Simple Savings

(10 seconds each to read and are almost that quick to prepare)

By Lisa Messinger
Food and Cooking at Creators Syndicate

Years ago, I started a kids' cooking column with a talented 7-year-old that was published for 7 years.  Though she reviewed children's recipes made with kid-friendly ingredients, much of the mail revealed families often replaced usual recipes with them because it made it fun, easy and economical to prepare food together and the whole family looked forward to meals based on the "fun," kid-style ingredients.  Even already "10-second" recipes can be aided by such boosts, and also show that "kid-friendly" can still mean healthful, like soy hot dogs atop multilayered colorful stuffed buns and a frozen fruit-filled "gazpacho."  And summer is the perfect, leisurely, activity-seeking time to embark on such adventures.

Fun fare like this also proves cooking can be easy, nutritious, economical, entertaining - and fast. They take just 10 seconds each to read and are almost that quick to prepare. The creative combinations are delicious proof that everyone has time for tasty home cooking and, more importantly, the healthy family togetherness that goes along with it! Another benefit: You - and your kidlets - effortlessly become better cooks, since there are no right or wrong amounts. These are virtually-can't-go-wrong combinations, so whatever you choose to use can't help but draw "wows."  

Frozen Fruit "Gazpacho"
In ice cube containers, freeze various fresh fruit purees, such as strawberry, peach and pineapple.  Place the ice cubes in apple juice as an appetizer cocktail that will become a fruit "gazpacho" as the ice cubes melt and blend colors.

Nut Butter and Jelly Tea Sandwiches
Use shaped cookie cutters, like stars and hearts, to cut shaped tea sandwiches from larger whole-grain sandwiches you've made with nut butters, like almond and cashew, and pure fruit-only spreads (available in the jam aisle of supermarkets).  For a fun, "teachable" gourmet touch, have a few fresh chopped herbs available, give kids a taste test and have them sprinkle a little of their favorite one atop the sandwich spread before topping and cutting.

Stuffed Bun Soy Dogs
Toast whole-grain hot dog buns and make light layers of toppings "painted" all over the inside of the buns so that at least a little of each layer shows under the one on top of it, such as honey mustard, ketchup relish, thin strings of string cheese and grilled corn kernels cut off the cob (with help of parent).  Top with cooked soy hot dog.

Don't Squash This Healthful "Spaghetti" Idea
After baking spaghetti squash (available year-round), serve the stringy inside (the healthful ingredient which gets its name because it looks just like spaghetti and tastes like it, too, when topped).  Let kids help prepare a topping buffet by adding additional chopped vegetables to sugar-free store-bought or homemade pasta sauce, carefully grating fresh Parmesan cheese (using a little of this is better than a lot of processed filler-added convenience brands) and perhaps being taught to take a fun turn at pressing their own garlic cloves for the first time.

Hide 'n' Seek Desserts
Let kids pick a few of their favorite sugar-free candies and hide them in desserts for the family, such as placing in bottom of sundae bowl and topping with sugar-free ice cream and toppings, pressing inside of store-bought or homemade sugar-free brownies or muffins, or, with supervision, melting in a pot on stove-top into a syrup and mixing into a sugar-free shake or sugar-free hot chocolate.

QUICK TIP OF THE WEEK:  For bargains, many of us rely on supermarket mailers, discount stores or bulk outlets.  Sometimes, though, the steepest bargains of all can be found at large office supply chains.  Don't overlook a quick stop there (or a search online or in mailers for weekly specials) even if you are a stay-at-home mom.  Products often include a large stock of well-known brands that might be used at home or the office, such as bottled water, coffee, teas and accompaniments, paper plates, cups and utensils, snack foods, air fresheners, and cleaning and bathroom supplies.

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food and nutrition writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the National Council Against Health Fraud and author of seven food books, including the best-selling The Tofu Book: The New American Cuisine with 150 Recipes (Avery/Penguin Putnam) and Turn Your Supermarket into a Health Food Store: The Brand-Name Guide to Shopping for a Better Diet (Pharos/Scripps Howard). She writes two nationally syndicated food and nutrition columns for Creators Syndicate and had been a longtime newspaper food and health section managing editor, as well as managing editor of Gayot/Gault Millau dining review company. Lisa traveled the globe writing about top chefs for Pulitzer Prize-winning Copley News Service and has written about health and nutrition for the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, Reader's Digest, Woman's World and Prevention Magazine Health Books. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com.