Build A Menu Blog

Patriotic Ideas for Memorial Day

Shani — Tue, 21 May 2013 22:02:09 +0000

What an amazing country we live in and what a blessing to be able to take time this weekend to remember those who have given so much for our country and who continue to serve selflessly when the need arises.

To provide inspiration for our Memorial Day Weekend festivities, the Build a Menu Team compiled a little edible “Red, White, and Blue”. Enjoy!

Can this be any more patriotic? And so simple to create. Blueberry “stars” with “stripes” of watermelon cut up and cubed cheese. Simple and beautiful!

http://wenderly.com/2010/07/02/patriotic-watermelon-feta-flag/

Red White and Blue Kabobs

http://www.my719moms.com/news/fun-memorial-day-recipes/#.T9Y7Xx4dIiU.pinterest

How about an activity that involves the kids? Dip large marshmallows in water and pat off excess. Sprinkle 1/3 of them with red sprinkles, 1/3 with blue sprinkles, and leave some white. Grease skewers with butter and add marshmallows in a red, white and blue pattern. Display several in a glass for a great table decoration.

Patriotic Fruit Bowl

http://edytaandco.blogspot.com/search?q=recipes

Another super simple but beautiful option. Layer generous layers of blueberries, whipped cream, and raspberries for a fresh, patriotic fruit bowl.

Berry Topped Stars

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Berry-Topped-Stars

And what’s a celebration without a little sweet treat, right? These delights are just star shaped sugar cookies, topped with cream cheese frosting and thinly sliced strawberries with a kiwi in the middle. Yum!!

Thank you to those that have gone before and thank you to those who are currently serving our great country. We are forever indebted.

Shani and the Build A Menu Team

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Fruit Pops {healthy snacks for kids}

Patti Brown — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:36:57 +0000

The sun is shining, school is winding down and we’re feeling summer break on the horizon. Summer time means melon time here in Texas!

I can’t remember where I stumbled on the idea of serving fruit like lollipops, but it sure was a hit with the kids! Fruit pops are a cheery and delicious treat that children love, and they are healthy enough to make Mom cheer too. And who knows… you might just convince your picky eater to try a new kind of fruit this way!

Fruit Pops

melon (watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, etc)
8″ lollipop sticks

1) Wash the melon and cut 1/2 inch slices, de-seeding if necessary. I did this part myself, but an older child would be able to do it. With melons that had seeds, I used slices that were close to the rind.

Bigger melons will yield more “cuttable” flesh, but both our honeydew and cantaloupe were small and we still managed to get a good bit from them. I did notice that the fresher the watermelon is the better; older watermelon develop internal cracks and fall apart more easily.

2) Lay the slices on a cutting board and let the kids go to work with the cookie cutters. We found small to medium sized shapes the easiest to work with.

At first we tried cutting some watermelon with a large shape, and cutting out a smaller hole from the center of it with a different cookie cutter. Then we used the same small cookie cutter to cut out a piece from a cantaloupe, and inserted the cantaloupe shape into the cutout area of the watermelon. It was absolutely adorable (actual squeals came from the daughter!), but completely unable to hold itself together on the lollipop stick. I think that level of fancy is more of a mom project than a kid project. But maybe you can figure it out (please leave a comment if you do!)

In the end our kids had the most success with the smaller shapes.

3) Once your shapes are cut, it’s time to insert the lollipop sticks. If the melon flesh is resistant to the stick, you may want to use a wooden skewer to start the hole. Then carefully insert the lollipop sticks into the bottom of the fruit pieces.

4) Serve your fruit pops immediately. Over time the sticks absorb the juices from the melon, and wilt! Then you have fruit sliding off all over the place. Ask me how I know. ☺

We hope you’ll enjoy this colorful, delicious and nutritious summer snack. We’d love to hear what shapes you make!

Fruit Pops {healthy snacks for kids}

Author: BuildAMenu

Recipe type: Cooking With Kids

Cute fruit shapes on lollipop sticks inspire kids to enjoy a healthy treat

Ingredients

melon (watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, etc)
8 ” lollipop sticks

Instructions

Prepare large ½ inch thick slices of melon. Fresher and larger melons yield the most cuttable flesh.
Lay the melon slices on a cutting board and cut into shapes with cookie cutters.
Insert the lollipop sticks into fruit shapes. If the melon flesh is resistant to the stick, you can use a wooden skewer to start the hole.
Serve your fruit pops immediately. Over time the sticks absorb the juices from the melon, and wilt! Then you have fruit sliding off all over the place.

Patti & The Build A Menu Team

Grilling Chart

Shani — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:11:33 +0000

Do your Memorial Day weekend plans include grilling? This fabulous chart is like a mini grilling course and cheat sheet all in one. Talk about taking all the stress out of grilling. No more guessing about cooking times or best temperatures for the traditional items like steaks and burgers, but they also include the same information for vegetables and even seafood items. Down at the bottom they have even included the minimum safe internal temperatures by meat type. Why not print and laminate it for the family’s designated “griller”? We think they will thank you for it!

Thank you to Daily Infographic for this comprehensive resource.

Happy Beginning of the Grillng Season!

Shani and the Build A Menu Team

How to Make Your Own Granola

Shani — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:47:40 +0000

Does your family love granola? Ours does. We like to put a little on top of yogurt, or eat a bowlful with Almond Milk for breakfast, and we even use it as a quick topping for a fruit crisp. But, the price, oh the price. Not to mentioned that store bought is highly processed, full of additives, and can be loaded with sugar. Here is an easy way to make your own granola. Think of all the money you will save! And… how good you will feel about starting your family’s day with something so healthy.

Homemade Granola

Ingredients

½ cup coconut oil or palm shortening
½ cup honey
½ cup brown sugar or rapadura/sucanat
1 tsp cinnamon
7 cups rolled oats (gluten free if necessary)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 for slightly chewy granola or 375 for crunchy granola.
In a small saucepan add shortening, honey and rapadura. Cook on medium heat until shortening is melted and stir until ingredients are combined. The sugar/rapadura will not melt and become one with the oil. When you stop stirring it will settle to the bottom. That’s ok. Just give it a quick stir right before you add it to the oats.
In a large bowl combine oats and melted ingredients.
Spread evenly on 2 parchment lined 9 x 13 pans.
Put the pans in the oven and turn the oven OFF.
Leave overnight.
Store in airtight container for weeks, if it lasts that long.

Notes

Enjoy adding raisins, shredded coconut, nuts, and other dried fruits to make your own favorite combination.

Be sure to share the granola combination you come up with in the comments below. We love to hear from you!

Shani and the Build a Menu Team

More Frugal Kitchen Tips

Shani — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:51:57 +0000

You asked for more frugal tips, and the BAM team LIKES helping you save time and money, so here you go….

Have a favorite seasoning combination for the taco or pasta recipe that you make regularly? Premix the proportions in snack size baggies so all you have to do is grab and add in. Huge time saver.
Only using part of the package of bacon? Roll up the remaining slices into tight coils using two to four pieces in each coil. Put the coils in a freezer bag and place flat in the freezer. Makes it easy to grab only the amount you need next time and keep the rest frozen.
Have leftover smoothie? Pour into 3 oz waxed paper cups (or Popsicle molds, if you have them) and freeze for Smoothie Pops. Smart, huh?! If you let them freeze part way then add the Popsicle sticks in and continue freezing until solid, the sticks will be straight in the cups.
It’s hard to use a full can of Chipolte Chiles since a little goes a long way. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spoon the chiles with a couple of teaspoons of the adobo sauce into mounds on different areas of the cookie sheet and freeze. When frozen, transfer to freezer bag and only pull out the portion needed in the future.
Save your potato water (you know, the water leftover after boiling potatoes). It is a great thickener (great for those who can’t use cornstarch or flour) and can be added to breads and soups. You retain all the vitamins that were lost to the boiling water – a bonus! Potato water can also be frozen for later use.

Best wishes to you on your frugal journey.

Shani and the Build A Menu Team

Strawberry Salsa in Avocado Halves

Shani — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:10:16 +0000

Strawberry Salsa served in Avocado Halves would add a delightful, punch of color (and flavor!) to a spring party and is quick enough to make for a fresh snack, just for fun. The spiciness can be adjusted by using more or less of the chilies or by experimenting with different varieties of peppers. Have fun with it!

Strawberry Salsa in Avocado Halves

Ingredients

2 fresh jalapeño chilies, finely chopped
2 cups finely chopped strawberries
½ cup finely chopped white onion
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

Combine chilies, strawberries, onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Mix gently to combine.
Serve in avocado halves.

Notes

The salsa can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. It will not keep long term, however. The heat/spiciness can be adjusted by adding more or less peppers or experimenting with different pepper varieties.

Enjoy!

Shani and the Build A Menu Team

Homemade Oreo Cookie Blizzards

Lisa Holcomb — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:28:34 +0000

Who doesn’t love a Blizzard? No, not the cold snowy kind. The cold ice cream kind. My favorite is the Heath Blizzard. Unfortunately, not only are they pricy, but they aren’t exactly the best for your waistline. So, how about trying to make your own? You can make it just like directions here call for, or you can skinny it up, or you can even make it allergy free (no dairy, gluten or nuts) if you’d like. Here’s how:

You’ll need ice cream of course ( or a non dairy ice cream can be used), milk (or a non milk product like almond milk), cookies, candies or any type of berries. We used vanilla ice cream, vanilla sugar free almond milk and then we were really BAD and used Oreo cookies. Feel free to be better than we were and use some healthy berries.

First, if you are using cookies, chop the cookies up some so they blend easier. Same with large chunks of candy. If you’re using berries then just throw those babies in.

Now you add the milk (or non milk product like almond milk) to your blender. Depending on how many Blizzards you’re fixing, you might need about 1 1/2 cups of milk. We made 6 Blizzards using almond milk and 1 1/2 cups was plenty.

Next you’ll add the ice cream to the blender. If you are not able to use dairy, then you can use non dairy ice cream. Even though it’s quite a bit more expensive, it’s still less expensive then if you were to buy the Blizzards.

Go ahead and add your chopped up cookies or candies.

Now, put the lid on really well so it doesn’t all go splashing out, and blend away. You’ll need to stop after a few seconds and scrape the sides and stir it just a bit. Continue this until it’s at the desired thickness.

When it’s a blended, pour into glasses and enjoy! Dominic sure did.

Enjoy,

Lisa & The Build A Menu Team