DallasNews Family

Want to get the kids to put down those chips and eat something nutritious?
For ages 8 to 14, Central Market offers Kids in the Kitchen: Healthy After-School Snacks today from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The Central Market Cooking School staff will teach kids how to whip up Pita Surprises, Popcorn Ice Cream Cones, Vegetable Pinwheels and yogurt parfaits.
Sounds so good, you may want to snack on them yourself.
Central Market, Coit Road at Bush Turnpike, Plano. $35. 469-241-8300. Visit centralmarket.com to view upcoming Kids in the Kitchen classes.

Posted by Nancy Churnin at 01:12 PM | Permalink

We've had a debate going all afternoon. If you create tiny Christmas "trees" out of ice cream cones and green icing, should they be eaten? Or are they merely for looks? Either way, they make fun placeholders for the holiday meal. Find out what your kids think. Directions here. You'll also find directions for decorated letters made from pound cake. Make one for each child's plate.

Posted by Cathy Barber at 05:46 PM | Permalink

Ho, ho, hold the mayo. Blue Star Deli in Farmers Branch will be offering free photos with Santa tomorrow from 8 to 10:30 a.m. The deli is located at 14724 Webb Chapel Road just south of Belt Line.

Posted by Kim Harwell at 11:30 AM | Permalink

When Tonia Lyle of Richardson heads to a holiday gathering, she usually brings a batch of Cranberry Muffins. She can bake them in advance and freeze them until the big day and the bright red berries make them festive. Here's the recipe.

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 01:50 PM | Permalink

Lemon Rum Cake will make dessert into a special occasion.

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 11:48 AM | Permalink

Few people know that you can freeze grains, which turn out fluffy, not mushy, when microwaved or cooked in a pan.
Try freezing cooked grains such as rice, quinoa and millet in small glass bowls to cut your dinner prep time during the week.

Source: www.simpleliving.com

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 12:20 PM | Permalink

Here's a way to make meatloaf healthier for your family: Use ground turkey and stuff it with veggies. Hey, it's worth a try.

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 10:55 AM | Permalink

Thanksgiving always catches me by surprise. Not only because I still have Halloween decorations up, but because it makes me realize I need to start making the lemon tea bread I give to work friends every December. I love handing out the foil-wrapped, bow-tied loaves, but sometimes I need a shove to get started.

I confess that I used to wrap my arms around this recipe and not share it with anyone. But lately I've felt a bit altruistic about it. That, or maybe I'm hoping somebody will make it for me!

Anyway, the recipe started out as one from an old Farm Journal cookbook. Through the years, I changed it up a bit, as I tend to do.

OK, enough stalling. Maybe if I know you're baking it, I'll be inspired to get started, too. Oh, and I double it...and make batch after batch. Lots of hungry work mouths to feed, ya' know.

LEMON TEA BREAD
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In one bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In larger bowl, combine one cup sugar, butter, eggs, lemon extract and lemon juice. Beat at medium speed for two minutes.
Add dry ingredients alternately with milk, beating after each addition. Stir in walnuts or pecans. Pour into greased 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan.
Bake for 50 minutes, or till toothpick stuck into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix together 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup lemon juice for the topping. Using a fork, prick holes in the bread. Pour lemon-sugar mixture over top.

When cool, remove from pan. Wrap in foil, tie with a bow, and give to a special somebody or two. Yes, they'll probably notice if there's a bite missing. But you may not be able to resist. Besides, once they taste it...they'll understand.

Posted by Leslie Garcia at 05:39 PM | Permalink

If you're not really into turkey, why make one? These families never do.

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 08:01 AM | Permalink

Here's a family-friendly dinner idea: Corn Chip-Crusted Catfish one night, fish tacos another. Perfect for when the family gets sick of turkey this week.

Get the recipes from Double-Duty Dinners.

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 04:06 PM | Permalink

Last-minute Thanksgiving help: Lynne Rossetto Kasper, author of The Splendid Table, will answer last-minute questions about the turkey day feast on a live call-in show that will air on KERA (90.1 FM) from 10 a.m. to noon Thanksgiving Day. Even if you don't have a question, it should make good listening while you're basting and baking your own meal.

Kim Pierce

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 01:11 PM | Permalink

To prevent all the food preparation from piling up on Thanksgiving Day, Pete Loren, director of culinary development for Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace in Michigan offers some tips:
One week away
Make all the sauces, chutneys, marmalades, dips and other condiments that will last long past Thanksgiving and put them in the fridge.
Buy all beverages and store them in the garage.
Three days away
Do all fresh-food shopping.
If you’re buying a frozen turkey, today is your cutoff, as a large bird will need at least two days of defrosting in the refrigerator.
The day before
Do any baking.
Set the table.
Make stuffing, but don’t stuff the turkey, as there are food-safety issues. When stuffed, the bird tends to dry out. Cover with plastic wrap and put in fridge.
Make vegetable and relish trays. For maximum crispness, cover with clean, wet towels, then plastic wrap and put in fridge.

The Detroit News

Posted by Emily Tsao at 07:07 AM | Permalink

If your teenagers’ table manners leave something to be desired — or you just want to instill a love of fine dining and social graces before they get completely stuck in a drive-through mindset — consider an early holiday present: The Mansion on Turtle Creek’s upcoming Teen’s Etiquette Class on Nov. 11. The two-hour class is taught by etiquette expert Colleen Rickenbacher and includes a three-course lunch prepared by executive chef John Tesar, as well as a copy of that foodie must-have reference, The Food Lover’s Companion.

Continue reading "Miss manners?" »

Posted by Kim Harwell at 12:16 PM | Permalink

The nine area locations of Razzoo’s Cajun Cafe are participating in a weeklong "Food for Thought" fund drive benefiting the Learning for Life program from Boy Scouts of America. Through Oct. 28, Razzoo’s will offer diners information about the program and accept tax-deductible donations at the restaurant; each location will also match up to $1,000 of customers’ donations. Diners who donate $27 — the amount needed per student per school year to fund the program — will receive a Razzoo’s gift card for a free appetizer.

Continue reading "Food for Thought from Razzoo’s" »

Posted by Kim Harwell at 05:16 PM | Permalink

Try some breakfast foods for dinner. They're fast and easy. And always tasty. Desperation Dinners columnists offer a ham and omelet recipe.

Posted by Emily Tsao at 02:16 PM | Permalink

There's A Chef in My World, the newest kid-friendly cookbook from superchef Emeril Lagasse, contains recipes from around the world. They're not necessarily things kids would make by themselves. Emeril, who is the father of a 3-year-old son and a 22-month-old daughter, wants kids to be exposed to more than chicken nuggets. Check out his recipe for BLT Hot Dogs.

Posted by Cathy Barber at 11:47 AM | Permalink

The Coppell Farmers Market is the real deal. Every Saturday, farmers and other food producers line up in an empty lot at West Bethel Road at South Coppell Road. This is a good place to take the kids; they can meet the people who grew their fruits and veggies.
From 8 a.m. to noon -- assuming the goods hold out -- you can buy locally grown produce, including some organics. You'll also find jams and jellies, coffee, frozen Gulf seafood, Italian sausage, pasta and more. Bring a cooler, a bag for carrying your purchases, small bills, and a hat if it’s sunny. The market shuts down in November but will be open for special events on these days:
Oct. 28: Halloween/ Fall market
Nov. 18: Old Town Coppell Days
Dec. 9 and 16: Holiday markets
Kim Pierce

Posted by Cathy Barber at 11:52 AM | Permalink

A few tweaks to a traditional oatmeal cookie receipe allows your family to get all the nutrition benefits in a low-fat treat. Check out the Eat For Life column for details.

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 10:47 AM | Permalink

Flavors From Afar kicks off its "Fall Fest Weekends" with a visit from two city-life dropouts Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. Caroline and Alan Fruth of Fruth Farms will be on hand to talk about what it's like to trade corporate life for farm life, as well as explain their philosophy of respect for the animals they raise on their farm near Greenville.

These include free-range, grass-fed cows, goats and chickens. They'll have rainbow eggs for sale ($4.50 a dozen), as well as their beef and farm-grown produce. You can also sign up for an Oct. 7 field trip to the farm.

Flavors From Afar is at 6705 Snider Plaza. For more information, call 214-696-2327.

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 01:26 PM | Permalink

René Peeters, chef and owner of Watel's Allen Street Cottage, offers hands-on cooking classes for kids 12 to 14.

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturdays, Sept. 23, 30 and Oct. 7 and 14; $20 per session per child (parents free if space allows). 2207 Allen St.; 214-720-0323 (after 5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday) or www.watels.com.

For more great things to do with the kids, see our Family Calendar.

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 12:24 PM | Permalink

1. Prepare your favorite- shaped pasta according to package directions. Drain and cool. Place one layer of pasta in the bottom of each parfait glass.

2. Steam an assortment of colorful vegetables. Layer vegetables with more pasta and grated Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers until the parfait glass is full.

3. Pour a generous serving of prepared Alfredo sauce over the top, and garnish with a garlic breadstick.

Jane Jarrell

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 09:57 AM | Permalink

The New York State Department of Transportation says that kids who take lunches in disposable bags or containers generate 45 to 90 pounds of garbage every year. Help fight that problem with a better lunch box. The Laptop Lunch bento box has reusable polypropylene plastic food containers that keep everything in its place. No more baggies! $34.95, www.reusablebags.com

For more eco-friendly products for the school year, see Solutions.

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 10:40 AM | Permalink

One way to make getting dinner on the table is to plan a sandwich night. Check out Desperation Dinners for a plan for easy "Super Salad Sandwiches."

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 10:30 AM | Permalink

The Garland Association for Hispanic Affairs will host Fiesta in the Park 2006 from 1 to 8 p.m. Sept. 10 at Central Park, 1310 W. Ave. F. Sponsors, crafts vendors and volunteers are needed. The event celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month and will include food, music, games and prizes. Call Elvia at 972-272-9484.

Posted by Emily Tsao at 11:46 AM | Permalink

Wild About Harry's is celebrating its 10th anniversary. This weekend, buy a hot dog, and you'll get a free scoop of ice cream. Details.

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 08:41 PM | Permalink

Don't you love curbside delivery? No need to haul out into the heat; everybody stays buckled up and cool inside.

Latest restaurant to offer this luxury is Greenz, home of huge and hugely satisfying salads. It's this simple: Phone in your order to either the Uptown or Addison location. Call again when you get to the restaurant, and a Greenz staffer will deliver the goods. Place a phone order anytime between 5 and 9 p.m.

Addison Circle Greenz, 15615 Quorum Drive: 972-385-7721
Uptown Greenz, 2808 McKinney Avenue: 214-720-7788.

Undecided? You can't go wrong with the chipotle chicken or spicy panko shrimp. Then again, the Hawaiian tuna is a real treat. Check the whole menu here.

Posted by Cathy Barber at 11:49 AM | Permalink

About this time each week we've used up all the dinner supplies we bought last weekend and it's time for takeout. We've been asking people around town where they go for something good, and have a pretty good response. See what people said, and share your thoughts:

Who makes your favorite burger?

Where do you go for great takeout?

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 11:04 AM | Permalink

This week's Double Duty Dinners column features "Meatloaf with a Future," from Sharon Burr of Dallas. Not into meatloaf, but looking for dinner solutions? Check the Double Duty Dinner archive.

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 10:43 AM | Permalink

Need a recipe that tastes good but doesn't require a sous chef? Check out our Easy Recipes.

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 10:40 AM | Permalink

We love this fun dinner idea for kids from local food stylist Jane Jarrell: pasta parfaits, made with pasta, steamed veggies and bottled Alfredo sauce.

Simply layer pasta, your choice of steamed veggies and some parmesan cheese in a tall glass; repeat layers, then top the whole thing with warmed Alfredo sauce. Finish it off with a long bread stick.

For added flash, use colored pasta.

Posted by Cathy Barber at 02:39 PM | Permalink

In our Break Room area, we were wondering: In a blind taste test, could you tell the difference between Jif and Peter Pan peanut butters? Between reduced fat and regular? Between brand-name and generic? We decided to find out.

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 01:41 PM | Permalink

Some people celebrate Grandparent's Day on Sunday, some wait until November. We say, celebrate both! Check out this week's Desperation Dinners for a recipe for fancy French Toast that's easy, but will make Grandma and Grandpa feel special.

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 02:46 PM | Permalink

When there's not much time, what do you grab to eat? Check out what our readers suggest, and post your own ideas.

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 03:31 PM | Permalink

We love this idea from Discount Dame Karen Elizabeth Watts: Before any hot-weather get-together, make tea, lemonade or any other flavored drink, and freeze it in ice cubes. Use these drink cubes instead of plain ice cubes, to keep drinks from being watered down. Have fun by mixing and matching: Use lemonade cubes in tea, or let the kids choose Kool-Aid cubes to make their own custom blend. It's also a good way to recycle that last bit of coffee in the pot: Make coffee cubes to use in iced coffee later.

Posted by Cathy Barber at 10:38 AM | Permalink

If you're headed to a Labor Day party next weekend, consider this easy variation on Deviled Eggs from the Desperation Dinners team.

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 12:45 PM | Permalink

If you're planning a plane trip soon, you know you have to have a plan for bringing food on the flight. One great solution: Snyders chese-and-pretzel sandwiches. More solutions.

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 10:25 AM | Permalink

Speed up your dinner prep by picking up ingredients for dinner and then adding to them. That's the premise of Dallas author Anne Greer McCann's Take-home Miracles column. This week, she dresses up salmon cakes from Central Market by adding an elegant salad.

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 10:02 AM | Permalink

If you don't have time to marinate, try adding a rub to your steak. Check out Desperation Dinners for some ideas.

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 01:23 PM | Permalink

Dress up dinner tonight with an easy peach salsa over pork chops or grilled fish. Desperation Dinners.

Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 01:32 PM | Permalink

Chipotle holds a "Back to School Blast" on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at select locations. Local police and fire officials will offer children safety tips. Students will also receive free backpacks and school supplies. The event will be held at the following Chipotles:
- 1800 S. Loop 288, Denton
- Collin Creek Mall, 1009 N. Central Expressway, Plano
- Upper Greenville, 7700 N. Central Expressway, Dallas
- 3000 W. 7th St., Fort Worth

Posted by Emily Tsao at 04:10 PM | Permalink