Chocolate Pudding

What it looks like when its done

I got this recipe from my friend Jacqueline Smith's blog. http://mac-aroni-n-cheese.blogspot.com/ I used to think it was hard to make pudding and since I had never had homemade pudding before i made it myself...i thought that was true. Couldnt be further than the truth. This is not any more difficult than pouring the jello powder in the pan and whisking milk in.

Thanks to Jacqueline.. i will NEVER buy store bought pudding again because this is 1000 times better than jello pudding. I think jello needs to make her recipe instead.

Here is her recipe for chocolate pudding. Its one of the desserts that makes my boys do their happy dances if they see me making it.

Jackis amazing pudding:

3 cups milk (any fat content will work but i usually use 2% milk)

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/3 cup cocoa

2/3 cup sugar

dash of salt

3T butter

1 T vanilla

In a saucepan, over medium heat, mix cornstarch, cocoa, sugar and salt. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Boil until it thickens and then take off the heat and add the butter and vanilla.

Pour into 6 of those small disposable ziploc bowls and refrigerate with the lids off until cold. If we arent eating it for dessert that night (a rare occasion because if they see me making it...they will eat any dinner i make to get this pudding for dessert) , i put the lids on.

Chocolate pudding!

i got this recipe from this blog. http://mac-aroni-n-cheese.blogspot.com/search/label/recipe

Her recipes are amazing and shes crafty too.

Here is the recipe for the pudding that makes my boys do a happy dance when they see memaking it.

3 cups milk

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/3 cup cocoa

2/3 cup sugar

dash of salt

3 T butter

1 T vanilla

in sauce pan over medium heat, mix cornstarch, cocoa, sugar and salt. Gradually add milk, whisking it until smooth. Boil and stir until it thickens. Take off heat and add 3T butter and 1 T vanilla. Pour into those little disposable ziploc bowls with the lids.

Crockpot Chicken with Salsa and Black beans

This is too easy to be this delicious. You will love this recipe because it cooks itself. It literally takes 5 minutes to make and it tastes amazing.

Take 4 frozen chicken breasts

add 1 can drained corn

1 can drained black beans

1 jar salsa (any kind you like. i used joe t garcias medium salsa in mine)

cook on high for 4-6 hrs or until chicken is fork tender. Then add 8 ounces of cream cheese cubed and cook another 30 min or so. Then mix together. THATS IT!! SO EASY!!

I serve mine with rice or make tortillas and use it as filling for chicken tacos.

Beef with Snow Peas

Ive been looking for a good recipe for this for a long time and Ive finally found one that the whole family loves. I changed this recipe up a little but its basically the same.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/10/beef-with-snow-peas/

here is how i made mine:

Slice flank steak or sirloin thin. (in strips) Add to bowl.

Make marinade

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons cooking sherry

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic

whisk together in a bowl and add to the bowl with the meat. I let mine marinate in the fridge for about 2 hrs.

8 ounces snow peas (i used a whole bag of the ones you get in the produce section so i think it might have been a little more than 8 ounces)

1 cup petite mini carrots (also in fresh produce section)

Cut ends off snowpeas. Add 3 tablespoons oil to skillet. I used 2 tablespoons peanut oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil for flavor. Add carrots to pan and saute about 4-5 minutes or until tender. Add snow peas and cook another 1-2 min. Dont overcook because they are better a little crisp.

put cooked vegetables in a bowl and set aside.

Add another tablespoon peanut oil to pan, wait for it to get very hot and then take tongs to get the meat out of the bowl without the extra marinade. Save the marinade, you will need it later. Cook meat in two batches to ensure even browning. Set aside first batch of meat while you are cooking the second batch. Make sure pan gets very hot again before adding second batch. Then put all the meat together and add the vegetables and the remaining marinade in the bowl and cook for another minute or until marinade thickens.

Four out of five of us LOVE nuts so i add about a 1/4 cup roasted peanuts to each of our plates.

Rice

I make mine in a cuisinart rice cooker. I add 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice and 3 cups water

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

These are Chases favorite muffins. He will eat them as fast as I can make them. I make them in the mini muffin pan to make them bite sized but you can make them in a regular sized muffin tin or even make banana bread if you like.

I add about a cup of mini chocolate chips so its more like a dessert but a healthy one. As a nutritionist, Id rather them have a little chocolate and eat the healthy muffin than have no chocolate and not eat the muffin at all. I adapted this recipe from the book Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. I love this book and ive used many of her recipes and ideas for getting more vegetables into my boys.

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

mix all this together in a ziploc bag.

NOTE: You can use 3.4 cup wheat and 1.2 cup white flour if you think your kids will still eat it. Mine prefer this ratio. You can also use all white flour if you like.

I use my kitchen aid mixer and add:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

mix this until combined well then add

2 egg whites

1 1/2 cups banana puree

1/2 cup pureed cauliflower

(you can skip the cauliflower and add 2 cups banana instead)

1 tsp vanilla

then add your bag of dry ingredients to the mixing bowl

add 1 cup of mini chocolate chips and mix well.

Spray muffin pan with non stick cooking spray

I use a cookie scoop to add the batter to the pan. it makes less of a mess than any other tool that ive tried.

Bake at 350 for about 10-15 min. Different ovens will vary but mine takes about 12 min.

Baked Potato Soup

I have been wanting to find a good baked potato soup that is similar to the ones you find in restaurants. I also wanted to find a way to add a vegetable to it without my kids knowing they its in there. I decided to add pureed cauliflower to it because its colorless and undetectable in a white creamy soup. It adds vitamin C and antioxidants to the soup.

Heres how to make this soup:

6 baked potatoes

2 cups frozen cauliflower..steamed and pureed

12-15 slices bacon

2/3 cup butter

2/3 cup flour

7 cups milk

2 tsp garlic

2 tsp parsley

Cheddar Cheese

Sour cream

green onions

Bake 6 medium sized potatoes in a 375 degree oven until they are soft. Take out and take the skins off of them and chop into cubes. Set aside.

I used about 2 cups frozen cauliflower and steamed it in the microwave until it was soft. Then i pureed it until it was like mashed potatoes. Set aside after its pureed. After i pureed it it was about a cup of puree but you could definately add more if you like.

chop up bacon (about 12-15 slices) I like to chop it before i cook it because its easier to cut.

fry in skillet until done

drain grease and set it aside

Now for the soup part...

add 2/3 cup butter to a dutch oven

let melt and then add 2/3 cup flour and whisk it together with the butter. Add 7 cups of milk and whisk that together. Heat mixture until it gets thicker. Make sure you stir it often so it doesnt stick to the bottom. Once its thickened, add the cauliflower puree. I also added 2 tsp chopped garlic and 2 teaspoons parsley for color. Then i added the chopped potatoes. Put into serving bowls and then put bacon, shredded cheese and sour cream in each bowl. You can also add green onions to each bowl if you like them.

One more drink idea

My boys LOVE hot cocoa.. I decided that it would be fun to have special Christmas hot cocoa. I took the cups dipped them in chocolate and then in crushed candy canes and then added hot cocoa to their cups. They look pretty and festive...perfect for Christmas morning.

heres the hot cocoa recipe I use. I mix it up and put it in a glass jar. I like Alton Browns recipe the best of all the ones Ive tried.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/hot-cocoa-recipe/index.html

My boys favorite drink

Forgive the quality of these images..i took them from my phone.

So ive decided that its time to start a cooking blog with all things related to feeding my three hungry boys. Im going to post our favorite recipes and tips and tricks I do to get my kids to eat healthier sometimes without them knowing it. I make the majority of our food from scratch because I avoid additives and processed food wherever i can.

My first post is going to be about something Ive loved since I was little. Orange Julius. Ive tried several recipes and this one is my favorite. Ive been making them for my kids for years and its a favorite of everyone around here. Its not the healthiest recipe from a nutritional standpoint because of the sugar but it makes up for it with the orange juice and calcium content that 3 growing boys need.

heres how i make mine:
6 oz frozen orange juice concentrate
2 cups milk (fat content doesnt matter..i use 1%)
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
This part is critical.... 1 1/2 to 2 cups of SONIC ice..its the best and its worth the drive to sonic..unless you are like me and keep a bag in your freezer because you like it that much...The reason its the best is because it blends well and you dont get the big chunks of ice that you do if you use the ice in your freezer.

Add all the ingredients to your blender and blend until its combined.