My 7-year-old’s latest trick? Turning her dinner into her own culinary creations. Chicken and baked potatoes turns into “chicken boat wonders.” Bread folded over and dipped in salad dressing becomes “juicy bread.” As much as it irks me that my daughter just can’t eat a meal without turning it into a project, I’m can’t say I blame her. I remember “sculpting” scoops of chocolate ice cream into igloos, while talking to myself in a Julia Child voice when I was her age (don’t ask). And after being home sick from school recently, she became enchanted with the Food Network and now tunes into episodes of “Chopped” whenever she remembers (I kid you not). So with her birthday fast approaching, I thought a kid-friendly cookbook would [&hellip
Cooking With the Walnut Archive
My 13-year-old niece loves to bake, and I like to think that over the years, we’ve helped cultivate her passion. When she was in elementary school, we gave her a recipe box filled with kid-friendly dishes. And this past Christmas, she was tasked with the honor of making individual cakes for dessert. If you know a tween who knows her way around the kitchen, encourage her to dust off her apron and roll up her sleeves. Sweetyhigh.com, a new social networking site for young girls, has offered The Talking Walnut a special Valentine’s Day giveaway. One lucky winner will be awarded a special baking kit that contains the following: 2 Heart Shaped Plates 1 Petite Pie Mold with Heart-shaped cut-out 1 Set of Valentine’s themed [&hellip
To your average kid, milk and cookies is the ideal cure for the rainy day blues. Sinking one’s teeth into a chocolate chip-studded little number, washed down by a tall glass of ice-cold milk, can be just the thing to erase the pain of a forgotten library book or a silly spat with a friend. For grown-ups like me, my idea of comfort food at 3 p.m. doesn’t stray so far from the kid version, but I do like to think that my taste is a bit more refined than the store-bought variety (no offense, Keebler Elf). I admit that I’m not a tremendous connoisseur when it comes to cookies and other baked goods, so when I do choose to indulge, it needs to be [&hellip
My 7-year-old came home from the school the other day, raving about a fellow second grader’s in-class birthday party. “Mom, guess what everyone got?,” she enthused, salivating as she managed to get the words out. “Their own smoothie! Isn’t that awesome?” Yes, if you feel you can’t quite keep up with the Joneses when it comes to birthday celebrations for the kiddies, now you can really feel like your Mom of the Year award should be plucked down off the mantel. C’mon now, do you still bake those Duncan Hines brownies for class birthdays or, worse yet, pick up Munchkins on the way home from the office? For shame! Regardless of whether you work or stay at home with your kids, every mom likes to [&hellip
It’s the age-old question for moms across the world–and one that never seems to produce a satisfactory response unless it’s “pizza,” “Chinese” or some form of take-out. Some nights, it takes all the strength you can muster just to open up a can of soup or microwave a frozen dinner. But when a sandwich just won’t cut the mustard in your house (as is the case in mine!), it’s time to scour the cupboard and rummage up whatever staple can be made into a meal. That’s when childhood comfort foods like Chef Boyardee come in handy. Believe it or not, a can of this stuff is a starter ingredient for an entirely new bunch of dinnertime recipes like Taco-roni, Ravioli Lasagna (shown here) and Cheeseburger-roni. [&hellip
Memorial Day weekend just can’t be complete without a good, old fashioned BBQ. Whether you played chef in your own backyard or were a guest at a friend’s or family’s gathering this weekend, you hopefully enjoyed what will be the first of many meals centered around the grill. And if there’s ever an American staple during a summertime feast, it’s the hotdog. We can’t seem to go to a ballgame without sampling one, and it’s always a favorite among the kiddies. In the spirit of the season, The Talking Walnut is holding a Hebrew National giveaway this week. We’ll be awarding 2 lucky winners 4 sets of coupons, each good for a free package of hot dogs. It’s a great excuse to stock up on [&hellip
With St. Patty’s Day fast approaching, it’s time to whip up a feast of corned beef and cabbage–and don’t forget the Irish soda bread. But even if you’re not a culinary wonder, you can get still get your Irish up and make a festive treat to bring to the class party. Cupcake Cuties takes the otherwise vanilla task of cranking out yet another two-dozen cupcakes and gives it personality. These themed cupcake decorating kits contain all the trimmings you’ll need to make an unforgettable batch, including 24 decorative wrappers, pastry bag and plenty of toppings. We’re tickled “green” over the St. Patty’s Day kit, with its shamrock candy confetti and laughing leprechaun holders. Be sure to check out the innovative sushi roll and popcorn kits, [&hellip
Every mother has her least favorite time of day with the kids and for me, that would be dinnertime, hands down. Maybe it’s because I can’t quite keep up with the ever-changing demands of my toddler who once had a penchant for vegetables and now will hardly eat a crust of bread. My 6-year-old is no bargain either, although she is venturing outside the fish sticks realm and into real (gasp!) fried flounder. I proudly claim to be one of those moms who makes a home-cooked meal almost every school night (barring Pizza Night on Thursdays). I figure since I work from home, I should be able to pull off dinner that doesn’t come from a take-out bag, right? Plus, I secretly relish the fact [&hellip
Just one day past Halloween and my sweet tooth has kicked into overdrive. Between now and January 1st, my 1st grader’s “social life” seems to be a steady endless stream of parties that include tasty treats. How fun it must all be….unless you’re a child with allergies. One of her classmates can’t have anything with gluten, and anytime there is a class party, he must trek down to the nurse’s office to retrieve one of his gluten-free cupcakes from the freezer. I can only imagine how tiresome that can get after a while. Maybe this is why Stacey J. Miller’s book, 101 Recipes for Gluten-Free Microwave Mug Cakes, caught my attention. It’s chock-full of delightful desserts that are simple as baking can be: baked inside [&hellip
First week back to school and we’re already looking for a short-cuts. Because I’m a stay-at-home/work-at-home mom, I try to make dinner for my finicky family at least 5 nights a week–sometimes 6 if I’m really ambitious. I’ll admit I’m a creature of habit who often cooks the same tried-and-true meals over and over (hey, when you’ve got a 2-year-old who’ll only eat a piece of bread some days, your sense of adventure takes a backseat to practicality). But every so often, I break out of my routine and try something fun. This week, in honor of the U.S. Open 2010, we sat down a dinner of Racchette pasta and meatballs. The tennis racquet pastas are a whimsical shape you won’t find in every supermarket [&hellip