Week 2 & 3: Mex Fusion & Tea Party!

Week 2

Today our little chefs had a taste of Mex Fusion!  We started class by shredding grilled chicken for our tacos. We placed our chicken, beans and fresco cheese on top of a corn tortilla and carefully placed them in the oven to get a nice warm shell. Next, it was time to make our chips. Buddies took funny mustache cookie cutters and fun letter shapes to create some silly chips. We placed those in the oven to get them nice and crispy.

The last thing on our menu was to whip up some yummy guacamole. Our buddies pealed their own avocado, mashed it up and added some onion, tomato, a hint of lime, and a dash of salt to create some mouthwatering dip. We had so much fun and created a wonderful meal to share together at the table!

Week 3

We had a very fancy tea party today in Tastebuddies. We started our morning by shredding up some carrots for our tasty veggie wrap. Buddies then set the carrots aside and spread on a yummy amount of cream cheese onto a wheat a wrap. Next, we peeled a beautiful roasted red pepper.  We then carefully place carrots, spinach, and roasted red pepper into the wrap and set them aside for later.

Next, we mixed together a refreshing strawberry lemonade iced tea. We first placed frozen strawberries into our glasses to cool off our tea. Chef Marc and Chef Meg then poured a combination of strawberry lemonade and iced tea into our glasses to create our fancy drink. Lastly, we all received a butter cookie, whipped frosting, sprinkles, and chopped strawberries to make a beautiful, delectable dessert. We had a blast learning new cooking skills together and enjoyed a “berry” tasty meal.

Week 1: Ballpark Theme

Our little chefs stepped up to the plate and made a variety of Ballpark foods this week in Taste Buddies!

The first thing we made this week was Chili Dogs. We started by painting our hot dog buns with mustard, then placing our Turkey Dogs inside the bun. The buddies then dumped onions, cheese, and chili on top of the dogs and placed them in the oven to get a toasty chili dog.

Next, we made a tasty side of fruit nachos. Chef Marc crisped some wheat tortillas and sprinkled cinnamon and sugar on top to get a sweet chip base for the nachos. Our buddies added vanilla pudding on top of the chips and sprinkled some delicious fruit such as blueberries, strawberries and kiwis to make a beautiful plate of fruit nachos.

We topped off class by making a Funfetti Puppy Chow. Buddies shook up bags of rice chex cereal, white chocolate, yellow cake mix and stunning sprinkles to make a delectable dessert for our day at the ballpark. 

These cooking experiments can be easily conquered in your home kitchen! 

Week FIVE: Red, White, and Blue Treats- Red, White, and Blue Spritzer, Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad, and Pigs in a Blanket

This week we made treats that made us think of the Fourth of July! We worked on rolling, chopping, shaking, and sugar coating glasses! As a reminder to registered families: there is no class Wednesday, July 4th. Our last class will be held Wednesday, July 11. See you in two weeks!

RED, WHITE AND BLUE SPRITZER
Ingredients:

• Mint 
• 1 ounce lime juice 
• 1 ounce agave nectar 
• Colored sugars 
• Seltzer water 
• Frozen strawberries and blueberries 

Directions:

1. Rim glasses with colored sugar.
2. Tear mint and muddle at bottom of glass.
3. Squeeze lime into glass.
4. Pour agave nectar into glass. 
5. Pour seltzer water into glass. 
6. Use frozen strawberries and blueberries as ice cubes.  Enjoy!

RED, WHITE AND BLUE POTATO SALAD

inspired by myrecipes.com
Ingredients:

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar 
• 2 tablespoons canola oil $ 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

Salad:

• 5 cups cubed PURPLE potatos (about 2 pounds) 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1 cup chopped peeled cucumber 
• 3/4 cup sliced grape or cherry tomatoes 
• 3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper 
• 1/2 cup chopped orange bell pepper 
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions 
• 1 (2 1/4-ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained 

Directions:

1. To prepare dressing, combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. 
2. To prepare salad, place potato and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. 
3. Cover with water to 2 inches above potato; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until tender; drain.
4. Add potato to dressing in bowl, tossing gently to coat; let stand 15 minutes. 
5. Stir in cucumber and remaining ingredients; toss well. Cover and chill.

PIGS IN A BLANKET

inspired by food.com
read more at food.com
Ingredients:

• 1 8-ounce package Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls, regular or reduced fat 
• 4 smoked sausages, any flavor 
• Egg wash or melted butter/water mixture 
• Mustard or bbq sauce 
• Poppyseeds
• Maldon salt 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. 
2. Open the crescent rolls and separate them down the lines into the triangles. 
3. Cut the sausages in half so you have 8 pieces. 
4. Start with the tall side of the triangle. Roll the sausage in the crescent dough, tucking the bottom point up when you start to roll. You should finish with the point. 

My Dad said they looked like they were wrapped up in a sleeping bag -- hence the name he gave them "Hogs in a Sleeping Bag" since it was the big smoked sausage!

     5.  Brush with egg wash or melted butter mixture. Sprinkle with poppy seeds or maldon salt.
     6.  Bake them on a cookie sheet at 375 for 11-13 minutes, or until the crescnet rolls are golden.
     7.  You can serve them with spicy mustard, honey mustard, or barbecue sauce. 

Week FOUR: Sneaky Snack Foods! Zucchini Cookies, Kale Chips, Spinach Smoothies

This week the theme was a Sneaky Snack Foods!  We made snack foods that incorporated some healthy veggies!  We worked on mixing, shredding, tearing, and sprinkling.  We also got to taste some yummy new veggies like zucchini and kale, as well as some sneaky spinach.


ZUCCHINI COOKIES
from familyfun.com
Ingredients

• 1 egg

• 1/2 cup corn oil

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 1/4 cups oatmeal

• 1 cup finely grated zucchini

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.  Beat together the egg, oil and both sugars until well blended.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Add the oatmeal and zucchini and mix well.
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet, placing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 2 dozen.

KALE CHIPS

from keyingredient.com

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch kale

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a non-insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With a knife or kitchen shears, carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite-size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. 
3. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoned salt.
4. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt (about 10 to 15 minutes).

SPINACH SMOOTHIE

from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 2 cups spinach (fresh or frozen)
• 2 cups frozen strawberries
• 1 banana
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup ice*

Directions:

1. Place the spinach in the freezer until frozen, at least one hour.
2. Combine the spinach, strawberries, banana, honey and ice in the blender.  Blend until smooth.  Serve immediately. (Makes 4 servings) 
3. *Helpful hint: if you don't want the smoothie to look green and you are using frozen ingredients, the ice is not needed. In this case you will need to add a little water or juice.

Week THREE: Recap!

Today was a fruit-tastic day in Taste Buddies! We made Waldorf Salads, Macaroni and Cheese, and Fruit Ice Cream Cones. I am so proud of our Taste Buddies- they are becoming amazing little chefs!


WALDORF SALAD:
This is such a great recipe. Traditionally, this salad is made with mayonnaise, but we used vanilla yogurt. Feel free to put some shredded chicken in it as well! We put our salad in pita bread to make mini pita pockets, but you can eat it by itself or dip crackers in it. Yum!

MAC AND CHEESE:
We put bacon in our mac and cheese. Can't go wrong with this one!

FRUIT ICE CREAM CONES:
We simply put seasonal berries inside of an ice cream cone and served it for dessert today! This is a great way to make fruit a dessert for dinner!

Week THREE: Waldorf Salad and Mac and Cheese

WALDORF SALAD
Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of chopped grapes
• 1/4 cup of chopped green/red apples
• 1/4 cup of chopped celery
• 1/8 cup of cranberry raisins
• 1/4 cup of vanilla yogurt
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
• Pita bread or crackers for dipping!

Directions:

1. Combine fruit, celery, and cranberry raisins. 
2. Drizzle with lemon juice. 
3. Pour vanilla yogurt on top and stir until fruit is evenly coated. 
4. Dip pita bread or crackers in salad. Enjoy!

MAC AND CHEESE
Ingredients:

• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1/4 cup of flour
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 5 cups of precooked macaroni noodles
• 1/8 cup of bacon pieces

Directions:

1. Heat milk, flour, and butter over low heat until butter is melted.
2. Gradually add in shredded cheese until desired consistency is reached. For a thicker sauce, add more flour. For a thinner sauce, add more milk.
3. Once sauce is at desired consistency, pour over precooked noodles and mix in bacon pieces. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Week ONE: Recap!

Happy New Session Everybody! We had TWO great Taste Buddies classes today.  We started off by making black bean wraps, moved on to a fruit parfait, and then we finished the day with cinnamon tostadas! We hope you enjoy these recipes.  Happy cooking!

BLACK BEAN WRAPS:
This is a great item to make when you are out of meat at your house. Grab a can of black beans, and pour on the toppings! You can also bake or fry the tortillas if you like. We ate ours cold, but they are delicious either way!

FRUIT PARFAIT:
We used a bunch of fresh fruit from whole foods and put it in a parfait cup after some serious chopping. Sometimes it's just fun to serve fruits or vegetables in a fun dish!

CINNAMON TOSTADAS:
I am a huge fan of these. They are so easy to make, and we had the Taste Buddies use pastry brushes to "paint" melted butter on top of the tortillas. Be careful to watch the tortillas once they are broiling in the oven- they cook quickly! Delicious!

Week ONE: Black Bean Wraps and Cinnamon Tostadas

BLACK BEAN WRAPS
Ingredients:

• 2 tortillas
• 1 cup of black beans
• 1 tablespoon of canola oil
• 1/8 cup  chopped mango
• 1/8 cup chopped avacado
• 1/8 cup chopped tomatoes or salsa

Directions:

1. Mash beans until they arrive at a paste-like consistency.
2. Mix canola oil with mashed beans.
3. Spread on tortilla and top with remaining ingredients.
4. Roll up wrap and enjoy!

CINNAMON TOSTADAS
Ingredients:

• 1 tortilla
• 1 tablespoon of melted butter
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of sugar

Directions:

1. Using a pastry brush, "paint" melted butter on top of tortilla.
2. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
3. Broil for 3 minutes. Enjoy!

Week SIX: Recap!

I love using simple ingredients to make delicious food, and that was the theme of Taste Buddies class today. None of the recipes had more than four ingredients in them, and they all turned out to be delicious! These are great, easy recipes you can use that will be a family hit. Today, we made cinnamon oranges, spaghetti tacos and banana cream pie. Hope you enjoy!


CINNAMON ORANGES:
This is one of my favorite after-school snacks. You get Vitamin C, plus a little bit of sugar in the honey to be able to get started on homework! Delicious!


SPAGHETTI TACOS:
I always laugh when we make these in class because the grown-ups are generally wary, but everybody loved the taste of these today! This is a fun, inexpensive meal that your whole family can enjoy.

BANANA CREAM PIE: 
I must say, this is one of my favorite ways to make pie crust. A lot of recipes call for sugar, but I really don't think you need it because the graham crackers are sweet enough on their own.  Yum!

Week SIX: Cinnamon Oranges, Spaghetti Tacos and Banana Cream Pie

CINNAMON ORANGES:
Ingredients:

• 1 orange
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Slice oranges.
2. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon.
3. Start snacking!

SPAGHETTI TACOS:
Ingredients:

• 6 taco shells
• 1 box of spaghetti noodles
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups of marinara sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cook noodles according to package directions.
3. Combine cooked noodles and marinara sauce until noodles are covered.
4. Place noodles in taco shells and top with shredded cheese.
5. Bake for ten minutes. Have fun!

BANANA CREAM PIE:
Ingredients:

• 2 cups of graham crackers
• 1/2 cup butter at room temp
• 1 box of instant vanilla pudding
• 2 bananas
• 1 9-inch pie tin

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
2. Crush graham crackers until they look like sand.
3. Stick graham crackers in a bowl and mash until mixed in with butter. 
4. Using your hands, mash the graham cracker mixture into pie tin until evenly spread out. 
5. Bake for ten minutes. Let cool. 
6. Pour vanilla pudding into pie tin and top with sliced bananas. 
7. Whipped cream is optional. Yum!

Week FIVE: Recap!

IT'S PIZZA PARTY DAY! Hooray! I always love making pizza in Taste Buddies because you just can't go wrong. We made barbeque chicken pizza with a salad on the side, and we dyed vanilla yogurt different colors for dessert. Yum!

BARBEQUE CHICKEN PIZZA:
This is a recipe that we came up with in Taste Buddies, and I have to say, it is delicious. Feel free to add some feta cheese and bacon on top as well if you would like a little extra flavor!

VANILLA YOGURT PARFAIT:
We used food coloring to dye vanilla yogurt in cups. Then we sprinkled them with crushed oreos and gummy bears! Yum!

Week FIVE: Barbeque Chicken Pizza and Vanilla Yogurt Parfait

BARBEQUE CHICKEN PIZZA:
Ingredients:

• 1 bag of pre-made pizza dough
• 1 jar of barbeque sauce
• 1 yellow onion
• 2-3 red peppers
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 pre-cooked chicken breasts

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 450°F. 
2. Broil red peppers until charred, about 15 minutes. 
3. Peel off the charred part of the peppers and set aside. 
4. Chop onions and sprinkle with salt. 
5. Pour olive oil and balsamic into a pan and sauté onions until caramelized. 
6. Shred chicken. 
7. Roll out pizza dough on a pizza stone or pan and spread barbeque sauce evenly on dough. 
8. Place other toppings on top of pizza and bake for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

VANILLA YOGURT PARFAIT:
Ingredients:

• 1 cup of vanilla yogurt
• 2 drops of food coloring
• 2 Oreos
• 1 handful of gummy bears

Directions:

1. Pour yogurt into a clear parfait glass or small clear glass cup.
2. Drop in a couple of drops of food coloring and swirl until desired shade is reached.
3. Crush Oreos using hands or a rolling pin. 
4. Sprinkle Oreos on top of yogurt and top with gummy bears.

Week FOUR: Recap!

We had a SUPER FOODS DAY today! Not only was one of our Taste Buddies wearing a Superman shirt and cape, but we ate lots of different super foods. We ate sweet potatoes, blueberries, avocados, and black beans. What a healthy day! With those SUPER ingredients, we whipped up some sweet potato chips, black bean burgers, and fruit kabobs. It was just, well, super!

Week FOUR: Sweet Potato Chips, Black Bean Burgers and Fruit Kabobs

SWEET POTATO CHIPS:
from marthastewart.com
Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and sliced 1/8 inch thick
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, preferably sea salt
• 1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F, with racks in center and lower positions.
2. Divide sweet potatoes between 2 rimmed baking sheets. 
3. Drizzle with oil, toss, and spread them in a single layer on sheets. 
4. Bake, flipping once, until centers are soft and edges are crisp, 22 to 25 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with salt, and serve with lime wedges.

BLACK BEAN BURGERS:
from about.com
Ingredients:

• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 can black beans, well drained
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 slices bread, crumbled
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Oil for frying

Directions:

1. Sauté the onions till soft, about 3-5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, mash the beans until almost smooth. 
3. Add sautéd onions and the rest of the ingredients, except the oil, adding the flour a few tablespoons at a time to combine well. 
4. Mixture will be thick.
5. Form bean mixture into patties, approximately ½ inch thick and fry patties in a small amount of oil until slightly firm. 
6. Make veggie burgers and enjoy!

FRUIT KABOBS:
Ingredients:

• Cantaloupe
• Blueberries

Directions:

1. Chop cantaloupe
2. Skewer cantaloupe pieces and blueberries on a kabob stick.  Enjoy!

Week THREE: Recap!

Happy Wednesday! We celebrated this chilly day in Taste Buddies today with some tortilla soup, corn dog bread, and strawberry crêpes! I must say, the corn dog bread stole the show. There was absolutely none left by the end of class, and we even had some Taste Buddies asking if we could make more. Yummy!

TORTILLA SOUP:

I forget how easy and quick tortilla soup is to make- you can make this recipe in fifteen minutes! I think the secret to this recipe is the refried beans. They give the soup a thick consistency that is filling and delicious. What a great way to warm up from the cold!

CORN DOG BREAD:
This is such a fun recipe that kids absolutely love! We used corn bread mix from Whole Foods, and the Taste Buddies diced the hot dogs and shredded the cheese themselves. This can be a fun snack, or even a meal if you would like to add more hot dogs. Tasty!

STRAWBERRY CRÊPES
This is such a simple recipe. I love Stonewall Crêpe Mix for crêpes. We pre-made the crêpes and had the Taste Buddies chop strawberries and make whipped cream. The whipped cream was definitely the most popular aspect of this dish!

Week THREE: Tortilla Soup, Corn Dog Bread and Strawberry Crêpes

TORTILLA SOUP:
Ingredients:

• 2 10-ounce cans of diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
• 2 14-ounce cans of reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 16-ounce can refried beans
• 1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• Fried corn tortilla strips or chips
• Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

1. Combine undrained tomatoes and chicken broth in a medium saucepan. 
2. Stir in beans and corn. 
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for five minutes, stirring frequently. 
4. Add chicken and heat through. 
5. Serve topped with tortilla strips and cheese, if desired.

CORN DOG BREAD
Ingredients:

• 1 package cornbread mix (including other ingredients on back of box)
• 3 cooked hot dogs
• 1 cup of shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Pre-mix cornbread mixture. 
2. Dice hot dogs into small pieces and combine with mixture. 
3. Add cheese. 
4. Mix together and pour into muffin tin. 
5. Bake according to cornbread package directions. Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY CRÊPES
Ingredients:

• 1 quart heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup of powdered sugar
• Crêpe mix (including ingredients on crepe mix container)
• Strawberries

Directions:

1. Pour heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar into a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until frothy. 
2. Place strawberries on top of crepes and dollop with whipped cream. Enjoy!

WEEK TWO: Recap!

We had a full house today in Taste Buddies! There were ten little chefs ready to tackle spinach manicotti, corn salad, and Oreo truffles. I knew it was a successful today because most of the Taste Buddies left wearing their food (especially the chocolate) on their faces! What a great, delicious day! 

SPINACH MANICOTTI:
This is a such a wonderful recipe for kids and adults. It tastes great, and it is really fun for kids to squeeze the cheese mixture out of the baggie onto the pasta. I could eat this every week! 

CORN SALAD:
We had the Taste Buddies chop the corn off of the stalk, which I think is a really fun skill for them to learn. Their are so many great sensory foods in this salad, from the cilantro to the vinegar. This is a great recipe for your child to practice smelling and tasting! 

OREO TRUFFLES:

One of my favorites! I highly recommend this recipe. It is so easy and fun, and great for a party or special treat. Caution: these go very fast! There were none left at the end of class!

WEEK TWO: Spinach Manicotti, Corn Salad and Oreo Truffles

SPINACH MANICOTTI:

from recipegirl.com

Ingredients:

• 1 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed completely & squeezed dry
• 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 15 ounces ricotta cheese
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 box (12 to 14 shells) manicotti noodles
• 3 to 4 cups marinara sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, mix spinach, cheeses (reserving 1/2 cup of the Romano/Parmesan cheese), eggs, salt and pepper. Stir together until well-blended.
3. Place about 1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce in a 9x13-inch pan. Spread it around to cover the bottom.
4. Place the mixed filling into a plastic bag. You can use either a frosting piping bag or a gallon zip bag.
5. Snip the corner, gather the top and squeeze the filling into the corner. Hold an uncooked manicotti shell in your hand and squeeze the filling inside the shell. 
6. Let it overflow on both sides. Place the filled shell into the sauce-lined pan. Repeat with remaining manicotti and fill the pan with the stuffed shells, until you run out of shells and filling. You should be able to fill 12 to 14 shells- if you run out of room in your pan, use a separate smaller pan to accommodate the extra.
7. Cover the pasta with marinara sauce, using about 2 1/2 cups of sauce. Sprinkle 1/2 cup Romano/Parmesan on top. At this point, you can cover with foil and refrigerate until you're ready to bake, or you can cover with foil and place it in the oven immediately.
8. Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

CORN SALAD

Ingredients:

• 5 ears corn on the cob, shucked
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded & diced
• 1/2 cup red onion, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
• 3 medium limes, zest and juice
• Salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Grill the corn dry with no oil until you begin to get some char marks on the corn. 
2. Cut the kernels off of the corn after grilling and place them in a large bowl. 
3. Add the bell pepper, onion, cilantro and jalapeno.
4. In a separate bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, lime zest and juice. Whisk to combine the dressing ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Pour the dressing over the vegetables (you may wish to dress the salad lightly and not use all of the dressing, so add a little and then assess if it needs more) and toss gently.  Enjoy!

OREO TRUFFLES
from kraftrecipes.com
Ingredients:

• 1 package (8 oz.) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
• 1 package (16.6 oz.) Oreo cookies, finely crushed (about 4-1/4 cups), divided
• 2 packages (8 squares each) baker's semi-sweet chocolate, melted

Directions:

1. Mix cream cheese and 3 cups cookie crumbs until well-blended.
2. Shape into 48 1-inch balls. 
3. Dip in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. 
4. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.
5. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Store in tightly-covered container in refrigerator.

WEEK ONE: Recap!

Happy New Years! Forget the black-eyed peas- we started off Taste Buddies with macaroni and cheese. We also made an apple salad and s'more pastries. It was a delicious way to celebrate the new year!


MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH BACON:
Mac and Cheese is one of my favorite things to  make with kids. It is super tasty and it is really fun to let them help you shred the cheese. If you would like to make smaller portions for your child, you can always have them scoop the mac and cheese into cupcake wrappers and bake the mac and cheese in a muffin tin.

AUTUMN APPLE AND SPINACH SALAD:
I could not believe how much the Taste Buddies liked eating the bleu cheese in the salad! I was so impressed with how willing they were to try a new smelly cheese. Feel free to add a bit of red onion
to this salad as well. I suggest making a lot of the dressing and using it all week! It's one of my favorites!

PEANUT BUTTER S'MORE TURNOVERS:
We used real vanilla marshmallows in this recipe instead of marshmallow creme. I think this is a great recipe for a kids' party or a backyard camp out!  Enjoy!

Week ONE: Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon, Autumn Apple and Spinach Salad, and Peanut Butter S’more Turnovers

MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH BACON
Ingredients:

• 12 ounces (1 package) center-cut bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 
3 tablespoons butter

• 1 pound pasta (elbows or shells), cooked until very al dente- still the slightest bit crunchy
• 5 1/2 cups whole milk, heated until warm

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 12 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded & divided

• 8 ounces herb & garlic flavored goat cheese, crumbled

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic
• 
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 
6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into pieces

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.  Butter a 3-4 quart casserole dish.
2. To prepare breadcrumbs: Place garlic and parsley in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until they’re minced.  Add bread pieces and pulse until bread turns into crumbs and mixture is combined. Pour in butter and pulse until mixed in. Remove breadcrumbs to a bowl and set aside.
3. 
In a large skillet, sauté bacon until it is almost crisp. Remove bacon to paper towels to drain. Spoon out oil from pan, reserving about 1 Tablespoon of bacon drippings. 
4. Add 3 Tablespoons butter to the bacon drippings and heat to medium. When butter sizzles, add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. 
5. Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking.
6. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until mixture bubbles up and becomes thick. 
7. Remove pan from heat and stir in thyme, mustard powder, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and nutmeg. 
8. Stir in 3 cups cheddar and goat, and Parmesan cheeses.

9. Stir cooked pasta and cooked bacon into the cheese sauce. 
10. Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish. It will be very soupy.
11. Sprinkle remaining cheddar onto the pasta. 
12. Scatter herbed breadcrumbs over the top.
13. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Check at 15 minutes to make sure the breadcrumbs aren't browning too quickly (if they are, just place a sheet of foil loosely over the top). 
14. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.  Enjoy!

AUTUMN APPLE & SPINACH SALAD
Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

• 2 teaspoons honey

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion

• 8 cups bagged pre-washed baby spinach
• 1 large firm, sweet-tart apple, cored & thinly sliced

• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

Directions:

1. Combine juices and spices and stir well with a whisk.

2. Combine onion, spinach and apple in a large bowl.
3. Drizzle with dressing; toss gently to coat. 
4. Sprinkle with cheese.



PEANUT BUTTER S'MORES TURNOVERS


Ingredients:

• 1 box puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed

• 3 whole graham crackers, gently broken into quarters
• 9 small milk chocolate bars 
• 
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

• Small bowl of water
• 
1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water to make egg wash
• 
1/2 cup jarred marshmallow fluff)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray.
2. Lay puff pastry on cutting board. Working with one sheet at a time, cut on three folds, creating 3 rectangles (about 3" x 10" each). 
3. Cut each 3 x 10 rectangle in half. You'll have 6 pieces to work with for each sheet of pastry.
4. Lay graham cracker on 1/2 of each square and top with chocolate that has been cut down to match the length of the graham cracker.
5. Spread 1 tablespoon of peanut butter on top of each chocolate bar.

6. Wet edges of pastry and fold in half to meet opposite edges. 
7. Gently push edges together to stick; use fork to seal edges together and create ridged pattern. 
8. Repeat with each turnover until all are sealed up. Gently move sealed turnovers to baking sheet with a small spatula.
9. Brush turnovers lightly with egg wash, then use a sharp knife to cut two small slits into the top of each turnover.
10. Bake 15 minutes, or until turnovers are puffed and golden. 
11. Remove from oven. Let cool for 5 minutes. 
12. Scoop marshmallow fluff into a zip bag (do not close).
13. Microwave for 8 seconds to soften. 
14. Zip bag and snip a small piece off of the corner of the bag. 
15. Drizzle marshmallow onto the top of each turnover. Serve immediately!