At this time of year when kids are headed back to school, most moms are focused on a million things, among them, trying to put together healthy school lunches that their kids will hopefully enjoy. Though possibly even more important than what’s for lunch, is offering your little ones a meal first thing in the morning that will give them a boost of energy to get them out the door and stay focused in the classroom.

Oatmeal is not only nutritious, but also inexpensive and a real “stick to your ribs” food. It’s delicious with a bit of honey or a touch of maple syrup, but why not add some blueberries for added vitamins and sweet flavor? Berry Delicious Oatmeal is not only bright and colorful, it’s a breakfast that will send your kids off to school with a smile on their faces.

Berry Delicious Oatmeal (Serves 2)
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Milk (almond, rice, soy or cow’s milk)
1 Cup Old Fashioned Oats (Five Minute Oats)
1 Tbsp Honey, Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar
1/2 Cup Blueberries, Blackberries and/or Raspberries (fresh or frozen)

1. Bring the water and milk to a boil.
2. Add the oats, reduce to a simmer over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, and cook for 5-7 minutes or until thick and creamy.
3. Add the honey, maple syrup or agave and berries, cook an additional minute or until the berries are warmed-through and start to pop (I like to add frozen berries so the oatmeal cools faster for kids to eat).
4. Serve.

*If serving to a baby under 1 years old, don’t use honey

Friends of ours gave us a panini press as a wedding present and for some reason it sat in the closet for years until we had kids. I don’t know why we didn’t break it out sooner because it’s hands down one of my favorite pieces of kitchen equipment. It’s amazing how just hot pressing a sandwich can turn average bread and filling into a rich, gooey and crusty creation that my kids, their friends (and our mommy and daddy friends) adore.

Surprisingly, making a panini doesn’t take much longer than a regular sandwich. In fact, while I’m packing the rest of Kenya’s lunch I just put his sandwich in the press for a couple of minutes and by the time I’m finished, so is the sandwich, ready to be packed away.

When most people think about paninis, cheese comes to mind, but I thought hot pressing a PB&J was a cool way to liven up a classic school lunch sandwich. With plenty of potassium from the banana slices, carbohydrates from the bread and protein from the nut butter, this is a well rounded treat that will keep your kids going in the middle of the day when they need it most. You’ll be hard pressed to beat it.

PB & J Panini (Serves 4)

2 Bananas
8 Slices Whole Wheat Bread
¼ Cup Jelly, Jam or Preserves
¼ Cup Peanut Butter (you can also use sunflower, almond or cashew butter)

1. Cut the banana in half. Then cut each half into strips lengthwise (so the pieces are long and flat).
2. Spread the peanut butter on one side of four pieces of the bread and top with the several slices of bananas.
3. Spread the jelly on one side of the four remaining pieces of bread and then place on top of the banana slices.
4. Place sandwiches in a panini maker, press and cook for 3-4 minutes or until sandwich is pressed and golden.
5. Serve.

It’s Day Two for weelicious’ new, out-of-the-box and exciting PB&J school lunch recipes. Yesterday’s recipe was PB&J Pancake Sandwiches, something I think your little ones are going to love. But it got me to thinking: do you really need bread to make PB&J? That led me to the idea of mixing it with yogurt.

Plain yogurt is packed with calcium, protein and is easier to digest than milk, but it can also be just that to kids: plain. In order to get most kids to eat yogurt, you have to entice them with those flavored yogurts that are sold at the grocery. But many of those are packed with sugar and preservatives. So I thought it would be fun to see how healthy plain yogurt tasted with a swirl of low sugar preserves and nutritious peanut butter mixed in. I’m happy to report that not only is it mind-blowingly delicious, it’s beautiful to look at too!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Swirled Yogurt (Serves 4)

2 Cups Plain Yogurt (I like using greek yogurt)
¼ Cup Jelly, Jam or Preserves
¼ Cup Peanut Butter (I use natural peanut butter)

1. Divide the yogurt between 4 bowls.
2. In a saucepan heat the jelly or preserves over low heat for one minute or until liquefied (this can also be done in the microwave for 30 seconds) and allow to cool.
3. Drizzle the jelly and peanut butter equally between the bowls of yogurt and swirl the contents together.
4. Serve.

* If using store bought peanut butter such as Jif or Skippy, melt in the microwave for about 15 seconds to soften. I use organic peanut butter which tends to already be a bit more liquified then most name brands.

When I was a kid, my parents used to get us take-out from our hometown Chinese restaurant, House of Hunan, and Orange Chicken was always in our to-go bag. I’m not sure if it was the sweet taste from the honey and orange or just the exotic name, but this dish was something we had to have every time we went there. These days, I avoid MSG at all costs, so a lot of our local take-out Chinese food is off my list, but not wanting to deprive my kids of some of my childhood favorites, I came up with this healthy and delicious dinner treat that we all loved. With just the right amount of colorful vegetables and a tangy sweet sauce my kids were lapping up, this recipe was not only easy to make, but it actually made me nostalgic for my own childhood. House of Hunan, this one’s for you!

Orange Chicken (Serves 4)

1 Cup Orange Juice
2 Tsp Ginger, grated
1 Tsp Honey
1 Garlic Clove, minced
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Vegetable or Canola Oil
1 Lb Chicken Breast, cubed, boneless, skinless
1 Cup Snow Peas, halved
1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into 1-inch thin strips

1. Mix the first 5 ingredients in a bowl.
2. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat and cook the chicken cubes for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the vegetables and cook an additional 2 minutes then transfer the chicken vegetable mixture to a bowl.
4. Add the sauce to the pan, bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes until reduced by half.
5. Add the chicken and vegetables back into the sauce and cook an additional minute.
6. Serve.

When you’ve got one soft, ripe mango, one banana and one hungry baby, that’s a perfect combination! Smooth and creamy, this Mango Banana Puree is an ideal first food for any little one. Your baby will be getting more than her fair share of Vitamins A, C and B6, dietary fiber, Potassium and more. With all these exciting facts, you don’t need to be on the National Mango Board to know this puree will be a real winner!

Mango Banana Puree (Makes 8 Baby Food Servings)

1 Mango, cut into chunks
1 Banana

1. Place the mango and banana chunks in to a food processor.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Serve.

We used this to freeze this recipe:

Baby Cubes

My kids love fruit leather, but sometimes it takes more like plastic to me then sweet fruity leather. This Strawberr-Wee Fruit Leather couldn’t be any easier to make and it’s the perfect use for summer strawberries!

Sometimes getting kids to eat fish can be a real challenge, but it’s such a great source of protein that I’m always thinking of fun new ways to present it to little ones who resist it. Cod is an ideal introductory fish because of its mild flavor and light texture. It’s also a good source of omega-3’s, niacin and vitamins B12 and 6, all of which are important for growing bodies.

I find that whenever I serve my kids food they can hold and eat with their hands, they are more prone to eat it. For this recipe, I combined cod with some potato, cheese and breadcrumbs, molded it into bite-sized cakes and then served them up with a zesty dip. I’m never one to “sneak” fish or vegetables into recipes, but if your kids are averse to trying fish, these little cakes are delicious and a great way for them to enjoy something new. You never know, you may make fish fans out of your kids yet!

Potato Cod Cakes with Lemon Yogurt Dipping Sauce (Makes 16 Mini Patties – Serves 4)

1 Large Potato, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
1/2 Lb Cod
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
1 Tsp Parsley, chopped fine
2 Eggs, whisked separately
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs
Canola or Vegetable Oil

1. Bring a steamer pot with 2 inches of water to a boil and cook the potato chunks for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. Remove to a bowl and mash.
2. Add the cod to the steamer pot and cook for 5-6 minutes. Remove to a plate, cool and flake with a fork, being careful to remove any bones.
3. Place the cod, mashed potatoes, parmesan, parsley, 1 egg and salt in a bowl and stir to combine.
4. Shape about 2 tbsp of the cod mixture into 16 evenly shaped patties.
5. Place the breadcrumbs and remaining whisked egg into two separate bowls and gently roll each patty into the whisked egg and then into the bread crumbs.
6. Heat a thin layer of oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
7. Cook the cod cakes 4 minutes on each side or until golden.
8. Serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce:

2 Tbsp Yogurt
2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
2 Tsp Lemon
1/4 Tsp Salt

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

*For Freezing: After step 5, place the patties on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer for one hour, remove and place in ziploc bags, label and freeze up to 4 months.
*When ready: Remove from ziploc bag and place on a plate and place in the fridge to defrost for 24 hours and continue with steps 6-8. You can also just place in the the oven from the freezer at 400 for 10-15 minutes.

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!

Raspberr-wee Sauce (Makes 1 1/2 Cups)

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

1. Add one bag of raspberries and 2 tbsp of honey (or agave) to a pot, stirring to combine and smashing raspberries with the back of a spoon.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
3. Whisk 1 tbsp of cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water in a separate 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.

I’m really excited because Oprah and Mark Burnett (“Survivor” and “The Apprentice”) have teamed up to hold auditions for a contest called “Your OWN Show: Oprah’s Search For The Next TV Star.” Get this: the winner will be awarded his or her own TV talk show on Oprah’s new network, OWN!

My dream — as you all know by now — is to get kids eating healthy and make life for moms easy in the process. What better way to get this message across to the world than a show that shows you how to do it and is endorsed by Oprah?! Please check out the entry video I did with Kenya and Chloe and vote for me as many times as you want over the next two weeks. The deadline is July 3rd and after that, the show with the five highest vote counts will be in the finals.

If you follow weelicious on Twitter or Facebook, you may have read about my recent fruit leather obsession. My kids love fruit roll-ups and while there are some great brands out there made with just fruit, I know can save a ton of dough making it myself. While I haven’t spent a lot of money trying to figure it out, I have spent a lot of time! As of today, I’ve made 15 (yes, fifteen!!!!) batches of strawberry leather in an effort to perfect the recipe. It’s been a frustrating challenge to say the least, especially when making fruit leather seems so easy in principal. It’s just fruit and heat, right? Yes and no.

Here’s a breakdown of my results:

Batches 1-4: I used juicy strawberries from the farmer’s market, baked them for three hours and the batch turned out perfect and chewy with a deep red color. I couldn’t believe how easy it was and was very busy congratulating myself afterwards. Kenya actually found one of the batches that I hid in the closet to save for his school lunch and ate the entire thing! At least I know he got his vitamin C for the day — I mean, week!

Batches 5-8: So much for being proud of myself. These attempts were total disasters. This time I used organic strawberries from the grocery that were much bigger and less juicy than the ones I bought from the farmer’s market. Sadly, each of these batches burned when I cooked them at different times right around three hours. I was left totally frustrated.

Batches 9-12: Back to perfection using berries from the farmer’s market. I kept the cooking time at three hours for each batch and I finally realized the juicier the berries, the longer they take to cook. You really have to judge the berry you are using before setting your cooking time.

Batches 13 & 14: Back to the organic grocery store berries, but this time I wised up and only baked them for only two hours, which produced one batch that burned a bit on the edges (because I didn’t spread it out totally even) but another turning out perfect.

Knowing that people will have varying results, I asked friends and a bunch of weelicious readers to give the recipe a try. Everyone’s outcomes were slightly different. Here’s what I’ve determined: you have to experiment for yourself with this recipe. Everyone’s berries and ovens are different, so there isn’t one definitive cooking time. My best advice is to spread the mixture as evenly as possible on the baking sheet and keep a close eye on the fruit while it’s cooking. Be prepared for a bit a trial and error and don’t lose your cool. Hopefully when you find your ideal cooking time, you’ll be knocking out batches of your own fruit leather with ease.

Strawberr-Wee Fruit Leather (Makes 8 Long Strips)

3 Cups Strawberries
1 Tbsp Honey

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. Remove the stems from the strawberries and rinse.
3. Place the strawberries and honey in a blender and puree until smooth.
4. Pour the mixture on to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and spread with the back of a spoon or spatula in a large rectangle (my rectangle was 11 x 15 inches) making sure that the mixture is completely even.
5. Bake for 2-3 hours (or until it’s dry and not sticky 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. *Every oven is different, so the cooking time maybe less then 2 hours if your oven tends to be hot.
6. Allow to sit and cool at room temperature. It takes several hours for the fruit to soften up (when you first take the leather out of the oven the edges will be a bit dry and crispy, but if you allow it to sit overnight it softens up nicely).
7. Cut with a knife or pizza cutter into strips or use scissors, keeping the paper on, and then roll the leather into “roll ups”.
8. Serve.