Want to make roll out cookies with your kids, but tired of making sugar cookies every year? These Chocolate Orange Snaps are super easy as well as unbelievably delicious!

As you know, I wholeheartedly believe that getting kids involved in cooking is one of the best ways to inspire them to become great eaters. I watch that theory prove itself daily with my own kids and hear it reinforced endlessly from countelss other weelicious moms. It’s so cool watching or hearing about a kid who’s generally opposed to trying new foods actually get excited about eating them, just by helping their parents in the kitchen for mealtime. And while having your kids alongside you at the kitchen counter can bring with it great pride and bonding — not to mention an invaluable learning experience for your child (children typically form their habits and opinions between the ages of one and four) — parents can rightfully be nervous about what their child is perched on next to them at the kitchen counter. Young children standing on a chair or stool can be precarious and so, as with anything you do with your children, safety should always come first.

Enter Luca & Company, designers of the multi-award winning FunPod platform, which provides a safe environment at the kitchen worktop for toddlers from 12 months up to six years. The Fun Pod is 33 inches high, so it fits under most counter tops and is made from a durable, high quality material with a non-toxic finish which is easy for cleaning. Valued at $190 it would be a great item to win….so how great is is that Luca & Company is offering one weelicious mom the opportunity to do so!

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL! Since the holidays are just about here we want to offer two more moms a chance to win something else I think is precious. Rachel Riordan creates whimsical, recipe-inspired artwork with titles like ‘Chcocolate Chip Cookies’ and ‘Pink Lemonade’ valued at $120 each. It’s the perfect addition for the room of your little budding chef, or even as a showpiece in your own kitchen.

For a chance to win, just tell me what dish you’re most looking forward to making (or eating!) this holiday season. Winners will be selected at random and announced next week. Good luck!

* Congratulations to Shannon Reid the winner of the Fun Pod and Aisha Barbeau & Tammy Anderson the winners of the Luca & Company Art!

I’m not exactly Martha Stewart when it comes to creating whimsical looking recipes, but trust me, I try. While I love producing dishes that have a lot of visual appeal by way of different shapes, colors and textures, I often feel so pinched for time that a lot of the creativity I would like to put into meals just doesn’t happen. Having said that, these Whole Wheat Bagel Wreath Pizzas are my idea of a recipe that is quick to prepare but also eye catching enough to get kids excited.

Whether you’re wanting to make a simple lunch or a special treat for a kids holiday party, these wreaths deliver on the whimsy and are a tons of fun!

(check out the other Bagel Wreath Pizza picture below…)

Whole Wheat Bagel Wreath Pizza (Serves 4)

4 Whole Wheat Bagels, cut in half
1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1/2 Cup Pizza Sauce
1/2 Cup Broccoli, Peas and/or Green Beans, steamed
1 12 oz Jar Roast Red Bell Peppers

1. Preheat oven to 450 F.
2. Spread 1 tbsp of sauce on each slice of bagel.
3. Top each bagel with 2 tbsp of cheese, then arrange vegetables on top to resemble a wreath.
4. Cut bell peppers into thin strips to make the ribbon for each wreath.
5. Place wreaths on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.
6. Serve.

Kenya has been jonesing to make gingerbread for weeks, so I finally got out my baking pan and all of the ingredients when he said to me with most intense, focused voice, “Mommy, I wanted to make gingerbread COOKIES”. That entire time I had thought Kenya wanted to make gingerbread but in his mind it was all about the iconic shape of the gingerbread cookie. After all, what’s cuter or more fun than a cookie whose arms, head and feet you can eat right off before devouring the middle?

After a lengthy conversation with Kenya about the difference between gingerbread and gingerbread cookies, I asked him if instead he wanted to make gingerbread pancakes. He immediately broke out into a huge smile. It doesn’t take much to persuade my kids to eat pancakes no matter what their flavor. As long as the word “pancake” is involved, they’re excited both to eat and make them (just for the record, Kenya got to make the cookies as well and had a blast doing both).

Packed with iron, potassium and calcium from the rich molasses, they also offer a sweet, raisin-like flavor that I find kids adore. If you haven’t ever tried gingerbread pancakes, this is definitely the time of year to do it. Festive and delicious, it’s the kind of dish that really makes this time of year feel special!

Gingerbread Pancakes (Serves 4)

1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/3 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Tsp Ginger
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
1/4 Tsp Cloves
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Milk
2 Tbsp Molasses
2 Large Eggs
2 Tbsp Butter, melted and cooled

Accompaniments: Maple Syrup and Honey

1. Whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl whisk the liquid ingredients.
3. Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture and whisk until just combined.
4. Let the batter stand for 10-15 minutes to thicken.
5. Place 2 tbsp of the mixture in a large, greased sauté pan over medium heat and cook for 2-3 minutes on each
side.
6. Serve with maple syrup or honey.

I’m one of those people who believes that everything tastes better on a stick. Be it Popsicles, Chicken on a Stick, Peas in a Pop….there’s just something about food with a handle that says, “I’m telling you, you want to pick me up and find out just how delicious I am”. Or something like that. When I presented Kenya and Chloe with a glass filled with an arrangement of these Pancake Sausage Muffins on a Stick for breakfast one recent morning, both of their eyes were as wide as saucers. Kenya plucked one out and meticulously dipped it in his dish of syrup prior to each bite while Chloe tore into three at the same time, first pulling out the sausages to eat, then bathing the gutted pancake muffins in syrup before stuffing her little mouth with them.

This dish will probably take you less time to make than a platter of pancakes with sautéed sausage on the side — and the fun factor is definitely way higher. Just ask your kids, who I guarantee will agree with me that everything indeed tastes better on a stick!

Pancake Sausage Muffins on a Stick (Makes 20)

2 Cups of Your Favorite Pancakes Batter
6 Breakfast Sausage Links, cooked
Accompaniments: maple syrup or honey

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place 1 tbsp of the pancake batter into greased mini muffin cups.
3. Cut the sausage into 1 inch pieces and lay flat side down in the center of each batter filled muffin cup.
4. Top sausage with another tbsp of batter in each cup.
5. Bake for 14 minutes.
6. Remove muffins from molds and poke popsicle sticks through the muffins.
7. Serve with desired accompaniment.

I can’t imagine anything that would taste better to a kid (or even an adult) than breakfast on a stick! Pancake Sausage Muffins on a Stick are a ton of fun to make and eat!

It makes me crazy when I fall in love with something I eat at a restaurant or that a friend makes but they won’t divulge the recipe. Experiencing a food you love so much that you actually dream about it, only to then be deprived of ever finding out how it’s made is beyond frustrating to me. Yes, these are the kinds of problems that leave me sleepless at night, though I’m sure some moms feel the same way when I preview a pic on Facebook of a new recipe I’m working on yet they can’t get their hands on it until months later when I post it here on weelicious.

Such is the case with these holiday Almond Cookies. I first made a batch months ago (as embarrassing as it is to admit, I get so excited about Christmas cookies that I start making them in September), posted a picture on Facebook of them in Kenya’s school lunch and then had tons of moms emailing me for the recipe. I felt like such a hypocrite not being able to share it right away but I planned it for the holidays!

After posting Chocolate Orange Snaps and Cinnamon Mexican Wedding Cookies over the past two days, it seems like this has become my unofficial Cookie Week, featuring treats each day that are fun, beautiful to look at and easy to make with your kids. I’m thrilled that I can finally share these with you so you can in turn share them with your family, friends….even the man dressed in red heading down your chimney. There are no secrets here at weelicious!!!!

Almond Cookies (Makes 2 Dozen)

1 1/2 Cup Raw Almonds, divided
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
1 Large Egg
1/2 Tsp Almond Extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Place 1 cup of almonds in a food processor and ground for 30 seconds.*
3. Place the ground almonds, flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and combine.
4. Place the butter and sugar in a standing mixer (or bowl using a hand mixer) and cream for 3-4 minutes.
5. Add the egg and almond extract and mix another minute.
6. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until combined.
7. Using a mini ice cream scoop or a heaping tablespoon, scoop out the dough and place on a Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet.
8. Place one almond in the middle of each cookie.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
10. Cool and serve.

It amazes me when my kids are more aware than I am about what’s going into their bodies. Recently, as I was about to take a bite of a beautiful, shiny, unwashed persimmon, my son exclaimed, “Wait, Mom! There might be pesticides on that! You need to wash it first!”

All that awareness coming from a 4 1/2 year old-the same one I’m supposed to be setting a good example for. It both saddens and encourages me that the kids of this generation are so aware of the dangerous pollutants in their environment, as well as the ways best to avoid them.

Still, it is always up to us, their mothers, to protect them. As vigilant as I am about things like avoiding buying fish high in mercury, making sure the products I use to clean our home are free of toxins, and always buying organic fruits and vegetables, I rarely think about one of the biggest daily dangers we face: the air we breathe. And whereas when it comes to buying food or cleaning products you can use your wallet to protect your children, clean air is something that simply can’t be bought.

When I read that poor health caused by environmental factors such as air pollution and exposure to toxic chemicals cost the United States $76.6 billion in 2008, I was floored. Some of the factors focused on childhood cancer, lead poisoning, and chronic conditions such as asthma, autism and attention deficit disorders which are all conditions linked to environmental toxins and pollutants in our air, food, water, and soil.

Watch this video to hear author and mom, Ayelet Waldman’s story about why she joined Moms Clean Air Force. Her child was almost permanently brain damaged from exposure to mercury in tuna.

I feel like being a good mom isn’t just what you ensure happens in your home, but also what you can influence in your community and, hopefully, the world our kids live in. We moms have passion and power, an unbeatable combination. We can harness the strength of mother love to fight back against polluters, and we will be among some of the most esteemed and respected organizations in the world: the American Lung Association, the American Heart Association, the American Academy of Pediatricians, and the American Nurses Association.

I urge you to join Moms Clean Air Force and their Nap Time Coalition to support the new EPA Mercury and Air Toxicity Standards and our children’s RIGHT to clean air. There are so many ways to get involved and you can do it all from your home during nap time.

Whether writing to the President or Congress to support the EPA’s standards, which would prevent up to 17,000 premature deaths and 120,000 childhood asthma cases annually, sharing your child’s artwork or even tweeting to your friends to make them more aware, every little bit helps!

Let’s win this battle together.

One of my favorite activities to do with my kids is bake homemade cookies. I love watching my little ones get excited and feel empowered making their very own treats, but to be honest I can do without the mess left behind after the final product comes out of the oven. No matter how much fun it may be, the idea of a labor intensive, multi-ingredient cooking project can be taxing on the most patient of moms, which leads to me to the reason for coming up with this cinnamon-y, nutty recipe that could not be easier or more mess-free to make.

Recently, Shutterfly asked me to document making a holiday treat with my daughter for their Storytelling Photo Books and I opted to make this simple but delicious cookie recipe. Chloe took the lead and pretty much did it all from start to finish (yes, I helped out a bit). I loved capturing shot after shot of Chloe doing everything from placing the ingredients into the food processor, pushing the button to pulse it all together, rolling the dough out and finally gently tapping the powdered sugar on top of the freshly baked cookies. She could not have had more fun or gotten more involved or meticulous in her baking.

This delectable dessert is truly easy to make with your kids and spectacular enough to give as a gift to friends, family or teachers. These Cinnamon Mexican Wedding Cookies may be easy to make, but they’re hard to forget!

Cinnamon Wedding Cookies (Makes 2 Dozen)

1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Raw Walnuts
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
1/4 Cup Confectioners’ Sugar, plus additional for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Place the walnuts in a food processor and ground for 30 seconds.
3. Place the ground walnuts, flour and cinnamon in a bowl and combine.
4. Place the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a standing mixer (or bowl using a hand mixer) and cream for 3-4 minutes.
5. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until combined.
6. Using a mini ice cream scoop or a spoon (about 2 tablespoons), scoop out the dough and place on a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.
7. Bake for 15 minutes.
8. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve.

One of my most vivid holiday memories as a kid was making cookies with my mom. Every year we would pull out gallon sized bags of sugar and get down to the business of making and decorating Christmas Sugar Cookies. As far as I was concerned, there was nothing better than sorting through our collection of holiday cookie cutters to find my favorite ones, rolling out the dough together and stamping out shapes to lay on cookie sheets. Yet as delicious as sugar cookies may be, I must admit that making the same thing year after year can get a little ho hum. So this year, the kids and I have been making these holiday snaps combining two of their favorite flavors, chocolate and orange.

These cookies are insanely delicious — I actually have to hide them from my husband or he’ll eat them all — and the dough is really durable so you can keep rolling it out over and over again to make more cookies without worrying about it getting tough.

This holiday season if you want to bake something with your kids that’s a little bit different than what you usually make, try these Chocolate Orange Snaps. I think you’ll agree that there’s nothing Ho Ho Hum about them!

Chocolate Orange Snaps (makes a lot depending on the size cookie cutters you use)

1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1 Large Egg, room temperature
1 1/2 Tsp Orange Zest

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, cocoa and baking powder.
3. Using a standing mixer or hand mixer in a bowl, cream the sugar and butter for 3-4 minutes until it is light and airy.
4. Add the egg and orange zest and mix for an additional minute.
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet until the dough comes together.
6. Remove and shape the dough into a flat disk and place between two pieces of parchment paper.
7. Roll dough out until it is 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters.
8. Place cookies on a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet and bake: 10 minutes if you want your cookies to be slightly soft or 12 minutes if you like them crispy.
9. Cool and serve.