Toffee Cream Cheese Dip with Apples
08 Dec 2011 3 Comments
in Dips Tags: after-school snack, apples, cream cheese dip
“Mum, can I have a snack?”
A simple question, with about a zillion possible answers, most of which start with “yes” followed by….what??? What the heck do you feed your kids after school that is good for them, but doesn’t take much preparation? Apples, though deliciously sweet and crisp (and that secretly deliver all kinds of vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber into their bellies) aren’t all that enticing to kids. Even my kids, who like apples very much, sometimes grumble when I offer them, and are probably thinking, “It’s not too late for me to be adopted by another family…”
Today’s question was more pointedly specific: ”Can I have a snack, and something that isn’t JUST healthy?” In my vast (not) experience of child-rearing, a collective 28 years, I know that to be code for sugar. Fine, okay, a little sweetness to go with the good stuff. You got it — apples with toffee cream cheese dip. YUM.
We’ve had two test-runs of this stuff, and it is a hands-down favorite. Suddenly the word “apple” conjures up happy gastro-memories in their minds, and they are no longer looking to be legally emancipated from their mother. So, the next time your kid wants a snack, and you want to hang onto your healthy eating standards, give this one a try. It gives them the good stuff they need, and a little sweetness they want, keeping the family a happy, healthy unit 
Toffee Cream Cheese Dip with Apples
adapted from For the Love of Cooking
8 oz whipped cream cheese
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons Heath toffee bits or butterscotch chips (chopped)
In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla until well incorporated. Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle toffee bits or butterscotch chips on top.
Serve with apples or pear slices, celery sticks, whole wheat crackers, or pretzels.
Happy munching!
Muggle-Made Waldorf Salad
20 Jul 2011 5 Comments
in salad Tags: apples, Harry Potter, Mrs. Weasley, Waldorf
There are a lot of reasons I wish I lived in Harry Potter’s world – a whole novella of reasons, in fact. There’s the whole Time-Turning thing (that could be useful given my foot-in-mouth disease), not to mention the convenience of Disapparating anytime I need to get somewhere. And, I’m sure I’d be a passionate Quidditch fan and seeker wannabe. However, magic would be especially useful to help make up for my lack of planning. Often these daydreams of magic pop up while I’m scratching my head trying to figure out what’s for dinner. At these moments I really, really wish I had Mrs. Weasley’s way with a wand in the kitchen.
This weekend could have been another one of those head-scratching, wand-wishing moments. It approached with promises of lots of busy good times — birthday fun, volleyball, pool time, and visiting family. I knew I couldn’t do my usual shoulder-shrug and hope for the best when it came to meals. And, since it is clear I wouldn’t be besties with Mrs. Weasley anytime soon, I decided to take the advice of my friend Janet – come up with a plan and get it done early. She is a fantastic cook and, more importantly, a sage advisor. She playfully tsk-tsk’d me recently when I moaned about the heat and no dinner plan. I was threatening to serve peaches and cottage cheese. ”Jules,” she said, “I thought we talked about planning ahead for days like these!”
Right you are, Janet! I got up Saturday morning, put together the fixings for pulled BBQ chicken sandwiches, and whipped up this great Waldorf Salad a la the Food Network, perfect for a hot and busy summer weekend. When I got home at 6:30 that night, exhausted and spent from a hot day on the volleyball court, it was a perfect meal to sit down to.
Waldorf is one of my favorite summer salads. In this recipe, the Gala apples were just right — sweet and crispy to balance out the tang of yogurt and lemon. The salad was just as good the next day as well. Enjoy!
Waldorf Salad
from Food Network Kitchens
Serves 4 (1-cup servings)
1/2 cup walnuts halves
1/2 cup non-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 lemon, zest finely grated
Freshly ground black pepper
2 large crisp apples, such as Gala
2 ribs celery (with leaves), sliced into 1/2-inch-thick pieces (leaves chopped)
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 lemon, juiced
Gotta Have It Salad
02 Jun 2011 4 Comments
in One-dish meal, salad Tags: apples, Chicken, nuts, salad
I was a die-hard sandwich fan for a long time. It was my go-to lunch every day, and I thought I’d never waver. Big surprise, my tastes have changed. What sandwiches were to me in my twenties and thirties is what a salad is now that I’m in my forties. I crave them like crazy, and can’t go more than a day without a salad in my belly. Weird, huh?
Don’t get me wrong, I still love sandwiches, as does the rest of the family. They fill kids’ lunch boxes, tournament coolers, and road-tripping backpacks. They are wholesome and filling and a great way to pack in the nutrition when you are on the move. But, I don’t crave them like I do a fantastic salad. I just Gotta Have It!
I’m not talking about a wimpy little bowl of anemic-looking lettuce and a few tomatoes. I’m talking big and chunky, full of flavor and crunch. This recipe packs a whole lot of nutrition into one bowl, giving you about two servings of vegetables, a serving of fruit, plenty of fiber, and good dose of all-important protein as well. Add some whole grain bread, pita, or crackers and you’ve got yourself a wonderfully healthy and satisfying meal. If your afternoons are anything like mine, coordinating the lives for three active kids, your body will thank you for fueling it up in such a delicious way.
Gotta Have It Salad
Serves 1
2 c. leafy greens (baby spinach, spring mix, romaine…)
1/2 med. red pepper, chopped
1/3 sm. cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/2 sm. apple, chopped (I use McIntosh or Granny Smith)
1-2 T. dried cranberries
1 T. chopped walnuts (or peanuts or almonds or sesame seeds or…)
2 -3 oz. leftover chicken (or pork tenderloin or steak or grilled fish or…)
1-2 T. light balsamic vinaigrette
Throw it all in a big bowl, add the dressing, and enjoy. The beautiful thing about this is you can totally make it your own, as they say on American Idol. I have been known to add green beans, celery, carrots, grape tomatoes, or broccoli. What’s in your fridge? Give it a try, and let me know if you discover your own winning combination!
