Busy Family Meal Planning

July 4th, 2008

Campfire cake

Heidi Kenney, of My Paper Crane, has come up with the most adorable cake for a summer birthday or special event:

How cute is that? Visit Heidi and see all the other fun food and crafty items she comes up with, and learn how to make this cake.
Tags: easy recipes, family meals, healthy cooking, healthy […]

By Cyndi Lavin -- 0 comments

June 23rd, 2008

Master mix for cookies

Use this Master Mix for making lots of different varieties of cookies. Simply add different nuts or chopped fruits, or cocoa powder and chocolate chips…
Master Mix for Cookies

1-1/4 c butter, softened
1 c sugar
1 eggs
2 T milk
1 t vanilla extract
4 c unbleached white flour
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
Cream the butter and sugar together in […]

By Cyndi Lavin -- 1 comment

June 20th, 2008

Berry coffee cake (OAMC)

This coffee cake is the perfect make-ahead or OAMC treat! It freezes very well, and can be served either at room temperature or warm. Wrapped in foil, it goes from freezer to oven to table in about 30 minutes.
Berry Coffee Cake
1 c unbleached white flour
2 T sugar
1-1/2 t baking powder
1/2 […]

By Cyndi Lavin -- 0 comments

June 6th, 2008

Chocolate mice!

We had a mouse in the house today, which I had to take away from my cat and let go, even though my husband assures me it will be back! When I told my friends at the gym about it, two of them immediately started telling me about how to make chocolate mice. It sounds […]

By Cyndi Lavin -- 2 comments

May 30th, 2008

Peanut butter roll

This recipe originally came from Lancaster County in Pennsylvania, and was shared with me by my childhood friend, Alice. This is a great treat to make with kids since there’s no cutting or cooking involved, and all mixing is done (literally!) by hand.
Peanut Butter Roll
2 lbs confectioner’s sugar
3/4 c peanut butter
2 c graham cracker crumbs
1/4 […]

By Cyndi Lavin -- 0 comments

May 27th, 2008

A plethora of summer dessert ideas!

How much is a plethora, anyway? Well, I don’t know, but my friend Linette, of She Knows Parties, has a list of 50 links to great summer dessert recipes. Now, I might be just a weensie bit prejudiced, as Linette has kindly included two of my links (Jean’s Blueberry Quickbread and Strawberry Shortcakes), […]

By Cyndi Lavin -- 1 comment

May 26th, 2008

Master Mix for baking

Mix up some Master Mix for baking during your once a week food prep time or during OAMC sessions. You’ll never reach for Bisquick again :-)
Regular Master Mix for Baking (13 cups)
9 c unbleached white flour
1/3 c baking powder
1 T salt
1 t cream of tartar
1/4 c sugar
2 c canola oil
Healthier Master Mix (15 […]

By Cyndi Lavin -- 0 comments

May 16th, 2008

Strawberry shortcakes

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Mary Catherine Muir
Is there anything better in the spring? Fresh strawberries, yum! This is such a spring classic, I think that it’s one that you need to bring the kids in on! Thank you to Cooking Light for this fabulous recipe:
Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcakes
Makes 6 servings
[…]

By Cyndi Lavin -- 7 comments

May 16th, 2008

Gluten-free Italian cornmeal cake by Whole Foods

Gluten-free Italian cornmeal cake

What a great idea! Adding the ricotta cheese and orange juice makes this cake heavier, moister, and sweeter…perfect for dessert! Thanks to Whole Foods.
Gluten-Free Italian Cornmeal Cake
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup full fat ricotta cheese, preferably hand-dipped
1 cup ground almonds or almond meal/flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup […]

By Cyndi Lavin -- 0 comments

May 2nd, 2008

Chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies by Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart has provided the recipe for her delectable chocolate gingerbread cookies on her website. I made them last weekend for a birthday party, and they were truly amazing. However…Martha’s recipe is much too fiddly for my taste. I’m sure the cookies would have been even better, and maybe would have looked a bit nicer […]

By Cyndi Lavin -- 0 comments