Easy Lemon Slice Recipe

I made lemon slice last week and thought I would post the recipe. It is a very easy slice to make with the bonus that it is also very tasty. My kids love it and lemon slice also presents nicely to take along to a morning tea for the adults.

Ingredients:

Base

• 100 grams butter
• approx 3/4 can of condensed milk (this equates to 296.25 grams to be precise!)
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind (1 add a little bit more as I like it quite it zesty.)
• 1 cup coconut
• 1 packet Marie biscuits

Icing

• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 3/4 cup coconut
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• You may wish to increase these quantities if you prefer a thinker icing on top. (I did slightly.)

Instructions:

1. Crush biscuits until they are like a breadcrumb consistency. I put them in a plastic bag and crush using the wooden rolling pin and then pour into a medium sized bowl.
2. Add coconut, and lemon rind to the biscuit mix.
3. On a low heat melt butter and condensed milk.
4. Pour the condensed milk and butter into the biscuit mix and combine well.
5. Press this mixture into a lined baking tray.
6. Place into fridge for approx an hour (when in a hurry, I have put it in the freezer for 10 - 15 minutes and this has also worked).
7. To make the icing, mix all the ingredients together and then spread onto the set biscuit base. Refrigerate again until the icing has set.
8. Once set cut the slice into fingers.
9. Lemon slice keeps best in the fridge and if I need to layer it, I use baking paper to prevent them from sticking together.

Family Menu Plan For The Week

Baking: White Chocolate Chip Muffins

Monday: Pasta Carbonara

Tuesday: Pumpkin Soup

Wednesday: Chicken Korma

Thursday: Beef Stroganoff

Friday: Left Overs

Saturday: Tacos

Sunday: Chicken Wings, Baked Potatoes and Corn

If you like the look of this family menu plan, then you might like to use The Planning With Kids Free Menu Planner. With the menu planner you can select your meals for the week and print our your own shopping list.

If you would like to have one of your recipes added to the menu planner database, just be one of the first two people to leave a link or actual recipe in the comments section on my regular Menu Plan Monday Post. I will add it to the database and then email to let you know it has been included.

For more menu planning ideas head on over to Laura’s place at “I’m an Organizing Junkie“.

Technorati Tags: family menu plan, lemon slice, Recipes

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Although I don’t formally plan lunches for the week, the ingredients required to make a healthy lunch box are added to the weekly fruit and vegetable list. I have been finding it harder recently to think of things to add to the list.

As we are almost through the first month of winter, the variety of fruit and veg that I put in the kids lunch boxes seems to reduce significantly. Gone are the berries and melons of summer, grapes and plums of autumn.

So I have searched for seasonal fruit and vegetables in winter to give me inspiration for the lunch boxes and came up with the following:

Winter Vegetable Ideas For Kids Lunch Boxes

• Avocado (fuerte, hass, sharwill) - Not a particular favourite with my kids, but included it in the list as I know other kids do like to eat it on its own.
• Carrots - Cut up into sticks. At home I serve with dip or salsa, but my kids are not at all keen on taking that to school.
• Celery - Cut up into sticks either by themselves or with strips of cheese.
• Green beans - Trimmed.
• Snow peas - Trimmed.

Winter Fruit Ideas For Kids Lunch Boxes

• Apples (bonza, braeburn, fuji, gala, golden delicious, granny smith, jonagold, jonathan, lady williams, mutso, pink lady, red delicious, snow, sundowner) - As there is not as much fruit available that is appealing to my kids, I have started buying more apples and different varieties and including two apples in the lunch boxes. Favourites combo with my kids at the moment is a pink lady and a granny smith.
• Kiwifruit (early winter) - I cut this in half, wrap in plastic and include a spoon in the lunch box.
• Oranges (navel) - I cut them into quarters and wrap in plastic.
• Pears (beurre bosc, josephine, packham in the early winter) - I have not had much success with pears in the lunch box as they keep coming back home. The kids will eat them at home, but don’t seem to like doing so at school.

I would love to hear any ideas that you have for keeping the fruit and vegetables in the school lunch box interesting. If you want to see what else I put in the kids lunch boxes you can check it out on my post on preparing school lunch boxes.

Family Menu Plan For The Week

Baking: Lemon Slice

Monday: Spaghetti Bolognaise

Tuesday: Homemade Pasties

Wednesday: Beef Stir Fry with Asian Greens

Thursday: Mexibake

Friday: Left Overs

Saturday: Chicken Lasagne

Sunday: Sausages And Steamed Vegetables

If you like the look of this family menu plan, then you might like to use The Planning With Kids Free Menu Planner. With the menu planner you can select your meals for the week and print our your own shopping list.

If you would like to have one of your recipes added to the menu planner database, just be one of the first two people to leave a link or actual recipe in the comments section on my regular Menu Plan Monday Post. I will add it to the database and then email to let you know it has been included.

For more menu planning ideas head on over to Laura’s place at “I’m an Organizing Junkie“.

Technorati Tags: children, lunchbox ideas, Menu Planning, Recipes

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Now these are not the type of Jelly Shots that some of us may have consumed in the early nineties in dodgy night clubs. They were laced with alcohol - these jelly shots are of the kiddy variety!

Jelly to me is one of those foods that is the domain of kids. I loved it when I was a child, but now I just can’t bring myself to eat it.

My kids do however love jelly and I have found it to be a winner at children’s birthday parties. The bonus for me is that it is super easy to make and can be done in advance.

Recently for the younger children’s parties I have found that making the jelly’s in the plastic shot glasses has worked incredibly well. I have found that for the under 5’s, having the jelly in larger cups tends to lead to a lot of waste.

Serving

The appearance of the jelly shots is attractive to kids and it means they can taste more than one colour. Hand out a teaspoon to the kids and the jelly shots disappear pretty quickly. The plastic shot glasses are actually pretty sturdy and wash up well for re use.

Decorating

You can get fancy and decorate them with a lolly on top. Just make sure you wait for the jelly to set, before you do. Chocolate should be avoided as it gets messy with the jelly.

For my daughters last birthday I did pink jelly and then just before serving topped them with pink mini marshmallows - very pretty!

Ingredients

• 2 packet of jelly crystals
• 1 packet of plastic shot glasses (can be purchased in packs of 30 from $2 shops.)
• Teaspoons
• 1 packet mini marshmallows for decoration (optional)

Instructions

1. Make the jelly as per instructions.
2. 1 packet of jelly makes 18 shot glasses. I tend to use two packets of jelly and 30 shot glasses. I pour the remaining jelly into other containers to set for consumption after the party.
3. They take a few hours to set properly, so I make them the night before.
4. Add decoration before serving.
5. Have fun.

Technorati Tags: children, food, jelly, parties

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This quick pasta recipe is perfect for whipping up when you arrive home from an after school activity. The entire dish doesn’t take much longer to cook than bringing water to the boil and cooking the pasta.

Baked Penne With Bacon

Ingredients:

• 8 Rash Bacon Shortcut Rindless
• 500 Ml Pasta Sauce
• 2 Teaspoon Garlic Minced
• 1 Large Onion Brown
• 300 Ml Cream
• 1 Cup Cheese Parmesan Grated
• 2 Tablespoon Oil Olive
• 500 Gram Pasta Penne

Instructions:

Not only is this a quick pasta dish, but it is one that will feed a lot of people and it reheats quite well.

1. Boil water for pasta.
2. Finely chop onion.
3. Cut bacon into thin strips approx 2cm x 1 cm.
4. Heat oil in a large frying pan (I use an electric frying pan.)
5. When heated to a moderate temperature cook bacon to desired taste. I like it a bit crispy.
6. Add onion and garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.
7. Place pasta into boiling water.
8. Add pasta sauce to frying pan and turn down heat slightly.
9. Allow to simmer for 3 – 4 minutes.
10. Add cream to frying pan and mix well. Turn up heat slightly allow to bubble then reduce heat and allow to thicken.
11. Heat grill on high.
12. Drain pasta.
13. Add pasta to the frying pan and combine well.
14. Pour contents of the pan into a lasagna style dish and even out as required.
15. Top with grated parmesan and place under the grill until cheese has melted as is a golden brown colour.
16. Serve with some warm garlic bread!

Family Menu Plan For The Week

Baking: Banana Cake again! The kids requested this and it also suits me to bake it again. It takes only 5 mins to whip all the ingredients together and it makes a huge cake, which will last for lunches for most of the week.

Monday: Baked Penne with Bacon (as above.)

Tuesday: Chicken and Creamed Vegetable Soup

Wednesday: Beef Stir Fry with Asian Greens

Thursday: Chicken Schnitzel and Steamed Vegetables

Friday: Left Overs

Saturday: Souvlaki

Sunday: Sausages And Steamed Vegetables

If you like the look of this family menu plan, then you might like to use The Planning With Kids Free Menu Planner. With the menu planner you can select your meals for the week and print our your own shopping list.

If you would like to have one of your recipes added to the menu planner database, just be one of the first two people to leave a link or actual recipe in the comments section on my regular Menu Plan Monday Post. I will add it to the database and then email to let you know it has been included.

For more menu planning ideas head on over to Laura’s place at “I’m an Organizing Junkie“.

Technorati Tags: menu plan, pasta, recipe

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Mini hotdogs and mini hamburgers have been a recent creation in terms of children’s party food for me. Looking for an alternative to the hot food that I traditionally serve up, I came up with a mini version of a “fun food” that my children think is a special treat.

My kids love cocktail frankfurts and they have always been popular to serve up at their parties. I have found that serving them up as mini hot dogs has made them even more popular.

The kids liked the mini hamburgers but the mini hot dogs were definitely more popular. The adults though (especially me) preferred the mini hamburgers. I kept them quiet basic, as I did not know what the salad eating preferences were of the children coming to the birthday party.

Mini Hot Dogs

Ingredients:

• 12 Bake At Home Dinner Rolls
• 12 Cocktail Frankfurts
• Tomato Sauce
• Mustard

Instructions:

These take about 5 minutes to cook, so are super quick and super easy.

1. Heat oven in advance to 180 degrees Celcius.
2. Bring saucepan of water to the boil.
3. Place rolls on a tray and into oven.
4. Add cocktail frankfurts to boiling water.
5. Cook cocktail frankfurts for about 5 minutes (if left too long their skins will split).
6. Drain cocktail frankfurts and allow to cool.
7. Take rolls out of oven and cut in the middle.
8. Add cocktail frankfurt to the roll, add your desired sauce and your mini hot dogs are ready.

Makes 12.

Mini Hamburgers

Ingredients:

• 12 Dinner Rolls
• 500gms Minced Beef
• 2 Carrots
• 1 Onion
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 3 tbsp Tomato Sauce
• 3 tbsp Olive Oil
• Lettuce
• Cheese
• Tomato
• Additional Tomato Sauce

Instructions:

1. Place mince in medium size bowl.
2. Finely chop onion and grate carrot and add to mince.
3. Add Tomato and Worcestershire Sauce and mix well.
4. Use a couple of tablespoons of mixture and make into patties. I kept mine thin so as they would cook quickly and properly all the way through.
5. Heat oil in a large frying on a moderate heat. Add hamburgers and fry for about 4 minutes each side, until cooked.
6. While the mini hamburgers are cooking, slice cheese and tomato and cut up lettuce.
7. There are a couple of options on how to prepare these for a party. I actually cooked them in advance and just warmed them in the microwave, before putting them into their rolls.
8. Add hamburger to roll and then add cheese, tomato and lettuce.
9. Add any additional sauces and your mini hamburgers are ready!

Makes 12 - 24. The hamburger mixture will make at least 24 mini hamburgers. You can either cook them all up or freeze half of the uncooked hamburgers and have them another time.

Technorati Tags: children, party food, Recipes

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My mother in law makes this chop casserole recipe which my kids love. After bringing a dish of this recently the kids were very keen for me to have the recipe. Nana so obliged and I thought I would share it as well!

Nana’s Lamb Chop Casserole Recipe

Ingredients:

• 8 chump or forequarter lamb chops
• 4 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp each of ground ginger, mustard, curry, spice (Nana uses mixed spice.)
• 4 tbsp tomato sauce
• 4 tbsp vinegar
• 2 cups water or stock
• Parsley

Instructions:

1. Trim chops, and place in oven proof dish (with lid) with remaining ingredients.
2. Leave to marinate for 1 hour.
3. Place in a moderate-slow over 160°C for 2 hours.
4. If you use forequarter chops, it is better to do it the day before so that you can easily remove any fat as it solidifies on the surface.
5. Serve with creamy garlic mash!

Family Menu Plan For The Week

Baking: Lemon Slice

Monday: Pasta With Chicken and Baby Spinach

Tuesday: Pumpkin Soup

Wednesday: Chicken Stir Fry With Seasonal Vegetables

Thursday: Beef Stroganoff

Friday: Left Overs

Saturday: Tacos

Sunday: Nana’s Lamb Chop Casserole!

If you like the look of this family menu plan, then you might like to use The Planning With Kids Free Menu Planner. With the menu planner you can select your meals for the week and print our your own shopping list.

If you would like to have one of your recipes added to the menu planner database, just be one of the first two people to leave a link or actual recipe in the comments section on my regular Menu Plan Monday Post. I will add it to the database and then email to let you know it has been included.

For more menu planning ideas head on over to Laura’s place at “I’m an Organizing Junkie“.

Technorati Tags: lamb chop, menu plan, recipe

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Earlier this year after the arrival of our beautiful baby, the children’s school delivered a baby bundle. One of the delicious items in it was a child friendly version of Rocky Road. I have to admit to only sharing a small piece with the kids and I actually ate the rest!

I had my first attempt to make it myself last week. It was delicious, but as I didn’t have a recipe to work from, I think I actually included too much other ingredients with the chocolate. I have reduced the amounts in the list below, so there should be more chocolate filling with this recipe.

Rocky Road Recipe - Kid Friendly

Ingredients:

• 75gms mini marshmallow or large marshmallows (3/4 of the 100gm packet)
• 1 packet Crispy M&Ms
• 135 grams raspberry lollies (again 3/4 of 180 gram packet)
• 2 x 200gms Blocks Milk Chocolate

Instructions:

1. Cut raspberries in half. If you are using large marshmallows, chop them in half too.
2. Break chocolate up into chunks and place in a large microwave safe dish.
3. Heat in microwave for 1 minute, then stir. Repeat this step, with 15 - 30 seconds bursts in the microwave until the chocolate is melted.
4. Add M&M’s, marshmallows and raspberries to the melted chocolate and mix well.
5. Line a dish with baking paper and pour chocolate mix into it. I like the rocky road to be thick, so the dish I used was about 4cm deep.
   
6. Place in fridge for a couple of hours to set.
7. As it is easier to cut once it has softened a little, take the dish out of the fridge 15 minutes or so before you want to cut it.
8. Cut it into chunks and enjoy!

Technorati Tags: children, recipe, rocky road

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I find lasagne a great dish to cook for the family on nights when we have after school activities. I can cook it earlier in the day and simply reheat it quickly when we arrive home.

My children do not love traditional lasagne though. I do cook it but have found that they prefer chicken lasagne and therefore eat more of it. This suits me too as it actually has some vegetables in it!

This chicken lasagne recipe is easy to cook. (Mr I can even cook it.) It does however take some time to prepare as you need to cut up all the vegetables and chicken.

Chicken Lasagne Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 500 grams chicken breast, cubed into small pieces
• 2 red capsicums, finely chopped
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 375 grams herb and garlic tomato paste
• 500 grams large instant lasagne sheets
• 75 grams butter
• 5 heaped tablespoons plain flour
• Approx 750 mls milk
• Olive oil spray
• 200 grams tasty cheese, grated
• 200 grams mozzarella cheese, grated

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Pre heat oil in a large frying pan.
3. Brown chicken in pan, stirring constantly.
4. Add onion, when clear, add capsicums and stir for two minutes.
5. Add tomato paste and mix well.
6. Spray lasagne dish with olive oil spray.
7. Start making the white sauce (see below for instructions on white sauce).
8. Lay lasange sheets on bottom of dish. Break bits up so entire bottom is covered.
9. In the pan divide the chicken mixture into half.
10. Spread one half of the chicken mixture over the lasagna sheets.
11. Sprinkle half the tasty and mozzarella cheese on top of this.
12. Add next layer of lasagna sheets.
13. Spread remaining chicken mixture onto lasagna sheets.
14. Sprinkle remaining half the tasty and mozzarella cheese on top of this.
15. Place final layer of lasange sheets.
16. Pour white sauce evenly over lasagne sheets.
17. Cover with aluminum foil (arch foil over the top).
18. Bake for 40- 50 minutes.
19. Take off foil, turn off oven and turn on grill.
20. Grill for 5 minutes or until golden on top. MONITOR CLOSELY.
21. Take out of the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

White Sauce Instructions:

1. Chop butter roughly and place in a microwave jug and add flour.
2. Cook for approx 45 seconds on high in microwave.
3. Stir vigorously to make a smooth paste.
4. Add milk, stir again and cook in microwave for 5 minutes.
5. Stir again, getting lumps out, particularly from the bottom.
6. Keep going like this until the mixture is smooth and thick.

Our Family Menu Plan For This Week.

Baking: Anzac Biscuits

Monday: Chicken Lasagne

Tuesday: Left Overs

Wednesday: Sausages And Steamed Vegetables

Thursday: Beef Stir Fry with Asian Greens

Friday: Scrambled Eggs Recipe

Saturday: Tacos

Sunday:Lamb Chops With Steamed Vegetables

If you like the look of this family menu plan, then you might like to use The Planning With Kids Free Menu Planner. With the menu planner you can select your meals for the week and print our your own shopping list.

If you would like to have one of your recipes added to the menu planner database, just be one of the first two people to leave a link or actual recipe in the comments section on my regular Menu Plan Monday Post. I will add it to the database and then email to let you know it has been included.

For more menu planning ideas head on over to Laura’s place at “I’m an Organizing Junkie“.

Technorati Tags: chicken lasagne, Menu Planning, Recipes

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Last year I posted on how to make Tea Cup Biscuits. A gorgeous little treat for children’s birthday parties and the like. Since making these I have been asking around for a more boyish alternative to make for my sons’ birthday parties.

I was very lucky to receive a text message from my friend Belinda one afternoon. Belinda was at a boy’s birthday party and she sent me a photo of the very cute Milky Way Cars. This was just the thing that I was after - so props to Belinda for the idea.

I made these for my three year old’s birthday at the end of April. The children loved them and the mums all thought they were very cute! Here’s what you will need to do if you would like to make them yourself:

Milky Way Cars

Ingredients:

• 1 packet Milky Way Bars
• 1 packet Tiny Teddies Biscuits
• 1 packet chocolate beanies
• Handful of Choc Melts

Instructions:

1. Assembling the Milky Way Cars works best in a production line. I set up the bars and allocate four beanies per car. (Because I am a bit anal, I like to have four of the same colour beanies or a pattern.)

2. Melt the choc melts in a small dish. I use the microwave and start with 30 secs, checking the texture and heating again for short bursts until melted. Thanks to Lou for the tip on using melted chocolate to stick on the beanies. First time around I tried icing sugar mixture and it was not successful.

3. Using a thin object (I used a chopstick), place a small amount of melted chocolate onto the beanie and then stick the beanies to the bar.

4. Holding the bar by the sides, press the tiny teddy gently into the bar.

5. Repeat until you have completed all bars. Very simple, very cute and very tasty!

Technorati Tags: birthday party treats, milky way cars, Recipes

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Quite frequently we will have a wrap based meal on the weekend. The reason for this is that they are quick to prepare and we set the meal up so the children can participate in preparation and can self serve. This really helps to make the meal a family event and an enjoyable experience.

Tacos are a hot favourite in our house, but the children also like making a homemade souvlaki. Souvlaki seasoning can be bought but I make a very simple and easy souvlaki seasoning. It is a mild version of the authentic version, but I find that this is more suitable for the kids.

Souvlaki Seasoning

Ingredients:

• 1.25 tablespoons dried oregano
• 0.5 teaspoon sea salt
• 0.5 teaspoon cracked pepper

Some people add dried garlic to the mixture at this point, I prefer to add fresh garlic when cooking the meat.

Instructions:

1. Mix together!
2. Add to your favourite meet during cooking process.

For complete recipe for using this souvlaki seasoning for a family meal click the following link: Homemade Souvlaki Recipe

Our Family Menu Plan for this week.

Baking: Chocolate Balls

Monday: Mexibake

Tuesday: Left Overs

Wednesday: Tomato and Basil Gnocchi

Thursday: Morrocon Minted Beef

Friday: Home Made Pizzas

Saturday: Home Made Hamburgers And Salad

Sunday: Tacos

If you like the look of this family menu plan, then you might like to use The Planning With Kids Free Menu Planner. With the menu planner you can select your meals for the week and print our your own shopping list.

If you would like to have one of your recipes added to the menu planner database, just be one of the first two people to leave a link or actual recipe in the comments section on my regular Menu Plan Monday Post. I will add it to the database and then email to let you know it has been included.

For more menu planning ideas head on over to Laura’s place at “I’m an Organizing Junkie“.

Technorati Tags: menu plan, Recipes, souvlaki seasoning

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