Anyone who knows me knows that I rarely take the easy route. Croutons? Why waste the money when homemade croutons are so easily and cheaply made with leftover bread? Salad dressing? I love the freshness and the complex flavors of a good homemade dressing. And cakes? I can bake up a cake with the best of them …

But when it came time to make cupcakes for a recent gathering, I knew I wanted to do something wild and kid-centric, so I decided to do my own riff on the trendy rainbow cake that has been making its way across the internet.  But really, when you are going to be mixing and dividing and dividing again, do you really need the added complication of baking from scratch? For once, I decided that I didn’t … so I took the easiest route and used a box of cake mix.

Hey, it worked for this. And when I make these again — and I will make these again –I will do it again in a heartbeat. These are such a fun dessert, especially when kids are involved. Go bold and bright with the colors, and be sure to start with white cake mix for the best hues.

Continue reading…

There is a song in the Nick Jr. show Ni Hao, Kai Lan that encourages children to give unfamiliar things a shot. I absolutely love that song, and the show, because it’s encouraged my son to be very openminded:

When you are scared of something new and you don’t know what to do, just try it! Try it! Try it! Because you might like it! – Ni Hao, Kai Lan

Is that not the best message ever or what??

In that spirit, when I heard a farmer talking about these pole beans at a recent farmers market, I was intrigued. Pole beans are longer and thicker than green beans, so they hold up well to cooking directly on the grill. Be sure to marinate them in a good vinaigrette first — something with a lot of tang and flavor.

Could these be an alternative to oven baked fries and sweet potato fries (which my family loves, but honestly can take a bit of effort to make)? Yes. When I make these we all pick them up with our fingers and eat them like fries. No need for dipping sauce here though — the marinated beans cooked up packed with flavor. And yes, the kids love them.

A healthy vegetable as a finger food? Excellent. Continue reading…

Have you cooked with your kids lately?

To some people, the idea of having children in the kitchen is a horrifying one. Danger lurks everywhere between the sharp knives used, the hot surfaces and ovens and the potential to fall from chairs. To me, those are just safety issues that you instruct the kids to avoid and then trust that they will (and, in my experience, they do).

It’s a magical experience to be a child helping in the kitchen. The child might not be the one actually slaving at the stove, but they can assist with mixing, grating and even measuring. These skills are so much more important than the actions themselves. They promote dexterity, concentration and more. And, imparting the sense of tradition (as in, this is how our family makes these things) and practical knowledge of how to cook is a wonderful thing. For the children, there is also a sense of accomplishment.

I mentioned in my introduction that when I was a child, my aunt and I would cook together on Sundays. One dish we often make was potato pancakes from scratch. It was a glorious experience, grating waxy potatoes with a box grater, mixing up the batter and then cooking them in a hot pan at the stove. I was very young, so I don’t remember much of the cooking aspect, but I do remember how exciting it was to be allowed to help, to contribute, to create. And I followed the rules set forth for me: stay away from the stove, do what was asked and pay attention.

Even now, more than 25 years later, I can still remember the taste of fresh, hot potato pancakes just off the stove and dipped in chilled applesauce. Amazing. Nothing compares to the taste of freshly made, home-cooked potato pancakes. Nothing.

I don’t have the recipe my aunt and I used, but there are some fabulous recipes for potato pancakes, also known as latkes, out there. Don’t forget to serve up with some tasty applesauce and smooth sour cream.

• Potato pancakes (with mashed potatoes) at Retro Food.
• Potato pancakes (with grated potatoes) at The Perfect Pantry.
• Baked sweet potato latkes at Erin Cooks.
• Oven baked latkes at Baking Bites.