6 Easy Stuffed 'Crepes' for Kids

A crepe as some of us know, is an almost paper thin pancake made with eggs. My version of crepes is a lot simpler and easier to procure than conventional crepes, hand held, nutritonally complete and a healthy snack or meal when coupled with salad or fruit.  There are 6 variations, one for every day of the week. For extra beneficial vitamins, minerals and fiber, use whole wheat in place of regular.
  Easy Stuffed 'Crepes' (PB & J)
1 pkg. regular sized flour or whole wheat tortillas
favorite peanut butter
favorite jelly
Take a tortilla and imagine it was a pie graph.
Place small amount of peanut butter in the 1st and 3rd quadrant and jelly in the 2nd and 4th .
Fold tortilla up, making a half circle, then fold again into a fan of sorts with open side facing up.  Make as many as desired.
Variations:
Peanut Butter and Banana
Peanut Butter and Apples
Peanut Butter and Nutella
Cream Cheese and Fresh Strawberries
Raspberry Jam and Cream Cheese
My girls and nephew really like these. The crepes are kid's hand size and portable with virtually no clean up!!
Mix and match to create your own new favorites.  Kids respond better to foods when they help in preparation, so set out some ingredients and let them use their creativity!!!!

A Page out of the Notorious B.I.G's Memoirs

....Go fill my belly, A T-bone steak, cheese eggs, and Welch's grape...Conversate for a few...

Today I had an outdoor lunch with 3 of my sisters, Hollie and Gayle and Cherie. We had tons of great conversation,a tantalizing meal, via grill, of tender grilled steaks, steamed and grilled potatoes, scrambled eggs and toast with grape jelly. The sun was beaming, but underneath the canopy by the apple tree, we were in shaded bliss. The breeze was blowing just enough to ruffle my sundress without blowing away our napkins. The kids were at peace playing, running, laughing, jumping, HAPPY. They stopped in periodically for bites of their meals, too involved with their own agendas to care about the ADULT chit chat transpiring amongst them. The pets waited beyond the perimeters of our gathering, hoping and wishing their turn would manifest itself in a sliver of this, a sliver of that. It didn't. People's feeding times and animal's feeding times should be done separately, as not to encourage begging. These are simple statements, simple times, simplistic and beautiful, congregating and sharing, family orientation, basking in those things that truly make us HAPPY!!!

The Skinny on Slaw!

Many of us have an affection for coleslaw,  on hotdogs, with fish, on BBQ or as a yummy summer side dish. Oftentimes, it doesn't fit well into our calorie and eating regime without 'upsetting the apple cart' so to speak.   Enter my skinny version of a slaw with the same crunch, look and creaminess of coleslaw without the upwards of 15-20 grams of fat per 1/2 cup serving.  Substituting Low Fat Greek Style Yogurt for mayonnaise fortifies this slaw with calcium and protein and a host of probiotics. A 1 cup serving of this yogurt has only 5 grams of fat, compared to 160 grams of fat in a cup of regular mayonnaise.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE mayo and make it at home, but I'd like to use my mayo fat intake sparingly, not all at once.  The cabbage is replaced by zucchini, which has a plethora of B vitamins and soluble fiber.  The carrots pack in beneficial beta carotene, as well as vitamins C and A, plus more fiber.  Seasoned rice vinegar provides the sharpness and acidic zing.  When looking for a slaw out of the norm, try this one on for size.  Your body and booty will thank you for it!
Skinny Zucchini Slaw
1 large zucchini, about 2 lbs, de-seeded and grated
3 carrots, grated
2 green onions, thinly sliced, white parts, with about 1 inch of green
1 cup Low Fat Greek Yogurt
2 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
1 tbsp. sugar or 1 packet sugar substitute
1/4 tsp. celery seeds
SPST (Salt and Pepper to Suit your Taste)


Toss grated zucchini with a pinch of salt and set aside in colander for about 10 minutes.
Rinse and drain.  (This is to eliminate excess moisture, especially if serving later in day!!)
Toss zucchini and carrot until well mixed. 
Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl and fold until well blended. 
Add veggies and stir to coat. SPST.  Allow a few minutes for flavors to meld and serve, or refrigerate until ready to use.  Great on hotdogs, BBQ, fish, and anywhere else you would use regular cabbage and mayo based slaws.

Lemon Aids!

Aside from being a popular ingredient in cooking, various alcohol based drinks, as well as the centerpiece for our beloved Lemonade, lemons have more to offer than just a little zest.  Lemons possess a certain anti-microbial aspect due to it's citric acid  and other enzymes and can help kill germs.  Many think the lemon wedge on their glass at their favorite restaurant is for show, but the main reason is to kill germs and reduce bacteria growth.
Also, lemons help aid in digestion and freshen the breath.  We get the benefits of vitamins C and A, which help contribute to gum health as well.  So pucker up and kiss a lemon today, for healthier and fresher kisses tonight!!

Cheesy Pepperoni Fingers

Looking for a quick and easy snack or appetizer in the spur of the moment.  Take cheese sticks and deli sliced pepperoni from ordinary to extraordinary in a few simple steps.
Cheesy Pepperoni Fingers
1 3 oz. pkg. deli sliced pepperoni
1 bag cheese sticks
1 8 oz. jar pizza sauce
fresh basil
Preheat oven to 400*F.
Take a slice of pepperoni and basil leaf.  Center the basil leaf in pepperoni and wrap around cheese stick. Place on baking sheet, seam side down.  Bake until pepperoni is crisp and cheese just starts to escape, about 5 minutes.  Arrange on platter around a bowl of warmed pizza sauce.
This is a fun and easy recipe that the kids can help with if they need to expel some energy.

Wu U Cookin'?

Happy Sunday All!  Just another relaxing Sunday kicking it with the family and wrapping up another beer induced NASCAR race.  Well, water for me, I drank a couple on Friday.  I put on a maintenance  free dinner of beef roast with celery and onions.  I really love my Le Creuset French oven.  I got a super deal on EBay about 2 years ago and it is a godsend.  Self basting and even heating make for a wonderfully moist and delicious piece of protein, no matter what the animal.  We noshed on store bought stuffed scallops during the race, which left much to be desired.  Nonetheless, the beef roast is amazing and coupled with garlic mashed potatoes and probably a zucchini slaw with a rice wine vinaigrette,  I say this dinner's a winner with the home team.  The family is playing a round of yard golf, which is surprisingly entertaining.  The exercise is the best part, while currently I'm only exercising my fingers!!:)  

Sweet! A Tart!

I have created another recipe using zucchini and it is quite tasty.  This recipe is great for brunch or lite dinner with salad and has a tender flaky crust.
The zucchini pairs wonderfully with the sun-dried tomatoes and anchovies.  Easy to make and appealing to the eye with a classic charm and garden freshness.!!
 I hope you enjoy my latest installment of cooking with zucchini.  Zucchini bread is delicious, but variety is the spice of life!!

Zucchini Tart w/ Sun-dried Tomatoes and Anchovies
7-9 large slices zucchini, about 1/8 inch thick
1 3/4 c. zucchini, medium dice
5 sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, chopped
6 anchovy fillets, in oil
1 store bought pie crust (or homemade if time allows)
1 tbsp. Unsalted butter, cut into tiny cubes
1 large egg, slightly beaten and mixed with about 1 tbsp. water
2 oz. goat cheese
olive oil for drizzling
SPST
Preheat oven to 375*F.
Toss diced zucchini with sun dried tomatoes and about 1 tsp. of the tomato oil. SPST.   Set aside. 

Place pie crust on baking sheet with a sheet of parchment and carefully unroll.
  Center zucchini and tomato mix and arrange slices in circular fashion on top.  Dot with pats of butter and add anchovy fillets radiating out from center.
 Fold up edges of pie crust around edge of veggies.  SPST.
Drizzle with olive oil.
 Brush tart with egg wash and bake until golden brown and veggies are fork tender, about 35-40 minutes.
  Remove from oven and dot with goat cheese and drizzle with  olive oil.
Garnish with additional fresh cracked black pepper.  Serves 6.