Crockpot Coffee Pot Roast

Posted on March 10, 2014 by alicewp

There are so many things about weekends that I love. Coffee is certainly one of them. We weren’t always in love-in fact I used to only take my coffee covered in anything creamy and sugary that was sure to cover up the actual coffee flavor. Ahh but things change and for me it was after Wes was born and I was wandering my house with non-sleeping children at all hours of the night, that dark beverage each morning was my confidence in getting through the day. The winter here in Minnesota has been like that fog that you experience when you have non-sleeping children; you know it won’t last forever but it is really hard to see beyond what is currently happening. I’ve been turning to my crockpot for some comfort food love to get through this unbearable winter. Usually once a week we come home to a crock pot full of something yummy and recently I’ve been making this coffee pot roast. I guess it reminds me of the comfort of a cup of coffee. Oh and did I mention that it also has chocolate? This is a perfectly rich and earthy roast that you can make make while you work.

Ingredients:

4 lb Pork Loin End Roast
2 TB Coffee Grounds
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ground Pepper
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
8 ounces Carrots
1 1/2 lb Potato Medley
4 lb Pork Loin End Roast
1 cup Coffee
1 TB Corn Starch

Directions:
Pat dry the pork roast with a paper towel and in a small bowl combine the coffee grounds, salt, ground pepper, brown sugar and ground chocolate. Rub this dry mixture over the roast.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-heat. Brown roast on all sides. When finished, add potatoes and carrots to the crock pot and place meat on top. Pour coffee over the meat and place lid on crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours.

If desired, once roast is cooked, drain liquid and bring liquid to a boil in a small sauce pan. In a small tupperware container shake 1 TB of corn starch and 1/4 cup cold water. Shake until combined and add to the liquid on the stove. Return to boil, keep stiring and remove from heat. It will thicken and become coffee gravy to serve with the meal.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Posted on February 22, 2014 by alicewp

In November I made you this very special Corn Mac and Cheese and you went wild for it. You guys really know how to make a girl feel loved. I get it. You love rich and yummy comfort food and you especially like it when I make it creative. Twin Cities Live invited me to participate in their Mac and Cheese Challenge so I wanted to bring something rich and yummy and something all the kids-and moms can cheer about. The butternut squash makes it creamy, sunny and it feels good to get a veggie in, doesn’t it? I could have stopped there but it’s been a long winter and you deserve something more so I topped this Mac and Cheese with mini cheeseburgers. My kids couldn’t get enough of this-talk about the clean plate club! What are you waiting for? Go, make this now!

Click here to watch the February 21, 2014 Twin Cities Live segment when I made this recipe.

Ingredients:
1 lb Mezze Penne Pasta
8 ounces Mac and Cheese Blend Shredded Cheese (or Triple Cheese Blend)
10 ounces Frozen Winter Squash puree (defrosted)
2/3 cup Sour Cream
1 tsp Salt
½ cup Heavy Cream
2 Eggs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Once pasta is cooked, in a large bowl combine pasta, shredded cheese, squash, sour cream, salt, heavy cream and eggs.

Add mixture to a greased 9X13 pan. Follow directions for Mini Cheeseburgers (below) and use a small scoop to make rows on top of the mac and cheese for about 24 mini cheeseburgers.

Spray a piece of tin foil with nonstick spray and seal with spray-side down. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes covered and 25 minutes uncovered.

Serves 8.

Mini Cheeseburgers
Ingredients:
1.25 lbs Ground Turkey
1 cup Cheddar Cheese (Finely Shredded)
½ cup Bacon Pieces
1 ounce package Hidden Valley Dry Ranch Dip
1 egg

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and use a small cookie scoop to place rows on top of mac and cheese before baking.

Allergy-Friendly Snacks

Posted on February 10, 2014 by alicewp

I’ve been working on this post for awhile-months in fact. My children started at a new school in September and it was a big adjustment going from a home daycare to a multi-room child development center. There are so many great things about their new school-amazing teachers, a huge indoor play space, an award-winning outdoor playground, music classes and really messy and fun art projects. There are also new things I wasn’t used to, like in a class of 25; my daughter is getting invited to birthday parties a couple times a month! Speaking of birthdays and celebrations-that’s the reason for this post.

The week Stella and Wes started their new school it was Stella’s birthday. She turned 4 and in retrospect, I don’t know that she even asked if I would bring in a treat for her classmates, I think it was my idea. So I asked her lead teacher about birthday celebrations and was told that food needed to be store-bought and observe the nut-free facility rule. Despite my cooking credentials, I WASN’T crushed that I couldn’t make homemade cupcakes or brownies laden with nuts. In fact, my first question was, “What are her classmates’ allergies?” Stella’s teacher also mentioned a growing concern from the parents about the abundance of unhealthy birthday treats coming into the classroom and asked if I might consider coming up with a healthy snack idea for her birthday. After discussing it with her teacher, we decided on yogurt parfaits with toppings that honored everyone’s dietary issues. Stella and I shopped for the ingredients and we spent less than $20 on everything.

I know there are people out there that don’t understand why I did any of the above. There are parents that feel that their children are entitled to whatever treat they want to bring into school. Recently, a mother shared such a perspective in a post called, “Why Do Your Kid’s Allergies Mean My Kid Can’t Have a Birthday?”

So why did I go to the trouble to bring an allergy-friendly birthday treat? Because in my eyes, the kids in my daughter’s classroom and your child’s classroom are OUR children. I believe that we, collectively as parents should care; we should be making sure everyone in our children’s classroom are safe. For children with allergies, that means safe foods. We can’t control who our children are friends with at school; our child’s best friend may have allergies. So how would your child feel if their best friend couldn’t have one of the cupcakes that you insisted on bringing for their birthday? That recent post ignited in me the need to finish this post, because we should care about other people’s children with allergies, we should want all the kids included not only because it is the right thing to do; it is what the birthday child would want.

So whether it’s for a birthday, Valentine’s Day or Halloween party, here are some resources and ideas for an allergy-friendly celebration at your child’s school:

Ask your teacher for a “safe snack list” and the absolute best thing to do is contact the parent of the child with allergies and let them know you’d like to make or buy a safe and inclusive celebration snack. They will appreciate your efforts and have several safe suggestions for you.
Non-food items are great alternatives to celebration snacks. Check out these pencils, bracelets and tattoos or bring in a homemade craft that you made with your child like bug valentines or homemade crayons.
Instead of focusing your energy on bringing food into the classroom for a celebration, consider bringing yourself! Yes, volunteer in the classroom. Maybe you have a special talent you can share with the class or even just coming in to read a story would be memorable to your child.
Based on the classroom’s allergy list, look for allergy-friendly products that accommodate those allergies like Enjoy Life. Enjoy Life is free from the 8 most common allergens. Products include bars, cookies, chips, cereal, granola and trail mixes. It is carried at Target, Whole Foods and Walmart.
Check out resources online like the Snack Product Guides from Snack Safely that is updated monthly with snack ideas. While grocery shopping, don’t be afraid to ask store managers about allergen-free products and snacks, sometimes they have product lists or will personally walk you around the store and talk about the different products-I have received this type of service at Kowalskis, Trader Joes and Whole Foods.

In October, I saw this post about being an allergy-friendly stop on Halloween and it really raised my awareness about how we as parents of children without allergies can in very simple ways be supportive of families with allergies. A very special thank you to Missy Bickel Berggren at Marketing Mama for that post about Halloween candy as well as advice and consultation about this post. Check her out on Facebook and Twitter! Also, thank you to Mr. Les at St. Paul’s Childhood Center for his love, energy and care for the kids in Room X and his input on this post.

Win a Cookbook and 4-Pack of Tickets to the Minnesota Children’s Museum!

Posted on February 7, 2014 by alicewp

On February 7, 2014 I’m doing a segment on Twin Cities Live about Cooking with Kids and Stella and I are making these yummy Grapefruit Cupcakes! I’ve been cooking with my kids since they were babies and it is so fun to see how they have learned and mastered so many things in the kitchen. I love seeing Stella run the mixer by herself and how Wes knows to take a look in the oven to check on what we are baking!

I have a very fun giveaway for viewers! I will be giving away a Mom and Me Cookbook by Annabel Karmel (Provided by Creative Kidstuff) and a 4-Pack of Admission Tickets to the Minnesota Children’s Museum (Provided by the Minnesota Children’s Museum).

Check out the fun display the St. Paul Creative Kidstuff has right now! I’d love to try their kit for making my own gummy treats and I love the imaginative cookie set-you can actually “slice” the velcro tube of cookies!

One of the best ways to get your kids started in the kitchen is engaging with them in imaginative play. You can play at home using real-life cooking gadgets, utensils or even items from your pantry and pretend to make something or play restaurant. A very fun place to explore imaginative cooking play is at the Minnesota Children’s Museum in their grocery store or Korean restaurant. We have logged many hours filling carts, ordering food and watching the kids pretend cook our meal there!

So use the Rafflecopter to enter for a chance to do some imaginative cooking play at the Minnesota Children’s Museum and then come home and make a recipe from your new cookbook! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Grapefruit Cupcakes

Posted on February 6, 2014 by alicewp

I told you about how I was obsessing over cupcakes a few years ago because I was making Red Velvet cupcakes for a friend’s wedding. I think I might have said that I never wanted to see a cupcake again. Then time passes and your daughter’s absolute favorite thing to make is what? You guessed it, cupcakes. I love this cupcake because it has become a bright spot for us in the winter when both the snow and grapefruits are plenty. If you have never made your own frosting, oh my. This frosting is so good. Good like hide in the kitchen so your kids can’t see while you eat spoonfuls good.

Click here to watch the Twin Cities Live segment when I made this recipe with Stella.

If you follow me on Facebook, you see that my kids and I spend quite a bit of time together in the kitchen. Yes, it takes way more time to get anything done and yes it is incredibly messy. But man I love it. Cooking with my kids is something that gives me pure joy. I do laugh when the mixer goes on full blast and when the kids experiment and taste something super sour or even super sugary. I don’t think Will feels the same, he gets a bit anxious when I start making frosting with the kids as it is usually a two-day cleaning project (like, when you are finding frosting on misc things for two days). Anyhow, do what works for your family and comfort level when it comes with getting your kids involved in the kitchen. Looking for some ideas? Here’s a list I came up with cooking ideas for kids birth-3+.

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups Flour
1/8 tsp Salt
¾ tsp Baking Soda
¾ cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
2 eggs (room temp)
½ cup Whole Milk
½ TB Lemon Juice
2 grapefruits, divided
1 stick butter (room temperature)
3 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.

In a large bowl, blend flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

In a mixer, blend vegetable oil, sugar and vanilla bean paste until smooth. Add eggs one at a time until well blended.

In a dish combine milk and lemon juice. Set aside.

Add zest from 1 grapefruit to mixer. Squeeze juice and pulp from the grapefruit and add pulp and 3 TB of juice to mixer, blend. Reserve additional juice.

In batches, add flour and milk mixture to the mixer, blend until combined and scrape bowl well to ensure flour is incorporated.

Fill muffin cups with batter. Bake for 17 minutes at 375.

For frosting, blend butter, powdered sugar and zest from 1 grapefruit. Gradually add grapefruit juice until frosting becomes light and fluffy.

Makes 12 cupcakes

Win a Gift Certificate to the University of Minnesota Meat Sale!

Posted on January 17, 2014 by alicewp

On January 17, I gave meatloaf a makeover on Twin Cities Live! I’m showed you recipes for a Venison and Wild Rice Meatloaf with a Tomato Jam Sauce, Turkey Meatloaf made with muesli and topped with cherry jam and finally, a Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf topped with blue cheese crumbles and ranch dressing!

I’ve told you about the University of Minnesota Meat Sale before and this week I’m giving you a chance to win a $20 gift certifcate! So you can pick up some ground venison, pork chops, or my favorite, bacon ends! Lots of ways to enter, including leaving me a blog comment about what you’d like to try! Then use the rafflecopter form to log your entry!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Venison Meatloaf

Posted on January 17, 2014 by alicewp

This is a great recipe to use if you have a hunter in the family and if not, you can pick up ground venison at the University of Minnesota Meat Sale. I love serving meatloaf with my Granny’s Tomato Jam and this recipe goes perfect with it. Click here to watch the January 17, 2014 segment of Twin Cities Live when I made this recipe!

Ingredients:
2 lb Ground Venison
1 cup Carrot (finely chopped)
1 cup Onion (finely chopped)
¼ cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Salt
3 Eggs
2 cups Wild Rice (cooked)
Tomato Jam Sauce (14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, 1 tsp Cinnamon and 18 ounce jar Orange Marmalade)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine ground venison, carrot, onion, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and salt. Mix together eggs and add to meat mixture. Once combined, add cooked wild rice to the mixture.

Add mixture to greased loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from oven and drain liquid and skim away fat.

For tomato jam, combine 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes, 1 tsp of Cinnamon and 18 ounce jar of Sweet Orange Marmalade, bring to a boil and set aside.

Before serving, top with tomato jam sauce.

Serves 10

Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf

Posted on January 17, 2014 by alicewp

When I made this recipe I fed it to my husband and brother-in-law and from the kitchen I heard them say, “Oh my God.” You know when you hear that, it’s a good sign. You know what? I love it too. This is a great recipe for Super Bowl, make it in cupcake trays or slice up the meatloaf and serve it on soft dollar buns. Click here to watch the January 17, 2014 segment of Twin Cities Live when I made this recipe!

Ingredients:
2 lb Ground Chicken
1.0 oz packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dry Dip
1 cup Carrot (finely chopped)
1 cup Celery (finely chopped)
3 Eggs
½ cup Franks Red Hot Wings-Buffalo
2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs
1 cup Blue Cheese Crumbles, divided
Ranch Dressing

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine ground chicken, dry ranch packet, carrot and celery. Mix together eggs and add to meat mixture. Then add hot sauce and mix. Once combined, add bread crumbs and ½ cup blue cheese crumbles to the mixture.

Add mixture to greased loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes and top with remaining ½ cup of blue cheese crumbles and return to the oven for 15 additional minutes.

Drizzle ranch dressing on top of meatloaf before serving.

Serves 10

Turkey Meatloaf

Posted on January 17, 2014 by alicewp

This is hands down our family’s favorite meatloaf recipe. I love using Seven Sundays Muesli (now available at Super Target) it is a perfect binder and adds the perfect sweetness. My kids and husband literally gobble this up! I also love making this in cupcake tins for individual portions! Click here to watch the January 17, 2014 segment of Twin Cities Live when I made this recipe!

Ingredients:
2.5 lb Ground Turkey
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
2 eggs
2 cups Seven Sundays Everyday Muesli-Vanilla Cherry Pecan
Cherry Jam for topping

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine ground turkey, salt, and cinnamon. Mix together eggs and add to meat mixture. Once combined, add Seven Sundays Muesli to mixture.

Add mixture to greased loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes. Before serving, top with cherry jam.

Serves 10

Creative Thinking

Posted on January 16, 2014 by alicewp

I am currently serving as a Smart Play Ambassador with the Minnesota Children’s Museum and each month we explore various topics and share the educational learning opportunities at the museum as well as apply it to our own lives. This month I am writing about creative thinking and applying the strategy LENS while engaging during play with your child.

It’s January. A new year, a new you, a new perspective on your life as a parent. On New Year’s Eve everyone kept asking me what my New Year’s resolution was and honestly, I really wasn’t sure. I was waiting for something to really speak to me, touch me and that’s what my resolution would be. I wanted it to be basic and simple and really just meaningful and only measured by me.

And then there it was. I’ve been thinking about cocoons lately, maybe because we’ve been reading the Very Hungry Caterpillar nonstop and we joke that Wes eats like that caterpillar. But there it was-a giant cocoon in the Creativity Jam exhibit at the Minnesota Children’s Museum and here we all were, sitting inside it, our whole family just focusing on what was inside-ignoring what was going on outside. That would be my New Year’s resolution this year-I want to pretend I’m in a cocoon when I’m with my kids. I want to shut the world outside out and SLOW DOWN. I don’t want to miss giggles, exchanges, interactions, funny expressions, fun, joy and learning because I am too worried about what is happening outside OUR cocoon.

While to me, it is a “cocoon” the musueum calls it “the nest” and as I mentioned it currently resides in the Creativity Jam exhibit. If you aren’t familiar with this exhibit it is filled with projects and activities aimed at sparking creative thinking, collaboration and imagination. Honestly, every time I walk in there, I look at my husband with sparkly eyes and say, “Isnt’s this amazing?!?” On one visit there we stuck painters tape throughout a white room (anyone with a 4-year-old knows this is pretty much the best idea in the world). On another visit we worked on a sewing project and on our most recent visit we designed a boat to see if it would float in the water-filled sensory table.

This month, as Minnesota Children’s Museum Ambassadors we are examining the concept of creative thinking. No this isn’t about trying more failed Pinterest craft projects or even just making art-it really isn’t about a product, outcome or talent. Creative thinking is about experimenting and letting your child’s mind soar how it wants and in whatever terms. So whether it is thinking about what junk pieces could you tape together to make an object float, brainstorming the ingredients for making a cake or maybe it is just thinking imaginately inside new places like the museum’s cocoon or in a fort you build in your living room-creative thinking is about imagining and inventing through frequently-changing experiences. Why is creative thinking important as your child grows? These skills are building blocks for your child throughout their childhood years and actually through adulthood. They are learning how to react and respond to the unexpected and test things out. Just like you probably do in your everyday life-what if I pitch this idea at work, how do I respond when the dishwasher breaks, how am I going to get everyone home from school and fed in 30 minutes? As adult you are constantly using creative thinking to manuever through an ever-changing world.

Ok, so what do we do as parents to support this learning? Here are some things we can do while our children play that allow us to enagage in a thoughtful way while at the same time fostering an environment that allows or children to tackle new endevors like creative thinking. And it’s an easy acronym to remember, the museum calls it “LENS.”

L: Let Go
It can be easier said than done but try to follow your child’s lead and resist the urge to direct or provide too many solutions/answers. Accept there is more than one “right” way. Watch them crank the wheel and see what happens!
E: Empower
Encourage your child to think for themselves, engage in relevant conversations, ask their opinion, instill confidence in their abilities. Let them be the “boss” and ask them what you should do.
N: Notice
Pay attention to the little or hidden things- like how they maneuver a puzzle piece until it fits rather than complete the whole puzzle- and discover your child’s thinking.
S: Support
Be flexible, allow time to explore freely, pose challenges, embrace failures and mistakes, learn alongside your child. Let them climb inside new things and check it out, allow them to figure out how to get out or even share toys with others in an exhibit or activity.

So are you ready to do some playing AND learning? This month I have an awesome coupon for you! You can save $15 on a Minnesota Children’s Museum new membership, gift membership or use it to renew your family’s current membership. Use the code 141001016 online, over the phone or at the Box Office by February 1, 2014.

Click here for my disclosure policy.