Easy Kids Meals

Along with feeding my picky children we live with an elderly uncle who is diabetic and has other health issues.  Sometimes I cook what I call treats for him.  One of the favorites are these pancakes, which I serve with fresh fruit.

• 2 cups of wheat flour
• 1/2 cups oats
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tbls wheat germ
• 4 tsp baking powder
• salt
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 2.5 cups yogurt
• 4 eggs

1. mix dry ingredients
2. mix the wet ingredients
3. add to flour mixture to moisten

cook the pancakes on skillet measuring out 1/4 cup mixture for each pancake.  When bubbles show on top flip the pancake.  Serve with fresh fruits like blueberries, raspberries or strawberries.  Sometimes I serve the pancakes with a spoonful of yogurt.

Anything that is quick is perfect for a kids meal. Especially, if it’s a quiche since normal quiches take a while having to make the crust and all.  My children love eggs, so this an easy meal. 

• One dozen eggs

• 6 scallions

• ¼ cup water

• 1 medium onion finely chopped

• 1 tsp oregano

• olive oil

• 2 tomatoes

• 1 cup diced ham

• 6 oz cheddar cheese

• salt and pepper to taste

1. heat oven to 375

2. combine eggs, oregano, water, onions, salt, pepper

3. heat oil in 10” skillet over medium heat

4. add onions cook till translucent

5. add tomatoes till they release juices.

6. Add ham

7. Pour egg mixture into skillet

8. Stir till eggs are slightly scrambled 1.5 minutes

9. Remove from heat

10. Sprinkle cheese over skillet

11. Bake in oven for 12 minutes or until browned

Today was a snow day…  in October, who would have thought it possible.  The children were all home and all underfoot.  The baby is sick, so my culinary skills were put to the test so I decided to make a one pot pasta meal.  Wednesday is Pasta night 

• 2 lbs Ground beef

• 2 medium onions chopped

• I 28 oz can dice tomatoes

• 2 cups of milk

• 1 tsp each oregano, basil, garlic powder, parsley

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1.5 lbs Pasta

1. brown ground beef

2. add onions, stir till onions are translucent

3. add canned tomatoes

4. add milk

5. stir

6. add spices

7. add pasta and stir

8. once liquid is absorbed keep adding more water till pasta is cooked.

please note that my recipes may not be accurate, I estimate portions.  I rarely use written recipes

This was a perfect meal for today.  Tuesday is Chicken night, since it snowed all day, and it was perfect fall evening to fire up the oven.  My cupboards are bare so I had to improvise.  Remember my measurements are all approximations.  I am a taste, look and modify style cook 

• 3 chicken breasts
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1.5 cups frozen peas
• 1.5 cups frozen corn
• ½ cups butter1 cup flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes 

1. cut chicken into bite sizes
2. melt ¼  cup butter in large frying pan
3. add chicken to pan
4. cook on low gently stirring till chicken is no longer pink
5. add herbs and seasonings and chicken bouillon
6. add vegetables and heat through then pour into casserole dish 
7. mix flour, baking powder
8. cut butter into mixture till it resembles coarse meal
9. add lightly beaten egg
10. crumble mixture over chicken mixture
11. bake in oven for 20 minutes or until brown and bubbly 

Total time 40 minutesServes 2 adults, 1 teenager and 3 children

Monday nights are soup nights.  I made this quick and easy hearty Beef Vegetable soup that doesn’t really require a lot of prep work besides chopping a carrot and onions.  The hardest and longest part was browning the ground beef.  (I had to hold the baby the whole time).  It was also because the ground beef was still frozen when I started cooking.  I made some home made French rolls to go along with it but I pulled the recipe out of my head which means I can’t guarantee the recipe- so I won’t post it. 

Beef Vegetable Soup 

1. Brown the beef with the chopped onions

2. When browned add tomato paste and seasoning

3. Add about 6 cups of water

4. Add mixed vegetables and potatoes let simmer till potatoes are done

5. Always, always taste and add seasoning salt and pepper to taste.

This was a perfect lunch after Church today.  The kids had filled up in cookies and cake after church, so Sunday lunch is usually simple.  Bacon and tomato is always a great combination.  Turning the oven on a crisp fall afternoon is a welcome treat; the only drawback is the fact that the tomatoes are not homegrown.  I also served he kids with nice red delicious apple. 

I am going at this backwards.  Its one of those days when I feel like I am not as organized as I used to be.  I used to have a schedule where I knew exactly what on the dinner menu.  This past week, I have been scrambling to get meals together on the fly.  This works great for the blog but doesn’t help my sanity.  This week starting Monday I will start following my weekly meal schedule and stick to it.  Having a weekly menu with kids is extremely helpful; it takes the stress out of the “What is for dinner” question that I have to answer several times a day.    

Tonight, I had a second in the early afternoon, so I seasoned some ribs and threw them into the oven at 300 and let the cook slowly for 5 hours.  I served it with corn and pasta tossed in a marinara sauce.  Simple and easy enough.

In hurry and need a quick easy kid friendly meal?  Tortellini in a tomato cream sauce is great.  I always have frozen pastas like tortellini or ravioli in my freezer for days when I am out longer than I expected like today. My kids love pasta, they have no problem eating this up.

Tortellini in a tomato Cream Sauce

• 1 small onion chopped finely
• 1 lb frozen tortellini
• 1 stick celery finely chopped (or any other vegetable your kids like)
• 1 14oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper
• Parmesan cheeses
• 1 lb tortellini

1. Melt butter, add in onions
2. Add flour
3. Stir constantly for a few minutes.
4. Add the next few ingredients.
5. Bring to a boil. 
6. Add the milk
7. Let simmer uncovered for 1 minute
8. Add salt and pepper
9. Cook pasta as directed, and then drain. 
10. Toss pasta with sauce
11. Serve with Parmesan

My children love my chicken salad.  It is quick, tasty and makes an excellent lunch on a day when the kids have a Superintendent Day Off from schoolI’ll let you know my secret. 

• I nix the nut and substitute a chopped apple 
• I have even used mandarin oranges in the salad
• I buy my chicken breast in bulk and prepare it all (brine the chicken, then brown in the pan and finish off in the oven) and freeze the extra pieces and Use in many different recipes.

Chicken Salad

• 3 chicken breasts chopped
• 2 medium apples (chopped)
• 1/3 mayonnaise
• squirt of mustard

Mix ingredients together

Mommy, I just don’t like fish…  translated means…  I don’t like the smell of fish.  As much as I wish that my kids would have the same well developed palate as I have, it didn’t happen that way.  They have picked and prodded at my slue of well defined recipes and have turned into my worst food critics.  I am old school in that I don’t believe that my children should dictate what we eat but I am tired of the stress at dinnertime, especially when the food takes front and center stage as a negative conversation piece.  Case in point; my 8 years old daughter announced about a year ago that she doesn’t like fish.  I don’t know how her taste miraculously changed because this same child loved fish sticks.  Now, she doesn’t like fish!  I really don’t know how this happened since as a family we eat just about anything.  This has led to a dissention in the ranks with her younger siblings crying foul as well. This threw a wrench into our Fishy Friday Night’s plan… or did it?  After a long hiatus from fish, last Friday I tried something different; Salmon Fritters.  These fish fritters lack the strong fishy smell and are light, tender and tasty.  I added in chopped onions and chopped red pepper to give the fritter some color and texture.  Since the fritters contain baking powder, they rose and resembled miniature pancakes.  (We all know that kids love pancakes).  They were a winner. 

Salmon Fritters Recipe  

1 cup fish flakes, cooked or canned (we used Salmon)1½ cups flour2 teaspoons baking powder½ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon pepper2/3 cup milk1 egg beatenCanola Oil for frying 

Mix Flour with baking powder, salt and pepper.  Sift.  Add milk to beaten egg and combine the mixtures.  Add flaked fish.  Drop by spoonfuls on skillet which has been lightly greased with oil.  When fritters brown on one side turn and brown the other side.