Simple Goodies Teachers Love

Okay, who else cringes every December when your child comes home and says: “Mom, can we give cookies to Mrs. ‘My-Favorite-Teacher’ for Christmas”? Then here’s the clincher, “And can I help you make them?”

With everything else going on in December--from the end of basketball season (x2!), holiday concerts, making/buying/wrapping/sending presents to family far away, shopping for family and friends nearby—I’d rather pay my few dollars toward a group gift for a teacher and be done with it. But when your 8-year-old comes to you asking for something special for her teacher it’s hard to turn her down (without feeling guilty, right?).

In the past, I’ve had my kids do something easy, like put the bow on the plate of goodies, but more recently I’ve stumbled on holiday cookies that are not only easy to make, but your kids can actually HELP you make them. And they really will be HELPING, not making a bigger mess that you’ll have to clean up later. Ah, now I’ve got your attention. Let me add more interest—the cookies have inexpensive ingredients, make dozens in minutes and they travel well. That’s right, when your kid crams them in her backpack, even after you’ve told her not to, the treats will still arrive in tact at school (as long as she doesn’t sit on them in the bus).

No, I don’t send my child off to the Kroger pastry shop for an afternoon with a baker there, instead I follow in the steps of the semi-homemade diva Sandra Lee and add some dazzle to store-bought cookies. I can’t believe I’m about to reveal my go-to cookie dish (seriously, I made them this weekend for a holiday get-together and everyone kept asking my recipe. I just smiled and changed the subject). Here goes. I find coconut cookies at the dollar store. (Yes, Dollar Tree. Sometimes they don’t have them so I resort to Oreo’s, but the coconut cookies really are key.) The cookies come in packs of three dozen, rectangular bars.

At home, I melt white candy coating and let my kids dip the cookies into the coating, then the coconut. (I’ve tried to make the cookies fancier by using real white chocolate—trust me, it just doesn’t melt as well and tastes awful.) If you want to get really festive you can color the coconut with green food coloring, but I think they look best white—and it’s easier. Lay them out on waxed paper to firm up and you’re done. I can make three-dozen cookies in 15 minutes start to finish. That’s enough for three or four teachers! Plus, added cool-mom points, my children helped me!

Note: If your kids hate coconut, you can try the double-dip method with just about any store-bought cookie—Chips Ahoy! paired with holiday sprinkles or lemon shortbread with dried ginger or coconut. They’re all good to the last crumb!


Recipe

This particular recipe is embarrassingly simple, but irresistibly good. Don’t worry, you don’t have to tell anybody that it took you only minutes to make them!

Ingredients:
Store-bought cookies (coconut preferred, see picture as a reference)
White, candy coating
Shredded coconut
Holiday sprinkles (opt)

Directions:
Lay out sheets of waxed paper. Melt four squares of white chocolate in small, glass or ceramic, microwave-safe bowls. I use eight-ounce sized ramekins. You can also use two bowls instead of one if you want your child to have her own bowl and for you to have your own. I usually set the microwave for two minutes at half power. While the chocolate melts, lay out a plate with the shredded coconut. Stir the melted coating with a fork. Dip ¼ to ½ of the cookie into the coating and then into the coconut. Lay the cookie on the waxed paper to set. You can dip the cookie completely in the coating (meaning both sides), but you’ll go through more chocolate this way. I dip so that only one-half of one-side gets submerged. The coconut-topped coating should set within two to three minutes--then you’re ready to load the holiday plates. That’s it!

All I want for Christmas...

Every year I ask for the same thing for Christmas...socks.

Now I know that socks aren't as glamorous as, say, a diamond necklace. Okay, the Kay's Jewelers commercial might not be so catchy if it ended with "Every Kiss Begins with Socks." But it would work at my house.


The way I see it, holiday gifts should be all about those items you wouldn't normally buy for yourself--and high-quality socks top my list. Admittedly, most of the items on my wish-list for Santa this year are entirely practical. While I'd like to blame the economy for my fetish for unglamorous gifts, I've always asked for the unconventional at Christmastime.

Now you know my top request from Santa, what's yours?

Cereal and Christmas Trees--Announcing the contest winner

We have a winner...

If you haven't had a chance to go through the entries to the LeapFrog Tag Jr. contest, you should take a look. Sarah E. Ludwig the mom/voice behind ParentingByTrialandError was the guest judge.

In the end, she decided on Fokxxy's story of joy at finding food under the Christmas tree. Let me explain: As a child in a family of six, Christmases were often lean. One year, most of the gifts under the tree were wrapped packages of food. Not candy or chocolate, but everyday items like jars of pickles and cereal. For a child who often had to share her cereal, receiving her own box--with her name on it that no one else could touch--was the perfect gift. I believe Fokxxy's story resonated with many of us. I know our family's Christmas tree won't be crowded with nearly as many presents this year as last. Reading Fokxxy's thoughts, however, is a reminder that kids don't need a pile of presents to feel loved.

So this year I'm taking a lesson from reading all your stories (including CBear's, which was a close second!): Christmas is all about creating memories, not just pretty packages. More to come...

Creamy Bacon-Potato Chowder

Digging out the last Thanksgiving leftover from the plastic container at the back of the fridge, I must admit I’m done with making big meals for a few weeks (and with turkey!). Once I’ve had my fill of turkey sandwiches, followed by turkey nachos, and of course a day of pumpkin pie for breakfast, I crave different flavors and meals that require minimal cleanup (not like the mountain of dishes I went through on 11/27 and we were only taking a few side dishes to my brother’s house, not doing the whole shabang).

For easy meals that make the whole house smell good and warm me up I like to make a big pot of soup. Sorry, I mean chowder. See, if I tell my family we’re having soup they think it’s an appetizer—not the entree. But if I say we’re having “chowder,” then it makes for a meal.

Usually, when I’m making a soup (did I say soup? I mean chowder…or stew), I break out the crockpot. But for this particular recipe, cook it over the stovetop using one pot. Sometimes to make sure the potatoes get tender, I’ll use a couple pans, but I promise it’s easy cleanup.

Another added plus with chowders: your ingredients don’t have to be exact and neither do the cooking times. You’ll notice that I do offer both here, but if you have some extra chicken or diced, cooked carrots on hand, throw ‘em in!

So if you’re looking for a simple meal with all the comfort food favorites—like potatoes, bacon and corn—you’ll love this creamy combo. Don’t forget to make some warm muffins or toast bread to go along with your chowder.

Here’s the recipe:

Creamy Potato-Bacon Chowder

Ingredients:
6-8 slices of bacon
4 medium-sized potatoes (I prefer red ones, but any variety will do)
1 medium onion
1 ½ cups milk (or more if you want the chowder thinner)
1 can cream of chicken soup (or mushroom)
1 can of corn
¾ cup sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Cheddar cheese, grated (optional)

Directions:
In the original recipe, you fry the raw, diced potatoes in the bacon until they become tender. After years of trying, I’ve never found that the potatoes get soft enough so I add another step. Trust me, it’s worth one additional easy-to-clean pan. I’ve streamlined this recipe so that start to finish your meal should be ready in about 30 minutes.

First, add a medium-sized pot of salted water to the stovetop. Peel and dice your potatoes until they’re about the size of a kernel of corn. If you can’t get them that small, don’t worry, just remember that it will take more time for them to cook in the boiling water. The smaller the potato the faster they’ll cook. I boil the potatoes until they’re tender when pierced with a fork.

While your potatoes are boiling, dice the onion and cut the bacon into 1/4 –inch strips. I usually just cut them with my kitchen scissors. Once your potatoes are halfway cooked (in the other pan), add bacon to a large, heavy bottomed pan. Cook the bacon until almost crisp, then add your onions. Keep your eye on the potatoes; drain them once they’re tender. With the bacon cooked through and the onions sautéed until they’re translucent, you’re ready to add the potatoes. Cook those as you would hash browns--stirring frequently and allowing the sides to brown. Add salt and pepper as you sauté the potatoes.

Add the milk and cream soup to the bacon-potato mixture. Bring to a gentle boil and stir. Drain the corn and then toss it in. Reduce the heat and bring the chowder to a slow simmer. Stir in the sour cream. That’s it! I like to top each serving with shredded cheese. Also, you can make this chowder a day ahead—it reheats beautifully.

Ghirardelli cookie disappointment--call for recipes!

I know, I know, I should have known better. In my search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie, I tried the recipe off the back of the Ghirardelli bag. This would be the 3.5-pound, super-sized bag of Double Chocolate chippers sold at Costco only around the holidays. If you've been reading my weekly Friday (sometimes Saturday!) cookie posts, you know I'm a fan (well, fanatic) of Ghirardelli chocolate chips. For some reason I thought that by merely being on the back of the shiny gold and brown package the recipe would somehow be better than other back-of-the-bag offerings. I mean, it had to be, this is Ghirardelli were talking about here.

As I made the recipe, I knew I was in trouble--standard cookie recipe/technique. Cream the butter, sugars (equal parts brown, granulated). Add the dry ingredients. The batter wasn't stiff enough so I put it in the refrigerator for an hour or so, hoping some chill time would hold the cookies together in the oven. Nope. As I feared, the cookies spread apart in the heat and came out thin and lifeless. What a waste of two whole cups of delectable chocolate chips!

I love making cookies, but I've never found that go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. The kind of cookie that's slightly crisp on the outside, chewy and thick on the inside (yes I've tried the Mrs. Field's recipe with some success but with that much oatmeal, it's just not traditional in my book). So I'm wondering if RM readers could pass along their favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes for me to try. Please, help me find the best chocolate chip cookie recipe so my kids can actually dip them into their milk glasses without them falling apart...

Is TIME the best medicine for kids?

At a recent sick visit to the doctor with my youngest we made several trips to the potty. The goal was for her to give a urine sample for testing. (Wish I would have known that before she used the bathroom on the way to the office!)

Of course, the bathroom was on the opposite side of the office as our exam room. We’d pass by the staff desks on our way—the nurses looking up to smile and cheer my daughter on. The first time it was encouraging—by the third, not so much. As we spent several minutes in the potty (all told we were at the doctor’s office for two and a half hours), I got to know each wall—my daughter didn’t want me “looking” while she peed (or rather, didn’t!). There were several posters on the walls. One describing how to get a clean urine sample—I memorized that one first. And the other picturing a young boy, about five, dressed as a superhero, cape around his neck. The tagline read something along the lines of “keep superbugs at bay, don’t use antibiotics unnecessarily.”

I’m usually the last mom to request a quick fix for my kids when they're sick (not that antibiotics would have helped in our situation anyway), but with all the illnesses running through my kids’ school lately, I wish there were a pill for all their ills. My youngest has been battling two back-to-back bouts with stomach flu. Swine flu was nothing compared to this!

Before our run-in with the tummy bug, I’d read an article describing how time is often the antidote to illness. My daughter’s bug was viral, no doubt, so the doctor’s advice—essentially antacids, rest, and TIME. (Through several pokes, prods and a blood test when my daughter’s scream broke the sound barrier as the nurse inserted the needle, the doc ruled out more serious illnesses.)

According the article, “Parents are often extremely eager to ‘do something’ for children who complain of sniffles, stomach aches, scrapes and fevers. Yet kids are generally very resilient.” That describes our situation well. I’d love to ‘do something,’ or ‘give something’ to my daughter to make her tummy ills go away, but our prescription is time. And maybe that’s the best medicine anyway…

Best Ever Banana Muffins

Cookie Friday had to be put on hold this week—sick kids in the house. The request from my youngest? Banana muffins, without chocolate chips or nuts. That’s when I knew she wasn’t feeling good. So soothing banana muffins it is.

I know everyone has a favorite banana muffin or bread recipe. This one has withstood the test of time in my recipe collection. It’s fast and easy—one bowl!

Ingredients:
3 large bananas
¾ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups flour (I use half whole wheat)
1/3 cup melted butter

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375. In a medium-sized bowl mash the bananas. I often freeze bananas that are getting ripe. When I’m ready to cook, I simply let them thaw slightly on the counter, cut off the top then squish them into the bowl.

Add the sugar and mix well with a blender. Mix in the egg, followed by the butter and finally the dry ingredients. That’s it! (You can add chopped walnuts or chocolate chips to the batter.) I often sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on the top of the muffins. Spoon the batter into muffin cups; fill until they’re 2/3 of the way full. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until just slightly golden.