Very often during our nightly bedtime ritual, I will ask Kenya and Chloe what they want for breakfast the next morning. Of course I want my kids to wake up to a breakfast they’re excited about, but one of the real reasons for my question is a bit of a ploy. Bedtime in our house can occasionally be a challenge and this tactic tends to get them into bed in a timely fashion, looking forward to the sumptuous meal that awaits them when they wake up.

By the time I finally get both kids off to dreamland, I’m pooped and ready to collapse in an fetal position on my bed. Yet like most moms, I usually find myself back in the kitchen, preparing the next day’s school lunch as well as prepping the breakfast from my bedtime bargain. Thankfully, the breakfast my kids repeatedly ask for is Oatmeal in the Crock Pot. It’s a huge relief to hear those words because all I need to do is dump all of the ingredients in the crock pot (slow cooker), stir and go to bed. By the time we wake up, a creamy, piping hot breakfast is ready to fill our tummies.

I know this is going to sound silly, but only the problem in all of this is that the cook in me feels like a bit of a failure. Yes, oatmeal is full of fiber and one of the healthiest breakfasts you can eat, but somehow serving up the same old oatmeal time and again feels inadequate and I’m compelled to jazz things up a bit. Fortunately, I can do that and still keep life easy. Simply by adding pumpkin puree and a touch of spice, it changes one of our already favorite dishes into something the kids say tastes like their having pumpkin pie for breakfast! See what a good night’s sleep will do for everyone’s outlook?

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal (Serves 4-6)

2 Cups Water
2 1/2 Cups Milk*
1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
1 Tsp Pumpkin Spice
1 Cup Steel Cut Oats

Accompaniments: honey, maple syrup, molasses

1. Place all the ingredients in the crock pot and stir to combine.
2. Cover and cook on low for 5-9 hours (note that the cooking time can vary depending on your crock pot. Crock pots without non-stick surfaces tend to get hotter, so you’ll want to stick closer to a 5 hour cooking time).
3. Serve.

*You can also use rice, almond or soy milk if you want to make a dairy free or vegan version of this recipe

Prior to moving to California over 10 years ago, I had never seen a persimmon. I should also add that I had never heard of a persimmon either. How had I lived for so long without knowing about — let alone eating — one of the sweetest, most delicious fruits I’ve ever tasted? And if you think I seem enthusiastic about persimmons, you should see my kids. When Kenya noticed that persimmons had returned to our farmers’ market this season he screamed, “PERSIMMON”! If there was anyone within one hundred yards of us who wasn’t already aware that persimmons were back, they definitely were after Kenya’s exclamation.

While persimmons are delicious in salads, in desserts or simply on their own, they’re also one of my favorite fruits for making fruit leather. With only two, yes two, ingredients in this recipe, the hard part is the method by which you choose to cook it. My preferred method for making any kind of fruit leather is in the dehydrator. Dehydrators turn out the kind of fruit leather you find at the grocery or similar to the fruit leathers/roll-ups you probably ate as a kid — easy to roll, super sweet, evenly cooked and just all around naturally delicious. Even though I use mine to make everything from fruit leather to dried fruit and more, dehydrators are not something you find in most kitchens, so I’ve spent a lot of time figuring out how to make a comparable fruit leather in the oven. Actually, as I type this post, I’ve got two batches of leather in the oven and another two in the dehydrator — testing to see which version I like best. While I actually dig making fruit leather in the oven, the real trick to doing it that way is…..well, just checkout the recipe below to find out.

While they’re in season (and if you can find them), grab as many persimmons as you can get your hands on and make this sweet and heathy treat that will have your kids ripping off long strips before you even have time to roll it up for them!

Persimmon Fruit Leather (Serves 4)

3 Medium Fuyu Persimmons, unpeeled
2 Tbs Lemon Juice

Directions for oven:

1. Preheat oven to 200℉.
2. Wash persimmons well, remove stems and cut into pieces.
3. Place persimmon pieces and lemon juice in blender and puree until smooth.
4. Pour the mixture onto a parchment-lined, or Silpat-lined, baking sheet and spread with the back of a spoon or spatula in a large rectangle, making sure that the thickness is completely even (this is one of the tricks to making perfect fruit leather).
5. Bake for approximately 2.5 hours if using parchment paper or 3 hours if using a Silpat mat or until leather is dry and firm to the touch. Remember, cooking times will vary depending on how thick you spread your mixture and how much water (juice) is naturally in the fruit.
6. Set fruit leather aside and cool at room temperature; it takes several hours for the fruit to soften up. Note that when you first take the fruit leather out of the oven, the edges may be a bit dry and crispy, but if you allow it to sit out for an hour it softens up.
7. Cut with a knife, pizza cutter or scissors into strips. Alternatively, if cooking on a Silpat you can peel the fruit leather off in one piece, place on a piece of parchment paper, cut into 2-inch wide strips and roll the leather into “roll ups”.
8. Serve.

Directions for a dehydrator:

1. Follow steps 2-4 above.
2. Cook the fruit leather at 145℉ for 5-6 hours.

I get inspired (and such a thrill) when weelicious moms send me their ideas for new recipes, though occasionally some of the suggestions can seem out there. Not too long ago, a mom sent me a recipe she had seen on a blog that was for Spinach Muffins. The recipe called for spinach and applesauce combined with a boxed cake mix. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for incorporating vegetables as often as possible, but there was something about the thought of spinach mixed into a sweet muffin that came across as unappealing to me. However, this mom was incredibly passionate about figuring out how to make these muffins a bit more healthy (and without the boxed cake mix). Her enthusiasm won me over and, wanting to see if there would be any value to trying a recipe like this, I started played around with it.

After a bunch of trial and error I was kinda shocked at how delicious the muffins turned out. They had just the perfect amount of sweetness and an appealing bright green color, but no intense spinach flavor. I surprisingly got really into making them and the new recipe produced a sweet little gem of a muffin that my kids absolutely loved. Chloe joined me in making a batch and got so into it I caught her eating spinach leaves directly out of the measuring cup — who says kids don’t like their greens?! I always find that when you give little ones a chance to be a part of creating something in the kitchen, it can transform food for them in a way that’s just as much fun to make as it is to eat!

Thank you to the weelicious mom who inspired this recipe (you know who you are) and to everyone else, please keep the ideas coming in 2012! They energize me, spark great ideas and no matter how out there they may be can produce an awesome and delicious result.

Spinach Cake Muffins (Makes 24 Mini Muffins)

1/2 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
1 Large Egg
2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Fresh Spinach, packed
1/3 Cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Vegetable or Canola Oil
1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Place the first 6 ingredients in a food processor and puree.
3. Place the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and combine.
4. Pour the spinach puree in a large mixing bowl.
5. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet until combined.
6. Scoop batter into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup 2/3 of the way.
7. Bake for 12 minutes.
8. Serve.

My kids are mad for pomegranate seeds. Kenya and Chloe will sit and eat spoonful after spoonful of this vitamin and antioxidant rich fruit until they’re blue in the face. The first time Kenya tried pomegranate seeds he was just over a year old and my husband and I watched intently as his little fingers eagerly picked up the ruby red seeds one by one and guided them into his mouth, staining both his digits and lips in the process a bright red. Four years later Kenya, still loves pomegranate seeds and would eat them at every meal if given the opportunity. Chloe is no different, she actually had a full on tantrum once when she spotted a bowl of them in our fridge that I was saving for later.

The sweet seeds add great texture and flavor to all sorts of recipes. As you know, I adore “one-pot dishes” for their ease and convenience they offer busy moms and this Chicken, Orzo & Pomegranate Salad is no exception. This dish can be served at lunch or dinner but looks special no matter when you serve it, the bright flecks of crimson pomegranate punctuating each bite. Healthy and light, it’s great to keep in the fridge for a night you have no time to prepare dinner or when guests pop by for an unexpected visit!

Chicken, Orzo & Pomegranate Salad (Serves 4-6)

1 Lb Chicken Breast, bone-in*
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tsp Kosher Salt
2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
4 Garlic Cloves
1 Small Onion, diced
4 Cups Water
1 16 oz Box Orzo
1 Cup or Seeds of 1 Pomegranate
1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro, Mint OR Basil, chopped

Sherry Vinaigrette

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Sherry Vinegar
1 Tsp Kosher Salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Place chicken breast on a foil-covered baking sheet, bone side down.
3. Drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tsp of salt , 1 rosemary sprig and 2 sliced garlic cloves on each breast.
4. Roast for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature is at 160-165.
5. Allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes then shred into pieces. Top chicken with remaining juices for added flavor.
6. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a medium size pot over medium heat and sauté onions for 4 minutes.
7. Add the water and 1 tsp salt and bring to a boil.
8. Add the orzo, cover and cook according to package directions over medium-high heat stirring occasionally to prevent orzo from sticking to the pot.
9. Strain any excess water and pour orzo into a bowl.
10. Add the pomegranate seeds, mint, shredded chicken and vinaigrette.
11. Chill and serve.

*You can also use store bough rotisserie chicken, shred into bite size pieces and skip directly to step #6

This recipe was inspired by one of my biggest pet peeves, never wanting to waste a single ingredient sitting in my pantry! I have a bad habit when I am roaming the grocery aisles: getting overly enthusiastic about a certain ingredient and then buying way too much of it, deluding myself that I will have all the time in the world to whip up all sorts of recipes that I’ve had on my mind. Sadly, with two kids, a hubby and a busy life, I never seem to get around to all that.

I was going through my pantry today and found yet another can of pumpkin puree staring me in the face. Either canned pumpkin is procreating when I’m not looking or, more likely, those mysterious cans are the product of every time I have visited the grocery over the past few months and fantasized about coming home to make pumpkin donuts, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie and so on. Not surprisingly, I never had the time for all those recipes I really wanted to make but now here I am, days shy of the New Year, with a little bit of free time on my hands since school is out and the holidays are over. The kids and I decided to make these yummy Pumpkin Muffins, topped with a smear of luscious cream cheese icing. They came out great.

One little piece of advice for 2012: as long as the expiration date hasn’t passed, never toss out those foods which have been sitting around your pantry for months. Figure out a recipe based around that ingredient you were once inspired to buy and turn it into something. Good or bad, you’ll have fun and the results will always be magical.

Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Icing (Makes 12 Muffins)

1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 1/2 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
6 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
1 Large Egg
1/4 Cup Milk
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the first 5 ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
3. In a separate bowl whisk the remaining ingredients.
4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and whisk until just combined.
5. Pour into greased muffins cups 3/4 full.
6. Bake for 20 minutes.
7. Cool, frost and serve.

Cream Cheese Frosting (Makes about 1 Cup)

4 oz Cream Cheese, softened
4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, softened
1 Cup Confectioner’s Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1. Place the cream cheese and butter in a bowl and beat for 30 seconds on low to medium speed using a hand mixer.
2. Add the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla and continue to beat for 1 minute or until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
3. Frost the muffins and serve.

These Cinnamon Mexican Wedding Cookies are so much fun to eat with a crumbly, sweet, nutty texture. Topped with a sprinkle of powdered sugar they look like something my kids love calling Snowballs!

I have a habit of spending so much time making the dinner portion of our holiday meal that I often completely forget about dessert. And in our house, especially come this time of year, forgetting what most of my family considers the most important part of the meal is not advisable. If you’re in need of a yummy dessert you can make ahead of time and pop in the oven right before you sit down to dinner, than this Cinnamon Apple Crisp is for you.

I generally buy sweet Gala, Pink Lady or Fuji apples for the kids to munch on during the week, but this crisp begs to be made with a variety of apple a bit more tart, like Granny Smiths. A spoonful of cool vanilla ice cream or some fresh whipped cream is the perfect accompaniment to the crunchy sweet oat topping of this classic dessert. And even though I doubt I’ll ever break my habit of spending too much time on the dinner portion of our holiday meals, at least this easy to make crisp will always ensure I’ll still have enough time to whip up something delicious for my dessert-mad family — even when I forget!

Cinnamon Apple Crisp (Serves 4-6)

Filling:

3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
5 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and cored
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

Crisp:

3/4 Cup Old Fashioned Oats
3/4 Cup Flour
8 Tbsp Cold Unsalted Butter
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon

Accompaniments: Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Cut apples into quarters then slice each quarter lengthwise into 4 slices. Your apple slices should be about ¼ inch thick.
3. Melt the butter and sugar in a large sauté pan and cook for 30 seconds over medium heat.
4. Add the sliced apples to the pan, sprinkle in the cinnamon, combine and cook for 10-12 minutes until the apples are soft.
5. Place the remaining crisp ingredients in a bowl and gently crumble together with your fingers until the mixture forms pea-sized lumps.
6. Pour the apples into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and cover with the crumble topping.
7. Bake for 25 minutes.
8. Cool and serve.

A few years ago one of my dearest friends gave me a popover pan. Unlike a muffin pan, popover pans are deeper and made specifically for making warm fluffy popovers. When I finally used it a few weeks ago to make Cheesy Popovers for the first time I called to tell my friend how delicious they turned out. She took a few moments to guilt me (the way that only a good friend can for taking years to use a gift she gave you) and then wanted to know all about my popovers. I told her that they were so good, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t been making them for years (she thankfully refrained from any further snarky comments).

Popovers are super easy to make and when I say they are “kid friendly”, I really mean it. My little guys have become obsessed by them. They love watching them puff up in the oven and then breaking them open when they are done to see the steam pour out of the big airy puffs.

With all that holiday cooking right around the corner, this is the kind of recipe that you can easily hand over to a relative while you are busy preparing the rest of the meal. Right before you are ready to sit down to dinner or brunch (or even breakfast) pull these extra special puffs out of the oven and I guarantee these will garner rave reviews from all. In my opinion, a popover pan is a great investment….just don’t wait years to use it.

Cheesy Popovers (Makes 9 Popovers)

3 Large Eggs
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Cups Milk
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Grease each popover tin with butter and fill ¾ up with batter.
4. Bake for 35 minutes and do not open the oven door while cooking.
5. Serve immediately.

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.