Why Can't Chips Be CHips

 Potato chips.It's simple - .A slice of deep fried potato flavored with salt. It's perfect.It;s what makes French fries taste like heaven. It should be the same for the basic chip. Yet it isn't. Now they come in a million flavors. The question is why.

This dawned on me when I made amy local  trip to the Acme yesterday and saw their brand Signature feature a stuffing flavor . I'm guessing it taste like sage and bread - possibly with hints of turkey and chicken broth, The problem with this is where would the potato flavor be? It's less of a chip than something else.Flavored chips are nothing new.They've been around for a whopping seventy-f9ve years first being made in Ireland(!!!!!!)  and not where everyone would guess - the US. it was Dublin based Joe Murphy who created the variant  - cheese and onion - along with the British favorite salt and vinegar. The last probably mimicked the taste of the French fries or chips themselves doused with salt and vinegar. He developed a way to season the chips during the production portion. His company Tayto gained worldwide recognition and soon copies followed. The United States quickly got on board and produced barbecue and sour cream and onion flavors. The last seemed a logical jump. Most Americans were dunking their chips into a sour cream based onion dip at parties.

However in those three quarters of a century , flavors seemed to have gotten out of hand. Lays alone has a large array of different ones and sponsor a  write in contest where fans can submit their sometimes wild suggestions. They even offer a chip that's layered with all the popular flavors - salt and vinegar, barbecue and sour cream. I'm not sure how the flavors would be mixed together , The original potato flavor would be smothered.Other snacks like Takis, the rolled tortilla chips snack has these Fuego or super spicy flavored crisps. Lays has taken a cue from them and produced a flaming hot chip . Other flavors reflect growing ethnic groups such as  Latinx. This gave birth to the flavor Chile limon which sort of is like a spicy margarita.  They laos have a Korean chicken flavor, as they cater to the growing Asian population. Here's is also on board with different  flavors too.There's an Old Bay one that is like  the famed crab leg dish along with ketchup and even steak. There is also a dill pickle flavors, ripe with dill for pickle lovers.

DO these flavors enhance the potato chip? Some fans might say yes. However they're missing the great tasty of fried potato with salt.

Easy Friday Potatoes

 It's the start of the weekend. It's time for just easy cooking whether for main meals or for sides. Air frued potatoes fills this need.

I just wanted air fried potatoes for lunch.It;s kind of like just wanting an order of fries, except air fried potatoes are so much better. I bought these from yesterday's Lidl's haul.

These are from The LIttle Potato Company. Their Little Yellows slice up and fry up nicely. I defiinitely plan on buying thm again the next time I visit Lidl.

It was first rinsing them off and then slicing each one info four slices or coins. I added half a cup of olive oil, salt and pepper along with garlic and onion powders.

Even small potatoes take a long time to air fry. It was cooking them for fifteen minutes at 400 degrees. Thyey were flipped at seven minutes, half way between the beginning and end of cooking times.

This yielded two batches. They were grat on their own but you could also serve them alongside of steak or even with eggs and bacon as a haerty Sunday brunch. Drizzle on melted cheddar and sprinkle with bacon bits for a tasty game day snack too.

These are asy friday potatoes but you could make them any day of the week. Save them for the upcoming weekend or make alongside a weekday grilled meat. They're good any day you serve them.

Salty Knowledge

 Salt isn't just salt. it could be the granualr sugar like one or flakes of melt in your mouth flavors of the sea. what kind of slat you use is vital to making or breaking any recipe. What;s good to use? Luckily there's a guide.

Regular contributor Melissa Clark wrote about this fascinating seasoning in today's New York Times Food section. We use salt almost daily  and what we use has a prfound effect on our cooking. Using salt as seasoning has been around since Neolithic times when early humans went into eating meat. Humans need it to survive. Sodium chloride or NACl regulates our body fluids and is essential for nerve, muscle and digestive function. Let's face it too - a lot of foods would taste horribly bland and unexciting without a dash of salr. Salt was also used for preserving meats , veggies and cheeses , espcially when global transport started in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The ancient Egyptians used it eve to preserve mummies/. Before mass production in the 20th Century salt was either found in mines or taken from any nearby ocean ro sea. That all changed in the 1900's when iodized salt came into being. Iodized salt , which was mined from salt mines  is important for regulating the thyroid gland.Now  howvermany are ditching that for the tastier flakier salts.

Ms. Clark also a guide to the different salts out there along with a recipe. You can use iodized or table salt for cooking and seasoning.It does have extra chemicals  like dextrose and sodium bicarbonate added to prevent it from clumping.Sometimes it does have a very briny or metallic tang to it.There is also kosher salt which does not need a rabbinical blessing to be used. it;s defined  by its coarse large crystals. These draw out blood from meat, which desalinates the meat.It also makes for a good crust around the meat. Then there are the darlings of the culinary world ; the sea salts.  Home chefs can buy common sea salt which is industrially produced from sea water. Keep in mind thse have additives too, namely anti-caking ones. They can come in grains like table salts or cubes used for pasta water.It has a cleaner flavor than table salt and is used a lot in baking. A better bet is traditional sea salt like fleur de sel, sel gris or flaky sea salt.They're made by evaporating sea salt in hot climates. They don;t have a uniform crystal size or salinity. Most are used in decoarting dishes but also had layers of complexity when being added to any swet or savory recipe. Sea salt flakes are probably the best salt to use. Maldon Sea salt which comes form the town on Maldon England on the Blackwater Estuary gives food a bright snap. They have less minerality than the other sea salts.  There is also fleur de sel, which has salty and bitter notes along with sel gris.it's harvested from the clay bottom hence te name grey salt. You can also try Himalayan pink salt from Pakistain whic has a slightly spicy flavor,

Salt is essential to life. It's also essential in bringing any dish to life. Sea salt is the best bit other work too in making food tastier.

Yee Haw It's Cowboy Caviar

 There's a fun summer dish in town and it's Cowoby Caviar. It's a zippy mix of black beans - hence the name and different veggies. It's one of the easiest and tastiest dishes ro make during August.

This has been on my radar for some time. It was finally time to make it and it was a fun make.It was the perfect lunch and dinner during a steamy 100 degree day.

The original recipe first made in Rexas during the 1940's calls for an avocado , a bell pepper , cherry tomaotes, black eyed peas and sweet corn. I changed up the orginal recipe by omitting the black eyed peas and olives - maybe next time,.

I used two chopped avocados simply bhecause I love avocados.

These were cut into long strips, You can chop them into smaller pieces as per the original Cowboy Caviar recipe.

                                     

 Then the tomatoes. I love a summer dish with a lot of tomatoes so I added three chopped ones.I added their juiice too which adds to the vinaigrette.

Thne the green pepper. I used green instead of red because it added color. This was sliced and chopped into small pieces. As for the corn, I'm not a fan of it so I let others add their own. 

You should use a red onion but that can be too intense in flavor. I opted for a sprinkle of onion powder along with a dusting of garlic powder. Since this was is a Texan dish, I switched the lime for a teaspoon of chili powder for a real cowboy Tex-Mex flavor. It gave the vinaigrette a zingy flavor,

A quarter of a cup of olive oil and red wine vinegar is all it needs for the vinaigrette. Add seasalt and freshkly ground pepper for more flavoring.

                                                           Here it looks like a tomato salad.

                                                         I added these. Stop & Shop's Blue corn chips which have a deeper,        mellower taste than their yellow corn counterparts

It made them much better. This was one of the best salads I've had. It was delicious , thanks to the different veggies and the kick of chili powder. I plan on making this again - soon. It's the perfect weekend dish and even for a party.

Coeboy Caviar is the dish of the summer. It's the perfect cool and easy dish for a steamy day. Make it and enjoy its' tasty mix of veggies and chili powder.

A Classic Air Fried

 Baked potatoes are great as a side or loaded to make for a perfect dinner. Even better is air fried baked ones that elevate it to a new level of tastiness. Once you'v had these, you will not want them any other way,

I decided to try this , craving a Wendy's baked potato. I found a good recipe at www.natashaskitchen.com. I tweaked the recipe for more flavor. It starts with two meaty baking potatoes.

Keep in mind you'll need to scrub them good.I used just cold water and a paper towel, but you can also use a vegetable scrubber to get rid of the dirt too.

These have been washed and waiting to be coated.

I rubbed them in olive oil and then used a rub of sea salt and pepper.Make sure the skins are completely covered in this mix. Poke holes in them using a fork with sharp tines or the tip of a sharp knife. Doing such will prevent them from exploding in the air fryer basket avoiding a mess.

It was then air frying them. This can be tricky, The website recommends cooking them for first thirty minutes at 400 degrees Farenheit, then flipping them over  and cooking for another fifteen minutes.I did this and after the second baking/frying, they were still not done. A knife is supposed to sink into a thoroughly baked one.It didn't with these. I had to cook them an extra fifteen minutes again at 400 degrees to get them sift inside.Now I realize that they needed to be cooked for forty-five minutes for a fluffy, cooked interior.

The wait was well worth it. The inside was food magazine perfect, the skin , crispy and flavorful like a potato chip.

I had mine with a big dollop of Melt plant butter and broccoli.

It was also good loaded with the broccoli , butter and Good Foods Nacho dip. You can add anything to these, from chili to butter to sour cream. I am a new big fan of these spuds.  Normally I don;t eat the skins. However this crispy version is tasty. The whole potato was gone.

Air frying is the only way to bake potatoes.It  gives the skins a wonderfully crispy outside while maintaining that meaty white perfection inside. Try them today fro a meal or a side.

Beans A Good Pantry Staple Part Two

Beans are now an important part of our pantries as we stock up in unprecedented numbers. It's a great source of protein and they're flavorful. Yesterday we covered Melissa Clark's bean guide that was in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Today there's ways of cooking the traditional way or the easier method of using a crockpot or pressure cooker

This is a great keeper article because Ms. Clark offers how to soak and spice them.  They can be a quick soak or an overnight if you have the time - which now you do.  Spicing them is fun. If you like fiery  add chili powder for a quick chili. Want a taste that's more like pasta e fagiole? Then add some garlic and onions along with cooked celery. Beans can be cooked in a variety of different ways. The easiest is on the stove top. This is putting your beans in two inches of water and simmering over a low flame. Give them a gentle stir every now and then and remember that DON'T boil them. This can cause their skins to burst , creating either mushy or unevenly cooked beans. Dried beans will either  cook quickly for ones such as red lentils which only take fifteen minutes or a slow cook of three to four hours. This is for chickpeas and lima beans. If you're preparing them, then allow for time, such as starting in the early afternoon. Remember to save the water or aquafaba from the chickpeas. These are the vegan sub in for egg whites and you can create everything from vegan mayo to meringues and marshmallows with it.

The other methods are easy. One is using your slow cooker, Again as with the stove top method cover your beans with two inches of water or broth and salt to taste (although go easy on the salt if you're using broth, because it's already heavily salted) Set the setting on low and cook on low for about six hours. Ms Clark warns about kidney beans that need to be extra cooked ten minutes over a stove top before cooking in a crockpot.It makes them more digestable. Your pressure cooker also works well for cooking beans.Place soaked or unsoaked ones in again, about two inches of water. Add salt and any aromatics such as garlic or celery and some neutral oil such as peanut, canola or safflower . This last is to prevent any foaming  from clogging the vent. Remember to make sure you do not fill the pressure cooker to the brim. Only go halfway. Fill to the halfway mark instead. Cook at high pressure for anywhere between five to ten minutes for small beans such as black eyed peas, lentils and split peas. Chickpeas will take up to thirty five to forty minutes longer.. You'll know they're done by their tenderness.Store the beans in their liquid for five days. Do not freeze them because they can go mushy.

This is the time for pantry stocking. Have a few bags of beans on the ready for all sorts of dishes. They 're tasty and delicious as well as healthy and nutritious for you.

Your Spring Must Have Arm and Hammer Fruit And Veggie Wash

This is the season when we start to see more fresh fruits and veggies in markets and stores. They may look fresh and just picked, but there may be everything from pesticides to dirt on them - not to mentions germs from squeezers and sniffers. Be extra safe with giving them a quick wash . Arm & Hammer has a new fruit and vegetable wash that will wash away all that bad stuff. Best of all it's all natural so it's safe for even kids to use.

 

This is a must have for any home chef. Every  household has some form of fresh fruits and veggies. We all want to eat healthy yet our produce can come with either traces of dirt, pesticides and even diseases. The Arm and Hammer wash rinses away these concerns. One of the best aspects of Arm and Hammer is that it's all natural. The ingredients are purified water, baking soda, salt and plant derived cleaning agents. You could concoct this at home but it may come out clumpy. It's best to let the experts make it.

The nozzle is easy to use. Just turn it to open. A fine drenching mist comes out and thoroughly cleans the fruits and vegetables. One spritz does it for an apple, a couple cleans a bowl of grape tomatoes. It's then just scrubbing for larger produce and a good rinse with tap water.

Use Arm and Hammer Fruit and Vegetable wash for your produce. This cleanser takes away any fears and concerns regarding dirt , pesticides and even diseases. It is a must have for any home chef with a kitchen full of produce.

The Vegan Lamb Part Two Iced

After baking the vegan lamb and letting it sit  for a day, it was time to ice it. I used the same  Wilton recipe as before however I used Stop & Shop's confectioner's sugar instead of Domino's

It' starts out with vegetable shortening and a stick of Country Crock spread. This was whipped for a few minutes with an electric beater. Vanilla, sea salt and almond milk were added along with five cups of sugar.

                     There was a heart shape in the middle of the bowl.

                      More of a heart shape in the beater blades.Maybe my Mom is looking out for me and this is her way of letting me know she's around , watching.

                I used the bags of confectioners sugar which weighs  two pounds. I recommend  buying this amount  for any big baking project, especially if  there's a lot of icing to do. Also the bag is easier to handle than the box.

 I don't know if it was that or adding a little too much almonds milk (half a cup instead of a quarter) but the icing was runny, looser than what it was the last time around.

   I also mixed  cocoa powder into a small blob of icing  for the mouth, nose and eyes,
 There were also candy eyes from Betty Crocker that I picked up in Stop &Shop's bake aisle.They
 kind of gives the lamb a Raggedy Ann kind of look. I think I'll stick with the blue icing for the eyes
 instead.

 

Unfortunately a vegan scratch cake is not as strong as a Dream Whip/cake mix  cake  The

head fell off thanks to the frosting's heaviness. The next time the vegan lamb will just have a dusting of powdered sugar with buttercream features. I realize it's just too fragile for

 a butter and shortening rich icing. The cake was good on it's own, very delicate tasting

 thanks to the almond extract. 

Now I know what to do when Easter comes around and I have to bake a flock of lambs. It's a lot of trial and error but worth the work. It's always good to bake and ice a tester cake. There won't be any bad surprises or tears.

A Crunchy Healthy Cauliflower

One of my favorite recipes is my Mom's fried cauliflower. This was always a treat because of the earthy sweet taste of the florets and that delectable fried crunch, thanks to the breadcrumbs. Unfortunately all that frying and the veggie's gas inducing qualities usually made for a pretty wild ride afterwards. I decided to try the air fry method  with my new favorite appliance - my Power Air Fryer.

I found a recipe on line that I adapted to what I had in the kitchen, I used a medium sized cauliflower from Stop & Shop's organic Nature's Way. You don;t have to parboil it but it does help in creating a tender middle in the florets. It also makes it easier to pull apart.

Parboiling just takes five minutes .Boil water and put stripped cauliflower in the water.

After, to stop it from overcooking, plunge into an ice bath.

I added  two ice trays worth of ice cubes to "shock" the cauliflower. This stops it from cooking more from the residual heat.

Now it's onto breading. I used a recipe from The Foodie Eats site./It's half a cup of water,1/2 cup of almond milk and 1/3 cup flour. I added two and a half teaspoons of Pereg's savory halwaij spice mix. 

This is a traditional Yemeni spice that will be competing with the already trendy za'atar spice mix.

The floret looked a bit anemic so I decided to do a double dip. First a dip in the wet batter then dredging in a mix of halaij, flour , salt and pepper.

 

As you can see, it's a messy,messy job. Be prepared to get your fingers batter dipped too.

Now for air frying.

Set it at 350 F

For fifteen minutes.

This is the finished product. It's not as good with as my Mom's breaded and fried version. Thanks to the halaij it had an Indian curry vibe . The spice contains turmeric which gave the florets that nice golden glow. It had the sufficient crunch. I would make it a bit differently - possibly with onion powder and definitely more salt and pepper. The next time will be with panko crumbs.The most noticeable change is that I didn't have any stomach problems afterwards. 

If you want a healthier fried cauliflower, this is the  recipe for you. You can add a dipping sauce or just eat the florets plain.It's a different spin on my family's classic.

Fresh Baked Ornaments

Two of the most fun Christmas activities are baking and tree trimming. Combine them and you have a great time creating and  decorating fresh from the oven works of arts. Even novice bakers can join in on the fun with simple recipes.

If you want cookies without the calories, then think salt dough ornaments. Why a dough heavily laced with NaCl? Salt , as we all know, is an excellent preservative. It will contribute to the ornaments lasting a longtime without crumbling or breaking.it also deters mold from forming which would shorten the decoration's shelf life. Start with preheating the oven to 300 degrees F. What you'll need is four cups of all purpose flour, one cup table salt  and one and one half cups of  warm water. Pour the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and slowly stream in the water as you stir . Keep stirring until all the water has been added in. It will take on the consistency of bread dough so it will be hard to work with. It's now time to use your hands. The dough should be smooth and pliable like pizza dough.It's then rolling it between two large sheets of parchment paper.The bottom sheet should be placed on a cookie sheet. The dough should be 1/8th of an inch thick. If it's too thick the ornament will crack and break due to the air bubbles trapped in the middle. Then cut out the shapes while the dough is still on the parchment. Peel away the excess dough from the cutters. You can then make designs, using a fork, straw or paring knife. Use a drinking straw to poke a hole in the top for the ribbon.

Now it's time for baking! They should go into the oven for about an hour. You'll know they're done when they feel hard.(Tap with a fork or spoon to gauge hardness). Don't worry if they turn brown. You can always paint over those. The real fun part comes after. It's time to get the paints,  glue and glitter!! You can mist the newly baked ornaments with a thin coat of white spray pain to even out any brown baking spots. They can be left white to look snow dusted which would be very dramatic on any tree. Some use puffy paints, others use paint pens for more precision. A fun idea is using them as place tags at a holiday party and personalizing them with guests names. Use gold and silver paint pens to write the names. Another idea is outline the ornaments in glitter, rhinestones or garlands . As for the type of ribbon to use, you could use classic red and green velvet or go a little more fancier with metallic.If you want really festive ones then look into Paper Mart. This  site has a wide variety of printed ribbons that would complement any ornament.

Baking fun and decorating Christmas trees  is combining two holiday loves. Whip up a batch today and have some fum. Create memories and ornaments!

Aleppo Peppers A Syrian Treasure

Syria's vicious and long civil war has made many forget about the country's cuisine. It was well known for its' bulgar and kefti,hummus  and parsley salad. The country was also the top producer of the Aleppo pepper, a fiery spice that gave the food its' kick,

Tom Verde, an expert on Islam and Middle Eastern history wrote this informative piece about Syria's contribution to the global culinary table. The Alepo pepper is part of the capiscum family, and grows in pods. The result is a naturally oily pepper that is first partially ground and then  coarsely ground with olive oil and a bit of salt. The mix is then left to completely dry out which results in ruby red, slightly salty flakes that can keep well in the freezer thanks to the oil.Due to the fighting and bombing, acquiring the Aleppo pepper is hard, especially for Syrian home chefs and restaurants here in the States. One restaurant owner, Nidal Hajomar, owner of Aleppo's Kitchen in Anaheim, California has to rely on his wife's parents for the spice. They still live in Khalidiyah, in northwestern Aleppo and can still buy fresh peppers. They make the mix at home and ship it to Mr. Hajomar. The pepper ,though , is now being cultivated in the States, in Virginian nurseries, the Midwest and Southern California. Home chefs can buy it at their local spice shops or Walmart. They can also be grown in your backyard too. You can either  buy the seeds or young plants at various nurseries.

What makes the Aleppo Pepper so special? The taste. According to Chad Lowcock,  owner of Race City Spice Works says that the flavor is slightly tomato-y, with a background sweetness. He has created a chutney like sauce called Roasted Aleppo and Cayenne Shaata,  the last a medium hot combination of of cayenne, fresh garlic and the dried flakes from Turkey and Greece. The blend is then hydrated in red wine and fresh Aleppo  peppers from local markets are  roasted and added.Other chefs like its' taste - a departure from other chilis thanks to its' fruity and citrus-y flavor. There's a bit of sweetness to it which makes it perfect for sauces along with for marinated and raw fish. Syrians use it for more traditional dishes such as hummus, kebabs and muhammara, a red pepper dip that 's both hot and sweet thanks to pomegranate syrup. You can try these but you can experiment with it by adding a shake or two into ground beef for Syrian meatballs but also try it in such traditional dishes as tabbouleh and hummus.

Aleppo pepper is a reminder of delicious Syrian cuisine. It can still be used in traditional dishes, yet also can spark up new ones. It truly is a treasure that needs to continue , despite the strife.

Greek Cuisine from Ancient To Modern

One of the oldest, established cuisines in the world is Greek. Its' recipes ,much like  Italian and Chinese, date back to antiquity and still have a lasting effect on 21st Century cooking. It is varied, reflecting its' relationship to the sea in the south and the Balkan Mountains in the north. The result is a cuisine, rich in flavor and ingredients.

The country's cuisine dates back 4,000 years.It's considered the forerunner of European cooking, as it spread its' culinary influence to ancient Rome The earliest dishes were fraught with frugality and was founded on the Mediterranean triad of wheat, olive oil and wine. Early diets were primarily vegetarian with meat rarely being eaten. It changed when Byzantine cuisine became prominent and offered tastier , spicier fare. Various cheeses  were introduced as were eggs. Omelets were a popular dish among the commoners. Nutmeg became a staple as did basil and lemon, the last two figure heavily in today's cuisine. Modern Green cuisine uses the most spices of any Mediterranean cuisine. Modern home chefs use everything from dill to oregano and mint. Dishes may also contain bay laurel along with garlic and onion.Northern Greeks use cinnamon, usually reserved for sweet dishes in many recipes calling for meat.  Fennel or anise is also used in some dishes too.

Modern Greeks and their Greek American counterparts enjoy spanokopita a savory, spinach and  cheese rich pie.As with many Hellenic dishes, the base is phylo dough , a thin flaky kind of bread made with only flour,water,salt and olive oil.Also made with the dough are the popular kotopita, chicken pie and chortopita, one made with various greens like dandelion and romaine lettuce. Gyros (pronounced heros which is where we get the word from).are another treat that the Greeks are known for and have joined the American cuisine landscape. It is shaved lamb or beef and served on a fluffy pita usually with tomatoes , onions and tzatzki sauce. The last is made with salted strained or diluted yogurt mixed with cucumbers,, garlic and olive oil. along with lemon juice and herbs.Everyone loves baklava, sweet syrup soaked layers of phyllo dough usually filled with ground walnuts.It was brought in through the Ottoman Empire and has variations throughout the Middle East and Balkans. Another toothsome treat is kouribiedes, the buttery almond cookies that are drenched in powdered sugar. These are pure heaven with a buttery, nutty flavor and are usually made at Christmastime or for baptisms.

Greek cuisine will endure for another thousand years. It is delicious, full of spices and flavors that have endured for centuries. It's is both modern and ancient.

That First Lunchbox

Lunchboxes will always hold a special place in kids' hearts. Little ones facing a full school day need the comfort of a well stocked lunchbox. Unfortunately it sometimes has moms stumped, especially when their eldest is the first to being the full school day.

First, mothers shouldn't freak out. Pack what your kid likes, even if it is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. For these and any other sammies, think about cutting them  out with cookie cutters or buying sandwich cutters. Pottery Barn has such shapes as bunnies and cats along with airplanes and trains.They're not expensive being priced anywhere from $2,50 to $7.50 a cutter. One thing to remember is that create sandwiches with whole wheat and/or whole grained breads. Everyone , from Panera  to Pepperidge Farm have some excellent ones. If moms are good with baking, then think about baking loaves, filled with oats, honey and love.Many little ones love wraps.These are fun to make and fun to eat. Have the little scholars help create them. Again ones made from whole wheat would be preferable however if your little gourmet prefers tomato basil or spinach herb , then use them. Again be creative with fillings. Shredded mozzarella, sliced tomatoes and pepperoni  can make for a wonderful cold pizza. Or try egg salad with just a hint of curry for something different.

Another fun idea is subbing the lunch box with a Bento one. This Japanese import - which can easily be bought at Target - is gaining in schoolyard popularity.It has four sections that can easily hold the main dish, along with veggies,fruit and a snack. Think string cheese or peanut butter with apple slices for protein along with grapes and carrots for sweet and crunchy sides. Another idea is hummus with pita chips,Pair with apple slices and celery chunks.If the kindergartener or first grader still wants a lunchbox with inside verve ,consider some fun alternatives. Try stackers, which is a Ritz cracker with a cut out slice of meat and topped with cheese Again use cookie or sandwich ones to cut out such meats as low sodium ham and turkey and cheeses such as a mild cheddar or American. To make them fancy, add a little blob of mayo topped with a pitted olive.Ants on a raft will definitely insure the  little one's popularity. This wild bite is nothing more than peanut butter spread on Saltines and topped with raisins Edible emojis  are a great lunches. Take rice cakes, smear cream cheese on them and create faces , from sliced vegetable bits such as grape tomatoes, peppers, carrots and celery.

Fill your little one's first lunchbox with memories of fun and good foods.They'll love what you've made. It'll be the talk of the lunchroom.

When Life Gives You Aquafaba

Aquafaba is one of the newest darlings on the food scene. It is the siren for foodies like myself and I was over eager to bake aquafaba meringues.How hard could it be? It seemed everyone who ever made the little puffs of sweetness had success. I knew I would too.

I was wrong.

I started with the right ingredients.

Bean water from Rienzi chickpeas.

Sugar

Salt  and cream of tartar

Flavoring - peppermint

Even chocolate chips.Everything was whipped up, in first my standing mixer

I thought it was going well, although the liquid refused to get thick with stiff peaks.I then tried a balloon whisk on my hand mixer. Nothing happened.I added the peppermint extract and chocolate chips.Bad, bad ,bad idea. The fluff turned to liquid right quick.

I had to pour it on this.

covered in parchment paper.

It came out like this

A giant flat crisp. Yes,I was gutted.I wanted , cute puffy meringue kisses. What I got instead was a layer of gook.,Being thrifty.I decided to bake it as required, in a 250 degree F oven for an hour and a half. Surprisingly, the meringue pizza came out OK, with one side,perfectly crispy while the other was gooey and chewy..

What did I do with this mess? Put Eton in front of it and came up with a spin on the classic English dessert. I broke off pieces of meringue and layered it with whipped cream. Chocolate chips were tossed over it all for more flavor. It went from a disaster to a delicious and fun dessert.

I think my chickpeas and myself are better suited to this.

A tasty grab anything salad(More on that tomorrow)