Life-saver delicious slow cooked Ribs

I had to be away for the weekend leaving my two little ones home with Grandma.  I tried making the meals in advanced so that Grandma could concentrate of dealing with my high-energy all-consuming children!  This recipe is unbelievably easy.  I prepped this while feeding my family breakfast, then packed and was on the road an hour later!  It cooked all day for Grandma to just heat up left over risotto and serve.  Grandma and my 3year old and 18 month old raved about the ribs.  A must for every family...make, cook during day and serve.

I made extra risotto the night before so they just heated that up and served with the ribs.

Approx 3 or so-pounds of spareribs.  I cut them into rib portions and place for a quick broil on the broiler rack in the oven (approx 10-15 mins).
Place the ribs into the slowcooker and pour the below mixture over the ribs:

2 cups beef or chicken broth
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons BBQ sauce (or ketchup)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
pepper/salt
diced onions or dehydrated onions

Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours.  I have made this in a crockpot slow cooked in oven at 275 degrees.

Super with rice, egg noodles, risotto, mash potatoes, pack the leftovers for a picnic, serve to a large group just double or triple recipe...easy and delicious!

Tasty Shredded Pork with Yummy Sauce

Here is a simple, make ahead and let cook all day recipes.  Prep during breakfast time, place in slow-cooker and serve at the busy dinner time.
The entire family will love this dinner - you can puree the meat and sauce for baby food, shred fine for the toddlers or serve everywhich way and that - on pasta, rice, buns, salad, risotto, potatoes, shredded veggies, noodles etc.! 

Approx 3 1/2 lb.(1.75kg) Pork Shoulder Roast
Salt & pepper
Vegetable oil to saute
Diced onion
Spoonful of jarred minced garlic
2 tablespoons chili powder
3 teaspoons ground coriander
Bay leaf
1 large can (795ml) of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato paste (or 1/4 cup ketchup)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper the pork roast.  In a dutch oven, heat vegetable oil and brown pork all over.  Transfer to slow cooker.
In the hot dutch oven, saute the onions, garlet, chili powder, coriander and bay leaf until onions are softened.  Add canned diced tomatoes, tomato paste or ketchup, sugar, vinegar and worchestershire.  Bring to a boil.  Add this over the pork in the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low until tender, 8 -10 hours.
When finished the pork should be very tender.  Carefully transfer pork to cutting board and shred pork with two forks.
Meanwhile, if there is any fat on the liquid, skim.  If wish you can boil the liquid to reduce to a thicker 'sauce' or just add shredded pork back into hot liquid.

Serve on rice, pasta, cooked shredded zucchini and carrots or serve on a bun as a 'sloppy pulled pork bunwich'.

Have fun with the spices.  Feel free to change the flavour by adding more spicy and zip or try some oriental flavour like Chinese 5-spice, anise, fennel etc.

Sticky Paint Fun!

This is seriously the easiest fingerpaint to make and exposes your child to new textures - smooth & sticky.  It dries in a nice glossy look.  This is one of the great recipes in The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions by John E. Thomas & Danita Pagel.
This is easy to make when away from home on vacation or at the lake cabin or overnight at grandma's house.  Don't have to pack kids' paints/tempera etc.

2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
4-6 drops of food colouring

Mix corn syrup with food colouring in small bowls.
Can make a few different colours and let the children enjoy the mixing of colours.

TIP:  Have then do this fingerpaint shirtless...messy and sticky but easy to clean up and fun.

Spiced baked Pears or Apples

Here is a great winter yummy treat.  Can use pears or apples.  Serve with ice cream or try with vanilla flavoured yogurt (lower sugar content and healthier) 


4 pears or apples

Use a paring knife and carve out core of fruit.  Leave the bottom part so that the fruit will stand on it's own when cooking in a baking dish. OR if you are crunched for time, just cut the fruit in slices, toss with mixture and bake in tin baking tray - voila! Easy prep, cook while they are eating dinner!

Mix
1/4 brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons softened, not melted butter
1 teaspoon ginger

here are some options that you can add if wish:
nuts (walnuts, pecans)
1/4 cup oatmeal
tablespoon of applesauce
raisins, cranberries, dried apricots

Mix the above mixture (cut sugar, spices into butter) and fill the fruit.
Sit filled fruit in a baking dish (aluminum pan works best) and add about 4 tablespoons of water into the bottom of the dish.  Bake fruit in a 375 degree oven for about 40 minutes.

Serve with yogurt or  ice cream.  Enjoy!

Oatmeal Play Clay

Thanks to the ever favourite "The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions" by John E. Thomas & Danita Pagel - worth the weight in gold for the "what the hell to do with the kids now" moments!  Google it on Amazon, find it in Chapters...get it!  

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup water
1 cup oatmeal

Combine flour, water and oatmeal in a medium bowl.  Stir until mixture is smooth.  If dough is sticky, add more flour.
Remove oatmeal play clay from bowl and place it on a floured surface.  Knead dough for 3-4 minutes.  Store in an airtight container.

*MAKE different colours of clay by stirring in drops of food colouring.
*Oatmeal Play Clay is great for the first sculpting experience.
* Have fun!!!!!

Glossy Picasso Paint

I did this during the Christmas holidays as it seems to be the time that I find that condensed milk can in the cupboard.  Here is an easy prep for parents, fun for kids paint that dries with a high-gloss finish.  Looks beautiful and gives a different look for your budding-artists.

Condensed milk
drops of food colour

THAT IS IT!

Just have a few small plastic kids bowls and divide condensed milk in them.  Drop some food colouring in each bowl to make a variety of colours.  Include your children in the decisions of what colours to put in which bowl.

Can use fingers, sponges, brushes to paint.

If you use drops of liquid tempera paint in place of food colouring, you will create brighter glossy colours.

HAVE FUN!

Coloured Delicious Flan for a celebratory table of adults and children

Thanks to the food network, I found a yummy recipe that would be a lovely addition to the celebratory dinner table and would be a easy thing to serve the babies and toddlers at a table of adults.  Super easy to make, just keep your leftovers of vegetables from the night before.  Can use squash, carrots, peas, zucchini etc.

Ingredients

• 2 cups puréed vegetable, such as squash, carrot, or pea
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup whole milk or cream
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
• salt and pepper to season
• pinch nutmeg
• 5 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 325°F/160ºC. Mix the puréed vegetable with the stock and cream in a saucepan, just to the boiling point. Stir in the cheese and seasonings. Whisk in the eggs in a bowl, and whisk the hot vegetable mixture in on top. Stir in the herbs if you’re adding them.
2. Divide the mixture among eight buttered ramekins (or a casserole dish). Set them in a bain marie and bake until set, about 25 minutes. Chill thoroughly before serving so it sets (if you try to unmould it hot it will be quite sloppy).
3. If you like, you can make a herb-butter dressing for them: melt butter or heat olive oil, and stir in a herb such as sage (for squash pots) or mint (for pea pots) or basil (for tomato pots), etc...

Craft Clay - Make, Mold, Bake & Paint

Another great little recipe from a wonderful resource site called "Easy Kids Recipes:  Cooking for kids and the whole family"http://www.easy-kids-recipes.com/play-dough-recipes.html


4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Food colouring
1 egg, beaten


Mix together flour, salt, water and oil and knead until smooth.  Separate into parts and add drops of food colouring to make a colourful selection of craft clay.  


Have fun and make into shapes.


Brush finished craft shapes and figurines with the beaten egg and bake in a 300 degree oven for about one hour or until the clay is golden.  
Paint and/or seal with a shellac to make shiny.

Cooked Play Dough

Great little recipe from a wonderful resource site called "Easy Kids Recipes:  Cooking for kids and the whole family"http://www.easy-kids-recipes.com/play-dough-recipes.html

3 cups flour
1 cup salt
6 teaspoons cream of tartar
3 cups water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Food Colouring

Mix flour, salt, and cream of tartar in a large saucepan.  Blend water and oil together in a bowl.  Add to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens.
Add several drops of food colouring until you get the right colour.  Cook for about five minutes.  Take the playdough out of saucepan and put it on a cutting board or counter and knead for a few minutes.  Add flour if it is too sticky.

This play dough should last around 3 months if you keep it sealed in a airtight container or ziplock baggie.

Yummy Dip for Fruit

This may be the easiest dip to entice children to eat their fruit.  Great over crepes and pancakes.  

Sour cream
Brown sugar

That is it!  Add by teaspoons the brown sugar to the sour cream to your liking.
Cinnamon is always a nice addition.

Serve with cut up fruit - strawberries, bananas, grapes, orange wedges.
Try some grapefruit to introduce sour tastes.
Be adventurous, cut up some star fruit, passionfruit, kiwis etc.