Kid Friendly Treats

What's a good after school or even dinner time meal that even a tween could cocook? A Cantonese soup, full of noodles and flavor. what goes as a quick dessert afterwards. Chocolate drenched Rice Krispies treats. These too are an easy make  and definitely a fun eat.

Both regular contributors  Melissa Clark and Mia Leimkuhler gave these recipes in yesterdays on line and hard copy versions of the New York Times Wednesday Food section, Ms. Clarks turned to Lane Li , owner of Noodle Lane. She created  a soup her eleven year old son Jackson could easily replicate. It was what her mother let her make for herself when she was the same age.It is rife with  chopped scallions and homemade chicken broth.She keeps fat in t as opposed to skimming it out because the fat gives it more flavor.  Use  rice or egg noodles. along with pickled mustard greens and oyster sauce. Chili oil can be added for zing. Bok choy is also added if you want (or broccoli for a milder taste) Add a pinch of granulated white sugar to balance out the tartness and saltiness. This can also be a great soup for a  busy weekend too. A vegan version can be made using veggie broth.

To end t try Mia Leimkuhler's chocolate Rice Krispie treats. These are a perfect endings to a mini meal of soup or just good on their own with a big glass of milk. You could use Cocoa Puffs to make this but the taste won;t have the same richness or smokiness. She borrowed the recipe from dessert master Samantha Senaviratne who added browned salted butter in the recipe. She also recommends adding crumbled graham crackers for a s'mores vibe. Use King Arthur brand cocoa powder and swirl it into the melted butter for a gooey ,fudgey vibe. As for the marshmallows any kind will do. It's first melting the butter - any kind will do but Kerry Gold would be a lovely addition, then adding the cereal and marshmallows.  Two teaspoons of vanilla are added to bring out the other flavors. It;s mixed and then poured into a butter pan. Let cool and set. Then cut into nine squares.

A good after noon school snack should be homemade and tasty. Try these two t  stave off that homework hunger. They're just delicious.

Those Bunny Bits

 Everyone knows what to do with Easter leftovers. Make ham sandwiches and serve them with the leftover potato salad. Reheat the asparagus with butter. Slice the lamb for stew. Yet what do you do with all that leftover Easter candy? How much chocolate can one family eat? Luckily there are a few fun recipes to deal with those bunny bits.

All kinds of chocolate can be meted down and refashioned into bark. Think of melting those leftover  milk chocolate bunnies and hollow dark chocolate eggs to create a two tone or truffle bark. You can add the leftover over coconut from those bunny and lamb cakes , nuts and pretzels. You can also roll pretzel rods in the chocolate for dipped ones. A second roll in pastel colored sprinkles lends a festive air.Another idea is chopping up the chocolate and adding it to any ice cream. Think of a strawberry or raspberry gelato chock full of chunks or create you own version of Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia by combining cherry vanilla with cut up chocolate eggs or Kisses. What about those  solid creme, nougat and coconut eggs? Slice those and put a scoop of chocolate ice cream on top for a kind of Easter egg sundae. It's a fun way to get rid of those giant eggs that always seem to last forever.  If you were lucky to receive those huge Perugina eggs with the toy inside. then they're a double bonus. The halves make for excellent cups for ice cream, puddings, custards or mousses. Add whipped cream and some sprinkles for a truly decadent treat or dessert.

Easter candy can also be baked into sweet treats too. You can take all that leftover chocolate and turn it onto a decadent mousse pie. This is perfect for any milk chocolate (although you can do the same with dark too ).It's  melted  and mixed with mini marshmallows, milk and whipping cream, then poured into an already made pie crust. The entire pie is refrigerated for about three hours in the fridge.  Of course you can also add the chopped bits to cookies and brownies. Try a chocolate chip recipe but sub in sliced solid or Krispie  eggs. You could also sub in pastel M&M's too for a festive looking cookie.Brownies can also be stuffed with chopped candy too. You can use a scratch recipe or just a box of any brownie mix. Even marshmallow eggs can be used for a creamy chewy middle. Peeps can even be repurposed. Think fun Rice Krispie bars decorated with whole chick or bunny Peeps. You can also cut these up (if you can bear tearing up all that cutemess) and put them into the treats. The results are pretty rainbow colored bites. Chocolate can also be thrown into the recipe too.

Don't worry about all that leftover Easter candy. It can easily be repurposed into fun treats everyone will like. It will be like finding that candy all over again!!!

The Allergy Free Christmas Cookie

It's the start of the holiday baking season and with that comes a plethora of cookies. However it can also be a dodgy pick and choose game for those with various allergies. what to do? Create bites that are not only tasty and worry free. The end result is still a large buffet of sweet treats.

All baked goods start with flour and that's where the first problem is. Many have gluten which can be lethal to those with celiac disease. A simple spritz cookie can bring on everything from intestinal  distress to vomiting. Instead of forgoing a sweet nibble, incorporate gluten free flours into the holiday baking routine. Many companies like Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur do sell gluten free versions of their regular flours at supermarkets. There are other flours you can use such  almond flour which is perfect for making macarons or light , fluffy cakes.it's would also be good for low carb brownies and holiday breakfast waffles too. Its' coarser cousin, almond meal can be used for quick breads and such cookies as citrussy snowballs, fun thumb prints or almond chocolate chip cookies. Another route is making traditionally flourless treats.  Aquafaba meringues are simply chickpea water, sugar,cream of tartar and vanilla. Make them really festive by adding natural red and green dyes. Rice Krispy treats can be molded into cookie like rounds for fun decorating and eating. Rice Krispy treats can even be molded and cut into larger pieces to create a variation of a gingerbread house.

Holiday cookies are filled with all sorts of goodies, such as nuts and chocolates. Yet they can be sheer horror for those with severe allergies. Substitution is the key here. Don't deprive  family of those peanut butter cookies. Sub in sunflower butter instead. This is sunflower seeds crushed and mashed into a type of  spread that can be a great  fill in for anything that uses  peanut butter. The flavor is a bit milder, tasting like  - what else - sunflower seeds. Yet it's perfect for baking. Unfortunately those with peanut allergies are usually allergy to other nut such as almonds and walnuts. These figure heavily in holiday baking. If you still want crunch, then think seeds. Try the crunchy and delicate Southern treat benne cookies. These are buttery wafers made with sesame seeds, brown sugar, eggs, and a cup and a half of butter. Have these and they're sure to be a holiday classic. Chocolate is another cookie ingredient  that can cause problems for those allergic to it. Switch to carob which is the perfect stand in. Surprise the family with carob chip cookies. They won't know the difference  between them and the real thing. There's also a carob cookie recipe with powdered espresso in it for a mocha latte flavor.

Allergy sufferers and those who bake for them, don;t despair this holiday season. The key is subbing in ingredients that are still tasty but harmless. You can still make your cookies and eat them too,

The Big January Clean

Now that the holidays are over , it's time to clean out the kitchen. A snowy weekend in  means time to assess what you have, what needs to be thrown out and needs to be repurposed. It's a great way of figuring out what 's good and what's not.

There may be some baking ingredients left over from last month's big bake off. Chocolate chips can still be good and reused in everything from sundaes to rice puddings. Sprinkles can be scattered over ice cream or hot chocolate. Check to see if any leftover nuts are still good to eat. These are the first to go rancid . If that's the case toss. Cake mixes can last up to anywhere from a year to three years while cookie mixes can be used within twelve months. It's also a good time to evaluate all those cans. Canned beans usually can last a long time.If you have a few cans and  tomato sauce then think about making . chili This is a great dish to also get rid of any left over roasts. Tins of tomatoes can be repurposed into making sauces for future pasta dishes.Any extra boxes of pasta can go either Italian or Chinese, depending on the ingredients. you have around. It can also go into a fun spaghetti pie . the fridge needs to cleaned out too. Those cocktail olives from the your Christmas party probably should be tossed by now Check condiments too.Mayo can only last two to three months while ketchup lasts longer at eighteen months.

Luckily stale bread, crackers and snacks can be tossed to the birds and wildlife.in fact you can go to any big parking lot and feed the gulls and land birds as well as hitting your local beaches to feed gulls and other sea birds. Leftover bread can be turned into a tasty bread pudding, perfect for a frosty day.Old fruit and veg can also be thrown out to any raccoons and possums in your neighborhood. The same goes for cereals.  Just remember that cereal can last up to six months.  Another idea is turning them into fun treat bars.It doesn;t have to be just Rice Krispies. Cheerios can also be used. Add some leftover chocolate chips or sprinkles for color and taste.They can also be crushed and used to coat chicken for chicken fingers or fried chicken  Any rice cereal can also surprisingly be  used for coating fish for a perfectly crunchy coating. If you have a lot of oatmeal,yes, it makes for a good  hearty breakfast but it can also be used for cookies as well as for crisps.Use it and any leftover flour from holiday baking to make oatmeal bars. Make it healthy with the addition of honey and wheat germ.

January is the time for cleaning out. Evaluate what you have. . decide if it can be repurposed or thrown out. Cleaning out will make for more room and a tidier kitchen.