If someone in your family is gluten-intolerant or has celiac disease, ensuring that your meals, and particularly desserts, are gluten-free can be a challenge.

Gluten is pervasive in the American diet and even hides under various names in packaged foods. Cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner for your family becomes a game of playing detective, either reading every label of every packaged product or going in search of gluten-free recipes that are practical and, equally important, as satisfying as their original gluten-containing renditions. And since wheat flour is the base for most cookie recipes, many moms simply swear off desserts (unless they are made from store-bought gluten-free mixes).

There is no reason to deprive your inner baker

However, if your family loves the aroma of freshly baked cookies wafting through the house, there is no reason you can’t indulge your inner baker and spend time in the kitchen baking with your kids. The key is finding palatable (and easy) substitutes for wheat flours. The following gluten-free cookie recipes are either naturally flour-free or use gluten-free flours, such as tapioca flour, soy flour, rice flour or potato starch flour, which can be found in health food stores and increasingly so at the supermarket.

So, don’t deprive your kids (or yourself) the sweet satisfaction of biting into a homemade cookie warm from the oven. Keep these gluten-free cookie recipes on hand and put them to use when your sweet tooth calls or you need an afternoon project to do with the kids.

Gluten-free cookie recipes

Gluten-free Coconut Macaroons
Makes 2 1/2 dozen macaroons

No cookie recipe collection would be complete with coconut macaroons. Light and tasty, these cookies contain no flour and are naturally gluten-free.

Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 egg whites
1 1/4 cups superfine sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add salt to egg whites and beat with an electric mixer to form stiff peaks. Add sugar slowly and beat just until sugar is dissolved.

2. Stir in vanilla and coconut, gently mixing to combine. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the parchment. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Slide parchment onto the counter and let stand for 1 minute. Loosen cookies and cool on wire racks. If cookies stick to the parchment, place parchment on top of damp paper towels and let stand for 1 minute. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container.

Gluten-free Chunky Dark Chocolate Squares
Makes 24 squares

What cookie lover doesn’t love chocolate? Dark chocolate and walnuts gives these indulgent treats a boost of antioxidants and good-for-you fat. For a change, substitute the dark chocolate with cinnamon chips, white chocolate baking morsels, or milk chocolate. Pecans are especially good with chocolate, too.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups rice flour
1 1/4 cups soy flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into chunks
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly beat in corn syrup. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

2. Gradually add flour mixture, blending until combined. Add chocolate and nuts. Transfer batter to baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through and lightly browned. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before cutting. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Gluten-free Carrot Craisin Cookies
Makes 4 dozen cookies

Cookies, for the most part, are not considered a health food. However, adding carrots and dried cranberries does improve their nutritional value. These carrot craisin drop cookies are quick to make and can be stored in the freezer to always have on hand.

Ingredients:
1 cup gluten-free flour (recipe below)
1/2 cup soy flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups gluten-free cereal, finely crushed
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
3 eggs
1 cup corn syrup
2 cups finely grated carrots
1 cup dried cranberries or Craisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and grease baking sheets. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together flours, baking soda, cinnamon and cereal. In a large bowl, cream butter with an electric mixer. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in corn syrup until combined. Add flour mixture and carrots and mix well. Stir in cranberries and nuts.

2. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes or until cookies feel firm when touched. Transfer cookies to paper towels or wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Gluten-free flour: Combine 2 cups rice flour, 2/3 cup potato starch flour, and 1/3 cup tapioca flour in an airtight container and keep on hand for baking.

Gluten-free Sugar Cookies
Makes 3 dozen

No reason to deprive your kids of cookie fun if they are gluten-intolerant. These sugar cookies are an ideal afternoon project in the summer when its too hot out or in the winter when the temperatures are too low to play.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup butter-flavor vegetable shortening
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups potato starch flour
2/3 cup tapioca flour
2/3 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. and grease cookie sheets. In a large mixing bowl, cream sugar and shortening. Add egg yolks and vanilla and blend until combined. In a medium-sized bowl, mix flours, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture and mix with your hands to combine and form a ball of dough.

2. Roll dough on wax paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Use round or shaped cookie cutters to cut dough into 3 dozen cookies, combining dough scraps and rerolling, as needed. Transfer to cookie sheets and bake 8 to 10 minutes or until firm. Cool on wire racks. Cooled cookies can be decorated and stored in an airtight container.

Lusciously creamy and full of flavor, avocados are a welcome ingredient in many recipes, from satisfying savory dishes to indulgently sweet desserts (avocado is a fruit, after all). Since avocados are applauded for their high content of heart-healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats and other health-promoting benefits, you can feel good about including them in your family’s every day meals.

Avocado are nutritious

According to the California Avocado Commission, avocados are a good source of lutein, a carotenoid associated with heart and eye health. They are also rich in beta-sitosterol, which is a natural plant sterol which research suggests can maintain healthy cholesterol levels. In addition, avocados contain nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and plant compounds that contribute to the healthy nutrient quality of your diet.

If you have a baby transitioning into soft solids, consider mashed avocado. The smooth texture and nutritional profile makes it an ideal first food. Best yet, the healthy fat in avocado acts as a nutrient booster, meaning it helps the body absorb other nutrients. Good for a growing baby and good for a health-conscious family.

One whole avocado has about 250 calories. That sounds like a lot but if you make avocado a part of your meals instead of the meal, you can enjoy the creamy fruit’s rich flavor and health benefits without worrying about the calories.

Picking the perfect avocado

When you are in market to pick your avocado, opt for hard, unripe fruit if you aren’t planning on eating it right away, or choose a ripe fruit that gives when squeezed. Color is not a determinant of ripeness since some avocados turn black as they ripen while others stay bright green.

If you do pick an unripe avocado, ripen it in a paper bag at room temperature for a couple of days. Refrigerate ripe avocados or avocados that have been cut. To prevent browning of the flesh, lightly coat with freshly squeezed lemon juice and store in an airtight container. Eat ripe or cut avocados within a day or two.

Preparing avocado

Facing an avocado for the first time can be daunting. However, preparing it for meals is quite simple. Use a sharp knife to cut avocado lengthwise, pressing the knife through the peel and flesh to the pit. Gently twist the two halves to expose the pit. Use a spoon to pop the pit out.

Now you have the option of scooping out the flesh for dishes calling for mashed avocado, such as guacamole, salad dressings, or avocado ice cream, or you can use a sharp knife to score the flesh and use a spoon to gently remove the slices or dices from the peel.

Family-friendly summer meals with avocado

Strawberry Avocado Smoothie
Serves 2

A creamy blend of calcium-rich vanilla yogurt, avocado and high-antioxidant strawberries, this smoothie is packed with nutrition. The avocado adds healthy fat to this drink without being a dominant flavor.

Ingredients:
1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
1/2 avocado, pit removed
1 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries
1 tablespoon honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Divide into two tall glasses and serve cold.

Avocado Fruit Salad
Serves 4

Though avocado is thought of as a vegetable, it is actually a delectable fruit. Adding it to fruit salad boosts the staying power and nutrition of the dish due to the avocado’s fat content.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup plain yogurt
Juice of a small lemon
2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, diced
1 cup cantaloupe balls (use a melon baller or just dice)
1 cup seedless grapes
Fresh mint leaves

Directions:
Whisk together yogurt, lemon juice, and honey or agave nectar in a large bowl. Add avocado, cantaloupe, and grapes. Gently toss to evenly coat fruit with dressing. Serve garnished with fresh mint.

Toasted Quinoa and Avocado Salad
Serves 4

Quinoa is a healthy kid-friendly grain with a nutty taste and excellent protein profile. Combining quinoa and avocado creates one of the healthiest vegetarian meals your family will love.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup cooked/canned chickpeas or garbanzo beans
1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Juice of a small lime
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 cups diced avocado
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Belgium endive leaves

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add quinoa and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Add broth and stir. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

2. In a large bowl, combine cucumber, tomatoes, chickpeas, onion, parsley, and cilantro. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice and vinegar. Add quinoa to the cucumber mixture and drizzle with lime vinegar dressing, tossing to coat.

3. Gently fold avocado into the quinoa and season with black pepper. Arrange endive leaves around the edges of individual serving plates and mound quinoa salad in the center. Serve warm or chilled.

Grilled Shrimp and Avocado Sandwiches
Serves 4

This open-faced sandwich combines a delectable array of textures and tastes. The butter lettuce serves as a top piece so you can still eat dinner with your hands.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1/3 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
16 jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined
Salt and black pepper as needed
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
4 pieces sliced sourdough bread, toasted
2 medium avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, sliced
4 Roma tomato, sliced lengthwise
Butter lettuce leaves as needed

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, mix the oil, basil, and garlic. Stir in shrimp and marinate up to 4 hours, refrigerated. Remove from marinade and grill shrimp (on skewers or in a seafood grill basket) over high heat until bright orange, about 1 minute on each side.

2. Split each shrimp in half and season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.

3. Spread mayonnaise on sourdough toasts. Layer shrimp, avocado, tomato, and lettuce leaves evenly on each of the toasts. Cut each sandwich in half and serve with extra avocado and mayonnaise.

Avocado Walnut Bread
Serves 8

Having a healthy quick-bread on hand in the summer gives you the mouthwatering opportunity for instant-gratification without turning on he oven - simply slice the bread for an easy breakfast, snack, or dessert.

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup sugar or more to taste
Zest and juice of a small orange
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed avocado
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and grease a 9-inch square baking dish.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, orange zest, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together orange juice, avocado, egg, and buttermilk.

3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until moist. Fold in walnuts. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until bread is golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes then invert onto a cutting board. Cut into squares and serve with yogurt or ice cream.

And, of course, you can always transform your avocados into guacamole, salad dressing, or dips. Even easier, just slice them and use as a healthy filling for sandwiches or wraps and even deviled eggs. This summer, make nutrient-rich avocados a staple in your family’s healthy diet.

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If there’s a single food that says summer, it must be watermelon. The green rind, the red flesh, and the black seeds in a big wedge on a hot summer day, juice dripping down you chin - who doesn’t have this memory?

Watermelon is a staple on our summer grocery list, and we can go through a whole fruit in less than a day. While it’s enough to just eat it straight, why stop there?

The other night I made a watermelon salad that was wonderful. Wonderful, I tell you! The only thing that I think might make it more wonderful is substituting chopped basil for the chopped parsley. Oh, and go light on the vinaigrette as the melon itself makes quite a bit of juice for the salad.

Here are some other things to do with watermelon:

• If you can get your hands on different varieties of watermelon, including the yellow fleshed variety, cubing the fruit and alternating colors on a skewer then freezing them makes pretty and tasty watermelon kabob/popsicles.

• Just cubing the fruit and freezing it then putting in ice water with a squeeze of fresh lemon makes for different and delightful rehydration.

• Try adding watermelon cubes to your weeknight green salad.

• Puree the watermelon with a banana and some ice for a light smoothie.

• Make watermelon gazpacho.

• Grill watermelon, yellow pepper and shrimp kabobs. Perhaps topped with watermelon salsa?

• After the kids are in bed, make a watermelon martini. Add some of those frozen cubes of watermelon to the glass, too.

Regardless of how you use watermelon, don’t forget to just let the juice drip down your chin a bit. It is summer, after all!

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Generally speaking I don’t like keeping a lot of snacky items in the house. You know, chips, crackers, cookies, and such. I try to avoid those aisles in the grocery store, even. This is in part because if we are going to snack, I’d like to teach my kids about healthier snacks, in part because of my efforts to keep partially hydrogenated soybean oil and high fructose corn syrup out of the house, and partly because I know myself and I know I will inhale them in spite of claiming they are for the kids.

Everything in moderation

Pass over the “No Fun Mom” crown, will you? It rightfully belongs on my head, I know.

Sometimes I wonder if by limiting the less healthy snack, I am making them more attractive to the kids. That probably is the case to a certain extent. But the flip side to that is (hopefully) understanding that a special treat is just that, a special treat, and not an appropriate part of an everyday diet. I don’t want to make them taboo, but I don’t want to make them common in their diets. Everything in moderation, after all.

When the kids come home from school and want a snack, I suggest fruit or yogurt first. Then I try to steer like perhaps a bowl of cereal, some baby carrots, or maybe a second apple, but this time with a little peanut butter. I like to have hummus around, but my kids still won’t knowingly eat it. On the rare occasions when we have chips or other such snacks, I try to limit the quantity they injest.

The snacking spectrum

Sometimes I will make a meal that will use the usually off-limits treats, like Frito Pie made with turkey barbeque chili or taco salad with our favorite tortilla chips. Even, on occasion, what I call “dinner nachos”: nachos with enough shredded chicken and other taco-related elements that there is some food value. The kids like those nights for the obvious reasons.

On the other side of the snacking spectrum, I need to have snacks on hand for the kids to take with them to school. This has been a far more challenging regular task because the snacks need to well-contained and preferably dry and definitely non-perishable (no cheese sticks!). Cereal bars and granola bars are an obvious choice, as are crackers, but finding items that meet my no partially hydrogenated soybean oil and no high fructose corn syrup requirements and don’t break the bank is hard. I may avoid the grocery aisle with the chips, but I probably spend the most amount of time in the aisle with the bars, reading labels and often making a decision based on lesser evils.

I like the ingredients in Z Bars (made by Clif Bar), but I can’t find them in enough flavors locally to keep the kids from being overloaded on them. My middle child would gladly eat the regular Clif Bars and Luna Bars every day, but at a dollar or more each, it’s not going to happen. Special occasion, okay, but not every day.

Of the brands I can find in the regular grocery store in this category, Sunbelt bars seem the best choice.

My favorite snack chips and crackers

All that said, there are some brands of chips and crackers that I just love. Love. They creep their way into our house for those special treat times.

• Ruffles potato chips. They actually aren’t stocked in my local grocery store, and that’s probably a good thing.
• Bugles. Also not stocked locally, and again, probably a good thing.
• Green Mountain Gringo Tortilla Strips. Yes, good tortilla chips can come from Vermont.
• Sunny Blues tortilla chips. A tasty, slightly non-traditional chip.
• Boulder Canyon Balsamic Vinegar and Rosemary potato chips. A rather grown up chip, but the whole family loves them.
• Veggie Booty. Pseudo-veggies.

Snacking can’t really be avoided, but hopefully I can help the kids understand balance here. While I’m sure I have a few more years of wishing I were a “nicer” mom and had more chips and such in the house, perhaps one day we’ll be able to sit down together and savor a favorite snack as a special treat together. One can dream.

Though the radish is a root vegetable that is in season during the fall, it is available year-round, added to salads, nestled in sandwiches, and used as a decorative garnish. If you are used to radishes being a simple salad ingredient, try these kid-friendly radical radish recipes that your whole family will love.

Picking the right radish

When choosing radishes at the market, opt for ones that are plump, firm, and free of cracks or marks. If you plan on serving radishes raw as a snack, buy them with the leaves still attached (as long as the greens are fresh and brightly colored) because it means the radishes will taste and look fresher.

If you want a sweeter flavor, choose smaller radishes; and if you love sharp, hotter radishes, opt for the large ones. Radishes are available in the produce aisle in bunches with their leaves attached, or trimmed and sold in plastic bags. Buy the bagged variety if the leafy topped radishes look wilted or old or if you are planning to use the radishes in dishes that appearance is not as important (as in a sandwich, stir-fry, or other cooked dish).

Storing radishes for optimal freshness

Place radishes in a perforated plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. Radishes with leafy tops should be used within a day or two because the leaves tend to spoil quickly. Once you trim the leaves off, use them as part of the ingredient list for a homemade vegetable stock, or discard. Radishes without leafy tops can be kept up to a week. You will know if your radishes are getting past their prime if they feel spongy, look dull, and start developing blemishes.

Preparing radishes

Trim the leafy tops and tiny root ends from the radishes. Rinse radishes in a bowl of cold water and pat dry with paper towels. If you are going to serve the radishes as a snack, appetizer, in a salad, or as decorative garnish, soak them in ice water for 10 to 15 minutes so they are extra plump and crisp for show.

Radical radish recipes your family will love

Radish Cream Cheese Rafts
Serves 4

This is a perfect recipe to take on a picnic or eat in the backyard this summer. Serving your kids “rafts” makes the dish fun and irresistible. If you are going to pack a picnic, store the toasts and radish spread separately and assemble when you are ready to eat.

Ingredients:
8 large radishes, trimmed
6 tablespoons softened cream cheese
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley
1 (8-ounce) baguette, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grate radishes into a bowl or use the grater disk and grate using your food processor. Combine with cream cheese and parsley.

2. Place baguette slices on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until crisp (but not rock hard) and golden. Remove from the oven and spread each toast with radish cream cheese. Season with a little salt and black pepper and serve.

Asian Radish Slaw
Serves 8

This Asian-inspired coleslaw is a healthy change from the Miracle Whip or mayonnaise-laden versions. Even better, classic coleslaw recipes have lots of added sugar. This recipe contains less, but you won’t miss it because of the yummy mélange of other fun flavors. Try this as a topping for burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, or as a crisp, flavorful side-dish.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger (or 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger)
1/4 cup finely chopped or grated red onion
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cups shredded green cabbage
15 to 20 small radishes, halved, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup dry-roasted peanuts

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together ginger, red onion, peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Gradually add the oil, whisking to blend and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, toss together cabbage, radishes, and green onions. Pour in half of the dressing and toss until slaw is well coated, adding more dressing, if needed. Garnish with peanuts and serve with extra dressing.

Radish Mice
Makes 12 mice

This is a Martha Stewart trick that will have your kids fighting over who gets the last “mouse.” Serve these cute edible little creatures as part of a buffet vegetable platter or simply use them as plate props to keep your kids interested in dinner.

Directions:
1. Using a paring knife, trim off the leafy end of each radish, creating a small white circle that will be the nose of the mouse. Don’t trim off the tiny root because it will be the tail of the mouse.

2. Cut off a small slice from one of the sides of the radish to give the mouse a flat base so it will stay upright and not roll. Cut a small triangular wedge out of the removed slice to make ears.

3. Using the tip of the knife, make a slit near the stem end (the end with the white circle) and insert the ears, pointy ends up. Mice are ready to be served.

If you are considering a vegetarian lifestyle or simply want to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your family’s diet, these healthy vegetarian snacks can give you a tasty transition.

Joshua Rosenthal, author of Integrative Nutrition: Feeding your hunger for health and happiness, says that food prepared at home by a loving person has a different nutritional effect than the exact same food prepared elsewhere.

“When we eat our mother’s or grandmother’s cooking, there is love in the food and care in its preparation, which creates a higher quality of love and energy,” explains Rosenthal. You may already feel that way about your substantial sit-down family meals, but every meal, including snacks, can be made with love.

Rosenthal recommends these quick-to-fix, yet satisfying, vegetarian snacks for you and your family, whether they come in handy for road trips or active afternoon treks to the park.

Healthy Vegetarian Snacks

Print out this list and keep it on your refrigerator. Make snacks the day before so they are ready to go when you hit the road or need healthy homemade food - fast!

1. Baked yam chips. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Thinly slice sweet potatoes or yams and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cooked through and crisp.

2. Carrot sticks with hummus. Rosenthal recommends making your own hummus, rather than store-bought varieties full of preservatives. In a food processor, puree a can of rinsed garbanzo beans with fresh lemon juice, fresh herbs, minced garlic (to taste) and other spices you enjoy. Add a little water or extra virgin olive oil to thin the hummus to your desired consistency.

3. Edamame. You can find edamame or soybeans in the frozen food section - in the pod or shelled. Simply thaw or quick boil and serve with a light sprinkling of sea salt.

4. Granola. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss rolled oats, nuts, and dried fruit with honey and a little vegetable oil and spread on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until ingredients are crunchy. Pair granola with cottage cheese and yogurt.

5. Mochi. Unless you are familiar with Japanese cuisine, you may have never heard of mochi. It is a traditional Japanese treat like puff pastry but made with cooked, pureed rice and contains no wheat or flour. Mochi is found in the refrigerator section of whole foods stores and comes in both sweet and savory flavors.

6. Rice cakes with nut butter. Add a little crunch to your afternoon by munching on crispy rice cakes spread with almond butter or good old peanut butter. The protein in the nut butter will give you a nice energy boost.

7. Organic fresh fruit. This is a given and, with so many wonderful fruits in season during spring and summer, you can make an afternoon of going to the local farm stand, farmer’s market, or natural food store to stock up on ripe, juicy fruits.

8. Ball of nuts. In a blender, add equal amounts of dates (soak dates in hot water to soften), rolled oats, almonds, sesame seeds, apple juice, brown rice syrup, and poppy seeds and blend until mixture is made up of small chunks. Use your fingers to form little balls and refrigerate until ready to eat.

9. Guacamole with jicama sticks. Puree avocado, red onion, tomato, seeded jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice and sea salt until chunky. Peel a jicama and cut into batons.

10. Ants on a log. A fun snack for your kids, fill celery sticks with almond butter, cashew butter or peanut butter and dot with dried blueberries or raisins.

With these snacks, you or your kids will never have to go hungry or grab junk food!

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One of the foods we always, always have in the refrigerator is yogurt, and usually more than one kind. When the kids want a snack, I direct them to fruit or yogurt first. When they want to make a smoothie with frozen fruits and juices, there’s plain yogurt to blend in with it. When Sunshine was about a year old, we used to joke that her four major food groups were peach yogurt, pear yogurt, banana yogurt and vanilla yogurt. She still eats two to three containers a day.

Thicker, richer, creamier

In the last eight months or so, we have become big fans of Greek-style yogurt. Greek-style yogurt usually is made with milk that has a higher fat content than typical American yogurts (though nonfat Greek yogurts are still very, very good), and it’s strained to filter out some of the excess water. It’s thick and rich and creamy. It’s dessert, almost! We drizzle honey on it. We use it to garnish soups. We mix it with cereal and fruit. We use it in cooking and baking (it easily replaces sour cream in several family recipes). We use it as part of a favorite summertime appetizer. It feels so decadent.

While it is a little expensive, I’m not so averse to buying the larger cartons at Trader Joe’s. And one individual container per week per person as a treat is not the worst thing in the world. When I bring home the containers of Fage, usually Woody is the first one to ask if can have it, even before he asks for chips or cookies or some other snack. I’m investing in his longer term health, I say to myself.

One of my favorite appetizers in the summer is a dollop of Greek-style yogurt and a smear of herbed Chardonnay jelly on a Melba round. The combination of sweet and creamy and tangy and herby and crunchy without being too heavy is wonderful hot summer evenings. If you can’t find Greek style yogurt, you can make yogurt “cheese” with plain American yogurt.

Yogurt and Chardonnay Jelly with Crackers

Thick Greek-style yogurt, or strained American yogurt “cheese”
Herbed Chardonnay Jelly (we get ours from Westport Rivers winery, but there are other sources)
Crackers (we prefer Melba rounds)

On a large serving plate, place two small bowls. Put the yogurt in one and the Chardonnay jelly in the other. Arrange the crackers. I find a small knife is best for spreading the yogurt and a small spoon best for adding the jelly on top. Set out several completed crackers so that guests know what to do with the ingredients.

Yogurt “Cheese”

One 32-oz container of plain lowfat (not nonfat) American style yogurt
Cheesecloth
Strainer
Bowl
Plastic wrap
Honey (optional)

Line the strainer with cheesecloth and place over the bowl. Dump in the entire contents of the yogurt container, cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator at least over night and up to two days.

Carefully lift the strainer out of the bowl and dump out the excess water and whey. Dump the now very thickened yogurt out of the strainer and cheese cloth into this or another bowl. Drizzle honey over the yogurt and mix well.
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Store in the original yogurt container in the refrigerator for as long as the yogurt would have been good otherwise.

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Creamy, fruity and unique! A fun dessert or snack for kids. You can make this as directed, or healthy it up with some protein powder or brewer’s yeast. The kids won’t even notice it’s in there, but it offers a nice nutritional boost! Don’t like blackberries? Substitute the fruit of your choice.

Blackberry Milkshake

Ingredients

1 cup blackberries, washed and frozen
2 tablespoons sugar or sweetener
1-1/2 cups vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt (4 scoops)
1/2 cup milk

Directions

Place the blackberries and sugar or sweetener in a blender and puree until smooth. You can skip the freezing step and add a few ice cubes in the blender before you puree. Add the ice cream or frozen yogurt and milk. Blend until smooth.

Serves 2.

A sucker for kitchen gadgets!

There’s nothing like a new gadget to perk up my cooking, if only for a short while. Any excuse to use it – any excuse at all – and I’m there. I love to peruse cooking stores and websites for new gadgets. I’m a sucker for new tools, and a complete idiot for those tools in funky colors.

Last year when I picked up a mango splitter, I proceeded to buy many overpriced mangoes for weeks just so I could use it. I figured out just the level of ripeness of the fruit that resulted in the best split. My kids thought this was just the best thing ever as they love mangoes and I would buy them only rarely. We had many smiles around the dinner table, and many mango fibers to floss out of our teeth.

I was equally excited when I received a microplane grater as a gift. I sought out all my recipes that contained grated citrus peel or fresh grated nutmeg. Fresh tangerine tart out of season? Eggnog in July? Why not! Then I started using it to grate Parmesan onto pasta. Those thin ribbons of cheese melted so easily, and prettily. I was in heaven.

Any excuse for a new gadget…

Even my new garlic press has me excited. Our 15+ year old garlic press gave up the ghost recently, so I got to pick out a shiny new steel one with these lovely rubber grips. There are so many things I could press with that. What to try, what to try…

There’s that new avocado slicer around that looks very interesting. Although I don’t often slice avocados (I usually smush them into guacamole) and don’t find it onerous when I do, it’s awfully pretty.

The pineapple slicer looks like lots of fun, too. Except that we have a fresh pineapple once or twice a year. Mere details!

My oldest son has inherited my love of cooking gadgets. He has short fingernails and asked for a citrus peeler for Christmas. Seriously, he did.

As you can imagine, my drawers are overfull with seldom used items. But when I do want that gadget, no other will do. Whether it’s the apple corer, melon baller, bowl scraper, or one of a dozen others, I love them all.

Tangerine Tart

Think of tangerine as the starting off point for this tart. Pink grapefruit, lemon, or lime also work.

Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp grated tangerine peel
14 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into chunks

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and tangerine peel. Whir together about 10 seconds. Sprinkle the butter over the top of the flour mixture, then pulse the food processor until the dough just holds together. Press the crust into a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. It will be a bit crumbly.

Bake 25-53 minutes until crust is light brown.

Filling:

2 large eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup fresh tangerine juice
2-3 tsp grated tangerine peel
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup half-and-half

Keep that oven at 325 degrees.

With a mixer on high speed, mix all ingredients until well-blended, a minute or so. Pour into the baked crust, and bake 30-40 minutes, until the filling no longer giggles. Cool about 1 hour.

Topping:

3/4 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tsp grated tangerine peel

Beat cream, sugar, vanilla and tangerine peel together until just shy of soft peaks. Mound spoonfuls on the tart as you serve it.

Jen’s Guacamole

I’m not a big pepper fan, so this version has none. The focus is the lovely creaminess of the avocados.

3 perfectly ripe avocados
1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped fine
2 tbsp finely chopped red onion
juice of half a lime
generous pinch of kosher salt

Peel and mash the avocados well. Add the tomato, onion, lime juice and salt and mix/mash well.

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Comforting comfort food

When I am feeling particularly stressed or down-in-the-dumps, I crave certain foods. I crave the foods that remind me of comfort and security and safety and are mostly from childhood.

Not a single one of these food cravings is particularly healthy. They are rich and sweet and salty and a little heavy. They make me sleepy, or at least a little dazed. Fried anything and creamy or cheesy or buttery things. Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my keyboard.

Of course, the foods I crave during these times are the foods I probably should not be eating during these times. If I am stressed or a little depressed, I should be more careful about eating healthy things to help boost my mood and my immunity – and spending more time in the sunshine and fresh air. Often I can use this rationale to avoid total indulgence. I might allow myself one small decadent bit, but I push through to the other side.

But then there are the times you just have to go for it, you just have to give in.

Honor the craving

I woke up yesterday morning with a craving for banana pudding, that sickly sweet and creamy childhood treat. I don’t remember my mother making it, but I remember it from other kids’ houses and I loved it. I’ve been pretty good lately about the quality of my diet, so I made it an item on my “to do” list for the day to acquire the ingredients. It was definitely a go for it day.

Even when I make comfort food – maybe especially when I make comfort food – I go for the really good ingredients. Prepackaged ingredients may be faster, but if I’m going to indulge, I’m going to go all the way. I picked up a bunch of bananas. I bought fresh cream and macadamia nuts to sprinkle on the final pudding. And the vanilla wafers, of course. There’s only one source for those.

The final pudding was – and is – really, really tasty. It hit that right spot. After dinner and after the kids were in bed, I let myself have a second serving. I scooped it generously into a bowl, curled up on the couch under and cozy throw and enjoyed every last bit of it. It was exactly what I needed it to be: comforting.

>>> Get the recipe here: Banana Pudding
 

PointsandPrizes.com Keyword: WAFERS worth 50 points good through 03/16/08.
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