No Bake Pumpkin Cookie Recipe

momstown Oakville's monthly Junior Chef program aspires to get kids as young as 18 months in the kitchen and involved in food preparation.  This month, Oakville moms and kids tried out a no bake pumpkin cookie recipe.

To make this quick and easy recipe at home with your Junior Chefs, here is what you need:

1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup oats
1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Topping (optional):
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/8 cup powdered sugar
1 Tsbp whipping cream

Toddlers and preschoolers enjoyed measuring, pouring and mixing the ingredients.

Mix together all the dry ingredients and then add in the vanilla and the pumpkin.  Take a spoonful of dough and roll it into a small ball.  Mix together the three topping ingredients using a hand or stand mixer.  Put a dollop of the topping onto each ball (you can put the topping into a ziploc bag and cut off a corner as a make shift pipping bag if you'd like).

These cookies are ready to eat as soon as the work is done but you can also pop them into the fridge to get them to firm up a bit.  This recipe makes for a great after school snack not just during pumpkin season but any time of year!

momstown Oakville Moms And Kids Cook Up Dinner With Chef Boyardee!

momstown Oakville moms and kids got together one late afternoon this week for a special Junior Chef with Chef Boyardee. Meal time with a busy family can be tricky and it was great to make some recipes that make meal time easier for the whole family by providing quick options!  For this event we tried Chef Pizza-roni Skillet and Ravioli Lasagna. With no preservatives, Chef Boyardee is a great kitchen staple to use as a base to make many different delicious meals.  Have you ever thought of combining Chef Boyardee with different protein options, veggies and cheese for kid approved yummy results?

Each child got one of these adorable aprons!

We divide up the jobs and got kids ripping spinach, helping to chop yellow and green pepper, measure out the cheese and even open the cans of Chef Boyardee.  All of the moms were loving the fact that their kids kept sneaking pieces of  peppers as we cooked!  This is a fabulous bonus of having kids help you in the kitchen.

The kids loved hearing what step was next as we worked together to build two delicious meals and we chatted about the foods that we were using.  A common comment from participating Moms was "I never thought of using Chef Boyardee this way but love how quick and easy this can be!"

And after lots of chatter and excitement during cooking time, we were then met with silence around the table as the kids sat down to gobble up the tasty dinner they had made.

Here is the recipe for the Ravioli Lasagna, a great way to add protein and calcium into meal time:

Ingredients

2 cans (2 x 425 g) Chef Boyardee® Mini Ravioli®

1 cup (250 mL) finely chopped spinach

2 cups (500 mL) grated Mozzarella cheese, separated into 1 cup (250 mL) portions

1 cup (250 mL) 2% cottage cheese or Ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon (5 mL) Italian seasoning

Directions

1. Spray 8" square or round baking pan with PAM®.

2. Spread one can of pasta on the bottom of the baking pan. Place chopped spinach in a glass bowl and microwave for 10 seconds; drain. Spread spinach over pasta and top with cottage or Ricotta cheese, 1 cup (250 mL) Mozzarella cheese and ½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) Italian seasoning.

3. Layer second can of pasta. Top with remaining Mozzarella and Italian seasoning.

4. Bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Allow 10 minutes to stand before serving.

Oakville moms and kids went home with full tummies (and that meant Mom didn't have to make dinner or do dishes) and goodies too!  Each child received a very cute Chef Boyardee apron and Mom went home with two cans of Chef Boyardee to use at home and a can of PAM cooking spray.

Make sure you check out the Chef Boyardee Facebook page and the recipe section of their website for more great meal ideas.  

Cooking With Kids: Mini Apple Pies Recipe

Not only did momstown Oakville get a group of Junior Chefs together last week, but they were Junior Pastry Chefs!  Our theme of the month is apples and so apple pie was a natural choice for our cooking with kids program.  But since momstown's Junior Chef program likes to give kids the chance to participate as much as possible, this mini apple pie recipe was a better fit than just one big pie.  Oakville kids were rolling and cutting out dough, peeling and cutting apples and having a great time.

This recipe was a big hit! Here is what you need to make your own Mini Apple Pies at home.

Ingredients:

3 large granny smith apples
1/2 cup + 1tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
3 tablespoons of chilled butter cut into 18 equal pieces
2 boxes of tender flake puff pastry (found in the freezer section). Make sure you thaw it in the fridge overnight.

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 400F and generously grease a regular size muffin pan with butter.
2. Mix together the cinnamon and flour in a small bowl.
3. Peel and cut apples to into small pieces.
4. Pour the sugar over the apples, then the cinnamon flour mixture. Mix well.
5. Use a rolling pin to roll out the puff pastry and cut 12 circles with a mason jar lid or drinking glass
6. Use fun cookie cutter shapes to cut from the remaining crust, these will top the pies
7. Line the muffin pan with the cut out pastry circles.
8. Fill each muffin tin with a small spoonful of apples.
9. Lay a piece of butter on each pie and cover with the cut out shapes.
10. Bake for 14-16 minutes.

momstown Oakville has monthly Junior Chef events on the weekends and weekdays.  Purchase your membership here for just $45 a year.  This includes not only our Junior Chef program but ALL of our monthly programs, lots to do for little ones from new babies to toddlers, preschoolers and more!  And did we mention you get a 12 month subscription to Today's Parent magazine too?!

Apple Kuchen Recipe - Easy Fall Dessert

I first made this recipe years ago and it was a hit!  It is easy and is a delicious way to welcome Fall into your kitchen.  This is a great recipe to make with kids as well as there are only a few simple steps (aside from peeling and slicing the apples) that little ones can easily help with.

Apple Kuchen

What You Need:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup flaked coconut
2 1/2 cups peeled and sliced baking apples
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sour cream
1 egg or 2 egg yolks

Pre-heat oven to 350F.  Mix butter into dry cake mix until you get a crumbly mixture.  Add in coconut.  Pat mixture into a 13 x 9" pan (build up the edges a bit to keep in the apples).  Bake for 10 minutes.

Arrange the apple slices on the warm crust.  Mix the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle on top of the apples. Mix the sour cream and egg or egg yolks and drizzle over the apples.  The mixture will not cover all of the apples.

Bake 25 minutes (do not overbake).  Serves 12-15 people.  Best served warm.

momstown Oakville Moms And Kids Use Shapes To Make Yummy Bird Snacks

momstown Oakville's theme for the month of August is birds.  This week Oakville moms and kids got together in the kitchen to create some fun food that matched our theme as part of our Junior Chef program. We started off our morning by reading Owen's Way Home about an owl looking for his house.  After story time, each child got ready to make their own edible owl.

Our owls began by spreading either Nutella or peanut butter (for a nut free option, use WOW Butter or Sun Butter) on bread, then used fruit to make the features. We had lots of circle fruit which we layered to make eyes, like apples, oranges, kiwis, bananas, grapes and blueberries.  We cut pieces of banana into triangles to make beaks, and we used peach slices, or halves of kiwi or oranges or apples to make wings.  Blueberries, grapes and cheerios were added to make the feathers.

Finally, momstown Oakville Junior Chef's sliced up mini cucumbers and used them to make a tree with a pretzel trunk.  After we ate our yummy creations, we wanted to make a snack for the birds outside to enjoy so we spread peanut butter on a toilet paper roll, and then rolled it in birdseed.  The kids took home their birdseed creation to add to their backyard and watch the birds enjoy the snack they'd made for them.

momstown Oakville's theme for September is apples - so many delicious possibilities!  We now offer our Junior Chef program during the week and a working mamas edition in the weekends.  Come and join us - buy your membership here for just $45 a year.  Membership includes a 12 month subscription to Today's Parent magazine too!

Et Tu Salad Kits Get Oakville Kids Making Salads!

momstown Oakville's special Et Tu salad Junior Chef event was a little overcast and we had some light rain to deal with but that didn't stop the kids from getting very hands on in the preparation of today's Junior Chef creation.  It can be hard to get kids to eat salad but one of the best tips provided is to get them involved in the preparation of the food and they are more likely to eat it.

So how did we do that when it came to making a Caesar salad using an Et Tu Salad Kit?  By involving one thing that kids just can't ignore....spray bottles!

We gave our momstown Oakville Junior Chefs spray bottles full of water to clean and wipe down the lettuce. Then they dried the lettuce and ripped it up into a few big bowls.

Once the lettuce was prepped and ready to go, we opened the Et Tu Caesar salad kits which contained everything we needed to make a complete Caesar salad - croutons, real bacon bits, parmesan cheese, seasoning and dressing.  

Kids loved being able to pour the Et Tu items into the bowl all by themselves

We added grilled chicken to the salad and then had wraps on hand to make an easy sandwich for kids. There are so many ways you can modify this meal such as adding tomatoes to make it more of a Clubhouse Chicken Caesar or adding another type of protein such as turkey breast or shrimp.  The best thing about an Et Tu salad kit is that it is a pantry item - keep some kits on hand for those busy nights where you need a quick meal.  All you need is some lettuce and you've got something yummy to add to the dinner table in minutes.  And our Junior Chefs proved today that a toddler or preschooler can help you assemble the salad!

Eating her creation in style!

We were lucky to have a few extra Et Tu salad kits and sent some home with happy moms who commented that they found the kits to be very handy to have stocked at home.  With the new school year starting soon, an Et Tu salad kit is an easy 'go-to' for those very busy nights.  Thanks to all our Junior Chefs for all their hard work!  

Cooking With Kids: No Bake Sand Cake Recipe

momstown Oakville has been exploring all things desert this month and so for our Junior Chef program, Oakville moms and kids made Sand Cake!  This recipe is a great, no bake treat that kids can almost do all themselves.

What You Need:

1 12-ounce box Vanilla Flavoured Wafers
1 8-ounce container Cool Whip
2 3-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 4-ounce package vanilla or chocolate instant pudding mix
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

How To Assemble:

Make the "sand" by crushing the Nilla Wafers with a potato masher or in a food processor. Combine the Cool Whip, cream cheese, pudding mix, milk, and vanilla. Layer a fifth of the crumbs in the bottom of a large, clean sand pail. Top with a third of the pudding mixture, then a layer of crumbs. Continue layering, ending with crumbs. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Decorate with the candy shells, if desired.

Kids love getting in the kitchen and this month's group of momstown Oakville Junior Chefs were no different!   Join momstown Oakville to see what cooking events we have coming up - click here for your free trial.

Barilla Pasta Gets Momstown Oakville Kids In The Kitchen

momstown Oakville moms and kids had a great morning this week at our Junior Chef program sponsored by Barilla Canada.  The group made up a delicious meal to go along with the Barilla PLUS®  pasta we were trying out that included salads and cheese biscuits - all made by our Junior Chefs!

We had several stations set up, a salad station,  a cheese biscuit station and a craft station where each child got to make a pasta necklace (what a great fine motor activity this is!).  These were in addition to our little ones getting a chance to stir our main course, spaghetti and meatballs.  

For our spaghetti, we used the new Barilla PLUS® pasta.  Each 85g serving provides 6 grams of fibre and 14 grams of high quality protein that comes from ingredients such as chickpeas, lentils and egg whites, just like those found in the Mediterranean diet and considered heart healthy choices.  Let's just say that our Oakville mamas were thrilled to learn about how much protein and fiber they could get into their little ones just by serving a kid favourite meal like spaghetti.  Barilla PLUS® is available in four different varieties including penne, rotini, spaghetti and spaghettini.  Every mom who attended the event went home with a box of Barilla PLUS® spaghetti!

momstown Oakville Junior Chefs get right into cooking!  It is so great to see them taking an interest in the food, in helping out and working together to follow a recipe (with some help of course!)

After all the hard work was done, we took our lunch outside and had a picnic.  The verdict?  The kids were proud of the work they had done and gobbled it all up showing no signs of knowing how much awesome nutrients they were getting.  Barilla has got some great summer pasta recipes too like pasta salad with cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil or rotini with fresh plum tomatoes and chevre cheese or you can visit their website for even more great meal ideas.  

Special thanks to Danielle Wilson Photography for taking such great pictures!  Check out the rest of the pictures from the event on our Facebook page.

momstown Oakville has a Junior Chef event every month which is included in your yearly membership of just $45/year.  To become a momstown Oakville member, click here.

Oakville Toddlers and Preschoolers Enjoy Being Junior Chefs with momstown Oakville

momstown Oakville moms and kids had a great time being little explorers this morning at our monthly Junior Chef program.  Each child created a little piece of  edible backyard, right in their own plastic cups, and could explore all the different layers, just like the layers we might find if we dug down deep in the ground outside.  The best part was once we were finished building our layers, we got to take a spoon and go exploring and looking for treasure in our cups!

First we put chocolate covered graham cookies in a bag, got a hard plastic cup that we used as our "smashing cups" and we smashed the cookies until they were all in little crumbs.  We poured these into our cups and they became our first layer of "dirt".  Next we put in a few scoops of vanilla pudding, followed by a few spoonfuls of cinnamon pops cereal, which were round and looked like rocks.  Then we put a sugar ice cream cone into our baggies and smashed those into crumbs with our smashing cups, and poured them into our cups.  They became a layer of jagged sand.  As an added surprise each child got a "treasure" added to their cup, which we then covered up with 'mud' (chocolate pudding).

Finally, we put some green food colouring into shredded coconut and then sprinkled that on top of our cups to look like grass.  We got our spoons and started tasting our yummy creations, and as we ate through the layers, we discovered our treasure - a round, shiny bouncy ball that we got to play with outside once we had enjoyed eating our cups full of yumminess! After being creative in the kitchen, our group spent some time exploring the outside as well - sliding, digging, raking, bouncing and jumping!

Would your junior chef love getting messy in the kitchen?  Register with momstown Oakville today and join us next month!

Junior Chefs: Rocket Dogs Recipe

momstown Oakville's educational theme of the month is outer space and so when our junior chefs got together to explore this theme, rocket dogs was the perfect recipe to cook up.

Here is how you can make your own rocket dogs:

-Wrap hot dogs in crescent dough
-Bake them at 375F degrees for about 13 minutes.
-Once the dogs are done, stick bamboo skewers in one end
-Decorated them with ketchup and/or mustard

While we were waiting for our rocket dogs to cook, we created a starscape on our plates using star shaped cookie cutters and fruit, veggies and cheese.

When our rocket dogs were ready and cooled, we sung "zoom zoom zoom, we're going to the moon" and blasted our rocket dogs up into space and into our mouths!

To the moon!

This was an easy recipe to make and the kids really enjoyed them.  For more space themed snacks, click here.  momstown Oakville's junior chef program is just one of the many programs we offer to our members.  Interested in joining us?  Click here!  All one year memberships purchased in 2013 will also receive a BONUS 12 month subscription to Today's Parent magazine.  Feel free to visit our Facebook page to see more pictures of our great events.

momstown Oakville Junior Chef No Bake Snowball Cookie Recipe

Yesterday momstown Oakville Junior Chefs got together to make two snacks - polar bear rice cakes and no bake snowball cookies.  Our theme for the month is Polar Animals so these two recipes were perfect!  After being busy in the kitchen, the kids got a chance to get some exercise with the Sports Training Junior Academy and Miss Carly.

The first recipe we made was the polar bear rice cakes.  The recipe can be found on the momstown meals website, click here.  We used cream cheese for the white face and chocolate oat cereal o's for the eyes. When the polar bears were done, we talked about the climate that polar bears live in and so of course snowball cookies would be a perfect compliment!

Snowball cookies are a great no bake recipe.  Here is the recipe we used:

Ingredients


2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons peanut butter or sunbutter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the oats, sugar and cocoa. With clean hands, mix in the water, vanilla, butter and peanut butter/sunbutter to form a dough.

Wash hands, then roll the dough into balls 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Roll balls in confectioners’ sugar until thickly coated.

Chill 20 minutes before serving.

Finished products:  Polar Bear Rice Cakes and No Bake Snowballs

While the Snowballs were chilling in the fridge, the kids got a chance to get some exercise with Miss Carly who runs the Multi Sport Program for kids at the Junior Academy.

Oakville moms and kids had a great morning and were happy to take home some tasty snacks. momstown's theme for next month is Space.  I wonder what food creations our junior chefs will come up with for that theme!  Want to join us?  Sign up here for your free trial or purchase your membership here.  The Junior Chef program is just one of the many programs included in your yearly membership for just $45 and you'll also get a BONUS 12 month subscription to Today's Parent for all memberships purchased in 2013!  

Cooking with Kids: Valentine's Day S'mores

These Valentine's Day S'mores were easy to make and a great recipe for kids to get involved with.  My 4 and almost 2 year old and I whipped these up one afternoon and they were too cute not to share.  These Valentine's Day treats would be great to make for a party or you could wrap up a few pieces to give as gifts.

Valentine's Day S'mores

1 package chocolate or regular graham crackers
1/2 cup butter
1/2 firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup hot water
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup red and pink smarties or m & m's

My kids got to work lining up the graham crackers on the baking sheet.  It was good practice for creating a pattern and for figuring out the best way to put them down so that they covered the whole sheet.

My two helpers were very eager to help measure out the marshamallows and candy.  They even had to taste a few for quality control!

Preheat the over to 350F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, leaving an overhang.  Spray with cooking spray.  Put down the graham crackers onto the sheet so they cover the entire thing, right to each edge.

Melt the butter and brown sugar in a pot over medium heat, stirring often until smooth and mixture comes to a boil.  Add the hot water.  Pour evenly over the crackers and bake for 6 minutes or until bubbly.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle on the marshmallows.  Put back in the oven for about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the red and pink candy and put back in the oven for 1 minute.  Cool completely.  Lift from the pan and cut into small squares.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Cooking with Kids: Valentine's Day Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Pink, white or red chocolate covered strawberries are a really cute and easy way to make something special to enjoy on Valentine's Day.  My toddler loved dipping the strawberries and putting on the sprinkles and I was happy that she munched on strawberries as we worked our way through this project.

Valentine's Day Chocolate Covered Strawberries

What you need:

-white, red and pink chocolate melting wafers (you can buy these at a bulk store and some craft stores)

-red sprinkles

-1 lb strawberries

-any other Valentine's Day treats to decorate such as white sprinkles, mini white chocolate chips, etc

-1 tsp of olive oil

My helper dipping the strawberries into white chocolate

What you do:

1. Wash and thoroughly dry the strawberries.  Leave the stems on for easier dipping!

2.  Put a piece of tin foil or wax paper on a baking sheet

3.  Slowly heat the chocolate wafers (each colour in a seperate bowl) in the microwave, one minute at a time.  Stir well after each minute, chocolate should be melted after 2 to 3 minutes.  You could also slowly melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl over boiling water.  I would recommend doing one colour at a time or the chocolate will start to harden.  If the chocolate is thick, you can add a few drops of olive oil to thin it out.

4.  Dip the strawberries in the chocolate and place on the covered baking sheet.  

5.  If using sprinkles, apply while the chocolate is still wet

6.  If you are going to drizzle a different colour of chocolate over top, you can do it when the chocolate is wet or dry.

7.  Leave strawberries on the counter to dry for about 15-20 minutes before putting them in the fridge to dry completely.

These would make a perfect ending to dinner on Valentine's Day!

momstown Oakville kids learn how to make their own silly pizza faces!

Today momstown Oakville moms and kids got together for our monthly Junior Chef program.  Our theme for the month of January is 'Everything Silly' so the kids were excited to bring this theme into the kitchen.  And what better combination for kids than the chance to be silly and pizza!  These silly pizzas faces were a big hit!

While we were making our creations, we talked about all the parts of our face, and what they do for us, then they got right into making their own silly face.  Smiley red pepper mouths, olive eyes, pineapple ears, olive eyebrows, salami hair, cookie cutter shaped pieces of ham for the nose, or a mixture of all of these.  And would you believe that more veggies got eaten than usual - apparently 'eyebrows' are more fun to eat than just plain old red pepper!

Once the pizzas were in the oven baking, we played with Mr. Potato Heads and made more silly faces and characters.  Of course, the best part of the morning was when the pizzas were done and we got to eat our hard work.  Very tasty faces!

Here's what you need to create silly pizzas of your own:

-tortilla shells or pitas

-pizza sauce

-shredded cheese

-olives for eyes

-pepperoni and/or ham which can be cut into fun shapes using small cookie cutters

-red, yellow or orange peppers to use for mouths, eyebrows, etc

-pineapple for ears

-any other veggie that your junior chefs like on their pizzas!

Create your faces and then cook at 350 F for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.

Do you have a Junior Chef at home?  Join momstown Oakville next month as we create tasty treats to go along with our February theme - polar animals!  Sign up for your 4 week free trial now!

Oakville moms and kids make time for breakfast with Nutella

This week our momstown Oakville moms and their junior chefs got together to make some healthy and delicious breakfast and snack options using Nutella.  Before we got busy in the kitchen, our junior chefs started off the program by making their very own chefs hat!

Once all of our momstown Oakville Junior Chefs were outfitted for the task, we got working on making two tasty recipes from our sponsor Nutella.  Nutella recently released Canada’s Breakfast Report - new research that sheds light on how much children can benefit from eating breakfast.  Visit the Nutella Breakfast Table website to share tips, find advice and learn more about the importance of breakfast.

First up were the Bananalicious Nutella Pancakes!  This easy to make recipe uses whole wheat flour and oats and the kids were gobbling them up. The next recipe we tackled was for the Fruit ‘N’ Nutella Yogurt Parfaits.  The little ones loved dumping all the ingredients into their cup and our moms were thrilled to see fruit, power packed protein from the greek yogurt and hearty granola being mixed in with Nutella.  This recipe was a big hit when talking about breakfast and how to get kids a solid dose of nutrients to start their day and keep them energized.

The only downside to our event was that we didn't have time to test out all the recipes provided by our sponsor, Nutella.  Luckily, everyone went home with recipe cards so that they can make the recipes we tried as well as some additional ones such as Nutella French Toast Cups or Nutella Breafast Bars.

We hold our junior chef program once a month.  If you'd like to join us for this program and our other 30+ monthly programs, sign up for your 4 week free trial today!

Cooking with Kids: Ice cream cone Christmas trees

momstown Oakville moms and their junior chefs got together this morning to have some festive fun.  We made a simple and easy treat but the kids loved it as they got to do pretty much all the work.  And there was green icing...what's not to love about that!  Here is how you can make your own ice cream cone Christmas trees.

What you need:

-as many sugar cones as you want
-white store bought icing
-green food colouring
-lots of 'decorations' for the trees

We used red, white and green mini chocolate chips, sprinkles, coconut, gummies and white chocolate curls. You can use whatever you have one hand, your favourite candy (maybe some leftover halloween candy?), or only items with holiday flair.

We gave each child two ice cream cones.  We took the white icing and stirred in a few drops of green food colouring until it reached our desired shade of green - nice and evergreen like!  Then we let the kids spread the icing on their cones gently, moms supervised to make sure the trees didn't break.  Next up, the fun part, decorating the trees!  It was great to see the kids each do their own version of their perfect Christmas tree.

The final product is delicious to eat but would also make a really cute centre piece for a holiday meal, don't you think?  You could even just use the white icing to spread on the ice cream cones and make a snow covered tree with decorations.  Lots of options!
 

Ice cream cone Christmas trees

We'll be decorating Christmas cookies in December and having a Junior Chef event with Nutella! All of the supplies for our Junior Chef program are included in your yearly momstown membership of just $45 a year. Sign up now for your free 4 week trial!