food – Page 4 – Mom on the go in Holy Toledo

Flowerpot & dirt or Cake?

April 6, 2015April 6, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

Nailed it! Well, mostly nailed it! We decided to make something for Easter dessert this year. Something way outside my comfort zone…I totally ditched the security blanket! Instead of grabbing something from Costco we went big! We made something! Something fun, bright, & delicious! We decided on a flowerpot & dirt cake, complete with faux flower. We were still in the April fool’s day spirit when we decided on this one and thought it would be fun to fool the guests (and apparently myself, lol!). So my little assistant, my 3^rd grader, and I went to work. We made a list of everything we would need to pull of this sweet cake!!

Need:

White cake mixes (I am a semi-homemade type of gal)
Buttercream frosting
Raspberry filling
Package of Oreos
Fondant
Dye for Fondant

Lucky for us we literally have a Cake Supply store right around the block, we are talking walking distance! I love living here…we are minutes from 2 bowling allies, cleaners, pet groomers, party store, half dozen restaurants, etc. This location is unbeatable, I so appreciate the convenience! So we stopped in and they helped us locate all the necessities. We purchased everything and headed home with much enthusiasm to get started.

While my little assistant was in school I started the cake. She was much more excited about decorating the cake than baking it. So I started mixing the ingredients together and hit my first bump in the road, two minutes in and I didn’t have any vegetable oil! So I took a chance and substituted coconut oil. I figured it would either add to the flavor or not work at all and that was the gamble I was willing to take at that time…after running around getting everything else in order for Easter I was not about to run out just for vegetable oil. Looking back maybe that was a pretty big gamble but, spoiler alert, it totally worked!!

When my little lady got home we started the decorating process!! We were so excited! It was a special experience because we made certain it was just the two of us, some quality bonding time. Some fun! We started by kneading the fondant, extreme kneading is probably a better explanation, it was some tedious work. Then we added the dye, a terracotta color to make it look like a clay pot. And 5 minutes into it both our hands were dyed terracotta, like we literally tanned just our palms. Bahahaha! It was at that moment that I remembered the lady at the cake shop saying something about getting gloves. We made some fun memories decorating that silly cake!

We layered the cakes, white cake, buttercream, raspberry filing, cake, buttercream, etc. then we carefully measured and cut the fondant to place around the cake.

We placed half the package of Oreos in the food processor and grinded till it was the consistency of dirt. Then sprinkled on top of that cake and added the flower!! Eee!! We did it!!!

I will be the first to admit that we spent way too much time & money on that cake but it was totally worth the experience, the memories, and our guests were most definitely worth it!

If we were ever going to make such an intense cake I am glad we did for Easter, such a magnificent reason to celebrate!!

Healthy Families, Healthy Kids Campaign FLASH GIVEAWAY!

September 20, 2013September 21, 2013momonthegoinholytoledo

It is that time of year again, time to say goodbye to the pool days and hello to school days! Which means it is time to get back into a routine. No more dinners at 9pm. Gone are the mornings for sleeping in (and wouldn’t ya know I just got my kiddos accustomed to the idea, only took practically all summer break, ha-ha). And time to start the school year off right, on a healthy note! Nutrition is important at home and in the classroom. Which is why I am excited to share that Produce for Kids is teaming up with Meijer stores for the second annual Healthy Families, Helping Kids campaign to raise money for local health and nutrition-based classroom projects through DonorsChoose.org. Last year, the campaign raised more than $169,000 and supported 652 classroom projects throughout the country.

Beginning Sept. 2 to Sept. 28, the joint campaign will help raise money for classroom projects that encourage healthy relationships with food. The more produce Meijer shoppers add to their shopping lists, the more hope they can give to local children. All participating fresh fruit and vegetable suppliers at Meijer stores will make a consumption-based donation DonorsChoose.org.

Parents, be on the lookout for Produce for Kids signage, featuring characters from the popular Sprout® television show, The Chica Show, in the produce section of your local Meijer store. There, you will find Ideal Meals recipes, tips and solutions to help you keep your family healthy for back-to-school and year-round.

I have to warn you, all the recipes are amazing! I let each of my kiddos pick out two to make with mom during our kids in the kitchen sessions together. Having your children help select the produce from the store, clean it, and prepare a meal really fosters the learning process.

3 out of 3 of my kiddos gave these recipe 5 stars (or moons, said the 3-year-old, lol!) thus; it only seems appropriate to share…..

Blueberry Banana Pancakes

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking powder

2 Tbsp. sugar

½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. salt

1 cup fat free milk

3 Tbsp. canola oil

1 egg

1 banana, sliced

½ cup blueberries

2 tsp. caramel dip (optional)

1 Tbsp. pecans, finely chopped (optional)

Directions:

1.Sift flours, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon and salt in large bowl. Add milk, oil and egg, and mix until moistened.

2.Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat; spray with cooking spray. Spoon ¼ cup pancake mixture onto skillet. Add sliced bananas and blueberries, and cook 2-3 minutes, or until pancakes begin to bubble. Flip and cook 1-2 minutes, or until done.

3.Top with pecans and drizzle with caramel dip. (optional)

For more great recipes like this one be sure to check out Produce for Kids website…also has great after school snack ideas!

Disclosure…

Produce for Kids put together a goody bag filled with great ways for me to further extend the message. My kiddos have taken the lunch bag and sandwich bag to school which had a few children inquiring about Produce for Kids. And I have been sporting the travel cup all over town. But I felt a little bummed that I couldn’t send one to my loyal readers. So I am doing what I constantly tell my children to do…