The Sleepover Solution: Build Your Own Pizza Bar

The giggling still echoes in my ears.  Four thirteen-year-old girls can make a lot of noise.  And apparently require almost no sleep.  In any case I know one thing:  A key element of a successful sleepover is the food.  The build your own pizza bar is one we’ve done a couple times and it’s always a rousing success.  Not only is it delicious, but it’s also a fun activity for the kids, no matter what age they are.

While this is perfect kid food, I’ve been known to do this with my grown up friends too.  Everybody gets just what they like, and it’s great if you have a group that includes vegetarians, or others on a special diet.  I love to use the little ciabatta rolls, or a french baguette cut into pieces. If you have gluten-free or low-carb folks in your group you can use gluten free buns, stuff toppings in a pepper half or toss with salad greens for a pizza salad.

We followed up with Frost Your Own Cupcakes for dessert. Yum!

Our masterpieces!

Build Your Own Pizzas

Ciabatta rolls or French baguette, cut into 3-4″ pieces.
Pizza sauce
Pesto (I like to offer an alternative to tomato sauce in case of allergies, etc.)
Mozzarella
Assorted pizza toppings of your choice.  We used:
Banana pepper rings
Sliced red & yellow peppers
Pepperoni
Olives

The pizza bar. It can be simple or elaborate. Basic or gourmet. It’s up to you!

Put all the ingredients out, make sure you have plenty of utensils for spreading and scooping ingredients.  Have everybody wash their hands first and then make their own pizzas.  Preheat the oven to 400˚.  Lay out a baking sheet or two on which to place the finished masterpieces.  I always recommend they put some sort of marker on their pizzas so they will know which ones are theirs, or just remember where they put it.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and starting to brown on top.  Remove from oven and let cool a minute or so.  Clear out while the hungry horde descends.

 

Jello Pinwheels

Jello is one of those things that’s fun to make, fun to play with…and that I usually have no desire to eat.  I’m not sure why that is.  Is it that I associate it with being sick and low-carb diets?  Maybe.  I don’t hate it, but I rarely go out of my way to have some.  My kids feel the same way.  That being said, occasionally we see a recipe that needs to be made, just for the fun of it.  So we’ve made the jello aquarium (complete with Spongebob and friends), we’ve pinned jello oranges, and now we’ve discovered jello pinwheels.

These jello pinwheels are easy to make, and they involve marshmallows, which in my opinion only improves the jello.  They are definitely a fun snack, especially for the smaller kids I think.  I’d love to tell you we gobbled them up like crazy but I think we had more fun playing with them and making them than actually eating them.  But if you’re a jello fan, they are a must.

Jello Rollups
(from Joy of Jello)

1 (3 oz) package of jello
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Lightly spray an 8 or 9 inch square pan with cooking spray.

Stir together water and jello powder and microwave for one minute.  Remove and stir to make sure all the jello is dissolved.  Microwave a few seconds more if needed.

Add marshmallows and return to microwave for 20-40 seconds, until marshmallows just begin to puff.  This is the key to a successful marshmallow layer! If you overcook the marshmallows they will just dissolve and you will not have two distinct layers.

Whisk quickly until marshmallows have dissolved.  Pour into prepared pan and chill in the fridge for at least 45 minutes, until well set.  The creamy marshmallow layer will float to the top.

Remove the pan from the fridge.  The jello should be very firm and easy to handle.  Gently pull one side away from the pan and lift the entire sheet onto the counter or other clean surface.  Starting at one end, roll up tightly.  With the seam side down, cut into 1/2 inch pinwheels.  An easy way to do this is with a piece of thread or dental floss.  Simply put the string around the roll, cross and pull. Makes 10-12 pinwheels.

Easiest way to cut the pinwheels.

Chewy Gooey Granola Bars

I got a speeding ticket this morning.  And broke a nail.  One might suppose that this was the start to a rough day.  But I’m sitting here munching on a fabulous granola bar, one that transcends most granola bars as we know them.  And drinking a perfect mocha.  And watching a few rays of sun breaking through the clouds as I get ready to head to yoga class.  And I’m thinking life is pretty darn good.

I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs and thought, “oh those look good, and healthy too!”  And then when I was making them I thought, “hey, what if I add a cup of mini chocolate chips to them?” So…maybe mine are a little less healthy.  But you could still do worse.  I made some changes in the original recipe, based mostly on what was in my cupboard and a few flights of fancy.  And was also reminded that you should always read the recipe all the way through before starting.  My mini chocolate chips seemed like an inspired idea until I realized I would be pouring hot liquid on the mixture.  Um. I didn’t really think that through.  My chips melted.  Which really turned out to be wonderful, since the chocolate permeated the bars rather than staying in chip form.  It was unanticipated but quite delicious, and a contributing factor in the “gooey” description to be sure.  The end result is a chewy, gooey, indulgent (and still somewhat healthy) treat.  So take a moment, slow down, and eat one.

Chewy Gooey Granola Bars

Chewy Gooey Granola Bars
(adapted from Chewy Cherry Granola Bars by Canyoustayfordinner.com)

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup puffed rice (or Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs, which I happened to have)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Heat oven to 350˚.  Spread oats out on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.  In a large bowl, stir together oats, almonds, puffed grain or rice, cranberries, and chocolate chips.  Lower oven temp to 300˚.

In a small saucepan, combine butter, honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract and salt.  Bring to a boil, cook and stir one minute.  Remove from heat and pour over grain and fruit mixture.  Mix well until all ingredients are combined.  Line a 13 x 9 baking dish with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Put mixture in the pan.  Wet fingers and press evenly and firmly into the pan.  Bake at 300˚ for 20-25 minutes.  Cool at least 2-3 hours (I know!  But seriously, you need to wait) before cutting into bars.  Cut into bars and store in airtight containers, using wax paper to separate the bars so they don’t stick together.  Makes 24 bars.  187 calories per bar.

A giant granola bar (or 24 smaller granola bars)

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

In my search for healthier snacks that aren’t rabbit food, I came across a simple recipe for granola bars.  This is what I would call a “guideline” recipe.  Take the basics here and add and subtract stuff you like.

I did two batches of these.  In one batch I was a little more generous with the peanut butter, and I added some extra peanuts and dried cranberries.  In the other batch I used chocolate peanut butter in place of the regular stuff, and added mini chocolate chips.  When I cut the bars I did have some crumbling, which resulted in some bars and some loose granola that was perfect for tossing on top of oatmeal or yogurt.  Adding a little oil to the recipe would probably help with the crumbling, but I was shooting for healthy here so I didn’t bother with it.

Homemade granola bars, two different ways.

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
1/2 cup peanut butter (I used natural PB with no sugar, I also did one batch with natural chocolate peanut butter – they make that!)
1/4 cup honey

Other mix-ins such as dried fruit, nuts or chocolate chips!

Preheat oven to 350˚.  Melt peanut butter in microwave or on the stove.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well, using your hands if necessary.  Add a little more honey or a drizzle of oil if it seems too dry.  Spray a pan with cooking spray and press mixture into the pan firmly.  Bake for 10-15 minutes (bake a little longer if you like them really crunchy).  Let cool a bit and cut into bars or crumble for loose granola.

Which one to eat first? Decisions, decisions…

Inside Out Peppermint Patties

When I think of Peppermint Patty, I think of the Peanuts Gang.  She is one of my favorite characters, even though she doesn’t show up very often.  She’s got attitude, and I love that.  And she is one of the only characters who is nice to Charlie Brown (at least sometimes) and that’s pretty cool in my book.

Speaking of Peppermint Patty…peppermint and chocolate together make one of the happiest combos in chocolate land.  I never really thought about making them myself until I came across a recipe one day.  And even then I may not have made them right away but I was fortunate enough to be asked to mentor a lovely girl in her candy making project for school.  Funny how events coincide.  You find a great recipe, and then somebody asks you to do something that involves making that very thing.  Wonderful.

I liked these so much that I have made them twice this week.  These are more of an inside out peppermint patty.  It makes for a pretty presentation.  Could you dip them in chocolate instead of putting the chocolate in the peppermint?  Well, sure.  If you want to, go right ahead.  Me?  I’ll go for the option that’s easier to execute.  I love the way they look, and I also like to eat the white part around in a circle and get the little chocolate center at the end.  Life’s little pleasures.

Inside Out Peppermint Patties

Peppermint Patties
(from She Wears Many Hats)

1 pound powdered sugar (about 2 cups)
4 oz. cream cheese (1/2 package)
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
6 oz. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

In a mixer, blend the powdered sugar and cream cheese on low to medium speed.  Once the mixture is started you can toss in the peppermint extract and continue blending until you have a cohesive ball of stuff.  If you don’t have a blender, you can do this with a spoon or your hands.  You want a mixture that is about the consistency of play dough.  Not crumbly but not sticky either.  If you need to add a little extra sugar or cream cheese to get the right consistency, do so.  Roll into 1 tsp. size balls.  Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper.  Make a depression in the ball so it looks like a little bowl.  Work quickly so the mixture doesn’t dry out (it helps to have more than one pair of hands). Put in the fridge to cool off and set up (at least 30 minutes).

Making the peppermint molds. A little cooking spray on your hands helps if the mixture is sticking to you.

In a small bowl, microwave chocolate chips for 1 minute.  Stir until smooth.  Put in a ziplock bag and push down into one corner.  Snip off the corner and pipe into the peppermint molds.

Filling the peppermints. Start out with a very small snip because it comes out pretty fast!  You can always make the opening bigger if you need to.

Put back into the fridge to set up for at least an hour.  Remove from trays and keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat them.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds!

As Halloween approaches my little household usually indulges in some fall craftiness.  Some pumpkin painting…

And some pumpkin carving…

Boo!

Which leads me to the really fun part of pumpkin carving.  No I don’t mean plunging your hands into the oooey gooey pumpkin guts.  I mean cooking and eating the yummy pumpkin seeds!    You can season these with just about whatever strikes your fancy.  I prefer something with a little kick.  Some time ago I came across a seasoning salt called “Jamaica Me Crazy!”  This spicy mix was the perfect combo for my seeds this year.  If you don’t happen to have that, any seasoning blend would work fine, or make your own.  I often combine salt, pepper, chili powder and garlic powder.  Or lemon pepper, dill and salt.  Or curry, salt and sugar.  You get the idea.  Let your taste buds guide you.

Yummy, toasty goodness.

Remove the seeds from the pumpkin and rinse them in a colander to remove most of the pumpkin gunk.

Contemplating their toasty fate.

Pat dry with paper towels and spread on a lined cookie sheet.  Toss with seasonings.

Ready to pop in the oven.

Bake at 400˚ for about 20 minutes, stirring once somewhere in the middle, until seeds are crunchy and starting to brown.  Munch on them while they are hot, warm or cold.  Keep leftovers in a sealed container or ziplock bag to maintain freshness.

Flourless Double Chocolate Cookies

For a brief period last year, my family went on a gluten-free diet.  This was as a result of a doctor telling me that my son, Luke, was allergic to about 10 different foods, including wheat and some other grains.  Thankfully, it was a misdiagnosis and we all happily returned to our old eating ways after a few months.  But during that period I learned a lot!

First off, we all lost about 5 pounds each so I learned that gluten-rich foods are fattening!  No big surprise there.

Secondly, I learned that buying alternative foods masquerading as foods with gluten (cookies, pretzels, pasta, bread, etc.) is not only very expensive ($8 for a bag of pretzels!!) but most often, quite disappointing.  Although brown rice pasta isn’t half bad if you have a mad craving.  After a few attempts we stopped trying most of this stuff and just ate foods that are naturally gluten-free for the most part.

Thirdly, and by far the most surprising, I found some gluten-free recipes that I absolutely love, that I probably never would have tried otherwise.  One of those recipes was for these cookies.  Chewy, fudgy, rich and decadent, they are everything a chocolate lover could ever hope for.  Plus they are quick and easy to make and have surprisingly few ingredients.  You have to make these.

Flourless Double Chocolate Cookies

Flourless Double Chocolate Cookies
(from Chocolate & Carrots) 

3 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp. salt
2-4 large egg whites at room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups 60% cacao chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli bittersweet chips)

Preheat oven to 350˚.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  In a large bowl whisk together powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt.  Whisk in vanilla and 2 eggs whites.  Whisk until batter is just moistened.  If batter is too thick to get the whisk through, add another egg white and whisk some more.  You are going for a thick, brownie-batter consistency here.  If it’s still too thick, add a 4th egg white.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Drop in 1 tablespoon scoops onto lined cookie sheets.  Leave room for them to spread.

They don’t look like much, but trust me, one tablespoon is all you need.

Bake approximately 10 minutes until tops are firm and glossy.  Remove from oven and slide parchment sheet with cookies on it onto the table or cooling rack.  Let cool a few minutes and the cookies will peel off the parchment easily.  This recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies.

10 minutes in the oven and magic happens.

Deconstructed Greek Salad

I don’t have air conditioning in my little house.  It doesn’t bother me most of the time; the climate here in Portland is relatively mild.  But when we do have hot days, the very last thing I want to do is heat it up more by turning on the oven or having things bubbling away on the stovetop.  This weekend we had a couple of warm days (it’s about time!).  That meant that dinner involved more “meal assembly” than actual cooking.

I would have made my own hummus for this, but I had scored some at the farmer’s market on Saturday – Cilantro Jalapeno flavor!  In addition to that, the goat lady had the most delicious feta I have ever tasted so I had to buy some.  From there, it was but a short leap to make some sort of greek salad.  But not being in a lettuce mood, we opted for more of a greek dipping buffet on a plate.  Some fresh veggies and pitas, a visit to the olive bar at the grocery store (or open a jar or two) and we were all set.

Claire calls this a greek salad puzzle, because it’s all the pieces of a greek salad, and they fit together perfectly in your belly.

Deconstructed Greek Salad

Deconstructed Greek Salad

Hummus (whatever variety you like)
Pita bread
Cucumber
Red or orange bell pepper
Baby carrots
A variety of olives
Feta cheese

Slice veggies and cut pita bread into wedges.  Arrange everything around a pile or bowl of hummus and dive in!

Roasted Chickpeas

Finding healthy snacks is always a challenge.  I’m sorry, but chomping on baby carrots just doesn’t do it for me when I’m craving something salty and crunchy.  During our brief gluten-free period, the cracker, pretzel and friends were missed greatly.  But luckily, there was still the chickpea.

The first time I saw fried chickpeas in a restaurant I thought it sounded crazy.  Who wants to eat a fried bean?  But, much to my surprise, these crunchy little tidbits were delicious and addictive.  On that particular occasion they were fried, but at home, I find it easier – and healthier – to bake them.  They are great for snacking, or for a nice salty crunch to go with the soup, salad or sandwich of your choice.   Feel free to mix up the spices however you like, it’s fun to experiment with different combos, but they are also good with simple salt & pepper.

Roasted Chickpeas

Roasted Chickpeas

2 cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1-2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt & pepper
1 tsp. chili powder

Pat chickpeas dry after rinsing and draining.  Toss with a drizzle of olive oil and the seasonings you like.  Spread out on a cookie sheet.  Bake at 400˚ for 20-30 minutes, until they reach the crunchiness level you like.  Commence munching.

Roasting the Chickpeas...So easy!