Every Sunday when we go to our local farmer’s market, Kenya fervently looks forward to two things — a pupusa with tons of cabbage slaw and a big flavored lemonade. It’s so incredible for us as parents to watch how monumental this ritual is for him. Many of the central and south American food stands at the LA markets feature huge clear barrels of various naturally flavored lemonades. In addition to the tried and true original lemon version, there is also raspberry, strawberry, watermelon and various other fresh combinations, their gorgeous colors luring anyone who passes by — as well as Kenya.

As the weather gets hotter, so does our family while we shop the market, and we inevitably find ourselves wilting in the heat every summer weekend. There have already been numerous days these past two months that were so hot, shopping for food became difficult and we all started salivating as we (along with Kenya) looked at those gigantic clear vats of lemonade calling our names. I’m always more then happy to indulge Kenya with this special treat, especially considering how thirsty the rising temperatures makes us this time of year. But I also know these lemonades are made with a good deal of sugar and so when possible, I try to sway Kenya towards a nice tall bottle of water, so we can make homemade strawberr-wee lemonade with our food purchases from the market when we get home.

As soon as the produce is unpacked, Kenya is up at the counter rolling the lemons (one of his favorite kitchen jobs because he knows that’s the best way to release the juice). With just a rinse of the berries, a touch of natural sweetener, a quick puree and a brisk stir, our healthy lemonade is ready for us to gulp down and enjoy!

Strawberry Lemonade (Serves 4)

1 Cup Chopped Fresh Strawberries, stemmed & washed
1/2 Cup Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Agave or Honey
2 Cups Water
Ice for Serving

1. Puree strawberries and honey (or agave) in a blender or food processor until smooth and transfer to a pitcher.
2. Pour the strawberry mixture, water and lemon juice in a pitcher and stir to combine.
3. Chill and serve over ice.

Having two young kids, I find it kind of funny how one will voraciously eat a certain food without pause and the other turns their nose up at it after the first bite. This happens a lot in our house, specifically when it comes to plain yogurt. My husband, Kenya and I each eat at least one container of Greek yogurt a day — Kenya without any added toppings at all. Chloe, on the other hand, will just flat out say “noooo” when she sees plain yogurt unless there’s something to liven it up like a scoop of Apricot, Peach and Golden Raisin Puree.

I like to keep frozen berries on hand, primarily because Kenya thinks they’re the best breakfast AND dessert known to man. He loves eating them on their own, but recipes like this Raspberry Sauce is one he always makes an exception for. It only takes me minutes to prepare and it is so unbelievably delicious, it makes an impression on even the littlest of kids.

Raspberries are a powerhouse of nutrition, boasting magnesium, Vitamin C and plenty of dietary fiber. Since they only have 61 calories per cup, this is a perfect sauce for mom to drizzle on her favorite foods too.

When Kenya and Chloe watched me making this the other day they both oohed and ahhed as I poured the finished product into a glass jar. The gorgeous red color is almost hypnotic, and when they tasted it on their yogurt, they both went crazy. Even my husband who, like Kenya, likes his yogurt unadorned has been pouring this on to the point that there’s more sauce than yogurt in his bowl. Whether you decide to serve this on some protein-packed yogurt, ice cream, waffles or even on a sandwich with a spread of almond butter or cream cheese, it’s a treat that you’ll soon want to become a staple in your fridge. That’s one thing everyone can probably agree on!

Raspberry Sauce (Makes 1 1/2 Cups)

1 12oz Bag Frozen Raspberries
2 Tbsp Honey or Agave
1/4 Cup Water
1 Tbsp Cornstarch

1. Place the raspberries and honey or agave in a saucepan over low to medium heat, stirring to combine and smashing the raspberries with the back of a spoon.
2. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
3. Whisk the cornstarch and water in a small bowl.
4. Add the cornstarch mixture to the raspberries and stir until the sauce thickens (about 2 minutes).
5. Cool and serve over yogurt, ice cream, pancakes and more!

** Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

PIZZA!!!! That’s the only word I tend to hear these days whenever I ask my husband and Kenya what they want for dinner. Our newest Sunday night tradition has become making homemade pizzas together as a family and it’s so much fun. One of Kenya’s favorite parts is getting to choose the toppings for his side of the pie. We’ve even found that foods he normally won’t eat on their own, become totally appealing to him when tossed on his pizza.

A few Sundays ago when we were making some delicious thin crusted creations, Chloe was on the kitchen floor playing with one of the muffin tins and it gave me a genius idea: Pizza Muffins! Why, you may ask? Why not! Pizza is crunchy, cheesy, delicious, totally kid-friendly and when it’s cooked in the shape of a muffin, it just adds a cool twist to the same old slice that you’re used to. When I told my husband about my inspiration for this recipe, the first thing he said was, “thank goodness Chloe wasn’t playing with a jello mold when you thought this one up”.

Pizza Muffins (Makes 16-18 Cups)

1 Lb Package Pizza Dough (white or Whole Wee-Eat Pizza Dough)
1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1/2 Cup Pizza Sauce
Olive Oil

Toppings: Mushrooms, Ham, Red Peppers, Olives or whatever you and your kids love. The possibilities are endless.

1. Bring dough to room temperature and preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Roll out the dough to a thin 18 x 12 rectangle and cut into squares about 3 x 3 inches.
3. Grease mini muffin cups and place one square in each cup, making sure that the corners of the dough are sticking out.
4. Brush edges of dough with olive oil.
5. Par-bake dough for 8 minutes and take tins out of oven.
6. Pour 1 tsp of sauce in each cup and evenly distribute the cheese between the cups (you can add toppings now as well).
7. Bake for an additional 5 minutes.
8. Cool and serve.

Tater Tots! Just the name itself sounds kid-friendly. I’d bet that in 1953 when Ore-Ida came up with how to make use of the leftover slivers of cut-up potatoes and created these little bites, they realized the name alone would be a huge selling point. Especially for kids. According to the company, Americans eat approximately 70 million pounds of Tots each year and based on how often I ate them in my youth, I can only imagine that kids comprise a big part of that figure. Whether you remember them from the frozen food aisle at the grocery or your own school cafeteria, I’m sure you consumed at least a few of these crispy, deep fried potato nuggets in your day.

I’ve got nothing against the frozen tots that I grew up on, but this homemade recipe is really easy to make and so much more healthy and delicious than the frozen kind (no frying for starters — these are baked). But if you’re still nostalgic for frozen tots, just grab some more potatoes, double the recipe, and you’ll have plenty extra to freeze and enjoy at a later date. No more heading out to buy fried potatoes in a bag. Now your kids can discover all the joys of tots without you having to worry about all the fillers and additives of store bought brands. It’ll be like reliving your own youth — only healthier!

Tater Tots (Serves 4)

2 Large Potatoes (about 1 lb), cut into 2 inch cubes (they don’t have to be perfect)
Salt
1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1 Egg, whisked
1 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs (white or wheat)
Canola Oil Spray

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Boil the potatoes in salted water in a pot for 12-15 minutes or until fork tender.
3. Drain off all the water and cool the potatoes.
4. Using the side of a box grater, grate all of the potatoes into a bowl.
5. Place the flour, whisked egg and breadcrumbs in THREE separate bowls.
6. Take about 1 tbsp of the potato mixture and shape into “tater tots”.
7. Roll the tots into the flour, followed by the egg, then the panko bread crumbs, coating lightly.
8. Place onto a silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet and coat evenly with cooking spray.
9. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
10. Cool and serve.

*Shape them into tots and freeze before you bake them – After freezing, just pop them in the oven from the freezer adding at least another 3-5 minutes baking time.

One of Kenya and Chloe’s favorite activities is going on long walks with their Mommy and Daddy in their Double City Mini Stroller (and I love this stroller as much as they do — it makes getting two kids around a snap). One of the bonuses of living in California is that the weather is nice enough to do it almost any day of the year. The kids love being outside and looking at dogs, birds, and trucks, and picking all kinds of fruits from the trees in our neighborhood (another California bonus!). Along our usual route our neighbors have branches overflowing with oranges, plums, kumquats and apples. Kenya loves bringing a bag along with him for the ride to collect his booty. Part of the adventure for us is not only picking the fruit, but also making something delicious with it when we get home. That’s where the inspiration for this recipe came from. Naturally sweet apples and bananas in a muffin that’s a great for breakfast or a snack and also the perfect treat when it’s time to head out in the stroller again for our next outing!

Apple Banana Muffins (Makes 24-28 Mini Muffins)

1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Old Fashioned Oats
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Cinnamon
3 Tbsp Vegetable or Canola Oil
1/2 Cup Agave OR Honey
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Milk
2 Bananas, mashed
1 Medium Apple, peeled and grated (Gala, Pink Lady, Fuji or Golden Delicious are good choices)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl and mix.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together.
4. Slowly add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
5. Grease a muffin tin or line it with muffin cups and fill each cup 3/4 full with the batter.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Serve.

Among the foods that are easy sells in our house, cheese, tomatoes and tortillas all rank high in the top ten. Summer is here and between the juicy heirloom tomatoes now appearing all over our local farmer’s market (so sweet they taste like candy) and the aromatic, fresh basil growing like a weed in our garden, that can only mean one thing: Caprese Quesadillas are going to be in heavy mealtime rotation!

I love a caprese sandwich, which is mozzarella, tomato, basil and just a dash of olive oil, normally on Italian bread. For kids though, caprese sandwiches can be tough to eat because the mozzarella tends to fall out, making the whole sandwich eating thing somewhat frustrating. But that’s no reason to deprive your kids of great Caprese. By simply substituting tortillas for the bread and adding a little heat to melt the cheese, you’ve got the great taste of caprese in an easy-to-hold, kid-friendly format. It’s a blend of two great cuisines that come together beautifully.

Capresse Quesadilla (Serves 4)

4 Tortillas (I like to use whole wheat or spelt tortillas)
1 Large Tomato, thinly sliced
1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, grated
4-6 Fresh Basil Leaves, julienned

1. Place one tortilla in a dry pan over medium heat ( I use a cast iron skillet).
2. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese over tortilla and place half (about 4 or 5) tomato slices over cheese.
3. Sprinkle another 1/4 cup of cheese over tomato slices followed by half of the julienned basil leaves.
4. Top with another tortilla and heat through, about 3 minutes on each side or until cheese is melted and tortilla is slightly toasted.
5. Repeat for the second quesadilla.
6. Cut into wedges and serve.

We recently did a poll on the weelicious Facebook page asking parents what their kid’s favorite green vegetables is. While broccoli and peas ranked high on the list, zucchini was barely even mentioned. Maybe that’s because people aren’t familiar with how to prepare it. A lot of people tend to steam zucchini, which I find makes it a bit limp and so I can understand why kids don’t take to a vegetable with that kind of texture. Since I’m always playing around with fun ways to prepare vegetables that kids are actually excited to eat, I decided to revisit zucchini this week.

Coincidentally, we’ve got zucchini growing in our garden right now and it’s all over our farmer’s market too. Zucchini has a very delicate flavor, so I focused on a simple preparation. These zucchini coins are baked, which makes them crunchy on the outside and soft and tender inside — a real textural treat for kids (and Kenya gets a kick out of eating “coins” because he feels like he’s got edible pocket change on his plate). Add a little tomato sauce on the side and they’re the perfect side dish for your family to enjoy with any meal.

Baked Zucchini Coins (Serves 4)

1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Panko or Bread Crumbs
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Large Egg
1/4 Cup Flour
2 Medium Zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch coins
Optional: Weelicious Tomato Sauce for dipping

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Mix the first 4 ingredients in a bowl.
3. Whisk the egg in a separate bowl.
4. Place the flour in another bowl.
5. Make an assembly line with the bowls, and first dip the zucchini coins into the
flour, then the egg and finally into the bread crumb mixture, coating evenly and repeating with all the zucchini coins.
6. Place all of the coins on the baking sheet/rack. Arrange so they’re not touching, spray with oil and bake for 20 minutes or until the
bread crumbs are golden.
7. Serve.

*After step 5 place on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. Remove and place in a ziploc bag, label, and freeze. When ready to eat – take them out of the freezer and put them in the oven adding at least another 3-5 minutes baking time.

Grandparents are the best! Thank goodness for the days when I’m totally overwhelmed and they come to pick Kenya up and take him on an outing. It’s been quite a while since my dad hung out with a 3 1/2 year old, but he’s really stepped up to the plate and surprised me with his love and time playing with his grandson. There have been adventures going to see trains, the zoo and even to the golf course (I think I know who has more fun on that outing). What always accompanies these little jaunts is a meal or two. Quite often when Kenya comes home he’ll have in his hand a half eaten cheese sandwich on the most dreaded, whitest bread I’ve ever seen. There have been trips to the car wash where I’ve later found a pack of half-eaten chewing gum or a 16 ounce bag of sugar coated gum drops (I let out a little squeal of terror when I discovered those). When Kenya came home 2 weeks ago holding a pulled pork taco, I looked at my dad as if he had two heads. “Really dad, you got a 3 year old a pulled pork taco”? I figured there was no way that Kenya would ever want something like that, but my dad had reassured me that this was Kenya’s doing, he had ordered it on his own (oh yeah, blame the kid)! To my amazement though, Kenya sat down at our table and chowed the entire thing in no time flat. He even asked if we could go get another one!

This all leads me to my obsession with recreating the pulled pork from our local taco stand (which is amazing, by the way). What do they put in it to make it taste so good? I finally realized it isn’t the ingredients so much as it’s the WAY they cook their pork. Soft, tender, juicy, it must take hours to get that “fall off the bone” texture. I don’t know whether they use a crock pot, a slow cooker or just a cast iron pan in the oven, but I do know that I’ve now made this dish several times over the past two weeks (I use a slow cooker) and I can’t keep the leftovers around long enough to enjoy them for myself they disappear so fast. The best part is there is next to no work for me except to enjoy my family and the final results!

Thank you to all the grandparents in our lives that are not only nurturing and caring for our precious little ones, but hopefully turning them on to foods and adventures that we may not always have the time to ourselves.

Pulled Pork Tacos (Serves 6-8)

1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Chili Powder
1 Tsp Onion Powder
1 Tsp Paprika
1 Tsp Oregano
1 Tbsp Salt
1 3 1/2-4 Lb Pork Shoulder, rinsed and cleaned
1 16 oz Jar Mild Salsa (I used Pace Chunky Salsa)
1 Pkg. Tortillas, corn or flour tortillas

Condiments: Salsa, Big Kid Guacamole, cilantro, diced onion, shredded cheese, sour cream

1. Place the first 7 ingredients in a bowl and mix.
2. Place the pork shoulder in the Crock Pot (slow cooker) and rub all over with the seasoning mixture.
3. Pour the jar of salsa around the pork shoulder.
4. Cook on low heat for 8-12 hours.
5. Remove the pork to a plate and using 2 forks, shred the into bite size pieces (I like to remove the visible pieces of fat).
6. Pour a scoop or two of the juices into the pork and stir to combine (If you want to remove the excess fat from the juice you will use, pour it into a cup and refrigerate it until the fat solidifies and can be easily scooped out. Only the juices will remain).
7. Place the pork into the tortillas.
8. Serve with desired accompaniments.

Waffles aren’t just for breakfast anymore! I’ve actually been sending Kenya to school with waffles a lot lately. He loves when I cut them into bite-size squares and make mini waffle sandwiches. When I’m out of bread, but still want to make him a sammie, this is a great way to make breakfast leftovers stretch into lunch. I put anything from tuna salad to turkey to cream cheese inside.

I would imagine that everyone reading this has had sweet waffles before, but have you ever tried savory cheese waffles? They’re a well-rounded breakfast, lunch or snack treat because they have protein from the cheese, egg and milk (great for vegetarians), and obviously, a carbohydrate. They’re a great choice when you’re on the go and need a complete energy boost. And, as you now know, they make great sandwich bread, too!

So, whether you eat these waffles on their own, as the bread for your sandwich or just alongside some eggs and bacon, they’re a fun change of pace from the traditional waffle you’re used to seeing on your plate!

Cheese Waffles (Makes 12 Waffles)

2 Cups Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Eggs
1 1/2 Cup Milk
3 Tbsp Vegetable or Canola Oil
1 Cup Cheddar Cheese, grated

Accompaniments: ham, scrambled eggs, bacon or as a Sandwich filled with cream cheese and turkey

1. Preheat waffle iron.
2. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Add the cheese and make sure to coat it with the flour mixture (this will help the cheese stay separated).
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and oil.
5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and whisk to combine.
6. Pour about 1/3 cup of the batter into the greased waffle iron and cook 3-5 minutes.
7. Serve.

*After waffles have cooled, place in ziploc bag, label and freeze. Defrost or pop into a toaster oven or oven at 300 degrees for 10 minutes.

Food allergies are a serious problem in this country — nuts being a particular culprit. Most schools in our area (and many around the country) have banned nuts all together, regardless of whether or not the kids are known to have nut allergies. Thankfully, safety measures like those or having designated nut-free areas in school cafeterias help protect the ever increasing number of America’s allergic children, but it can make life difficult for busy moms who rely on protein-filled snacks for their kids that are made with nuts. I can’t imagine how challenging it must be for parents who deal everyday with food allergies, so I’ve been spending a lot of time developing recipes which use protein and nutrient-rich seeds as an alternative to nuts.

I think these bars deliver the goods: sunflower seeds are packed with protein and Vitamin E, pumpkin seeds with magnesium, and flax seeds with an off the charts amount of omega-3 fatty acids. Add in all of the other healthful ingredients in this recipe, and these fruit and seed bars are just as sweet, crunchy, healthy, and delicious as any nut-filled protein bar you’ll find in stores. Even if you or your kids don’t have a food allergy, try making a batch of these bars. My guys can’t seem to get enough of them. And, it’s a treat that most schools will be happy to welcome.

Fruit and Seed Bars (Makes 20 Bars)

1 Cup Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 Cup Raw Pumpkin Seeds (also known as Pepitas)
1/2 Cup Raw Sunflower Seeds
2 Tbsp Flax Seeds
1 Cup Dried Fruit (blueberries, raisins, currants, cranberries and/or cherries)
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
1/3 Cup Honey
1/2 Cup Sunflower Butter

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a food processor, pulse the first 6 ingredients until finely chopped (it’s ok if there are few coarsely chopped pieces).
3. Add the honey and sunflower and pulse until starting to combine.
4. Pour the mixture into a 9 x 9 inch pan, greased then line with parchment and press down into the pan until completely even.
4. Bake for 25 minutes.
5. Let the bars completely cool before cutting with a serrated knife into bars.
6. Serve.

*Cool, place in Ziploc bags, label and freeze. Defrost to room temperature and enjoy!