6. Serve with a tablespoon of sour cream on top – with a little brown sugar sprinkled on top of that. Delicious with vanilla icecream too!

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