June 28, 2012 By headchef
Welcome to Fantastic Thursday!
Thanks to all who linked up last week! Each of you help make this party successful! Be sure to come back next week to see if you have been featured and to link up your latest creation!
Here are some favorites from 3 of my Little Chefs.
Little Chef A’s favorite 
Snickerdoodle Cupcakes by Something Sweet
Little Chef C’s favorite
Kids Making Pretzels by Ramblings From Utopia
Little Chef D’s favorite
Honey-Caramel Mouse by It’s Not Just About The Recipe…
If you have been featured feel free to grab a Featured Button.
Let’s get the party started! I’m excited to see what you have to share!
Thanks so much for choosing to link up at Five Little Chefs!
‘);
June 25, 2012 By headchef
I found this Potato Slabs recipe a couple years ago. We have loved it ever since our first bites! If you like potato skins you will like this as well. What makes this a great recipe for kids is it requires much less effort!
The first thing to do is crisp up the bacon. I like to cut the bacon into small pieces then it is easier to cook and you do not need to handle the bacon afterward. Your Little Chefs might need help with the slicing. When the bacon is done transfer it to a paper towel to drain.
The next step is to clean and scrub the potatoes. This is a simple task for the kids. It is best if you clean your sink first. You never know where the Little Chefs will put the potatoes so it is better the surfaces are clean. We are using a thin peel Yukon Gold potato so we did not need to peel them. The potatoes are now ready to slice into 1/4″ pieces. This can be done either by using a knife or by using a mandolin. A knife is better for more experienced Little Chefs. A mandolin WITH a shield is better for less experienced Little Chefs. Mandolin’s do take a little practice and my Little Chefs can MOST of the time use it alone. For some reason the beginning and the end is when the potato could get stuck. This is when I step in to assist.
After all the potatoes are sliced place them onto a baking sheet in a single layer. I like to line mine with parchment paper because it makes the clean up easier! There is no right or wrong which makes it easy for your helpers! Little Chefs are also able to season each side with salt, pepper, and paprika.
Now you are ready to put it in the oven to bake. This is where assistance might be required. After 30 minutes flip each potato slab over. Caution: they are very hot! I am the one who flips them over for safety reasons. Place it back in the oven and cook for another 15 minutes.
This time when you take it out of the oven the Little Chefs can help. I like to push all the potatoes together so they are as close together as possible. The Little Chefs are then able to sprinkle the grated cheese (either store bought or grated themselves, a great task for helpers!) all over the potatoes. I know the directions say put a pinch on each potato, but with Little Chefs helping it is easier this way. They can also sprinkle to bacon on top of the cheese in the same manner. Put it back in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
Take a zip top sandwich baggie and put a couple spoonfuls of sour cream in one corner and zip it closed. Snip a tiny bit off the corner. Now your Little Chef can squeeze the sour cream out the corner and on top of each potato slab, or if your Little Chef is not that coordinated they can squeeze it all over just like the cheese and bacon. Add green onions if desired.
With a little assistance at the oven your Little Chefs can successfully make an easier version of potato skins!
Potato Slabs
Source: Amber’s Delectable Delights
Ingredients2 russet potatoesSalt, to tasteBlack pepper, to tastePaprika, to taste
1/3 cup colby-jack cheese
5 slices of bacon, cooked and dicedGreen onions for garnish, if desired
Sour cream, if desiredDirections1. Preheat oven to 375. Clean and scrub potatoes well. Slice the potatoes into 1/4″ thick slices. Place potatoes on lightly buttered baking sheet and season each side with salt, black pepper, and paprika. Cook for 30 minutes. Flip potatoes over and cook for an additional 15 minutes.
2. Remove pan from oven and place a pinch of cheese and bacon on top of each potato slab. Return the pan to the oven and cook until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Serve with green onions and sour cream, if desired.
Don’t forget to come back on Thursday to link up your latest recipe!
June 22, 2012 By headchef
Congratulations to Susan L!
You won the Flirty Aprons Giveaway.
June 22, 2012 By headchef
This recipe has always been a hit wherever we have taken these. The spices are so strong which is why in my opinion makes them great! Over the last few months we have had the great pleasure of bringing these cookies to a friend. Our friend has a rare form of cancer and has been amazingly strong while going through very aggressive treatments. Apparently going through all these treatments has left our friend not being able to taste anything. It took one bite for our friend to realize she COULD taste it and her family was NOT getting any! (She did share with her family on subsequent cookie delivery days.) These cookies are easy to make. The ingredients are common and probably in your pantry already. I love recipes with common ingredients. The Little Chefs took turns measuring over and over again. If you have a little chef who needs to practice measuring this recipe is perfect! Rolling the cookies in sugar is also another fun part of the recipe. Beware your circles will not be circles but some organic form when they are placed on the cookie sheet to cook. Don’t worry, they will still taste wonderful!
The only problem I have with cookies is I am the one who is tending to the oven for an hour after they are rolled in sugar and ready to be baked! The Little Chefs loose interest and are off playing, only to come and sneak a piping hot cookie!
These cookies also freeze well. I love doubling the recipe and freezing a batch for later when an unexpected visitor arrives.
Fantastic Thursday is still open!
We would love for you to link up your latest recipe!
Mom’s Ginger Snaps
Adapted from Allrecipes.com
Ingredients1 cup packed brown sugar3/4 cup vegetable oil1/4 cup molasses1 egg2 cups all-purpose flour2 teaspoons baking soda1/4 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon ground cloves2 teaspoons ground cinnamon2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 cup white sugar for decoration
Directions1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.2. In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, oil, molasses, and egg.3. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger. Stir into the molasses mixture.4. Roll dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Roll each ball in white sugar before placing 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 8 minutes in preheated oven, or until center is firm. Let sit on pan for 2 minutes before moving to wire racks.
June 21, 2012 By headchef
Welcome to Fantastic Thursday!
Thanks to all who linked up last week! Each of you help make this party successful! Be sure to come back next week to see if you have been featured and to link up your latest creation!
Here are some favorites from 3 of my Little Chefs.
Little Chef A’s favorite
Frozen Chocolate from White Lights
Little Chef C’s favorite
Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars by Jazzy Allergy Recipes
Little Chef D’s favorite
Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes by Julie Vision in the Kitchen
If you have been featured feel free to grab a Featured Button.
Let’s get the party started! I’m excited to see what you have to share!
Thanks so much for choosing to link up at Five Little Chefs!
‘);
June 20, 2012 By headchef
Don’t forget to enter the Flirty Aprons giveaway! Today is the last day to enter!
Come back tomorrow for Fantastic Thursday Linky Party #2!!
Potatoes to me says Sunday dinner with the family. Potatoes are easy to work with and cheap to buy. Kids can peel and cut potatoes fairly easily. A few might slip out of their hands while peeling, but that is what makes cooking fun…all the silly mistakes that occur! Those silly mistakes create memories!
This time we used potatoes with a thin skin so we did not need to peel them. You can only imagine how much time this saved us! I think I found my new favorite potato! These potatoes then are placed in boiling water to cook until tender but still firm. When they are finished drain.
While the potatoes are boiling cook the bacon until crisp in a large skillet. Little Chef D loved stirring the bacon around and around making designs. She did NOT want to take it out of the skillet to drain on a paper towel because she was scared the grease would ‘jump out at her.’
Combine all the ingredients in a very large bowl. This large bowl is magical because there is enough room to fold everything together without loosing most on the counter that have hopped out of the bowl!
Did I tell you how much we all love our new Flirty Aprons? Aren’t they cute on my girls!
After cooking for an hour. It should look golden and delicious. Add some fresh chives on top to liven it up!
Serve it with your favorite meat and side dishes and enjoy! This is a favorite because it is made an hour ahead of time so that crunch right before dinner is served can be spent doing other last minute items. The potatoes need no supervision after they are placed in the oven.
Baked Potato Salad I
allrecipes.com
Ingredients8 medium potatoes, cubed1/2 pound sliced bacon, or more1 pound cheddar cheese, grated1/2 onion, chopped1 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
Directions1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish.2. Put sliced potatoes into a large pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender but still firm, about 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.3. At the same time, place bacon in a large deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly browned. Remove to paper towels to drain.4. In a large bowl, stir together the potatoes, cheese, onion, sour cream, salt and pepper. Spoon into prepared baking dish. Crumble bacon over the top.
5. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, until golden brown.
June 18, 2012 By headchef
No Bake Cookies are our all time favorite family favorite cookie! I remember growing up going on a vacation to Grandma’s house and watching her make these cookies. When they were being placed on the wax paper Grandpa always seemed to time it right and come into the kitchen at that time. He took a knife and carefully hit each cookie HE was going to eat to flatten it. I still don’t know why he did that, but apparently he preferred them flat.
The first step is to melt the butter, sugar and milk in a saucepan. When it brings to a boil time 60 seconds. This is the most crucial part of the recipe. If you boil it too long the cookies will end up crumbly. If you boil it too short the cookies will be too runny and never set up. Altitude is a huge factor as well. At sea level elevations I cook it a few seconds longer. With coil burners I pulled the pan off at 58 seconds. With my now glass top I cook it 60 seconds. It may take a few tries to get the timing perfect. No matter what it still is edible and delicious whether you are eating it out of the pan because it is too runny or if you wait for them to set up.
After boiling for about 60 seconds it is time to move. Add in the cocoa, peanut butter and vanilla. Stir it quickly until smooth, or almost smooth. Add in the oats (quick oats are the best) and stir it until combined. When I made these cookies the first time for Little Chef Daddy he had no clue they were supposed to be scooped out on wax paper. His family would make these cookies and then eat them out of the pan! There were LOTS of spoons in that pan! The cookie never had a chance of getting to the wax paper!
Little Chef C scooped out the hot cookie with a small cookie scoop. We prefer the mini scoop because it is better for portion control and small mouths. In fact this is the only scoop we own, we use it for everything. Do you notice her cute Flirty Apron? This is the exact one for our giveaway. Enter here if you have not already!
After ALMOST all the cookies are scooped out the pan is free for the taking. We have to leave a little in the pan for the fun of it! Lots of spoons magically appear to clean the pan! Someone always gets the spoon and the scoop to lick as well!
You can flatten your cookies just like Grandpa preferred them!
These are not only a Family Favorite, but a great go to cookie. They are super quick to make and set up (if you cook them right). My Little Chefs have no problem making these cookies. In fact, we make them so much Little Chef A has the recipe memorized!
No Bake Cookies
Five Little Chefs
Ingredients1 cube butter1/2 cup milk2 cups sugar1/2 cup peanut butter4 Tablespoons cocoa1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups quick oats
1. In a saucepan combine butter, milk, sugar.2. Bring to a boil and cook for 60 seconds.3. Add peanut butter, cocoa powder, vanilla and oats.
4. Scoop out onto wax paper and allow to dry.
June 15, 2012 By headchef
Thanks to all who linked up to Fantastic Thursday #1.
The party is still open if you want to join.
Don’t forget to enter my Flirty Aprons giveaway.
The prize is cute matching aprons for mom and child.
Another one of our Family Favorites is Cheddar Chicken and Potatoes. We like it because it is a one dish meal and it is fairly simple and has common ingredients. We add a lot of cheese and bacon because that is what we love!
Little Chef A is improving her knife skills. She finely diced the onion and green pepper in preparation for later. The bacon was also cut into smaller pieces.
The bacon was cooked in a hot pan until crispy then placed on a paper towel to drain. Most of the bacon grease was poured out and later frozen most likely for Fried Rice.
One side of the chicken was seasoned before placing into the hot pan (seasoned side down) which still has a little bacon grease. The second side was then seasoned. The chicken was cooked for a few minutes on each side until done. Then remove the chicken to a holding plate.
Now it is time to cook the potatoes. I usually dice my own potatoes, but I had some frozen hashbrown type in my freezer I needed to use. It sure did save some time, and a lost potato that would have slipped into the garbage! The potatoes and onions and peppers were cooked in the skillet.
Once the potato mixture was done the chicken pieces were added back in and cheese and bacon were placed on top.
Little Chef C saw that the meal was finished and said we should cut the chicken with the Fun Bites. I thought sure why not. All the Little Chefs had to take a turn!
You do not need to cut the chicken obviously, but that is what we do for the little mouths. This recipe is very versatile. You can change the proportions easy depending on your taste. We think the cheesier the better.
Cheddar Chicken and Potatoes
Kraft Food and Family Magazine
Ingredients4 slices bacon4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb)4 cups diced potatoesPeppers, dicedOnions, diced
1 cup (4 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Directions1. Par boil potatoes.2. Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet on medium heat for 5 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet to paper towel; discard drippings in skillet.3. Add chicken to skillet. Cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from skillet, cover to keep warm.4. Crumble bacon. Add to skillet with potatoes. Cook an d stir 5 minutes or until heated through.
5. Place chicken over potatoes. Top with cheese. Cover, cook 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.
June 14, 2012 By headchef
Welcome to our first Fantastic Thursday Party! I love link parties because I love seeing what fun things everyone is creating. I look forward to seeing what you have been up to this week. Thanks so much for choosing to link up at Five Little Chefs!
Don’t forget to enter our Flirty Aprons giveaway!
Each week I will share a few of my favorites. Be sure to come back every Thursday to see if you have been featured and to link up your latest creation! Let’s get the party started! I’m excited to see what you have to share!
‘);
June 14, 2012 By headchef
Flirty Aprons is a family friendly company. Not only do they have aprons for adults they have matching children and adult aprons! The fabric is thin and soft. The designs are varied you are sure to find one that is perfect for you. They also have a line of Men’s aprons with funny sayings! This is perfect for my husband who absolutely loves wearing shirts with funny sayings.
My Little Chefs were SO excited when we opened the box with our aprons! With each apron that was removed my girls giggled with glee and excitement! The aprons are “so pretty” they had to be put on immediately. The size of the aprons are just right for my girls. My oldest needed an adult size which she was not sure she liked because the ties are very long. I had her try on the child size and she realized that was too small. The pockets for all the Little Chefs have been a hit! They informed me my KayDee Zebra apron did not have pockets. Little Chef D’s apron has bling on her button with a pink bow! That is the reason she chose the Girl’s Merilyn Sugar and Spice.
My Little Chefs have been using the aprons for dress up for days now! Even my littlest Little Chef screams when I need to take her’s off! They all twirled in them repeatedly because they “look like a dress”. They play restaurant or cooking in our play kitchen with these on for hours. Whenever I am in the kitchen they immediately put on their Flirty Aprons before asking if they can help. For some reason eating dinner now requires Flirty Aprons! Little Chef D is still afraid to get it dirty even though I told her we can wash it. “It is too pretty to get dirty!”
These aprons have changed their attitude in the kitchen. They feel pretty because of the aprons and seem to have more confidence in their cooking ability! It’s amaing how little ones feel different because of what they are wearing!
Flirty Aprons has a new design of baby bibs called “lullabibs.” They released a selection for the first time and they sold out in ONE week! They have a plastic backing which is 100% waterproof and fully wrap around the body. Look for them soon!
Flirty Aprons is giving away one set of Scarlet Blossom Adult and Child Aprons! How FANTASTIC is that! You and your child will have cute matching aprons as you create your next recipe. Enter below!
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