One of the best parts about working (mostly) from home is that it rarely feels like work. So much of the fun of weelicious for me is not only being close to my kids but that I can actually let them participate in helping me create some of the recipes (whether you feel confident making a recipe that a 4 year old helped me to create is entirely up to you)!

I had been working on a recipe for zucchini cakes last week when Kenya came into the kitchen with his grandmother and asked me, “whatcha got” (translation: what are you making for me to eat)? I don’t know why I always feel a little hesitant whenever I offer my kids something I made that contains a green vegetable. Even though I am beyond blessed with two great eaters, I somehow am still guilty of believing that all kids are pre-programmed to not like green veggies. Anyway, Kenya always tends to ask me what’s in whatever it is I am offering him, and so I told him: parmesan (I always list the cheese first for him, no matter how little is in the recipe!), breadcrumbs, eggs and finally, under my breath I added “zucchini”, to which he literally screamed, “I love zucchini”.

Kenya took a taste and when I asked him what he thought it needed he said most matter of factly, “it needs some cheese on top”. I guess it is worth trusting a 4 year old because just that extra sprinkle of cheese took these Zucchini Cakes from good to great. So great, in fact, that I didn’t even get to serve them as I planned to at dinner that night because Kenya and his dad finished the entire recipe right then and there.

What’s the lesson for me here? Giving your kids input into what you’re making isn’t such a bad idea. On the contrary, allowing them to feel like they contributed something to the dish can be a great way to let them feel some pride of ownership and inspire them to eat things you might have thought they would never be into!

Zucchini Parmesan Cakes (Serves 4)

2 Medium Zucchini, grated
2 Large Eggs, whisked
1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 Cup Breadcrumbs
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, plus extra to sprinkle on top
1/4 Tsp Kosher Salt
Olive Oil

1. Grate 2 medium zucchini and place in a towel and blot to remove excess liquid.
2. Place the grated zucchini in a bowl along with the whisked eggs, garlic powder, breadcrumbs, parmesan and salt and combine.
3. Heat 1-2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
4. Drop about 2 tbsp of batter into the skillet and flatten with the back of a spoon to form a cake. Cook for 2 minutes on each side.*
5. Continue to making the remaining cakes and sprinkle with parmesan cheese on top.
6. Serve.

* You can use a small cookie scooper to portion the batter into the pan

It’s still summer and the weather seems warmer then ever, but once the Back to School buzz is in the ether it sends my brain a message that it’s time to cover up the grill and head back into the kitchen to do my cooking.

But I don’t listen to that message! The grill should always be your best buddy — at least for as long as it continues to be nice outside and your goal remains getting an easy dinner on your table in a jiff.

Among all the fruits and vegetables, our garden is literally overflowing at the moment with peppers and zucchini. I gotta use what’s growing and that’s where the inspiration for these hearty kabobs came from. My kids are really into the how our peppers have ripened into rainbow of different colors and they’ve also discovered a fun new cooking job helping me to string the vegetable chunks onto the skewers. After just a few minutes on the grill and a brush of sweet glaze right at the end, these Grilled Veggie Kabobs will become welcome part of your meal no matter what time of year it is!

Grilled Veggie Kabobs (Makes 6-8 Skewers)

1 Onion, cubed
1 Red Bell Pepper, cubed
1 Green Bell Pepper, cubed
1 Orange Bell Pepper, cubed
8 Mushrooms
1 Green Zucchini, sliced into 1-inch rounds
1 Yellow Zucchini, sliced into 1-inch rounds
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Teriyaki Sauce

1. Preheat grill.
2. Place vegetable onto skewers*, brush with olive oil and grill for 3-4 minutes on each side.
3. Brush with the teriyaki sauce and serve.

* If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 30 minutes prior to placing the vegetables on the skewers so they don’t burn

DO YOU WANT TO SAY YOU CAN USE TOMATOES AND WHATEVER VEGGES ARE IN SEASON?

Why do so many people turn up their noses when they hear the word okra? Growing up in the south, I ate okra as often as say someone in Georgia might eat a peach. Being someone who can at times gravitate to the extreme, I was also the kid who, when enjoying a bowl of Burgoo (am I getting too country for you now), used to pick out all of the okra to devour first. However, I find people from other parts of the country either have never heard of okra or have an unexplained aversion to it.

I introduced Kenya and Chloe to this exquisite green vegetable, a very good source of Vitamins A, C, and K, right when they started eating solid foods and now I’ve got two okra lovin’ kids. We usually enjoy it prepared simply, steamed as a side dish, but when I made these okra fries and served them up with a little marinara sauce on the side for dipping, the kids looked at me like I truly had reinvented the wheel (and improved on it)! My 2 year old, Chloe, likes to pull the okra out of the crust and eat both parts separately (it is hilarious to watch) while the rest of us like to just dip and leave our “fries” intact. Crunchy on the outside, tender and sweet on the inside, these Okra “Fries” are delicious, a healthier alternative to real fries because there is no actual frying involved and a great way to get your family to eat one of my favorite veggies — with no upturned noses!

Okra Fries (Serves 4)

1 Lb Whole Okra
1/3 Cup Flour
2 Large Eggs, whisked
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
1 Cup Italian Breadcrumbs or Panko

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Make an “assembly line” by placing the flour in one bowl, the eggs in a second bowl, and the salt and breadcrumbs in a third.
3. Roll the okra in the flour and pat to remove excess flour.
4. Dip the flour-coated okra in the egg and then roll in the breadcrumbs. Dip in the egg again and roll into the breadcrumbs once more to double coat the okra.
5. Place okra on a cookie sheet sprayed or greased with olive oil. When all the coated okra is on the sheet, spray again to lightly coat.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.
7. Serve.

One of the greatest things about having a mother-in-law who is a veteran preschool teacher is that she has an encyclopedic knowledge of children’s books. She has always been able to effortlessly suggest to us amazing titles that contain wonderful morals and lessons, but are first and foremost a ton of fun to read.

One of the first books we got for Kenya based on her recommendation was “If You Give a Mouse A Cookie” and it’s still a favorite of both my kids. Even though it appears to be a chocolate chip cookie that the mouse is eating in the book (and there’s also a biscotti), we like to talk about what other cookies that we think the mouse might enjoy, going back and forth with our favorites. Raisin Oatmeal, Graham Cracker, Peanut Butter, Gingersnaps….wait, Gingersnaps? The kids had no idea what I was talking about. How could that be? Had I really never exposed them to the crispy, delicious taste of a gingersnap?! Armed with a big bag of whole wheat flour and iron packed molasses, I set out to right that horrible wrong.

These cookies are so much fun to make with the kids, but make sure to close your cookie jar lid because even a little mouse will want to get it’s paws on these!

Ginger Snap Cookies (Makes 32 cookies)

1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Molasses
1 Large Egg
1 Tsp Fresh Ginger, grated

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Place the first four ingredients in a bowl and combine.
3. Place the butter and sugar in a standing mixer or bowl and beat on low until fluffy.
4. Add the egg, molasses and ginger and beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined.
6. Using a cookie scooper, drop 1 tbsp of cookie batter onto a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet 2 inches apart from each other and bake for 12 minutes for soft cookies or 15 minutes for crispy cookies.
7. Cool and serve.

One of my favorite treats that my grandmother used to make us when we went over to her house to play were her bran muffins. She liked to serve them warm and must have always timed it so they would come out of the oven right as we arrived. I will never forget the heavenly smell of freshly baked bread that would hit you the moment you opened her front door.

I know what you must be thinking: What kind of kid looks forward to bran muffins? Aren’t bran muffins kind of boring and not very kid friendly? Some bran muffins certainly do reside in the “blah” category, but my grandmother’s were sweet and had an almost nutty quality about them.

Sadly, I don’t have my grandmother’s recipe, but I still wanted to recreate that food memory from my childhood. I played around a bunch until I came up with this version, which I think is pretty close to my grandmother’s. To give my muffins a little extra zing, I added one of my kids’ favorite dried fruits, cranberries, for both color and taste.

When I bake these, the smell in my kitchen takes me back to when I was kid and the taste is just as delicious as my memories. This recipe will make you think twice about ever calling bran muffins boring again — they are anything but!

Cranberry Bran Muffins (makes about 40 mini or 15 regular muffins)

1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Cup Wheat Bran
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs
1/2 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup Oil
1 Cup Dried Cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients except for the cranberries.
4. Slowly combine the dry ingredients into the wet, and then stir in the cranberries.
5. Pour batter into greased mini muffin cups about 2/3 of the way up and bake for 15 minutes (or 2/3 of the way up into regular size muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes).
6. Cool and serve.

From the name alone this seems like an unbelievably simple salad to make. And you know what? It is!

Tired of serving a plain steamed green veggie every night, I decided to jazz up some broccoli with a bit of added color, texture and a sweet sauce. At first I wondered if the kids would just eat the edamame, almonds and cranberries and avoid the broccoli, but they ate every bite and ended up asking for seconds.

I usually have all of the ingredients to make this dish on hand as they’re some of my staples. If you don’t have them, they’re worth picking up for whenever you want to enjoy this easy, yet impressive combination. Since you get a protein, a vegetable and a fruit, it’s like a healthy trifecta!

Broccoli Salad (Serves 4)

1 Tbsp Honey
2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
4 Cups Broccoli Florets, steamed
1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries
1 Cup Frozen Edamame, defrosted
1/4 Cup Toasted Almonds, sliced or slivered

1. Place the honey, mayonnaise, salt, and vinegar in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss to coat with dressing.
3. Serve.

Besides shopping at the farmers’ market for the food we eat during the week, we also like to stop when we get there and get breakfast from the prepared food vendors. For years we have been partial to pupusas, but in recent days, we’ve been switching things up a bit.

One of our newest obsessions are the multi-grain muffins from Valerie Confections, a local bakery. They set up the most beautiful display of baked goods and it is impossible to resist stopping by to check everything out, let alone not buy something. Pastries, cookies, chocolates, hand pies and — the inspiration for today’s recipe — beautiful little muffins packed with millet and pieces of dried apricot. My kids and husband adore them.

I’ve tried to pry the ingredient list out of one of the owners on more than one occasion. He will only hint as to what is inside these baked marvels, and even the few ingredients he would share are more likely found in a professional bakery than in a home kitchen. So, I finally stopped grilling him and got to work on developing my own muffin that would work for the rest of us.

These sweet, delicious gems are truly a treat. They may not be exactly what we buy at the farmers’ market, but if you saw the crumbs left on my family’s plates after I served them the first batch I made, you’d swear I got pretty darn close!

Millet Apricot Muffins (Makes 12 Regular Muffins)

1/2 Cup Millet
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 Large Egg
2/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Ripe Bananas, mashed
3/4 Cup Dried Apricots, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Place millet on a baking sheet and toast for 5-6 minutes. Remove and toss the millet to make sure it is toasted evenly and toast an additional 5-6 more minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.
3. Raise the oven temperature to 375 F.
4. In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the toasted millet.
5. In a separate bowl or standing mixer, beat the butter and sugar until combined, about 1 minute. Add the egg and beat for another minute.
6. Add the mashed bananas, vanilla extract and buttermilk and beat until combined.
7. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix in the chopped apricots until just combined.
8. Grease muffin tins and fill cups 2/3 full with batter.
9. Bake for 20 minutes if using regular muffin tins (or until a toothpick comes out clean) or 14 minutes if using mini muffin tins (or until a toothpick comes out clean).
10. Cool muffins for 5 minutes in their tins, remove and continue to cool.
11. Serve.

Somehow Kenya ended up “helping” me buy way more ears of corn at the farmers’ market last weekend than we could possibly eat in 7 days. It’s amazing how quickly the items in our cart can grow when my two little helpers get extra excited about what’s at the market. Between all that extra sweet corn and the ready-to-be-picked red bell peppers and parsley in our garden, I decided to make this salad. It’s bright in color and has a ton of texture, so it’s as visually beautiful as it is delicious.

This salad just says summer to me, so the time to make some is now!

Grilled Corn & Red Pepper Salad (Serves 4)

4 Ears of Corn
2 Large Red Peppers, seeds removed and cut into quarters
1/4 Cup Red Onion, diced
1/2 Tsp Paprika
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 Cup Mozzarella Balls, cut into quarters

1. Preheat grill.
2. Grill corn and peppers for 6 minutes and set aside to cool.*
3. Remove the corn kernels from the cobs and dice the red peppers.
4. Place the corn and peppers in a bowl with the remaining ingredients and combine.
5. Serve.

*You can remove the skin of the red peppers if they are charred.

There is the sweetest, homemade sno-cone stand at our farmers’ market called Sno-con AMOR where the owner (and Kenya’s newest love), Lauda, serves up the most incredible traditional Raspados (Mexican Snow Cones). With homemade syrups in flavors like walnut, coconut and mojito (I almost want to drop to the ground with embarrassment every time Chloe screams, “MORE MOJITO” in a crowd full of parents), these are nothing like the artificially sweetened and colored sno-cones you may be used to seeing. Lauda uses only the freshest, all natural ingredients to produce her frozen works of art.

Recently Lauda has been featuring watermelon-cinnamon as a flavor and it is heavenly. The first time she offered me a taste I was skeptical. Cinnamon and watermelon sounded like quite an unusual combo, but it took just one bite and I was knocked out. So knocked out in fact, that I had to replicate it at home. Given that the kids only see Lauda on Sunday, having granita (very similar to sno-cones) for them at home the remaining six days of the week made me very popular with them indeed.

And no, your eyes aren’t fooling you. That’s yellow watermelon pictured above. The kids can’t get enough of it when it is in season, so I used it to make this cinnamon spiked watermelon granita that tastes almost as good as Lauda’s sno-cones.

Whether you decide to make this with red or yellow watermelon, it’s a super sweet summer time treat that’s filled with AMOR!

Watermelon Granita (Serves 6-8)

5 Cups Watermelon Chunks
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/3 Cup Sugar

1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender and puree.
2. Place the puree in an 8×8 inch Pyrex dish and put in the freezer for 1 hour.
3. Remove from the freezer and scrape with a fork to break up pieces.
4. Place back into freezer for 1 hour.
5. Remove from the freezer and scrape with a fork to break up pieces.
6. Repeat this process one or two more times over several hours until the
granita is similar in consistency to shaved ice.
7. Serve (cover the dish with tin foil to keep the rest in the freezer).

I have a confession to make. I’m confiding in you before I even tell my husband.

I’ve got a new boyfriend at the farmers’ market. I know, I’m terrible, but I can’t help myself. He’s incredible. It’s not because of his dashing looks or that he’s a total charmer (though that certainly doesn’t hurt). Rather it’s because he has the most beautiful, creamy avocados I have ever tasted. How I walked by his stand every Sunday for years without noticing him is a mystery to me, but one day, shortly after my previous longtime avocado boyfriend stopped selling at our market, my new beau’s goods caught my eye. We’ve been together ever since and my kids love that he always gives them a free lime or ripe and ready-to-eat avocado.

Sometimes I get a little too carried away and buy more avocados than I can possibly use in a week, so I have to come up with different ways to prepare them beyond just guacamole or avocado shakes. This Cucumber Avocado Salsa can be served as a dip with sliced vegetables, like a traditional salsa with chips, as a sauce on grilled chicken or shrimp or simply eaten with a spoon on it’s own. It’s a refreshing summer recipe no matter how you serve it.

It feels so good to come clean to you. My husband is not going to be thrilled when he reads this, but considering the fact that he adores avocados as much as the kids do, I may be more accepting of my new boyfriend than I originally thought.

Cucumber Avocado Salsa (serves 4)

1 Large Cucumber, seeded and chopped
2 Avocados, peeled, pitted, & cubed
2 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp Fresh Mint, chopped
Juice of 1 Lime
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt

1. Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and combine.
2. Serve.