Thursday’s post at weelicious is usually the snack-of-the-day, but I decided to change it up this week to talk about a cool, new product I came across.
From very early on, my husband and I always tried to get Kenya to drink from a regular cup. I do realize it’s asking a lot of a baby or toddler to do that, but Kenya really enjoyed it and actually mastered it at a young age. It’s great fun when we’re there to watch, help and make sure his drink doesn’t spill everywhere. Drinking on-the-go, though, is another story and we go sippy all the way.
Based on a lot of the medical research available, I don’t go near the sippy cups made of plastic. There are too many documented studies on the health risks posed to children from using bottles and cups made from most plastics. Some of the other cups on the market made from stainless steel are amazing in both design and functionality, but are also crazy expensive — I paid $20 for one recently and the removable filter got eaten in our sink disposal (there’s $20 down the drain, no pun intended!).
I recently got turned on to Tilty Sippy Cups which I think rock. For $6, you get two 7 ounce cups. Compared to other kids cups on the market, that’s a pretty good deal, especially considering the fact that they’ve got a cool ergonomic design that makes drinking easier and more comfortable for kids. They’re BPA, dye and PVC-free and dishwasher safe. These are totally up my alley!

One of my favorite dinner memories as a kid was coming to the table and seeing my mother’s version of this delicious recipe. It’s one step beyond the plain old “baked potatoes with a pat of butter on the side” that we would typically eat and it was exciting to have a new twist on a dinner time staple!
I decided to give my recipe an even bigger nutritional boost by tossing in some broccoli florets (which my family loves), but feel free to substitute broccoli with peas, greens or any other veggie your little one digs. You can even defrost something you have in the freezer if you don’t feel like cutting up fresh.
With just a little more effort, you can turn you dinner from “mmm…potatoes” to “MMMMMM!!!….twice baked potatoes!”

Twice Baked Potatoes (Makes 4 Big Kid Servings)

2 Baked Potatoes
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Sour Cream
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Milk
1/2 Cup Broccoli, cooked and chopped
1/4 Cup Cheddar Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake potatoes for 1 hour.
2. Remove potatoes from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
3. Cut in half and scoop out potato flesh, leaving the skin intact.
4. Mash the potato flesh with the butter, sour cream, salt and milk. Fold in the broccoli and cheddar cheese.
5. Refill the potato skins with the mixture.
6. Place potatoes on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
7. Serve.

I really think this goes down as one of my better and favorite recipes. Every time I make it for people, young or old, I get the greatest response. The best part is, it’s so easy to prepare and you probably already have a lot of the ingredients in your fridge already.
Soba noodles are made from buckwheat, a grain high in vitamin A, calcium and selenium. They’re also gluten free which makes them a great choice for kids with allergies or on certain diets. Unlike pasta noodles, these cook up in 2-3 minutes, so don’t walk away from the stove for too long.
This dish is a great recipe to take to a potluck meal or any time you’re feeding a crowd on a dime. I guarantee they’ll love it.

Cold Soba Noodles (Serves 4-6)

1 Package Soba Noodles
1 Cup Edamame
1 Small Red Bell Pepper, julienned
1 Cup Firm Tofu, cubed
1/4 Almond or Peanut Butter
2 Tbsp Vegannise or Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp Braggs or Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Rice or Wine Vinegar
2 Tsp Honey
1 Garlic Clove
1 Inch Piece Ginger, chopped
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1/4 Vegetable or Grapeseed Oil

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add soba noodles. Reduce heat to a simmer.
2. Cook noodles for 2-3 minutes.
3. Drain and run under cold water until cool to touch.
4. Add the noodles to a large bowl with the edamame, bell pepper and tofu.
5. Place the almond butter and remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree sauce.
6. Pour sauce over the noodles and toss to combine.
7. Serve.

Whenever Trader Joes starts selling a new product, I get excited. Finally, Israeli couscous! Don’t worry if you don’t have a Trader Joe’s, though, you can buy it at most groceries. For some reason I usually cook with fine couscous, but unlike its smaller cousin, Israeli couscous looks like tiny pearls and have a wonderful, light texture.
When I made it for dinner recently, my husband said “why haven’t you ever made this before? I love Israeli couscous!” (after 8 1/2 years together, who knew?). He wasn’t the only one that loved it. Kenya dug right in to this dish and enjoyed every bite.
I took a few of my favorite Moroccan flavors like mint, olive oil, lemon and tossed in several other nutritious items to make this recipe that can be served warm or cold. I even came up with a way to cook everything in one pot so there’s no big mess to deal with and it’s ready in minutes. This recipe really is everything that weelicious stands for: easy, fast and fresh!

Israeli Couscous Salad (Makes 6 Servings)

1 Cup Israeli Couscous
1 1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Small Yam, peeled and cubed
1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries
1 Tbsp Fresh Mint, chopped
1/4 Cup Pine nuts
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1. Bring the water to a boil, add the couscous and yam, reduce to a
simmer.
2. Cook for 12 minutes.
3. Combine all the ingredients and serve.

I have to say that celery root (also known as celeriac) really is the ugly ducking of vegetables. For years I would pass it at the market, not thinking it looked at all appetizing and not really knowing what to do with it. Sometimes when ingredients look like a ton of work, I shy away. What was I thinking? Inside that ugly duckling is a culinary swan! Celery root is amazing! When cooked it has the consistency of potato, but it has a rich celery taste. I’ve been cooking celery root for years in salads, soups, just plain roasted and in purees. It’s one of my favorite foods and this soup is really healthy, but also naturally creamy and hearty. I recently made this recipe for my friend Staci’s baby shower and served it in little shot glasses, but as I was preparing it, Kenya was pleading with me for a taste. He ended up drinking 3 glasses which he obviously loved. He consumed more soup in one sitting then any of the ladies at the party! Smart man. When your kids try and love this, they’ll have him to thank.

Celery Root Soup (6-8 Servings)

2 Leeks, white & light green part only
2 Celery Root Bulb (about a pound each), peeled
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
32 Oz Chicken Stock (you can use vegetable stock too)

1. Saute the leeks for 3-4 minutes in a stock pot over medium heat..
2. Add the celery root and stock, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 18 minutes or until celery root is tender.
3. Puree soup ingredients in a blender (make sure not to fill your blender more then 3/4 full at one time).
4. Serve.

If working on weelicious for so long has taught me anything at all, it’s this: Kids want fun food! Whether it’s in fun shapes or bright colors, it’s more exciting to eat when its bite size and conceptually fun. These kabobs are the perfect hit for a holiday party, especially when kids will be part of the festivities. My favorite part about this dish is that you can make them up in just minutes and refrigerate them ahead of time, so all you have to do right before your guests arrive is pop them under the broiler for a few minutes.
No matter what the ages are of your group, big and little kids alike will totally dig these. Kenya loved pulling each chunk off the stick, studying them for a bit and then popping them into his mouth (of course Daddy and I were there to remove the sticks after just in case)!

Ham & Pineapple Kabobs (Serves 4)

1 Ham Steak or 2 Cups Cooked, Boneless Ham, cut into chunks
2 Cups Pineapple, cut into chunks
2 Cups Cherry Tomato
1 Tbsp Orange Juice
1 Tbsp Agave
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
Wooden or metal sticks

1. If you’re using wooden sticks, submerge them in water for 30 minutes before using so they don’t burn under the broiler. Cut the sticks in half and trim sharp points.
2. Alternately place the ham, pineapple and cherry tomatoes on the sticks (I put 6-8 per stick).
3. In a bowl, mix the orange juice, agave and dijon mustard.
4. Brush the kabobs with the orange juice mixture.
5. Place on a baking sheet and broil for 5-10 minutes (make sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
6. Serve.

For the holidays we’ve decided to do something a little different today here at weelicious. LapTop Lunch System, my favorite kids’ lunch box, is offering a FREE lunchbox in your choice of color to the person who can send me their best HEALTHY holiday recipe (especially something your little one loves).
All you have to do is send the recipe to me at catherine@weelicious.com and by next Thursday, Christmas Day, the winning recipe and creator will be the daily recipe on weelicious.com.
For those of you without the mojo to enter the contest, LapTop Lunch System is offering a 20% off promotion through December 31st when you order online by putting in the discount code: holiday2008.
I can’t wait to see all the fantastic ideas from weelicious readers.
Happy Holidays!

I’m a total sucker for the holidays and especially the foods that you get at this time of year. I always loved celebrating Hanukkah with my friends when I was growing up, spinning the dreidel, lighting the menorah for 8 days, eating chocolates coins (Hanukkah gelt), and especially munching on crispy latkes with tons of apple sauce and sour cream.
Potato pancakes, also known as latkes are a Hanukkah tradition and one especially that I wanted Kenya to take part in. Even for a kid under the age of 2, Kenya knows something yummy when he sees it. We made a huge batch the other day and he ate them one after another, dipping away in the apple sauce. Making these treats is a beautiful way to celebrate the festival of lights.

Potato Latkes (Serves 6-8)

1 Onion
4 Potatoes, peeled
1 Egg
2 Tbsp Flour
Salt
Pepper
Vegetable Oil
Apple Sauce, for serving
Sour Cream, for serving

1. Grate the onions and potatoes into a large strainer over a bowl (you could also do this through the grating blade in a food processor).
2. Press on the potato mixture in the strainer and discard any clear liquid in the bowl under the strainer.
3. Place the onion, potatoes, egg, flour, salt and peeper in a bowl and throughly combine.
4. Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a saute pan over medium heat.
5. Place one heaping tablespoon of potatoes in the oil forming a circle.
6. Cook for 2-3 and minutes or until golden and flip over.
7. Cook another 2-3 minutes or until cooked through and remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
8. Can be served immediately or kept warm in a 300 degree oven until all latkes are prepared.
9. Serve with sour cream and apple sauce.

At this time of year, the farmers’ markets are filled with all different varieties of winter squash. Most of them have a buttery, silky quality, but not spaghetti squash. After you bake it, you take a fork and scrape it out into what looks just like spaghetti. I made this recipe for a bunch of kids and they all yelled “spaghetti!” when they saw it. I was a little nervous they would turn their noses up when they realized it wasn’t pasta, but they totally dug it. Their moms were thrilled too because it wasn’t a “carb” so we all chowed down together.
Spaghetti squash is an oblong shaped seed bearing squash that can be orange, yellow hued or white, and is rich in folic acid, potassium, vitamin A and beta carotene. It’s also low in calories (about 75 for every 8 ounces cooked) so it’s a good dish for all those parents watching their wasteline. This is a perfect inexpensive dish that’s also great for kids’ school lunches. It’s yummy warm or cold, so make plenty!

Spaghetti Squash Marinara (Makes 4-6 Big Kid Servings)

1 Spaghetti Squash
1 15 Ounce Can Chunky Tomato Sauce (I use Organic Muir brand)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 Onion, diced
1 Carrot, peeled and shredded
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 Tbsp Fresh Basil, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds.
3. Place the squash on a lightly greased baking sheet and cook for 45-50 minutes or until softened.
4. Heat the oil in a saucepan over low to medium heat and saute the onion, garlic and carrot for 2-3 minutes or until onion is translucent.
5. Add the tomatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the basil.
6. Remove the squash from the over and let squash cool for several minutes.
7. Shred the squash with a fork until stringy. Tip: Hold the stem end of the squash with a towel or a glove so you don’t burn your hand while you’re shredding it.
8. Place the spaghetti squash in a bowl and top with the marinara sauce.
9. Serve.