Book Review - The Lemonade Stand Cookbook: Step-by-Step Recipes for Kids to Make—and Sell!

About the Book
Kids have been running lemonade stands for decades, whether to raise money for a new bike, for a charitable cause, or simply to conquer boredom. Inspired by dozens of kid experts from all over the country, the author has poured her expertise as a food writer, entrepreneur, and mother into the ultimate guide to setting up your own lemonade stand. Step-by-step illustrations and full-color photographs of each recipe and craft make each page easy and fun to dive into. Find delicious drinks, such as Classic Lemonade and Cold-Brew Iced Tea, sweet treats such as Polka Dot Blondies and Chocolate-Dipped Marshmallows, grab-and-go snacks such as Owen’s Cheddar Chompers and Sunflower Crunch Balls, and creative crafts such as Hayley’s Flower Pencils and Friendship Bracelets. Tips for setting up a successful stand, packaging ideas, cooking technique tutorials, and real-life stand stories from kids themselves are sure to inspire readers to give life a squeeze.


My Take on the Book
This is a great book with amazing recipes that kids and their parents can make together and then can sell for profit. The recipes themselves are very cool and you can make some items that will really stand out. I will say that there are a number of these recipes that do take a number of steps to create so they are not to be made without a parent helping in my opinion. Otherwise, this is a great book that will make you think outside the norm when it comes to your next lemonade stand.

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Book Review - Dad's Book Of Awesome Recipes

About the Book
It's time for serious kitchen fun!

Sweet, buttery Cinnamon Raisin Fresh Toast Sticks. Crispy, crunchy Bottom-of-the-Bucket Drumsticks. Ooey-gooey Microwave S'mores. Whether your kids have been preparing their own lunches for years or are just starting out in the kitchen, Dad's Book of Awesome Recipes is your all-in-one guide to helping them create tasty meals your whole family will devour. From PB&J Bites and Veggie Rolls to Pasta alla Carbonara and Cheesy Rice–Stuffed Tomatoes, this cookbook offers step-by-step instructions for concocting a variety of yummy dishes that are perfect for snacktime, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Bursting with 100+ kid-friendly recipes, each page helps you inspire your little chef to take the lead in the kitchen and make culinary creations of their own.

Complete with advice on teaching them cooking basics, Dad's Book of Awesome Recipes encourages you and your kids to unleash your creativity as you whip up tasty meals in one of the most fun rooms in the house!



My Take on the Book
What I loved about this book was how easy it was to follow and how delicious the outcome was for all of the items that we have tried thus far. The book is filled with great pictures which make it easy to see the end result. I also appreciated that most of the ingredients in the book were ones that I already had in the house (for the most part). The names of the recipes were memorable and there were some great twists on ones you may have made in the past that will make them instant favorites for the kids (at least that did in my house).

The author has a way of making cooking fun and you can tell that these recipes were included with the family in mind. Best of all, these are recipes that you can make with your kids. I had a blast with my own daughters whipping up some of the pancakes and while we may have made a mess, we had fun doing it and they tasted great! Great times and a great book!


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Book Review - Noodle Kids

About the Book
Very few foods are more loved by kids thannoodles. A staple in nearly every kitchen noodlescome in all shapes and sizes, all flavors and textures. It’s not hard to figure out why kids love them so much–more than just a delicious meal,noodles are fun!

Now parents can get their kids in the kitchen and teach them the fundamentals of cooking withNOODLE KIDS [Quarry Books, January 2015, $24.99 US / $27.99 CAN] by Chef Jonathon Sawyer. Packed with recipes, tips, suggestions, and inspiration to introduce children to, and get them involved in, making different kinds of noodlesfrom all over the world, this book is a parent’s one-stop guide to introducing kids to cooking. Inside readers will find recipes such as:

• Roasted Chicken Ramen
• Lulu's Not-Linguine and Clams
• Classic Potato Gnocchi with Catcher's Italian Meat Sauce
• Macaroni Casserole (AKA Cheesy Broccoli and Macaroni Bake-up)
• Ginger Pork Potstickers
• Wedding Soup (AKA Meatballs and Spinach)
• Crunchy Ramen and Apple Salad

The recipes are simple to prepare and the perfect primer for getting young ones to fall in love with cooking. The tips provided will help readers choose the perfect topping and even help them set up their very own noodle bar dinner party!

Whether whipping up Japanese ramen noodles or Italian spaghetti NOODLE KIDS offers a global journey through fun recipes and an invaluable learning opportunity for tomorrow’s great cooks.

About the Author
Chef Jonathon Sawyer is proudly from Cleveland Ohio, where he owns & operates his flagship restaurant The Greenhouse Tavern, as well as Noodlecat, Tavern Vinegar Co, Sawyer's Street Frites & SeeSaw Pretzel Shoppe. In 2010 he was honored as one of Food & Wine Magazine's Best New Chefs. He has made national television appearances on cooking shows including Iron Chef America, Dinner: Impossible, Unique Eats,and The Best Thing I Ever Ate. In 2013, Chef Sawyer was a finalist for the James Beard Awards, Best Chef: Great Lakes. When Jonathon is not in the kitchen he is surrounded by his family including his wife Amelia, son Catcher, daughter Louisiana, dogs Potato and Vito, and chickens Acorn, Bunny, Ginger, Trout, Bear, and Squid. He can often be found in the cellar of his century home where he ferments beer & wine vinegars for the restaurants. Jonathon is a tireless supporter of the green movement, local agriculture, and sustainable businesses both in Northeast Ohio and around the country.

My Take on the Book
Children love noodles of all kinds. It does not matter what shape they are, what they are made of, if they are stuffed or in a soup, or are covered with a simple sauce. 

The author gives the reader so much information about noodles all over the world. He tells us all the different ingredients that can be used to make noodles and includes photographs to help the reader. Jonathon includes directions for making your own ravioli, spaghetti, stuffing cannelloni, making pierogi and lasagna, soups and more. 

The photographs of each entry are so helpful. The recipes are written well and the step by step directions are easy to follow. He included step by step photographs for making certain noodles too which is extremely helpful to the cook.

My girls love to cook and I see this book as providing the information needed for us to make noodles on our own. If children become involved in the preparation of their food, they are more likely to try new tastes. 

The book is definitely user friendly and I think you and your child will have fun preparing the recipes and eating them

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Last Minute Stocking Stuffers: MIKE AND IKE and HOT TAMALES mixes!

Just in time for your holiday parties is MIKE AND IKE® Merry Mix and MIKE AND IKE® Minion Mix.    Also available during the holiday season only will be the MIKE AND IKE® Original Fruits and HOT TAMALES® Fierce Cinnamon Stocking Stuffers.

MIKE AND IKE® Merry Mix comes in a 14 oz bag, perfect for all your home and office holiday parties.  This holiday favorite includes original flavors Lime and Cherry, plus a seasonal flavor, Holiday Punch.  The red and green colors of Merry Mix add even more festiveness to the season.  SRP for Merry Mix is $2.50 - $3.00 for the 14 oz bag.   MIKE AND IKE® Original Fruits theater box stocking stuffer comes in a 5 oz box making it an ideal stocking stuffer for all candy lovers on your holiday shopping list.  HOT TAMALES® Fierce Cinnamon also offers a 5 oz theater box stocking stuffer of cinnamon candy with holiday themed messaging and graphics on the packaging.  The SRP for the 5 oz boxes of MIKE AND IKE® Original Fruits and HOT TAMALES® Fierce Cinnamon is $1.00 - $1.39. Both package designs include extra space to add a name for the recipient and sender to truly personalize your delicious candy gift.

To celebrate the success of the wildly popular movie franchise, MIKE AND IKE® has created a limited edition Minion Mix that will only be available during the holiday season.

MIKE AND IKE® Minion Mix is available in a 5 oz box and comes with 3 different designs on pack – making it a collectable item for every Minion lover. Made with real fruit juice, fans will enjoy the sweet and tasty goodness of Blue Raspberry and Banana flavors.  SRP for the 5 oz box is $1.00 - $1.39. 

“The holidays are a fun time to share sweets and try new recipes,” says Koren Ivie, Brand Manager for MIKE AND IKE® and HOT TAMALES® candy.  “We wanted to provide our fans with fun recipes to enjoy these candies with family and friends!”

In the spirit of the holidays, create and sample some tasty recipes featuring MIKE AND IKE® and HOT TAMALES® candies for your next holiday party.  Try these recipes created by Chef Jamie Geller as part of her recent alliance with the leading candy brands.

HOT TAMALES® Snickerdoodles

Servings: 2 dozen

INGREDIENTS:

·         1/2 cup (4 oz) HOT TAMALES®Fierce Cinnamon candies, coarsely chopped*

·         1/4 cup (2 oz) salted margarine, softened

·         1/4 cup (2 oz) shortening (I use Spectrum Organic)

·         3/4 cups (5.6 oz) granulated sugar

·         1 egg

·         1 1/2 cups (6.75 oz) all-purpose flour

·         1 teaspoon cream of tartar

·         1/2 teaspoon baking soda

·         pinch of salt (increase to 1/4 tsp if using unsalted margarine)

·         4 teaspoons granulated sugar

·         4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

*The best way to chop it is with a lightly oiled knife. 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.       Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2.       Using an electric mixer, cream together the margarine, shortening and ¾ cups sugar. Add the egg and beat until thoroughly combined.

3.       In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients (except the candy) into the creamed mixture and mix until just combined. Add the chopped candy and mix until the candy is evenly distributed, a few minutes more.

4.       Refrigerate the dough for at least 15 minutes (this makes it easier to handle).

5.       Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

6.       Combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Form dough into balls the size of small walnuts (I use a tablespoon cookie scoop). Roll the balls of cookie dough in the cinnamon sugar.

7.       Place the cookies two inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake for 8 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets in the oven at the halfway point. They are done when they look puffed in the middle and slightly brown at the edges (the tops of the cookies will form cracks). Be careful not to overcook.

8.       Remove cookie sheet from the oven and let cookies sit on it for another minute or so before removing to cooling rack; cookies will flatten out as they cool.

9.       These cookies are best served warm, straight out of the oven, but they can be stored in an airtight container for up to two days.

MIKE AND IKE® Crispy Rice Cereal Treats

Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS:

·         1 ½ cups (13 oz) MIKE AND IKE® Original Fruits candies, coarsely chopped*

·         3 tablespoons (1.5 oz, 42g) margarine

·         10 oz (280 g) marshmallows

·         1/2 cup (1.7 oz, 48 g) marshmallow fluff

·         6 cups (5.7 oz, 160g) crisp rice cereal

*The best way to chop it is with a lightly oiled knife. 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.       Grease a 9 X 13 pan and set aside.

2.       Combine the marshmallows and margarine in a large microwave safe bowl.

3.       Place the cereal and candy in another bowl and toss well to combine. Set aside.

4.       Microwave the marshmallows and margarine for one minute.

5.       Remove from the microwave and stir to combine. If the marshmallows are not fully melted return to the microwave and cook for 30 seconds at a time until they are fully melted.

6.       Stir in the fluff and mix well. Add the candy and cereal mixture and stir until combined.

7.       Turn the mixture out into the prepared pan. Let cool, then cut into squares.

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Buzzinga! It's Moringa! And it's Amazing

Moringa’s been getting a lot of attention lately—so if you’re already familiar with this most nutrient-dense plant in the world, then you already know why it was chosen as crop of the month! For those of you haven’t yet been introduced to this amazing plant, read on.

What is Moringa? It’s a plant that has more vitamins, minerals, proteins, anti-oxidants and amino-acids than any other food in the world. The Food & Agricultural Organization website defines Moringa as follows:

Moringa is a genus of shrubs and trees with multi-purpose uses: its leaves, roots and immature pods are consumed as a vegetable. All parts of the moringa tree are edible. The leaves are used fresh or dried and ground into powder.

Although fresh leaves are very high in nutrition, dried moringa leaf powder contains the highest nutritional content. Just look at these incredible comparisons:

• 10x the Vitamin A of carrots
• 17x the Calcium of milk
• 15x the Potassium of bananas
• 25x the Iron of spinach
• 9x the Protein of yogurt
• 4x more Fiber than oats
• 1/2 the Vitamin C of oranges

Where does Moringa come from? Found in Africa, the Philippines, tropical Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Moringa is popularly known in many countries as a “miracle plant” because of its nutritional and medical properties. According to WebMD,

Moringa is an important food source in some parts of the world. Because it can be grown cheaply and easily, and the leaves retain lots of vitamins and minerals when dried, moringa is used in India and Africa in feeding programs to fight malnutrition…It’s also used for “tired blood” (anemia); arthritis and other joint pain (rheumatism); asthma; cancer; constipation; diabetes; diarrhea; epilepsy; stomach pain; stomach and intestinal ulcers; intestinal spasms; headache; heart problems; high blood pressure; kidney stones; fluid retention; thyroid disorders; and bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic infections…

So, it’s a ‘miracle plant’ that provides a high level of nutrition as well as major medicinal properties…and it’s affordable? Where can consumers purchase it?

Moringa comes in many different forms, powder, tea, oil, capsules and more. There are several online sellers providing Moringa, but not all Moringa is created equal. Do your homework, and keep in mind that the leaves of the Moringa plant are by far the most nutritional component of the plant (which is why ALL of Green Virgin’s moringa is 100% leaf powder). Avoid products that state “proprietary blend” as this can be a deceptive marketing practice. Read the fine print and know what you are buying.

In addition to researching the quality of the Moringa product, Ken Marion, Founder of Green Virgin Products recommends consumers pay particular notice to how the Moringa is packaged.

“Just as an apple turns brown when cut and exposed to the air, Moringa is very susceptible to oxidation. If not packaged properly most of the nutritional value will be destroyed before you even open the package…it is imperative that moringa must be packaged in oxygen free (not just air tight) packaging that also blocks 100% of light.

All our moringa is packed in a sophisticated three-layer, resealable pouch…it shuts out 100% of the light and sucks up all the oxygen inside. We are the only manufacturer to take the time and effort to package in this manner…which is why Green Virgin Products’ moringa is more potent than any other brand.

Ken also mentioned that “consuming Moringa leaf powder gives you all day energy and mental clarity. It contains no Caffeine, and unlike energy drinks that last 5 hours, there are no health hazards or jittery feeling, just a clear feeling of alertness you can't get with energy drinks or coffee.”

Moringa boosts the nutritional value of many recipes. Touted as the ultimate ingredient in smoothies, due to its amazing nutritional profile, Moringa leads the way next to any superfood!

More Moringa?....YES, Please!

My Take on This Product
This was great and mixed so well with the fruit smoothies that I have for breakfast every morning. Best of all is that it did not seem to alter the flavor of the smoothie adversely. It mixed well and I enjoyed the fact that I knew that I was gaining some great nutrients along with the fruit and vegetables that I added into the smoothies. I love that this product can easily supplement your body and can really make a difference to your health overall. All-in-all I am impressed with this, and look forward to continuing to use this and reaping the health benefits that it offers as well and I encourage you to try it and do the same, you will not be disappointed!


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Kick-Off Your Game Day Party with a Sure Winner @frenchskitchen

Everyone knows the Big Game is not just about the athletic competition, it’s also about the food. So if you’re looking to score big points with friends and family at your Big Game Party, try French’s® new Jalapeno Popper Dip.

According to Food Business News, jalapeno-flavored appetizers grew 22% over the past year and entrees featuring the moderately-spiced pepper rose about 10%. Requiring only five simple ingredients, including 100% natural French’s Mustard and fresh jalapenos, flavor fans give French’s Jalapeno Popper Dip high scores for both taste and convenience. With every spirited bite, it’s easy to see why this is a must-have recipe for any game day menu.

“The beauty of this dip is that it can be served hot or cold and packs a lot of flavor,” says Timo Oluschinsky, Senior Brand Manager for French’s Mustard. “The profile is bold yet it appeals to a broad audience; one seeking adventures in taste, but not overpowered by a single ingredient.” The combination of jalapenos and French’s Mustard, blended with the cream cheese, results in an exciting flavor experience that pairs well with crackers, chips and even fresh vegetables.

In addition to recipe ideas, French’s® is also offering some game day activity for the non-football fans at your party. The company will be rolling out “The Other Big Game,” a trivia game that engages non-sports fans with the broadcast on air. To play the game, go to French’s® Facebook page and click on The Other Big Game logo and do the following:

1. Click on “options” below. Download, then print and distribute to party guests.
2. Have everyone fill it out the game card before the game starts.
3. Reward the winner handsomely.

If you are not sure of an answer, you can go to French’s® Facebook page for the official results after the game.

So try the delicious dip recipe below and also visit www.frenchs.com for additional game day recipes.

JALAPENO POPPER DIP

This dip has all of the great flavors of jalapeno poppers without the work. The hardest thing about this dip is not eating it all yourself!

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes

• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup shredded Mexican blend or cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup French’s® Classic Yellow® Mustard or French’s® Spicy Brown Mustard
• 4 jalapenos peppers, seeded and diced or 1 can (4 oz.) diced jalapenos, drained
• 2 tbsp. Panko bread crumbs, toasted (optional)

1. Combine all ingredients except bread crumbs in a medium bowl.
2. Sprinkle bread crumbs over dip just before serving.
3. Serve with tortilla chips.

Makes 3 cups



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