As a rule, boys love messy party foods. Pizza is always a good choice, for party goers of any age. You can make it yourself, purchase it ready-made or have it delivered for the event. The boys will, no doubt, appreciate the addition of double cheese… it will make things gooier. Turn the pizza into an activity. Set out rounds of pizza with lots of different toppings. The boys, under adult supervision, pile on whatever toppings they like.

Sloppy Joes are a good choice, when it comes to feeding hungry boys. They are fairly inexpensive to make and can be kept warm in a crock pot, until it’s time to eat. A very simple recipe is to brown one pound of ground hamburger with one pound of ground turkey. Add a cup of chopped onions. If you want the “Joes” to be extra healthy add a cup of finely chopped carrots and a cup of finely chopped celery. Saute on medium heat until the veggies are soft. Add a cup of ketchup and two cups of tomato sauce with 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes. Serve them with chili cheese fries, for a meal they will rave about.

Hotdogs will please almost any youthful appetite, especially if they are stuffed with cheese and baked in crescent roll dough.

Provide a variety of dipping sauces such as cheese, barbecue sauce and honey mustard. Use squirt bottles for easy serving but beware the boys will be tempted to squirt each other as well as their hotdogs.

Grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken nuggets are an option. Jazz up the sandwiches with different kinds of cheeses and serve three or four choices of sauce, for the chicken.

One word of caution, many children have food allergies and must stay away from things like nuts, dairy products, strawberries and eggs. Before planning your party menu, it is recommended that you contact the parents, of all potential guests, to make sure there will not be problems. Older kids know what they shouldn’t eat but younger kids don’t.

What you’ll need:
Package of pre-washed ready-to-serve salad
Raspberries
Apple cider vinegar
Mild cooking oil
Walnuts
Fresh grapefruit slices
Rotisserie or Baked chicken breasts
Provolone cheese
Honey baked ham
Rice
Cream of chicken soup
Frozen peas
Frozen chopped onions
Frozen carrots
Orange juice concentrate
Butter
Cooking utensils

Salad
The tang of the grapefruit slices is complimented by the crunch of the walnuts and sweetness of the raspberries in this easy to pull together salad. For four servings you’ll need two packages of ready-to-serve lettuce, 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup of cooking oil, and 4 to 6 ounces of fresh raspberries. If you can’t find fresh, use frozen unsweetened berries. Mix the vinegar, oil and raspberries together and set aside. When you’re ready to serve, toss the dressing with the lettuce and divide onto four plates. Arrange four to five grapefruit slices on the lettuce and sprinkle with walnuts. Now that was easy.

Chicken
Moms will be impressed when you bring out this chicken dish. The creamy cheese and salty ham bring out the best in the chicken. It looks like it took lots of time and talent to make. Surprise, since it starts with purchased cooked chicken breasts, you don’t need much time or talent. When you purchase the chicken breasts ask the server to cut a pocket in each breast. About 30 minutes before dinner is ready, stuff a slice of ham and a slice of cheese into each pocket. Wrap the breast in foil and warm in a 350 F oven for 20 to 30 minutes until hot and the cheese has melted. Remove the foil to serve.

Rice Pilaf
All right so this isn’t the traditional rice pilaf but it’s easy for kids to put together. For four servings put one cup of rice, one 15 ounce can of cream of chicken soup and one cup of low sodium chicken broth in a baking dish. Add 1 cup of frozen peas and 1 cup of frozen chopped onions. Stir. Bake in a 350 F oven for 40 minutes until the rice is cooked. You can bake this at the same time the chicken is warming, just give it a head start. Triple the recipe for leftovers so Mom doesn’t have to cook dinner the next day. Chop two slices of ham for each serving. Mix with the left over rice pilaf. Put in a fresh baking dish and cover with slices of provolone cheese. Heat until the cheese is gooey.

Carrots
Kids love carrots and adults will love these carrots bathed in a glaze of orange juice and butter. If you start with packaged frozen carrots there’s no peeling or chopping required. Since the carrots have been blanched before they’ve been frozen, they don’t need much cooking time. You’ll need three cups of carrots for four servings. Place in a microwave safe bowl. Nuke on high for one minute at a time until the carrots still have some crunch to them, probably no more than three minutes total. Before the last minute of cooking time, add 1/4 cup of orange juice concentrate and 1/4 cup of butter. It’s Mother’s day so splurge on real butter not the fake stuff.

Fabulous French Toast
Use frozen French toast. Cut into heart shapes with a cookie cutter. Cover the top of the heart with sliced fresh strawberries. Outline the heart shape with canned whipped cream topping. If you don’t like strawberries use whole raspberries. Or make a two toned heart with blueberries and raspberries.

I Love Mom Breakfast Rollups
Spread a burrito size flour tortilla with cream cheese, whipped cream cheese is easy for little hands to spread. Sprinkle the cream cheese with brown sugar and dried cranberries. Roll up, put in a zip lock bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Have an adult cut the rolled burrito into three slices. Arrange the slices around a bowl of fresh strawberries sprinkled with brown sugar and a dollop of whipped cream or whipped topping.

Mother’s Day Breakfast Parfait for Special Mothers
Use a large ice cream sundae glass. Put cornflakes (or your Mom’s favorite breakfast cereal) in the bottom of the glass to about 1/3 full. Place a scoop of ice cream next and press down a bit so the ice cream is smooshed down in the glass. Put another layer of cornflakes and then another scoop of ice cream. Finish it off with chocolate syrup. caramel sauce, butter scotch sauce or fresh fruit.

Mothers Day Breakfast Easy Eggs Benedict
These aren’t the real deal because hollandaise sauce is a little tricky for kids to make. Toast an English muffin. Spread with butter. Add fresh spinach leaves, topped with a slice of deli ham or bacon if you prefer on top of each muffin half. Slice a hard boiled egg on top of the muffin. Mix together one tablespoon of mayonnaise with 1/2 teaspoon of mustard. Place a dollop of the mixture on top of the eggs.

Elegant Scrambled Eggs
Mix together two well-beaten eggs with one tablespoon of cream or half and half. Scramble over low heat. When the eggs are set but still creamy add 1 tablespoon of cream cheese, 1/4 cup of tiny cooked shrimp and 1/2 teaspoon of snipped dill. Stir through to heat and melt the cream cheese. Serve on toast points. This recipe is more appropriate for older children since there is cooking involved.

There you have four easy and quick Mother’s Day Breakfast Ideas.

May 1, 2012

Shape the chorizo into meatballs about the size of a large marble. Brown over medium high heat. Lower the heat to medium and add two chopped onions. Saute for about five minutes until the onions have softened but aren’t browning.

Roughly chop one large bunch of kale, mustard greens, chard or any other green you like.

Add 6 cups of good chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Add the greens and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the greens are soft.

Peel and chop four large potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. Add to the soup and turn up the heat to medium high. Cook about 10 more minutes until the potatoes are soft. Remove one from the pot and mash against a plate with a fork to check.

Serve with corn chips or corn bread for a hearty supper. For dessert ice cream cools off the taste buds.

Spicy Shrimp Cocktail

Fat, sweet, juicy shrimp served in a martini glass and dolloped with a savory spicy sauce starts off your dinner with class.  Purchase eight, big, peeled, deveined and cooked shrimp with their tails intact. Fill the bottom of the martini glass with chopped lettuce.  You’ll find lettuce ready to serve in the produce section.  Chop the lettuce into fine shreds.  Mix purchased seafood cocktail sauce with a squeeze of lemon juice and a few drops of hot sauce.  Place two tablespoons of the sauce right on top of the lettuce. Hook the tops of the shrimp around the rim of the glass so their tails are inside the glass.

Smooth and Creamy Cold Avocado Soup

The light green color of this sauce complements the pink of the shrimp. Purchase a package of guacamole.  Put it in a blender with one cup of cream, once cup of cold canned chicken broth and the juice of half a lime.  Blend till smooth.  Keep icy cold until served. Second soup course of your Valentine’s dinner is complete so on to the entrée.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Don’t panic.  You won’t be actually cooking the chicken. The deli section has roasted chicken breasts — as well as other parts but you won’t be needing them. Purchase three breasts, that gives you an extra.  While you’re at the deli counter purchase 1/4 pound of prosciutto and 1/4 pound of parmesan cheese, both sliced thinly.   If you can’t find prosciutto which is a highly flavored air-dried Italian ham, substitute another good quality ham.  Make a slit in the chicken breast to form a pocket.  Stuff in two slices of prosciutto and two slices of parmesan cheese.  Wrap each breast in aluminum foil so it doesn’t dry out.  Reheat in a 350 F. degree oven for about 20 minutes until the chicken is heated through and the cheese has melted. Unwrap before serving.

Side Dishes

You don’t need much for side dishes, a vegetable and potato or two vegetables.  Go to the produce section and find the bags of baby vegetables that are pre-cleaned and ready to cook in the bag.  Sometimes they’re called steamers.  Steam in the microwave per package directions.  Melt a tablespoon of butter — yes real butter — and drizzle over the veggies right before serving.

Dessert

No Valentine’s Day dinner would be complete without chocolate and strawberries.  Chocolate covered strawberries are available this time of year all ready for you.  But it’s more fun to dip your own.  Clean large berries under running water.  Pat dry.  Arrange the berries on a plate with a mound of whipped cream, a small bowl of brown sugar, small bowl of powdered sugar and small bowl of chocolate syrup, the kind you use to make chocolate milk. Dip to your and your sweetheart’s content.

Use spices and herbs instead of salt.  You might not realize it but most Americans consume double the amount of salt they require.  If you eat one fast food burger you’ve consumed all the salt for the day, half the calories you require and all the fat.  Only 15 percent of the salt most people eat is consumed by salting their food while eating or cooking.

Cut down on the salt by reading labels.  Did you know one serving of a popular canned chili has 30 percent of the salt you’re allowed for the day? And a serving isn’t the entire can it’s one cup.  Make your own chili and freeze it in meal-size portions.  Pick up low sodium cheese and use no-added sodium roast deli beef for sandwiches.

Most people have an acquired taste for salt. Parents actually salt their purchased baby food because the food tastes flat to them.  The baby of course, not being used to eating salt, doesn’t mind the taste. The easiest way to readjust your taste buds is to go cold turkey for three or four days. That means not only not adding salt, but preparing meals from salt-free ingredients.  It will take some extra time but at the end of the time period you’ll recognize just how salty most food is. You might even lose a few pounds because you can’t eat fast food that’s loaded with salt and fat.

Replace the salty flavor with strong tasting herbs such as rosemary, basil, dill or oregano.  Add heat instead of salt by adding in diced fresh jalapenos, cayenne pepper or even hot pepper sauce.  Boost flavor with spices such as fennel seed, cumin or cinnamon.  Try cinnamon in meat dishes such as chili or meatloaf.

Make your own dips using fat-free yogurt instead of sour cream and mayonnaise. A quick and easy dip that can be thinned with apple cider vinegar to use as a salad dressing is to mix one cup of fat-free yogurt with 1 tablespoon of dill seed, 1 teaspoon of dried onion flakes or 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder (not onion salt), 1/4 cup of chopped scallions, 1/4 cup of minced cucumber, throw a tablespoon of fresh chopped dill if you have it.  You won’t miss the salt or the extra calories in purchased onion dill dips with this recipe.

Combine 1 cup of whole milk with 1 tablespoon of flour until smooth. Heat in the saucepan until the sauce bubbles and thickens. Add 1/2 cup of your favorite shredded cheese. You’ll need one cup of this sauce for every two servings. Since the ingredients below make dishes that serve four, make 2 cups.

Cheesy Broccoli
Cook 2 cups of broccoli in the microwave until it’s softened but still crisp. The broccoli will finish cooking in the oven. Combine with 2 cups of cooked rice. Or use instant rice with water as the directions specify. Add 2 cups of the cheese sauce. Stir well.

Top with an additional 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Either freeze this in an air tight container for a dinner you only have to bake later or bake in a 350 F oven for 30 minutes until the dish is bubbly and the cheese melted.

Enchilada Casserole
If you can layer you can make this dish. You won’t be using the cheese sauce for this dish. Add 1 teaspoon of cumin and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to two 15 ounce cans of tomato sauce. Add more cayenne pepper for a hotter kick or add several chopped jalapeno peppers.

Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Layer in five or six corn tortillas. Add another 1/2 cup of sauce and spread over the tortillas.

Slice one medium onion and layer over the tortillas. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded cheese over the onions. Finish with 1/2 cup of sauce and another layer of tortillas. Spread the remaining sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with another 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Bake 45 minutes in a 350 F oven.

Gourmet Mac and Cheese
Butter the bottom of a casserole dish. Combine 4 cups of cooked macaroni with 2 cups of cheese sauce and 2 cups of frozen defrosted peas. You don’t have to cook the peas. Place in the casserole dish. Cover with a layer of breadcrumbs — about 1 to 1/2 cups and an additional 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Heat at 350 F until the breadcrumbs are brown and the cheese topping melted. This is oh so much better than the boxed stuff.

If going vegetarian isn’t your thing. Add 1 cup of chopped chicken to the rice and broccoli, 1 cup of chopped turkey, cooked ground beef or cooked diced pork to the enchilada casserole and 1 cup of cubed ham to the mac and cheese.

November 30, 2011

November 8, 2011

October 15, 2011

Roll out premade pizza dough into individual disposable greased pie pans. Make sure the dough comes up the sides of the pan to create the deep dish.  Let rise 30 minutes in a warm place during pregame activities.

Set out tomato sauce, ranch salad dressing, and a white sauce such as Alfredo.

Offer an assortment of toppings with suggested combinations for those who are culinarily  challenged much like the Bear’s quarterback’s offense line is challenged.

Combine chopped bacon, spinach, and fresh tomatoes and parmesean cheese for a BLT pizza.

Use tomato sauce, chopped onions, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and mozerella cheese for a classic Chicago pizza.

Go upscale with cooked chicken breast, olives, artichoke hearts and ranch salad dressing, smothered in mild Havarti cheese.

Always use raw vegetables and cooked meats.  Bake in a 425 F pre-heated oven until the pizza dough browns on the bottom, about 20 minutes.

Use your imagination with the toppings.  A Mexican pizza could be black beans, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, chorizo sausage and tomatoes blanketed by cheddar cheese.

An oriental pizza could be pork, scallions, shredded carrots, mushrooms and water chestnuts.  No cheese but brush with plum sauce before baking.

You might not think of eggs for dinner but they’re quick, cheap and easy to make.  Start your meal with a crisp green salad.  Follow up with a classic breakfast dish called Toad in the Hole.

Fruit fizzies are fun and frothy. Fill a glass with ice, then half full with lemon lime soda, plain carbonated soda, or sparkling mineral water. Top it off with your favorite fruit juice. Garnish with an orange slice.

The frozen melon pops should be prepared the night before so they have time to freeze. Cut watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew melons in bite size pieces. For faster preparation, buy prepared melon chunks from the grocer’s produce case. Dip in a mixture of half lime juice and half water for flavor and to prevent discoloration. Thread the melon chunks onto a wooden skewer and freeze overnight. Serve as they are or with a dip of yogurt sweetened with honey.

Toad in the Hole is a fun dish for kids. It doesn’t take a lot of expertise to assemble and is pretty hard to wreck. Spray an oversized muffin pan with cooking spray. This is important. Cooked egg can be very difficult to remove from a baking dish. The cooking spray makes it much easier. If you don’t have the large size muffin pan, use an oven proof 8 oz glass dish. You will need a slice of bread, cooked bacon, pat of butter, and an egg for each serving. The toad is the egg and the hole is the slice of bread.

Put 1/2 a pat of butter in the bottom of each muffin tin. Gently place a slice of bread in the tin pushing it down to form a hollow.  Crumble a slice of bacon on top of the bread. Break an egg into a measuring cup and then slide the egg from the cup into the bread hollow. Breaking the egg into the cup allows you to remove any pieces of shell. Salt and pepper to taste. Place the other half of the pat of butter on top of the egg. Crumble an additional slice of bacon over the top of the egg.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Check the egg to see if it’s done by jiggling it. If it’s wobbly it probably needs another minute or two of baking.

Remove the Toad in the Hole with two spoons. If your family has a big appetitie add some toaster hash browns to the plate.

2 cooked Andouille sausages or any spicy sausage, cut into four pieces each.

16 shrimp – the 13 to 15 per lb. size

2 chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes.

1 cup tomato juice combined with 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 to 3 tsp. red pepper flakes, 1 tbsp. each dried thyme, black pepper, dried onions and three minced garlic cloves.  Divide into three zip lock bags. Add each meat to a separate bag.  Marinate for two hours.

Slice one red and one green pepper into eight equal sized chunks.  Slice two small onions into eight equal sized chunks.  Put in the bag with the Andouille sausage.  It’s cooked so you won’t be contaminating the raw vegetables.

Thread the vegetables, chicken, sausage and shrimp onto skewers.  Baste with the marinade from the sausage and veggie bag while they’re grilling.  Discard the marinade from the shrimp and chicken.  Chicken should be grilled until no traces of pink remain.  The shrimp is cooked when the shell turns bright pink and the flesh is no longer translucent.  If you use the 12 to 15 per lb. shrimp and 1 inch chunks of chicken they should both be cooked and ready at the same time.

If you don’t want to use skewers, grill the chicken breasts and sausages whole and the shrimp in a fish basket.  Keep the shells on the shrimp to keep them moist. The shrimp will cook faster than the chicken so put it on when the chicken is about 10 minutes away from being done. Cut each sausage and chicken breast in half.  Each person gets four shrimp, half a sausage and half a chicken breast.

Serve over seasoned white rice. Add chopped scallions, parsley, salt, pepper and butter to hot cooked rice.  Finish the meal with a crisp green salad to offset the heat from the Jambalaya.

Jambalaya on a stick makes great little appetizers. Remove from the skewers after they’ve been grilled. Cut the chicken and sausage chunks in half.  Serve a shrimp, chicken chunk and sausage threaded on a smaller skewer.

Cut three slices of low sodium bacon into one inch slices. Fry until the bacon browns. If you’re on a low fat diet, drain the fat. Or use turkey bacon instead. Chop one medium onion into 1/2 inch cubes. Chop two slices of celery into 1/2 inch cubes. Sautee the veggies over medium heat until they’re soft. That should take, maybe five minutes. Keep an eye on them. Onion contains sugar and they’ll burn quickly at too high a heat.

Add one quart of low sodium chicken broth, or 4 cubes of low/no sodium chicken bouillon cubes and four cups of water. Let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes. No, we haven’t forgotten about the potatoes.

Peel three medium to large potatoes and chop into 1/2 cubes. Add the potatoes to the soup and let simmer on low heat another 10 minutes. The potatoes should be soft and easily pierced with the tip of a knife. Remove about a cup of the potatoes and mash with a fork. Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of cream. If you’re on a low fat diet add 1 cup of skim milk with 1 tablespoon of flour. Stir the flour into the milk, add the mashed potatoes and then add back to the soup.

Bring up to a boil. Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner. The flour will continue cooking as the soup cools.
Serve with a fresh fruit salad.

Leftovers are great the next day. If you don’t have quite enough soup left, add 1- 2 cups more chicken broth, 1 cup of frozen corn, and one cup of little cooked shrimp.

It’s easy to vary the potato soup by adding a few different ingredients. Add clams for clam chowder. Smoked sausage goes nicely with the potatoes. Or try chopped leeks and dill and leave out the bacon. Add chicken and peas and chopped parsley.

Make up a double batch and freeze half for another night’s supper.

Stuff cherry tomatoes with a mixture of one cup of cottage cheese mixed with one quarter cup of Parmesan cheese.

For a variation stuff the tomatoes with chicken salad or tuna salad.

Chicken wings are fun and easy. Cut a chicken wing in three pieces. Save the bony wing end for making chicken broth. Bake the wings at 350 degrees until done. Serve at room temperature with dipping sauces. Mix equal parts honey, lime juice and mustard for a tangy dip. Or try equal party ketchup and brown sugar for a BBQ like sauce. Each guest gets their own little cup of dipping sauce.

Miniature hot dogs and buns are always a hit. Buy the little franks and refrigerator biscuits. Cut the biscuits in half. Place one little frank in the center and roll up. Bake as package directs.

Grill baby burgers and place in a cut dinner roll, top with a slice of tomato, a lettuce leaf, and favorite condiments like mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard.

Keep portions tiny.

Salad to go. Wash endive leaves. Fill the broad end with a teaspoon of your favorite prepared salad. Wash butter lettuce leaves, selecting the smaller more pliable leaves. Spread out the lettuce leaf and put a tablespoon of salad on the end nearest you. Roll the leaf forward covering the salad. Tuck the ends of the leave under as if you were rolling up a burrito.

Lightly fill celery stalk with cream cheese. Press dried cranberries or raisins into the cheese. Cut into bite sized pieces. For a change use flavored cream cheese.

Mini pizzas. Use refrigerator biscuits. Lightly flour a board. Roll each biscuit flat doubling the size of the biscuit. Place biscuits on cookie sheets. Spread with a teaspoon of tomato sauce, pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce. An alternative is to use a slice of fresh tomato. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake as package directs.

A veggie platter and dip can be made special by using baby vegetables. Carrots, summer squash, patty pan squash, string beans, both yellow and green should be blanched by immersing in boiling
water for one minute and then in immediately in an ice bath. Add snap pea pods, grape tomatoes, both red and yellow, and boiled baby potatoes.

Mini tacos are fun and easy. Use the corn chips that are made for dipping and have a bowl shape. Fill with a teaspoon of cooked taco meat, a bit of refried beans and top with shredded cheese. Bake until the cheese just melts.

Beer Soup
Sauté 2 large chopped onions in a tablespoon of butter until the onions are softened and translucent, about 10 minutes over low heat. Turn up the heat to medium and brown one pound of your favorite sausage. Add one quart of good beef bullion or broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. Add two 12 ounce bottles of good beer and heat through.

Sandwiches make great dinners especially if you pair them with a salad and coleslaw.  Start off with seven layer bean dip and chips, followed by a hearty sub sandwich accompanied by easy coleslaw, and ice cold lemonade. Children should always be supervised around food and of course knifes. Have them wash their hands thoroughly before beginning. Now get going on the fun.

What makes this seven layer bean dip different is everyone gets their own serving in a plastic cup. Set out an 8 ounce clear plastic cup for each person. Fill the bottom with about an inch of shredded lettuce, it will compress as the other ingredients are added and won’t take up as much space. Add chopped tomatoes and a one inch thick layer of refried beans patted down so it’s evenly covers the tomatoes. Layer on slices of avocado or guacamole, a couple of tablespoons of your favorite prepared salsa, topped with a few tablespoons of sour cream and a covering of shredded cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Serve with an individual bag of corn chips for each person and fork to get every morsel. Keep a few extra bags of chips on hand.

Make the sandwich the day before so the flavors have time to blend. Split a loaf of crust bread horizontally. Remove some of the bread from each half by pulling it out with your fingers. This is a good job for the kids. Just keep an eye on them so they don’t remove all the bread down to the crust. You’re aiming for a nice shallow depression in both halves so more filling can fit in.

Sprinkle each half with olive oil and freshly ground black pepper. Dribble fresh lemon juice, no more than 1/2 teaspoon on each side. Layer on sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, sliced olives, and red onions. Push them gently down in the depression. Layer on roast beef, and havarti cheese. Or baked ham and cheddar cheese. Try sliced turkey and Swiss cheese. If you’re adventuresome use all the fillings. Put the other half of bread on the top of the fillings and press down. Wrap firmly in plastic wrap, in aluminum foil and then in a zip locked bag. You might have to cut the sandwich in half to fit in the zip locked bag.

Place the securely wrapped sandwiches in a roasting pan. Place a cookie sheet over the sandwiches. Put weights on the cookie sheet to press down the sandwiches. Or place a towel over the sandwich. Place on a hard surface, such as a wooden chair and have a child sit on the towel and smoosh down the sandwich for about 10 minutes. For some reason children find this hysterically funny. Then put the sandwiches in the roasting pan and weigh them down. Don’t unwrap the sandwiches until you’re ready to eat.

Easy coleslaw and it really is easy. 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon celery seed, 1/4 cup of cider vinegar, 1/4 cup sugar all whisked together until blended. Open a large zip lock bag. Place 1/2 large package of shredded cabbage in the bag and 1/2 the dressing. Zip the bag and shake. Then add the remaining cabbage and dressing. Zip the bag and give it a few more good shakes.

Use your favorite frozen lemonade mix. Add a festive touch with a few garnishes such as sliced strawberries, mint leaves, sliced cucumbers, or fresh basil leaves. Freeze individual strawberries, mint leaves, or lemon slices in ice cube trays and serve a few special cubes in each glass.

Most men enjoy a hearty breakfast so start your Father’s Day off with a meal the kids can help with. Fruit fizzies, Toad in the Hole and frozen melon pops are easy and kid friendly to prepare.

Fruit fizzies are fun and frothy. Fill a glass with ice, then half full with lemon lime soda, plain carbonated soda, or sparkling mineral water. Top it off with your favorite fruit juice. Garnish with an orange slice.

The frozen melon pops should be prepared the night before so they have time to freeze. Cut watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew melons in bite size pieces. For faster preparation, buy prepared melon chunks from the grocer’s produce case. Dip in a mixture of half lime juice and half water for flavor and to prevent discoloration. Thread the melon chunks onto a wooden skewer and freeze overnight. Serve as they are or with a dip of yogurt sweetened with honey.

Toad in the Hole is a fun dish for kids. It doesn’t take a lot of expertise to assemble and is pretty hard to wreck. Spray an oversized muffin pan with cooking spray. This is important. Cooked egg can be very difficult to remove from a baking dish. The cooking spray makes it much easier. If you don’t have the large size muffin pan, use an oven proof 8 oz glass dish. You will need a slice of bread, cooked bacon, pat of butter, and an egg for each serving. The toad is the egg and the hole is the slice of bread.

Put 1/2 a pat of butter in the bottom of each muffin tin. Gently place a slice of bread in the tin pushing it down to form a hollow. Break an egg into a measuring cup and then slide the egg from the cup into the bread hollow. Breaking the egg into the cup allows you to remove any pieces of shell. Salt and pepper to taste. Place the other half of the pat of butter on top of the egg. Crumble one slice of bacon over the top of the egg.

If your Dad really loves bacon, before you add the egg to the bread hollow, crumble a slice of bacon directly over the bread in the muffin tin, add the egg and then crumble a second piece of bacon on top. Bake in a pre heated 350 degree oven for about 8 minutes. Check the egg to see if it’s done by jiggling it. If it’s wobbly it probably needs another minute or two of baking.

Remove the Toad in the Hole with two spoons. If Dad has a big appetite add some toaster hash browns to the plate. Start Father’s Day off with a hearty breakfast of Toad in the Hole.

Here’s an easy recipe for pizza crust. It’s the crispy kind and makes enough for two 12 inch pizzas.

3 cups flour
3/4 cup of water
1/4 cup of the warm water the yeast has been dissolved in
2 tablespoon olive oil.

Add the oil to the water. Add the oil and water mixture to the flour. Stir with a spoon until too thick to stir. And here’s the part where you need clean hands. Using your hands incorporate the rest of the flour into the dough. The dough will probably be a little sticky, that’s okay. Dust a clean kitchen counter with a little flour. Place the dough on the flour and flatten it with the palms of your hands, pushing the dough away from you. Fold over the dough, give it a quarter turn and flatten it again. This is called kneading the dough. Kids love to help with this part of the process. Knead the dough for 10 minutes. That may seem like a long time so keep your eye on the clock. After the dough has been kneaded for 10 minutes it’s shouldn’t be sticky any more and be a bit elastic.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a towel and put in a warm place to rise. Get a good look at how big the ball of dough is because you want it to double in size. Depending on the temperature that will take from an hour to 2 hours. Don’t rush the rising by putting it in the oven.

When the dough has doubled in size divide it in half. Flour the counter so the dough doesn’t stick. Roll out two 12 inch circles. If you’re busy or don’t trust your dough making skills buy ready to use pizza dough. Place the circles on an oiled cookie sheet or pizza pan. Put back in a warm place while you ready the pizza toppings.

One trick for great pizza is to always cook the meat ahead of time thoroughly and leave the vegetables raw.

Top your pizza with a cup of tomato or pizza sauce, favorite meats such as pepperoni and sausage and veggies like mushrooms, onions, and green peppers, finish off with a generous sprinkling of cheese.

Bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese melted

Chop an onion, green pepper, and red pepper into 1/2 chunks. Saute in a couple of tablespoons of virgin olive oil for about 5 minutes, over medium heat, until translucent and tender but not brown. Add two cloves of crushed garlic, a teaspoon each of cumin and dried oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. If you like spicy food increase the cayenne pepper. Slice two boneless, skinless chicken breasts into 1/2 inch slices, add to the pan. Saute a minute or two more.

Add 2 cups of frozen corn kernels, fresh can be used as well. Sauteing brings out the sweetness of the corn and enhances its flavor. While the corn is cooking, roughly chop 2 large tomatoes. Add to the pan with 4 cups of good chicken broth. Let the soup simmer for 20 minutes for the flavors to meld. Serve with restaurant style corn chips and a squeeze of lime. Add a salad of sliced cucumbers and jicama tossed with lime juice, fresh cilantro and salt and pepper.

Chop two bunches of scallions (green onions), reserve about 1/2 cup for garnish. Crush 3 cloves of garlic, finely chop about 1/2 teaspoon of fresh ginger, add more if you like the flavor of ginger. Slice 4 ounces of mushrooms. Saute over medium heat until the scallions are soft. Add a pound of medium size shelled and de veined shrimp. Cook until the shrimp turns pink. Add 4 cups of chicken broth, one tablespoon of soy sauce, and enough rice noodles to serve 4. Simmer until noodles are cooked per packaged directions. At the very end of the cooking right before you’re ready to serve the soup add a small package of fresh spinach. The spinach should just be wilted. Garnish each serving with the reserved green onions.