Sur la table kids & teens cooking classes

i have found a lot of joy in cooking these days, when time provides itself, in our new home. there is something about cooking that makes a house a home to me. it’s strange, but i never quite feel settled in each new home until i’ve made a few of our staple family meals. how about you? what makes you feel at home in a new place?

i also like dragging my kiddos into the kitchen with me. i feel it’s absolutely necessary that they all learn the basics + a bit more about cooking.

kiana has always loved to cook, and one of her requests for this summer was cooking classes! after some research we decided the best option was the sur la table teens cooking class. it’s located at the closest mall to us only about ten minutes away. kiana attended two weeks of these classes, and thoroughly enjoyed every class.  each week offers a different theme and great variety of menus. she went 3-5pm every day monday – friday and was given an apron, the recipes, cooking instruction, plus enjoyed an endless list of delicious foods!

myla attended the kids cooking classes for one week, and also loved it – she signed up mainly because kiana was doing it, but turns out – she likes to cook too! my son declined the option to go when i was signing up my girls, then once he went with us to drop off myla – he asked if he could stay. he wasn’t able to, but is definitely interested next time.

the cooking teachers were fantastic with the kids and teens. if you are interested in finding out if a sur la table near you offers cooking classes, click here. i’d like to go to one of the summer baking classes – they all look so yummy!

i’ll admit, i was not looking forward to driving to the mall four times a day for five days, so i decided to hang-out there during my girls’ class times. i clocked in 20+ hours at the mall last week! and these two younger kiddos each got haircuts + made visits to their favorite stores when they were with me – Lego & Build-a-Bear!

the nice thing is – i usually go to the mall on a speedy mission squeezed between errands – i have twenty-five minutes to find heels for miss fourteen, and shoes for mister. last week i was able to just window-shop till my heart was content. which is nice, i have a good mental inventory now of everything that is currently trending in the stores, not just online. this knowledge is a great resource for future projects, and i was inspired to start a few christmas projects! i usually get most my inspiration when actually looking at things. what about you?

so, maybe i supported my kiddos to take cooking classes for selfish reasons— one: i would love their help in cooking {more} home-cooked meals. and two: mother’s day is bound to be amazing this next year now that my big girls are profesh cooks, right? ::winks::  selfish or not, i love a class that teaches a great life skill that can also be fun, rewarding, and enjoyable.

{photos by me.}

Posted in cooking classes, food, kiana, KJ, myla, sela | 6 Comments »

*palis verdis eggs

we just made this as part of sela’s birthday brunch,
and i have to share the recipe, because it’s a delicious favorite!

this comes from the kitchen of my friend caryn,
she is oozing with good recipes!

mix:

10 eggs
1 lb shredded jack cheese
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups small curd cottage cheese
1 – 7 oz can mild green chilles
1/2 cup butter – melted
salt & pepper
cubed ham, if desired

bake @ 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

* this is a great low-carb recipe, i like that we can eat it as a family for at least two days with how much it makes…
i’m not saying it’s healthy {high in calories/fat}, i’m just sayin’ it’s low-carb!

::happy eating!::

Posted in food, health and exercise, recipes | No Comments »

coconut oil

i am jumping on this bandwagon really late.

but, very happy i finally made it!

do you know about all the health advantages that coconut oil offers? have you heard of coconut oil?
{here is one article to get you started… please read!}

i have at least a dozen friends who have been raving about coconut oil for some time now {many of my besties are serious health nuts} , and for some reason i just kept listening but not acting on their advice.

not smart. not smart at all.

i finally purchased some {and a book} a few weeks ago & started using it -

i am in love. seriously. first of all, it just smells so good! but, i am already a total fan of the coconut scent…

since my purchase, i’ve used it on my skin – as a facial moisturizer, and as a lotion on my legs! it is a little weird at first to just rub this oil on your face/skin, so i tend to only use it at bedtime, so it is slightly absorbed before i go to sleep – then, yes, my sheets absorb a bit of the excess… but, when i wake-up, i love how my skin looks! i put it on a sunburn a couple of weeks ago and my burn was so much better by morning!

i’ve started cooking with it in place of vegetable oil and olive oil. our veggies/meat are delicious! AND, my very very favorite use for it so far – i put it on my morning spelt bread {toast} in place of butter! it’s warm-grainy-coconuty deliciousness! in fact, husband likes it so much, he stocked up on spelt bread + his own supply of coconut oil this past week to take his own stock to asia with him. we love it. i find myself even craving it throughout the day.

so. dear readers, have you tried it? do you have other uses for it that you recommend? i know this is just the early stages of my relationship with coconut oil, but i am hooked.

***

also:
i so dearly appreciate all your kind words in regards to my blog going private. i’m truly overwhelmed. i thought maybe TOPS i would get about 30 comments – and the post has peaked over 100 now! holy schmoly, i don’t even get that kind of response around here when i host giveaways! i’m sorry i haven’t responded to each and every one of you, there are SO many! and, besides the comments i’ve had a few dozen emails + facebook messages. i promise, i adore you all and again, thank you so very very much. you truly made my week! very possibly, my year.

xo.

Posted in beauty, food, health and exercise | 39 Comments »

snack-time.

{muffin tin snacks via armelle, via ohdeedoh, via muffin tin mom}

last week, i spotted this idea on the www.,
and soon after surprised my younger three kids after school
with their first muffin tin meals/snacks.

you can see by my little mister’s response, they were a hit!

have you ever tried muffin tins for organizing snacks? or anything?

there’s so many ways to be creative with snack-time, what do you do???

i, personally, grab a diet tea & protein bar on the run, and snack in the car!

{first photo collage via armelle, all other photos by me. not a sponsored post.}

Posted in family life, food, KJ | 11 Comments »

radishes.

i met alessandra during the alt. design summit in january.

she makes the most adorable pequenos. if you have a baby, go check it out. it makes me almost want to have another baby, just to bundle them up in one of her designs – they’re that cute!

recently, she also posted about eating radishes.

like…

just plain radishes. and, my curiosity peaked.

i had only had radishes on salads, never alone.

so, we had to try it. i brought home four bundles of radishes, rinsed them, melted some butter, dipped, salted, and munched.

and, guess what? they are really good. i love the airy crunch they offer, and most of the kids that were at our house liked them too. {we usually have a handful or more of neighbor kids here.}

there’s not a lot of flavor, so you mostly taste the butter & salt – similar to eating crab, lobster, or any other fine food that is typically dipped in butter.

myla had a rough time biting into the radishes with her braces, so we sliced them in to bite size pieces for her.

after-school snacks are a big deal around here. we have this small window of time after school before we all divide and conquer the rest of our day. and, the snacks need to supply fuel till dinner time.

it’s more like a fourth meal.
and i’m always looking for new ideas to add variety.

do you have favorite healthy snacks???

Posted in food, health and exercise, myla | 10 Comments »

happy cheesecake

nuts & oats crust:

3/4 c. brown sugar, packed
3/4 c. margarine, melted
3 c. oats
1 c. walnuts or pecans, finely chopped

heat oven to 350 degrees. combine sugar and margarine and blend until smooth. add oats and walnuts. mix well. firmly press into bottom of 9×13 pan. bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

cheesecake filling:

2 pkgs. cream cheese
2 c. sugar
12-16 oz. carton whipped topping

beat cream cheese and sugar together until blended and fluffy. stir in whipped topping with spatula until incorporated. pour over cooled crust. refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. top with blueberries and strawberry syrup.

simply strawberry syrup:

2 c. strawberries
1/2 to 1 c. sugar
1/4 c. water

blend strawberries & water in blender to smooth consistency and add sugar to taste.

disclaimer: i am not a cheesecake fan,
and until shauna sent me the recipe via email,
i would have NEVER considered this a cheesecake recipe.

it has a totally different flavor.

it’s a-MAZ-ing!!!

if you try one new recipe this year,
make sure it’s this one!!!
it’s a keeper.

Posted in food, recipes | 2 Comments »

while on our road trip, we stopped in veil, colorado for a little break…

a panini with peanut butter, banana, honey, and bacon.

i passed up the opportunity to try it, would you have eaten that?!?

husband said, “it’s ok, kinda bland, and needs more honey.”

Posted in food, husband, travels | 6 Comments »