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

Green Eggs and Ham: Heat up diced ham in pan then prepare the eggs to scramble.  Right before you cook the eggs add liquid green food color to the eggs then cook. Serve with green grapes, honey dew melon, kiwi or green apple. Cut toast in shamrock shapes using a cookie cutter. Mix green food coloring into butter and spread on toast.

Lucky Breakfast: Layer lucky charms breakfast cereal and vanilla or key lime pie yogurt. Serve with the green fruit above. Add a few drops of green food coloring to make the yogurt a darker green.

St. Patty’s Pancakes: Make your pancakes recipe adding green liquid food coloring. If you have special pancake shapers use them to make a clover or top hat shape. You can use cookie cutters made out of metal but they get very hot and have to pulled off the pan with tongs.  Make small silver dollar size pancakes.  Put three of them together in a shamrock shape on the plate.  Outline the shape with whipped cream and then drizzle with mint jelly or pancake syrup.

Serve toasted bagels with cream cheese tinted green and orange marmalade.  Or toast with mint jelly.  Cut an orange in half and that’s your pot of gold.  Cut a large orange in half, scrape out the orange and save for another use.  Fill the orange with pineapple chunks for the gold. Chopped peaches or apricots work as well. Drizzle with lemon yogurt.

Toad in the Hole:  A classic English breakfast gone Irish.  Spray large muffin tin with cooking spray.  Butter a slice of white bread.  Gently push the bread into the muffin cup to form a cup shape. Break a raw egg into each toast cup. Salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, spinach or a mixture of your favorite herbs.  Bake at 350 degrees until eggs are set, about 15 minutes.  Lift the toast cups out of the muffin tin and serve.  Add sausage links to the plate for a heartier breakfast.

Green Quiche:  add spinach to your favorite quiche recipe.

All breakfasts can be served with green fruit. You can also mix and match. Have green eggs and ham, toast topped with mint jelly and green grapes.

Start with a salad of tangy pink grapefruit sections, smooth avocado slices and crisp butter lettuce dressed with walnut oil. Peel the grapefruit over a bowl and use the juice instead of vinegar with the walnut oil. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and walnut halves for crunch.

Scrambled eggs may seem mundane but not when served with a petite filet mignon steak and garnished with shaved white truffles. The creaminess of the eggs plays off the richness of the beef and lets the flavor of the truffles come through. Beat two eggs per person ahead of time. Add 1/4 cup of heavy cream — it is a holiday so now’s not the time to worry about that diet. Keep in the fridge until the steaks are done. Sear the steaks in a heavy skillet for a minute each side. Finish in the oven until medium rare — between five to seven minutes depending on how thick the steaks are. Scramble the eggs while the steaks rest. Shave the white truffles over the hot scrambled eggs right before you take them out of the pan. Stir through. The ambient heat will cook the truffles just enough. Heaven on a plate. If you’re feeling really decadent drizzle of few drops of truffle oil over the steak.

Finish the meal with chocolate truffles, the candy made from heavy cream and dark chocolate. Of course champagne is your drink. If you feel you must obey custom and drink a red with the beef try a lighter merlot rather than a heavy burgundy.

Truffles are a fungi, just like other mushrooms such as button, As hard as people have tried it’s not possible to grow truffles on a commercial basis. Truffles grow where and when they want. They’re found by dogs trained to uncover them by their scent. Pigs have a very sensitive sense of smell and used to be used to hunt truffles. Unfortunately pigs love to eat truffles as much as sophisticated chefs and gourmands. Ever try to take food away from a 300 pound sow? Not easy.

December 28, 2011

St Patrick’ Day is a holiday for both adults and children. It doesn’t matter if you’re Irish or Italian, you still get to wear the green and look for that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  Putting together a St. Paddy’s day dinner menu is a snap. Use low fat ingredients to keep them healthy dinner recipes.

Traditional Irish St. Patrick’s Menu

Corned beef and cabbage: add carrots and potatoes.  Believe it or not, ids like corned beef and will most likely eat two out of the three side dishes, especially if displayed in separate dishes. You can buy prepared corned beef at the grocery store deli. The potatoes can be ready to heat and serve.  Carrots can be carrot sticks or baby carrots.   Serve with bread or rolls. This is an easy dinner if you don’t want to cook.

All American St. Patrick’s Menu

Hot dogs served with pickle relish, “green” ketchup and “green” mustard.  Add liquid green food coloring to change both to green colors. Ketchup takes more color to change and is sort of a brownish green.  Be sure to label them, they end up looking the same.

Cole slaw can be store bought or homemade. Homemade is one package of shredded cabbage or bagged coleslaw mix.  Add ½ cup of mayonnaise, a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, and a tablespoon of sugar. Mix well. Salt to taste.

Crackers with green cream cheese spread or cheese wiz/spray sprinkled with dried or fresh parsley.

Green apple salad:  Here is a fast easy recipe: 3 chopped green apples with skin on, 1 cup of chopped celery, ½ cup chopped walnuts, 1 cup of green grapes, 1/4 – 1/2 cup of mayo.  Salt and pepper if desired. Mix everything together in a bowl with a fair amount of mayo coating all ingredients. Use enough mayo so that the ingredients can absorb the mayo. Refrigerate at least two hours.

Italian St. Patrick’s Menu

Spinach pasta with Alfredo sauce.  Sprinkle minced parsley or basil over top for more “green” effect or your choice of plain pasta with pesto sauce. Serve pesto on the side if you want to have plain pasta for the children available, although kids like pesto sauce.

Baked French bread: Take loaf of French bread and cut lengthwise.  Spread butter or margarine on both halves. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese, parsley, and basil. Bake in a 350 degree oven watching carefully. Bake until toasted.

Cooked asparagus or broccoli with melted Velveeta cheese. Caesar salad or simple garden salad with Italian dressing.

Mexican Food St. Patrick’s Menu

Tostadas: Top corn tostadas with warm refried beans, cheddar cheese and shredded lettuce.  Top with green salsa or verde sauce.  You can add taco seasoned hamburger if you like, just end up with the green lettuce and salsa on the top.

Cheese Quesadillas topped with sprinkled parsley or cilantro.

Nacho cheese dip: Melted pasteurized process cheese spread with green color added.

Guacamole: Homemade or store bought.  Guacamole is easy to make, simply mash an avocado.  Add finely chopped onions and tomatoes and hot sauce.

Serve with tortilla chips

Corn muffins- Use favorite corn muffin mix add diced green bell pepper or chopped cilantro, jalapeno and/or cheese. Any combination works well. You can add some green food coloring if you like. Bake Following the muffin mix directions.

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.

December 26, 2011

Keep guests warm after a holiday open house providing packages of drink mixes you’ve made yourself as favors. If it’s in the budget add a small, one-serving size bottle of wine to the spiced wine package. These gifts take up space so it looks like you’re generous but they don’t cost much at all to put together. Consider borrowing a dehydrator for a few days to dry the fruits and save even more money.

Gourmet Hot Chocolate
Fill a cellophane bag with mini marshmallows, five or six foil wrapped chocolate candies, peppermints or hard candy raspberry drops. Add directions to add to a cup of hot milk. Tie with ribbons. You could add a purchased package of cocoa to add to the package for less than fifty cents.

Spiced Cider
Add four dried orange slices. Don’t use orange peel because it doesn’t take up much space and people won’t know what it is at first glance. Add several cinnamon sticks and a 1/2 teaspoon of whole cloves with one or two whole star anise. Add a card that says to add the spice mixture with the orange slices to 3 cups of hot apple cider.

Mulled Wine
Place a couple of slices each of dried orange slices, apple slices and lemon slices to the cellophane bag. Dip the apple slices into a solution of half lemon juice and half water to keep them from browning while they’re drying. Add your choice of spices including allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, even a few black peppercorns to add a bit of heat to the wine. Finish with 1/2 cup of raisins.

Tropical Tea
Dry 1/4 inch thick half slices of fresh pineapple, mangos and dried raspberries or strawberry halves. Place two tea bags either black, green or fruit flavored into each cellophane bag and tie with ribbons that match.

If you feel that the drink mixes alone aren’t quite enough for a favor. Put the bags into a wine glass for the mulled wine, clear glass coffee cup for the cider and cocoa and a smaller clear glass tea cup for the tropical tea. You could put colored excelsior in the bottom of the glass or cup for added color and bulk. These favors cost less than a dollar apiece but look fabulous.

December 23, 2011

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

The brawts and hots will be served with a fresh tomato, cucumber, basil salad with lemon zest and a touch of olive oil; black bean salad made with cilantro, lime juice, cumin and jalapenos; and Asian coleslaw — julienned carrots, snow peas, cashews, cabbage and orange slices tossed with a ginger garlic soy sauce dressing. . For dessert?  What else but ice cold watermelon. In case you didn’t notice it’s a melting pot theme for Independence Day — German sausages, Italian tomato salad, Mexican bean salad and the Asian coleslaw.

Poke the brawts with a fork in several places.  Put in a sauce pan and cover with beer.  Bring the beer to a boil then lower to a simmer for 15 minutes.

Chop 3 cups of onions.  That sounds like a lot but it cooks down considerably. Put 1 tbsp. butter in a frying pan on low heat.  Add the onions and slowly cook until the onions are a light golden brown.  This will probably take 15 minutes.  Add 1 tbsp. each apple cider vinegar and brown sugar.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat.

Cut three tomatoes into eight quarters each.  Slice one cucumber and add to the tomatoes. Grate 1 tsp. of lemon zest and the juice of half a lemon over the vegetables.  Sprinkle with five chopped scallions.  You don’t have to add any oil to this dish if you don’t want to. Right before serving add 1/4 cup or a good handful of basil leaves.  If you add them before that they have a tendency to turn a dark green unpleasant color.

Drain one can of black beans.  Add 1 tbsp. of cumin and 1 tsp. of red pepper flakes.  Squeeze in the juice of two limes.  Stir in 1/2 cup of chopped sweet red peppers — you can also use orange or yellow peppers.  Add from 1 tbsp to 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro.

Combine the ingredients for the Asian slaw.  Dress with 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1/2 tsp each minced ginger and garlic, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1/2 cup of cooking oil.

Grill the brawts and hot dogs until the brawts are golden and the hot dogs expand a bit.  While you’re grilling the sausages, toast the buns on the grill.

Put the sausages in the buns with a squiggle of mustard and top with the sweet onion relish.  Set up a hot dog bar for the kids. Offer chopped toppings such as tomatoes, lettuce, green peppers and cheese.  Add Fritos — seriously they go great with hot dogs — sauerkraut, dill pickles and sweet pickle relish.  Finish the bar with ketchup and mustard of course, but also include sweet and sour sauce, barbecue sauce and mayonnaise.  Arrange the hot dog bar ingredients in a bed of ice, each in its own container.

Get more grilling recipes.

Take the time to use the good dishes, silverware and glasses. Seltzer water straight from the bottle is fine for slaking your thirst after a workout, but it is so much more elegant when served in a crystal glass and garnished with a mint sprig. And that’s another trick. Use herbs to flavor the water without adding calories. Don’t stick with just mint. Lavender adds a floral note, basil and tarragon add a taste of licorice. A cucumber slice with a bit of dill is a refreshing change from sweet beverages.

We live on a hill and the only place I could even conceivably think of putting the electric hot oil fryer would be on the driveway in the front yard.

All would be well until someone accidentally nudges the fryer slightly while checking to see if the turkey is cooking. The weight of the bird shifts slightly inside the fryer, but just enough to start the fryer on a downward track.

The bird and fryer gain momentum, accelerating until it crashes into the mailbox at the end of the driveway, drenching everything is hot oil and half cooked turkey.

No, you won’t see me frying a turkey this year, or any year.

Studies have shown that women who drink a glass of beer a day have sharper and clearer minds in their senior years than women who don’t drink at all.

Drinking a glass of beer with dinner can help you lose weight.

Men who drink up to two glasses of beer a day and women who drink one beer daily can cut their risk of strokes by 20% and heart and vascular disease by 30% to 40%.
Beer contains a similar amount of antioxidants or polyphenols as red wine. And more than four times as much than white wine.

Beer is fat free and cholesterol free. It has some nutritional value depending on the beer you drink, including vitamins B, B2, and B6.

Some doctors recommend that nursing mothers drink a glass of beer in the evening to increase milk production, replace body fluids and relax.

Alcohol has also been attributed to increasing the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) in the bloodstream, as well as helping to decrease blood clots. Beer has 5% to 7% alcohol content.

Lager is brewed from bottom yeast and at a colder temperature than ale about 50- 65 degrees Farenheit or 12 – 18 degrees Celsius. This allows the fermentation process to derive more flavor from the hops and malt. Lagers are usually paler, drier and less alcoholic than ales. This cooler brewing process either requires cool caves or refrigeration which means it’s more difficult to make lager at home. Pils beer or Pilsener originated in Bohemia when brewers found that beer over wintered in caves or kept on ice improved. Lagers can be aged for several months resulting in a cleaner crisper taste.
Lager is invariably served cold to enhance the taste. Lager goes with a large variety of foods and, as you probably already know is served by itself as a beverage.

Lagers include Bock, Dunkel, Oktoberfest/Maerzen, Pilsner

Ale is brewed from top yeast and requires warmer temperatures, 65 to 70 degrees and a shorter brewing time. Ale includes a much wider range of beers than lagers from porters and stouts to pale ales and wheat beer. Generally ale is more complex and robust than lagers and have a higher alcohol content. Ales can range from the typical golden color to dark and black beers. Ales are usually aged no more than a few weeks. Most ales are served closer to room temperature. Because ales are more complex in flavor than lagers pairing with food is more of a challenge.

Ales include Bitter, Brown Ale, India Pale Al, Pale Ale, Porte, Stout, Wheat Beer.

The ark, Noah’s ark contained beer. In 4300 BC a Babylonian clay tablet was found with a detailed recipe for beer. Beer was an important part of ancient civilizations including besides the Babylonian culture, also Assyrian, Egyptian, Hebrew, Chinese, and Inca cultures.

The ancient Egyptians used beer as a drink, food, and for medicinal purposes. Over 100 medicines on an ancient tablet included beer as an ingredient. The Egyptians taught the Greeks how to brew beer. It’s thought the Greek wine god Dionysus was actually named Dionysis, the beer god. The Greeks brought beer to the Romans. The Romans taught the tribes in Britain the art of brewing, and from their it spread through the rest of Europe.

Central American beer makers discovered a product that is still immensely popular today: chocolate. It seems they used the pulp of cacao seed pods as an ingredient to their beer. Traces of the pods were found on fragments of pottery form 1100 B. C. Cacao beans are the basis for cocoa which makes chocolate.

What is Beer?

Beer, just the name is refreshing isn’t it? It brings to mind warm summer nights sitting around the pool with a frosty mug of amber hued liquid. What would a football game be without a tailgating party and cold bottles of your favorite brew. But what exactly is beer?

It’s an alcoholic beverage made of grain, hops, yeast and water. Pretty simple, until it gets complicated. Beer can be made from malted or unmalted barley. It may require a cooling process such as ale does, or include additional ingredients such as fruit, herbs, even hot peppers. The grain can be wheat or barley, although occasionally corn or rice is used. Hops weren’t always part of the beer recipe.

Malted grain is grain that has been germinated, or sprouted, and then dried before the plant has a chance to develop. Malting gives a flavor to the beer and adds sugar by changing some of the starches in the grain to maltose, a sugar. The sugar is important for the development of the yeast, it acts as a food source.

Yeast is the catalyst for the beer making process. Yeast is a one celled fungus. It exists in nature and can be found on the skins of grapes and other fruits. Yeast is used for baking bread. It is responsible for the bread to rise. Brewer’s yeast is used in brewing beer and making wine for the alcoholic content.

The little yeast cells consume the sugar and convert it to alcohol as a by product. The bubbles in beer are a result of the yeast also emitting carbon dioxide. This process is called fermentation.

Water is an important ingredient in beer, the purity of the water used effects the taste of the final product.

Hops, the female flower of the hop plant (Humulus lupulus) are used in the brewing process to add the characteristic “beer” taste and as a stabilizer.

Children love bite size snacks they can carry with them. Just about every child loves macaroni and cheese. You can make it special and portable by hollowing out a small dinner roll and stuffing it with mac and cheese. They won’t even need a spoon.

Stuff cherry tomatoes with a mixture of one cup of cottage cheese mixed with one quarter cup of Parmesan cheese. Fill a plastic disposable container large enough to serve the stuffed tomatoes, half full of water, then freeze at least overnight. At party time serve the tomatoes on the lid of the container placed on the ice.

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 child 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.

Finally chop tomatoes, cucumbers, and celery. Defrost frozen peas. Shred lettuce and carrots. Layer the ingredients in a small 4 ounce, clear plastic glass. Place a tablespoons of Ranch salad dressing on the top. And you’ve got salad for kids on the go.

A variation of the salad to go is seven layer taco salad. Delete the peas and carrots and add taco meat, shredded cheese, and refried beans. Add a dollop of sour cream on top instead of salad dressing.

Peanut butter and jelly rollups are quick and fun. Spread a flour tortilla with peanut butter and jelly, then roll up tightly. Refrigerate for at least an hour so the peanut butter hardens a bit then cut the rolls into slices.

Keep portions tiny. Children are constantly being told to finish their food. Mini meals make it easy for them.

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.

Mini burritos are easy and quick. Fill a small flour tortilla with a tablespoon of cooked hamburger, shredded chicken, or sliced steak. Add a slice of tomato, a tablespoon of shredded cheese and roll up burrito fashion tucking in the ends so you end up with a nice little package. Grill for a minute or two on each side to heat up the meat and melt the cheese and there you have it. Serve with an interesting salsa of chopped grapefruit, cilantro, onions, jalapeno peppers, and jicama for the adults to munch on as appetizers until the main course is ready. If you don’t like grapefruit substitute seedless watermelon.

Most kids love fish sticks so why not serve fish tacos? Brush mild boneless fish fillets like halibut or tilapia with a marinade of lemon juice, minced garlic, minced onion, and a touch of cumin. Grill until the fish is cooked through but not over cooked. About 5 minutes per inch of thickness of the fillet. Cut the fillets into about 4 inch by 2 inch servings. Cover with foil and set on the back of the grill to keep warm, in a warming drawer, or in a 200 hundred degree oven. Set up a taco bar with corn and flour tortillas, toppings of tomatoes, sliced onions, cheese, shredded cabbage, sliced jalapenos, salsa in both mild and hot varieties, cucumbers, chopped cilantro, sweet red peppers, cooked corn, black beans, and pinto beans. Consider putting a sign with a flame and the word HOT in front of any topping that you feel might be too spicy for children.

Your guests including the little ones will have a great time building their fish tacos. If you’re not sure everyone will like fish, grill some boneless chicken breasts as an alternative.

Serve a grilled and raw veggie platter with several dips. Try some new vegetables you might not have thought about grilling such as carrots, endive spears, cherry tomatoes, broccoli spear slices, or summer squash slices. Toss the vegetables with a marinade of olive oil, citrus juice, garlic, and herbs for at least an hour before grilling. Use bottled Italian salad dressing if you’re in a hurry.

Echo the marinade flavors in the dips you offer. Mix some Italian salad dressing in a cup of cottage cheese add 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, extra chopped fresh basil and whirl in the blender until smooth.

A quick citrus dip is simply sour cream with lemon, lime, and orange juice. Add a teaspoon of grated citrus peel to boost the flavor with some freshly grated pepper.

Grilled fruit kabobs make a great dessert for both children and adults. Cut peaches, plums, pineapple, in one inch chunks, add seedless grapes and halved apricots. Thread fruit on a short wood skewer and brush with lime juice. You can do all this ahead. The lime juice will keep the peaches from turning brown. Grill over a low fire until grill marks are barely visible. Remove from the grill and brush with a glaze made from equal parts honey and lime juice.

Your guests will be happy and satisfied until the sun goes down.