Lemon Water Ice

I worked at Rita's when I was younger (and subsequently got fired for giving food away to my friends - whatev! - ha!) and I always looooved the lemon water ice. Paul and I are having an "at home date night" tonight and it's really muggy outside, so I decided to make something cool and refreshing. This one is super easy and REALLY yummy!

All you need is:
1 3/4 c water
1 c sugar
The juice of 3 lemons (I added a bit of zest from a lemon, too)

Add sugar to water and heat in a saucepan. Bring to a boil until sugar is totally incorporated into the water. Turn off heat, add lemon juice, whisk well, and poor into a pan. I used a loaf pan and it fit well. It won't fill the entire dish up, so don't be alarmed! Put the dish/pan in the freezer for a couple of hours. I was out for about 3 hours and it was perfect by then. Rake a fork through the frozen mixture and voila - lemon granita! DELICIOUS! I saved the halves of the lemons I used to serve the granita. You can add a sprig of mint if you're feeling fancy!

And hey, if you're feeling saucy, maybe add some liquor (mmm - tequila anyone?!)!Obviously the saucy version isn't so kid-friendly, hehe! I just thought of how delicious it would be to puree some watermelon and make some watermelon water ice, too... another Rita's fave! Get creative and let me know what you did! I'll pick up a watermelon this week and let you know the ratios of watermelon, sugar, and water I used.

Stay cool! And don't mind this awful photo... a certain someone was climbing on the computer desk as I tried to take this!

Baked veggie and potato chips

So here's an easy side dish or snack for your little one (and you!) I make these a couple of times a week and they are a snap.

Here's what you'll need
-A couple potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, or any root veggie (or combo of any)
-A bit of olive oil (MAYBE a tbsp?)
-Some pepper, to taste
-Garlic powder, to taste (maybe a tsp or so... I like garlic!)
-A dash of salt to finish

You can make "french fries" or "chips," depending on how you cut them. I usually cut the potato or veggie into a thin disc, forming a chip because they get nice and cripsy that way and they are easier to cut! If you have a mandoline, use that for an even quicker prep! Preheat oven to 400. After you have cut your potatoes or veggies, line a cookie sheet with tin foil, rub some EVO on it so they don't stick, put potatoes/veggies in a bowl, drizzle with EVO, pepper, and garlic (or any other seasonings you like) and lay them flat on your cookie sheet. Bake for about 40 min, flipping them over half-way. Check them after about 30 min be sure they aren't burnt. After they are done, sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and voila - homemake "chips!" Jude loves these (and so does my husband!)

Try other seasonings, too! Maybe some parsley and oregano, finished with a bit of parm cheese for an Italian version! Try some chili powder and cayenne for a bit more kick! Let me know what you try!

I'm terrible at updating.

So sorry! Jude was really sick for awhile and I've just totally spaced on the blog. I promise to post my baked veggie and potato chip recipe tomorrow or the next day. Hope everyone is well!

A question for you!

What are YOUR favorite snacks, meals, treats, etc to serve your toddler? I'm always looking for new ideas!

Have a great day!

Easy peasy cheesey puffs! (My take on "Goldfish")

So I was thinking of a new snack to make when I saw the Cheddar Bunnies in my pantry adn thought.. AHA! This recipe is SO quick, easy, and mess-free. Jude and I just sat and ate a ridiculous amount, too, because they are downright delish. Here's what I did!

1/4 c old fashioned rolled oats, ground in the food processor (do this FIRST) (If you don't have oats on hand, use 1/2 c flour)
1/4 c flour
2 tbsp cold butter. I used Smart Balance, so I didn't chop up the butter, but if you use regular odl butter - cut it up into smaller pieces.
4 oz grated cheese (I used a "Mexican 4 cheese blend"... 4 oz is about half a bag)
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp water

Pulse the oats, flour, butter, cheese and salt in a food processor until combined. It'll be a course mixture. Add in the water, 1 tbsp at a time until the mixture comes together a bit. You'll be able to press it into a ball with your hands. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 20 or so minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Roll dough into 1/8 -1/4 inch thickness. For a totally easy clean up - open the plastic wrap and cover the top with some parchment. Roll on top of the parchment and when finished rolling, used said parchment to line your cookie sheet! Voila!

After your dough is rolled, either cut out with itsy bitsy cookie cutters, or take the easy route like I did and cut dough with a pizza cutter into about 1 inch by 1/2 inch rectangles. You can make them any size or shape you want, really, but I wanted something that would fit into Jude's snack container! :) Transfer the dough onto the parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

The result is a Goldfish-flavored cracker-like puff that is sooo tasty! The bottom is a bit crispy and the top is soft and doughy, kind of like a puff pastry. Keep them in an airtight container for a couple of days.

This bowl WAS full until someone got their hands on it... Okay, I may have eaten a bunch, too!


This would've made almost 3 cookie sheets full of puffs, but my little "helper" threw an entire batch on the ground!

Enjoy and have a great weekend!