
Cheese Toasties
No seriously. Cheese Toasties. That’s right. I can’t get my son to eat sandwiches and my faded memories of grilled cheese sandwiches are 2 slices of white bread swimming in butter and Velveeta (shudder shudder). We had a play date this week with Mary and Caleb, and it’s always the way: you revisit old favorites with friends and bring the dishes back to your family menu. Well, maybe you’re a clever bunny and I’m a fluffy bunny, but I forgot about their moreish simplicity of melted cheese on bread. What’s more, you can posh them up with a rub of fresh garlic, a smattering of pesto, or quince chutney (ooh). Ooh, a spoon of Branston pickle in the mix might rock too. For kids, it’s smart to keep it simple, playing with high quality organic ingredients: 12 grain bread, mature cheddar, and unsalted butter (there’s enough sodium in the bread and cheese). For my friends that are asking “where’s the green stuff,” Remember, you can always put a little salad on the side, or if you’re kids are averse to all things green, try the kid’s green smoothie in the previous post. That’ll work a treat. Cheese Toasties 12 slices of [...]
The Green Smoothie for Kids
Miracle of miracles: my son just had a 2 cups of raw kale and he’s smiling! Yup, no negotiations, no moaning, no groaning, just requests for “more smoothie please.” My son is most certainly not one of those amazing raw foodist kids we’ve all head about (but never actually met). I’m not saying that he doesn’t like vegetables, but honesty is the best policy: I smooth things out with a little olive oil, garlic, and a bit of sea salt, a tangy stir fry, or a veggies blended into Mama’s zesty tomato sauce. You know the score. Apart from the color, this drink is an easy sell: mangoes, bananas, and pineapple juice blended to hide the nutritious kale. I served this smoothie to Jake’s class this week and 20 kids asked for seconds! The Green Smoothie for Kids 4 cups raw kale, rinsed and deveined 2 bananas, peeled 2 cups of mango juice (fresh or no sugar added brand) 1 cup pineapple (fresh or no sugar added brand) handful of ice cubes 1. Put all of the ingredients into a blender and whizz until smooth. Serves 2
Aubergine and Wild Mushroom Moussaka
Along with being a Mom, I’m also a student, taking 5 college classes: English Lit, Sociology, Biological Psychology, Math, and French. Don’t call me Wonder Woman, call me crazy: I’m Dog Tired. Feeling a little sorry for myself today, I made a rustic dish to make me feel like I was wrapping up in a cozy blanket of yummyness. I couldn’t turn down the plump aubergines (eggplant) or the wild mushrooms at the market today, so went for a nice veggie Moussaka. Served with a herb salad on the side and a glass of Malbec, hello, I was back in business! Eggplant and Mushroom Moussaka 2 medium aubergines (eggplant), sliced 4 tbs good olive oil 1 meium onion sliced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 lb wild mushrooms, roughly sliced 1 28 oz can of chopped tomatoes, drained 1 tbs balsamic vinegar 3 tbs fresh parsley, chopped 1 tbs dried marjoram and thyme 3 medium potatoes, cooked until tender, peeled and sliced 1cup grated cheddar cheese salt and pepper to season Bechamel Sauce 2 cups cows milk or Soy milk 2 oz ricotta cheese 3 tbs unsalted butter 3 tbs plain flour pinch of nutmeg sea salt and freshly ground black [...]