Our Little Sous Chef

Jackson has officially entered that stage of "if you're doing it, I want to do it too!" Most of the time we love it. :) A website I follow daily is Cooking with My Kid. I am convinced that if you involve your child in the cooking process, they'll want to eat the result.

As we have experienced "Snowpocalypse 2011" here in Atlanta, we were desperate for ideas to entertain a very busy toddler. Trip thought it would be fun to have Jackson make his own pizza for dinner. It turned out to be an incredible idea.

The cooks:

Don't you all love Jack's apron??

The ingredients:

The sauce:

The cheese:

The pepperoni:

The final product:

Winter is always such a fun time for me to try out new recipes. With the snow, I have had even more time to try out a few new ones. For those of you who are GF, I will make comments regarding my substitutions. Otherwise, the recipes were done in their entirety.

Breakfast ~ Baked Oatmeal
This recipe was printed in a local magazine along with an article about gluten intolerance. I gave it a try since I love oatmeal on cold mornings. It was delicious!!

Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked GF oats {I used organic steel cut}
1/2 cup loosely packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup dried fruit {I used a mix of golden raisins, cranberries and cherries}
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 1/2 cups milk {I used almond milk, but rice, soy or cow's would work equally well}
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce {I used one of Jack's "no sugar added" cups}
1 tbsp melted butter

Directions:
-Preheat over to 375 and spray an 8in square baking dish with non-stick spray.
-In a mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients, mixing well.
-In a separate bowl, whisk egg and then add remaining wet ingredients.
-Combine with dry ingredients and pour into prepared baking pan.
-Bake for 25min. Serve warm with fresh fruit or a dollop of vanilla yogurt.
-Leftovers may be refrigerated for one week.

Lunch ~ Giada's Lentil Soup
My friend Julia sent me home with a bowl of this soup last week. Oh. My. Word. It was incredible. If you love a soup that is savory, you must try this one. Three notes: One, I threw in some ham after the onions, carrots and celery had softened. Two, I omitted the noodles entirely. I could have used my Rice Pasta, but the soup is hearty without them. And three, if you can't find a decently priced wedge of parm {particularly during a Snowpocalypse} simply use a bag of Sargento's Artisan Blend of Parm & Romano cheese. {Just don't tell Giada...}  :) Once I cooked this recipe, I took half of the final product and froze it. On a busy weeknight, it will be perfect to thaw and eat.

Dinner ~ Dijon Chicken with Panko Rice Chex Crust
This dinner was incredible with a side of rice and broccoli. The sauce you drizzle on the finished product truly completed the meal. So, splurge and buy sesame oil if you do not have some on hand. After you try this recipe, you'll be tempted to try other recipes that call for sesame oil so it will not be money wasted. Two notes: One, for the GF among you, instead of Panko, put a cup {or two} of Rice Chex in ziploc and crush. Then substitute in the recipe. And two, I used boneless, skinless chicken and it turned out perfectly.

Happy Cooking...AND EATING! Let me know if you try any of these. I'd love to know your thoughts.