Rice Krispie Sushi

We got this month's copy of Parent's Magazine in the mail today. As usual, it was filled with tons of great parenting information and ideas. Our daughter's 6th birthday is just around the corner and they have a great section this month called, "Birthdays on a Budget". The one that really got me excited was the Japanese Tea Party theme. The featured dessert is for "sweet sushi" made with rice krispies, fruit leather/roll-ups and a few other things. What a perfect idea for a kid who has a wheat or dairy allergy! The treats can be made with margarine. Just be sure to check the ingredients for the candies that are used, as licorice often has wheat in it.

Link to the Parents Magazine article

I was really excited to show the article to our daughter (who, by the way is having a Backyardigans themed party) and she was very excited. But she mentioned that a friend of hers from school often brings these treats as dessert in her lunch. Where have I been that I missed this? Naturally, I will be trying them as soon as I can. And I looked them up on the Internet and found a couple of other resources to check out, as they are quite detailed...

http://www.mommyknows.com/birthday-party-candy-sushi/

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/mock-sushi-687463/

http://www.salon.com/food/kitchen_challenge/2010/04/05/rice_krispies_treats_sushi_open2010

Easter Eggs

Spring is upon us and it is time to start dying Easter eggs, as Easter is just a week away. If you have ever wanted to dye Easter eggs, naturally, you may want to try this. With a few beets, cabbage and some turmeric you could create some pretty fabulous colors. Throw in some onion skins, and you will never want to go back to those boring, ubiquitous colored pellets again!

How to dye Easter eggs naturally

Matzah Rocha

This recipe has become a beloved tradition at our house each Passover. Everyone loves it and it makes for a perfect dessert after the Seder dinner... or anytime! I even made some for Ella's birthday party last year and they flew off the table. The key to this recipe is the salt. There is nothing better than the chocolate/salt combination. We're making a double batch!

Matzah Rocha

1 cup of unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
12 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 boards matzah or enough GF crackers/matzah to cover cookie sheet
plain kosher/coarse or sea salt (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°. Cover a cookie sheet with foil, grease the foil with cooking spray. Lay out matzah in a single layer, breaking boards as needed to cover the foil completely.

Boil butter and brown sugar together over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. (It’s important to bring to a boil and keep boiling for 3 minutes to allow the butterscotch to fuse together, but do not boil for much longer than 3 minutes, as butterscotch burns easily.) Working quickly (before butterscotch hardens), pour butterscotch over matzah and spread over the whole surface. Allow some time for it to harden.

Melt chocolate chips over a double broiler, or over low heat in a heavy bottomed saucepan, taking care not to scorch. Spread the chocolate over the butterscotch. Sprinkle lightly with salt.

Bake at 350° for 5 minutes to allow everything to set. Freeze for one hour or more, keeping the cookie sheet as level as possible. Break into pieces and serve. Can be enjoyed cold or at room temperature.

Yields: Serves 8-10

Time to make: 1½ hr

Source: Bigoven.com with modifications by Heidi

Three Wishes...

A couple of weeks ago, Ella's teacher had the children make "wish" books. In it, they could got to imagine 3 wishes. These are the things that Ella wishes for most...

You guessed it, this one made me cry.

This one made me laugh. She likes to make BIG plans with her friend, Zoe. And this one proves that she is just like every other five year old!

Allergen Alert, in a place you would least expect it...

Miracle-gro potting soil contains peanuts, coconut and tree nuts

There's always hope...

From NPR... Pricey Asthma Drug Shows Potential in Easing Children's Milk Allergies