Recipes

The other day while shopping I ran across something that I hadn't seen for years: ice pop (AKA Popsicle) molds. I'm sure they've been around all the while; it's just that they hadn't exactly been on my radar until I had kids. Anyhow, I picked up a set and we've been experimenting with making different kinds of healthy and tasty frozen treats. We've tried the obvious fruit juice, as well as various flavors of yogurt.

Coincidentally, I found some recipes for frozen fruit ice pops on the Food Network's website. The recipes--for strawberry and blueberry fruit pops--involve whirring fresh fruit and various other ingredients together in the blender and then freezing in the molds. They sound pretty good, so we're going to give them a try.

August is when you begin to see people stopped by the side of the road, poking around in the bushes. No, they're not doing anything strange or unseemly; they're picking wild blackberries! Late summer is definitely blackberry season in Northern California. And what's best is that these sweet little fruits can be had for free just about anywhere, if you're willing to risk stained clothing from all that blackberry juice, as well as the occasional wound from the blackberry's thorns.

Happy 4th of July! Here's a another great kid-friendly recipe from What's Cooking's Michelle Stern, perfect for your Independence Day barbecue or any other day, for that matter. What's Cooking offers cooking classes, parties, and gifts for children and families. Visit What's Cooking at www.whatscooking.info.

BBQ Drumsticks with Brown-Sugar Sauce

My husband is my best critic in the kitchen - he loves bold flavors and raved about this sauce. We used Trader Joe's organic ketchup which doesn't include any high fructose corn syrup--I think it made all the difference.

1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs cider vinegar
3 pounds chicken legs
salt and pepper to taste

Here's another fun and easy recipe to make with your kids from What's Cooking's Michelle Stern. This recipe for Corn Bread Pizza is from What's Cooking Weekly, a subscription service that offers five healthy meals ideas for your family every week, including easy recipes, shopping lists, nutrition information, and tips on how to get children involved in the kitchen. Every Friday morning, you will receive an e-mail with a summary of the menus for the week along with a link to the website. It's easy and all your meals are planned out for you for the entire week. Print out the grocery list to buy all the items you need for all your meals.

BBQ Chicken BLT

Cooking with your children is a great way to spend quality family time, and, above all, it's fun! Here's a delicious BBQ idea, courtesy of Michelle Stern, owner of What's Cooking. What's Cooking is a Marin-based business that offers cooking workshops in home or school for kids aged 2-1/2 through 19.
   
Mmmmm...BLT's in the summer, when the tomatoes are at their best! The barbeque adds great flavor to the chicken and the bread, but beware: your neighbors might come over to see what you are making for dinner! Make extra chicken to add to a salad or for lunch the next day. Serve with baked chips and pickles.

8 slices of soft country bread  
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Here's another fun and easy recipe to make with your kids from What's Cooking's Michelle Stern. She's recently launched What's Cooking Weekly, a subscription service that offers five healthy meals ideas for your family every week, including easy recipes, shopping lists, nutrition information, and tips on how to get children involved in the kitchen. Every Friday morning, you will receive an e-mail with a summary of the menus for the week along with a link to the website. It's easy and all your meals are planned out for you for the entire week. Print out the grocery list to buy all the items you need for all your meals.

We're also giving away one 6-month subscription to What's Cooking Weekly to a Marin Mommies reader, courtesy of Michelle Stern and What's Cooking. To enter the drawing, send an email to contests@marinmommies.com with "What's Cooking" in the subject line. One lucky winner will be selected on Thursday, May 1. Congratulations to Tracey W. winner of the What's Cooking giveaway.

Pine Point Cooking School offers cooking classes for kids ages 9–17 in Mediterranean Cuisine—Italian, French and Greek—with an emphasis on local organic produce, seafood and poultry. “Your dish will never be better than its worst quality ingredient,” and “Never eat anything your grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food” are two of the favorite maxims of Adrianna, the Italian-Greek instructor. She mixes cooking sessions with blind tastings (“Guess which is the farmer’s market peach?”), field trips (to the Marin Farmer’s Market, to local farms, and artisanal food producers) with instruction in kitchen safety, equipment, table setting, meal planning and organizational tips.

Cooking with your children is a great way to spend quality family time, and, above all, it's fun! Here's a healthy and light, but warm and cozy, recipe for those cold winter evenings, courtesy of Michelle Stern, owner of What's Cooking. What's Cooking is a Marin-based business that offers cooking workshops in home or school for kids aged 2-1/2 through 19.

Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Pasta and Bean Soup)
 
2 Tbs (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil  
2 (4 to 6-inch) sprigs rosemary, left intact  
1 (4 to 6-inch) sprig thyme with several sprigs on it, left intact  
1 large fresh bay leaf or 2 dried bay leaves  
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