All posts in category Recipes

Grilled to Perfection! Day 4 of Cooking Class

For our final day of cooking together, the class decided to grill up some sandwiches. Spread out before us on the table was whole wheat bread, wheat wraps, 2% cheddar and 2% provolone cheese, Applegate ham,  peaches, apples, bananas, peanut butter and cinnamon raisin hummus. I tried to offer tomato slices, pickles, and spinach but had no takers. 😦

For the creamy round, we ended up with grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches, a grilled peanut butter and peach and apple sandwich, and a grilled cinnamon raisin hummus and banana sandwich.

For the ooey, gooey, cheesy round, we grilled up ham and cheese sandwiches for most everyone, and a couple of good ‘ol regular grilled cheeses for two of the kids.

And what’s a sandwich without chips? When we went shopping at Publix, we grabbed a bag of purple potatoes, and I thinly sliced them on my mandloine, laid them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet, sprayed them with olive oil, and baked them at 450 for  about 15 minutes or so. As soon as they came out of the oven, I sprinkled them with salt and pepper, and served them to the group until there was just enough left for me. 🙂

For dessert, I shared my all-time favorite cookie recipe- Publix’s breakfast cookies. We even made extra so Madi, one of our students, could share them at her birthday sleepover this weekend.

The greatest rewards from the week included:

  • Ella going home and making her family the tomato and cucumber salad we made on Day 2
  • Knowing that one of Madi’s favorite recipes was the summer salad
  • Aleyah telling her Daddy how to read the ingredients list (i.e. the first ingredient on the list is the main ingredient)
  • Madi informing her grandfather that the white grits he was eating are not as nutritional as the yellow ones

Sometimes we don’t think they hear us, and sometimes we predetermine what their tastes are, and so we don’t “allow” them to explore new foods. The above highlights show us just the opposite!

The pictures below of nail painting was part of a promise … I made sure to leave a little extra time at the end of this day because my daughters have been wanting to paint finger nails and toe nails with their old and new friends. The only spill we had was made by yours truly. 😛

A big thank you to each young chef who came this week, and also to their parents for allowing me the opportunity to share my love and passion with them!

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by M. Terry on June 22, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by M. Terry on June 22, 2012

https://wholetothecore.com/2012/06/22/grilled-to-perfection-day-4-of-cooking-class/

An Olympic Tea Party – Cooking Class Day 2

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Because breakfast was such a hit last time around, I decided to do it again with a few variations. In honor of the upcoming Summer Olympics in London, we made orange cinnamon scones and served them up with some sun tea that we made. We pulled out fancy tea cups and saucers to complete the experience. In addition to our DELICIOUS scones, we made our own breakfast sausage patties, grits, and scrambled eggs. Since it is important to me to include fruits and veggies into almost every meal I eat, I also made a tomato and cucumber salad.

Breakfast Sausage Patties

  • 1/3 lb lean ground turkey

  • 1/4 cup celery, diced

  • 1/4 cup onion, diced

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon dried sage

  • 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped

  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika

  • a dash of nutmeg

Saute celery, onion, and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Combine the vegetables and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Mix with your hands and form into golf ball-sized balls and then gently flatten. Bake in a 400 degree oven for ten minutes or brown in a pan, about 3-4 minutes per side. Makes about 10-12 patties

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by M. Terry on June 20, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by M. Terry on June 20, 2012

https://wholetothecore.com/2012/06/20/an-olympic-tea-party-cooking-class-day-2/

Kids in the Kitchen – Week 2, Day 1

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Today the circle of friends gathered around our table enjoyed a feast of BBQ chicken, summer salad, corn on the cob with parsley butter, and a blueberry tart.

We put together a dry rub for our chicken, and then each child received a zip top bag with a skinless chicken thigh in it. We added a dusting of the spices into the bag, and they were able to rub in the dry marinade while avoiding getting their hands tainted! After baking them in the oven until almost done, we spooned on some organic BBQ sauce.

Our summer salad is a remake of the traditional broccoli and raisin salad we all have seen at a pot luck. That recipe is normally made with mayo and bacon. I cleaned it up by replacing the mayo with plain Greek yogurt and substituting smoked almonds in place of the bacon giving it a similar taste without the bad fat. I typically do not put raisins in mine, but rather small chunks of sharp cheddar cheese.

Summer Salad

  • 1 medium head of broccoli, florets cut into bite-sized pieces

  • 3/4 cup 2% sharp cheddar cheese, cubed

  • 1/3 cup red onion, diced

  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons honey

  • 1/3  cup chopped, smoked almonds

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, vinegar, honey and S&P. Place the broccoli, cheese, and onion into the bowl. Toss to coat. Refrigerate for a couple of hours, and stir in almonds before serving.

Blueberry Tart

Our blueberry tart was a granola crust, blueberries, and a jelly glaze.

  • 1/2 cup  Earth Balance butter spread, melted

  • 1 1/2 cup granola

  • 1/3 c chopped nuts

  • 12 oz blueberries (fresh or frozen)

  • 1/4 all natural fruit spread

Combine granola, butter, and nuts into a bowl. Mix until well combined. Press into an 8″ tart pan (or pie plate). Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Place blueberries into tart crust. Bring the jelly to a slow boil on the stove. Slowly pour over berries and place tart into refrigerator to allow to set- about an hour.

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by M. Terry on June 19, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by M. Terry on June 19, 2012

https://wholetothecore.com/2012/06/19/kids-in-the-kitchen-week-2-day-1/

Mexican Spice Blend

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  • 3 teaspoons cumin

  • 2 teaspoons paprika

  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  • a dash of cayenne pepper if desired

Mix together. Store extra in a airtight container.

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by M. Terry on June 19, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by M. Terry on June 19, 2012

https://wholetothecore.com/2012/06/19/eat-clean-mexican-and-bbq-dry-rub/

A Safari and a Pizza

Keeping a family active does not always require registration fees, uniform purchases, and ticketed events. Sometimes it is simply getting outside and making sure everyone has the opportunity to move.

Last Thursday night was a rain-filled evening so I knew Friday morning would be “cool” and an ideal time to get out early before the sun beat down. Scott was still away on a youth trip, so by 8:30 the kids and I went on a wildlife “safari” at out local park. (I’m still trying to decide whether we were looking for the wild animals or if I brought the wild animals!)

With binoculars, camera, and notepad and pen in hand, we set out to explore. We came upon a bunny eating breakfast, hundreds of mushrooms that Joel loved stomping on, butterflies, and a variety of birds. They were also fascinated by their footprints that appeared as they walked through the morning  dew.

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For lunch that day, we had an awesome pizza that was recommended to me by my friend Sara. It came from a blog titled, “Eat.Drink.Smile.” and the pizza crust is made from cauliflower, mozzarella cheese, egg, and herbs. My kids ate 2-3 slices each, and I have leftover cauliflower in my freezer to make another pie sometime soon. Next time I will let the crust cook a bit longer, and then allow it to cool for several minutes before slicing. This helped the crust set a bit more. It has a great flavor and crisps up along the edges!


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by M. Terry on June 18, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Family, Fitness, Food, Nutrition, Recipes

Posted by M. Terry on June 18, 2012

https://wholetothecore.com/2012/06/18/a-safari-and-a-pizza/

Breakfast at Michele’s – Day 4 of Cooking Class

As part of our week together, I let the kids choose our meal for the final day. I gave them 3 option:

  • BBQ
  • A pasta dish OR
  • Breakfast

They chose breakfast by an overwhelming majority! We scrambled eggs, made whole wheat pancakes, turkey sausage, and grits (the yellow, wholesome kind- not the stripped-clean of nutrients, white kind). Our pure maple syrup was spruced up  with peanut butter (just mix equal parts syrup with peanut butter with a dash of cinnamon and place in the microwave for about 30 seconds until PB is melted).  They had the option of adding in granola and blueberries into their pancakes as well. Allowing the kids to be creative is not only fun for them, they are much more likely to eat what they’ve helped make. After the pancakes were through, they topped them with additional blueberries, granola, and strawberries. This was the favorite meal by far- I know because I asked 🙂 And what did we do when we were finished eating? Our wooden spoon people- very à propos after a week of cooking!

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by M. Terry on June 3, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by M. Terry on June 3, 2012

https://wholetothecore.com/2012/06/03/breakfast-at-micheles-day-4-of-cooking-class/

Graham Cracker Crust

Graham Cracker Crust

  • 1 package Whole Foods 365Cinnamon  Graham Crackers, crushed
  • 1/3 cup Earth Balance butter spread

Melt butter in 15-20 second intervals in the microwave. Mix with cracker crumbs and press into a pie pan.

For a blind bake (baking crust only when filling needs no baking)-Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely before pouring in filling.

And it’s nice to have a little help crushing up the crackers!

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by M. Terry on June 1, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Food, Recipes, Uncategorized
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Posted by M. Terry on June 1, 2012

https://wholetothecore.com/2012/06/01/graham-cracker-crust/

Gauc on the Cob & Other Memorial Day Eats

Tonight we roasted some corn on the cob in the oven. Who needs butter when you’ve got guacamole? This is a delicious combination!

Here are some other yummy ideas for your long weekend…

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by M. Terry on May 25, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by M. Terry on May 25, 2012

https://wholetothecore.com/2012/05/25/gauc-on-the-cob-other-memorial-day-eats/

Stuffed Mini Peppers with Fresh Cucumber and Tomato Salsa

Stuffed Mini Peppers with Fresh Cucumber and Tomato Salsa

When a child colors a picture, a rainbow often appears next to the golden sun that shines down upon a grassy field filled with flowers. Since colors are so inciting to little ones in their creative worlds, why not incorporate color into their meal time as well? Here is a simple and colorful side dish that small hands can create and manage easily. There were only a few pepper halves left after dinner, so I saved them for my salad for the next day.

  • 8-10 mini peppers
  • 1/2 cup cucumber, diced
  • 1/2 cup tomatoes, diced
  • 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
  • light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano or parsley

Cut tops off peppers, slice in half, and remove ribs and seeds. In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and stir. Scoop some of the salsa into each pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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The kids helped with this, so the “stuffing” of the peppers soon became “topping” the peppers!

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by M. Terry on May 10, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by M. Terry on May 10, 2012

https://wholetothecore.com/2012/05/10/stuffed-mini-peppers-with-fresh-cucumber-and-tomato-salsa/

Banana “Ice Cream”

My friend Sarah gave me this recipe about a week ago and it’s been used a few times since! So here is the “recipe”:

  • Frozen banana
  • Splash of milk

Place the banana in the blender with just a splash or so of milk. Mix until banana is completely chopped. Serve.

Additional ideas:

  • Cinnamon (we did this)
  • Vanilla or almond extract
  • Granola on top (Sarah said this is yummy)
  • Melted peanut butter on top
  • Mini chocolate chips (on top or gently mixed in)

I hope you enjoy this as much as we do. And thanks to Sarah for this wonderful recipe that we’ve added to our “clean eating” treats!!

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by M. Terry on April 23, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by M. Terry on April 23, 2012

https://wholetothecore.com/2012/04/23/banana-ice-cream/

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