Meal Makeover Moms Test Kitchen

This weekend the kids and I tested a recipe for a new cookbook from Meal Makover Moms.  I like their website -- it's attractive and easy to navigate, for one.  The two moms are registered dietitians so they're aiming for more healthful recipes -- but they seem to be pretty realistic, too.  Liz and Janice provide tools to help busy moms, including a shopping list and the 7-Day Meal Planner.

I love that their recipes are "mom tested, kid approved" -- and this weekend, the kids and I had the opportunity to test a recipe for their next cookbook!

Fruity Chicken Kebabs - A Lunchbox Recipe

Ingredients
8 ounces roasted deli chicken or turkey, sliced 3/4-inch thick
Eight 8-inch wooden skewers
16 green grapes
12 strawberries, cut in half lengthwise

Directions

1. Cut the chicken into 3/4-inch cubes. To make the kebabs, thread 3 pieces of cubed chicken, 2 grapes, and 3 strawberry halves on to each skewer in any order that you and your children choose. Be sure to leave enough space at the bottom so the kids can hold the skewers comfortably.
2. To wrap, lay 2 skewers on a sheet of aluminum foil and fold the foil loosely over the kebabs.

Tip: Pack with an all-natural fruit smoothie and a mini whole wheat bagel with light cream cheese to round out the lunch.

I purchased deli turkey, although I would prefer to cube chicken and saute in a light, sweet sauce to use instead -- deli meat is loaded with sodium and preservatives.  When I make this again, I might also use cubed cheese in the mix.  I've purchased some thin cocktail straws that will be more lunchbox friendly and will call my creations Lunch on a Lightsaber.  Eat it, you will.

Both kids loved making these -- I would have to agree, threading food onto sharp sticks is pretty fun!  Birdy ate more grapes than she skewered.  Here are some photos of our test:

Birdy ate the turkey and grapes, but chose not to eat strawberries for some reason.  Toad, of course, was hesitant about the whole process.  Eventually he ate a few pieces of meat and both grapes and strawberries and proclaimed that he liked it!  His favorite part was the whole-wheat mini-bagel on the side.  He agreed to taking two kebabs to school for lunch on Monday, and promised he would eat them.  Success?  I saved my celebration, knowing that Monday would be the true test.

Monday morning Toad protested.  He did not want to take the kebabs for lunch, but I stood my ground, snipped off the sharp tips of the skewers, and packed them in his lunchbox.  I told him that he needed to bring home what he didn't eat.

I was not surprised to learn that he had only eaten two pieces of turkey and one grape.  And the entire bagel, of course.

I wonder if the dude from Green Eggs and Ham lied to Sam-I-Am to get him off his back and, in the future, refused to eat them with a mouse, in a house, here or there, everywhere, et cetera.

Blueberry Bumplings!

Food is a big deal around our house right now as we try to give the kids the tools they need to make good choices.  Yesterday we looked through a few of our cookbooks and Toad requested Blueberry Bumplings from the Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook, which we've made in the past.  I made a few modifications and the kids and I whipped them up this morning.  Here's the recipe, with modifications:

Blueberry Bumplings
The Cat's bumplings are plump things surprisingly like blueberry scones, just right for breakfast or snacking.

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I substituted half whole wheat flour)
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 oz. butter, softened and cut into small pieces (I used Earth's Balance Buttery Sticks)
1/2 fresh blueberries
1 large egg
3/4 cup half-and-half (I used skim milk)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. Add the butter and mix well with your fingertips until crumbly, then add the fresh blueberries.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the egg and the half-and-half, then quickly beat into the flour mixture.  Do not overwork.
4. Pat the dough out between sheets of wax paper until about 1/2 inch thick.  Cut into 2-inch squares, circles, or triangles.  *I just used the large Pampered Chef scoop and put them in drops onto the baking sheet, then flattened them slightly.
5.Place the cutouts on a baking sheet, non-stick or lined with parchment paper, and bake until golden on top, about 10 minutes.  Serve hot.
Makes about 12 bumplings.

I'm not crazy about the whole stick of butter, but they're a big hit with the whole family.  Super tasty!