Back to School Creative ideas:

 

Make mini versions of your kid's favorite sandwiches by removing the crusts and shaping them with cookie cutters. Load the sandwiches into a compartment of a bento box container and fill the other parts with crunchy veggies like sugar snap peas, and mini fruit kebabs on toothpicks.

 

Try an all-veggie lunch: half a whole-wheat pita pocket filled with protein-rich hummus, shredded carrots, sliced cu****bers, chopped red peppers, pickles, and a lettuce leaf. If the kids don't like hummus, try a white bean puree

 

Frozen whole-grain waffles are packed with protein and fiber and make a perfect substitute for sandwich bread. Take a toasted waffle and spread (nut-free) soynut butter over one half. Cover with sliced strawberries and fold the waffle in half to make a sandwich. Pair it with apple slices and a bottle filled with fresh orange juice

 

Lunchtime chicken salad with rotisserie chicken

 

Wraps

 

Thermos

 

Sesame Noodles

 

Pesto Noodles

 

Dried fruit - Fresh fruit doesn't always hold up to the abuse of being tossed around in a bag all day. Try unsweetened dried versions of your kid's favorites. Combine banana chips, raisins, and dried apricots with unusual dried fruits like kiwis, cherries, blueberries and pineapple for a tasty and colorful treat.

• Kid's mix: Let them combine their favorite cereals with the dried fruit to create their own unique trail mix.

• Homemade goodies - Store-bought muffins or fruit bars may be convenient, but nothing beats a homemade snack. After all, you control the ingredients -- including the TLC. (Get creative with a pretzel by dipping it into melted dark chocolate, letting it set on waxed paper, and then wrapping it up.)

 

 

 

 

Home Granola Bars!

The key to these is CUSTOMIZE!!! Make them your own by adding your favorite flavors: Leave the almonds out, add pistachios. Sub pumpkin seeds for the sunflower seeds. Let your kids pick what they want in the bar.

Ingredients

• 2 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 c. raw sunflower seeds
• 1 c. sliced almonds
• 1/2 c. wheat germ
• 1/2 c. honey
• 1/4 c. packed dark brown sugar
• 2 T. unsalted butter
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 T. peanut butter, natural
• 1 3/4 c. any combination of chopped, dried fruit: apricots, cherries or blueberries

Directions

Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350. Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 300.

In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved. Stir in peanut butter.

Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Stephanie March and I were on Showcase Minnesota yesterday highlighting Fabulous Fair Foods. We featured Tejas, French Meadow Bakery, Giggles Campfire Grill, Salty Tart and Manny's Tortas.

Here is the video of the behind the scenes action:

Rob Huddelston the host of the show bounced in at the last moment!

Kurt and I made it out to the fair on opening night. We caught the end of the Lo J show and had a fee Summit Pale Ales and visited the Spam booth so I could get a hug by Spammy.

Check out this new state fair booth with Minne-sodas! Rick Nelson Food Critic for the Star Tribune gave them 4 stars and I have to concur, the Amber soda flavored with Maple Syrup was very delicious. Gardens of Eagen had these sweet locally grown watermelons for $5 a great simple idea.

Stephanie's Stars ****4

Next we had the meatball on a stick from the Food Building. I was really excited about this becau lets face it - whats not to love about a big fried ball covered in marinara sauce. The sauce was thick, spicy and had great confdensed  tomato flavor - the meatball however was a bit tired and tasteless.

Stephanie's stars **2.5 (I wanted the sauce on pasta)

Walleye Fingers from Giggles Grill.

 

These were AWESOME. Light, hand breaded, great fresh fish flavor that you could really taste through the batter and the mayo with dill on the side was perfect! I would like to replicate their recipe at home. This was a favorite and the lady in front of us who was 25 and had her entire butt crack showing was also a Fair Favorite. This is also the place for an awesome and inexpensive kids meal of chicken fingers and fries at $1.50. I am waiting to try the Sunnies in a boat on the Showcase Minnesota show on Monday 8/31 when we will be showcasing Fair foods but Rick Nelson gave those 4 stars.

Stephanie Stars ****4

Butt Crack sighting ****4 

Rick Nelson Sunnies in a boat rating ****4

Macaroons from the Salty Tart. I want these to be served in a vending machine so I can get at them anytime. These are my favorite guilty pleasure and they are somehow even more delicious on a stick! I wished I would have gotten more to take home because the 3 we got didnt even last until we got off that street.

Stephanie Star's **** 5 (ok I know there are only supposed to be 4 stars but these are 5 worthy.

Rick Nelson stars ****

 Meat Pie from West Indies Soul

 

This was really unexpectedly great. These meat pies were tasty little numbers. I have no idea what was in the warm dough but they were slightly orange and the meat was spicy and had a real complexity of flavors. I already love the West INdies Soul location in the Midtwon Global Market for their macaroni and cheese, greens, jerk chicken wings and sweet potato pie but this is definatly worth seeking out at the fair to in the International Bazaar Building!

Stephanie Stars ***3.5

I had a great time at the Tour De Farm Dinner on the grounds of the Walker Art Center early in August. I took tons of great pictures of the food, the chefs, Asher Miller, Mike Phillips, Scott Pampuch, Zoe Francois, Michelle Gayer and the chef from the Modern Cafe Jim Grell. Shortly after the event I got a virus on my computer so I was not able to put a complete recap of the event together. I did notice one thing when I finally got the pictures downloaded - I have an abnorminally large number of pictures of my chef crush, Alex Roberts - I swear I heart him in a way that is completly acceptable for a foodie:)

Here is Stephanie (mugging with our table mate)

 Homemade potato chips with creme fresh

 

 

 

Zuchinni boats with corn and pesto inside (these were great and a super summer passed appetizer)

Scott introduces the event

Bring on the chefs

Stephanie March and Sue and Al Zelickson - we heart her.

Group shot

Al Zelickson and RT Rybak

Plating up the food

 Course 1

Michael Phillips from the Craftsman Chacuterie and pickled vegtables

RT took this picture for me - it makes it look like this is my party!

Course #2 Asher Millers fish and noodles 

Course #3

Potato salad from the Modern Cafe

This wine is a keeper and was served with the next beef course

 

This course was Alex Roberts (insert dreamy sigh here) It was briased Thousand Hills Cattle Farm Beef on greens with raisins and mushrooms. YUMMY

 

More delcious wine - I plan to look for this in Surdyks. I do that sometimes - I take pictures of wines I like and show them to the staff at Surdyks so they can help me find wines I like.

This dessert was Michelle Gayer from the Salty Tart and it was a shortbread with rasberrys and a ricotta creme. It was light and airy and perfect.

The chefs get a round of applause.

Our table mates were super fun! Thanks for making the event great and I am sorry I lost the piece of paper with  your names on it:)