Vegetable Bone Pocket

Welcome to the boneyard!! These vegetable pockets are great for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, standing on your head, dancing in the halls…whatever your heart desires. What is even better about these is that they are super easy to put together, a great last minute Halloween party item. To make it even easier we used premade pizza dough as the crust, and there is nothing wrong with that! Sometimes you just need a little cheat to make things go easier.

Enjoy your meal, bonedaddy!

Ingredients: depending on size makes about 5-6

4 Pillsbury pizza doughs (it is super easy, and can just roll right out)
3 large leaves kale
1 medium leek
1 /2 cup shredded Brussel sprouts
3 Tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons garlic salt
2 cups cubed pepper jack cheese
Pinch of flour

Start by chopping up all of your vegetables. Heat oil in a sauté pan on medium high heat, and place vegetables in. Sprinkle salt on top, and sauté until slightly cooked, about 6 minutes.

Next preheat oven to 425. While preheating start rolling out your dough on a lightly floured surface, roll out one at a time so it doesn’t get cray in your work area. Once you roll out the dough, cut shapes of bones that are about 8 inches long, and 3 inches wide. Place vegetable mix on the dough, making sure that you don’t get too much towards the edges of your bone shape because the oil will make it tough to close all the way. Top with cheese and place another bone cut out on top.

Once you have filled all of your bones, use a fork to pinch the sides down to close all the way.

Place in oven and cook for 14 minutes, or until golden brown, turning half way through!

Enjoy!

 

Back to School Lunch!

Happy Back to School! I don’t know about you guys, but it seems earlier and earlier every year. That being said, adults get a little bit of freedom back, and kids get to catch up with old friends. First day of school screams new outfits, summertime tales, fresh notebooks, new teachers, and old haunts.

We came up with a great back to school lunch delicious to kids (it has been child tested) and it is chock full of great things such as broccoli, yam, apple…but it is all snuck in with a twist!

On the menu we have: broccoli cheese whole wheat pasta, yam chips, and cinnamon apple rice krispy treats. Enjoy!

Ingredients will make about 5 servings

Pasta:
1 box whole wheat pasta (we used rotini because it is fun)
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded cheddar
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large head broccoli
Kosher salt

Yam Chips:
1 large yam
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt

Cinnamon Apple Rice Krispy Treat:
5 Cups Rice Krispy Cereal
5 cups small marshmallows
1 Large green apple
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter + some for greasing
¼ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Bring a large pot of water, and a small pot of water to a boil. In the meantime cut the large head of broccoli into smaller pieces. When large water comes to a boil, pour in pasta. When small water comes to boil, pour in broccoli. In a medium sized pot start melting butter right before pasta is done, cook pasta 9-12 minutes or until slightly al dente. Cook broccoli about 5 minutes or until tender when poked with fork.

Once butter is melted, strain and pour in pasta. Stir pasta so that it gets coated in butter, pour in broccoli and stir more. Pour grated cheese in thirds and stir so that it doesn’t melt in clumps. Sprinkle salt in to your liking.

For the chips I suggest using a mandolin, because they are awesome! Preheat oven to 415 degrees.

Clean outside of yam before slicing. Slice yam relatively thin, not so thin that you can see light through it, but no so thick that they snap in half…they should be able to bend. In a bowl, toss with olive oil.

Lay out on cookie sheets and very lightly sprinkle with salt, they get salty very easily.

Bake about 10 minutes, or until you see little brown spots pop up. Rotate halfway through.

These Rice Krispies don’t hold together as tightly as the old fashioned kid without apple, so we are adding a bit more marshmallow…but who cares, they won’t be around long because they are so quickly devoured!

Before doing anything, make sure to grease bottom and sides of 9”x11” pan.

Start by cubing apple into pretty small pieces about a centimeter cubed. In a small sauce pan melt butter and sugar. When melted pour in apple pieces, stir to coat, then add 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Stir frequently for about 10 minutes until apple is soft. Set aside.

In a medium/ large deep sauce pan melt marshmallows while stirring constantly. Add teaspoon of cinnamon and stir for two more minutes. Add in apples and stir in completely. Then add in cereal and stir that in completely.

Using a greased spatula, pour mix into your already greased pan, pushing mix in as tight as possible. Let cool, and then slice!!

This is such a delicious combo, I suggest that adults enjoy it too!

Back to School Lunchbox!!!

  These days I really have no idea when kids start school. When I was younger it was after labor day, until I got to high school, now it seems that many children start really early. For those of us who remember starting school after labor day, here is a back to school lunch for your kids (or yourself). Every paper bag lunch should consist of a sandwich, chips, some dip, and a little something sweet. Michael was such a cute little boy, and sometimes I still make him PBJ sammies so here is a healthy twist on all the good things that little kids love. Our lunch line up today is:

Peanut Butter Banana and Honey Sandwich
Carrot Chips
Greek Dip
Chocolate Covered Apple Slices

Ingredients:
Peanut Butter Banana and Honey Sandwich:

2 slices 100% whole wheat bread
4 Tlb. organic creamy peanut butter
1 ½ Tlb. orange blossom honey
1 ripe banana

Carrot Chips and Dip:

4 large carrots
2 Tsp. sea salt
2 Tsp. olive oil
1/3 cup greek yogurt
1 cucumber
1 stem dill

Chocolate Covered Apples:

1 granny smith
Chocolate dip mix

 

 

 

 

I honestly am using a microwaveable chocolate mix because it is so easy, quick, and tasty. This lunch is for your kids, and you don’t need to slave over the small things to achieve what you want. That being said core and slice your apple, then following the instructions heat up your chocolate. Dip the slices in the chocolate, place on a wax paper covered plate, and leave in the freezer to harder.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and peal the skin off of the carrots, and then chop into three sections. Using a mandolin, or whatever thin slicer instrument you have, slice the carrots paper thin. In a bowl mix together the carrot, olive oil and sea salt. Lay all the slices out on to two baking sheets (they can touch but not overlap). Place in oven and cook for 30 minutes, at the half way point flip the sheet trays around. Once they are finished, take out and lay on a cooling rack so they can crisp up.

In the meantime make the dip by peeling and very finely dicing half of the cucumber, and dicing up the dill. Mix up the greek yogurt, cucumber, dill, and a pinch of salt.

Now on to the finale, the sandwich, three easy steps. Take the bread, spread the peanut butter, place banana slices, drizzle honey, put top slice on, slice… and eat!!!

This lunch is so simple, delicious, and healthy. Wind down the summer and get ready for the school year, and make your kids this lunch….hey even boyfriends love it!!!