Food Archives - Page 2 of 7 - Look What Mom Found

Never Go Hungry On @CarnivalCruise #cruisingcarnival

August 4, 2014 by Melissa

One of things cruises are known for is the food. The unlimited food can be found not just on the Lido Deck but in the dining room on Carnival CruiseLines. Our recent trip in the Carnival Fantasy showed us that big time.

Within minutes of getting onboard we were on the Lido Deck grabbing some lunch waiting for our stateroom to be ready so we could shed of our 12 hours in the car grossness. The choices were simple; salads, burgers, dogs, chicken tender, veggies and stirfry. Let’s not forget about the 24 Soft Serve Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt. That took just a few minutes to get into. It’s one of the things the kids remember them most. Oh and the 24-hour Pizza. The pizza was so good. I’m talking gourmet shop style with a thin chewy crust.

In fact the Hotel Director, Alina, chatted long about it. She said she doesn’t even like pizza but was won over when Carnival came up with this recipe with special imported flour from Italy. We ate pizza everyday. It was our nighttime snack when the kids were done with camp and we were done with the Comedy Club. We took a walk to the Lido Deck and stood in long lines waiting for hot fresh pizza and ice cream.

Seaday Brunch was my favorite meal. We actually missed it the first morning I regret that so much. The menu items were a mix of decadent, homestyle and simple dishes. Shae wanted a simple bagel and cream cheese but was brought lox as an accompaniment. Instead of dismissing it she tried and of course liked it. Rob and Shaun were brought oatmeal while Sabreena chose cereal crusted french toast. I opted for an omelet filled with fresh veggies. The options were endless and delicious.
Dinner was just as indulgent too. Our dining room staff was amazing. Gultekin (Glen), Wahyudi and Jewel anticipated our every need or want and didn’t hesitate to make each meal the best ever.

How many servers have you seen cut your child’s food for them? And to think I thought I spoiled them at home.
We sat at our table each night for dinner and our head waiter “Glen” always called out good evening Mr. & Mrs. Babiak which turned into a more comforting and friendly Mr. Robert and Mel. The kids were also greeted with smiles and favorite foods.

To say we were doted on is an understatement. Some nights we were just brought appetizers “Glen” thought we would enjoy rather than wait for us to order. He also knew my kids like to experiment so when it came to more exotic dishes he made sure to bring them their own plate. This is Shae and Shae eating escargot.
Next up were Frog Legs. They weren’t as big of a hit but they tried it because “Glen” and his crew gave us everything and more.
I don’t know how other cruiselines handle their guests grumbling bellies but Carnival is all about filling them up with mouth-watering and gorgeous food.

Five Star Home Foods for Home Delivery

July 22, 2014 by Melissa

We are officially customers of Five Star Home Foods. This past week we accepted our first delivery of natural and organic foods while avoiding the grocery store, coupons, long lines and unloading from the car. Five Star Home Foods is the largest home delivery grocery service in my area but they are growing.

Five Star Home Foods brings quality and convenience to your door with a customized menu of Certified Angus beef, organic vegetables, wild caught fish, prepared meals and more. You get restaurant quality ingredients without the high costs of eating out. This is key for our family as we don’t eat out very much. As a family of five it’s impossible to stay on budget when spending $12 on burgers or $7 on fancy desserts.

Our initial delivery included what is explained to be a 3-month supply for a family of five. Our family of five is going through this food pretty quickly. Since we don’t tend to eat out much and I’m not one to serve breakfast or sandwiches for dinner we’re flying through our order. I prepare more traditional dinner style meals but so far have been pleased with the quality of what we received.

This is what we received as our 1st 3month supply

16oz London Broil
8 burgers
1 lb Beef Fajita Strips
6 Boneless Center Cut Pork Chops
4lb Boneless Center Cut Pork Roast
1lb Pork Sausage
2lb Country Style Ribs
1 Whole Roaster Chicken
6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
2lbs Cod Filets
8 Chicken Thighs
8 Split Chicken Breasts
4 Crab Cakes
40oz Chicken Pot Pie
2lb Manicotti
6 bags Frozen Organic Vegetables
3 bags Frozen French Fries/Potato Products
Frozen Onion Rings
8 Twice Baked Potatoes
64oz Vanilla Cheesecake

We’ve enjoyed a few items already. I’m going to share a couple recipes I prepared with the meats we received. Be on the lookout for that.

See if Five Star Home Foods is in your area? Try out their free sample pack that includes chicken breasts, pork chops, chopped steak and 1 bag of frozen organic veggies.

Here’s a peek at what we did with that delivery. It feed all of us easily with the addition of a side dish.

Five Star Home Foods can be found on Facebook too. Reach out and see if their coming to your community.

Italian Meatloaf Muffins #recipe

May 6, 2014 by Melissa

Everything tastes better in the form of a muffin. Muffins are cute, a great portion size and appealing to all ages. That’s why I love making meals in muffin form like these Italian Meatloaf Muffins.

It’s Thursday, that means Shaun has basketball clinic from 3:15-5:15 then Lacrosse practice from 6:00-7″30. By the time we get home and he gets the stink showered off of him it’s bedtime. These days call for dinner in the car. If you know me you know I don’t do fast food for dinner. Maybe it’s guilt from too many years of drive-thru dinners or just knowing I shouldn’t be so lazy and just make a good dinner.

Meatloaf muffins are easy to make, quick to cook and can be eaten on the go. I made these right before I picked Shaun up from practice so they were still warm but I’ve made them in the morning, packed them up and had them in stored for trouble-free meals later.

Start with your favorite meatloaf recipe but I’ll share mine. My kids actually really love it. It’s something they actually cheer for when I tell them it’s for dinner.

Ingredients
1 1/2lbs ground meat of choice. I prefer traditional meatloaf mix and loathe all ground turkey.
1 1/2 cups of finely shredded/chopped veggies of choice. This time I used carrots, garlic, red & orange peppers & onions. sautéing before adding to meat adds great flavor
1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1tsp freshly cracked pepper
1tsp kosher salt
1 egg
*1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley or 1TBLS dried
*2TBLS chopped fresh oregano or 2tsp dried

Directions
Using your hands mix the all ingredients but don’t overmix. You should still see the ground meat texture.
Fill 12 muffin cups with the meatloaf mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes till cooked through.
Top with shredded mozzarella and a side of marinara or favorite pasta sauce.

*There are many variations of meatloaf you can make just by switching the ingredients that go into your ground meat & veggie mixture
Mexican-add cumin and garlic, top with salsa and shredded cheddar
Greek-add oregano and mint, top with crumbled feta and cucumber yogurt sauce
BBQ-add chopped chipotle peppers and top with favorite bbq sauce

Snack and Meal Ideas with Philadelphia Cream Cheese Spreads

April 4, 2014 by Melissa

It’s the end of the school day and I’m anxiously waiting for the kids to barrel through the front door. They come in and it’s like a tornado. Shoes are kicked off, jackets are slung on chairs, backpacks opened and papers are in the swirling in the air. Mom, Mom, Mom, MOM. Guess what happened at school today? Maxim got in trouble again. I got a perfect score on my test. Can I have a snack?I ripped my jeans on the playground. What’s for dinner? Can we have a snack? Can I watch Frozen again? Can I have a snack? Mom is spread thin these first few moments, time to #spreadtheflavor with Philadelphia soft cream cheese.

Time to take a deep breath, sit them down at the kitchen island and start the wind down process. I get them to each talk about their day, go over papers and start homework. This is usually when we break out a snack. Keeping it easy is usually the way to go. There is always something happening within the next hour such as Lacrosse practice, Youth in Government, Vet appointments or errands. There is nothing simpler than flavored Philly Cream Cheese.

Snacks can vary from cheese sticks to fruit to crackers & peanut butter. I always try to keep it small, light but tasty. Pretzel sticks or wheat crackers dipped into Garden Vegetable Philadelphia Cream Cheese has been a new favorite. It’s enough richness to satisfy their grumbling tummies but still wholesome so I don’t feel the mommy guilt like when I feed them less nourishing options.

Philadelphia Cream Cheese Spreads aren’t just for snacking and bagels either. I’ve been known to doctor up my staple Chicken, Pasta and Veggie dinner with a big scoop of Chive & Onion or Garden Vegetable flavored philly cream cheese. It transforms the tasty but simple meal into a decadent feast where no one is picking out ingredients they don’t want.

Food and cooking doesn’t have to be rigid or tedious or dull. Take the meals that you already prepare and give them a makeover. I choose Philadelphia Cream Cheese Spreads for this one because it a BIG change with little effort. Adding them to to pan drippings to make a sauce or stir into mashed potatoes for a delicious kick. Variety is key in making sure meals are satisfying and gobbled up.

#SpreadtheFlavor with these creative ideas

Chive Onion stirred into homemade mashed potatoes topped with crispy onions
Strawberry smeared on toasted waffles
Blueberry spread on a warm biscuit
Jalapeno mixed in your taco fillings
Garden Vegetable spread on a flatbread topped with mozzarella and veggies then baked

Is your mind working on how to incorporate this little bins of creamy goodness into your meal plan? Let me know what genius meal idea you come up with. As you can see my Walmart has so many flavors to choose from, I can never pick just one.

#SpreadTheFlavor #CollectiveBias #Shop

Brown Paper Bag Microwave Popcorn #kidsinthekitchen

February 27, 2014 by Melissa

I’ve said it on numerous occasion, My Kids Love To Snack? We definitely encourage healthy snacking by providing plenty of fruits and veggies but there is not denying those cravings for a a salty crunchy eat from a bag kinda snack. How about Brown Bag Microwave Popcorn.

We love love love popcorn. The kids know to bring home a fresh full tub when they leave the movies. I buy the big wholesale club container of kernels so we can make my own in the air popper and sometimes we have a few microwave bags in the pantry. BUT this is definitely a better to enjoy popcorn fresher, healthier and easier then all those other choices above.

You’ll need 2 things

brown paper bag
popcorn kernels

Directions

Simply add 1/4 of popcorn kernels to a brown bag and close with a couple folds tightly creased.

Place in your microwave and cook for 2 – 2 1/2 minutes, laying down or standing up is fine. Our first bag was bit burnt at 2 1/2 minutes. Our second bag was better but still had a burnt aroma at 2:20. The magic number for us is 2:10.

Now it’s time to remove your bag from the microwave, add toppings, shake and enjoy.

The kids have been using a cheddar cheese popcorn topping but I like mine a little more simple. I like to add a big pinch of kosher salt and a few sprays of “fake butter”.

This is something the kids (depending on their age) can do pretty much on their own or with just a little help.

The bag doesn’t get hot to the touch.
There isn’t a huge scalding burst of steam coming out of the bag.
The measurements and ingredient list is so easy.
Clean up is done in a snap.
Serving size is perfect for one.

I’m loving this version of popcorn so much. I find it to be slightly crunchier than traditional air popped and the bag isn’t gross and greasy so eating right from it is convenient and clean. Try it and let me know how it turns out for you.
Come join me and my co-hosts, Sarah of Play to Learn with Sarah, Paula at Frosted Fingers and Sara at Sensibly Sara, each week linking up a post, new or old, that feature the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together, enjoying it and learning something along the way.

preparing healthy snacks
having a tea party
counting skills with m&ms
pouring from measuring cups
discovering a local restaurant that your kids love
creating new family friendly recipes

You’ll find so many more ideas on the #KidsintheKitchen Pinterest Board.

Follow Melinda Babiak’s board #KidsintheKitchen on Pinterest.

Picky Eaters who won’t eat vegetables #kidsinthekitchen

February 21, 2014 by Melissa

We all know that food is the fuel to keep our bodies moving but for children food is key for developing bodies and minds. Vegetables are known for their high nutrient count of vitamins and minerals; everything from vitamins A & C and folate to potassium and iron. But what happens when your little one won’t eat their veggies?

The next healthy step is fruit. Fruit tends to be a favorite with most kids, its sweet and colorful not leafy and green. Here are some alternative choices when your child won’t put a bite of broccoli or kale in their mouth.

Vitamin A helps with cell reproduction, boosts immunity, promotes bone growth and helps maintain healthy skin and hair.
Cantaloupe, Watermelon, Tomato and Mango

Niacin assists in a a properly functioning digestive and nerve system and healthy skin.
Avocado, Peaches, Tomatoes, Bananas

Vitamin C plays an important role as antioxidant, which protect the body’s tissues from damage of oxidation.
Orange, Kiwi, Strawberry, Blackberry

Folate is important for red blood cell production.
Kiwi, Banana, Mango, Orange

Calcium we all know is needed for bone growth and strength.
Orange, Blackberry, Kiwi

Iron deficiency can adversely affect the immune system and result in impaired learning ability and behavioral problems in children.
Raisins, Prunes, Dried Apricots, Watermelon

Magnesium is used for building bones, manufacturing proteins, releasing energy from muscle storage and regulating body temperature.
Watermelon, Tomato, Avocado

Potassium is essential for the body’s water balance and proper heart function.
Banana, Mango, Kiwi

I am NOT a medical professional just a parent that has gone through many picky eating stages with many kids. I by no means expect parents to stop offering nutrient rich vegetables but sometimes we have to wave the white flag and just get food into our precious children’s bellies.
broccoli on fork image provided via FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Come join me and my co-hosts, Sarah of Play to Learn with Sarah, Paula at Frosted Fingers and Sara at Sensibly Sara, each week linking up a post, new or old, that feature the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together, enjoying it and learning something along the way.

preparing healthy snacks
having a tea party
counting skills with m&ms
pouring from measuring cups
discovering a local restaurant that your kids love
creating new family friendly recipes

You’ll find so many more ideas on the #KidsintheKitchen Pinterest Board.

Follow Melinda Babiak’s board #KidsintheKitchen on Pinterest.

Fridays In Your Freezer #TGIFGameDay

February 3, 2014 by Melissa

Being on the East Coast we have to deal with the late start time of the Big Game. This usually means smaller scaled parties because our group of friends and family either have kids or live a bit of distance away. While that makes get together a touch more intimate it doesn’t mean we skimp on the goodies and appetizers.

This year we kept it easy by incorporating T.G.I. Friday’s frozen products instead of making a whole slew of sides. This let me hang with friends and watch my team win instead of spending all my time in the kitchen tending to dips and salads.

T.G.I. Friday’s offers lots of tasty appetizers to serve many different appetizers. One of my favorites is the Loaded Cheddar & Bacon Potato Skins. The bubbling cheese and extreme bacon toppings really hit the spot especially next to a plate of saucy wings and perfectly smoked pulled pork. We were left with piles of empty dirty plates.

Having a little something for everything is the key to being the perfect host. I try not to overdo it on one dish but instead offering smaller dishes with lots of variety. I made sure to have selections that would appeal to kids and to those that don’t like spicy foods. A good variety is best for my group of friends and family. I was lucky enough to snag a coupon from a T.G.I. Friday’s Demo at my local Walmart. They were out of food to try but were handing out more reasons to buy.

Whether it’s #TGIFGameDay, a birthday or a holiday make things simple on yourself with T.G.I. Friday’s appetizers right from your freezer. Shop Walmart, like I do, for great prices on favorites like Honey BBQ Chicken Wings. You won’t sacrifice on flavor but you’ll gain time with your loved ones.

Homemade Baked Soft Pretzels #kidsinthekitchen

January 23, 2014 by Melissa

With all the snow we had this week i vowed it would be a a baking week. Shae said “YAY” and Rob said “Nope, not for you”. Her poor little spirit was crushed. Ok, it really wasn’t, she knew he was kidding. I decided on a couple of things but this is what turn out successful. Baked Soft Pretzels.

Soft Baked Pretzels were made and they will be made again and again and again. They were THAT good. The whole process wasn’t hard. As with just about any recipe where dough is used it’s a long process but so worth it. Next time we are doubling.

We followed Alton Brown’s Homemade Soft Pretzel recipe from 2007 to a tee, no adjustments, no modifications, just as he posts it here. Watch Shae roll out and shape the pretzels all on her own. We ate them while they were still hot with spicy brown mustard and honey mustard.

Come join me and my co-hosts, Sarah of Play to Learn with Sarah, Paula at Frosted Fingers and Sara at Sensibly Sara, each week linking up a post, new or old, that feature the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together, enjoying it and learning something along the way.

preparing healthy snacks
having a tea party
counting skills with m&ms
pouring from measuring cups
discovering a local restaurant that your kids love
creating new family friendly recipes

You’ll find so many more ideas on the #KidsintheKitchen Pinterest Board.
Follow Melinda Babiak’s board #KidsintheKitchen on Pinterest.

Making Chicken and Cheese Taquitos #kidsinthekitchen

December 26, 2013 by Melissa

I know teaching my son to cook and be self sufficient in the kitchen is so very important but it’s hard to do when he doesn’t want to learn. Shaun is 10 and uninterested in doing things for himself. He’s much rather spend his time playing video games and other boy stuff. Making these Chicken and Cheese Taquitos was a lesson in chopping, patience and listening to details.

Using leftover roasted chicken, veggies, and artisan cheese with some seasoning, we made a surprisingly tasty lunch. Consider checking artisan cheese online to get the right cheesy flavor while preparing the taquitos.

I would’ve preferred smaller corn tortillas but we used what we had on hand, burrito sized flour.

Shaun chopped up a couple cups of cooked chicken while Sabreena finely chopped red peppers. We added frozen corn, a cup of frozen corn and then spiced it up. I had the kids sniff each herb/spice and tell me what it reminded them of. Oregano smells like pizza and cumin smells like tacos.

The details and patience part of this task came when it was time to roll up the taquitos. I had Shaun redo the rolling part if it wasn’t tight enough or if the filling came out. Moving them from the counter to the baking tray needed a gentle hand, one he doesn’t have. By the 5th one he understood to take it slow.

They got a brush of olive oil, went into a 425° oven and baked for 15 minutes. They were surprisingly very very good. I didn’t even complaints about the red pepper.

We’ll be making these again with a whole array of ingredients. Next time we’ll make pizza taquitos.

preparing healthy snacks
having a tea party
counting skills with m&ms
pouring from measuring cups
discovering a local restaurant that your kids love
creating new family friendly recipes

You’ll find so many more ideas on the #KidsintheKitchen Pinterest Board.
Follow Melinda Babiak’s board #KidsintheKitchen on Pinterest.

Making Bread Sticks with the Kids

November 21, 2013 by Melissa

Family Dinners are becoming little less frequent lately, at least in the traditional sense. Rob is coming home later and later due to work, I head out for a girls night out once in a while and Sabreena tends to work all weekend. I’m using #kidsinthekitchen as an excuse to get the kids to help prepare dinner and make bread sticks.

This week I prepared homemade stuffed shells. That means I boiled the shells and made the filling and stuffed the shells with the filling and baked them. If you’ve ever done this you know it’s a bit tedious. I then also decided to make homemade bread sticks. This were simple. In fact we made these while the stuffed shells were baking.

Ingredients

1 tbls active yeast
1 tbls sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (100-110°)
3-3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3 tbls melted butter
1 tsp garlic salt, Parmesan cheese or other seasoning of choice

Directions

Preheat oven for 400°

In a large mixing bowl combine yeast, sugar and water, allow to proof for 5-10 minutes. Using your electric mixer’s dough hook mix in flour & salt till a smooth dough forms and pulls away from the bowl, about 4-6 minutes. Adjust your water and flour measurements a tablespoon at a time to get the right consistency. It should be slightly tacky but bounce back when touched.

(If you are doing this by hand start with a fork till mixture comes together and turn out in a floured surface and knead by hand for approx 10 minutes)

Turn your dough onto a floured surface and roll into a smooth ball and divide into 16 (long bread sticks) or 32 (short bread sticks) portions.

Roll each portion between hands into your desired shape and place on lightly oiled baking sheet. Once all of your bread sticks have been rolled set them aside for a few minutes to rest.

Once the bread sticks have grown a bit these are ready to “dress up”. Brush them lightly with your melted butter then add the seasoning of choice. Simple garlic salt is good enough but you can get fancy with rosemary and grated lemon peel or parmesan and oregano. I have this dipping oil mix that gets put on everything.

Bake in a preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm with extra butter or dipping oil.

The kids are capable of doing just about everything on their own with this recipe. it’s a small enough batch that even the littlest hands can play with it easily. Make it more fun by letting the kids make shapes from the dough. Heart shaped bread sticks make for a much more enjoyable meal.

Did you have fun in the “kitchen” this week? Did you try a new food or a new kid friendly restaurant? Did your littlest ones use their snacks to count to 10? We invite you to share your experiences, photos, stories or recipes that include your #kidsinthekitchen.

preparing healthy snacks
having a tea party
counting skills with m&ms
pouring from measuring cups
discovering a local restaurant that your kids love
creating new family friendly recipes

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